me, sir," said Joe, as he entered t

too, and it did strike him forcibly that they were very shabby. However, there was Oscar's stained suit; whi

at. "Oscar tells me that you are not sati

lied Joe bluntly. "If you will look for yourse

are too free spoken. I understand you have been complai

the way that happe

hend he

came up and insulted me, calling me a ragamuffin. I to

on looked

ion in life. It is not well for a boy in your circumstances to be 'clothed in purple and fine l

that Major Norton was going to open his heart

lusion was so

from a chair near-by a stained suit, whi

hole and almost new. Oscar only wore it a month. It cos

and Joe recogni

Oscar got stained?"

tained, but that doesn't inj

, which had changed the color in large, patches in different parts. The

e overwhelmed with the

why don't Oscar w

egarded Joe wi

ooses to dress," he said. "I apprehen

am your hired boy," s

you can ask me to we

you are unsuitab

e suit myself, I should have felt bound to wear it, but it was Oscar's carelessness that destroyed its appe

inches too short, and it was so far from meeting in front, on account of his being mu

can be let out easily. I will send it to Miss Pe

e, "but I hope you won't go to that expense, for I sh

Major Norton, with dignified disp

een,

u, a boy of fifteen, shoul

Norton, but I am not wil

ud. Your pride n

to tell you how I feel. You are my employer, and

o work, Joseph. I don

me board and cloth

I ha

. I don't think I am very proud, but I have been mortified! more than once when I saw people looking at m

ou look at the thing too one-sided. You

d half as much for my clothes as you

e is a suit of clothes that cost me thirty-fou

dress me in Oscar's castoff clothes, too small, and stained at that. I would rat

e. "I did not expect to find you so unreasonable. If you do no

well

d his heart full of indignation at the

t," he said to himself. "It is like h

e been cleared up. Oscar had been lying in wait for his appe

new clothes?" he

one," ans

her give you a

uit which you staine

aid Oscar patronizingly. "I

you wear

fit for me to wear

r me,"

you've declined?" excla

actly what

hy

ht to kn

than the one

. Besides, it would att

neered Oscar. "Perhaps you think Annie Ray

to her," said Joe. "She was willing

admire he

ith my clothes; sh

ired

boy; but I don't

usiness, that's what's

han my business," said Joe. "I me

ugged his

ke to be a wealthy me

ss," h

ainly s

sneering laugh, a

eft free to do as he liked, he st