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 outsidethe restaurant, followed the two at a safe distance. Had not Paul andJulius been so occupied with their own affairs, they might havenoticed Marlowe. As it was, they were quite unconscious of beingfollowed.
They were fortunate in finding Mr. Preston in his office, and atleisure.
"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 hisemployer a great service. Did you live with the men who were engagedin 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 inburglary?"
"Sometimes. They was goin' to take me last night, but they was afraidI'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 thefuture?"
"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, asthe police are on his track. But I don't know but you are right aboutgoing out West. Many boys like yourself have been sent out by theChildren's Aid Society."
"I know some of 'em," said Julius.
"You will stand a better chance of succeeding there than here. I amwilling to help you, if you wish to go out."
Mr. Preston took out his pocketbook, and drew therefrom a roll ofbills.
"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 vestpocket, 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 leavethe city, it will be best to leave the money in Paul's hands. Now, mylad, I must bid you good-morning, as business claims my attention. Tryto 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 tooverhear 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 fiftydollars 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 fiftydollars. As we know, he was almost penniless, and money he sorelyneeded to effect his escape from the city, where he was placed inhourly peril. To take it from Julius would give him more pleasure thanto obtain it in any other way, for it would be combining revenge withpersonal profit. Not that this revenge would content him. Hisresentment was too deep and intense to be satisfied with any suchretaliation. He wanted to make the boy suffer. He would hardly haveshrunk from taking his life. He was, in fact, a worse man than JackMorgan, for the latter was not naturally cruel, though, undertemptation, 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 knowanything about the West, do you?"
Julius admitted that he did not. His education had been very muchneglected. He probably could not have named half a dozen States, andhad the vaguest idea of the West. He had heard it spoken of, and someboys whom he used to know about the streets had gone out there. Butbeyond 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 Iwould 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 boysstarts for the West. You could go with them, and he will find you aplace 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 littlelonger."
"You're very kind to me," said Julius, gratefully. "You'll lose moneygoin' round with me so much."
"No matter for that. It won't ruin me. Besides, you've done me a greatservice. 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 thestreets, earning their livelihood in different ways. Only atsupper-time they come back, and in the evening the rooms are wellfilled. Paul had been here before, not as a guest, for he had alwayshad a home of his own; but he had called in the evening at differenttimes. Julius had often passed the night there, during the lengthenedintervals 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 thesuperintendent, who has a remarkable faculty for remembering the namesand faces of the thousands of boys that from time to time frequent thelodging 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 tofind 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 onMadison avenue?"
"At Mr. Talbot's house?"
"Yes."
"Had Julius anything to do with that?"
"Through his means the burglars were prevented from carrying out theirdesigns, and one of them was captured. This was Jack Morgan, with whomJulius lived. The other, a man named Marlowe, got off. As he suspectedJulius beforehand of betraying them, and is a man of revengefuldisposition, Julius is afraid of staying in the city while he is atlarge. We both think he had better go West. There he may have a chanceof doing well."
"No do
ubt. Why, some of our boys who have gone out there have grownrich. Others have persevered in seeking an education, and there arelawyers, ministers and doctors, as well as merchants, now prosperousand respected, who graduated from the streets of New York, and weresent 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 beenagainst you; but I'll try to find a good place for you, where you'llhave a chance to learn something and to improve. Then it will be yourown 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 hadlived among social outlaws all his life, and he realized thedisadvantages of such a career. He shuddered at the idea of followingin the steps of Jack Morgan or Marlowe--a considerable portion ofwhose time was spent in confinement. He wanted to be like Paul, forwhom he felt both respect and attachment, and the superintendent'swords encouraged and made him ambitious.