paul the peddler-第17章

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shall　I　go　at　next？〃



It　was　six　o'clock；　and　there　was　nothing　to　be　done　till　the

morrow。　　He　went　slowly　homeward；　revolving　this　subject　in　his

mind。　　He　knew　that　he　need　not　remain　idle。　　He　could　black

boots；　or　sell　newspapers；　if　nothing　better　offered；　and　he

thought　it　quite　possible　that　he　might　adopt　the　latter

business；　for　a　few　days　at　least。　　He　had　not　forgotten　Mr。

Preston's　injunction　to　let　him　know　when　he　got　out　of　business；

but；　as　the　second　half　dozen　shirts　would　be　ready　in　three　or

four　days；　he　preferred　to　wait　till　then；　and　not　make　a　special

call　on　Mr　Preston。　　He　had　considerable　independence　of　feeling；

and　didn't　like　to　put　himself　in　the　position　of　one　asking　a

favor；　though　he　had　no　objection　to　accept　one　voluntarily

offered。



〃Well；　mother；〃　he　said；　entering　his　humble　home；　〃I　am　out　of

business。〃



〃Has　George　recovered；　then？〃



〃Yes；　he　was　at　the　stand　to…day；　but　wanted　me　to　stay　with　him

till　this　evening。〃



〃Oh；　I'm　so　sorry！〃　　said　Jimmy。



〃Sorry　that　George　has　got　well？　　For　shame；　Jimmy！〃



〃No；　I　don't　mean　that；　Paul。　　I　am　sorry　you　are　out　of　work。〃



〃I　shall　find　plenty　to　do；　Jimmy。　　Perhaps　Mr。　Stewart　will　take

me　in　as　senior　partner；　if　I　ask　him。〃



〃I　don't　think　he　will；〃　said　Jimmy；　laughing。



〃Then　perhaps　I　can　get　a　few　scholars　in　drawing。　　Can't　you

recommend　me？〃



〃I　am　afraid　not；　Paul；　unless　you　have　improved　a　good　deal。〃







CHAPTER　XIV



THE　DIAMOND　RING



Paul　was　up　betimes　the　next　morning。　　He　had　made　up　his　mind

for　a　few　days；　at　least；　to　sell　newspapers；　and　it　was

necessary　in　this　business　to　begin　the　day　early。　　He　tool　a

dollar　with　him　and　invested　a　part　of　it　in　a　stock　of　dailies。　

He　posted　himself　in　Printing　House　square；　and　began　to　look　out

for　customers。　　Being　an　enterprising　boy；　he　was　sure　to　meet

with　fair　success　in　any　business　which　he　undertook。　　So　it

happened　that　at　ten　o'clock　he　had　sold　out　his　stock　of　papers；

and　realized　a　profit　of　fifty　cents。



It　was　getting　late　for　morning　papers；　and　there　was　nothing

left　to　do　till　the　issue　of　the　first　edition　of　the　afternoon

papers。



〃I'll　go　down　and　see　how　George　Barry　is　getting　along；〃　thought

Paul。



He　crossed　Broadway　and　soon　reached　the　familiar　stand。



〃How's　business；　George？〃　he　inquired。



〃Fair；〃　said　Barry。　　〃I've　sold　four　ties。〃



〃How　do　you　feel？〃



〃I'm　not　so　strong　as　I　was；　yet。　　I　get　tired　more　easily。　　I

don't　think　I　shall　stay　in　this　business　long。〃



〃You　don't？　　What　will　you　do　then？〃



〃I've　got　a　chance　in　Philadelphia；　or　I　shall　have　by　the　first

of　the　month。〃



〃What　sort　of　a　chance？〃



〃Mother　got　a　letter　yesterday　from　a　cousin　of　hers　who　has　a

store　on　Chestnut　street。　　He　offers　to　take　me　as　a　clerk；　and

give　me　ten　dollars　a　week　at　first；　and　more　after　a　while。〃



〃That's　a　good　offer。　　I　should　like　to　get　one　like　it。〃



〃I'll　tell　you　what；　Paul；　you'd　better　buy　out　my　stand。　　You

know　how　to　sell　ties；　and　can　make　money。〃



〃There's　only　one　objection；　George。〃



〃What's　that？〃



〃I　haven't　got　any　capital。〃



〃It　don't　need　much。〃



〃How　much？〃



〃I'll　sell　out　all　my　stock　at　cost　price。〃



〃How　much　do　you　think　there　is？〃



〃About　twenty…five　dollars'　worth。　　Then　there　is　the　frame；

which　is　worth；　say　ten　dollars；　making　thirty…five　in　all。　　That

isn't　much。〃



〃It's　more　than　I've　got。　　I'll　tell　you　what　I'll　do。　　I'll　take

it；　and　pay　you　five　dollars　down　and　the　rest　in　one　month。〃



〃I　would　take　your　offer；　Paul；　but　I　need　all　the　money　how。　　It

will　be　expensive　moving　to　Philadelphia　and　I　shall　want　all　I

can　get。〃



〃I　wish　I　could　buy　you　out；〃　said　Paul；　thoughtfully。



〃Can't　you　borrow　the　money？〃



〃How　soon　do　you　want　to　give　up？〃



