Dan The Newsboy 29

Dan The Newsboy 29

"You have made me rich, Mr. Rogers," said Dan, gratefully.

 

"It is a little better than selling papers in front of the Astor House,

isn't it, Dan?"

 

"A good deal, sir."

 

"I hope you will continue to prosper. Now, Dan, let me give you two

pieces of advice."

 

"I wish you would, sir."

 

"First, put this money in a good savings-bank, and don't draw upon it

unless you are obliged to. Let it be a nest-egg."

 

"I mean to do that, sir."

 

"And next, spend a part of your earnings in improving your education.

You have already had unusual advantages for a boy of your age, but you

should still be learning. It may help you, in a business point of view,

to understand book-keeping."

 

"I will learn it, sir."

 

Dan not only did this, but resumed the study of both French and German,

of which he had some elementary knowledge, and advanced rapidly in all.

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER XXVI.

 

DAN LEARNS TO DANCE.

 

 

Several months passed without any incidents worth recording.

 

Punctually every month Dan received a remittance of sixty dollars

through a foreign banker, whose office was near Wall street.

 

Of this sum it may be remembered that ten dollars were to be

appropriated to Althea's dress.

 

Of the little girl it may be said she was very happy in her new home.

She formed a strong attachment for Mrs. Mordaunt, whom she called mamma,

while she always looked forward with delight to Dan's return at night.

 

Mrs. Mordaunt was very happy in the child's companionship, and found the

task of teaching her very congenial.

 

But for the little girl she would have had many lonely hours, since Dan

was absent all day on business.

 

"I don't know what I shall do, Althea, when you go to school," she said

one day.

 

"I don't want to go to school. Let me stay at home with you, mamma."

 

"For the present I can teach you, my dear, but the time will come when

for your own good it will be better to go to school. I cannot teach you

as well as the teachers you will find there."

 

"You know ever so much, mamma. Don't you know everything?"

 

Mrs. Mordaunt smiled.

 

"Compared with you, my dear, I seem to know a great deal, but there are

others who know much more."

 

Althea was too young as yet, however, to attend school, and the happy

home life continued.

 

Mrs. Mordaunt and Dan often wondered how long their mysterious ward was

to remain with them. Had she a mother living? If so, how could that

mother voluntarily forego her child's society?

 

These were questions they sometimes asked themselves, but no answer

suggested itself. They were content to have them remain unanswered, so

long as Althea might remain with them.

 

The increase of Dan's income, and the large sum he had on interest,

would have enabled them to live comfortably even without the provision

made for their young ward.

 

As it was they could do better. Dan felt himself justified in indulging

in a little extravagance.

 

"Mother," said he, one evening, "I am thinking of taking a course of

lessons in dancing."

 

"What has put that into your head, Dan?"

 

"Julia Rogers is to have a birthday party in two or three months, and I

think from a hint her father dropped to-day I shall have an invitation.

I shall feel awkward if I don't know how to dance. Besides----"

 

Here Dan hesitated.

 

"Well, Dan, what besides?"

 

"Tom Carver will be sure to be there, and if I don't dance, or if I am

awkward, he will be sure to sneer at me."

 

"Will that make you feel bad, Dan?"

 

"Not exactly, but I don't want to appear at disadvantage when he is

around. If I have been a newsboy, I want to show that I can take the

part of gentleman as well as he."

 

"Does the ability to dance make a gentleman, Dan?"

 

"No, mother, but I should feel awkward without it. I don't want to be a

wall-flower. What do you say to my plan, mother?"

 

"Carry it out by all means, Dan. There is no reason why you shouldn't

hold up your head with any of them," and Mrs. Mordaunt's eyes rested

with pride on the handsome face and manly __EXPRESSION__ of her son.

 

"You are a little prejudiced in my favor, mother," said Dan, smiling.

"If I were as awkward as a cat in a strange garret, you wouldn't see

it."

 

"I am not quite blind, Dan."

 

Dan accordingly decided to take lessons in dancing. He selected a

fashionable teacher, although the price was high, for he thought it

might secure him desirable acquaintances, purchased a handsome suit of

clothes, and soon became very much interested in the lessons. He had a

quick ear, a good figure, and a natural grace of movement, which soon

made him noticeable in the class, and he was quite in demand among the

young ladies as a partner.

 

He was no less a favorite socially, being agreeable as well as

good-looking.

 

"Mr. Mordaunt," said the professor, "I wish all my scholars did me as

much credit as you do. You dance beautifully."

 

"Thank you, sir," said Dan, modestly, but he felt gratified.

 

By the time the invitation came Dan had no fears as to acquitting

himself creditably.

 

"I hope Tom Carver will be there," he said to his mother, as he was

dressing for the party.

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER XXVII.

 

IN THE DRESSING-ROOM.

 

 

Mr. Rogers lived in a handsome brown-stone-front house up town.

 

As Dan approached, he saw the entire house brilliantly lighted. He

passed beneath a canopy, over carpeted steps, to the front door, and

rang the bell.

 

The door was opened by a stylish-looking colored man, whose grand air

showed that he felt the importance and dignity of his position.

 

As Dan passed in he said:

 

"Gentlemen's dressing-room third floor back."

 

With a single glance through the open door at the lighted parlors, where

several guests were already assembled, Dan followed directions, and went

up stairs.

 

Entering the dressing-room, he saw a boy carefully arranging his hair

before the glass.

 

"That's my friend, Tom Carver," said Dan to himself.

 

Tom was so busily engaged at his toilet that he didn't at once look at

the new guest. When he had leisure to look up, he seemed surprised, and

remarked, superciliously:

 

"I didn't expect to see _you_ here."

 

"Why not?" demanded Dan, who understood his meaning.

 

"Are you engaged to look after this room? If so, just brush me."

 

"With all my heart, if you'll brush me," answered Dan, partly offended

and partly amused.

 

"What do you mean?" demanded Tom, haughtily.

 

"Just what I say. One good turn deserves another."

 

"Our positions are rather different, I think."

 

"How so? You are a guest of Miss Rogers, and so am I."

 

"You don't mean to say that you are going down into the parlor?"

 

"Why not?"