ess of me for that?"

"No," said Annie Raymond warmly. "It is you I like, not your
clothes. You may have been unfortunate, but I am sure you deserved
success."

"You are a true friend, Miss Annie, so I don't mind telling you that
I was successful."

Annie Raymond looked astonished.

"And these clothes--" she began.

"I put on for Oscar Norton's benefit. I wanted to see how he would
receive me. He evidently rejoiced at my bad fortune."

"Oscar is a mean boy. Joe, you must come to our house to supper."

"Thank you, I will; but I will go round to the hotel and change my
clothes."

"Never mind."

"But I do mind. I don't fancy a shabby suit as long as I can afford
to wear a good one."

Joe went to the hotel, took off his ragged clothes, put on a new and
stylish suit which he recently had made for him, donned a gold watch
and chain, and hat in the latest style, and thus dressed, his natural
good looks were becomingly set off.

"How do I look now?" he asked, when he met Miss Annie Raymond at her
own door.

"Splendidly, Joe. I thought you were a young swell from the city."

After supper Annie said, her eyes sparkling with mischief:

"Suppose we walk over to Major Norton's and see Oscar."

"Just what I wanted to propose."

Oscar was out in the front yard, when he caught sight of Joe and
Annie Raymond approaching. He did not at first recognize Joe, but
thought, like the young lady, that it was some swell from the city.

"You see I've come again, Oscar," said Joe, smiling.

Oscar could not utter a word. He was speechless with astonishment.

"I thought you were poor," he uttered, at last.

"I have had better luck than you thought."

"I suppose you spent all your money for those clothes."

"You are mistaken, Oscar. I am not so foolish. I left between two
and three thousand dollars in a New York bank, and I have more than
twice that in San Francisco."

"It isn't possible!" exclaimed Oscar, surprised and disappointed.

"Here is my bank-book; you can look at it," and Joe pointed to a
deposit of twenty-five hundred dollars. "I don't think, Oscar, it
will pay me to accept your father's offer and take my old place."

"I don't understand it. How did you do it?" asked the bewildered
Oscar.

"I suppose it was my luck," said Joe.

"Not wholly that," said Annie Raymond. "It was luck and labor."

"I accept the amendment, Miss Annie."

Oscar's manner changed at once. Joe, the successful Califo