NEW PLANS.
At the close of the afternoon, as had been proposed, Mr. Murdock,
accompanied by Dick, rode up as far as Forty-Fifth Street, to look at
the lots which he had suggested buying. They were located in a very
eligible situation, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. Some of my young
readers may not be aware that the dimensions of a city lot are
twenty-five feet front by one hundred feet in depth. The four lots
together made a plot of one hundred feet by one hundred, or a little
less than quarter of an acre. In the country the whole would scarcely
have been considered sufficient for a house with a good yard in front;
but if people choose to live in the city they must make up their minds
to be crowded.
"It looks small,--don't it?" said Dick. "I shouldn't think there was
four lots there."
"Yes," said Mr. Murdock, "they are of the regular size. Some lots are
only twenty feet wide. These are twenty-five. They don't look so large
before they are built on."
"Well," said Dick, "I'm in for buying them."
"I think it will be a good investment for both of us," said Mr. Murdock.
"The money shall be ready whenever you want it," said Dick.
"Very well. I will see the owner to-morrow, or rather this evening, as
it is best to be prompt, lest we might lose so favorable a bargain. I
will make the best terms I can with him, and let you know the result
to-morrow."
"All right!" said Dick. "Good-night, Mr. Murdock."
"Good-night. By-the-by, why won't you come round and take supper with
us? My wife and children will be glad to make your acquaintance."
"Thank you," said Dick. "I will come some other evening with pleasure;
but if I stay away without saying anything about it, Fosdick won't know
what's become of me."
Dick got back to Bleecker Street a little late for dinner. When he
entered the dining-room, the remainder of the boarders were seated at
the table.
"Come, Mr. Hunter, you must render an account of yourself," said Miss
Peyton, playfully. "Why are you late this evening?"
"Suppose I don't tell," said Dick.
"Then you must pay a fine,--mustn't he, Mrs. Browning?"
"That depends upon who is to benefit by the fines," said the landlady.
"If they are to be paid to me, I shall be decidedly in favor of it. That
reminds me that you were late to breakfast this morning, Miss Peyton."
"Oh, ladies mustn't be expected to pay fines," said Miss Peyton, shaking
her ringlets. "They never have any money, you know."
"Then I think we must let Mr. Hunter off," said Mrs. Browning.
"If he will tell us what has detained him. You must excuse my curiosity,
Mr. Hunter, but ladies, you know, are privileged to be curious."
"I don't mind telling," said Dick, helping himself to a piece of toast.
"I'm talking of buying some lots up-town, and went up with a friend to
look at them."
Fosdick looked at Dick, inquiringly, not knowing if he were in earnest
or not.
"Indeed!" said Mr. Clifton. "May I inquire where the lots are situated?"
"I'll tell you if I buy them," said Dick; "but I don't want to run the
risk of losing them."
"You needn't be afraid of my cutting you out," said Clifton. "I paid my
washerwoman this morning, and haven't got but a dollar and a half over.
I suppose that won't buy the property."
"I wish it would," said Dick. "In that case I'd buy half a dozen lots."
"I suppose, from your investing in lots, Mr. Hunter, that you are
thinking of getting married, and living in a house of your own," said
Miss Peyton, simpering.
"No," said Dick, "I shan't get married for a year. Nobody ought to be
married before they're seventeen."
"That's just my age," said Miss Peyton.
Mr. Clifton afterwards informed Dick that Miss Peyton was twenty-five,
but did not mention how he had ascertained. He likewise added that when
he first came to the boarding-house, she had tried her fascinations upon
him.
"She'd have married me in a minute," he said complacently; "but I'm too
old a bird to be caught that way. When you see Mrs. Clifton, gentlemen,
you'll see style and beauty, and--_money_" he added, after a moment's
reflection.
Mr. Clifton had a tolerably good opinion of himself, as may be inferred
from this remark. In fact, he valued himself rather more highly than the
ladies appeared to do; but such cases are not remarkable.
"Mrs. Clifton will be a lucky woman," said Dick, with a sober face.
"You're very kind to say so," said Mr. Clifton, modestly. "I believe I'm
tolerably good-looking, and nobody'll deny that I've got style. But
money,--that's my weak point. You couldn't lend me five dollars, could
you, till next week?"
"I'm afraid not," said Dick. "My up-town lots cost so much, and then
there'll be the taxes afterwards."
"Oh, it's of no consequence. I thought a little of going to the opera
to-night, and I need a new pair of gloves. It costs a sight to keep a
fellow in gloves."
"So it does," said Dick. "I bought a pair for fifty cents six months
ago, and now I've got to buy another pair."
"Ha, ha! good joke! By the way, I wonder you fellows don't take a better
room."
"Why should we? Isn't this good enough?" asked Fosdick.
