paul the peddler-第13章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



whether　it　would　be　possible　for　him　to　raise　himself　to　wealth

and　live　in　as　handsome　a　house　as　Mr。　Preston。　　He　thought　what

a　satisfaction　it　would　be　if　the　time　should　ever　come　when　he

could　free　his　mother　from　the　necessity　of　work；　and　give　little

Jimmy　a　chance　to　develop　his　talent　for　drawing。　　However；　such

success　must　be　a　long　way　off；　if　it　ever　came。



He　had　intended　to　ride　home；　but　his　mind　was　so　preoccupied

that　he　forgot　all　about　it；　and　had　got　some　distance　on　his　way

before　it　occurred　to　him。　　Then；　not　feeling　particularly　tired；

he　concluded　to　keep　on　walking；　as　he　had　commenced。



〃It　will　save　me　six　cents；〃　he　reflected；　〃and　that　is

something。　　If　I　am　ever　going　to　be　a　prosperous　merchant；　I

must　begin　to　save　now。〃



So　he　kept　on　walking。　　Passing　the　Cooper　Institute；　he　came

into　the　Bowery；　a　broad　and　busy　street；　the　humble　neighbor　of

Broadway；　to　which　it　is　nearly　parallel。



He　was　still　engaged　in　earnest　thought；　when　he　felt　a　rude　slap

on　the　back。　　Looking　round；　he　met　the　malicious　glance　of　Mike

Donovan；　who　probably　would　not　have　ventured　on　such　a　liberty

if　he　had　not　been　accompanied　by　a　boy　a　head　taller　than

himself；　and；　to　judge　from　appearances；　of　about　the　same

character。



〃What　did　you　do　that　for；　Mike？〃　demanded　Paul。



〃None　of　your　business。　　I　didn't　hurt　you；　did　I？〃　returned

Mike；　roughly。



〃No；　but　I　don't　care　to　be　hit　that　way　by　you。〃



〃So　you're　putting　on　airs；　are　you？〃



〃No；　I　don't　do　that；〃　returned　Paul；　〃but　I　don't　care　about

having　anything　to　do　with　you。〃



〃That's　because　you've　got　a　new　shirt；　is　it？〃　sneered　Mike。



〃It　isn't　mine。〃



〃That's　what　I　thought。　　Who　did　you　steal　it　from？〃



〃Do　you　mean　to　insult　me；　Mike　Donovan？〃　demanded　Paul；

angrily。



〃Just　as　you　like；〃　said　Mike；　independently。



〃If　you　want　to　know　why　I　don't　want　to　have　anything　to　do　with

you；　I　will　tell　you。〃



〃Tell　ahead。〃



〃Because　you're　a　thief。〃



〃If　you　say　that　again；　I'll　lick　you；〃　said　Mike；　reddening　with

anger。



〃It's　true。　　You　stole　my　basket　of　candy　the　other　day；　and　that

isn't　the　only　time　you've　been　caught　stealing。〃



〃I'll　give　you　the　worst　licking　you　ever　had。　　Do　you　want　to

fight？〃　said　Mike；　flourishing　his　fist。



〃No；　I　don't；〃　said　Paul。　　〃Some　time　when　I　haven't　a　bundle；

I'll　accommodate　you。〃



〃You're　a　coward！〃　　sneered　Mike；　gaining　courage　as　he　saw　Paul

was　not　disposed　for　an　encounter。



〃I　don't　think　I　am；〃　said　Paul；　coolly。



〃I'll　hold　your　shirt；〃　said　Mike's　companion；　with　a　grin；　〃if

you　want　to　fight。〃



Paul；　however；　did　not　care　to　intrust　the　shirt　to　a　stranger　of

so　unprepossessing　an　appearance。



He；　therefore；　attempted　to　pass　on。　　But　Mike；　encouraged　by　his

reluctance；　stepped　up　and　shook　his　fist　within　an　inch　of

Paul's　nose；　calling　him　at　the　same　time　a　coward。　　This　was　too

much　for　Paul's　self…restraint。　　He　dropped　the　shirt　and　pitched

into　Mike　in　so　scientific　a　manner　that　the　latter　was　compelled

to　retreat；　and　finally　to　flee　at　the　top　of　his　speed；　not

without　having　first　received　several　pretty　hard　blows。



〃I　don't　think　he　will　meddle　with　me　again；〃　said　Paul　to

himself；　as　he　pulled　down　the　sleeves　of　his　jacket。



He　walked　back；　and　looked　for　the　shirt　which　he　had　laid　down

before　commencing　the　combat。　　But　he　looked　in　vain。　　Nothing

was　to　be　seen　of　the　shirt　or　of　Mike's　companion。　　Probably

both　had　disappeared　together。







CHAPTER　XI



BARCLAY　&　CO。



The　loss　of　the　shirt　was　very　vexatious。　　It　was　not　so　much　the

value　of　it　that　Paul　cared　for；　although　this　was　a

consideration　by　no　means　to　be　despised　by　one　in　his

circumstances；　but　it　had　been　lent　as　a　pattern；　and　without　it

his　mother　would　be　unable　to　make　Mr。　Preston's　shirts。　　As　to

