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them。　　If　you　will　go　in　with　me；　and　say　that　you　have　often

heard　me　preach；　and　that　I　am　the　Rev。　Mr。　Barnes；　of　Hayfield

Centre；　I　won't　mind　paying　you　five　dollars　for　your　trouble。〃



〃All　right；　I'll　do　it；〃　said　the　rustic；　considering　that　it

would　be　an　unusually　easy　way　of　earning　few　dollars。



〃You'll　remember　the　name；　won't　you？〃



〃YesParson　Barnes；　of　Hayfield　Centre。〃



〃That　is　right。　　The　store　is　near　by。　　Walk　along　with　us；　and

we　will　be　there　in　five　minutes。〃







CHAPTER　XXIII



A　NEW　EXPEDIENT



〃I　believe　your　name　is　Peck？〃　said　Mr。　Montgomery；　hazarding　a

guess。



〃No；　it's　Young；　Ephraim　Young。〃



〃Of　course　it　is。　　I　remember　now；　but　I　am　apt　to　forget　names。　

You　said　your　parents　were　quite　well？〃



〃Yes；　they're　pretty　smart。〃



〃I　am　glad　to　hear　it；　I　have　the　pleasantest　recollections　of

your　excellent　father。　　Let　me　see；　didn't　you　call　there　with　me

once；　Mrs。　Barnes？〃



〃Not　that　I　remember。〃



〃You　must　go　with　me　the　next　time。　　I　want　you　to　know　the

parents　of　our　young　friend。　　They　are　excellent　people。　　Do　you

go　back　this　afternoon；　Mr。　Young？〃



〃Yes；　I　guess　so。　　You　don't　know　of　any　sitooation　I　could　get

in　a　store　round　here；　do　you？〃



〃Not　at　present；　but　I　have　some　influential　friends　to　whom　I

will　mention　your　name。　　Suppose；　now；　I　could　obtain　a　situation

for　you；　how　shall　I　direct　the　letter　letting　you　know？〃



〃Just　put　on　the　letter　'Ephraim　Young。'　Everybody　in　Plainfield

knows　me。〃



〃So　he　lives　in　Plainfield；〃　said　Mr。　Montgomery　to　himself。　

〃It's　as　well　to　know　that。〃　　Then　aloud：　〃I　won't　forget；　Mr。

Young。　　What　sort　of　business　would　you　prefer？〃



〃Any　kind　that'll　pay；〃　said　the　gratified　youth；　firmly

convinced　of　his　companion's　ability　to　fulfill　his　promise。　

〃I've　got　tired　of　stayin'　round　home；　and　I'd　like　to　try　York　a

little　while。　　Folks　say　it's　easy　to　make　money　here。〃



〃You　are　right。　　If　I　were　a　business　man；　I　would　come　to　New

York　at　once。　　For　a　smart　young　man　like　you　it　offers　a　much

better　opening　than　a　country　village。〃



〃That's　what　I've　told　dad　often；〃　said　the　rustic；　〃but　he's

afraid　I　wouldn't　get　nothing　to　do　and　he　says　it's　dreadful

expensive　livin'　here。〃



〃So　it　is　expensive；　but　then　you　will　be　better　paid　than　in　the

country。　　However；　here　we　are。　　You　won't　forget　what　I　told

you？〃



〃NoI'll　remember；〃　said　the　young　man。



The　reappearance　of　Mr。　Barnes　and　wife　so　soon　excited　some

surprise　in　the　store；　for　it　had　got　around；　as　such　things

will；　that　he　was　an　impostor；　and　it　was　supposed　that　he　would

not　venture　to　show　his　face　there　again。　　The　appearance　of　his

rustic　companion　likewise　attracted　attention。　　Certainly；　Mr。

Montgomery　（it　makes　little　difference　what　we　call　him）　did　not

exhibit　the　slightest　appearance　of　apprehension；　but　his　manner

was　quite　cool　and　self…possessed。　　He　made　his　way　to　that　part

of　the　counter　attended　by　the　clerk　with　whom　he　had　before

spoken。　　He　observed　with　pleasure　and　relief　that　the　man　who

had　questioned　his　identity　with　any　of　the　ministers　of　Hayfield

Centre　was　no　longer　in　the　store。　　This　would　make　the　recovery

of　the　ring　considerably　easier。



〃Well；　sir；〃　he　said；　addressing　the　clerk；　〃I　suppose　you　did

not　expect　to　see　me　again　so　soon？〃



〃No；　sir。〃



〃Nor　did　I　expect　to　be　able　to　return　for　the　ring　before

to…morrow；　not　supposing　that　I　could　bring　witnesses　to　prove

that　I　was　what　I　represented。　　But　fortunately　I　met　just　now　a

young　friend；　who　can　testify　to　my　identity；　as　he　has　heard　me

preach　frequently　in　Plainfield；　where　he　resides。　　Mr。　Young；

will　you　be　kind　enough　to　tell　this　gentleman　who　I　am？〃



〃Parson　Barnes；　of　Hayfield　Centre；〃　said　the　youth；　confidently。



〃You　have　heard　me　preach；　have　you　not；　in　Plainfield？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　the　young　man；　fully　believing　that　he　was　telling

the　truth。



〃And　I　have　called　on　your　parents？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃I　think；〃　said　the　adventurer；　〃that　will　be　sufficient　to

