paul the peddler-第8章

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〃What's　the　matter；　Jimmy？〃　asked　Paul。　　〃Don't　you　like　it？〃



〃It's　awful；　Paul；〃　said　the　little　boy；　almost　choking　with

mirth。



〃I　see　how　it　is；〃　said　Paul；　with　feigned　resentment。　　You're

jealous　of　me　because　you　can't　draw　as　well。〃



〃Oh；　Paul；　you'll　kill　me！〃　　and　Jimmy　again　burst　into　a　fit　of

merriment。　　〃Can't　you　really　draw　any　better？〃



〃No；　Jimmy；〃　said　Paul；　joining　in　the　laugh。　　〃I　can't　draw　any

better　than　an　old　cow。　　You've　got　all　the　talent　in　the　family

in　that　line。〃



〃But　you're　smart　in　other　ways；　Paul；〃　said　Jimmy；　who　had　a

great　admiration　of　Paul；　notwithstanding　the　discovery　of　his

artistic　inferiority。



〃I'm　glad　there's　one　that　thinks　so；　Jimmy；〃　said　Paul。　　〃I'll

refer　to　you　when　I　want　a　recommendation。〃



Jimmy　resumed　his　drawing；　and　was　proud　of　the　praises　which

Paul　freely　bestowed　upon　him。



〃I'll　get　you　a　harder　drawing　book　when　you've　got　through　with

these；〃　said　Paul；　〃that　is；　if　I　don't　get　reduced　to　poverty　by

having　my　stock　in　trade　stolen　again。〃



After　a　while　came　dinner。　　This　meal　in　Mrs。　Hoffman's　household

usually　came　at　twelve　o'clock。　　It　was　a　plain；　frugal　meal

always；　but　on　Sunday　they　usually　managed　to　have　something　a

little　better；　as　they　had　been　accustomed　to　do　when　Mr。　Hoffman

was　alive。



Paul　was　soon　through。



He　took　his　hat　from　the　bureau；　and　prepared　to　go　out。



〃I'm　going　out　to　try　my　luck；　mother；〃　he　said。　　〃I'll　see　if　I

can't　get　into　something　I　like　a　little　better　than　the

prize…package　business。〃



〃I　hope　you'll　succeed；　Paul。〃



〃Better　than　I　did　in　drawing　horses；　eh；　Jimmy？〃



〃Yes；　I　hope　so；　Paul；〃　said　the　little　boy。



〃Don't　you　show　that　horse　to　visitors　and　pretend　it's　yours；

Jimmy。〃



〃No　danger；　Paul。〃



Paul　went　downstairs　and　into　the　street。　　He　had　no　definite

plan　in　his　head；　but　was　ready　for　anything　that　might　turn　up。　

He　did　not　feel　anxious；　for　he　knew　there　were　plenty　of　ways　in

which　he　could　earn　something。　　He　had　never　tried　blacking

boots；　but　still　he　could　do　it　in　case　of　emergency。　　He　had

sold　papers；　and　succeeded　fairly　in　that　line；　and　knew　he　could

again。　　He　had　pitted　himself　against　other　boys；　and　the　result

had　been　to　give　him　a　certain　confidence　in　his　own　powers　and

business　abilities。　　When　he　had　first　gone　into　the　street　to

try　his　chances　there；　it　had　been　with　a　degree　of　diffidence。　

But　knocking　about　the　streets　soon　gives　a　boy　confidence；

sometimes　too　much　of　it；　and　Paul　had　learned　to　rely　upon

himself；　but　the　influence　of　a　good；　though　humble　home；　and　a

judicious　mother；　had　kept　him　aloof　from　the　bad　habits　into

which　many　street　boys　are　led。



So　Paul；　though　his　stock　in　trade　had　been　stolen；　and　he　was

obliged　to　seek　a　new　kind　of　business；　was　by　no　means

disheartened。　　He　walked　a　little　way　downtown；　and　then；

crossing　the　City　Hall　Park；　found　himself　on　Broadway。



A　little　below　the　Astor　House　he　came　to　the　stand　of　a

sidewalk…merchant；　who　dealt　in　neckties。　　Upon　an　upright

framework　hung　a　great　variety　of　ties　of　different　colors；　most

of　which　were　sold　at　the　uniform　price　of　twenty…five　cents

each。



Paul　was　acquainted　with　the　proprietor　of　the　stand；　and；　having

nothing　else　to　do；　determined　to　stop　and　speak　to　him。







CHAPTER　VII



A　NEW　BUSINESS



The　proprietor　of　the　necktie　stand　was　a　slender；

dark…complexioned　young　man　of　about　twenty…five；　or　thereabouts。



His　name　was　George　Barry。　　Paul　had　known　him　for　over　a　year；

and　whenever　he　passed　his　stand　was　accustomed　to　stop　and　speak

with　him。



〃Well；　George；　how's　business？〃　asked　Paul。



〃Fair；〃　said　Barry。　　〃That　isn't　what's　the　matter。〃



〃What　is　it；　then？〃



〃I'm　sick。　　I　ought　not　to　be　out　here　to…day。〃



〃What's　the　matter　with　you？〃



〃I've　caught　a　bad　cold；　and　feel　hot　and　feverish。　　I　ought　to

