r again if he was quite sure that his father had really given
them that entire stock of goods all for their very own.

When Paul told them that his father had spoken of doing some such
thing as this the first night that he had found him, after hearing the
story of what the two had done for his son, and that the money had
been paid over that very morning in his presence, they became fully
assured of their good-fortune.

Johnny, by Ben's direction, started down town to inform their friends
of their magnificent gift, and to invite them all up to look the
property over; which invitation, it is almost unnecessary to say, was
accepted at once.

During the greater portion of that day the store was filled with such
a crowd of newsboys and boot-blacks as was never seen in that vicinity
before, and the other merchants looked out in alarm, as if they feared
that a riot was in progress.

Dickey was almost as delighted as the proprietors themselves at this
magnificent gift; but Mopsey did not hesitate to say that, from what
he had seen of Mr. Weston, he fully expected that he would have been
sensible enough to have purchased a theatre; and the author also
intimated that some folks did not recognize genius when they saw it,
or he would have been both proprietor and manager of a theatre, in the
place of Ben and Johnny being installed behind the counter of a
periodical depot.

Paul had his father's permission to remain at the store all day, for
he was as much delighted with it as were the new owners, and he
received quite as much attention from the visitors as the goods did,
all seeming to think him a curiosity, and all equally certain that
they would have cared for him as willingly as Ben and Johnny did had
he met them first.

It was quite late in the afternoon when Mr. Weston returned to see how
the new merchants were getting along, and both of them tried to
express their thanks for what he had done for them; but it was a
difficult matter to find words to convey all they felt.

"Don't try to thank me, my lads, but live so that you will merit the
confidence I now have in you. The money which I have paid out to buy
these goods is but a small part of what I would have been willing to
give to have known that I should find my son alive and well. From what
he has told me of you, I believe that you deserve this start in life;
and if you continue as honest and kindly-hearted as I think you are,
you will repay me for this in almost a