Rose Gardiner, the prettiest girl in the
village, who had already deeply offended Tom by accepting Ben as her
escort from the magical entertainment in place of him. He had made
advances since, being desirous of ousting Ben from his position of
favorite, but the young lady had treated him coldly, much to his anger
and mortification.

"Good-morning, Miss Rose," said Tom.

"Good-morning," answered Rose civilly.

"Have you heard the news?"

"To what news do you refer?"

"Crawford has sold out his business."

"Indeed!" said Rose, in surprise; "who has bought it?"

"My father. Of course, he won't keep store himself. He will put in a
connection of ours, Mr. Kirk."

"This is news, indeed! Where is Mr. Crawford going?"

"I don't know, I'm sure. I thought you'd be more apt to inquire about
somebody else?"

"I am not good at guessing enigmas," said Rose.

"Your friend, Ben Barclay," returned Tom, with a sneer. "Father won't
have him in the store!"

"Oh, I see; you are going to take his place," said Rose mischievously.

"I? What do you take me for?" said Tom, haughtily. "I suppose Ben
Barclay will have to go to work on a farm."

"That is a very honorable employment," said Rose calmly.

"Yes; he can be a hired man when he grows up. Perhaps, though, he
will prefer to go to the city and become a bootblack."

"Ben ought to be very much obliged to you for the interest you feel in
his welfare," said Rose, looking steadily and scornfully at Tom.
"Good-morning."

"She feels sore about it," thought Tom complacently. "She won't be
quite so ready to accept Ben's attentions when he is a farm laborer."

Tom, however, did not understand Rose Gardiner. She was a girl of
good sense, and her estimate of others was founded on something else
than social position.

CHAPTER XVI
BEN FINDS TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT

"Oh, Ben, what shall we do?" exclaimed Mrs. Barclay, when she heard
Mr. Crawford had sold out his business.

"We'll get along somehow, mother. Something will be sure to turn up."

Ben spoke more cheerfully than he felt. He knew very well that
Pentonville presented scarcely any field for a boy, unless he was
willing to work on a farm. Now, Ben had no objections to farm labor,
provided he had a farm of his own, but at the rate such labor was paid
in Pentonville, there was very little chance of ever rising above the
position of a "hired man," if he once adopted the business. Our young
hero felt tha