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Jed, The Poorhouse Boy
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1814 | He was dressed in rather a showy manner. He was perhaps twenty-two, but so slender that he must have weighed a dozen or fifteen pounds less than Jed, who was only sixteen. He looked casually at the country boy as the latter sat down, and presently turned and addressed him. | |
1815 | "It is a warm day," he said. | |
1816 | "Yes," answered Jed, who felt lonely and was glad to be social with some one. | |
1817 | "I judge from your bag," he glanced at the gripsack, "that you are a visitor to New York." | |
1818 | "Yes," answered Jed frankly. "I have never been in New York before." | |
1819 | "That was my case two years ago. Now I feel quite like an old resident. Are you staying at a hotel?" | |
1820 | "No; that is what I should like to ask about. I must spend the night somewhere. Can you recommend a cheap hotel?" | |
1821 | "Why do you go to a hotel? No hotel is cheap in the long run. It is much better to hire a room in a lodging-house and take your meals at restaurants." | |
1822 | "Yes, I suppose it would be. But I don't know where to find such a lodging-house." | |
1823 | "Come, I'll make you an offer. I have a room on Twenty-Seventh Street. You shall pay for my supper, and I will let you stay in my room without charge till to-morrow. Then if you like it well enough to room with me, I shall be glad to have you." | |
1824 | "Thank you; how much do you pay for your room?" | |
1825 | "Four dollars a week. That will be two dollars a piece. That is cheap for the city. You can't get a room at a hotel for less than a dollar a night." | |
1826 | "Is that so?" asked Jed. "That would be seven dollars a week." | |
1827 | "Precisely." | |
1828 | "I couldn't afford to pay that." | |
1829 | "There is no reason why you should. I couldn't afford it myself. Well, do you accept my offer? Do just as you please. Of course I have no motive except to give a helping hand to a stranger in the city." | |
1830 | "You are very kind," said Jed gratefully. "I know so little of New York that I fed quite helpless." | |
1831 | "Quite natural. I've been through it all." | |
1832 | "Are you -- in business?" rather wondering how his companion should be free at that hour. | |
1833 | "Yes, I am in a broker's office down town. We have easy hours. I am off for the day at three o'clock." | |
1834 | "Are you well paid? But perhaps you don't care to tell." | |
1835 | "Oh, yes, I don't mind. I get twenty dollars a week." | |
1836 | "I wish I could get twelve," said Jed wistfully. "I shall have to get work soon." | |
1837 | "You have some money to keep you while you are waiting for work?" said the other quickly. | |
1838 | "Yes. I have about thirty-five dollars." | |
1839 | The young man's face brightened up. | |
1840 | "I am glad for you," he said. "You can make that last a good while, if you are guided by me, and keep down your expenses." | |
1841 | "That is exactly what I want to do," responded Jed earnestly. | |
1842 | "Oh well, I will put my experience at your service. I hope you will conclude to room with me. I feel rather lonesome at times. Of course I could easily get a roommate, but I am rather particular." | |
1843 | "You might not like me," said Jed. | |
1844 | "I am sure I shall. I can tell in five minutes whether I am going to like a person or not. How old are you?" | |
1845 | "Sixteen." | |
1846 | "Indeed! You look older. That's going to help you, you know, about a situation. You can pass for a young man, and they won't think of offering you boy's pay." | |
1847 | "Perhaps you will be able to advise me about the kind of place I had better apply for." | |
1848 | "Of course I will. I already begin to take a great interest in you. What kind of work have you done?" | |
1849 | "Well, I have acted a little." | |
1850 | "You don't say so!" ejaculated his new friend in genuine surprise, for he had looked upon Jed as an unsophisticated country boy who probably had never seen the inside of a theatre. "I suppose you mean," he suggested as an afterthought, "in some village entertainment." | |
1851 | "No; I played in 'The Gold King' for some time." | |
1852 | "You don't say so! What part did you take?" | |
1853 | "The boy's part." | |
1854 | The young man regarded Jed with more respect. | |
1855 | "I shouldn't have thought it," he said. "How did you happen to get such a fine chance as that?" | |
1856 | "I knew one of the actors -- Harry Bertram -- and the one who played the boy's part regularly was taken sick. I only played about four or five weeks all together." | |
1857 | "Still that makes you a regular actor. Do you think of trying to get a place at Daly's or Palmer's?" | |
1858 | "Oh, no. I don't suppose I should stand any show. I could only take a boy's part." | |
1859 | "Well, we can talk over our plans later. I don't mind confessing that I am hungry. How about yourself?" | |
1860 | "I think I could eat some supper." | |
1861 | "Come along, then. I'll take you to a good restaurant. It's some way off, but it is near my room." | |
1862 | "All right." | |
1863 | The two rose, and leaving the park, walked up Broadway, past the Fifth Avenue Hotel, the Hoffman House, and the St. James, till they reached a well-known eating-house known as Smith & Green's, situated on the east side of Broadway, between Twenty-Seventh and Twenty-Eighth Streets. | |
1864 | "Come in here. I won't take you to Delmonico's, a little further down, as you haven't a private bank to draw from. This is a nice restaurant and moderate in its charges." |