"It's funny, isn't it, how it brings the three of us together here in this tenement house." "How did you come here ?" I said.
"I was just starting for the house-boat this morning early, when I met Skinny's mother.

She was going to do her day's washing.

And she told me how she had to leave him sick in bed, and she asked me if I'd go and stay with him till she got back.

I went back and got the ball and mitt because I thought maybe he'd like them.

She said he got a bad cold in the marshes and he was all excited and kind of crazy from the way he'd hung onto Jake and begged him not to go up to your house--what did the fellows think when I didn't show up ?" "You--you should worry," I just blurted out.
"Anyway I don't care so much about the troop or Mr.Ellsworth either," he said, "and even if I cared about Skinny it wouldn't do much good, because he's going to die--the doctor says so.