purpose has been to make THE BOY BROKER interesting I have aimed to give a true idea of life in a great city. So much nonsense of a misleading character has been written about benevolent old gentlemen who help poor boys from the country that I have sought to turn the light of fact on the subject and picture a little real life--about such life as a boy may expect to find if he comes to New York friendless and alone. He might find it much worse; he could not wisely hope to find it better. FRANK A. MUNSEY. NEW YORK, _September, 1888_. CONTENTS PAGE I An Introduction to the Great City 11 II An Effort to Obtain Employment 20 III An Evening with Bob Hunter 26 IV At Mr. Goldwin's Office 34 V The Contest Between Herbert and Felix 41 VI A Ray of Sunshine 50 VII Bob Hunter Thoroughly Aroused 57 VIII Felix Mortimer at the Bank 65 IX Bob Assumes a Disguise 75 X Something About Herbert Randolph 83 XI Imprisoned at the Fence 87 XII Bob's Brilliant Move 94 XIII A Terrible Fear 102 XIV Bob Outwits the Old Fence 108 XV Bob and Herbert Meet 113 XVI The Old Fence in a Trap 120 XVII Bob Goes for an Officer 126 XVIII Tom Flannery is Hungry 133 XIX The Rivals at the Bank 138 XX Felix Mortimer Discomfited 142 XXI Two Young Capitalists 154 XXII The Great Banquet 161 XXIII Bob Hunter's Ambition 178 XXIV A Visit to the Banker's House 182 XXV Tom Flannery's Sickness 191 XXVI A Crash in Wall Street 196 XXVII Dark Days 201 XXVIII In Business for Himself 210 XXIX Tom Flannery's Funeral 218 XXX In a New Home 224 XXXI The Boy Broker 228 XXXII The Conspirators' Fate 233 XXXIII A Glimpse at the Future 236 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. _Herbert Randolph emerges from the cellar in which he has been kept a prisoner_, _Frontispiece_. _The Great City_, _Page_ 10 _"You evidently know all about propriety, so here is my hand," said Herbert_, " 13 _Herbert Randolph in the Post Office_, " 17 _Memories of country life--The greeting by the way_, " 23 _The benevolent old gentleman presses money on the country boy_, " 27 _The country boy finds a well filled pocket book_, " 29