"Ben writes me that he is there." "Will you let me see the letter?" "No, I won't." "That convinces me that it's all a humbug." "You think the letter a hoax?" "Yes, I do." "What reason have you for thinking so?" "I decline to state." "Who do you think wrote it?" "How should I know?" "As you know so much, I don't mind telling you that you are right. The letter was a hoax." Sam laughed heartily. "I thought so," he said. "And I know who wrote it." Sam didn't laugh now. "Who?" he asked uncomfortably. "You did it." "What do you mean?" blustered Sam. "Exactly what I say. Otherwise you would have had no reason to suspect the genuineness of it." "Does Ben Bradford charge me with it? Just wait till I see him." "That will be some time unless you go to Boston. Jones & Porter happened to have a vacancy, and Ben stepped into it. Your letter got him a place." "I don't believe it," said Sam faintly. "It's true, and it's lucky for you. If Ben had been obliged to come home he would have given you the worst licking you ever had." Chapter XXVI Ben Finds a Boarding-Place Henry Porter had a fine suite of rooms in the Back Bay District of Boston. Ben spent the night with him. "You've got a nice home," said our hero. "Yes," said the bookkeeper. "My rooms alone cost me fifteen dollars a week." "Without board?" ejaculated Ben. "Yes," said the young man, smiling. "Why, that is almost eight hundred dollars a year." "Quite correct. I see you think me extravagant." "I was wondering how you could afford it." "Your surprise is natural. If I only depended on my salary, I certainly should not hire such expensive apartments. But a good aunt left me twenty thousand dollars, two years since, and this being well invested yields me about fourteen hundred dollars a year." "I wonder you don't go into business." "I have thought of it, but doubt whether I should manage a business of my own judiciously. If not, I should run the risk of losing all my money. I like keeping books for my uncle, and he pays me a good salary. With this and the income from my property I can live as well as I wish without incurring any risk at all." "I don't know but that is best," said Ben. "Now let me speak of your own plans, Ben. Your income is six dollars a week." "Yes, sir." "You must regulate your expenses accordingly." "I want to do so, Mr. Porter. How much board shall I have to pay?" asked Ben anxiously. "I cannot tell without inquiring. There is a boarding-house on Warren Avenue, kept by a worthy lady of my acquaintance. How much do you fell able to pay?" "I should like to have enough over to buy my clothes." "We will see if we can manage it Get your hat and we will go to the boarding-house now." It was a three-story brick house, such as is common in Boston. It was unusually neat for a boarding-house of medium grade, Mrs. Draper being an excellent housekeeper, with a horror of dirt.