Part 18 (2/2)

”Thank you, sir.”

”Well, good morning; or perhaps it will be as well for you to accompany me as far as Broadway. There I shall take a car, and you can saunter along as you please.”

A brief walk brought them to Broadway, and then they separated.

Ben wandered down Broadway, amused at the sight until he same to Twenty-third Street, where he stopped. Ben look at it with admiration. He had never seen such structures, nor dreamed of their existence.

”New York's a splendid city!” he said to himself.

As he was looking about him, some one addressed him:

”What are you looking at Johnny?”

”My name isn't Johnny,” answered Ben, turning toward the boy who had accosted him.

The boy puffed out his cheeks and whistled.

”When did you come from the country?” he asked.

”Why are you so anxious to know?” inquired Ben, who saw that the other was making game of him, and was not overwell pleased.

”Why, you see, Barnum has offered twenty-five cents for a country greenhorn, and I guess you'll do,” said the boy, with his tongue in his cheek.

Ben was irritated at first, but he concluded to take it as a joke.

”I am not for sale at that price,” he said, adding good humoredly, ”I am green, I suppose. This is my first visit to the city. Can you tell me the name of that building?”

”That's the Imperial Hotel. Have you got a cigarette to spare?”

”No,” said Ben; ”I don't smoke.”

”Then you ain't civilized,” said the boy. ”I've smoked for five years.”

”You have!” exclaimed Ben, amazed. ”Why, you don't look any older than I am.”

”I'm sixteen.”

”And I'm not quite fifteen.”

Ben noticed that the boy had none of the youthful bloom which mantled his own cheeks. He was already paying the penalty of his early use of tobacco.

”You're a big boy of your age,” said the city boy.

Ben thought that the other was small for his age, but he did not say so.

”Look here, Johnny,” said the New York boy.

”My name is Ben.”

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