David, whose spirits were elevated in the same ratio in which they
had before been depressed. "I'll earn my hundred and fifty dollars
now, and mother shall have her nice things in spite of Dan and
Lester. It isn't every fellow who has such friends as Don and Bert
Gordon. But I shall have a hard time of it, anyhow. Dan will be so
mad when he finds out that he can't ruin me, that he will do
something desperate."

David, however, did not waste much time in thinking of the troubles
that might come in the future. He preferred to think about pleasanter
things. He was so wholly engrossed with his plans that it seemed to
him that he was not more than five minutes in reaching the landing.
There was no one in the street, and nothing there worth looking at,
except General Gordon's white horse, which was hitched to a post in
front of Silas Jones's store. As David approached, the General
himself came out, accompanied by the grocer, who was as polite and
attentive to his rich customers as he was indifferent to the poor
ones.

"Ah, David!" exclaimed the General, extending his hand; "how are
times now? Business looking up any?"

"Y-yes, sir," stammered the boy, who could scarcely speak at all. He
was not abashed by the rich man's presence, for he had learned to
expect a friendly nod or a cordial grasp of the hand every time he
met him; but he was very much astonished by the greeting which Silas
Jones extended to him. No sooner had the General released David's
hand than it was seized by the grocer, who appeared to be as glad to
see him as though he knew that the boy had come there to buy a bill
of goods worth hundreds of dollars.