it," said Rose, vivaciously; "I should like to stay here an hour
longer. Wasn't it perfectly beautiful, Rufie?"

"Yes; it was very good," said Rufus; "I don't know but I like it almost
as well as the Old Bowery."

Though he had risen in the social scale, he had not quite lost his
relish for the style of plays for which the Old Bowery, the favorite
theatre with the street boys, is celebrated. But that he had a suspicion
that it was not exactly a fashionable place of amusement, he would like
to have taken Rose and Miss Manning there this evening. He would hardly
have liked to mention it at the table afterwards, however.

The audience rose from their seats, and Rufus with them. Slowly they
moved towards the door, and at last made their way to the entrance. Had
Rufus known who was waiting there, he might have felt a little nervous.
But he did not know, and it devolves upon us to explain.

Three days before, Mr. Martin, who had been sentenced to the
penitentiary for three months, on account of his attempt at picking
pockets, which we have already chronicled, was released. To say the
least, he left the prison no better than he had entered it. Better in
one sense he was, for he had been forced for three months to abstain
from drink, and this he felt to be a great hardship. But it had a
favorable influence upon his health, and his skin was clearer, and his
nose not quite so ruddy as when he was arrested. But so far as good
intentions went, he had not formed any during his exile from society,
and now that he was released he was just as averse to living by honest
industry as before.

However, his resources were still limited. Money had never been very
plentiful with him, and just at present he was not encumbered with any.
It did not occur to him that the shortest way to obtain some was to go
to work; or, if it did, the suggestion did not strike him favorably. It
did occur to him, however, that there were charitable persons in the
metropolis who might be induced to help him, and he resolved to act upon
this suggestion. Accordingly, he haunted the neighborhood of the Academy
of Music, until the stream of people began to pour out from it, and then
he felt that the time had come for him to carry out his plans.

He went up to a gentleman who was coming out with a young lady leaning
on his arm.

"Will you listen to me a minute, sir?" he said, in a whining tone. "I
haven't eaten anything since yesterday, and I have no money to pa