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
“No, sir; I never heard it before.”
“She has evidently heard of you. It is now ten o’clock. At half past
ten you may start for the Windsor Hotel. If you arrive there before
eleven, you may wait till the hour, and then report at the room
indicated.”
“Yes, sir.”
Paul arrived at the Windsor Hotel at ten minutes before the hour. This
magnificent hostelry is situated on Fifth Avenue, and occupies the
entire block between Forty Sixth and Forty Seventh Streets. It is built
of brick, and has an air of quiet elegance which makes it a favorite
with ladies and others who like to be spared the noise and bustle which
attend other prominent hotels in the city. On the corner just above
stands the luxurious home of Jay Gould, the railroad king. A few blocks
above is the great Catholic Cathedral, destined one day to rank among
the famous churches of the world. Still further up, on the opposite
side, are the stately houses occupied by the Vanderbilt family. These
things, however, did not occur to Paul, for he was too familiar with
the leading buildings on the avenue to give them a special thought,
further than to reflect, “The men who occupy these fine houses were
once poor boys--many of them. I wonder whether it will ever be my
fortune to live as handsomely!”
It was only a thought, not seriously entertained. Paul wanted to rise,
but an active, healthy boy seldom thinks of luxury, or craves it. That
comes later, after he has attained manhood.
Paul entered the hotel, and, going up to the office, expressed a wish
to see Mrs. Louisa Holbrook.
“Were you sent for?” asked the clerk.
“Yes, sir.”
“Then you may go up at once. Here”--to a bell boy--“show this boy up to
No. 75, Mrs. Holbrook’s room.”
Though the room was only on the second floor, Paul followed the bell
boy into the elevator. At the second landing he got out, and followed
the hotel attendant to the door of a room fronting on the avenue. The
bell boy knocked, and a voice said, “Come in!”
“It is a telegraph boy, ma’am,” said the servant.
“He may come in, and you can go.”
Paul entered the room--a large and handsome one--and found himself in
presence of a lady not much over thirty years of age, with a pleasant
face and manner.
“You are Number 91?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I suppose you are surprised that I should have sent specially for
you,” the lady said, with a smile.
“I wondered how you came to hear of me,” said Paul.
“That is easily explained. I am a cousin of Mr. Cunningham.”
Paul’s face brightened. It was pleasant to serve any one connected with
a family from which he had received so much kindness.
“That explains it,” he said; “all the family have treated me very
kindly.”
“I assure you that you stand very high in their estimation,” said
Mrs. Holbrook, smiling once more. “My young cousin Jennie was here
yesterday, and on learning the nature of my business urged me to send
for you.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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