by Alfred Elwes
CHAPTER IX.
IN THE STREET AGAIN--THE POLICE STATION--VISITS THE NEWSPAPER OFFICE, AND IS KINDLY RECEIVED BY THE EDITOR.
ALL day long Archie washed dishes, and before night came he decided thathe had never before had such discouraging work. The restaurant wasa popular one, and there were very many dishes to be washed, to saynothing of the pots and pans which were always dirty. Archie no soonerfinished one sink full of dishes than another large pile was waitingto be put through the same operation, and there was no time at all forlooking about him. There was hardly time for eating, even, and atnoon he was only able to snatch a few mouthfuls. The work was notinteresting, and it was a new sort of labour to Archie, so thataltogether he did not get on as well as he might have wished. The cookwas constantly nagging him, and telling him to hurry up, and the poorlad tried his best to please him. But somehow everything went wrong, andhe was hardly surprised when the proprietor came in at six o'clockwith a new man for the place. "Come around in the morning," he said toArchie, "and I'll pay your day's wages."
So the boy was in the street once more, with no money, and no place tosleep. He wasn't hungry, that was one thing, for he had been allowedto eat a good meal before leaving the restaurant. But where was he tosleep, and what was he to do on the morrow, when he would surely behungry? His experience at looking for work had not been encouraging, andhe began to have serious doubts as to whether he would ever get a place.Certainly he would starve if he waited around New York long withoutanything to do.
It was quite dark at seven o'clock, and Archie walked over to thebrilliantly lighted street which ran north and south through the city.He had never failed to find something interesting to look at there, andhe felt now that he would like to see the bright side of city life, evenif he couldn't enjoy it himself. So all the evening he walked up anddown the street, watching the well-dressed crowds hurrying into thetheatres and the other almost innumerable places of amusement. He staredin open-mouthed amazement at some of the costumes of the women he sawalighting from carriages. Never before had he seen anything half sobeautiful, and if any one had told him that there were such dresses hewould have told them he didn't believe it. Some of them, he thought,must cost hundreds of dollars, and the jewels worn with them manyhundreds more. How interesting, how new, it all was to him! Once hethought of the little home in the village, and at first wished that hismother might be there to enjoy the sights with him. "But I wouldn't wanther to see me," he thought, "not while I am so miserable, and feelingso discouraged." For Archie was beginning to wonder if he hadn't madea mistake in leaving home, whether he had not been overconfident andhot-headed. But he decided to try it a few days more, that is, if hecould manage to live for that length of time in the city.
At twelve o'clock he was walking up and down the street, which was stillbright with millions of lights, though the crowds had gone home from thetheatres, and the restaurants were beginning to be less popular. He wasstill wondering how he was going to find a place to sleep, when he wasaccosted by a policeman, and taken into a doorway. "I've been watchingyou," said the officer, "and I want to know why you are walking up anddown the street at this time of night."
Archie could have cried from fright, but he remembered that he was undersuspicion, so decided to tell the policeman his whole story, and perhapshe could help him out in some way. So he described his experiencesduring the day, and was surprised at the interest shown by the officerin the recital. When he had finished he was told that he would betaken to the police station. "You needn't be afraid, my lad," said thepoliceman. "I'll see that the Gerry Society doesn't get you and send youhome, that is, if you think you want to try it here a few days longer.You can sleep at the station to-night, and the next morning you can tryit again." So to the station they went, and Archie was, naturally, alittle frightened when he saw, for the first time, the cells, and theterribly severe appearance of all his surroundings. But he was given agood bed in which to sleep, and he passed a delightful night, dreamingof the wonderful adventures which befell him in the city.
He was not awakened until eight o'clock, and then he found the goodpoliceman waiting to take him out to breakfast, He expressed surprisethat he should be so kind to him.
"I always thought that officers were cross and unpleasant," he said,"but you're not that kind, anyhow."
"Well," laughed the officer, "we have to be cross very often, thoughwe're sometimes sorry to be so. But I've taken a fancy to you, my lad. Ilike to see a boy who does things. When a boy of seventeen is willingto come to New York alone, and make his own way, without friendsor influence of any kind, it shows a proper spirit, and he ought tosucceed. I know you'll get along if you only persevere. I'd advise youto keep on trying."
