, sir."

"Then I advise you to find something to do in the city, and postpone
your plans of finding your uncle. You are just as likely to hear from
him here, while at work, as if you were traveling in search of him,"
said Mr. Ferguson.

"I'd just as lief go to work," said Tom, "if I could find anything to
do."

Mr. Ferguson reflected a moment. Then he turned to our hero, and said:

"I will think about your case. Come round to-morrow morning, about this
time."

"All right, sir."

Tom left the counting-room, and was rather surprised to meet Maurice
Walton on the main floor of the store.

"What brings you here?" asked Maurice.

"Business," said Tom.

"Important?" sneered Maurice.

"Very important," answered Tom, coolly.

"I wish I knew more about him," thought Maurice. "There's some mystery
about him. He's impudent enough for half a dozen."

Some might have thought the impudence on the other side, but Maurice
did not see it in that light.

It occurred to Tom that he would call and see the man who advertised
for a person "with a small capital to enter a light, genteel business."
He found the place after awhile--a small back room, scantily furnished,
with a few packages lying on a solitary counter. There was a man of
about thirty-five in attendance, who seemed to have nothing particular
to do.

"Are you the one that advertised for a man with a small capital?" asked
Tom.

"To enter a light, genteel business?" continued the other, briskly.
"Yes, I am the one."

"Well, I've got a small capital, and that's just the kind of business I
want."

"You're rather young. Have you ever been in business?"

"I should think I had. I've been in business for six or seven years."

"You must have begun young. What kind of business?"

"The boot and shoe business, mostly," answered our hero; "but I was in
the periodical business for awhile."

"Well, if you've got experience, you can succeed in our business. How
much capital have you?"

"Tell me about the business first."

"Well, it's the perfumery business. We've got up a new and superior
kind of perfumery, which we sell by agents. I want to find some one to
take charge of the office while I travel and solicit orders. You can
take care of the office, can't you?"

"What's the wages?"

"Twenty dollars a week."

"That'll about suit me," said Tom.

"You will receive the money from the agents and take care of it."

"That suits me again."

"But, of course, we e