be　at　home　and　abed。〃



〃Why　don't　you　go？〃



〃I　can't　leave　my　business。〃



〃It's　better　to　do　that　than　to　get　a　bad　sickness。〃



〃I　suppose　it　is。　　I　am　afraid　I　am　going　to　have　a　fever。　　One

minute　I'm　hot；　another　I'm　cold。　　But　I　can't　afford　to　close　up

my　business。〃



〃Why　don't　you　get　somebody　to　take　your　place？〃



〃I　don't　know　anybody　I　could　get　that　I　could　trust。　　They'd

sell　my　goods；　and　make　off　with　the　money。〃



〃Can　you　trust　me？〃　asked　Paul；　who　saw　a　chance　to　benefit

himself　as　well　as　his　friend。



〃Yes；　Paul；　I　could　trust　you；　but　I'm　afraid　I　couldn't　pay　you

enough　to　make　it　worth　while　for　you　to　stand　here。〃



〃I　haven't　got　anything　to　do　just　now；〃　said　Paul。　　〃I　was　in

the　prize…package　business；　but　two　fellows　stole　my　stock　in

trade；　and　I'm　not　going　into　it　again。　　It's　about　played　out。　

I'm　your　man。　　Just　make　me　an　offer。〃



〃I　should　like　to　have　you　take　my　place　for　a　day　or　two；　for　I

know　you　wouldn't　cheat　me。〃



〃You　may　be　sure　of　that。〃



〃I　am　sure。　　I　know　you　are　an　honest　boy；　Paul。　　But　I　don't

know　what　to　offer　you。〃



〃How　many　neckties　do　you　sell　a　day？〃　asked　Paul；　in　a

businesslike　tone。



〃About　a　dozen　on　an　average。〃



〃And　how　much　profit　do　you　make？〃



〃It's　half　profit。〃



Paul　made　a　short　calculation。　　Twelve　neckties　at　twenty…five

cents　each　would　bring　three　dollars。　　Half　of　this　was　a　dollar

and　a　half。



〃I'll　take　your　place　for　half　profits；〃　he　said。



〃That's　fair；〃　said　George　Barry。　　〃I'll　accept　your　offer。　　Can

you　begin　now？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Then　I'll　go　home　and　go　to　bed。　　It's　the　best　place　for　me。〃



〃You'd　better。　　I'll　come　round　after　closing　up；　and　hand　over

the　money。〃



〃All　right！　　You　know　where　I　live？〃



〃I'm　not　sure。〃



〃No。　　Bleecker　street。〃



〃I'll　come　up　this　evening。〃



George　Barry　walked　away；　leaving　Paul　in　charge　of　his　business。



He　did　so　with　perfect　confidence。　　Not　every　boy　in　Paul's

circumstances　can　be　trusted；　but　he　felt　sure　that　Paul　would　do

the　right　thing　by　him。



I　may　as　well　say；　in　this　connection；　that　George　Barry　had　a

mother　living。　　They　occupied　two　rooms　in　a　lodging…house　in

Bleecker　street；　and　lived　very　comfortably。　　Mrs。　Barry　had　an

allowance　of　two　hundred　dollars　a　year　from　a　relation。　　This；

with　what　she　earned　by　sewing；　and　her　son　by　his　stand；

supported　them　very　comfortably；　especially　as　they　provided　and

cooked　their　own　food；　which　was；　of　course；　much　cheaper　than

boarding。　　Still；　the　loss　of　the　young　man's　earnings；　even　for

a　short　time；　would　have　been　felt；　though　they　had　a　reserve　of

a　hundred　dollars　in　a　savings　bank；　from　which　they　might　draw

if　necessary。　　But　George　did　not　like　to　do　this。　　The

arrangement　which　he　made　with　Paul　was　a　satisfactory　one；　for

with　half　his　usual　earnings　they　would　still　be　able　to　keep　out

of　debt；　and　not　be　compelled　to　draw　upon　the　fund　in　the　bank。　

Of　course；　something　depended　on　Paul's　success　as　a　salesman；

but　he　would　not　be　likely　to　fall　much　below　the　average　amount

of　sales。　　So；　on　the　whole；　George　Barry　went　home　considerably

relieved　in　mind；　though　his　head　was　throbbing；　and　he　felt

decidedly　sick。



Arrived　at　home；　his　mother；　who　understood　sickness；　at　once

took　measures　to　relieve　him。



〃Don't　mind　the　loss　of　a　few　days；　George；〃　she　said；

cheerfully；　〃we　shall　be　able　to　get　along　very　well。〃



〃It'll　only　be　part　loss；　mother；〃　he　said。　　〃I've　got　Paul

Hoffman　to　take　my　place　for　half　the　profits。〃



〃Paul　Hoffman！　　Do　I　know　him？〃



〃I　don't　think　he　has　ever　been　here　but　I　have　known　him　for　a

year。〃



〃Can　you　trust　him？〃



〃Yes；　I'm　not　at　all　afraid。　　He　is　a　smart　boy；　and　as　honest　as

he　is　smart。　　I　think　he　will　sell　nearly　as　much　as　I　would。〃



〃That　is　an　excellent　arrangement。　　You　needn't　feel　uneasy；

then。〃