"Oh, it's comfortable and all that," said Clifton; "but you know what I
mean. You wouldn't want any of your fashionable friends to call upon you
here."
"That's a fact," said Dick. "Suppose," he said, turning to Fosdick, with
a twinkle in his eye, "Johnny Nolan should call upon us here. What would
he think of our living in such a room?"
"He would probably be surprised," said Fosdick, entering into the joke.
"Is he one of your Madison-Avenue friends?" asked Clifton, a little
mystified.
"I don't know where he lives," said Dick, with truth; "but he's a friend
of mine, in business down town."
"Wholesale or retail?"
"Retail I should say,--shouldn't you, Fosdick?"
"Yes," said Fosdick, amused at Clifton's evident mystification.
"Well, good-evening, gents," said Clifton, sauntering out of the room.
"Call and see me when you haven't anything better to do."
"Thank you. Good-night."
"Were you in earnest, Dick, about the up-town lots," asked Fosdick,
after Clifton had left the room.
"Yes," said Dick. "It's an investment that Mr. Murdock advised. I'll
tell you about it, and then you can tell me what you think of it."
Dick thereupon gave an account of the conversation that had taken place
between him and the head clerk, and what they proposed to do. "What do
you think of it?" he concluded.
"I have no doubt it is an excellent plan," said Fosdick; "but of course
my opinion isn't worth much. I don't see but you stand a chance to be a
rich man some time, Dick."
"By the time I get to be a hundred," said Dick.
"A good while before that, I presume. But there's something else we must
not forget."
"What is that?"
"Money is a good thing to have, but a good education is better. I was
thinking to-day that since we have come here we haven't done any
studying to amount to anything."
"That is true."
"And the sooner we begin the better."
"All right. I agree to that."
"But we shall need assistance. I've taught you about all I know myself,
and now we want to go higher."
"What shall we do?"
"I'll tell you, Dick. Have you noticed the young man that has a room
just opposite ours?"
"His name is Layton,--isn't it?"
"Yes."
"What about him?"
"I heard yesterday that he was a teacher in a private school. We might
engage him to teach us in the evening, or, at any rate, see if he is
willing."
"All right. Is he in now, I wonder?"
"Yes. I heard him go into his room a few minutes since."
"Very well; suppose we go in and speak to him."
The boys at once acted upon this suggestion, and, crossing the entry,
knocked at the door.
"Come in!" said a voice from within.
The door being opened, they found themselves in the presence of a young
man of pleasant appearance, apparently about twenty-five years of age.
"Good-evening, gentlemen," he said. "I am glad to see you. Will you have
seats?"
"Thank you," said Fosdick. "We came in on a little business. I
understand you are a teacher, Mr. Layton."
"Yes, I am engaged in a private school in the city."
"My friend and myself are engaged in business during the day, but we
feel that our education is quite deficient, and we want to make
arrangements to study evenings. We cannot do this to advantage without
assistance. Are you occupied during the evenings?"
"No, I am not."
"Perhaps you would not like teaching in the evening, after being engaged
in the daytime."
"On the contrary, I have been hoping to secure scholars; but I hardly
knew how to set about it."
"Are you acquainted with the French language, Mr. Layton?"
"Yes, I am tolerably familiar with it. I studied it at college with a
native teacher."
"If you are a college graduate, then, you will be able to teach us
whatever we desire to learn. But I am afraid we may not be able to make
it worth your while. We have neither of us large salaries. But if four
dollars a week--two dollars for each of us--would be satisfactory--"
"I shall be satisfied with it," said Mr. Layton. "In fact," he added,
frankly, "I shall consider it quite a welcome addition to my salary. My
father died a year since, and my mother and sister are compelled to
depend upon me in part for support. But I have not been able to do as
much for them as I wished. This addition to my earnings will give me the
means of increasing their comforts."
"Then it will be a pleasant arrangement all round," said Fosdick. "What
would you advise us to study?"
After a few inquiries as to their present attainments, Mr. Layton
recommended a course of mathematics, beginning with algebra, history,
and the French language. He gave the boys a list of the books they would
be likely to need.
The next evening the boys commenced studying, and determined to devote
an hour and a half each evening to mental improvement. They found Mr.
Layton an excellent teacher, and he on his side found them very apt
pupils.
Dick had an active, intelligent mind, and an excellent capacity, and
Fosdick had always had a thirst for learning, which he was now able to
gratify. As his salary would have been insufficient to pay his expenses
and the teacher besides, he was obliged to have recourse to his little
fund in the savings bank. Dick offered to assist him, but Fosdick would
not consent. Just as his savings were about exhausted, his wages were
raised two dollars a week, and this enabled him to continue the
arrangement without assistance.
In the course of a few weeks the boys commenced reading French, and
found it quite interesting.