paul the peddler-第14章

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Paul　decided　to　follow　his　patron's　advice。　　He　had　no　idea　of

running　any　more　risk　in　the　matter。　　He　accordingly　walked　to

Fourth　avenue　and　got　on　board　the　car。



It　was　nearly　eleven　o'clock　when　he　reached　home。　　As　it　was

never　his　habit　to　stay　out　late；　his　mother　had　become　alarmed

at　his　long　absence。



〃What　kept　you　so　late；　Paul？〃　she　asked。



〃I'll　tell　you；　pretty　soon；　mother。　　Here's　the　shirt　that　is　to

serve　as　a　pattern。　　Can　you　cut　out　the　new　shirts　by　it？〃



Mrs。　Hoffman　examined　it　attentively。



〃Yes；〃　she　said；　〃there　will　be　no　difficulty　about　that。　　Mr。

Preston　must　be　a　pretty　large　man。〃



〃Yes；　he　is　big　enough　for　an　alderman；　but　he　is　very　kind　and

considerate；　and　I　like　him。　　You　shall　judge　for　yourself　when　I

tell　you　what　happened　this　evening。〃



It　will　not　be　necessary　to　tell　Paul's　adventure　over　again。　

His　mother　listened　with　pardonable　indignation　against　Mike

Donovan　and　his　companion。



〃I　hope　you　won't　have　anything　to　do　with　that　bad　boy；　Paul；〃

she　said。



〃I　shan't；　if　I　can　help　it；〃　said　Paul。　　〃I　didn't　want　to　speak

to　him　to…night；　but　I　couldn't　help　myself。　　Oh；　I　forgot　to

say；　when　half　the　shirts　are　ready；　I　am　to　take　them　to　Mr。

Preston。〃



〃I　think　I　can　make　one　a　day。〃



〃There　is　no　need　of　working　so　steadily；　mother。　　You　will　be

well　paid；　you　know。〃



〃That　is　true；　and　for　that　reason　I　shall　work　more　cheerfully。　

I　wish　I　could　get　paid　as　well　for　all　my　work。〃



〃Perhaps　Mr。　Preston　will　recommend　you　to　his　friends；　and　you

can　get　more　work　that　way。〃



〃I　wish　I　could。〃



〃I　will　mention　it　to　him；　when　I　carry　back　the　last　half

dozen。〃



〃Is　he　going　to　send　the　cloth？〃



〃I　nearly　forgot　that；　too。　　I　have　an　order　on　Barclay　&　Co。　

for　the　necessary　amount　of　cloth。　　I　can　go　up　there　to…morrow

morning　and　get　it。〃



〃That　will　take　you　from　your　work；　Paul。〃



〃Well；　I　can　close　up　for　a　couple　of　hours。〃



〃I　don't　think　that　will　be　necessary。　　I　will　go　up　myself　and

present　the　order；　and　get　them　to　send　it　home　for　me。〃



〃Will　they　do　that？〃



〃It　is　their　custom。　　Or；　if　the　bundle　isn't　too　large。　　I　can

bring　it　home　myself　in　the　car。〃



〃That's　all　right；　then。　　And　now；　mother；　as　it's　past　eleven

o'clock；　I　think　we　may　as　well　both　go　to　bed。〃



The　next　day　Paul　went　as　usual　to　his　business；　and　Mrs。

Hoffman；　after　clearing　away　the　breakfast；　put　on　her　bonnet　and

shawl；　and　prepared　to　go　for　the　materials　for　the　shirts。



The　retail　store　of　Barclay　&　Co。　is　of　great　size；　and　ranks

among　the　most　important　in　New　York。　　It　was　not　so　well　filled

when　Mrs。　Hoffman　entered　as　it　would　be　later。　　She　was　directed

to　the　proper　counter；　where　she　presented　the　order；　signed　by

Mr。　Preston。　　As　he　was　a　customer　of　long　standing；　there　was　no

difficulty　about　filling　the　order。　　A　bundle　was　made　up；　which；

as　it　contained　the　materials　for　twelve　shirts；　necessarily　was

of　considerable　size。



〃Here　is　your　bundle；　ma'am；〃　said　the　clerk。



Mrs。　Hoffman's　strength　was　slender；　and　she　did　not　feel　able　to

carry　the　heavy　bundle　offered　her。　　Even　if　she　took　the　car；

she　would　be　obliged　to　carry　it　a　portion　of　the　way；　and　she

felt　that　it　would　overtask　her　strength。



〃Don't　you　send　bundles？〃　she　asked。



〃Sometimes；〃　said　the　clerk；　looking　superciliously　at　the　modest

attire　of　the　poor　widow；　and　mentally　deciding　that　she　was　not

entitled　to　much　consideration。　　Had　she　been　richly　dressed；　he

would　have　been　very　obsequious；　and　insisted　on　sending　home　the

smallest　parcel。　　But　there　are　many　who　have　two　rules　of

conduct；　one　for　the　rich；　and　quite　a　different　one　for　the

poor；　and　among　these　was　the　clerk　who　was　attending　upon　Mrs。

Hoffman。



〃Then；〃　said　Mrs。　Hoffman；　〃I　should　like　to　have　you　send　this。〃



〃It's　a　great　deal　of　trouble　to　send　everything；〃　said　the

