Adventures of a Telegraph Boy; or, "Number 91"Alger, Horatio, Jr.
General
Adventures of a Telegraph Boy; or, "Number 91"
Alger, Horatio, Jr.
New York (N.Y.) -- Juvenile fiction; Orphans -- Juvenile fiction; Telegraph -- Employees -- Juvenile fiction
Old Jerry, picking himself up after his narrow escape, carefully
counted his gold pieces, and to his great relief found that none were
missing.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he learned that his son had been
arrested, and determined to deposit his gold in the savings bank, so as
to guard against future robbery.
It was about this time that Paul, called up town by some errand, was
crossing Madison Square, when he heard his name called.
Looking up he recognized, with no little pleasure the smiling face of
Jennie Cunningham.
She was accompanied by a boy of about Paul’s size, fashionably dressed,
and wearing an expression of high self appreciation on his rather
narrow face.
“How are you, Paul? It’s an age since I saw you,” said the young
heiress, cordially, offering her hand.
“I am glad to see you, Miss Jennie,” responded Paul.
“Why haven’t you been up to see us? I have been expecting you for a
long time.”
“I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t be intruding.”
“Then I’ll tell you once for all, you needn’t be a bit afraid. I want
to beat you at dominoes. You beat me last time, didn’t you?”
“I believe so,” said Paul.
“Then I want my revenge. When will you come?”
“Whenever I am invited,” said Paul, smiling.
“That reminds me--how stupid I was to forget it--that I am to have a
fancy dress party of young people next Wednesday evening. You’ll come,
won’t you?”
“I am afraid I have no clothes fit to wear at a party.”
“O, you are to come in costume. Come as a telegraph boy. That will be
the very thing. You’ll act the character naturally, you know, and no
one will know that you are a real telegraph boy.”
“I should like very much to come, if I can come in my uniform.”
“That’s just what I want. Mind, then, Wednesday evening, at eight
o’clock. What is the number of your office?”
“No. ---- Broadway.”
“I will send you a regular card of invitation. Then you will be treated
just like the rest.”
She was about to turn away when a thought struck her.
“O, I forgot to introduce you to my cousin, Mark Sterling. Mark, this
is Paul Parton, the boy who drove off the burglar when papa was gone to
Washington. You’ve heard me speak of him?”
“O, yes, I’ve heard of him,” said Mark, coldly. “He behaved in a very
creditable way--for a telegraph boy,” he continued, in a patronizing
tone.
“Or for any other boy!” rejoined Jennie, quickly. “Really, I look upon
Paul quite as a hero.”
“I am afraid I am not entitled to such high praise,” said Paul,
modestly.
“You must make allowances for my Cousin Jennie,” said Mark. “She is a
girl, and girls are all apt to gush.”
“This particular girl isn’t, Mark,” said his cousin, indignantly. “Have
you ever seen the burglar since, Paul?”
“Yes.”
“O, tell me where.”
“On Broadway.”
“Why didn’t you have him arrested?”
“There was no policeman at hand. Besides, I told him that night that if
he would go peaceably I would not molest him.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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