istening," said Ben.

Tom was rather annoyed at the want of respect which, in his opinion,
Ben showed him, but hardly knew how to express his objections, so he
came at once to the business in hand.

"You'd better not hang around Rose Gardiner so much," he said
superciliously.

"What do you mean by that?" demanded Ben quickly.

"You forced your attentions on her last evening at the Town Hall."

"Who told you so?"

"I saw it for myself."

"I thought Rose didn't tell you so."

"It must be disagreeable to her family to have a common grocer's boy
seen with her."

"It seems to me you take a great deal of interest in the matter, Tom
Davenport. You talk as if you were the guardian of the young lady. I
believe you wanted to go home with her yourself."

"It would have been far more suitable, but you had made her promise to
go with you."

"I would have released her from her promise at once, if she had
expressed a wish to that effect. Now, I want to give you a piece of
advice."

"I don't want any of your advice," said Tom loftily. "I don't want
any advice from a store boy."

"I'll give it to you all the same. You can make money by minding your
own business."

"You are impudent!" said Tom, flushing with anger. "I've got
something more to tell you. You'll be out on the sidewalk before
three months are over. Father is going to foreclose the mortgage on
your house."

"That remains to be seen!" said Ben, but his heart sank within him as
he realized that the words would probably prove true.

CHAPTER X
BEN GOES TO NEW YORK

Pentonville was thirty-five miles distant from New York, and the fare
was a dollar, but an excursion ticket, carrying a passenger both ways,
was only a dollar and a half. Ben calculated that his extra expenses,
including dinner, might amount to fifty cents, thus making the cost of
the trip two dollars. This sum, small as it was, appeared large both
to Ben and his mother. Some doubts about the expediency of the
journey suggested themselves to Mrs. Barclay.

"Do you think you had better go, Ben?" she said doubtfully. "Two
dollars would buy you some new stockings and handkerchiefs."

"I will do without them, mother. Something has got to be done, or we
shall be turned into the street when three months are up. Squire
Davenport is a very selfish man, and he will care nothing for our
comfort or convenience."

"That is true," said the widow, with a sigh. "If I thought your go