“I had a little difficulty with the agent,” said the stranger; “but finally he yielded, out of old friendship.” He produced a large card, which read thus:
CALIFORNIA STEAMSHIP COMPANY.
THE BEARER
Is Entitled to One Steerage Passage
FROM
NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO
STEAMER COLUMBUS.
Below this was printed the name of the agent. Joe paid over the money joyfully.
“I am very much obliged to you,” he said gratefully.
“Don’t mention it,” said the stranger, pocketing the fifty dollars. “Good day! Sorry to leave you, but I am to meet a gentleman at five.”
He went down-stairs, and left Joe alone.
CHAPTER VII
JOE GETS INTO TROUBLE
“How lucky I have been,” thought Joe, in the best of spirits. “There wasn’t one chance in ten of my succeeding, and yet I have succeeded. Everything has turned out right. If I hadn’t met this man, I couldn’t have got a ticket at half price.”
Joe found that after paying his hotel expenses, he should have a dollar left over. This would be rather a small sum to start with in California, but Joe didn’t trouble himself much about that.
In the course of the day Joe found himself in the upper part of the Bowery. It seemed to him a very lively street, and he was much interested in looking in at the shop windows as he passed.