Like any other boy young and poor and in a position so humble as to offer no opportunity of improvement, he was even afraid of change, and seemed unwilling to take the plunge of leaving his master and taking his chance in the great world.
"Very well," said Burr.

"When you change your mind, just put a clean shirt in your pocket, come to New York and asked for Colonel Burr." Then he dismissed the boy from his presence and the whole episode from his mind, got into his coach and continued on his way.
Two months later he was at breakfast in the dining-room at Richmond Hill,--with Theo probably pouring out his "dish of coffee,"-- when a vast disturbance arose downstairs.

A roughly dressed lad had presented himself at the front door and insisted on seeing Colonel Burr, in spite of all the resistance of his manservant.

At last he succeeded in forcing his way past, and made his appearance in the breakfast-room, followed by the startled and indignant servant.

Burr did not recognise him in the least, but the youth walked up to him, pulled a shirt--of country make but quite clean--out of his coat pocket, and held it out.
Immediately it all came back to Burr, and he was delighted by the simplicity with which the wagon-maker's apprentice had taken him at his word.