“A tramp had it. I saw him walk out of der alley wid it not five minutes ago.”
“Tall and thin, with a grizzly beard. Oh, he was a regular bum.”
“Up the street, I think. Was the bundle valuable?”
“Indeed it was, to me,” replied Jerry, and hurried off.
He could see nothing of any tramp, and, after dodging around among the trucks for several minutes, returned to the youth.
“Please describe that tramp to me, will you?” asked Jerry, and the tinner’s boy did so, as well as he was able.
“I think da call him Crazy Jim,” he concluded. “He don’t come down here very often. He belongs uptown somewhere.”
“Well, if you ever see him again, please let me know. My name is Jerry Upton, and here is my address,” and our hero handed it over.
“All right, I will. My name is Jerry Martin. Wot was in de package?”
The boy wanted to question Jerry for further particulars, but the young oarsman did not care to say too much, and hurried off, to seek the tramp again.
That evening found our hero at Mrs. Price’s, footsore and downhearted. He had seen nothing of Crazy Jim, and it looked as if the precious packet was gone for good.
Jerry could not help but wonder what Alexander Slocum’s next move would be. Would the man endeavor to hunt him out or would he write to his father?
The next morning, on his way to Mr. Randolph Islen’s place of business, Jerry met Nellie Ardell.
“I did; and had a very disagreeable visit,” returned our hero.
“I knew you would have,” she went on. “I wish he was not my landlord.”
Jerry asked her how Tommy was, and then they parted, and five minutes more brought our hero to the book-bindery.
Mr. Islen was not yet in, but he soon arrived, and smiled as Jerry presented himself.
“On hand, I see, my young friend. Well, how did you make out? Did you obtain a position?”
“It’s rather hard. Mr. Grice!” he called out.
The foreman of the book-bindery came in and Jerry was introduced to him. Quite a chat followed, at the end of which Jerry was hired to work in the stock department at a salary of six dollars a week.
The salary was not large, but it would pay his expenses, and that was all he wished for at present.
“I won’t have to write home for money,” he thought.
Mr. Grice wanted Jerry to come to work immediately, but our hero begged to speak to Mr. Islen in private for a moment, and when they were left alone told his story from beginning to end.