ained.

"When do you want me to begin?" he asked.

"To-day; but first it will be necessary for you to be more decently
dressed."

"These are all the clothes I have," returned Martin. "I've been
unfortunate, and I haven't had any money to buy good clothes with."

"Have we any clothes in the house that will fit this man?" asked Smith
of his confederate.

"I will go and see."

The giant soon returned with a suit of clothing, not very fine or very
fashionable, but elegant compared with that which Martin now wore.

"I guess these will fit you," he said. "Try them on."

Martin made the change with alacrity, and when it had been effected,
surveyed himself in a mirror with considerable complacency. His
temporary abstinence from liquor while at the Island had improved his
appearance, and the new suit gave him quite a respectable appearance. He
had no objection to appearing respectable, provided it were at other
people's expense. On the whole, he was in excellent spirits, and felt
that at length his luck had turned, and he was on the high road to
prosperity.

CHAPTER XIV.

HOW RUFUS SUCCEEDED IN BUSINESS.

Very little has been said of Rufus in his business relations. When he
entered Mr. Turner's office, he resolved to spare no pains to make
himself useful, and his services satisfactory to his employer. He knew
very well that he owed his situation entirely to the service which he
had accidentally been able to do Mr. Turner, and that, otherwise, the
latter would never have thought of selecting an office-boy from the
class to which he belonged. But Rufus was resolved that, whatever might
have been his original motive, he should never regret the selection he
had made. Therefore he exerted himself, more than under ordinary
circumstances he would have done, to do his duty faithfully. He tried to
learn all he could of the business, and therefore listened attentively
to all that was going on, and in his leisure moments studied up the
stock quotations, so that he was able generally to give the latest
quotations of prices of the prominent stocks in the market.

Mr. Turner, who was an observant man, watched him quietly, and was
pleased with his evident pains to master the details of the business.

"If Rufus keeps on, Mr. Marston," he said to his chief clerk, one day,
"he will make an excellent business-man in time."

"He will, indeed," said the clerk. "He is always prompt, and doesn't
need to be told the same thing