A FRIEND IN NEED.
JOSHUA walked as far up as Central Park. Then he judged that it would be
useless to go any farther. What if he should be unable to find Sam at
all? It was an alarming suggestion, for he depended upon his friend to
get him a place, and make him acquainted with the ways of the city. He
resolved to retrace his steps, and explore that part of the avenue which
he had not yet visited. He felt tired, and would have entered a car, but
was afraid he might not know where to get out. Besides, there was a
possibility of his meeting Sam on the street.
It was fortunate for him that he decided to walk. About Thirtieth street
he met the one of whom he was in search. Sam was looking in at a shop
window, and did not perceive his approach. Overjoyed, Joshua hurried
forward and touched him on the shoulder.
“Joshua Drummond!” exclaimed Sam, in surprise; “where in the world did
you come from?”
“I came from Stapleton this morning,” said Joshua. “I didn’t know as I
should ever find you. I have been walking a long way, going into all the
shoe stores I could find, asking for you.”
“Didn’t you know my number? You had it in a letter.”
“I forgot to bring the letter. All I could remember was that you lived
somewhere on Eighth avenue.”
“How long are you going to stay in the city?” asked his friend.
“I ain’t going back to Stapleton,” answered Joshua. “I’ve got sick and
tired of it.”
“Are you going into a store in New York?”
“Yes, if I can find a place. You’ll help me, won’t you, Sam?”
“I’ll do all I can. So the old man was willing to let you come?”
“No, he wasn’t. I came away without asking him.”
“Did you?” said Sam, cooling a little, for he was afraid that in that
case Joshua was not supplied with money. “How do you expect to live
while you’re looking out for a place?”
“I can board somewhere. Can’t I get in at your boarding place?”
“Why, you see,” said Sam, “they’ll expect you to pay your board every
week in advance unless you can give references. I’m hard up, so I can’t
help you.”
“Oh, I’ve got money,” said Joshua.
“Oh, you have!” said Sam, feeling considerably relieved. “Have you got
enough to last you a month?”
“I’ve got most six hundred dollars.”
“You don’t say so!” said Sam, cordially. “Where did you raise it? Did
you draw a prize in the lottery?”
“No,” said Joshua, “I drew a blank. The old man found out about the
ticket and made a row.”
“Then how came he to give you the money?” asked his friend.
“He didn’t give it to me,” said Joshua, a little awkwardly.
“Never mind,” said Sam, quickly, for he suspected the true state of the
case, but thought it best not to appear to know that the money was
dishonestly acquired. “The main thing is that you’ve got the money. Now,
my dear fellow,” he continued, with a remarkable increase of cordiality,
“I want you to come and room with me.”
“That’s just what I should like,” said Joshua, gratified.
“I have a hall bedroom now; but Mrs. Jones has a larger room with a
double bed. We’ll take that together, and I’ll show you round.”
“That’s just what I want,” said Joshua. “You see, I’ve never been in New
York before, and I’ve got to get used to it.”
“I know all about it,” said Sam, with an air of consequence. “I know the
ropes, if anybody does. I’ll show you life. Have you got the money with
you?”
“Five hundred dollars of it is in a government bond. Can I sell it?”
“Oh, yes; that’s easy enough. Have you got some money besides?”
“Yes; I’ve got over seventy dollars in money.”
“I am glad you came to me,” said Sam, who had already made up his mind
to help Joshua spend his money. “You are a friend of mine, and of course
I feel an interest in you.”
This was quite true; Sam did feel an interest in Joshua, now that he had
ascertained his ability to pay his own expenses. Otherwise, it is to be
feared that the interest would have been considerably less.
“Come with me,” he said; “I’ve got to go back to the store now, but in
an hour or more I shall be going out to supper. You can come with me,
and then we will fix it about having a room together.”
To this proposal Joshua willingly acceded. He had walked till he was
tired, and was quite willing to rest before going further.
“How do you happen to be out of the store at this time?” asked Joshua.
“I came out on a little business,” said Sam, loftily. “But it is time
for me to go back. They can’t get along without me.”
To this Joshua listened with pleasure, for he looked forward to the time
when he, too, should be finally settled in business like his friend, for
whom he had a high respect, not being aware how insignificant his
position was.