convince　you　that　I　am　what　I　appear。〃



It　was　hard　to　doubt；　in　the　face　of　such　evidence。　　Ephraim

Young　was　so　unmistakably　from　the　rural　districts　that　it　would

have　been　absurd　to　suspect　him　of　being　an　artful　city　rogue。　

Besides；　Mr。　Barnes　himself　was　got　up　so　naturally　that　all　the

clerk's　doubts　vanished　at　once。　　He　concluded　that　the　customer

who　had　questioned　his　genuineness　must　be　very　much　mistaken。



〃I　ought　to　apologize　to　you；　sir；〃　he　said；　〃for　doubting　your

word。　　But　in　a　city　like　this　you　know　one　has　to　be　very

careful。〃



〃Of　course；〃　said　the　adventurer；　blandly；　〃I　do　not　blame　you　in

the　least。　　You　only　did　your　duty；　though　it　might　have　cost　me

some　trouble　and　inconvenience。〃



〃I　am　sorry；　sir。〃



〃No　apologies；　I　beg。　　It　has　all　turned　out　right；　and　your

mistake　was　a　natural　one。　　If　you　will　kindly　return　me　the

ring；　I　will　defer　selling　it；　I　think；　till　another　day。〃



The　clerk　brought　the　ring；　which　he　handed　back　to　Mr。

Montgomery。　　The　latter　received　it　with　so　much　the　more

satisfaction；　as　he　had　made　up　his　mind　at　one　time　that　it　was

gone　irrevocably；　and　put　it　away　in　his　waistcoat　pocket。



〃I　had　intended　to　buy　some　silver　spoons；〃　he　said；　〃but　it　will

be　necessary　to　wait　until　I　have　disposed　of　the　ring。　　However；

I　may　as　well　look　at　some；　eh；　Mrs。　Barnes？〃



〃If　you　like；〃　assented　the　lady。



So　the　pair　examined　some　spoons；　and　fixed　upon　a　dozen；　which

they　said　they　would　return　and　buy　on　the　next　day；　and　then；

with　a　polite　good…by；　went　out　of　the　store；　leaving　behind；　on

the　whole；　a　favorable　impression。



Ephraim　Young　accompanied　them　out；　and　walked　along　beside　them

in　the　street。　　He；　too；　was　in　good　spirits；　for　had　not　his

companion　promised　him　five　dollars　for　his　services；　which　he

had　faithfully　rendered？　　Five　dollars　to　the　young　man　from　the

rural　districts　was　a　very　considerable　sum　of　moneyquite　a

nugget；　in　factand　he　already　enjoyed　in　advance　the　pleasure

which　he　anticipated　of　telling　his　friends　at　home　how　easily　he

had　earned　such　a　sum　in　〃York。〃　　He　walked　along　beside　the

adventurer；　expecting　that　he　would　say　something　about　paying

him；　but　no　allusion　was　made　by　the　adventurer　to　his　promise。　

Indeed；　five　dollars　was　considerably　more　than　he　had　in　his

possession。　　When　they　reached　Amity　street；　for　they　were　now

