ounger brother, Charlie,
now ten. They lived on Beacon Street, opposite the Common. Though
Harry had never lived in Boston, be knew that this was a fashionable
street, and he had no difficulty in inferring that Mr. Vincent was a
rich man. He felt what a wide gulf there was socially between
himself and Oscar; one the son of a very poor country farmer, the
other the son of a merchant prince. But nothing in Oscar's manner
indicated the faintest feeling of superiority, and this pleased
Harry. I may as well say, however, that our hero was not one to show
any foolish subserviency to a richer boy; he thought mainly of
Oscar's superiority in knowledge; and although the latter was far
ahead of Harry on this score, he was not one to boast of it.

Harry, in return for Oscar's confidence, acquainted him with his own
adventures since he had started out to earn his own living. Oscar
was most interested in his apprenticeship to the ventriloquist.

"It must have been jolly fun," he said. "I shouldn't mind
travelling round with him myself. Can you perform any tricks?"

"A few," said Harry.

"Show me some, that's a good fellow."

"If you won't show others. Professor Henderson wouldn't like to have
his tricks generally known. I could show more if I had the articles
he uses. But I can do some without."

"Go ahead, Professor. I'm all attention."

Not having served an apprenticeship to a magician, as Harry did, I
will not undertake to describe the few simple tricks which he had
picked up, and now exhibited for the entertainment of his companion.
It is enough to say that they were quite satisfactory, and that Oscar
professed his intention to puzzle his Boston friends with them, when
his vacation arrived.

About half-past eight, a knock was heard at the door.

"Come in!" called out Oscar.

The door was opened, and a boy about his own age entered. His name
was Fitzgerald Fletcher. He was also a Boston boy, and the son of a
retail merchant, doing business on Washington street. His father
lived handsomely, and was supposed to be rich. At any rate
Fitzgerald supposed him to be so, and was very proud of the fact. He
generally let any new acquaintances understand very speedily that his
father was a man of property, and that his family moved in the first
circles of Boston Society. He cultivated the acquaintance of those
boys who belonged to rich families, and did not fail to show the
superiority which he felt to those