shirt alone to protect the upper
part of his body. He shivered with the cold, for it was now November.

"Here, Jerry," said Ben, "just take my vest an' put over yours. I'll
button up my coat."

"If I was as fat as Dutchey, I wouldn't mind the cold," said Jerry.

The three boys finally found an old wagon, in which all three huddled up
together, by this means keeping warmer than they otherwise could. Being
turned out of their beds into the street might have been considered a
hardship by boys differently reared, but it was not enough to disturb
the philosophy of our young vagrants.

CHAPTER XXIV.

BEN TRANSFORMED.

Ben worked away steadily at his double occupation, saving money as well
as he could; but he met with no more profitable adventures. His earnings
were gradual. Some weeks he laid by as much as a dollar and a half, or
even two dollars, but other weeks he barely reached a dollar. So the end
of March came before he was able to carry out the object which he had in
view.

One morning about this time Ben carefully counted up his deposits, and
found they amounted to fifty dollars and thirty-seven cents. It was a
joyful moment, which he had long looked forward to. He had been tempted
to rest satisfied with forty when he had reached that sum, but he
resisted the temptation.

"I aint goin' to do things by halves," he said to himself. "I can't do
it for less'n fifty dollars. I must wait awhile."

But the moment had arrived when he could accomplish his purpose. As Ben
looked down at his ragged attire, which was in a considerably worse
condition then when he was first presented to the reader, he felt that
it was high time he got a new suit.

The first thing to be done was to get his money. He made his way to the
savings-bank, and presented himself at the counter.

"I want all of my money," he said.

"I hope you're not going to spend it all," said the bank officer, who by
this time had come to feel acquainted with Ben, from his frequent calls
to make deposits.

"I'm goin' to buy some new clothes," said Ben. "Don't I look as if I
needed some?"

"Yes, you are rather out at elbows, I must admit. But new clothes won't
cost all the money you have in the bank."

"I'm goin' home to my friends," said Ben, "after I've got dressed
decently."

"That's a good resolution, my boy; I hope you'll stick to it."

"It's what I've been workin' for, for a long time," said Ben.

He filled out the order for the money