e here when I'm gone so much, an' perhaps
it would be a good plan. S'pose you two fellers go down an' see what
she's got to say."

"Why don't you tackle her?" Master Roberts suggested. "She'll be so busy
lookin' at your uniform that perhaps you could make a better trade."

Seth hesitated only an instant, and then went down-stairs.

When he returned his companions knew from the expression on his face,
before he made a report, that the mission had been successful.

"She says if we keep quiet an' don't have a crowd hangin' round, or too
many visitors, that we needn't pay any more for three than we do for
two. I didn't think that would be jest the square thing, an' besides, we
couldn't divide half a dollar up in three parts, so I told her we'd call
it sixty cents, an' that will make the lodgin' come mighty cheap for all
hands of us."

"When are you willin' I should come?" Bill Dean asked eagerly.

"Whenever you want to."

"Then I'll start right in to-night an' pay the same as you fellers do,
for you've only got one day ahead of me."

And thus the matter was settled to the manifest delight of the new
lodger.

The feast was an unusually satisfactory one on this particular evening.

Seth was as happy as a boy well could be because of the good fortune
which had come to him through Ninety-four's men; Bill believed himself
unusually lucky in having secured such desirable lodgings at an
exceedingly low price; and Master Roberts had suddenly conceived an idea
which seemed to him a remarkably happy one.

Not until his hunger had been appeased did Dan give words to his new
train of thoughts, and then he announced with the air of one who has
made a great discovery:

"If Seth hadn't laid himself right out to get into the Department, an'
stuck to it whether the fellers were makin' fun of him or not, he
wouldn't be wearin' that uniform now, would he? Course not. If I keep on
sellin' papers an' don't try to do anything else, I'll never get some
other kind of a job, will I? Course not. Now, I've made up my mind to
own a store on Third Avenoo where I'll sell papers, an' books, an' sich
truck, an' keep a lot of kids to do the outside work."

"An' you can do it, too, Dan, if you stick right at it," Seth replied
confidently.

"Well, she goes from this out! I shan't spend any more money buyin'
swell grub same's this is, an' if I don't get down-town every mornin' by
daylight it'll be 'cause I'm broke up so bad I can't move."