Tom thought it best to attend, first of all, to Mr. Julian’s business. Accordingly he inquired his way to Wall Street, and was not long in finding the office of Mellish & Co.
It was a large office on the ground floor, with a counter and a cashier’s desk. Considerable business appeared to be transacted there, to judge from the number of clerks and of visitors.
“Well, young man, what can I do for you?” inquired a young man.
It was a son of Mr. Mellish, the head of the firm.
Tom presented a few lines from Mr. Julian, authorizing the firm to pay him the quarterly interest due on Mr. Julian’s securities.
The young man glanced his eye over it rapidly.
“Will you have a check or the money?” he asked.
“Very well. I will make out a check, and our cashier will give you the money on it.”
Five minutes later--perhaps in less time--Tom had placed in his hands two hundred and fifty dollars. He had not supposed the business would be transacted so easily. In his eyes two hundred and fifty dollars was an immense sum, and he had some private doubts whether, in spite of Mr. Julian’s letter, they would be willing to pay it to an unknown boy like him. It even occurred to him that it might be inconvenient for the firm to pay out so much money, and they might put him off till another day. But he didn’t know how things were done in Wall Street.
Next to him was a boy of about his own age, who quietly gave an order for the purchase of five hundred shares of some kind of stock, at 89. Tom calculated that this purchase would amount to over forty thousand dollars. Yet the order was taken as a matter of course.
“There must be a good deal of money in New York,” thought Tom, not unnaturally.
As he was going out of the office, a bootblack stepped up to him and said, jocosely:
“Say, young feller, couldn’t you lend me a thousand dollars till to-morrer? I’ve got a big payment to make, and I’m short.”
As the young applicant for a loan was dressed in a ragged costume of unknown antiquity, Tom, of course, understood the joke.
“I’ve got a big payment to make myself,” he answered, “and I can’t spare any money to-day.”
“All right!” said the bootblack, nonchalantly, “I’ll go and see Astor or Vanderbilt. I guess one of ’em will let me have the money.”