Part 9 (1/2)
New York was as delightful as ever It was now the last of April, and the trees were all green with fresh leaves, and the nu their very best The asphalt paveht of sos lifted their ornate doht to hi city in all the world” Fifth Avenue, with its crowds of fashi+onable folk, and its throng of vehicles, was a delight of which he never tired, and when he went into the Bowery, just to see how things were looking now, he found it quite as interesting and as dirty as in the fall
But the first place he visited was the dear little square away dohere he had lived during those few happy days spent in New York It, too, looked the sarass were fresher now, and the fountain see was here The house where he had lodged was as clean as ever, and Archie at once decided to engage a room here, where he could have his New York holad to learn that the room he had first was still vacant, and that he could take possession at once
As before, when he ca, so he went out and fitted hi he needed
And this tiht he had now earned the privilege to dress well if he liked And then, when he had everything he needed to wear, he went out and bought s for his room, for he felt that he would like to have it just as cosy and home-like as possible He wasn't able to dodays he furnished the place in a char way, so that the landlady said it was the ”handsomest room in the house, sir” The dear old lady could hardly understand this great change in her lodger's circumstances She worried about it very often, and discussed the question with hty poor-like, but, lawsy me, he's as fine now as any man on the avenue” And she never did understand it until one day she learned that her lodger was the ”very young man who had been to the war in the Philippines, and writ about his battles in the Enterprise”
There was no cere paper Mr
Jennings told hiht they understood each other pretty well, and that he could use his own discretion, very often, about getting articles ”You can be as independent as you like, Archie,” he said, ”and use your own ideas as much as you like” This pleased the boy veryto feel now that he had really won his spurs, and that he was a full-fledged journalist It seemed scarcely possible that it had taken hireat advance in circumstances, and yet he could see hi in the station-house Now his days of poverty were surely over, and he would have a clear path ahead of hireat ambition to be a successful author and writer of books For the present, it was good experience for hiht to be very h to be his father ere not earning aspaper very , and at three o'clock in the afternoon he was always through He was very glad indeed that there was no night work, for he now spent his evenings in studying shorthand, which he thought ht be helpful to him in many ways He didn't have , but he told Mr
Jennings that he would like to get as ave hi to do, as well as the special hich was daily featured in the paper This special work consisted of intervieith various successful reat ad,” and as New York was simply filled ealthy and successful men, who had started as poor boys, he found a wide field for work He found it very interesting to meet these les, how they had begun on the farh industry and perseverance to the high places they now occupied He found it very easy to get access to most of them, for they had all read of his experiences in the Enterprise, and Archie found that his faeneral and widespread Soreat men were quite as much determined to interview hiot along very well by telling the them about their own boyhood days It ork that never became monotonous, for each day he saw a man quite different in most respects from the man he had interviewed the day before, and of course every one had so different to say
These interviews proved very successful when published in the Evening Enterprise, and Mr Jennings had hi all the weeks Archie was connected with the paper And of course he did other things, too, hich took hi up this event, or investigating this reported disappearance or murder
Archie was quite successful in this line, too, and, as he was being paid by the coluer than he had ever dared to hope for in all his life He was now enabled to study his stenography at the best school, and to indulge his which had been denied hirand opera, and hear the great musical artists of the world He was able, too, to read the best literature, and he gradually learned to appreciate all the lad to find hi in such a way, for he realised that he would not alant to be a ”Boy Reporter,” and that he had better be developing hisin New York before he met all his old friends
One of the first upon whoood policeman who had been so very kind to hie-hearted man was as enthusiastic over his success as if he had been his own son, and Archie felt that here was one true friend upon who about that first night when he found Archie walking up and down Broadway, and he always spoke of him to the other officers as ”that boy of ed reporter, spent as much time with this friend as possible, andthem all of his adventures in the Orient