〃It's　the　seventeenth　now。　　I　should　like　to　get　rid　of　it　by　the

twenty…second。〃



〃I'll　see　what　I　can　do。　　Just　keep　it　for　me　till　to…morrow。〃



〃All　right。〃



Paul　walked　home　revolving　in　his　mind　this　unexpected

opportunity。　　He　had　made；　as　George　Barry's　agent；　a　dollar　a

day；　though　he　received　only　half　the　profits。　　If　he　were

himself　the　proprietor；　and　did　equally　well；　he　could　make

twelve　dollars　a　week。　　The　calculation　almost　took　away　his

breath。　　Twelve　dollars　a　week　would　make　about　fifty　dollars　a

month。　　It　would　enable　him　to　contribute　more　to　the　support　of

the　family；　and　save　up　money　besides。　　But　the　great　problem

was；　how　to　raise　the　necessary　money。　　If　Paul　had　been　a

railroad　corporation；　he　might　have　issued　first　mortgage　bonds

at　a　high　rate　of　interest；　payable　in　gold；　and　negotiated　them

through　some　leading　banker。　　But　he　was　not　much　versed　in

financial　schemes；　and　therefore　was　at　a　loss。　　The　only　wealthy

friend　he　had　was　Mr。　Preston；　and　he　did　not　like　to　apply　to

him　till　he　had　exhausted　other　ways　and　means。



〃What　makes　you　so　sober；　Paul？〃　asked　his　mother；　as　he　entered

the　room。　　〃You　are　home　early。〃



〃Yes；　I　sold　all　my　papers；　and　thought　I　would　take　an　early

dinner；　so　as　to　be　on　hand　in　time　for　the　first　afternoon

papers。〃



〃Don't　you　feel　well？〃



〃Tiptop；　but　I've　had　a　good　offer；　and　I'm　thinking　whether　I

can　accept　it。〃



〃What　sort　of　an　offer？〃



〃George　Barry　wants　to　sell　out　his　stand。〃



〃How　much　does　he　ask？〃



〃Thirty…five　dollars。〃



〃Is　it　worth　that？〃



〃Yes；　it's　worth　all　that；　and　more；　too。　　If　I　had　it　I　could

make　two　dollars　a　day。　　But　I　haven't　got　thirty…five　dollars。〃



〃I　can　let　you　have　nine；　Paul。　　I　had　a　little　saved　up；　and　I

haven't　touched　the　money　Mr。　Preston　paid　me　for　the　shirts。〃



〃I've　got　five　myself；　but　that　will　only　make　fourteen。〃



〃Won't　he　wait　for　the　rest？〃



〃No；　he's　going　to　Philadelphia　early　next　week；　and　wants　the

whole　in　cash。〃



〃It　would　be　a　pity　to　lose　such　a　good　chance；〃　said　Mrs。

Hoffman。



〃That's　what　I　think。〃



〃You　could　soon　save　up　the　money　on　two　dollars　a　day。〃



〃I　could　pay　for　it　in　a　monthI　mean；　all　above　the　fourteen

dollars　we　have。〃



〃In　a　day　or　two　I　shall　have　finished　the　second　half…dozen

shirts；　and　then　I　suppose　Mr。　Preston　will　pay　me　nine　dollars

more。　　I　could　let　you　have　six　dollars　of　that。〃



〃That　would　make　twenty。　　Perhaps　George　Barry　will　take　that。　

If　he　won't　I　don't　know　but　I　will　venture　to　apply　to　Mr。

Preston。〃



〃He　seems　to　take　an　interest　in　you。　　Perhaps　he　would　trust　you

with　the　money。〃



〃I　could　offer　him　a　mortgage　on　the　stock；〃　said　Paul。



〃If　he　has　occasion　to　foreclose；　he　will　be　well　provided　with

neckties；〃　said　Mrs。　Hoffman；　smiling。



〃None　of　which　he　could　wear。　　I'll　tell　you　what；　mother；　I

should　like　to　pick　up　a　pocketbook　in　the　street；　containing；

say；　twenty　or　twenty…five　dollars。〃



〃That　would　be　very　convenient；〃　said　his　mother；　〃but　I　think　it

will　hardly　do　to　depend　on　such　good　luck　happening　to　you。　　By

the　way；〃　she　said；　suddenly；　〃perhaps　I　can　help　you；　after　all。



Don't　you　remember　that　gold　ring　I　picked　up　in　Central　Park　two

years　ago？〃



〃The　one　you　advertised？〃



〃Yes。　　I　advertised；　or；　rather；　your　father　did；　but　we　never

found　an　owner　for　it。〃



〃I　remember　it　now；　mother。　　Have　you　got　the　ring　still？〃



〃I　will　get　it。〃



Mrs。　Hoffman　went　to　her　trunk；　and；　opening　it；　produced　the

ring　referred　to。　　It　was　a　gold　ring　with　a　single　stone　of

considerable　size。



〃I　don't　know　how　much　it　is　worth；〃　said　Mrs。　Hoffman；　〃but　if

the　ring　is　a　diamond；　as　I　think　it　is；　it　must　be　worth　as　much

as　twenty　dollars。〃



〃Did　you　ever　price　it？〃



〃No；　Paul；　I　have　kept　it；　thinking　that　it　would　be　something　to

fall　back　upon　if　we　should　ever　be　hard　pressed。　　As　long　as　we

were　ab