"Oh, I'm going to, now," said Archie. "I was very homesick anddiscouraged last night, but since I've met you I seem to have received anew impetus, and I'm ready to make a new beginning."
So Archie and the policeman parted friends.
"Come around to the station to-night if you want a bed, and you shallbe cared for," said the officer, as he turned around the corner into thebusy street, where he was lost in the crowd.
Archie walked down the street, hardly knowing what to do first. Hedidn't feel like answering any more advertisements in the newspapers,and he decided to go into a few stores and ask for work. He was about todo this when he saw before him the magnificent building of the New YorkEnterprise. It was a truly beautiful structure, rising fifteen storiesabove the ground, and surmounted with an artistic tower, which could beseen from almost any part of the city. The home of the city's greatestdaily, it looked as if it were always welcoming strangers to themetropolis, and Archie felt an irresistible impulse to enter. Everythingconnected with a newspaper had for him the greatest fascination, and heknew he would enjoy seeing through this wonderful building, which wasalmost wholly occupied by the departments of the Enterprise. So heentered the door, and passed from one floor to another, finally arrivingat the highest floor of all, where were located the editorial rooms ofthe Evening Enterprise. All at once a new plan entered Archie's fertilebrain. Why shouldn't he be able to get something to do on a newspaper?It had always been his greatest ambition to become a reporter, and here,although he didn't think the editor would take him in that capacity, hethought he might get some sort of work in which he could work himselfup.
There upon the door were the magic words: "Editor of the Eveningenterprise. No Admittance." Archie opened the door and entered. He knewit would be useless to send in his name. It was best to see the editorat once, and without ceremony. He was seated before a large desk,which was littered with papers of every description, and he was a verypleasant person in appearance. Archie stood hesitating near the door,and remained there a minute or two before the editor looked up.
"Well, my boy, what is it?"
Archie took courage.
"I--I want to be a reporter, sir, and I thought it would do no harm toask you for such a position, anyhow."
The distinguished journalist wheeled about in his chair.
"What!" he exclaimed, "you want to be a reporter. Why, my dear boy, howold are you?"
"I'll be eighteen my next birthday," said Archie, "and, sir, I've hadsome experiences in the last two weeks, which make me feel as if I wereabout five years older than I really am. I've been through some verytrying experiences, sir."
The editor was interested at once. "Tell me what your experiences havebeen," he said, and Archie began, and told him his whole story; how hehad left home to win fame and fortune, and how he had worked on the farmfor a week with Farmer Tinch; how he had been robbed the night he stayedwith the tramps in the ancient ruins, and how he had finally reachedthe city. Then he told him of the night in the lodging-house, of hisdish-washing experience in the restaurant, and how he had been takenfrom the street by a policeman the night before, and allowed to sleep inthe station-house. When he had finished the editor had a broad grin uponhis face.
"By Jove!" he exclaimed, "this is certainly rich
stuff. There's a goodstory in it, I'll be bound."
Then, speaking to Archie, he said:
"Just wait here a minute, my boy, and I'll see if we can't put somemoney in your way."
He pressed a button at the side of his desk, and when a boy appeared, hetold him to bring "Mr. Jones, please, or one of the other reporters. Andtell Jones to bring an artist with him."
The reporter and the artist soon stood before the editor, who told them,with great glee, that he had a leading feature for the next eveningedition of the Enterprise. "Just talk to this boy, Jones, and see ifyou can't make two good columns on the front page and two for the insidefrom his story. I think it's great, myself. And you Cash," he said,turning to the artist, "you make a good sketch of the boy."
Archie could hardly believe his eyes and ears. Just to think that hewas being interviewed, and that his picture was to be in the paper. Itseemed almost too good to be true.
When the reporter had finished with him, he was taken down-stairs to thecashier's office and given thirty dollars in bills. "This will pay youfor the interview," said the editor, "and give you enough to fix upwith. Now, to-morrow, you come in again, and I think I can give yousteady employment."
Oh, how happy Archie was! He went out into the street, and seemed tofairly walk on air. Then he heard the newsboys crying, "Extra paper,read about the Enterprise's Boy Reporter." And when Archie saw thepaper, there on the front page was his picture, together with the storyof his "startling adventures."