in his power. I can't forgive
him for frightening my poor aunt. If I were at home, I should
certainly punish him as he deserves."

Ben took the letter to his friend, the bookkeeper.

"What do you think of that?" he asked.

"This letter was written at an enemy's instigation."

"You are right, Mr. Porter."

Then Ben told his friend of Sam's call.

"Will you do me a favor, Mr. Porter?" he asked.

"Certainly I will, Ben."

"Then, will you write to my aunt, and assure her that my habits are
good, and that her informant has willfully lied? It will relieve her
anxiety."

"With pleasure."

The next day Mrs. Bradford received a letter, very enthusiastic in its
tone, which completely exonerated our hero from the charges
brought against him.

"Your nephew," it concluded, "bids fair to become one of our best
clerks. He is polite, faithful, and continually trying to improve.
You need have no apprehension about him. It would be very
foolish for him to resign his situation."

Chapter XXVIII

Sam Praises Ben

The same mail that carried the bookkeeper's letter to Mrs. Bradford
also carried a letter from Ben to Sam Archer. It ran thus:

"Sam Archer: You might be in better business than telling lies about
me to my aunt. If you think I look dissipated your eyes deceive you,
and I advise you to wear glasses the next time you come to Boston.
If you choose to come to the store, it is none of my business; but
you need not take the trouble in order to see me.

I quite understand your anxiety to get me back into the mill. There
was a time when I should have been glad of a place there; but now
I have a place that suits me better, and don't care to change.
"Benjamin Bradford"

When Sam received this letter, he looked and felt provoked.
Somehow or other Ben was always getting the better of him. He
wanted to injure him, but there seemed no way. Suddenly it
occurred to Sam that he might prejudice Jones & Porter against
our hero.

He sat down at once and wrote them an anonymous letter, of which
this is a copy:

"Messrs. Jones & Porter: I hear that you have taken into your
employment a boy named Benjamin Bradford from this town. You
probably are not aware that he has a very bad reputation here. He
was employed in the mill for a time, but was discharged because he
was idle and lazy. He keeps bad company, and none of the
respectable boys here cared to associate with him. I don't like to see
an honorabl