He had nigh broke the head
o' wan o' the young fellers in the office who tried it the day before.
He niver come out, but had his grub sent him. This had been goin' on
for a month. All kinds o' games had been put up on him and he beat
'em all.
"'I'll do it,' I says, 'in a week's time or less.' The manager was goin'
through the office and heard the laugh they give me. 'What's this?' he
says, cross like. 'Fin says he kin serve the writ,' the clerk says. 'I
kin,' I says, startin' up, 'or I'll throw up me job.'
"'Give him the writ,' he says, 'and give him two days off. It kin do no
harm for him to try.'
"Well, I found the street, and went up the stairs and read the name on
the door and heard somebody walkin' around, and knew he was in. Then I
lay around on the other side o' the street to see what I could pick up
in the way o' the habits o' the rat. I knew he couldn't starve for a
week at a time, and that something must be goin' in, and maybe I could
follow up and git me foot in the door before he could close it; but I
soon found that wouldn't work.
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