"Alger Jr, Horatio - The Young Explorer" - читать интересную книгу автора (Alger Horatio Jr)

required sum. The letter went to New York by the afternoon mail.
Naturally Ben was a little excited and suffered a little from suspense. He
feared that all the places would be filled, and such another chance was hardly
to be expected again very soon. However, on Monday morning he was gratified by
the receipt of the following letter:
"No.ЧNASSAU STREET, NEW YORK.
"MR. BENJAMIN STANTON: Your letter of yesterday is at hand. Fortunately we have
one vacancy, the other places being already filled. We have rejected three
applicants for it on account of unsatisfactory penmanship. Yours, however, is up
to the mark, and we will engage you on the strength of it. It will be necessary
for you to report as soon as possible at our office for duty. We require the
deposit on account of the sums of money which you will handle. We do not doubt
your honesty, but it seems desirable that you should furnish a guarantee,
particularly as we pay a much larger salary than is usually given to young
clerks.
"Yours respectfully,
"FITCH FERGUSON.
"P. S. Your engagement will not commence until the fifty dollars are in our
hands."
Ben was quite elated by his success.
"I must start to-morrow morning," he said, "or I shall be in danger of losing
the place."
"It seems very sudden," said his aunt. "I am afraid I sha'n't have time to get
your clothes ready. Some are dirty, and others need mending. If I'd had a little
notice-"
"It won't make any difference, Aunt Sarah," said Ben. "I'll take a few clothes
in a carpetbag, and you can send the rest by express when they are ready."
"Yes, Sarah, that will be the best way," said Uncle Job. "Ben don't want to run
the risk of losing the place by delay."
Mrs. Stanton acquiesced rather unwillingly, and for the remainder of the day Ben
was busy making preparations to leave his country home.
CHAPTER V. IN SEARCH OF A PLACE.
Ben took the early train to New York on Tuesday morning, and in due time arrived
in the city. He carried with him seventy-five dollars out of his small
patrimony. Fifty were to be deposited with Messrs. Fitch Ferguson, as required,
and the balance was to defray his expenses till he began to receive a salary.
Ben didn't expect to need much of it, for at the end of a week he would be paid
ten dollars for his services, and until then he meant to be very economical.
Ben had only been in New York twice before, but he happened to know his way to
Nassau Street, and went there at once, with his carpetbag in his hand.
As he entered Nassau Street from Printing-House
Square, a bootblack accosted him.
"How are you, country?"
"Are you very anxious to know?" asked Ben, stopping short.
"Yes."
"I'm well enough and strong enough to give you a licking."
"Good for you, country! Have you come to stay long?"
Ben laughed. He concluded not to take offense, but to answer seriously.
"That depends on whether I get the place I am after."
"What is that?" asked the bootblack, in a friendly tone.