ld home. As he had told Julius to come up, it
was necessary that he should have something to give him, and he
therefore decided to provide himself at a second-hand clothing store.
He knew well enough where they were to be found. His old street
companions used to go to Chatham street and Baxter street in search of
clothing, and these localities, though not distinguished for fashion,
are at least reasonable in their scale of prices.

A little earlier than usual Paul closed his stand, and walked across
the City Hall Park and up Chatham street to a store he had frequently
seen. Like most of its class, it had a large portion of its stock
displayed outside, where the proprietor stood, keen-eyed and watchful,
on the lookout for customers.

"Can I sell you something this afternoon?" he asked, obsequiously, as
Paul halted in front of his store.

"That depends upon whether I see anything that suits me," answered
Paul.

Before he had finished, the dealer had seized his arm, and, hurrying
him into the store, pulled down a coat, on the merits of which he
began to expatiate with voluble tongue.

"I don't want anything for myself," said Paul. "I want to buy a coat
for a boy of twelve. Have you got anything of the right size?"

Paul need not have asked. The trader was keen at a sale, and if
Barnum's giant had called for a second-hand suit, would have sworn
boldly that he had the very thing. In the present case Paul found a
coat which, as well as he could judge, would about fit Julius. At any
rate, the street boy was not likely to be fastidious as to the quality
or exact fit of a coat, which, at all events, would be a decided
improvement upon the one he was now wearing.

"What is the price of this?" asked Paul.

"Five dollars," was the reply.

Paul was too well accustomed to the ways of Chatham street to pay the
first price demanded, or the second or third. Finally he succeeded in
getting the coat for one dollar and a half, which was cheap, although
the dealer made a fair profit even at this price. Before the bargain
was concluded, a tall man strayed in, and watched the bargaining with
slight interest. Paul would have been not a little surprised had he
known that this man was one of the burglars against whom he was
contriving measures of defense. It was, indeed, Marlowe, who, having
dexterously picked the pocket of a passenger on the Third avenue cars
an hour before, found himself thirty dollars richer by the operation,
and