the mystery was too much for nelson, and at last he put the letters on a shelf and finished the cleaning. then he sat down to mend his clothing, and never did a seamstress work more faithfully than did this newsboy. the garments mended, he brushed them carefully.

"there, they look a little better, anyway," he told himself. "and sooner or later i'll have a new suit."

having finished his toilet, he walked down to newspaper row. the tall buildings were now a blaze of lights, and many men of business were departing for their homes. but the newsboy found his friend in his office, a little box of a place on an upper floor of the world building.

the advertising man had always taken an interest in our hero, and he readily consented to transact the business gratis. the advertisements were written out to the boy's satisfaction, and nelson paid two dollars to have them inserted in several papers the next day and that following.

"if the young lady is a good teacher, i might[pg 112] get her to give my little girl lessons," said mr. lamson, as nelson was leaving.

"i know she's all right, sir," answered the boy. "just give her a trial and see. she's a real lady, too, even if she is down on her luck."

"then let her call on my wife to-morrow morning. i'll speak to my wife about it to-night."

"i will, sir, and thank you very much, mr. lamson." and our hero went off, greatly pleased. late as it was, he walked up to mrs. kennedy's rooms again. this time the old irishwoman herself let him in.

"sure and it's nelson," she said.

"i've got good news, miss gertrude," he said, on entering. "i put the advertisements in the papers through mr. lamson, and he told me that you might call on his wife to-morrow morning about giving his little girl lessons."

"hear that now!" exclaimed mrs. kennedy proudly. "sure, and it takes nelson to do things, so it does! it meself wishes i had such a b'y."

"i am very thankful," said the girl. "have you the address?"

"yes, here it is, on the back of his business card. i know you'll like the place, and maybe they can put you in the way of other places."

[pg 113]

"av course," said mrs. kennedy. "before i had rheumatism i wint out washing, and wan place always brought me another, from some rilative or friend of the family."

"i will go directly after breakfast," said gertrude. "and i hope i shall prove satisfactory."

knowing the girl must be tired, nelson did not stay long, and as soon as he had departed mrs. kennedy made gertrude retire. happily for the girl her headache was now much better, and she slept soundly.

in the morning she helped mrs. kennedy prepare their frugal repast. as the old irishwoman had said, she was troubled with rheumatism, and could not get around very well. so gertrude insisted upon clearing the table and washing the dishes.

"but, sure, and a lady like you aint used to this work," remonstrated mrs. kennedy.

"i mean to get used to it," answered gertrude. "i mean to fight my way through and put up with what comes."

mr. lamson's home was over a mile away, but not wishing to spend the carfare gertrude walked the distance.

she was expected, and found mrs. lamson a nice lady, who occupied a flat of half a dozen[pg 114] rooms on a quiet and respectable side street. she played several selections, two from sight, which the lady of the house produced.

"that is very good indeed, miss horton," said mrs. lamson. "you read music well. little ruth can begin at once, and you can give her a lesson once a week. ruth, this is miss horton, your new music-teacher."

a girl of nine came shyly forward and shook hands. soon gertrude was giving her first lesson in music. it was rather long, but ruth did not mind it. then mrs. lamson paid the fifty cents, and gertrude went away.

"she's awfully nice," said ruth to her mamma. "i know i shall like her."

"she is certainly a lady," was mrs. lamson's comment. "it is easy to see that by her breeding."

a new look shone in gertrude's eyes as she hurried down the street. in her pocket was the first money she had ever earned in her life. she felt a spirit of independence that was as delightful as it was novel.

she had already seen her advertisements in two of the papers, and she trusted they would bring her enough pupils to fill her time. she felt that she could easily give five or six lessons a day. if she could get ten or twelve pupils, that would[pg 115] mean five or six dollars per week, and if she could get twenty pupils it would mean ten dollars.

"i wish i could get the twenty. then i could help nelson. he is so very kind, i would like to do something in return for him," was her thought.

the weather was so pleasant she decided to take a little walk. she did not know much about the lower portion of the city, and walked westward until she reached broadway, not far from where our hero was in the habit of selling morning papers.

gertrude was looking into the show window of a store, admiring some pretty pictures, when she felt a tap on her shoulder, and turning, found herself face to face with homer bulson.

"gertrude!" exclaimed the young man. "i have been looking high and low for you! where have you been keeping yourself?"

"that is my business, mr. bulson," she answered stiffly.

"why, gertrude, you are not going to be angry at me, are you?"

"why shouldn't i be angry? haven't you made enough trouble for me?"

"i haven't made any trouble—you made that yourself," he answered, somewhat ruffled by her tone.

"i do not think so."

[pg 116]

"uncle mark is very much upset over your disappearance."

"does he wish me to come back?" she questioned eagerly.

"no, i can't say that," answered homer bulson smoothly. "but he doesn't want you to suffer. he said, if i saw you, i should give you some money."

"thank you, but i can take care of myself."

"have you money?"

"i can take care of myself; that is enough."

"why don't you let me take care of you, gertrude?"

"because i do not like you, mr. bulson. how is uncle mark to-day?"

"about as usual. you must have upset him very much. of course i don't believe you took any money out of his safe," went on bulson. "i guess the guilty party was that young rascal who called on you."

"nelson is no rascal. he is an honest boy."

"nelson!" ejaculated the young man. "is his name nelson?"

"yes. you act as if you had met him."

"i—er—no—but i have—have heard of him," stammered the young man.

"he called on you once, i believe, with somebody who sold you some books."

[pg 117]

"i don't remember that. but he must be the thief."

"i tell you nelson is no thief."

"thank you for that, miss gertrude," came from behind the pair, and our hero stepped up. "mr. bulson, you haven't any right to call me a thief," he went on, confronting the fashionable young man.

"go away, boy; i want nothing to do with you," answered bulson. nevertheless, he looked curiously at our hero.

"i am no thief, but you are pretty close to being one," went on nelson.

"me!"

"yes, you. you tried to swindle a friend of mine out of the sale of some books you had ordered from him. i call that downright mean."

"boy, don't dare to talk to me in this fashion!" stormed the young man. "if you do, i'll—i'll hand you over to the police."

"no, you won't. you just leave me alone and i'll leave you alone," answered the newsboy. "and you leave miss gertrude alone, too," he added warmly.

"gertrude, have you taken up with this common fellow?" asked bulson.

"nelson has been my friend," answered the girl. "he has a heart of gold."

[pg 118]

"i can't agree with you. he is but a common boy of the streets, and——"

homer bulson went no further, for nelson came closer and clenched his fists.

"stop, or i'll make you take it back, big as you are," said the boy.

"then you won't accept my protection?" said bulson, turning his back on our hero.

"no. if uncle mark wishes to write to me he can address me in care of the general post office," answered gertrude.

"all right; then i'll bid you good-day," said homer bulson, and tipping his silk hat, he hurried on and was soon lost to sight on the crowded thoroughfare.

"i hate that man!" murmured nelson, when he had disappeared.

"i both hate and fear him," answered gertrude. "i am afraid he intends to cause me a great deal of trouble."