The elderly man shrugged his shoulders. "Guess you had better look elsewhere then." "Couldn't you pay me a little more? I am willing to work hard." "Well, we might give you three dollars a week after the first month, but that is our limit for an errand boy." "I can't take it," answered Nat. "I've got to earn more," and after a little additional talking he left the seed store. He had a lunch in a bit of newspaper, and as it was nearly one o'clock, he sat down on a box on the sidewalk and ate it, washing it down with a drink of water from a cooler in a railroad ticket office. Then he went on his way once more, but at sundown had to give it up. He was so tired, and his feet were so sore from the pavements, that he could scarcely walk to his boarding house. "I trust you found something," said Mrs. Talcott, as he entered. "No," he answered, soberly. "I could have had one position, but it only paid two dollars and a half a week, so I didn't take it." "I am sorry." "I shall go out to-morrow again. I am bound to strike something sooner or later." Being tremendously hungry Nat ate the supper provided with a relish. There were two other boarders--girls who worked in a large department store--and they were quite interested in him. "You might get work at our place," said one of the girls. "They advertised to-day for wrappers." "Yes, but they want experienced wrappers," said the other girl. "I'll try them, anyway," said Nat. "And I am much obliged to you for telling me about it," he added. On the following morning he was up as before and got the list from the papers again. Fortune was now with him, and at noon he found a position in a wholesale paper house. One of the clerks was going to visit some relatives down south, and Nat was hired to fill his place, at seven dollars per week. "You've struck luck!" cried Dick Talcott, on hearing the news. "I hope the job lasts." "So do I," answered Nat. "But even if it doesn't, it is better than nothing." Nat went to work the next day. He found his duties rather simple and wondered how the firm could afford to pay him seven dollars for the little he was called on to do. Everybody treated him nicely, and he considered himself lucky to have made the connection with the firm. CHAPTER X OUT OF WORK ONCE MORE During the time that he worked in the wholesale paper establishment Nat wrote a long letter to Sam Price, telling his friend of his adventures since leaving home, and asking for news from the farm. A few days later an answer came back, which ran as follows: "I got your letter and found it very interesting. I hope you make your fortune in the city. It's certainly a fine place to go to, and maybe I'll try it myself some day. Country life is awful slow, and work is mighty hard. I have been hoeing corn to-day till my back aches ready to fall apart.