mously
adopted that they pay four dollars of that amount in advance,
retaining the eighty-three cents as a working capital for their
business the next day.

There was no attempt made to put on any better appearance than usual
when they started for Mrs. Green's that night, for now that they were
members of her family. They would be obliged to go there just as they
were when they finished their work, and they might as well show
themselves as they would be on future occasions. Ben attempted to take
quite an elaborate and affecting farewell of Master Spry, but that
young gentleman refused utterly anything more than the ordinary
expressions of parting.

"You'll be back in less'n a month, wantin' to live here agin," he
said, as, seated in the farthest corner of the hogshead, he looked out
frowningly at their preparations for departure. "You can't swell very
long at the rate of two dollars'n half a week, an' you'll be glad to
crawl in here agin."

Ben thought that it was not exactly wise to say very much against this
assertion of Dickey's, for it was just possible that he was right,
and the less that was said about the matter then the easier it would
be to take up their abode there again in case they were obliged to.

Each of the three boys took a tomato can, while Ben and Johnny
carried, in addition, the coats in which they had arrayed themselves
the night before, and in this manner they started for their new
boarding-house. They were late; but Mrs. Green, knowing of the
activity in the newspaper market, had expected they would be, and had
made her preparations accordingly.

Paul felt wonderfully relieved at being able to wash himself with soap
once more, and to have a towel to use, while it seemed as if Ben and
Johnny never would make themselves ready to go to the table, so
interested were they in the very "swell" thing of combing their hair
before a looking-glass.

"I tell yer it's high!" said Ben, emphatically, as he took up the
towel, and then wiped his hands on the skirts of his coat lest he
should soil it--"it's high, an' if we keep on at this rate we shall
jest spread ourselves all over the block before we git through with
it."

Johnny shook his head sagely, still unable to stop combing his hair in
front of the glass, as if he wondered where all this luxury would lead
them, while Paul contrasted this poorly furnished room, which his
companions thought so magnificent, with what he had been accustomed
to at ho