"Oh, are you? Do they pay you well?"
"Pretty fair; I get five dollars a week."
"Five dollars a week! Thunder! I should think you did get paid pretty well!" exclaimed Harry, astonished at the vastness of the sum for a week"s work.
"Fair salary," added Edward, complacently. "What are you doing here?"
"I work in the stable and about the house."
"That"s mean business," said Mr. Flint, turning up his nose.
"It does very well."
"How much do you get?"
"Six dollars a month and perquisites."
"How much are the perquisites?"
"From one to two dollars a month."
"Humph! I wonder you stay here."
"It is as well as I can do."
"No, it isn"t; why don"t you go into a store? We want a boy in our store."
"Do you?"
"We do."
"How much do you pay?"
"We pay from two to four dollars a week."
"Can"t you get me the place?" asked Harry, now much interested in his companion.
"Well, yes; perhaps I can."
"What should I have to do?"
"Make the fires, sweep out in the morning, go on errands, and such work. Boys must begin at the foot of the ladder. I began at the foot of the ladder," answered Mr. Flint, with an immense self-sufficiency, which Harry, however, failed to notice.
"I should like to get into a store."
"You will have a good chance to rise."
"I am willing to do anything, so that I can have a chance to get ahead."
"We always give boys a good chance."
Harry wanted that mysterious "we" defined. As it was, he was left to infer that Mr. Flint was a partner in the concern, unless the five dollars per week was an argument to the contrary; but he didn"t like to ask strange questions, and desired to know whom "he worked for."
Edward Flint did not "work for" anybody. He was a clerk in the extensive dry goods establishment of the Messrs. Wake & Wade, which, he declared, was the largest concern in Boston; and one might further have concluded that Mr. Flint was the most important personage in the said concern.
Mr. Flint was obliged to descend from his lofty dignity, and compound the dollar and twenty cents with the stable boy by promising to get him the vacant place in the establishment of Wake & Wade, if his influence was sufficient to procure it. Harry was satisfied, and begged him not to distress himself about the debt. The visitor took his leave, promising to see him again the next day.
About noon Joe Flint appeared at the stable again, perfectly sober.
Major Phillips had lent him ten dollars, in antic.i.p.ation of his month"s wages, and he had been home to attend to the comfort of his suffering family. After dinner he had a long talk with Harry, in which, after paying him the money disbursed on the previous evening, he repeated his solemn resolution to drink no more. He was very grateful to Harry, and hoped he should be able to do as much for him.
"Don"t drink any more, Joe, and it will be the best day"s work I ever did," added Harry.
"I never will, Harry--never!" protested Joe.
CHAPTER XVI
IN WHICH HARRY GOES INTO THE DRYGOODS BUSINESS
Mr. Edward Flint"s reputation as a gentleman of honor and a man of his word suffered somewhat in Harry"s estimation; for he waited all day, and all evening, without hearing a word from the firm of Wake & Wade.
He had actually begun to doubt whether the accomplished young man had as much influence with the firm as he had led him to suppose. But his ambition would not permit him longer to be satisfied with the humble sphere of a stable boy; and he determined, if he did not hear from Edward, to apply for the situation himself.
The next day, having procured two hours" leave of absence from the stable, he called at the home of Joe Flint to obtain further particulars concerning Edward and his situation. He found the family in much better circ.u.mstances than at his previous visit. Mrs. Flint was sitting up, and was rapidly convalescing; Katy was busy and cheerful; and it seemed a different place from that to which he had been the messenger of hope and comfort two nights before.
They were very glad to see him, and poured forth their grat.i.tude to him so eloquently that he was obliged to change the topic. Mrs. Flint was sure that her husband was an altered man. She had never before known him to be so earnest and solemn in his resolutions to amend and lead a new life.
But when Harry alluded to Edward, both Katy and her mother suddenly grew red. They acknowledged that they had sent for him in their extremity, but that he did not come till the next morning, when the bounty of the stable boy had relieved them from the bitterness of want. The mother dropped a tear as she spoke of the wayward son; and Harry had not the heart to press the inquiries he had come to make.
After speaking as well as he dared to speak of Edward, he took his leave, and hastened to the establishment of Wake & Wade, to apply for the vacant place. He had put on his best clothes, and his appearance this time was very creditable.
Entering the store, he inquired for Edward Flint; and that gentleman was summoned to receive him.
"Hallo, Harry West!" said Edward, when he recognized his visitor. "I declare I forgot all about you."
"I thought likely," replied Harry, willing to be very charitable to the delinquent.
"The fact is, we have been so busy in the store I haven"t had time to call on you, as I promised."
"Never mind, now. Is the place filled?"
"No."
"I am glad to hear that. Do you think there is any chance for me?"
"Well, I don"t know. I will do what I can for you."