y good copyist," he said.

"I am glad she is earning a living, though I think it would have been
better for her to remain in the country, don't you?"

"Really, I can't judge for others, not knowing all the circumstances."

"The girl is ill bred, I am sorry to say. She treated me rudely in the
cars."

"She gives me no cause of complaint," said Lindsay shortly. He
understood and despised Luella's attempts to prejudice him against the
copyist.

When he rose to go, Luella was disappointed. She felt that she had
brought him no nearer, and had not strengthened her hold upon him.

As the young lawyer descended the steps he met a man coming up whom he
recognized as a dealer in worthless mining stock, who was looked upon
by reputable business men with doubt and suspicion.

"What business can Orlando Jenkins have with Mr. Ferguson?" he asked
himself.

CHAPTER XXIII.

ANOTHER RAILROAD ADVENTURE.

Six months have passed and brought with them some changes. At the end
of two months Ruth Patton sent for her mother, who was feeling very
lonely at Port Jervis, and engaged a suite of three rooms over those
occupied by Mrs. Fenton and Fred. Though she was away during the day,
the two ladies, living so near together, were company for each other.
Ruth had now become advanced to twelve dollars a week, not out of
charity, but because Alfred Lindsay's business had considerably
increased and gave his copyist more to do.

Fred was still on the Erie road, but it was now winter, and the travel
had so much diminished that where he had formerly earned seven or eight
dollars a week he now averaged no more than four. He began to be
dissatisfied, for his income now was inadequate to meet his expenses,
and he had been obliged to spend twenty dollars out of the two hundred
which he had received from Mr. Lawrence at Niagara Falls. He was now
seventeen, and he felt that it was high time he had entered upon some
business in which he could advance by successive steps. On the road, if
he remained till he was thirty years of age, he could earn no more than
at present. He answered several advertisements, but secured nothing
likely to be an improvement upon his present place.

One evening toward the end of December he was about to leave the cars,
when his attention was drawn to an old gentleman with hair nearly
white, who did not rise with the rest of the passengers, but remained
in his seat with his head leaned back and his eyes closed.