CHAPTER XXVI. PIPKIN'S DINING-ROOMS. Sunday is a dull day with the street-boys, whatever their business may be. The boot-blacks lose least, but if the day be unpropitious their earnings are small. On such a day the Newsboys Lodge is a great resource. It supplies all that a boy actually needs--lodging and two meals--for the small sum of eighteen cents, and in cases of need will trust boys to that amount. Sam naturally had recourse to this hold on finding himself out of a situation. He had enough to pay his expenses, and did not feel compelled to go to work till Monday. Monday morning, however, the reduced state of his finances compelled him to look for employment. If he had had a little capital he might have set up as a newsboy or boot-black, but five cents can hardly be considered sufficient capital for either of these lines of business. Credit is the next best thing to capital, but Sam had no credit. He found that out, after an ineffectual attempt to borrow money of a boot-black, who, having ten dollars in a savings-bank, was regarded in his own class with high respect as a wealthy capitalist. The name of this exceptional young man was William Clark, better known among the boys as Ready Money Bill. When twelve o'clock came, and Sam had earned nothing, he bethought himself of Bill, the capitalist. "Bill," he said, "I want to borrer a dollar." "You do!" said Bill, sharply. "What for?" "To set me up in business." "What business?" "Evenin' papers." "Haven't you got no stamps?" "No." "What have you been doin'?" "I've been in an office." "Why didn't you stay?" "The boss thought he wouldn't need me no longer." "I see," said Bill, nodding. "You got sacked." "Not exactly." "Same thing." "Will you lend me the money?" "I'd never get it back ag'in." "Yes, you would." "I dunno about that. Where'd you get money to pay me back?" "The boss owes me two dollars." "Why don't he pay you?" "One of my friends cheated him out of it, and he won't pay me till it's paid back." "May be he won't pay it back." "Yes, he will. Will you lend me the money?" "No, I won't. You'd ought to have saved money like I have." "I'd have had two dollars, if Jim hadn't stolen money." "That aint my fault. I aint goin' to lose my money for you. You can save like I do." Bill was right, no doubt. He was a bee, and Sam was a drone, and the drones are always ready to avail themselves of the accumulations of their more industrious brothers. Sam began to feel hungry. However irregular he might be in other ways, his appetite was surprisingly regular. He paused in front of a restaurant, and looked wistfully in at the windows. "I wish I was a waiter," he thought. "They have all they want to eat every day." It will be seen that Sam's ambition was not a lofty one. But then he was practical enough to see that three square meals a day are more to be desired than empty fame.