ben was looking with interest at a row of new books when he was summoned into the private office.

"my young friend," said mr. porter, senior, "we are not responsible for the letter that brought you here."

"no, sir," said ben. "i am sorry to have troubled you. i'll go home this afternoon."

he looked sober enough, poor ben, for it would not be pleasant facing his aunt and friends in milltown, and explaining matters. even the "licking" which he determined to give sam archer, if he should prove the author of the decoy letter, would be a poor satisfaction.

"you may as well stay," said mr. porter. "my nephew thinks we can find a place for you in the store."

"will you really take me?" asked ben.

"we will try you. my nephew thinks you will suit us."

"thank you, sir," said ben warmly.

"your friend, who wrote the letter, will be rather disappointed, eh?" said young porter, smiling.

"yes," said ben, who could smile now. "i should like to see him when he learns that his malicious letter has procured me a situation.

"what do we pay you robinson?"

"six dollars a week."

"then benjamin shall have the same. he has no knowledge of the business, to be sure——"

"i will have soon," said ben confidently.

"that's right, my lad. make yourself useful to us, and you won't have cause to regret it."

he was set to work dusting books, and young porter went to his own desk; he was chief bookkeeper.

"when the store closes," he said, "come to me. i shall take you to my room to-night."

in the evening, at his friend's room, ben wrote the following letter to his friend, james watson:

"boston, july 18, 19—.

"dear james: though i have been only a few hours in boston i have a good deal to tell you. you remember my showing you the letter from jones & porter, which induced me to come to the city. well, it was a hoax. it didn't come from the firm at all. somebody wanted to play a trick on me, and wrote it. i have no doubt sam archer was at the bottom of it. you know what a mean fellow he is, and that he would like nothing better than to injure me. but i am glad to say that he has not succeeded. by great good luck i got acquainted with mr. porter's nephew on board the train. i showed him the letter, which he pronounced probably a forgery. but he took me to the store—he is head bookkeeper—and introduced me to his uncle. it seems that there will be a vacancy at the beginning of next month, and as i was on the ground, they engaged me. so sam's mean trick has been the means of obtaining me a position. he will be provoked enough when he hears it. now i will tell you what i want you to do. don't say a word about the letter being a hoax. merely tell the boys that i have got the place i expected. if sam wrote the letter he will certainly betray himself. keep mum, and lead him on. then let me know what you find out. i will write again soon.

"your affectionate friend, "ben bradford."

"it's a mean trick, and just like sam," ejaculated james when he read ben's letter. "i'll follow ben's instructions. sam will be coming round making inquiries pretty soon. i'll manage him."

james was right in his supposition. sam eagerly awaited the upshot of his trick. he concluded that ben would come back monday night depressed and humiliated, and he was on the street near ben's house when the afternoon train got in, ready to feast his eyes on his rival's unhappiness. but he waited in vain.

the next morning, about ten o'clock, he met james watson on the street. james had received the letter from ben the evening previous.

"how are you, james?" said sam.

"i'm all right," said james rather coolly.

"have you heard from ben bradford?"

"i heard last night."

"what does he say?' asked sam eagerly.

"he hadn't been in his situation long enough to tell how he should like it," answered james.

"is he in a situation?" demanded sam in surprise.

"what do you think he went to boston for?"

"where is he working?" asked sam incredulously.

"he is with jones & porter, of course. didn't you know they sent for him?"

"ha! ha!" laughed sam.

"i am on the track," thought james.

"i don't know what you mean," said he quietly. "jones & porter sent for ben, and he is in their employ."

"i'll bet you a dollar ben bradford will be back here within a week," said sam, in a ton of great confidence. "i don't believe jones & porter ever wrote him a letter."

"i saw the letter."

"suppose you did; it might have been a hoax."

"then whoever wrote it did ben a good turn, for he has got a place at jones & porter's."

"i don't believe it," said sam uneasily.

"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."