CHAPTER XXIII
A BUSINESS CALL
It was certainly a startling discovery for Herbert to make, that out ofsixty dollars he had only four left, now that he had paid for anotherday at the hotel, and this small sum must be further diminished by theexpense of a breakfast. Unfortunately, too, he was quite hungry, for hismisfortune had not taken away his appetite.
"I will make a good breakfast, at any rate," said Herbert,philosophically. "Afterwards, I will consider what to do."
He ordered a substantial breakfast, which, even at the low prices of adozen years ago, amounted to fifty cents, and did full justice to whatwas set before him.
After paying at the desk, he went outside.
It was a bright, sunshiny morning, and this, with the comfortablefeeling produced by having eaten a good breakfast, gave him courage forthe new career upon which he was about to enter.
While considering what he should do first, the thought of the lettergiven him by Mr. Carroll flashed upon him. He felt for it hastily, andwas rejoiced to find that that was safe, at least. Greenleaf had nottaken that away, fortunately.
He looked at the direction. It was addressed to
"Messrs. Godfrey & Lynn,
"No. ---- Pearl St."
It was not sealed, and was probably meant to be read by Herbert. Atany rate, our hero so concluded, and opened the letter, not withoutcuriosity as to what Mr. Carroll had written about him. He knew it mustbe favorable, of course, but found it even more so than he anticipated.
Here it is:
"MY DEAR MR. GODFREY: This letter will be handed you by a young friendof mine, by name Herbert Mason. My acquaintance with him has been brief,but he has been able, by his coolness and bravery, to do me a mostimportant service, having saved me from being robbed of a large sum ofmoney while acting as my escort from Ohio to Philadelphia. I have talkedwith him freely about his plans, and find that he will reach New Yorkwithout friends, and with a very small sum of money, hoping before itis gone to secure a place in some counting-room, where he can make anhonest living. I feel a strong interest in his success, and am persuadedthat wherever he is placed, he will show rare capacity and fidelity.I wish it might be in your power to receive him into your owncounting-room. But, of course, that must be according to yourconvenience. At any rate, may I rely on you to act a friendly part bymy young friend, and to exert your influence toward procuring him aposition elsewhere, if you cannot employ him yourself? Anything that youmay have it in your power to do for Herbert, I shall consider as a favordone to myself.
I have just left my daughter, who, with her family, is well. Sincerely,your friend,
JAMES CARROLL."
"That is a very kind letter," thought Herbert, gratefully. "I hope itwill do me good."
He decided to call and deliver it the same forenoon. If he had not beenrobbed of nearly the whole of his small capital, he would, first, havegone about the city, which was entirely new to him. But, with less thanfour dollars between himself and utter destitution, he felt that he hadno time for sight-seeing. It was necessary that he should get to work assoon as possible.
He waited till ten o'clock, thinking it possible that the heads of thefirm might not reach the counting-room till about that time. It was noweight o'clock only. He had two hours, therefore, to look about him.
"Shine yer boots?" said a ragged urchin, approaching, with a suggestivelook at his soiled shoes.
It occurred to Herbert that it would be best to look as well as possiblewhen visiting Godfrey.
"Ten cents."
"It's too much," said Herbert, thinking how few dimes constituted hisentire worldly wealth.
"Well, five, then," said the bootblack, coming down to his regularprice.
"Do you get much to do?" asked our hero.
"Some days I get considerable."
"How much do you make?"
"Pleasant days I makes a dollar, but when it rains, there ain't much todo."
"How much do you have to pay for sleeping?"
"Six cents."
"Six cents!" repeated Herbert, in surprise. "Where can you get lodgedfor that?"
"At the lodgin' house, corner of Fulton and Nassau Streets."
"Well," thought Herbert, "I needn't starve. If I can't get anythingbetter to do, I can buy a box of blacking and a brush, and set up inbusiness for myself."
To be sure, this would not be an agreeable occupation, but Herbert wasbound to make a living by honest labor. If one avenue was closed tohim, he must enter such as were open to him. He could not afford to beparticular.
After his shoes were brushed, he crossed the park, and walked upBroadway. It was a wonderful sight to the country-bred boy, this gaythoroughfare, with its busy and bustling crowds, and its throngs ofvehicles, never ceasing wholly, save at the dead hours of night. Hethought to himself what a quantity of business there must be to do.Certainly, there must be room for one more worker. So, on the whole, thebusy scene gave him courage, and he sauntered along as cheerfully as ifhe were not next-door to a beggar.
But at last the time came when he might safely seek out the gentlemanto whom he had an introduction. Being a stranger in the city, he had toinquire for Pearl Street from a policeman, who answered his inquiryvery civilly. He followed the direction, and found it at length. But thenumber of which he was in search was not so easily found, for he foundthe street meandered in a very perplexing way, so that at times he wasnot quite sure whether he was still in it, or had wandered from his way.
At last he found the place. It was a large, solid-looking building,of four stories in height. There were a number of boxes outside on thesidewalk. Inside, there was a large apartment occupying the entirefirst floor, with the exception of a room in the rear, which had beenpartitioned off for a counting-room. The partition was of glass, and, ashe looked from the entrance, he could see a couple of high desks and atable.
"Is this Godfrey & Lynn's?" he asked of a porter at the entrance.
"Yes," said the porter.
"I want to see Mr. Godfrey."
"I don't think he's in. You can go to the office and inquire."
Accordingly, Herbert passed down the length of the warehouse, and,pausing a moment before the door, he opened it, and entered.
There were two persons in the office. One was a thin-faced man, who saton a high stool at one of the desks, making entries apparently in theledger. This was the bookkeeper, Mr. Pratt, a man with a melancholyface, who looked as if he had lived to see the vanity of all thingsearthly. He had a high forehead naturally--made still higher by the lossof his front hair. Apparently, he was not a man to enjoy conviviality,or to shine on any festive occasion.
Besides Mr. Pratt, there was a boy, if we may take the liberty ofcalling him such, of about Herbert's age. He was fashionably dressed,and his hair was arranged with exceeding care. In fact, as Herbertentered, he was examining the set of his necktie in a little hand-glass,which he had taken from his coat pocket. Not quite suiting him, he sethimself to rearranging it.
"Have you copied that bill, Thomas?" asked Mr. Pratt, looking up.
"Not yet, sir."
"You have been long enough about it. Put back that glass. You are quitetoo much troubled about your appearance."
"Yes, sir.
"If I didn't look any better than some people," said Thomas, sotto voce,"I shouldn't look in a glass very often."
Herbert naturally concluded that Mr. Pratt was the man to whom hisinquiries should be addressed.
"I would like to see Mr. Godfrey, sir." he said.
"He is out of the city."
"Out of the city!" repeated Herbert, disappointed. "When will he beback?"
"Nor till day after to-morrow."
Herbert's countenance fell. In his reduced circumstances, he couldhardly afford to wait two days. At his present rate of expenditure, hewould be penniless by that time.
"Is Mr. Lynn likely to be in soon?" he asked, thinking that perhaps hewould do in Mr. Godfrey's absence.
"No; he i
s sick at home. He may not be here for a week. Perhaps, I canattend to your business," he added. "What is it?"
"I think," said Herbert, "that I will wait till day after to-morrow, ifyou think Mr. Godfrey will be back then. I have a letter for him."
"If it's a business letter, you had better leave it."
"It is a letter of introduction," said Herbert. "I would rather presentit in person."
"Very well," and Mr. Pratt went back to his ledger.
Thomas looked critically at the boy who had a letter of introductionto Mr. Godfrey, and said to himself, "He got his clothes from a countrytailor, I'll bet a hat."