in
order to save money enough to make a purchase. He never stole himself,
though his association with street boys, whose principles are not
always very strict on this point, had accustomed him to regard theft as
a venial fault, provided it was not found out. For his own part,
however, he did not care to run the risk of detection. Though he had cut
himself off from his old home, he still felt that he should not like to
have the report reach home that he had been convicted of dishonesty.

At an early hour the boys shook off their slumbers, and one by one left
the wharf to enter upon their daily work. The newsboys were the first to
go, as they must be on hand at the newspaper offices early to get their
supply of papers, and fold them in readiness for early customers. The
boot-blacks soon followed, as most of them were under the necessity of
earning their breakfast before they ate it. Ben also got up early, and
made his way to the pier of the Stonington line of steamers from Boston.
These usually arrived at an early hour, and there was a good chance of a
job in Ben's line when the passengers landed.

CHAPTER XVI.

BEN MEETS AN OLD FRIEND.

Ben had about half an hour to wait for the arrival of the steamer. Among
the passengers who crossed the plank from the steamer to the pier was a
gentleman of middle age, and a boy about a year younger than Ben. The
boy had a carpet-bag in his hand; the father, for such appeared to be
the relationship, carried a heavy valise, besides a small bundle.

"Want your baggage carried?" asked Ben, varying his usual address.

The gentleman hesitated a moment.

"You'd better let him take it, father," said the boy.

"Very well, you may take this;" and the valise was passed over to Ben.

"Give me the bag too," said Ben, addressing the boy.

"No, I'll take that. You'll have all you want to do, in carrying the
valise."

They crossed the street, and here the gentleman stood still, evidently
undecided about something.

"What are you thinking about, father?"

"I was thinking," the gentleman said, after a slight pause, "what I had
better do."

"About what?"

"I have two or three errands in the lower part of the city, which, as my
time is limited, I should like to attend to at once."

"You had better do it, then."

"What I was thinking was, that it would not be worth while for you to go
round with me, carrying the baggage."

"Couldn't I go right up to Cousin Mary's?" asked his