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"I wish I could earn as much money every day," he thought.
"We would have no trouble then about getting along."
About half-past four o'clock, Ben and James left the picnic grounds, and started on their way home. They had occasion to pass the cigar store where Ben had been offered employment. The proprietor was standing at the door.
"Have you made up your mind to accept my offer?" he asked recognizing Ben.
"You don't offer enough," said Ben.
"Isn't three dollars a week enough for a boy like you?"
"Since I last saw you I've earned ten dollars," answered Ben.
"You have!" exclaimed the cigar dealer, in surprise. "I believe you are deceiving me. You don't expect me to believe a story like that."
"There is the proof," said Ben, displaying the greenbacks.
"Are you sure you haven't stolen the money?" asked the dwarf suspiciously.
"I am as sure as that you are no gentleman," retorted Ben, nettled by his tone.
The cigar dealer began to jump up and down with rage, and shook his fist violently at the two boys, who retired laughing.
Chapter VI
Mr. Dobson's Visit
It was a little after five o'clock when Ben entered his humble home. He was in excellent spirits, as may be imagined. His aunt's face, however, presented a decided contrast to his own.
"Well, Benjamin," she said, with a sigh, "I suppose you haven't found anything to do."
"No, Aunt Jane, I have been to a picnic."
"I don't see how you can have the spirits to go to a picnic when we are on the verge of starvation," said Mrs. Bradford reproachfully.
"Not so bad as that, Aunt Jane; we won't starve this week, anyway."
"Perhaps not; but I look forward to the future."
"So do I, Aunt Jane," Ben replied; "but there is this difference between us. You look forward with discouragement, while I look forward hopefully. You know my motto is, Wait and Hope!"
"You'll have plenty of waiting to do," his aunt retorted; "but there isn't much to hope for."
"Why isn't there?"
"I shouldn't think you'd need to be told. You haven't earned a cent to-day, and – "
"How do you know I haven't?" demanded Ben, smiling.
"How could you? You were going about this morning after a place, and this afternoon you have been at a picnic."
"For all that, aunt, I have earned something – more than if I had been at the factory."
Mrs. Bradford stared at Ben in astonishment.
"How much did you earn, Ben?" asked Tony.
"Haven't I done well enough to earn a dollar, Tony?"
Mrs. Bradford's face assumed a more cheerful look, for a dollar in that little household would go far.
"I don't see how you found time to earn so much, Benjamin," she said.
"Now, just suppose, aunt, that I earned two dollars," said Ben, with a merry twinkle in his eyes.
This was too much for his aunt to believe.
"If supposing would make it so, I should be very glad to suppose; but it won't."
"But it's true, aunt."
"I can't believe it, Benjamin, unless you've found the money somewhere, and then you will have to return it."
"No, I earned it, Aunt Jane, and it's mine fairly."
"I am glad to hear it, Benjamin. Is there any chance to earn any more the same way?"
"I am afraid not, Aunt Jane. However, I've done even better than I told you. I've earned ten dollars this afternoon."
"Benjamin Bradford!" said his aunt sharply. "Do you expect me to believe such a foolish story as that?"
Ben laughed, He was not surprised at his aunt's incredulity; he wouldn't have believed that morning that there was any chance of his making so much money.
"I don't know as I blame you, Aunt Jane; but if you won't believe me, perhaps you'll believe your own eyes," answered Ben, as he drew forth the two five-dollar bills from his pocket, and showed them to Mrs. Bradford.
"Are they good?" she asked suspiciously.
"As good as gold, Aunt Jane; well, not exactly as good as gold, but as good as greenbacks, anyway."
"I can't understand it at all," said Mrs. Bradford, in helpless bewilderment.
"Then I'll tell you all about it," said Ben; and he did so.
"I shall have a high opinion of my legs from this time," he concluded, "for they have earned ten dollars in quicker time than my hands can earn twenty-five cents."
Even his aunt, in spite of her despondent mood, could not help being cheerful over such good fortune as that.
"You see, Aunt Jane, that even if I don't earn anything for the next two weeks, we shall be as well off as if I had been working at the factory all the time. So don't worry any more till that time has passed."
"You certainly have been very fortunate, Benjamin," Mrs. Bradford was forced to admit.
A copious rain is very apt to be followed by a protracted drought, and I am sorry to say that this was the case with Ben's luck. Day after day he went about Milltown, seeking for employment, and night after night he returned home disappointed and empty-handed. If it had depended only on himself, his courage would still have kept up; but his aunt's dismal forebodings affected his spirits. He did not find it quite so easy to wait and hope as he anticipated.
