Part 3 (1/2)

At length, when Matt was fourteen years old, Uncle Dan Lincoln, as then an elderly man, was taken with pneumonia, and died teeks later His wife, a crabbed wolad when he was out of the house, at once sold out the chandlery, and went to live with her folks in a se in Vermont Thus Matt was thrown out upon his own resources with no capital but a ten dollar bill, which his Uncle Dan had quietly slipped into his hand only a few days before the end

Matt reeport but two days after his uncle's funeral Then he struck up a bargain with the captain of a schooner which was loaded with freight for Philadelphia, and sailed for that city

When no trace of Matt's father could be found the detectives who had been put on the case declared their belief that the poor man had drowned hithened when so that looked like that which the demented man had as found in a secluded spot not far fro himself to believe that his father was dead

There was a hope in his breast which aain find his parent, alive and well

Yet Matt's search in and around Philadelphia, lasting several months, was unsuccessful His money was soon spent, and then he started to tramp from Philadelphia to his former home, New York

This trah New Jersey, took the boy just one week, and when he arrived in theand his shoes were considerably worn But he brushed up, and lost no ti that it would never do to remain idle

For two days Matt ithout eht of theshares, Mr Randolph Fenton, and he paid the stock-broker a visit at his offices, on Broad street, just off of Wall street

As it happened, Randolph Fenton was just then in need of a boy to run errands and do copying, and after a talk with Matt, he hired him at a salary of four dollars a week

”I'll take you in because I thought so much of your dear father,”

explained Randolph Fenton ”We were great friends, youfor his son”

Randolph Fenton spoke very nicely, but Matt soon found that he was by no entleman he wished to appear In reality, he was very mean and close He worked his clerks al as a raise in salary was unknown in the office

But Matt found it would do no good to complain Times were just then somewhat hard, and another place was not easy to obtain He decided to rew better, and in this resolve re of this story

Matt had been sent by Randolph Fenton on an errand to Temple Court, to be done as soon as the boy had finished lunch Waiting for anotherfollowed, the boy hurried to one of the elevators, and was lifted to the third floor

The errand was quickly transacted, and with several books under his arm for his employer, Matt started on the return to the offices in Broad street

Not wishi+ng to be seen in the vicinity of the auction store, Matt turned down Park Row instead of Nassau street, and so continued down Broadway, his intention being to pass through Wall to Broad

He had just reached the corner of Fulton street when so, he found himself confronted by Andrew Dilks, the old auctioneer's assistant

CHAPTER IV

AN INTERESTING PROPOSITION

On catching sight of Andrew Dilks Matt's first thought was to break and run But a second look into the old auctioneer's assistant's face assured hiround, his eyes flashi+ng, defiantly

”You didn't expect us to meet quite so soon, did you?” remarked Andrew Dilks with a quiet smile

”No, I didn't,” returned Matt bluntly