e again, but throughout the week, Gifford &
Company's store kept open until eight o'clock, every evening, with Jack
Ogden behind the counter. He got so tired that he hardly cared about
it when they raised his salary to twenty-five dollars a week, just
after Mr. Gifford saw him come down town with another coffee and tea
dealer, whose store was in the same street.

"We mustn't let him leave us, Jones," Mr. Gifford had said to his head
clerk. "I am going to send him to Washington next week."

Not many days later, Mrs. Guilderaufenberg in her home at Washington
was told by her maid servant that, "There's a strange b'y below, ma'am,
who sez he's a-wantin' to spake wid yez."

Down went the landlady into the parlor, and then up went her hands.

"Oh, Mr. Jack_og_den! How glad I am to see you! You haf come! I gif
you the best stateroom in my house."

"I believe I'm here," said Jack, shaking hands heartily. "How is Mr.
Guilderaufenberg and how is Miss--"

"Oh, Miss Hildebrand," she said, "she will be so glad, and so will Mrs.
Smith. She avay with her husband. He is a Congressman from far vest.
You will call to see her."

"Mrs. Smith?" exclaimed Jack, but in another second he understood it,
and asked after his old friend with the unpronounceable name as well as
after Miss Hildebrand.

"She has a name, now, that I can speak! I'm glad Smith isn't a Polish
name," he said to himself.

"Oh, Mr. Jack_og_den!" exclaimed Mrs. Guilderaufenberg, a moment later.
"How haf you learned to speak German? She will be so astonish!"

That was one use he had made of his evenings, and he had improved by
speaking to all the Germans he had met down town; and his German was a
great delight to Mr. Guilderaufenberg, and to Miss Hildebrand, and to
Mrs. Smith (formerly Miss Pod----ski) when he called to see them.

"So!" said Mr. Guilderaufenberg, "you takes my advice and you comes.
Dis ees de ceety! Ve shows you eet all ofer. All de beeg buildings
and all de beeg men. You shtay mit Mrs. Guilderaufenberg and me till
you sees all Vashington."

Jack did so, but he had business errands also, and he somehow managed
to accomplish his commissions so that Mr. Gifford was quite satisfied
when he returned to New York.

"I haven't sold so many goods," said Jack, "but then I've seen the city
of Washington, and I've shaken hands with the President and with
Senators and Congressmen. Mr. Gifford, how soon can I make a visit to
Crofield?"

"W