in' business. We mean to send off a ship
to Europe every day, besides what we send to other places, and expect to
make no end of stamps."

"What's the use of gassin', Dick? Tell a feller now."

"Honor bright, then, Johnny, I've got a place at ten dollars a week, and
I'm goin' to be 'spectable. Why don't you turn over a new leaf, and try
to get up in the world?"

"I aint lucky, Dick. I don't half the time make enough to live on. If it
wasn't for the Newsboys' Lodgin' House, I don't know what I'd do. I need
a new brush and box of blacking, but I aint got money enough to buy
one."

"Then, Johnny, I'll help you this once. Here's fifty cents; I'll give it
to you. Now, if you're smart you can make a dollar a day easy, and save
up part of it. You ought to be more enterprisin', Johnny. There's a
gentleman wants a shine now."

[Illustration]

Johnny hitched up his trousers, put the fifty cents in his mouth, having
no pocket unprovided with holes, and proffered his services to the
gentleman indicated, with success. Dick left him at work, and kept on
his way down Nassau Street.

"A year ago," he thought, "I was just like Johnny, dressed in rags, and
livin' as I could. If it hadn't been for my meetin' with Frank, I'd been
just the same to day, most likely. Now I've got a good place, and some
money in the bank, besides 'ristocratic friends who invite me to come
and see them. Blessed if I aint afraid I'm dreamin' it all, like the man
that dreamed he was in a palace, and woke up to find himself in a
pigpen."

CHAPTER III.

AT THE POST-OFFICE.

The New York Post-Office is built of brick, and was formerly a church.
It is a shabby building, and quite unworthy of so large and important a
city. Of course Dick was quite familiar with its general appearance; but
as his correspondence had been very limited, he had never had occasion
to ask for letters.

There were several letters in Box 5,670. Dick secured these, and,
turning round to go out, his attention was drawn to a young gentleman of
about his own age, who, from his consequential air, appeared to feel his
own importance in no slight degree. He recognized him at once as Roswell
Crawford, a boy who had applied unsuccessfully for the place which
Fosdick obtained in Henderson's hat and cap store.

Roswell recognized Dick at the same time, and perceiving that our hero
was well-dressed, concluded to speak to him, though he regarded Dick as
infinitely beneath himself i