All right! The walk'll do me good. Come on!"

"What's your name?" asked Phil, who had become interested in his new
acquaintance.

"The boys call me Ragged Dick."

It was indeed the lively young bootblack whose history was afterward
given in a volume which is probably familiar to many of my readers. At
this time he was only a bootblack, and had not yet begun to feel the
spur of that ambition which led to his subsequent prosperity.

"That's a queer name," said Phil.

"I try to live up to it," said Dick, with a comical glance at his ragged
coat, which had originally been worn by a man six feet in height.

He swung his box over his shoulder, and led the way to the old
post-office.

CHAPTER XII.

MR. LIONEL LAKE AGAIN.

Phil continued his conversation with Ragged Dick, and was much amused by
his quaint way of expressing himself.

When they reached Murray Street, Dick said:

"Follow me. We'll cut across the City Hall Park. It is the shortest
way."

Soon they reached the shabby old building with which New Yorkers were
then obliged to be content with as a post-office.

Phil secured the mail matter for Pitkin & Co., and was just about
leaving the office, when he noticed just ahead of him a figure which
looked very familiar.

It flashed upon him of a sudden that it was his old train acquaintance,
Lionel Lake. He immediately hurried forward and touched his arm.

Mr. Lake, who had several letters in his hand, started nervously, and
turned at the touch. He recognized Phil, but appeared not to do so.

"What do you wish, boy?" he asked, loftily.

"I want to speak a word with you, Mr. Lake."

The young man shrugged his shoulders.

"You are mistaken in the person," he said. "My name is not Lake."

"Very likely not," said Phil significantly, "but that's what you called
yourself when we met on the train."

"I repeat, boy, that you are strangely mistaken. My name is"--he paused
slightly--"John Montgomery."

"Just as you please. Whatever your name is, I have a little business
with you."

"I can't stop. My business is urgent," said Lake.

"Then I will be brief. I lent you five dollars on a ring which I
afterward discovered to be stolen. I want you to return that money."

Mr. Lake looked about him apprehensively, for he did not wish any one to
hear what Phil was saying.

"You must be crazy!" he said. "I never saw you before in the whole
course of my life."

He shook off Phil's detaining hand, and was ab