clerk；　impertinently。



〃This　bundle　is　too　heavy　for　me　to　carry；〃　said　the　widow；

deprecatingly。



〃I　suppose　we　can　send　it；〃　said　the　clerk；　ill…naturedly；　〃if

you　insist　upon　it。〃



Meanwhile；　though　he　had　not　observed　it；　his　employer　had

approached；　and　heard　the　last　part　of　the　colloquy。　　He　was

considered　by　some　as　a　hard　man；　but　there　was　one　thing　he

always　required　of　those　in　his　employ；　that　was　to　treat　all

purchasers　with　uniform　courtesy；　whatever　their　circumstances。



〃Are　you　objecting　to　sending　this　lady's　bundle？〃　said　Mr。

Barclay；　sternly。



The　clerk　looked　up　in　confusion。



〃I　told　her　we　would　send　it；〃　he　stammered。



〃I　have　heard　what　passed。　　You　have　been　deficient　in

politeness。　　If　this　happens　again；　you　leave　my　employ。〃



〃I　will　take　your　address；〃　said　the　clerk；　in　a　subdued　tone。



Mrs。　Hoffman　gave　it；　and　left　the　store；　thankful　for　the

interference　of　the　great　merchant　who　had　given　his　clerk　a

lesson　which　the　latter；　as　he　valued　his　situation；　found　it

advisable　to　bear　in　mind。







CHAPTER　XII



THE　BARREL　THIEF



While　Mike　Donovan　was　engaged　in　his　contest　with　Paul；　his

companion　had　quietly　walked　off　with　the　shirt。　　It　mattered

very　little　to　him　which　party　conquered；　as　long　as　he　carried

off　the　spoils。　　His　conduct　in　the　premises　was　quite　as

unsatisfactory　to　Mike　as　it　was　to　Paul。　　When　Mike　found

himself　in　danger　of　being　overpowered；　he　appealed　to　his

companion　for　assistance；　and　was　incensed　to　see　him　coolly

disregarding　the　appeal；　and　selfishly　appropriating　the　booty。



〃The　mane　thafe！〃　　he　exclaimed　after　the　fight　was　over；　and　he

was　compelled　to　retreat。　　〃He　let　me　be　bate；　and　wouldn't　lift

his　finger　to　help　me。　　I'd　like　to　put　a　head　on　him；　I　would。〃



Just　at　that　moment　Mike　felt　quite　as　angry　with　his　friend；

Jerry　McGaverty；　as　with　his　late　opponent。



〃The　shirt's　mine；　fair；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃and　I'll　make

Jerry　give　it　to　me。〃



But　Jerry　had　disappeared；　and　Mike　didn't　know　where　to　look　for

him。　　In　fact；　he　had　entered　a　dark　alleyway；　and；　taking　the

shirt　from　the　paper　in　which　it　was　wrapped；　proceeded　to

examine　his　prize。



The　unusual　size　struck　him。



〃By　the　powers；〃　he　muttered；　〃it's　big　enough　for　me

great…grandfather　and　all　his　children。　　I　wouldn't　like　to　pay

for　the　cloth　it　tuck　to　make　it。　　But　I'll　wear　it；　anyway。〃



Jerry　was　not　particular　as　to　an　exact　fit。　　His　nether　garments

were　several　sizes　too　large　for　him；　and　the　shirt　would

complete　his　costume　appropriately。　　He　certainly　did　need　a　new

shirt；　for　the　one　he　had　on　was　the　only　article　of　the　kind　he

possessed；　and　was　so　far　gone　that　its　best　days；　if　it　ever　had

any；　appeared　to　date　back　to　a　remote　antiquity。　　It　had　been

bought　cheap　in　Baxter　street；　its　previous　history　being

unknown。



Jerry　decided　to　make　the　change　at　once。　　The　alley　afforded　a

convenient　place　for　making　the　transfer。　　He　accordingly　pulled

off　the　ragged　shirt　he　wore　and　put　on　the　article　he　had

purloined　from　Paul。　　The　sleeves　were　too　long；　but　he　turned　up

the　cuffs；　and　the　ample　body　he　tucked　inside　his　pants。



〃It　fits　me　too　much；〃　soliloquized　Jerry；　as　he　surveyed　himself

after　the　exchange。　　〃I　could　let　out　the　half　of　it；　and　have

enough　left　for　meself。　　Anyhow；　it's　clane；　and　it　came　chape

enough。〃



He　came　out　of　the　alley；　leaving　his　old　shirt　behind　him。　　Even

if　it　had　been　worth　carrying　away；　Jerry　saw　no　use　in

possessing　more　than　one　shirt。　　It　was　his　habit　to　wear　one

until　it　was　ready　to　drop　off　from　him；　and　then　get　another　if

he　could。　　There　is　a　practical　convenience　in　this　arrangement；

though　there　are　also　objections　which　will　readily　occur　to　the

reader。



On　the　whole；　though　the　shirt　fitted　him　too　much；　as　he

expressed　it；　he　regarded　himself　complacently。



The　superabund