He took from his own pocket-book fifteen dollars in bills and handed them to Ben.
"I wonder if I am dreaming," thought our hero. "This may be like the fairy gold I have read of."
As a matter of fact, however, they were bank-notes on the Park Bank of New York, and Ben soon had occasion to test their genuineness.
"We will go down to lunch now," said Richard Grafton, for that was the name of the gentleman, as Ben discovered.
Ben entered the large dining-room and took a seat next his employer. Though new to hotel life he copied what he saw other guests do, and no one suspected that the handsomely-dressed boy had not all his life been used to luxury.
When the meal was over, Mr. Grafton said:
"You can go where you please this afternoon, but be on hand at six o'clock. We shall go to some theatre this evening."
Mr. Grafton left the hotel. Ben took an opportunity to examine the hotel register soon after. He discovered that Mr. Grafton had arrived the day before.
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