"Very well, Rufus, but you must promise me one thing."
"What is it?"
"That if you find it is too hard on you to pay so much money, you will let me know."
"All right. So it's all settled?"
"Yes."
"Good!" said the newsboy, with an air of satisfaction. "Now I must be goin' to business. I don't know exactly what time it is, as I left my gold watch lyin' on the sofy in Leonard Street."
"Oh, what a story, Rufie!" said Rose. "He hasn't got any gold watch, Miss Manning, and we didn't have any sofy in Leonard Street."
"That's the way she's always exposin' me, Miss Manning," said the newsboy, laughing.
"Well, Rosy, good-by. It's time for the evenin' papers to be out, and I must be on hand, as the other boys."
He kissed his little sister, and hurried downstairs. As he was making his way towards the offices of the evening papers, he felt great satisfaction in thinking of his unexpected good fortune in finding so desirable a home for his little sister. Hitherto he had felt a great deal of anxiety about her, during his necessary absence during the day, knowing only too well the character of his stepfather. He had known that there was danger of little Rose being abused in his frequent fits of intoxication, and more than once his heart was filled with apprehension, as he ascended the stairs to the cold and cheerless room in Leonard Street, which he had been forced to call home for the lack of a better.