proceeding　up　Broadway；　he　sought　to　shake　off　the　young　man；

whose　company　he　no　longer　desired。



〃This　is　our　way；〃　he　said。　　〃I　suppose　you　are　going　further。　　I

am　very　glad　to　have　met　you；　Mr。　Young。　　I　hope　you　will　give

our　regards　to　your　excellent　parents；〃　and　he　held　out　his　hand

in　token　of　farewell。



〃Ain't　you　goin'　to　pay　me　that　money？〃　said　Ephraim；　bluntly；

becoming　alarmed　at　the　prospect　of　losing　the　nugget　he　had

counted　on　with　so　much　confidence。



〃Bless　me；　I　came　near　forgetting　it！　　I　hope　you　will　excuse

me；〃　and　to　Ephraim's　delight　he　drew　out　his　pocketbook。　　But

the　prospect　of　payment　was　not　so　bright　as　the　young　man

supposed。



〃I　don't　think　I　have　a　five…dollar　bill；〃　said　Mr。　Montgomery；

after　an　examination　of　the　pocketbook。　　〃Mrs。　Montgomery；　do　you

happen　to　have　a　five　with　you？〃



〃No；　I　haven't；〃　said　the　lady；　promptly。　　〃I　spent　all　my　money

shopping　this　morning。〃



〃That　is　unfortunate。　　Our　young　friend　has　rendered　us　such　a

service　I　don't　like　to　make　him　wait　for　his　money。〃



Ephraim　Young　looked　rather　blank　at　this　suggestion。



〃Let　me　see；　I　have　a　hundred…dollar　bill　here；〃　said　Mr。

Montgomery。　　〃I　will　go　into　the　next　store；　and　see　if　I　can't

get　it　changed。　　Mr。　Young；　will　you　be　kind　enough　to　remain

with　my　wife？〃



〃Certain；〃　said　Ephraim；　brightening　up。



Mr。　Montgomery　went　into　a　shop　near　by；　but　made　no　request　to

have　a　hundred…dollar　bill　changed。　　He　was　rather　afraid　that

they　might　comply　with　his　request；　which　would　have　subjected

him　to　some　embarrassment。　　He　merely　inquired　if　he　could　use　a

pen　for　a　moment；　request　which　was　readily　granted。　　In　less

than　five　minutes　he　emerged　into　the　street　again。　　Ephraim

Young　looked　toward　him　eagerly。



〃I　am　sorry　to　say；　my　young　friend；〃　he　remarked；　〃that　I　was

unable　to　get　my　bill　changed。　　I　might　get　it　changed　at　a　bank；

but　the　banks　are　all　closed　at　this　hour。〃



The　countryman　looked　disturbed。



〃I　am　afraid；〃　continued　Mr。　Montgomery；　〃I　must　wait　and　send

you　the　money　in　a　letter　from　Hayfield　Centre。〃



〃I'd　rather　have　it　now；〃　said　Ephraim。



〃I　am　sorry　to　disappoint　you；〃　said　the　adventurer　smoothly；

〃but　after　all　you　will　only　have　a　day　or　two　to　wait。　　To　make

up　to　you　for　the　delay　I　have　decided　to　send　you　ten　dollars

instead　of　five。　　Fin