" said the cigar-vender.

Sam followed directions, and, approaching the room-clerk, preferred
the same inquiry.

"One dollar," was the answer.

"One dollar, just for sleeping?" inquired Sam, in surprise, for in his
native village he knew that the school-teacher got boarded for three
dollars a week, board and lodging complete for seven days.

"Those are our terms," said the clerk.

"I don't care about a nice room," said Sam, hoping to secure a
reduction.

"We charge more for our nice rooms," said the clerk.

"Aint there any cheaper hotels?" asked our hero, rather dismayed at
his sudden discovery of the great cost of living in New York.

"I suppose so," said the clerk, carelessly; but he did not volunteer
any information as to their whereabouts.

Sam walked slowly out of the hotel, quite uncertain where to go, or
what to do. He had money enough to pay for a night's lodging, even at
this high price, but he judged wisely that he could not afford to
spend so large a part of his small stock of money.

"I wonder where the boys sleep that black boots," he thought. "They
can't pay a dollar a night for sleeping."

He looked around for the boy who had guided him to a restaurant, but
could not find him.

It was now eight o'clock, and he begun to think he should have to go
back to the hotel after all, when a shabby-looking man, with watery
eyes and a red nose, accosted him.

"Are you a stranger in the city, my young friend?" he asked.

"Yes," said Sam, rather relieved at the opportunity of speaking to
somebody.

"So I thought. Where are you boarding?"

"Nowhere," said Sam.

"Where do you sleep to-night?"

"I don't know," said Sam, rather helplessly.

"Why don't you go to a hotel?"

"They charge too much," said Sam.

"Haven't you got money enough to pay for a lodging at a hotel?" asked
the stranger, with rather less interest in his manner.

"Oh, yes," said Sam, "a good deal more than that; but then, I want to
make my money last till I can earn something."

"To be sure, to be sure," answered the stranger, his interest
returning. "You are quite right, my dear friend. I am glad to see that
you are so sensible. Of course you ought not to go to a hotel. They
charge too high altogether."

"But I must sleep somewhere," said Sam, anxiously. "I only got to New
York this morning, and I don't know where to go."

"Of course, of course. I thought you might be in trouble, seeing you
were a stranger. It's lucky you