boat to French's Hotel,--a mile and a half I guess it
was,--and how much do you think the man paid me?"

"Twenty-five cents."

"Yes, he did, but he didn't want to. All he offered me first was ten
cents."

"That's rather poor pay. I don't think I should want to work for that
myself."

"You couldn't live very high on such pay," said Ben.

"I have worked as cheap, though."

"You have!" said Ben, surprised.

"Yes, my lad, I was a poor boy once,--as poor as you are."

"Where did you live?" asked Ben, interested.

"In a country town in New England. My father died early, and I was left
alone in the world. So I hired myself out to a farmer for a dollar a
week and board. I had to be up at five every morning, and work all day.
My wages, you see, amounted to only about sixteen cents a day and board
for twelve hours' work."

"Why didn't you run away?" inquired Ben.

"I didn't know where to run to."

"I s'pose you aint workin' for that now?" said our hero.

"No, I've been promoted," said the gentleman, smiling. "Of course I got
higher pay, as I grew older. Still, at twenty-one I found myself with
only two hundred dollars. I worked a year longer till it became three
hundred, and then I went out West,--to Ohio,--where I took up a
quarter-section of land, and became a farmer on my own account. Since
then I've dipped into several things, have bought more land, which has
increased in value on my hands, till now I am probably worth fifty
thousand dollars."

"I'm glad of it," said Ben.

"Why?"

"Because you can afford to pay me liberal for smashin' your baggage."

"What do you call liberal?" inquired his patron, smiling.

"Fifty cents," answered Ben, promptly.

"Then I will be liberal. Now, suppose you tell me something about
yourself. How long have you been a 'baggage-smasher,' as you call it?"

"Six years," said Ben.

"You must have begun young. How old are you now?"

"Sixteen."

"You'll soon be a man. What do you intend to do then?"

"I haven't thought much about it," said Ben, with truth.

"You don't mean to carry baggage all your life, do you?"

"I guess not," answered Ben. "When I get to be old and infirm, I'm goin'
into some light, genteel employment, such as keepin' a street stand."

"So that is your highest ambition, is it?" asked the stranger.

"I don't think I've got any ambition," said Ben. "As long as I make a
livin', I don't mind."

"When you see well-dressed gentlemen walking down Broad