recovering　it；　he　felt　that　there　was　little　chance　of　this。　

Besides；　it　would　involve　delay；　and　his　mother　could　not　afford

to　remain　idle。　　Paul　felt　decidedly　uncomfortable。　　Again　Mike

Donovan　had　done　him　an　injury；　and　this　time　of　a　more　serious

nature　than　before。



What　should　he　do？



There　seemed　but　one　answer　to　this　question。　　He　must　go　back　to

Mr。　Preston；　explain　the　manner　in　which　he　had　lost　his　shirt；

and　ask　him　for　another；　promising；　of　course；　to　supply　the

place　of　the　one　lost。　　He　was　not　sure　whether　Mr。　Preston　would

accept　this　explanation。　　He　might　think　it　was　only　an　attempt

to　defraud　him。　　But；　at　any　rate；　it　seemed　the　only　thing　to

do；　and　it　must　be　done　at　once。　　He　entered　a　passing　car；　for

it　was　too　late　to　walk。



〃I　wish　I　had　taken　the　car　down；〃　thought　Paul。　　〃Then　I

shouldn't　have　lost　the　shirt。〃



But　it　was　too　late　for　regrets　now。　　He　must　do　the　best　that

remained　to　him。



It　was　nearly　ten　o'clock　when　Paul　once　more　stood　before　the

door　of　Mr。　Preston's　boarding…place。　　He　rang　the　bell　and　asked

to　see　him。



〃You　have　been　here　before　this　evening？〃　said　the　servant。



〃Yes。〃



〃Then　you　know　the　room。　　You　can　walk　right　up。〃



Paul　went　upstairs　and　knocked　at　Mr。　Preston's　room。　　He　was

bidden　to　come　in；　and　did　so。



Mr。　Preston　looked　up　with　surprise。



〃I　suppose　you　are　surprised　to　see　me；〃　said　Paul；　rather

awkwardly。



〃Why；　yes。　　I　did　not　anticipate　that　pleasure　quite　so　soon；〃

said　Mr。　Preston；　smiling。



〃I　am　afraid　it　won't　be　a　pleasure；　for　I　bring　bad　news。〃



〃Bad　news？〃　repeated　the　gentleman；　rather　startled。



〃Yes；　I　have　lost　the　shirt　you　gave　me。〃



〃Oh；　is　that　all？〃　said　Mr。　Preston；　looking　relieved。　　〃But　how

did　you　lose　it？〃



〃I　was　walking　home　down　the　Bowery；　when　two　fellows　met　me。　

One　of　them；　Mike　Donovan；　forced　me　into　a　fight。　　I　gave　him　a

licking；〃　added　Paul；　with　satisfaction；　〃but　when　it　was　all

over；　I　found　the　other　fellow　had　run　off　with　the　shirt。〃



〃I　don't　believe　it　will　fit　him；〃　said　Mr。　Preston；　laughing。



As　the　speaker　probably　weighed　two　hundred　and　fifty　pounds；　it

was；　indeed；　rather　doubtful。　　Paul　couldn't　help　laughing

himself　at　the　thought。



〃You　were　certainly　unlucky；〃　said　Mr。　Preston。　　〃Did　you　know

the　boy　you　fought　with？〃



〃Yes；　sir；　he　once　before　stole　my　stock　of　candy；　when　I　was　in

the　prize…package　business。〃



〃That　was　the　day　we　got　acquainted；〃　remarked　Mr。　Preston。



〃Yes；　sir。〃



〃He　doesn't　seem　to　be　a　very　particular　friend　of　yours。〃



〃No；　he　hates　me；　Mike　does；　though　I　don't　know　why。　　But　I　hope

you　won't　be　angry　with　me　for　losing　the　shirt？〃



〃No；　it　doesn't　seem　to　be　your　fault；　only　your　misfortune。〃



〃I　was　afraid　you　might　think　I　had　made　up　the　story；　and　only

wanted　to　get　an　extra　shirt　from　you。〃



〃No；　my　young　friend；　I　have　some　faith　in　physiognomy；　and　you

have　an　honest　face。　　I　don't　believe　you　would　deceive　me。〃



〃No；　I　wouldn't；〃　said　Paul；　promptly。　　〃If　you　will　trust　me

with　another　shirt；　mother　will　make　you　an　extra　one　to　make　up

for　the　one　I　have　lost。〃



〃Certainly　you　shall　have　the　extra　shirt；　but　you　needn't　supply

the　place　of　the　one　lost。〃



〃It　is　only　fair　that　I　should。〃



〃That　may　be；　and　I　am　glad　you　made　the　offer；　but　the　loss　is

of　little　importance　to　me。　　It　was　no　fault　of　yours　that　you

lost　it；　and　you　shall　not　suffer　for　it。〃



〃You　are　very　kind；　sir；〃　said　Paul；　gratefully。



〃Only　just；　Paul。〃



Mr。　Preston　went　to　the　bureau；　and　drew　out　another　shirt；　which

he　handed　to　Paul。



〃Let　me　suggest；　my　young　friend；〃　he　said；　〃that　you　ride　home

this　time。　　It　is　late；　and　you　might　have　another　encounter　with

your　friend。　　I　should　like　to　see　him　with　the　shirt　on；〃　and

Mr。　Preston　laughed　heartily　at　the　thought。



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

runnin