Three weeks passed, and Ben was painfully sensible that there was but a dollar in the house.
They had just risen from the dinner table on the day when their
fortunes were at so low an ebb, when a knock was heard at the door.
A man of about thirty-five, Mr. Jotham Dobson, was admitted. Mr.
Dobson was a man with a brisk, business-like air.
"Won't you come in, Mr. Dobson?" asked Ben, who had answered the knock.
"Is your aunt at home?" inquired Mr. Dobson bruskly.
"Yes, sir."
"Then, I'll step in a minute, as I want to see her on business."
"What business can he possibly have?" thought Ben. "I wish his business lay with me, and that he wanted to employ me."
"Good morning, Mrs. Bradford," said Dobson rapidly. "No, thank you, I really haven't the time to sit down; I have a little business with you, that's all."
"Perhaps he wants to get me to do some sewing," thought Mrs.
Bradford; but she was doomed to be disagreeably disappointed.
"Perhaps you are not aware of it," said Mr. Dobson, "but I am the city collector of taxes. I've got your tax bill made out. Let me see – here it is. Will it be convenient for you to pay it to-day?"
"How much is it?" faltered Mrs. Bradford.
"Eleven dollars and eighty cents, precisely," answered the collector.
Mrs. Bradford looked so doleful that Ben felt called upon to reply.
"We can't pay it this morning, Mr. Dobson," he said.
"Really, you had better make the effort," said Dobson. "You are aware that the tax is now due, and that one per cent a month will be added for default. That's twelve per cent, a year – pretty heavy."
"What shall we do, Benjamin?" asked his aunt, in a crushed tone.
"Wait and hope, Aunt Jane."
"My friends," said Mr. Dobson persuasively, "I really think you'd better make the effort to pay now, and so avoid the heavy interest."
"Perhaps," said Ben, "you'll tell us how to pay without money?"
"You might borrow it."
"All right! I am willing. Mr. Dobson will you be kind enough to lend us twelve dollars to meet this bill?"
Mr. Dobson's face changed. It always did when any one proposed to borrow money of him, for he was what people called a "close" man.
"I really couldn't do it," he answered. "Money's very scarce with me – particularly scarce. It's all I can do to pay my own taxes."
Ben smiled to himself, for he knew how the application would be answered.
"Then of course we can't pay at present," he said. "We've tried to borrow, and can't."
"I didn't expect you'd try to borrow of me – the tax collector," said Dobson; "even if I had the money, it would be very unprofessional of me to lend you the money."
"It would be very unprofessional of us to pay you without money," returned Ben.
"I suppose I must call again," said the collector, disappointed.
He was disappointed less for the city than for his own account, for he received a percentage on taxes collected.
"I suppose you must."
"Benjamin, this is awful," said Mrs. Bradford piteously, after Mr. Dobson had retired. "What is going to become of us? The city will sell the house for taxes."
"They'll wait a year first, at any rate, Aunt Jane; so we won't fret about it yet. There are other things more pressing."
"If we don't get some money within a day or two, we must starve,
Benjamin."
"Something may turn up this afternoon, Aunt Jane. Wait and hope!"
Ben put on his hat and went out. In spite of his cheerful answer, he felt rather sober himself.
Chapter VII
Ben Gets Employment
When Ben got out into the street, he set himself to consider where he could apply for employment. As far as he knew, he had inquired at every store in Milltown if a boy was wanted, only to be answered in the negative, sometimes kindly, other times roughly. At the factory, too, he had ascertained that there was no immediate prospect of his being taken on again.
"It's a hard case," thought Ben, "when a fellow wants to work, and needs the money, and can find no opening anywhere."
It was a hard case; but Ben was by no means the only one so situated. It may be said of him, at all events, that he deserved to succeed, for he left no stone unturned to procure employment.
"Perhaps," he thought, "I can get a small job to do somewhere. It would be better to earn a trifle than to be idle."
As this thought passed through Ben's mind, he glanced into Deacon Sawyer's yard. The deacon was a near neighbor of his mother, and was reputed rich, though he lived in an old-fashioned house, furnished in the plain manner of forty years back. It was said that probably not fifty dollars' worth of furniture had come into the house since the deacon's marriage, two-and-forty years previous. Perhaps his tastes were plain; but the uncharitable said that he was too fond of his money to part with it.
A couple of loads of wood were just being deposited in the deacon's yard. They were brought by a tenant of his, who paid a part of his rent in that way.
