"I think I could get work at this if I only had a shovel," Ned thought as he put the finishing touches on his task. "Maybe the clerk would lend me this one." He made the request when he went in to get his pay. "I'll leave the fifteen cents with you as security for the shovel," he said, when he had made his request. "That's a hot one; fifteen cents security on a dollar and a half shovel," the clerk replied with a laugh. "Still, you look honest, though I had my doubts at first," he added. "Go ahead, take the shovel. Never mind about leaving the money. You'll need it to get dinner with. Bring the shovel back to-night." Thus was Ned started in business. He got several jobs at cleaning sidewalks, and at noon had earned two dollars. He went back to the restaurant, returned the shovel and got dinner. The cashier he had dealt with had gone, but the one who had relieved him knew about the transaction. When Ned had finished his fifteen cent dinner, for that was all he allowed himself, the waitress brought him a big piece of pie. "I didn't order that," he said, though he looked at it longingly. "The cashier says it's his treat," the girl replied with a smile, and Ned had no further compunctions about eating it. "I told the other fellow you wouldn't bring the shovel back," the cashier remarked as Ned paid his check. "How do you mean?" asked Ned. "Why the clerk, who was on duty here when you ate breakfast, said he thought you would, and I said I didn't believe you would show up again. I said if you did I'd give you some pie. See?" "Oh," Ned answered with a laugh, "much obliged." That afternoon he bought a second-hand shovel and went about looking for more walks to clean. By night he had earned a dollar additional, which gave him considerable more capital than he had possessed since the episode at the hotel. "I'll get a room at the lodging house to-night," he said as he finished a simple supper. "I don't like those beds all in a heap." It was still snowing the next day, and though Ned found the field pretty well covered by scores of other men and boys, he managed to earn two dollars, which made him feel quite like a capitalist, as he shut the door of his lodging-house room that night. * * * * * The three chums, who wanted to find John Newton had no trouble. They met him coming from the rear of the theater, as he had done his "turn," and was not to go on again for three hours. The "Bird Warbler" was as much surprised to see his former acquaintances from Darewell as they were to find him engaged at a theater. "I'm studying to be an actor," John said, "but it's dull times now and I took this job. It pays pretty well." "I never knew you could whistle good enough for this work," said Fenn. "It comes natural I guess," replied John. "But what are you chaps doing in New York?" They told him, and Bart suggested that perhaps John might happen to see Ned.