Finally the boys found a room decently fumished, about ten feet square, of which the rental was two dollars and a half per week.
Mike succeeded in beating down the lodging house keeper to two dollars, and at that figure they engaged it.
"When will you come?" asked Mrs. McCarty.
"Right off," said Mike.
"I'll need a little time to put it in order.""Me and my partner will be at our business till six o'clock,"returned Mike.
"You can send in your trunks during the day if you like.""My trunk is at the Windsor Hotel," said Mike. "I've lent it to a friend for a few days."Mrs. McCarty looked at Mike with a puzzled expression. She was one of those women who are slow to comprehend a joke, and she could not quite make it seem natural that her new lodger, who was in rather neglige costume, should be a guest at a fashionable hotel.
"I will leave my valise," said Rodney, "and will send for my trunk. It is in the country."Mike looked at him, not feeling quite certain whether he was in earnest, but Rodney was perfectly serious.
"You're better off than me," said Mike, when they reached the street.
"If I had a trunk I wouldn't have anything to put into it.""I'll see if I can't rig you out, Mike. I've got a good many clothes, bought when I was rich. You and I are about the same size. I'll give you a suit of clothes to wear on Sundays.""Will you?" exclaimed Mike, his face showing pleasure.
"I'd like to see how I look in good clo'es. I never wore any yet. It wouldn't do no good in my business.""You won't want to wear them when at work. But wouldn't you like to change your business?""Yes.""Have you ever tried?"
"What'd be the use of tryin'? They'd know I was a bootblack in these clo'es.""When you wear a better suit you can go round and try your luck.""I'd like to," said Mike wistfully. "I don't want you to tell at the store that you room with a bootblack.""It isn't that I think of, Mike. I want you to do better.
I'm going to make a man of you."
"I hope you are. Sometimes I've thought I'd have to be a bootblack always. When do you think you'll get the clo'es?""I shall write to the principal of the boarding school at once, asking him to forward my trunk by express. I want to economize a little this week, and shall have to pay the express charges.""I'll pay up my part of the rent, Rodney, a quarter a day."Rodney had advanced the whole sum, as Mike was not in funds.
"If you can't pay a dollar a week I will pay a little more than half.""There ain't no need. I'll pay my half and be glad to have a nice room.""I've got three or four pictures at the school, and some books.
I'll send for them later on, and we'll fix up the room.""Will you? We'll have a reg'lar bang up place. I tell you that'll be better than livin' at the Lodge.""Still that seems a very neat place. It is lucky for poor boys that they can get lodging so cheap.""But it isn't like havin' a room of your own, Rodney. I say, when we're all fixed I'll ask some of me friends to come in some evenin' and take a look at us. They'll be s'prised.""Certainly, Mike. I shall be glad to see any of your friends."It may seem strange that Rodney, carefully as he had been brought up, should have made a companion of Mike, but he recognized in the warm hearted Irish boy, illiterate as he was, sterling qualities, and he felt desirous of helping to educate him.
He knew that he could always depend on his devoted friendship, and looked forward with pleasure to their more intimate companionship.
After selecting their room and making arrangements to take possession of it, the boys went down town. Rodney stepped into the reading room at the Astor House and wrote the following letter to Dr. Sampson:
DR. PLINY SAMPSON:
DEAR SIR--Will you be kind enough to send my trunk by express to No. 312 Bleecker Street? I have taken a room there, and that will be my home for the present. I have obtained a position in a wholesale house on Reade Street, and hope I may give satisfaction.
Will you remember me with best wishes to all the boys? I don't expect to have so easy or pleasant a time as I had at school, but I hope to get on, and some time--perhaps in the summer--to make you a short visit.
Yours truly, RODNEY ROPES.
