paul the peddler-第32章

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〃There　ain't　anybody　you　want　licked；　is　there？〃　asked　Jim；

earnestly。



〃Not　at　present；　thank　you；〃　said　Paul；　smiling。



〃When　you　do；　I'm　on　hand；〃　said　Jim。　　〃Now　I'll　go　and　get　some

grub。〃



He　shuffled　along　toward　Ann　street；　where　there　was　a　cheap

eating…house；　in　which　ten　cents　would　pay　for　a　plate　of　meat。　

He　was　decidedly　hungry；　and　did　justice　to　the　restaurant；　whose

style　of　cookery；　though　not　very　choice；　suited　him　so　well　that

he　could　readily　have　eaten　three　plates　of　meat　instead　of　one；

but　for　the　prudent　thought　that　compelled　him　to　reserve　enough

to　embark　in　business　afterwards。　　Jim　was　certainly　a　hard

ticket；　but　Paul's　unexpected　kindness　had　won　him；　and　produced

a　more　profound　impression　than　a　dozen　floggings　could　have

done。　　I　may　add　that　Jim　proved　luck　in　his　business　investment；

and　by　the　close　of　the　afternoon　had　enough　money　to　provide

himself　with　supper　and　lodging；　besides　a　small　fund　to　start

with　the　next　day。



Paul　sold　three　more　neckties；　and　then；　though　it　yet　lacked　an

hour　of　the　time　when　he　generally　proposed　to　close；　he　prepared

to　go　home。　　He　wanted　to　communicate　the　good　news　to　his　mother

and　little　Jimmy。



Mrs。　Hoffman　raised　her　eyes　from　her　sewing　as　he　entered。



〃Well；　Paul；〃　she　said；　〃have　you　heard　anything　of　the　ring？〃



〃Yes；　mother；　it's　sold。〃



〃Is　it？　　Well；　we　must　do　without　it；　then；〃　said　his　mother　in　a

tone　of　disappointment。



〃There　won't　be　any　trouble　about　that；　mother；　as　long　as　we

have　got　the　money　for　it。　　I　would　rather　have　that　than　the

ring。〃　　



〃Did　you　recover　it；　then？〃　asked　his　mother；　eagerly。



〃Yes；　motherlisten　and　I　will　tell　you　all　about　it。〃



He　sat　down　and　told　the　story　to　two　very　attentive　listeners。



〃What　did　you　do　with　the　money；　Paul？〃　asked　Jimmy。



〃Mr。　Preston　is　keeping　a　hundred　and　fifty　dollars　for　me。　　He

will　allow　seven　per　cent。　interest。　　But　I　must　not　forget　that

the　money　belongs　to　you；　mother；　and　not　to　me。　　Perhaps　you

would　prefer　to　deposit　it　in　a　savings　bank。〃



〃I　am　quite　satisfied　with　your　disposal　of　it；　Paul；〃　said　Mrs。

Hoffman。　　〃I　little　thought；　when　I　found　the　ring；　that　it　would

be　of　such　service　to　us。〃



〃It　has　set　me　up　in　business；〃　said　Paul；　〃and　I　am　sure　to　make

money。　　But　I　am　getting　out　of　stock。　　I　must　go　round　and　buy

some　more　neckties　to…morrow。〃



〃How　much　do　you　pay　for　your　ties；　Paul？〃　asked　his　mother。



〃One　shilling；　I　sell　them　for　two。　　That　gives　me　a　good

profit。〃



〃I　wonder　whether　I　couldn't　make　them？〃　said　Mrs。　Hoffman。　　〃I

find　there　is　no　sewing　at　present　to　be　got；　and；　besides；〃　she

added；　〃I　think　I　would　rather　work　for　you　than　for　a　stranger。〃



〃There　is　no　need　of　your　working；　mother。　　I　can　earn　enough　to

support　the　family。〃



〃While　I　have　health　I　would　prefer　to　work；　Paul。〃



〃Then　I　will　bring　round　some　of　the　ties　to…morrow。　　I　have　two

or　three　kinds。　　There　is　nothing　very　hard　about　any　of　them。　　I

think　they　would　be　easy　to　make。〃



〃That　will　suit　me　much　better　than　making　shirts。〃



〃Suppose　I　admit　you　to　the　firm；　mother？　　I　can　get　a　large

signboard；　and　have　painted　on　it：

　　　　PAUL　HOFFMAN　AND　MOTHER；　DEALERS　IN　NECKTIES。

How　would　that　sound？〃



〃I　think　I　would　leave　the　business　part　in　your　hands；　Paul。〃



〃I　begin　to　feel　like　a　wholesale　merchant　already；〃　said　Paul。　

〃Who　knows　but　I　may　be　one　some　day？〃



〃Many　successful　men　have　begun　as　low　down；〃　said　his　mother；

〃with　energy　and　industry　much　may　be　accomplished。〃



〃Do　you　think　I'll　ever　be　a　wholesale　painter？〃　asked　Jimmy；

whose　small　ears　had　drank　in　the　conversation。



〃Better　try　for　it；　Jimmy；〃　said　Paul。　　〃I　don't　know　exactly

what　a　wholesale　painter　is；　unless　it's　one　who　paints　houses。〃



〃I　shouldn't　like　that；〃　said　the　little　boy。



〃Then；　Jimmy；　you'd　better　be　a　retail　painter。〃



〃I　guess　I　will；〃　said　Jimmy；　seriously。



Thus　far　we　have　accompanied　Paul　Hoffman　in　his　career。　　He　is

considerably　better　off　than　when　we　met　him　peddling　prize

packages　in　front　of　the　post　office。　　But　we　have　reason　to

believe　that　greater　success　awaits　him。　　He　will　figure　in　the

next　two　volumes　of　this　series；　more　particularly　in　the　second；

to　be　called　〃Slow　and　Sure；　or；　From　the　Sidewalk　to　the　Shop。〃　

Before　this　appears；　however；　I　propose　to　describe　the

adventures　of　a　friend　and　protegee　of　Paul'sunder　the　title　of

PHIL　THE　FIDDLER；　OR；　THE　YOUNG　STREET　MUSICIAN。











End