Standard." In reply he
received the following letter:--

"BOSTON, Jan., 18--,

"MR. FRANK LYNN,--Dear Sir: We enclose three dollars for your
sketch,--'Phineas Popkin's Engagement.' We shall be glad to receive
other sketches, of similar character and length, and, if accepted, we
will pay the same price therefor.

"I. B. FITCH & Co."

This was highly satisfactory to Harry. He was now an accepted
contributor to two weekly papers, and the addition to his income
would be likely to reach a hundred dollars a year. All this he would
be able to lay up, and as much or more from his salary on the
"Gazette." He felt on the high road to success. Seeing that his
young compositor was meeting with success and appreciation abroad,
Mr. Anderson called upon him more frequently to write paragraphs for
the "Gazette." Though this work was gratuitous, Harry willingly
undertook it. He felt that in this way he was preparing himself for
the career to which he steadily looked forward. Present
compensation, he justly reasoned, was of small importance, compared
with the chance of improvement. In this view, Ferguson, who proved
to be a very judicious friend, fully concurred. Indeed Harry and he
became more intimate than before, if that were possible, and they
felt that Clapp's departure was by no means to be regretted. They
were remarking this one day, when Mr. Anderson, who had been
examining his mail, looked up suddenly, and said, "What do you think,
Mr. Ferguson? I've got a letter from Clapp."

"A letter from Clapp? Where is he?" inquired Ferguson, with interest.

"This letter is dated at St. Louis. He doesn't appear to be doing
very well."

"I thought he was going to California."

"So he represented. But here is the letter." Ferguson took it, and,
after reading, handed it to Harry.

It ran thus:--

"ST. LOUIS, April 4, 18--.

"JOTHAM ANDERSON, ESQ.,--Dear Sir: Perhaps you will be surprised to
hear from me, but I feel as if I would like to hear from Centreville,
where I worked so long. The man that induced me and Harrison to come
out here left us in the lurch three days after we reached St. Louis.
He said he was going on to San Francisco, and he had only money
enough to pay his own expenses. As Luke and I were not provided with
money, we had a pretty hard time at first, and had to pawn some of
our clothes, or we should have starved. Finally I got a job in the
'Democrat' office, and a week after, Luke