He passed in and looked about him rather doubtfully. The counters, which were numerous, were filled high with ready-made garments. Ben saw no one as small as himself, and that led him to doubt whether his size might not be an objection. "Well, sonny, what do you want?" asked a clerk. "Don't you want to hire a boy?" asked our young adventurer, plunging into his business. "I suppose you have had considerable experience in the business?" said the clerk inclined to banter him a little. "No, I haven't," said Ben, frankly. "Indeed, I judged from your looks that you were a man of experience." "If you don't want to hire me, I'll go," said Ben, independently. "Well, young man, I'm afraid you'll have to go. The fact is, we should have to _higher_ you before we could _hire_ you;" and the clerk laughed at his witticism. Ben naturally saw nothing to laugh at, but felt rather indignant. He stepped into the street, a little depressed at the result of his first application. But then, as he reflected, there were a great many other stores besides this, and he might have better luck next time. He walked on some distance, however, before trying again. Indeed, he had got above Bleecker Street, when his attention was arrested by a paper pasted inside of a shop-window, bearing the inscription:-- "CASH-BOYS WANTED." Ben did not clearly understand what were the duties of a cash-boy, though he supposed they must have something to do with receiving money. Looking in through the glass door he saw boys as small as himself flitting about, and this gave him courage to enter and make an application for a place. He entered, therefore, and walked up boldly to the first clerk he saw. "Do you want a cash-boy?" he asked. "Go up to that desk, Johnny," said the clerk, pointing to a desk about midway of the store. A stout gentleman stood behind it, writing something in a large book. Ben went up, and repeated his inquiry. "Do you want a cash-boy?" "How old are you?" asked the gentleman looking down at him. "Ten years old." "Have you ever been in a store?" "No, sir." "Do you live in the city?" "Yes, sir." "With your parents?" "No, sir," said Ben, with hesitation. "Who do you live with, then?" "With nobody. I take care of myself." "Humph!" The gentleman looked a little surprised, not at the idea of a boy of ten looking out for himself, for such cases are common enough in New York, but at the idea of such a well-dressed lad as Ben being in that situation. "How long have you been your own man?" he inquired. "I've only just begun," Ben admitted. "Are your parents dead?" "No, sir; they're alive." "Then I advise you to go back to them. We don't receive any boys into our employment, who do not live with their parents."