at night.

Chapter Nine

The next morning, while Von Barwig was waiting for a pupil--he had very
few in these days--Jenny came into his room with a letter, at the sight
of which his heart beat rapidly, for it was post-marked Germany. The
handwriting was in a boyish scrawl he did not recognise.

"Not many pupils to-day?" ventured Jenny.

"No, they don't come; I'm afraid this is not just exactly the
neighbourhood. New York is going uptown. I gave only fifteen lessons
last week."

"That's not bad, is it?" asked Jenny.

"Not so bad when they pay, but they don't," laughed Von Barwig, and
seeing that his visitor was in no hurry to leave him, Von Barwig
ventured to open his letter and read it. He read it again and then
looked at Jenny with such a perplexed expression on his face that she
was forced to laugh in spite of herself.

"Young Poons is coming," he said finally.

"Is he?" replied Jenny doubtfully.

"Yes, he is coming. He is the son of an old friend; a very dear old
friend. His name is August and he wants me to--to give him a start in
life. He is a 'cello player. You know what is a 'cello? It's a large
violin and stands up when you play it, so," and he took his own violin
and placing it between his knees showed her how the 'cello was
manipulated.

"He sails on the steamship _City of Berlin_. He is coming here to make
his fortune," and Von Barwig laughed at the idea of making a fortune at
music in America.

"How old is he?" asked Jenny.

"Hum--he must be seventeen by this time!" Jenny became quite
interested. "I knew him when he was quite a little chap; his father
was a horn player in my orchestra at--at--" Von Barwig hesitated; "in
Germany. I must help him. Yes, Jenny, I must help him. Poor old
August, I must be a father to his son! He was a dear little chap," he
said reminiscently. "Tell your aunt we shall want one of her bedrooms
on the top floor if it is at liberty."

"The one next to Mr. Pinac is empty. Aunt will be so pleased that a
friend of yours is going to take it." And Jenny rushed off to acquaint
her aunt with the good news.

Von Barwig told the news of the impending arrival of his friend's son
to Pinac and Fico, and the three men went down to the docks to meet
him. At the docks they learned that he had arrived with eleven hundred
other steerage passengers and had landed at Castle Garden, so they went
down to the Battery to try and find him. They found him in an i