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Slow and Sure: The Story of Paul Hoffman the Young Street-Merchant, a novel by Horatio Alger |
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Chapter 21. A Brighter Prospect For Julius |
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_ CHAPTER XXI. A BRIGHTER PROSPECT FOR JULIUS After dinner Paul went again to Mr. Preston's place of business, accompanied by Julius. The disguised sailor, who had lingered outside the restaurant, followed the two at a safe distance. Had not Paul and Julius been so occupied with their own affairs, they might have noticed Marlowe. As it was, they were quite unconscious of being followed. They were fortunate in finding Mr. Preston in his office, and at leisure. "Mr. Preston," said Paul, "this is the boy I spoke to you about." "What is your name, my lad?" asked the merchant. "Julius," answered the street boy. "My young friend, Paul, tells me that you have done him and his employer a great service. Did you live with the men who were engaged in the burglary?" "Yes, sir." "I suppose they have been in prison at different times?" "Yes, sir, more'n half the time." "What did you do then?" "Worked for myself." "What did you do?" "Blacked boots or sold papers. When I got a chance I smashed baggage." "Did you get paid for that?" asked Mr. Preston, with a smile. "He means carried bundles or carpet-bags," explained Paul. "I understand. Did these men ever want you to steal, or join them in burglary?" "Sometimes. They was goin' to take me last night, but they was afraid I'd peach, and locked me up at home." "I hope you have no desire to become a burglar?" "No, sir; I want to be respectable, like Paul." "You are right, there, my lad. Now, have you any plans for the future?" "I'd like to go out West." "Would you rather go there than remain in New York?" "Yes, sir. He's here." "Who is here?" "Marlowe. He wasn't took. He'll murder me if he gets hold of me." "Marlowe is one of the burglars, I suppose?" "Yes, sir; he's the worst." "I hope he will be taken. Probably he will find it hard to escape, as the police are on his track. But I don't know but you are right about going out West. Many boys like yourself have been sent out by the Children's Aid Society." "I know some of 'em," said Julius. "You will stand a better chance of succeeding there than here. I am willing to help you, if you wish to go out." Mr. Preston took out his pocketbook, and drew therefrom a roll of bills. "Here are fifty dollars," he said. "For me?" asked Julius, in almost incredulous surprise. "Yes, for you. I hope you will make a good use of it." Julius selected a five-dollar bill, which he thrust into his vest pocket, and handed the remainder to Paul. "Keep it for me, Paul," he said; "I might lose it." "You have done well," said Mr. Preston, approvingly. "Until you leave the city, it will be best to leave the money in Paul's hands. Now, my lad, I must bid you good-morning, as business claims my attention. Try to lead a good life, and you have my best wishes for your welfare." He offered his hand, which Julius took shyly. The two boys went out, and again Marlowe followed them and tried to overhear what they said. "Don't you feel rich, Julius?" he heard Paul say. "He was very good to me," said Julius. "Fifty dollars is a good deal of money for a boy like you." "Fifty dollars!" said Marlowe to himself. "So the young dog got fifty dollars for selling Jack 'n' me? He thinks he's done a good thing. We'll see! we'll see!" He instantly conceived the design of getting hold of this fifty dollars. As we know, he was almost penniless, and money he sorely needed to effect his escape from the city, where he was placed in hourly peril. To take it from Julius would give him more pleasure than to obtain it in any other way, for it would be combining revenge with personal profit. Not that this revenge would content him. His resentment was too deep and intense to be satisfied with any such retaliation. He wanted to make the boy suffer. He would hardly have shrunk from taking his life. He was, in fact, a worse man than Jack Morgan, for the latter was not naturally cruel, though, under temptation, he might be led to desperate acts. "Now tell me what you want to do, Julius," said Paul. "I want to go out West." "You are rather young to travel alone. Besides, you don't know anything about the West, do you?" Julius admitted that he did not. His education had been very much neglected. He probably could not have named half a dozen States, and had the vaguest idea of the West. He had heard it spoken of, and some boys whom he used to know about the streets had gone out there. But beyond that he knew nothing. "How far do you think it is to the West?" asked Paul. "About a hundred miles." "It is all of that," said Paul, laughing. "Now I'll tell you what I would do if I were in your place." "What?" "Were you ever in the Newsboys' Lodging House?" "Lots of times." "Then you know Mr. O'Connor, the superintendent?" "Yes; he's very kind to us boys." "Well, suppose we go round and ask him when the next company of boys starts for the West. You could go with them, and he will find you a place out there. What do you say?" "I would like to do that," said Julius, with evident satisfaction. "Then we will go up at once. I guess my business can wait a little longer." "You're very kind to me," said Julius, gratefully. "You'll lose money goin' round with me so much." "No matter for that. It won't ruin me. Besides, you've done me a great service. I ought to be willing to do something for you." "That ain't nothin'." "I think different. Come along; we'll settle this matter at once." The two boys kept on their way till they reached the lodging house. All was quiet; for in the day-time the boys are scattered about the streets, earning their livelihood in different ways. Only at supper-time they come back, and in the evening the rooms are well filled. Paul had been here before, not as a guest, for he had always had a home of his own; but he had called in the evening at different times. Julius had often passed the night there, during the lengthened intervals of Jack's enforced residence in public institutions. They met Mr. O'Connor just coming out. "How do you do, Paul? I hope you're well, Julius," said the superintendent, who has a remarkable faculty for remembering the names and faces of the thousands of boys that from time to time frequent the lodging house. "Do you want to see me?" "Yes, sir," answered Paul; "but we won't detain you long." "Never mind about that; my business can wait." "Julius wants to go out West," proceeded Paul. "Now, what we want to find out is, when you are going to send a party out." "This day week." "Who is going out with it?" "It is not quite decided. I may go myself," said the superintendent. "Can Julius go out with you?" "Yes; we haven't got our full number. He can go." "Then you're all right, Julius," said Paul. "What gave you the idea of going out West, Julius?" asked Mr. O'Connor. "Marlowe's after me," said Julius, briefly. The superintendent looked mystified, and Paul explained. "Didn't you read in the papers," he asked, "about the burglary on Madison avenue?" "At Mr. Talbot's house?" "Yes." "Had Julius anything to do with that?" "Through his means the burglars were prevented from carrying out their designs, and one of them was captured. This was Jack Morgan, with whom Julius lived. The other, a man named Marlowe, got off. As he suspected Julius beforehand of betraying them, and is a man of revengeful disposition, Julius is afraid of staying in the city while he is at large. We both think he had better go West. There he may have a chance of doing well." "No doubt. Why, some of our boys who have gone out there have grown rich. Others have persevered in seeking an education, and there are lawyers, ministers and doctors, as well as merchants, now prosperous and respected, who graduated from the streets of New York, and were sent out by our society." The face of Julius brightened as he heard these words. "I hope I'll do well," he said. "It depends a good deal on yourself, my boy," said the superintendent, kindly. "Firmly resolve to do well, and you will very likely succeed. You've had a rough time of it so far, and circumstances have been against you; but I'll try to find a good place for you, where you'll have a chance to learn something and to improve. Then it will be your own fault if you don't rise to a respectable place in society." "I'll try," said Julius, hopefully, and he meant what he said. He had lived among social outlaws all his life, and he realized the disadvantages of such a career. He shuddered at the idea of following in the steps of Jack Morgan or Marlowe--a considerable portion of whose time was spent in confinement. He wanted to be like Paul, for whom he felt both respect and attachment, and the superintendent's words encouraged and made him ambitious. _ |
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