in our building."

"I shouldn't mind taking them if they were as nice as yours. How long
have you lived there?"

"We only moved on the first day of May."

"How much do you charge for your neckties, boy?" asked a female voice.

Looking up, Paul beheld a tall, hard-visaged female, who had stopped
in front of his stand.

"Twenty-five cents," answered Paul.

"Seems to me they're rather high," returned the would-be customer.
"Can't you sell me one for twenty cents?"

"I never take less than twenty-five, madam."

"I am looking for a nice birthday present for my nephew," said the
hard-visaged lady, "but I don't want to spend too much. If you'll say
twenty cents, I'll take two."

"I'm sorry, but I have only one price," said the young merchant.

"I'll give you twenty-two cents."

"I shall have to charge twenty-five."

"I suppose I must pay it then," said the lady in a dissatisfied tone.
"Here, give me that blue one."

The necktie was wrapped up, and the money reluctantly paid.

"How would you like to be her nephew, Sam?" asked Paul, as soon as she
was out of hearing. "You might get a nice birthday present now and
then."

"Shouldn't wonder if that twenty-five cents bust the old woman! Do you
often have customers like that?"

"Not very often. The other day a young man, after wearing a necktie
for a week, came back, and wanted to exchange it for one of a
different color."

"Did you exchange it?"

"I guess not. I told him that wasn't my style of doing business. He
got mad, and said he'd never buy anything more of me."

"That reminds me of a man that bought a _Tribune_ of me early in the
morning, and came back after reading it through and wanted to exchange
it for a _Times._ But I must be goin', or I'll be stuck on some of my
papers."

CHAPTER V.

HOUSE HUNTING.

At ten o'clock Paul closed up his business for the forenoon, and
returning to their temporary home, found his mother waiting for him.

"Well, Paul," she said inquiringly, "have you heard of any good
rooms?"

"Here is an advertisement of some nicely furnished rooms in Bleecker
street;" and Paul pointed to the _Herald._

"They may be above our means, Paul."

"At any rate we can go and look at them. We must expect to pay more if
we take them furnished."

"Do you think we had better take furnished rooms?" asked Mrs. Hoffman
doubtfully.

"I think so, mother, just now. All our furniture is burned, you know,
and it would take too much of