They had reached the corner of Fourth Street and Broadway.

 

Ben pulled the strap, and with his new friend left the stage. He offered his hand politely to assist the lady in descending.

 

"He is a little gentleman," thought Mrs. Hamilton, who was much pleased with our hero.

 

They turned from Broadway eastward, and presently crossed the Bowery also. Not far to the east of the last avenue they came to a carpenter's shop.

 

Mr. Plank, a middle-aged, honest-looking mechanic, looked up in surprise when Mrs. Hamilton entered the shop.

 

"You didn't expect a call from me?" said the lady pleasantly.

 

"No, ma'am. Fashionable ladies don't often find their way over here."

 

"Then don't look upon me as a fashionable lady. I like to attend to my business myself, and have brought you the money for your bill."

 

"Thank you, ma'am. You never made me wait. But I am sorry you had the trouble to come to my shop. I would have called at your house if you had sent me a postal."

 

"My time was not so valuable as yours, Mr. Plank. I must tell you, however, that you came near not getting your money this morning. Another person undertook to collect your bill."

 

"Who was it?" demanded the carpenter indignantly. "If there's anybody playing such tricks on me I will have him up before the courts."

 

"It was no acquaintance of yours. The person in question had no spite against you and you would only have suffered a little delay."

 

Then Mrs. Hamilton explained how a pickpocket had undertaken to relieve her of her wallet, and would have succeeded but for her young companion.

 

"Oh they're mighty sharp, ma'am, I can tell you," said the carpenter. "I never lost anything, because I don't look as if I had anything worth stealing; but if one of those rascals made up his mind to rob me, ten to one he'd do it."

 

Mr. Plank receipted his bill and Mrs. Hamilton paid him a hundred and eighty-seven dollars and fifty cents. Ben could not help envying him as he saw the roll of bills transferred to him.

 

"I hope the work was done satisfactory," said Mr. Plank. (Perfect grammar could not be expected of a man who, from the age of twelve, had been forced to earn his own living.)

 

"Quite so, Mr. Plank," said the lady graciously. "I shall send for you when I have any more work to be done."

 

There was no more business to attend to, and Mrs. Hamilton led the way out, accompanied by Ben.

 

"I will trouble you to see me as far as Broadway," said the lady. "I am not used to this neighborhood and prefer to have an escort."

 

"I didn't think this morning," said Ben to himself, "that a rich lady would select me as her escort."

 

On the whole, he liked it. It gave him a feeling of importance, and a sense of responsibility which a manly boy always likes.

 

"I shall be glad to stay with you as long as you like," said Ben.

 

"Thank you, Benjamin, or shall I say Ben?"

 

"I wish you would. I hardly know myself when I am called Benjamin."

 

"As we are walking alone, suppose you tell me something of yourself. I only know your name, and that you live in Pentonville. What relations have you?"

 

"A mother only--my father is dead."

 

"And you help take care of your mother, I suppose?"

 

"Yes; father left us nothing except the house we live in, or, at least, we could get track of no other property. He died in Chicago suddenly."

 

"I hope you are getting along comfortably--you and your mother," said Mrs. Hamilton kindly.

 

"We have our troubles," answered Ben. "We are in danger of having our house taken from us."

 

"How is that?"

 

"A rich man in our v............