He did not offer to treat his companion to pie, for he realized that his stock of money was not inexhaustible. This did not appear to be expected, however, and the two parted on very good terms, when the dinner was over. CHAPTER XII. CLARENCE BROWN. Sam continued to walk about in the neighborhood of the City Hall Park, first in one direction, then in another; but at last he became fatigued. It had been an unusually exciting day, and he had taken more exercise than usual, though he had not worked; for his morning walk, added to his rambles about the city streets, probably amounted to not less than twelve miles. Then, too, Sam began to realize what older and more extensive travellers know well, that nothing is more wearisome than sight-seeing. So the problem forced itself upon his attention--where was he to sleep? The bed he slept in the night before was more than a hundred miles away. It struck Sam as strange, for we must remember how inexperienced he was, that he must pay for the use of a bed. How much, he had no idea, but felt that it was time to make some inquiries. [Illustration of Sam speaking with the room-clerk,] He went into a hotel on the European system, and asked a man who was standing at the cigar stand, "What do you charge for sleeping here?" "Ask of that man at the desk," said the cigar-vender. Sam followed directions, and, approaching the room-clerk, preferred the same inquiry. "One dollar," was the answer. "One dollar, just for sleeping?" inquired Sam, in surprise, for in his native village he knew that the school-teacher got boarded for three dollars a week, board and lodging complete for seven days. "Those are our terms," said the clerk. "I don't care about a nice room," said Sam, hoping to secure a reduction. "We charge more for our nice rooms," said the clerk. "Aint there any cheaper hotels?" asked our hero, rather dismayed at his sudden discovery of the great cost of living in New York. "I suppose so," said the clerk, carelessly; but he did not volunteer any information as to their whereabouts. Sam walked slowly out of the hotel, quite uncertain where to go, or what to do. He had money enough to pay for a night's lodging, even at this high price, but he judged wisely that he could not afford to spend so large a part of his small stock of money. "I wonder where the boys sleep that black boots," he thought. "They can't pay a dollar a night for sleeping." He looked around for the boy who had guided him to a restaurant, but could not find him. It was now eight o'clock, and he begun to think he should have to go back to the hotel after all, when a shabby-looking man, with watery eyes and a red nose, accosted him. "Are you a stranger in the city, my young friend?" he asked. "Yes," said Sam, rather relieved at the opportunity of speaking to somebody. "So I thought. Where are you boarding?" "Nowhere," said Sam. "Where do you sleep to-night?" "I don't know," said Sam, rather helplessly.