by."

"He's a mean man."

"Perhaps he is; but I must keep on the right side of him."

"You can keep on the right side of him, Charles; but don't ask me to do
so, for I hate mean folks. If I should meet that man in the street
to-night, I wouldn't speak to him."

"He wouldn't cry if you didn't," sneered Mr. Charles.

"I don't know as I should ever have got home, if this young man had not
took care on me."

Mr. Whippleton glanced at me again, as though he thought I was as big a
fool as his maternal parent.

"Well, let all that go," continued the dutiful son. "Did you see Rufus
in St. Louis?"

"I did see him; and only to think on't, after I had taken all that
trouble and spent all that money, he wouldn't come," replied the old
lady, indignantly.

"I hope you are satisfied now," added Mr. Charles, with much disgust.

"Well, I had my visit, any how."

"What's the reason Rufus won't come?"

"His folks don't want him to leave home. They say he isn't very
well--just as though I couldn't take care on him!"

"Very well; you've kept me out of a clerk for three weeks for his sake,
and that is all it amounts to."

Mr. Charles departed in disgust; and Mrs. Whippleton explained that she
had been to St. Louis to induce her nephew's son, a young man of
eighteen, to take the place of entry clerk in the counting-room of the
firm. That was just such a place as I wanted; and, while the garrulous
landlady was detailing the particulars, I considered whether I should
apply for it.

CHAPTER VI.

IN WHICH PHIL IS ENGAGED AS ENTRY CLERK FOR COLLINGSBY AND WHIPPLETON.

I intended to be a clerk, but I had not thought of such a thing as
applying for a situation in Chicago. I did not like the idea of being
separated from my father; but, when I learned that there was a vacancy
in the counting-room of Messrs. Collingsby and Whippleton, I was
tempted to obtain it if I could. I did not expect or desire to make a
violent assault upon my grandfather, but to reach him by easy and
gradual approaches. A situation in the house of which he was the silent
partner I thought would help me amazingly. It seemed to me that I could
not plan anything better to accomplish my purpose.

I could get acquainted with my uncle and my grandfather. I hoped that I
might even be able to do something to win their regard and favor.
Certainly the first step towards such a result was to place myself in a
position where I could see them occasionally. I d