handles, he opened it at once.

It proved to contain a very fair supply of underclothing, socks,
handkerchiefs, etc., with a tooth brush, a hair brush and comb, and a
sponge. Never in his life had Dodger been so well supplied with
clothing before. There were four white shirts, two tennis shirts, half
a dozen handkerchiefs and the same number of socks, with three changes
of underclothing.

"I begin to feel like a gentleman," said Dodger to himself,
complacently.

That was not all. At the bottom of the valise was an envelope, sealed,
on which was inscribed the name: "Dodger."

"That is for me, at any rate," thought our hero. "I suppose it is from
Curtis Waring."

He opened the envelope, and found inclosed twenty-five dollars in
bills, with a few lines written on a half-sheet of paper. These Dodger
read, with interest and curiosity. They were as follows:

"Dodger:--The money inclosed is for you. When you reach
California you will find it of use. I have sent you out there
because you will find in a new country a better chance to
rise than in the city of New York. I advise you to stay there
and grow up with the country. In New York you were under the
influence of a bad man, from whom it is best that you should
be permanently separated. I know something of the early
history of Tim Bolton. He was detected in a crime, and fled