“How much salary do you get, Sam?” he inquired.
“A thousand a year,” answered Sam, with an air of consequence.
In reality he was receiving eight dollars a week; but he did not intend
to be quite candid with Joshua, lest the truth should weaken his
ascendancy over him. He judged shrewdly; for, to the unsophisticated boy
from the country a thousand dollars a year seemed like a very large
income, as, indeed, Sam himself would have considered it, if by good
luck he had obtained it.
“Do you think I will ever get as much, Sam?” asked Joshua.
“Of course not for a long time,” said Sam. “You know you haven’t had
experience like me. By the way, you needn’t mention how much I get. I
don’t care about letting it be known. If the other clerks in the store
knew it, they might be jealous.”
“All right; I won’t say anything about it if you don’t want me to.”
“Here’s the store,” said Sam, suddenly.
Joshua now saw that it was only a block below the point where he had
entered Eighth avenue, and realized that he had had a long tramp for
nothing.
It was not a very imposing establishment. The front was probably about
twenty feet, the depth seventy, leaving the back part of the store
rather dark and gloomy. A variety of cheap shoes, with the prices
attached, were exposed in front of the store. They looked very common to
a practiced eye; however, Joshua was not accustomed to seeing superior
goods, as the people of Stapleton did not, in general, wear the best
French kid.
“Come in, Joshua,” said Sam.
“Where have you been gone so long?” demanded the proprietor of the
establishment, addressing Sam rather sharply.
“I met a friend from the country,” answered Sam, blushing a little at
being thus addressed before Joshua. “I thought he might need a pair of
slippers.”
“Oh, very well,” said the proprietor, more graciously. “I am glad to see
you, sir.”
“My friend’s name is Drummond, Mr. Craven,” said Sam. “Joshua, Mr.
Craven.”
“Glad to see you, Mr. Drummond,” said Mr. Craven, offering his hand.
“Much obliged,” said Joshua, awkwardly.
“Your friend will show you some slippers. I guess we can fit you.”
“I don’t know as I shall need any slippers,” commenced Joshua, but he
was quickly interrupted by Sam.
“Oh, yes you will!” he said. “You need ’em in the evening.”
Joshua yielded to his friend’s superior knowledge of what was necessary
in the city, and tried on several pairs, till at last one was found
which Sam declared to be just right for him.
“How much will they be?” asked Joshua.
“Two dollars.”
“Ain’t that rather high?” asked Joshua, who privately doubted whether it
would not be better to keep his money.
“Not at all. We should charge two dollars and a half to anybody else. As
you’re a friend, I make allowances. You’ll want some new boots soon.
Those you have on are countrified.”
“I guess they’ll last me a little longer,” said Joshua, hurriedly; for,
though the money was dishonestly acquired, he was inclined to be frugal.
“Well, you needn’t buy to-day. Next week will answer.”
Sam’s object in urging Joshua to purchase was to reconcile his employer
to his presence in the store, for he foresaw that his visitor would be
likely to spend considerable time there. He wished, besides, to obtain
an extra evening off duty, meaning to accompany Joshua to the theatre at
the latter’s expense. He did not expect that Joshua, who inherited, as
he knew, a mean disposition from his father, would voluntarily pay for
the tickets; but there is such a thing as borrowing without the
intention of repaying the money, and this Sam meant to do.
In pursuance of this plan, he soon after went up to the desk behind
which Mr. Craven was standing.
“Mr. Craven,” said he, “can you spare me this evening?”
“You had your regular evening off yesterday,” was the reply.
“I would not ask but for my friend, who is a stranger in the city, and
depends upon me to find him a boarding place,” said Sam, whose devotion
to friendship was not wholly disinterested.
“Did you sell him anything?”
“Yes, he took a pair of two-dollar slippers.”
“I will try to do without you this evening, as you particularly desire
it,” said Mr. Craven; “but you must not repeat the application.”
“Thank you, sir,” said Sam.
“I’m in luck, Joshua,” he said, returning to his country friend; “I am
off for the evening. We’ll go to the theatre and have a high old time.”
“Do you have to work in the evening, Sam?” asked Joshua, surprised.
“Yes,” answered Sam. “You see,” he added, consequentially, “I know all
the business, and they can’t get along very well without me.”
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