Another friend whoreat railway president hoo on his way to San Francisco Archie had liked this man from the very first, and he felt that in him he would always find a friend, because he had shown such interest in his first undertaking And when he called upon hi
”No, indeed,” said the great ether, and I have followed you with h the coluain in New York, for I hope to see a great deal of you Youand tell us all about yourself”
Archie was naturally much surprised to receive an invitation of this kind, but he resolved to accept it, nevertheless
Bill Hickson was now employed in the Brooklyn navy yard He had been featured for several days in the Enterprise, and had enjoyed the excitement of New York for awhile, but he decided he would like to be at work So one day Archie learned that he orking at the navy yard
”I've got to be with Uncle Saive for his action
CHAPTER XXV
PRIVATE SECRETARY TO A MILLIONAIRE--STUDYING AT EVENING SCHOOL--LIVING AMID ELEGANT SURROUNDINGS
IT was now Septeh, attending carefully to his work on the Evening Enterprise, and continuing his study of stenography He had taken occasional trips to Long Branch and Asbury Park on Saturday afternoons, but every other day he spent in working up ideas for the paper, and each evening he devoted to the shorthand school By this tih, he felt that he knew all that was necessary of shorthand, and found his He visited his friends s in studying works on English literature, for he was areat work he had decided to make his own
This study was not really work to hi connected with literature was so great that he found a pleasure in reading even the most classical books on the subject, and of course so reat deal to educate hisin the early fall, Archie decided to accept the invitation of Mr Depaw, the railway president, to call So he carefully dressed himself in the best he had, and walked up Fifth Avenue and into the side street where the greatthe bell and presented his card, and waited in the drawing-rooone but a , announced that the family would be down directly Archie was very much pleased that he was to reat interest at the elegant furnishi+ngs of the roo how lovely it must be to have so many books, so many pictures, and so ht then that he would like to be a wealthy ratify his desires for beautiful things
He had to wait only a short tienial Mr Depaw entered the rooreeted very warmly, and introduced to every one, and then they ian an ani an active part, much to his surprise He felt that he had never before realised what a great gift it is to be able to talk entertainingly, and this evening was a revelation to hiood society He found that every one was much interested in the story of his adventures, and he talked inning to feel that his Philippine experiences were an old story, but he learned that they were quite as entertaining as ever to these people But they did not talk entirely about Archie They realised that this would be euide the conversation into a discussion of ined hi passed very quickly, and it was time to leave before he knew it Then he was asked to be sure to call again, and Mr Depaw, as he accompanied him to the door, requested hi Wednesday, if possible Archie pro what it could be that Mr Depaanted to talk to hi about it, however, but went home and to bed as quickly as possible, for he had for to study
The days passed quickly until Wednesday, and the afternoon of that day found Archie in the waiting-roo to sit there after sending in his card, for the busy et rid of his present visitor He shook Archie war two chairs together, they sat down ”I have been thinking for some time,” said Mr Depaw, ”that I need a sort of private secretary Of course I have men here at the office who take dictation from me, and who fulfil the duties of a secretary to a certain extent, but I want a young man who can attend somewhat to my personal affairs; I want one who, so that eventually he may be able to fill any place I may have open for him” Then he stopped avery fast beneath his coat He waited almost breathlessly to hear what Mr Depaould say next
”Ever since I ht that you are the kind of a young felloould like You are a to learn You say, too, that you know shorthand, and I know that you are a good penman You have seen quite a little of the world, I am sure, and I think you can prove yourself equal to almost any occasion The only question is whether you will care to give up reporting for a position of this kind
I can assure you that I will pay you as lad to offer you a hoht hand all the time Do you think you will care to take the place?”
Archie could hardly speak, it was all so wonderful, but finally he recovered hi the position ”I would like just one day,” he said, ”to consult with s and Mr Van Bunting have been very good to me, and I shouldn't care to leave theht, quite right,” said Mr Depaw ”I can appreciate your feelings, and you can tell the editor that you will have so, and that you will contribute occasional articles to his paper” Archie was now delighted ”Oh, thank you,” he cried ”I am sure I can come now”