All these thoughts were flying through his mind when his mother came in. “Oh, Archie,” she exclaimed, “I’ve been so worried about you. I’ve just been over to Mrs. Sullivan’s to see if Dannie had come home, and whether he had seen you. Wherever have you been?”
“We didn’t think it would take so long to walk home,” said Archie, jumping up from the sofa, “but we were awfully tired, and we didn’t come very fast. I’m so sorry you were worried.
“And I’m as hungry as a bear, mother. Can’t you find me something to eat?”
“Yes, dear,” said Mrs. Dunn, softly, “and when you’ve finished your supper I have something for you. I won’t give it to you now for fear you won’t be able to eat, but as soon as you have finished your meal, you shall have it.”
So Archie was obliged to eat his baked beans and brown bread and drink his milk without knowing what was in store for him, and he hurried as fast as he could, so that he could learn. When he had finished he went into the sitting-room, and found his mother sitting with a letter spread open upon her lap. “Uncle Henry has written me asking if you cannot go with him to New York on Monday, for a couple of days. He is obliged to go down there on business, and says he will be glad to take you along and show you something of the wonderful city, for he knows you won’t be any trouble to him. Now I hardly know what to say, Archie. If I can feel that you are behaving yourself properly, and are doing your best to be as little trouble as possible, I am willing that you shall go.”
“Oh, mother,” cried Archie, “I’ll promise anything. Only let me go this once, and I’ll promise to stay at home all the rest of the summer.”
“All right, then,” said Mrs. Dunn. “You shall go on the first train Monday morning, and Uncle Henry will join you at Heddens Corner. Run along to bed now.”
Archie went up-stairs almost dumb with delight Was it really true that he was to see the great city at last? He had heard some of the boys at school telling what their fathers saw there, but he had never even hoped that he would see it for himself so soon. Of course he had determined to see it all some day, but that was to be far in the future. The lad could hardly sleep for the joy of it all, and when he did finally lose consciousness, it was only to dream of streets of gold, and great buildings reaching to the skies.
Sunday passed slowly by. At Sunday school, Archie told the boys that he was going to New York on the morrow, and from that moment he was the hero of the class. The boys looked at him with wondering admiration, and seemed scarcely able to realise that one of their number was to go so far from home. The city was in reality little more than a hundred miles, but to their boyish minds this distance seemed wonderfully great.
Early on Monday morning Archie was at the depot waiting for the train. His mother was there to see him off, and there were tears in her eyes at the thought of parting with her only child, if only for a day or two. And Archie was radiant with delight at the glorious prospect ahead of him. He walked nervously up and down the platform, and wished frequently that it were not so early in the morning, so that some of the boys might be there to see him off. Finally, the great hissing locomotive drew up, with its long train of coaches, and Archie was soon aboard, hurrying off to Heddens Corner and the city. In a few minutes Uncle Henry was with him, a tall, fine-looking man, with an air of business. Uncle Henry kept the general store at the Corner, and was an important person in the neighbourhood. He was of some importance in the city, too, for his name was known in politics, and his custom was always desired at the wholesale stores. So Archie was going to see the city under good auspices, if his uncle would only have time to take him about with him.