k at the desk in
the rear."

It took Ralph some little time to compose his letter--he had so much to
say--and when he had finished, the sheet was crowded from the first page to
the last. He sent his love to his mother, and told her to address him at
the general post office.

Ralph's next move was to take his letter to the post office and stamp and
mail it. This took nearly half an hour, but the boy enjoyed the trip to the
big Government building, and was astonished to note on what a large scale
the metropolitan post-office business was conducted.

"This beats the Westville post office all to bits," he murmured to himself.
"Mr. Hooker would cut a mighty small figure here, no matter how important
he is at home."

The letter mailed, Ralph felt better. It would relieve his mother of much
anxiety, and clear up the mystery concerning his strange disappearance.

"Shine yer shoes, boss?"

It was the inquiry of a ragged bootblack standing just outside of the post
office building.

"What's that?" asked Ralph.

"Shine yer shoes? Make 'em look like a lookin'-glass, boss."

Ralph glanced down at his shoes, and saw that they were decidedly in need
of brushing up.

"What do you charge?" he asked.

"Five fer a regular, an' ten fer an oil finish."

"I cannot afford more than five. Go ahead and do the best you can for
that."

"All right, boss, I'll give yer a good one."

The boy dropped on his knees in an angle of the building, and put out his
little box before him. In a second he was hard at work with a well-worn
whiskbroom, brushing the dirt from the bottom of Ralph's trousers.

"How do you like shining shoes?" questioned Ralph, curiously.

"Don't like it, boss," was the truthful reply. "No, sir. But a feller has
got ter do somethin' fer a livin'--or starve."

"And you can't get anything else to do?"

"Nixy. I've tried a hundred times, but it wasn't no go--all the stores and
shops is so crowded."

"That is too bad."

"Maybe you kin give me a job?" went on the bootblack, suddenly, and he
turned his blue eyes up in expectancy.

"Hardly," laughed Ralph. "I am looking for work myself."

"Dat's too bad. Do yer belong in New York?"

"No; I just arrived this morning."

"Ain't yer got no pull?"

"Pull? What do you mean?"

"No friend ter give yer a lift?"

"I have a friend, yes."

"Is he rich?"

"Yes."

"Den it's all right. But if yer didn't have no pull I would advise yer to
go back home. A feller wido