Bruce bent over his work, praying for Mickey. Everything went wrong
without him. He was enough irritated by the boy who was not Mickey, that
when the boy who was Mickey came to his door, he was delighted to see him.
He wanted to say: "Hello, little friend. Come get in the game, quickly!"
but two considerations withheld him: Mickey's manners were a trifle too
casual; at times they irritated Douglas, and if he took the boy into his
life as he hoped to, he would come into constant contact with Leslie and
her friends, who were cultured people of homing instincts. Mickey's
manners must be polished, and the way to do it was not to drop to his
level, but to improve Mickey. And again, the day before, he had told
Mickey to sit down and wait until an order was given him. To invite him to
"get in the game" now, was good alliteration; it pleased the formal Scotch
ear as did many another United States phrase of the street, so musical,
concise and packed with meaning as to become almost classic; but in his
heart he meant as Mickey had suspected, "to do him good"; so he must lay
his foundations with care.
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