CHAPTER VIII.
SAM'S TEMPTATION.
A month passed, a month which it is safe to say was neithersatisfactory to Sam nor his employer. The deacon discovered that theboy needed constant watching. When he was left to himself, he was sureto shirk his work, and indulge his natural love of living at ease. Hisappetite showed no signs of decrease, and the deacon was led to remarkthat "Samuel had the stiddyest appetite of any boy he ever knew. Henever seemed to know when he had eaten enough."
As for Mrs. Hopkins, Sam failed to produce a favorable impression uponher. He was by no means her ideal of a boy, though it must be addedthat this ideal was so high that few living boys could expect toattain it. He must have an old head on young shoulders, and in fact bean angel in all respects except the wings. On these Mrs. Hopkinsprobably would not insist. Being only a boy, and considerably lazierand more mischievous than the average, there was not much prospect ofSam's satisfying her requirements.
"You'd better send him to the poorhouse, deacon." she said more thanonce. "He's the most shif'less boy I ever see, and it's awful theamount he eats."
"I guess I'll try him a leetle longer," said the deacon. "He aint hadno sort of bringin' up, you know."
So at the end of four weeks Sam still continued a member of thedeacon's household.
As for Sam, things were not wholly satisfactory to him. In spite ofall his adroit evasions of duty, he found himself obliged to work morethan he found agreeable. He didn't see the fun of trudging after thedeacon up and down the fields in the warm summer days. Even his mealsdid not yield unmingled satisfaction, as he had learned fromexperience that Mrs. Hopkins did not approve of giving him a secondslice of pie, and in other cases interfered to check the completegratification of his appetite, alleging that it wasn't good for boysto eat too much.
Sam took a different view of the matter, and felt that if he waswilling to take the consequences, he ought to be allowed to eat asmuch as he pleased. He was not troubled with the catechism any more.The deacon found him so stolid and unteachable that he was forced togive up in despair, and Sam became master of his own time in theevening. He usually strayed into the village, where he found companyat the village store. Here it was that he met a youth who was destinedto exercise an important influence upon his career. This was BenBarker, who had for a few months filled a position in a small retailstore in New York city. Coming home, he found himself a great man.Country boys have generally a great curiosity about life in the greatcities, and are eager to interview any one who can give them authenticdetails concerning it. For this reason Ben found himself much soughtafter by the village boys, and gave dazzling descriptions of life inthe metropolis, about which he professed to be fully informed. Amonghis interested listeners was Sam, whose travels had been limited by avery narrow circle, but who, like the majority of boys, was possessedby a strong desire to see the world.
"I suppose there as many as a thousand houses in New York," he said toBen.
"A thousand!" repeated Ben, in derision. "There's a million!"
"Honest?"
"Yes, they reach for miles and miles. There's about twenty thousandstreets."
"It must be awfully big. I'd like to go there."
"Oh, you!" said Ben, contemptuously. "It wouldn't do for you to gothere."
"Why not?"
"You couldn't get along nohow."
"I'd like to know why not?" said Sam, rather nettled at thisdepreciation.
"Oh, you're a country greenhorn. You'd get taken in right and left."
"I don't believe I would," said Sam. "I aint as green as you think."
"You'd better stay with the deacon, and hoe potatoes," said Ben,disparagingly. "It takes a smart fellow to succeed in New York."
"Is that the reason you had to come home?" retorted Sam.
"I'm going back pretty soon," said Ben. "I shan't stay long in such aone-horse place as this."
"Is it far to New York?" asked Sam, thoughtfully.
"Over a hundred miles."
"Does it cost much to go there?"
"Three dollars by the cars."
"That isn't so very much."
"No, but you've got to pay your expenses when you get there."
"I could work."
"What could you do? You might, perhaps, black boots in the City HallPark."
"What pay do boys get for doing that?" asked Sam, seriously.
"Sometimes five cents, sometimes ten."
"I'd like it better than farmin'!"
"It might do for you," said Ben, turning up his nose.
"What were you doing when you were in New York, Ben?"
"I was chief salesman in a dry goods store," said Ben, with an air ofimportance.
"Was it a good place?"
"Of course it was, or I wouldn't have stayed there."
"What made you leave it?"
"I had so much care and responsibility that the doctor told me I musthave rest. When the boss was away, I run the store all alone."
There was no one to contradict Ben's confident assertions, and thoughsome doubt was entertained by his listener none was expressed.Considering Ben's large claims, it was surprising that his serviceswere not sought by leading New York firms, but, then, merit is notalways appreciated at once. That was Ben's way of accounting for it.
Sam was never tired of asking Ben fresh questions about New York. Hisimagination had been inflamed by the glowing descriptions of thelatter, and he was anxious to pass through a similar experience. Infact, he was slowly making up his mind to leave the deacon, and setout for the brilliant Paradise which so dazzled his youthful fancy.There was one drawback, however, and that a serious one,--the lack offunds. Though the deacon supplied him with board, and would doubtlesskeep him in wearing apparel, there was no hint or intimation of anyfurther compensation for his services, and Sam's whole available moneycapital at this moment amounted to only three cents. Now three centswould purchase three sticks of candy, and Sam intended to appropriatethem in this way, but they formed a slender fund for travellingexpenses; and the worst of it was that Sam knew of no possible way ofincreasing them. If his journey depended upon that, it would beindefinitely postponed.
But circumstances favored his bold design, as we shall see.
One evening as Sam was returning from the store, a man from aneighboring town, who was driving by, reined up his horse, and said,"You live with Deacon Hopkins, don't you?"
"Yes, sir."
"Are you going home now?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then I'll hand you a note for him. Will you think to give it tohim?"
"Yes, sir."
"I would stop myself, but I haven't time this evening."
"All right. I'll give it to him."
"Take good care of it, for there's money in it," said the man, as hepassed it to the boy.
_Money in it!_ This attracted Sam's attention, and excited hiscuriosity.
"I wonder how much there is in it," he thought to himself. "I wish itwas mine. I could go to New York to-morrow if I only had it."
With this thought prominent in his mind, Sam entered the house. Mrs.Hopkins was at the table knitting, but the deacon was not to be seen.
"Where is the deacon?" asked Sam.
"He's gone to bed," said Mrs. Hopkins. "Did you want to see him?"
"No," said Sam, slowly.
"It's time you were abed too, Sam," said the lady. "You're out toolate, as I was tellin' the deacon to-night. Boys like you ought to beabed at eight o'clock instead of settin' up half the night."
"I guess I'll go to bed now," said Sam, taking a lamp from the table.
"You'd better, and mind you get up early in the mornin'."
Sam did not answer, for he was busy thinking.
He went upstairs, fastened his door inside, and taking out the lettersurveyed the outside critically. The envelope was not very securelyfastened and came open. Sam could not resist the temptation presented,and drew out the inclosure. His face flushed with excitement, as hespread out tw
o five-dollar bills on the table before him.
"Ten dollars!" ejaculated Sam. "What a lot of money! If it was onlymine, I'd have enough to go to New York."