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162 at the house, that is the reason we are not there now. May I ask your name?"

Franklin told him, and after settling up, the young electrician and his new acquaintance, left the restaurant, and proceeded to Mrs. Gould's boarding house, which was six blocks distant.

Franklin found the house all that he wished, and Mrs. Gould a motherly old lady, no one could help loving. She was delighted to think Jack Fanwood had brought her a possible boarder to take his place, and a bargain for a large hall bedroom, at eight dollars per week was made on the spot. Franklin was to have breakfast and dinner at the house, and Mrs. Gould was to pack him up a lunch for noon time, as soon as he procured a situation where he could not come home at that hour.

As soon as this arrangement was completed, Franklin took a cable car down to the depot, and had his trunk sent up to the house.

"Now I'll take a walk around to the works of the H. Y. Smith Co. and see how the situation looks," he said to himself, as he consulted his watch and found that it still lacked ten minutes of four o'clock. "There is nothing like getting to work without delay when something is to be done."

Belden Brice had given him the address of the works. It was on the opposite side of the Chicago river, and to get to it. Franklin had to cross one of the numerous street bridges.