cker.

"Good!" he said. "You will, a part of the time, be taking orders. Your
handwriting is plain and will do. Never mind about Latin and Greek.
You won't need it. Chinese would be more serviceable to you here. When
can you go to work?"

"To-morrow morning. To-day, if necessary," answered Dodger, promptly.

Mr. Tucker seemed pleased with his answer.

"To-morrow morning let it be, then! Hours are from eight in the
morning till six at night."

"Very well, sir."

"Your wages will be fifteen dollars a week. How will that suit you?"

Dodger wanted to indulge in a loud whoop of exultation, for fifteen
dollars was beyond his wildest hopes; but he was too politic to
express his delight. So he contented himself with saying:

"I shall be quite satisfied with that."

"Oh, by the way, I suppose I ought to have some reference," said Mr.
Tucker, "though as a general thing I judge a good deal by outward
appearance."

"I can refer you to my friend, Mr. Leslie, here."

"And who will indorse him?" asked the expressman, shrewdly.

Leslie smiled.

"I see, Mr. Tucker, you are a thorough man of business. I can refer
you to Mr. ----, president of the ---- Bank in this city."

"That is sufficient, sir. I am sure you would not refer me to him
unless you felt satisfied that he would speak favorably of you. I
won't, therefore, take the trouble to inquire. Where are you staying?"

"At the Pacific Hotel; but we shall take a private apartment within a
day or two."

As they passed out of the office, Randolph Leslie said:

"You've done splendidly, Arthur."

"Haven't I? I feel like a millionaire."

"As you are to go to work to-morrow, we may as well take up a room at
once. It will be cheaper."

In a short time they had engaged a neat suite of rooms, two in number,
not far from the Palace Hotel, at twenty dollars per month.

The next day Leslie procured a position on the San Francisco
_Chronicle_, at twenty-five dollars per week.

Chapter XXVIII.
Florence Receives A Letter.

The discovery, through Tim Bolton, that Curtis Waring had a hand in
the disappearance of Dodger, partially relieved the anxiety of
Florence--but only partially.

He might be detained in captivity, but even that was far better than
an accident to life or limb.

She knew that he would try to get word to her at the earliest
opportunity, in order to relieve her fears.

But week after week passed, and no tidings came.

At length, at the end o