The Store Boy. Alger Horatio Jr.

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      "I won't!" answered Ben firmly.

      "Then stop the horse and give me a chance to get out."

      "I'll do that."

      Ben brought the horse to a halt, and his unwelcome passenger descended, much to his relief. He had to walk around the wagon to get at the coin. Our hero brought down the whip with emphasis on the horse's back and the animal dashed off at a good rate of speed.

      "Stop!" exclaimed the tramp, but Ben had no mind to heed his call.

      "No, my friend, you don't get another chance to ride with me," he said to himself.

      The tramp picked up the coin, and his practiced eye detected that it was bogus.

      "The young villain!" he muttered angrily. "I'd like to wring his neck. It's a bad one after all." He looked after the receding team and was half disposed to follow, but he changed his mind, reflecting, "I can pass it anyhow."

      Instead of pursuing his journey, he made his way into the woods, and, stretching himself out among the underbrush, went to sleep.

      Half a mile before reaching the store, Ben overtook Rose Gardiner, who had the reputation of being the prettiest girl in Pendleton—at any rate, such was Ben's opinion. She looked up and smiled pleasantly at Ben as he took off his hat.

      "Shall you attend Prof. Harrington's entertainment at the Town Hall this evening, Ben?" she asked, after they had interchanged greetings.

      "I should like to go," answered Ben, "but I am afraid I can't be spared from the store. Shall you go?"

      "I wouldn't miss it for anything. I hope I shall see you there."

      "I shall want to go all the more then." answered Ben gallantly.

      "You say that to flatter me," said the young lady, with an arch smile.

      "No, I don't," said Ben earnestly. "Won't you get in and ride as far as the store?"

      "Would it be proper?" asked Miss Rose demurely.

      "Of course it would."

      "Then I'll venture."

      Ben jumped from the wagon, assisted the young lady in, and the two drove into the village together. He liked his second passenger considerably better than the first.

      CHAPTER II BEN AND HIS MOTHER

      Ben Barclay, after taking leave of the tramp, lost no time in driving to the grocery store where he was employed. It was a large country store, devoted not to groceries alone, but supplies of dry-goods, boots and shoes, and the leading articles required in the community. There were two other clerks besides Ben, one the son, another the nephew, of Simon Crawford, the proprietor.

      "Did you collect any money, Ben?" asked Simon, who chanced to be standing at the door when our hero drove up.

      "Yes, sir; I collected twenty-five dollars, but came near losing it on the way home."

      "How was that? I hope you were not careless."

      "No, except in taking a stranger as a passenger. When we got to that piece of woods a mile back, he asked me for all the money I had."

      "A highwayman, and so near Pentonville!" ejaculated Simon Crawford.

      "What was he like?"

      "A regular tramp."

      "Yet you say you have the money. How did you manage to keep it from him?"

      Ben detailed the stratagem of which he made use.

      "You did well," said the storekeeper approvingly. "I must give you a dollar for the one you sacrificed."

      "But sir, it was bad money. I couldn't have passed it."

      "That does not matter. You are entitled to some reward for the courage and quick wit you displayed. Here is a dollar, and—let me see, there is an entertainment at the Town Hall this evening, isn't there?"

      "Yes, sir. Prof. Harrington, the magician, gives an entertainment," said Ben eagerly.

      "At what time does it commence?"

      "At eight o'clock."

      "You may leave the store at half-past seven. That will give you enough time to get there."

      "Thank you, sir. I wanted to go to the entertainment, but did not like to ask for the evening."

      "You have earned it. Here is the dollar," and Mr. Crawford handed the money to his young clerk, who received it gratefully.

      A magical entertainment may be a very common affair to my young readers in the city, but in a country village it is an event. Pentonville was too small to have any regular place of amusement, and its citizens were obliged to depend upon traveling performers, who, from time to time, engaged the Town Hall. Some time had elapsed since there had been any such entertainment, and Prof. Harrington was the more likely to be well patronized. Ben, who had the love of amusement common to boys of his age, had been regretting the necessity of remaining in the store till nine o'clock, and therefore losing his share of amusement when, as we have seen, an opportunity suddenly offered.

      "I am glad I met the tramp, after all," he said to himself. "He has brought me luck."

      At supper he told is mother what had befallen him, but she tool a more serious view of it than he did.

      "He might have murdered you, Ben," she said with a shudder.

      "Oh, no; he wouldn't do that. He might have stolen Mr. Crawford's money; that was the most that was likely to happen."

      "I didn't think there were highwaymen about here. Now I shall be worrying about you."

      "Don't do that mother; I don't feel in any danger. Still, if you think it best, I will carry a pistol."

      "No, no, Ben! it might go off and kill you. I would rather run the risk of a highwayman. I wonder if the man is prowling about in the neighborhood yet?"

      "I don't think my bogus dollar will carry him very far. By the way, mother, I must tell yon one strange thing. He asked me if I was John Barclay's son."

      "What!" exclaimed Mrs. Barclay, in a tone of great surprise. "Did he know your name was Barclay?"

      "Not till I told him. Then it was he asked if I was the son of John Barclay."

      "Did he say he knew your father?"

      "I asked him, but he answered evasively."

      "He might have seen some resemblance—that is, if he had ever met your father. Ah! it was a sad day for us all when your poor father died. We should have been in a very different position," the widow sighed.

      "Yes, mother," said Ben; "but when I get older I will try to supply my father's place, and relieve you from care and trouble."

      "You are doing that in a measure now, my dear boy," said Mrs. Barclay affectionately. "You are a great comfort to me."

      Ben's answer was to go up to his mother and СКАЧАТЬ