presently a young man, rather showily dressed, sat down beside ben. he glanced sharply at our hero, but did not immediately address him. finally he said: "fine day, my young friend."
"yes, sir, very fine," returned ben politely.
"i suppose you live in the city?"
"no, sir, i am here only on a visit," said ben, rather flattered by the supposition.
"i don't look so green, after all," he thought.
"so am i," said the other, "i live in philadelphia."
"i am from the country," said ben.
"indeed! you have lived in the city some time, have you not?"
"no, sir."
"i am surprised to hear it. you have the appearance of a city boy."
ben was not inaccessible to flattery. it was not surprising that he regarded the young man from philadelphia with favor.
"have you dined?" inquired the stranger.
"not yet," said ben. "i don't know where to find a restaurant."
"say no more about it, my young friend. i shall be glad to have you dine with me. i know a good place, quite near by."
"you are very kind," said ben, "considering that i am a stranger."
"i have a young cousin who resembles you very closely. i suppose that is why i cannot regard you as a stranger. by the way, what is your name?"
"ben bradford."
"singular coincidence! my cousin is named benjamin. my name is john smithson. well, ben, if you will allow me the familiarity, suppose we go to dinner."
"thank you, mr. smithson."
ben followed his new acquaintance to a moderately-priced restaurant in fulton street. it was the first time he had ever been to an eating-house, and looked with interest at the numerous tables.
smithson and he took seats at a small table opposite each other, and the former began to inspect the bill of fare.
"i hope you have a good appetite, my young friend," he said, "so that you may do justice to my hospitality."
"city people seem to be very kind," thought ben. "no one in milltown would pay me such attention."
finally he made his selection, and so did smithson.
at the end of half-an-hour the dinner was concluded.
smithson looked at the checks.
"sixty cents and seventy-five cents," he said; "that makes a dollar and thirty-five cents."
"yes, sir."
"i have go to step out a minute," said smithson. "oblige me by paying at the desk out of this bill."
as he spoke he handed ben a five-dollar bill.
"but," said ben, "there will be nearly four dollars left."
"meet me an hour hence at the place where we were seated, and hand me the balance of the money."
"but," said ben, "i might miss you. haven't you better pay yourself, as you go out?"
"i am in a great hurry, to meet an engagement," said smithson.
"suppose i shouldn't meet you. suppose i should keep the money."
"no fear. you look honest. well, meet me in an hour;" and he hurried out of the restaurant, saying, with a nod to the cashier: "the boy will pay."
here was another compliment, ben thought. a perfect stranger had trusted him with three dollars and sixty-five cents, which he might readily make off with.
"i am glad i look honest," thought ben. "i seem to be treated very well."
two minutes later he went up to the cashier's desk, and, laying down the two checks, extended the five-dollar bill. the cashier was about to make change when his attention seemed to be drawn to the bill. he held it up, and scrutinized it very closely, considerably to ben's surprise.
"young man," said he suspiciously, "where did you get this bill?"
"from the man that came in with me," answered ben.
"are you aware that this is a bad bill?" asked the cashier sharply.
"a bad bill?" exclaimed ben, in genuine surprise. "no, i had no idea of it."
"who is this man who gave it to you? do you know him?"
"he said his name was smithson, from philadelphia. i never saw him before this morning."
"what were you to do with the change i gave you back? did he tell you to keep it?"
"no, sir. i was to meet him in the park in an hour and give it to him."
"he has been making a catspaw of you."
"i don't understand," said ben.
"knowing the bill to be bad, he did not venture to offer it himself, as it would make him liable to arrest."
"arrest!" exclaimed ben, in dismay.
"yes. one who knowingly offers a counterfeit bill is liable to arrest and imprisonment."
"i hope you don't think i knew anything about it," said ben alarmed.
"no; you look too honest to be a confederate of a scoundrel."
"he ought to be ashamed of himself to impose upon me," said ben indignantly. "what shall i do?"
"have you any other money?"
ben produced a two-dollar bill.
"i will take pay out of this for your share of the dinner, and with your help i propose to arrest your companion."
the cashier briefly explained his plan. a policeman was summoned, and ben was instructed to meet smithson at the time appointed, and tender him the change.
he did so.
smithson looked up eagerly as ben approached.
"have you got the change?" he asked.
"yes," said ben.
"give it to me."
ben drew fro his vest-pocket three dollars and sixty-five cents, with which he had been provided, and tendered them to the young man, who eagerly took them.
"much obliged," said smithson, looking elated at the supposed success of his plan.
just then, a quiet-looking man, a detective in citizen's clothes, stepped up and laid his hand on the swindler's arm.
"mr. smithson, i want you."
"what for?" inquired smithson, turning pale.
"for passing a counterfeit bill."
"i have passed no counterfeit," faltered smithson.
"you employed this boy to do it for you."
"there's some mistake," said smithson stammering. "you can't prove anything."
"with this boy's help we can. don't trouble yourself to invent excuses. you have been suspected for some time."
"the boy lies," said smithson fiercely.
"if he does it will be found out. come along with me."
much against his will, smithson walked arm-in-arm with the detective. ben was notified to be in attendance at court the next morning, at ten o'clock, to testify against his new friend.
"i am more of a greenhorn than i thought," ben said to himself. "who would have thought such a polite young man was a counterfeiter!"
about four o'clock ben went up-town to mr. manning's boarding-house, and remained there till the merchant arrived.
