If I ain't, don't wait for me.

I'll be home afore supper--there I go again!--afore dinner, anyhow.

Good-by." Five minutes later he was at the street corner, inquiring of a policeman "the handiest way to get to Pine Street." Following the directions given, he boarded a train at the nearest subway station, emerged at Wall Street, inquired once more, located the street he was looking for, and, consulting a card which he took from a big stained leather pocket-book, walked on, peering at the numbers of the buildings he passed.
The offices of Sylvester, Kuhn, and Graves, were on the sixteenth floor of a new and gorgeously appointed sky-scraper.

When Captain Elisha entered the firm's reception room, he was accosted by a wide-awake and extremely self-possessed office boy.
"Who'd you want to see ?" asked the boy, briskly.
The captain removed his hat and wiped his forehead with his handkerchief.
"Hold on a jiffy, Sonny," he panted.

"Just give me a minute to sort of get myself together, as you might say.