from his pocket two gold pieces and handed them to Rodney.

"Thank you very much, sir," said Rodney. "I shall find this money very
useful, as I have taken a room, and am setting up housekeeping."

"Then you have left the Lodging House?"

"Yes, sir; I only spent one night there."

"You are right. It is no doubt a great blessing to the needy street
boys, but you belong to a different class."

"It is very fortunate I went there last evening, or I should not have
met you and Mr. Goodnow."

"I am glad to have been the means of doing you a service," said the
Englishman kindly, shaking hands with Rodney, who bowed and went back to
his work.

"I am not sure but you are taking too much notice of that boy,
Mulgrave," said the merchant.

"No fear! He is not a common boy. You won't regret employing him."

"I hope not."

Then they talked of other matters, for Mr. Mulgrave was to start on his
return to England the following day.

At five o'clock Rodney's day was over, and he went back to Bleecker
Street. He found Mike already there, working hard to get his hands
clean, soiled as they were by the stains of blacking.

"Did you have a good day, Mike?" asked Rodney.

"Yes; I made a dollar and ten cents. Here's a quarter towards the rent."

"All right! I see you are prompt in money matters."

"I try to be. Do you know, Rodney, I worked better for feelin' that I
had a room of my own to go to after I got through. I hope I'll soon be
able to get into a different business."

"I hope so, too."

Two days later Rodney's trunk arrived. In the evening he opened it.
He took out a dark mixed suit about half worn, and said, "Try that on,
Mike."

Mike did so. It fitted as if it were made for him.

"You can have it, Mike," said Rodney.

"You don't mean it?" exclaimed Mike, delighted.

"Yes, I do. I have plenty of others."

Rodney supplemented his gift by a present of underclothing, and on the
following Sunday the two boys went to Central Park in the afternoon,
Mike so transformed that some of his street friends passed him without
recognition, much to Mike's delight.

CHAPTER X.

MIKE PUTS ON A UNIFORM.

A wonderful change came over Mike Flynn. Until he met Rodney he seemed
quite destitute of ambition. The ragged and dirty suit which he wore as
bootblack were the best he had. His face and hands generally bore the
marks of his business, and as long as he made enough to buy three meals
a day, two taken at the Lodgi