He felt queer as he settled back in his seat which he occupied alone. What would the outcome of his trip be? Would he succeed or fail?
The run to Jersey City was an uneventful one. Oliver had taken it a great number of times, so it was no novelty, and he occupied the time in studying a guide-book he had purchased at the news-stand. When they arrived at the ferry he followed the stream of people on to the boat, and off again at the other side.
“New York!” he thought to himself as he passed up Liberty Street. “Now to sell or pawn the watch and the pin, and then I will go to the steamship ticket-office and engage a berth.”
Before leaving home, the boy had cut from the metropolitan paper Mr. Bright was in the habit of taking the names and addresses of several pawnbrokers, and toward one of these Oliver now bent his steps.
He much preferred pawning the articles to selling them, as both the watch and the diamond scarf-pin were gifts from his father, and he wanted the chance to recover them.
Entering the establishment, he drew out the gold watch, and passing it over to the clerk, asked how much would be allowed upon it.
“Your own?” was the first question.
“Yes, sir; a birthday gift.”
The clerk sent the watch to the back part of the store for examination.
“Fifty dollars,” he said upon his return.