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Jed, The Poorhouse Boy

Creator: Horatio Alger (author)
Date: 1899
Publisher: The John Winston Company. Philadelphia
Source: Available at selected libraries
Figures From This Artifact: Figure 2

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1768  

He had never visited New York before, and the streets were all new to him. So he strolled about for a couple of hours, gazing

1769  

curiously at shops, buildings, streets, and street scenes.

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This naturally led to a feeling of hunger, and at twelve o'clock he began to look around for a restaurant. He found one on Fulton Street, and went in.

1771  

He took a seat on the right-hand side, about midway up the room, and consulted the bill of fare. He found that roast meats were fifteen and twenty-five cents, the latter being for large plates. Tea and coffee were five cents each, and pie or pudding was ten cents.

1772  

He ordered a large plate of roast beef, feeling quite hungry, and a cup of coffee.

1773  

Jed had about half finished his dinner when his attention was drawn by a familiar voice at the next table. Looking up, he saw that two men had entered the restaurant since he had been served and were sitting with their backs to him. One of them he recognized, with a thrill of excitement, as his acquaintance of the morning, Hamilton Barry.

1774  

"I say, Barry," said his companion, "you've had a streak of luck. How do you happen to be in funds?"

1775  

"I negotiated a loan, my boy."

1776  

"That is interesting. Would the party accommodate me, do you think?"

1777  

"Depends upon your invention my boy. I told him a plausible story, and did him a favor."

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"Explain."

1779  

"He was looking for a position, and I gave him a letter of introduction to H. B. Claflin."

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The friend burst into a fit of laughter.

1781  

"I admire your cheek," he said. "What do you know of Claflin?"

1782  

"I told him that Claflin and I went to school together."

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"A lie, of course?"

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"Yes; I never set eyes on the man in my life."

1785  

"And on the strength of that you negotiated a loan."

1786  

"Precisely."

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"How much?"

1788  

"I struck him for a five, but he only let me have two."

1789  

"Which, of course, you promised to repay."

1790  

"I told him I would repay him next Monday when the Tribune paid me for two editorial articles I wrote for them."

1791  

This tickled the fancy of both, and they burst into uproarious laughter. It may be imagined with what feelings of indignation poor Jed listened to these rascals, and understood how adroitly he had been swindled. He felt tempted to get up and address the man who had swindled him in fitting terms, but concluded to wait until he had finished his dinner.

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He felt particularly angry when Barry ordered a high-priced dish -- a plate of roast turkey -- to be paid for with his money.

1793  

At last his dinner was over, and taking the check in his hand, Jed made his way to the table in front.

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"Mr. Barry," he said as calmly as he could, "I believe you owe me two dollars. I shall be glad if you will pay me now."

1795  

Barry looked up quickly, and actually seemed embarrassed when he recognized Jed.

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"Confusion!" he ejaculated. "The kid!"

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CHAPTER XXIII.
Jed's Bad Luck.

1798  

"YES," answered Jed coolly, "it is the kid. I have called upon Mr. Claflin, and also at the office of the Tribune. Probably you can guess what I was told at both places."

1799  

Mr. Barry felt that he was in a tight place, but reflecting that Jed was only a boy, he determined to bluff him off.

1800  

"I don't know what you are talking about, boy," he said. "I know nothing of Mr. Claflin, and have nothing to do with the Tribune office."

1801  

"I am aware of that, but you gave me a letter of introduction to H. B. Claflin, and borrowed two dollars of me, promising to pay me when you settled with the Tribune for editorial contributions."

1802  

"There is not a word of truth in this" said Barry, fidgeting in his chair.

1803  

"I have been listening to your conversation for fifteen minutes" continued Jed, "and I heard you give an account of the matter to your friend here."

1804  

Barry hesitated a moment. Even his brazen hardihood was scarcely adequate to the emergency. He was the more uneasy because a policeman was sitting at the next table but one.

1805  

It was only a practical joke, boy," he said hurriedly. "I'll pay you back the two dollars."

1806  

"That will be satisfactory," returned Jed.

1807  

"But I can't do it to-day. I'll meet you on Monday afternoon, as I said. I am in rather a hurry now and must be going."

1808  

He rose from the table precipitately, and went up to the desk followed by his friend.

1809  

"Shall I stop him?" thought Jed.

1810  

He decided not to do so, as he felt sure Barry could not pay him. The loss was not a serious one, but it would not do to make a second mistake. He paid his check and left the restaurant.

1811  

Jed knew very little of New York, even for a country boy. Some Scranton people doubtless had visited the great city, but, as an inmate of a poorhouse, he had not been thrown in their way. Accordingly he was like a mariner without a compass. He could only follow where impulse led.

1812  

He turned into Broadway, and with his gripsack in his hand walked up the great thoroughfare, looking in at shop windows as he strolled along. Travelling in this leisurely manner, it was perhaps four o'clock when he reached Union Square.

1813  

He was by this time fatigued and ready to rest on one of the benches which he found in the park. One person was sitting there already. It was a slender young man with a diamond ring on one of the fingers of his right hand. At least it looked to be a diamond.

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