ben looked so cheerful and smiling that tony asked: "have you got work, ben?"

"not yet, tony."

mrs. bradford shook her head rather despondently.

"we might as well go to the poorhouse first as last," she said.

"i don't think we had better go at all, aunt jane," said ben.

"you can't find anything to do."

"not yet, but i expect to some time."

"and what are we going to do till then?"

"i mean to fall back upon you, aunt jane. i think you will be able to keep us from starving."

"i don't know what you mean, benjamin. i am sure i am willing to work; but last week i only earned a dollar and a quarter, and i don't feel sure of even doing that."

"i have got a plan for you, aunt jane."

"what is it?"

"you might take a boarder."

"who would come to board with me?"

"perhaps i can find you a boarder."

"besides, any one that could pay a fair price would expect better living than we could afford."

"i don't think you will find that trouble with the boarder i have engaged for you."

"what do you mean, benjamin?" asked mrs. bradford, in surprise.

"what would you say to boarding and taking care of a little girl of five?"

"do you know of any such little girl?"

"yes."

"what would her friends be willing to pay?"

"seven dollars a week."

this was about twice as much as mrs. bradford expected, and she looked incredulous.

"i don't believe any one would pay such a price," she said.

upon this ben gave his aunt full particulars, and her usually sober face brightened up at the prospect of thus maintaining their home.

"i can hardly believe it," she said. "this mr. manning must be very liberal.

"the money doesn't come from him. he says the little girl has property, and can afford to pay well. he is coming round to-morrow morning to learn whether you will take her."

"won't you take her, mother?" pleaded tony.

"i shall be very glad of the chance," said mrs. bradford. "it will make us very comfortable."

"still, aunt jane, if you would really prefer going to the poorhouse," said ben, his eyes twinkling, "i will go round and see if you can get in."

"never mind, benjamin," said his aunt cheerfully. "i prefer to keep out of that place as long as i can."

"would you like to have a little girl to play with, tony?" asked ben.

"it'll be bully," said tony.

"where did you learn that word, tony?" inquired his mother, shocked.

"it isn't swearing, is it, mother?"

"no, but it is not refined."

"i'm too young to be refined, mother."

"but where did you learn it, tony?"

ben smiled. "tony don't want to expose me, aunt jane," he said. "i suppose he learned it of me. it isn't a bad word."

"i never used it," said mrs. bradford primly.

"no, i should think not," said ben, laughing. "i can't image you calling anything bully. it isn't a lady's word. you know, aunt, boys can't always use go-to-meetin' words. they want to be free and easy sometimes."

here the discussion was dropped, and the evening was passed cheerfully.

the next morning mr. manning called. admitted into the little cottage, he glanced quickly about him, and was pleased to find that, though the furniture was plain, there was evidences of neatness. mrs. bradford, too, in spite of her tendency to low spirits, impressed him favorable, as likely to be kind and judicious. but perhaps what influenced him as much as anything was the presence of tony, for he held that a child companion would be very desirable for his young ward. he repeated the offer of seven dollars a week.

"i am afraid it will hardly be worth that, mr. manning, though it will be very welcome to us," said mrs. bradford.

"i prefer to pay liberally, since the property left to my young charge is ample. besides, she will be more or less care. i shall have to trouble you to provide the little girl with suitable attire, charging, of course, all outlays to me."

"i shall be very glad to do so, mr. manning. when do you wish the child to come?"

"as soon as possible."

"will you bring her yourself?"

"there will be some difficulty about that," answered mr. manning hesitatingly. "i can't leave my business."

"where is she, may i ask?"

"in new york."

"can't i go for her?" asked ben eagerly.

"why, benjamin," expostulated his aunt, "you have never traveled. i wouldn't trust you by yourself, much less with the care of a child."

mr. manning smiled, but ben was annoyed.

"why, aunt jane, you must think me a baby," he said. "i guess i can take care of myself."

"i wouldn't dare to go to new york myself alone," said his aunt.

"oh, that's different," said ben. "you're a woman, and of course you couldn't take care of yourself."

"and you are a man, i suppose?" said mr. manning, amused.

"i shall be some time, and aunt jane never will," returned ben.

"i think, mrs. bradford," said mr. manning, "that your nephew is right in that. seriously, i am inclined to favor the plan."

"do you really think benjamin can be trusted, mr. manning?"

"i really do."

"he has never been away from home."

"i think he has plenty of self-reliance, and will quickly learn what little is needed about traveling. i am willing to trust him."

"thank you, sir," said ben, much gratified, feeling a high respect for mr. manning's judgment.

"can you get him ready to go with me by the twelve-o'clock train?" asked mr. manning.

"twelve o'clock!" ejaculated mrs. bradford, startled. "why, it's nine now."

"well, aunt, can't i change my clothes in three hours?" asked ben impatiently.

"but to go on such a journey! it seems so sudden."

"i don't think there will be any trouble in getting ready," said mr. manning, to whom the journey to new york seemed like a mere trifle, though it was nearly six hundred miles away. "of course," he continued, "i shall pay his expenses. and"—and here he hesitated a little, from motives of delicacy—"allow me to pay two weeks' board in advance. you may have occasion to use the money."

"thank you, sir," said mrs. bradford gratefully.

it did, indeed, relieve her from anxious embarrassment, for her purse was very low; and if ben were gone any length of time, she would have been in a dilemma.

"i think we have settled all that is needful," said mr. manning, rising to go. "if anything else occurs to me, i will either tell ben or write to you. good morning, mrs. bradford."

"good morning, sir."

turning to ben, mr. manning said:

"ben, let me see you at the hotel as early as half-past eleven."

"i'll be on hand, sir," said ben. "i'll get there earlier, if you say so."

"just as you like. when you come, call for me."

"yes, sir."

"it doesn't seem as if you were going away, ben," said tony.

"i can't hardly realize it myself, tony."

"it's a great responsibility, benjamin," said his aunt, beginning to look serious. "suppose the cars run off the track."

"i guess they won't, aunt jane."

"i was reading of an accident out west only yesterday."

"i am not going out west, aunt jane. i guess i'll reach new york right side up with care."

"what an expression, benjamin!"

ben laughed.

"only boys' talk, aunty. it means all right."

"don't you go on the steamboat, too, benjamin?"

"i guess so."

"the boiler may explode."

"if everybody thought that, nobody would travel, aunt jane. it doesn't happen once in a thousand times."

at last ben got ready.

he was very much excited, but his excitement was of a pleasurable kind. one his way to the hotel, he met james watson.

"where ware you going, all dressed up, ben?"

"going to new york," answered ben proudly.

"you're only foolin'!"

"no, i'm not. i'm going to new york by the twelve-o'clock train."

"what for?" asked james astonished.

"to escort a lady home," answered ben. "she wants an able-bodied escort, that's used to traveling."

james was very much surprised, and also a little incredulous, but he was finally convinced that benn was in earnest.

"i wish i were in your shoes," he said enviously. "there's nothing i'd like better than going to new york. you're a lucky boy!"

ben quite agreed with him.