paul the peddler-第31章

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curiosity；　maintained　her　stand　by　his　side。



〃The　message　is　private；〃　he　said。



〃I　suppose　that　means　that　I　am　in　the　way；〃　remarked　the

landlady；　sharply。　　〃I　don't　want　to　pry　into　anybody's　secrets。　

Thank　Heaven；　I　haven't　got　any　secrets　of　my　own。〃



〃Walk　in；　young　man；〃　said　Mrs。　Montgomery。



Paul　entered　the　room；　and　she　closed　the　door　behind　him。　

Meanwhile　the　landlady；　who　had　gone　part　way　downstairs；

retraced　her　steps；　softly；　and　put　her　ear　to　the　keyhole。　　Her

curiosity；　naturally　strong；　had　been　stimulated　by　Paul's

intimation　that　there　was　a　secret。



〃Now；〃　said　Mrs。　Montgomery；　impatiently；　〃out　with　it！　　Why　does

my　husband　send　a　message　by　you；　instead　of　coming　himself？〃



〃He　can't　come　himself。〃



〃Why　can't　he？〃



〃I　am　sorry　to　say　that　I　am　the　bearer　of　bad　news；〃　said　Paul；

gravely。　　〃Your　husband　has　been　arrested　for　robbing　me　of　a

diamond　ring。〃



〃Where　is　he？〃　demanded　Mrs。　Montgomery；　not　so　much　excited　or

overcome　as　she　would　have　been　had　this　been　the　first　time　her

husband　had　fallen　into　the　clutches　of　the　law。



〃At　the　street　station…house。　　He　wants　you　to　come　and　see　him。〃



〃Have　you　got　the　ring　back？〃



〃Yes。〃



Mrs。　Montgomery　was　sorry　to　hear　it。　　She　hoped　her　husband

might　be　able　to　secrete　it；　in　which　case　he　would　pass　it　over

to　her　to　dispose　of。　　Now　she　was　rather　awkwardly　situated；

being　without　money；　or　the　means　of　making　any。



〃I　will　go；〃　she　said。



Paul；　who　was　sitting　next　to　the　door；　opened　it　suddenly；　with

unexpected　effort；　for　the　landlady；　whose　ear　was　fast　to　the

keyhole；　staggered　into　the　room　involuntarily。



〃So　you　were　listening；　ma'am；　were　you？〃　demanded　Mrs。

Montgomery；　scornfully。



〃Yes；　I　was；〃　said　the　landlady；　rather　red　in　the　face。



〃You　were　in　good　business。〃



〃It's　a　better　business　than　stealing　diamond　rings；〃　retorted

the　landlady；　recovering　herself。　　〃I've　long　suspected　there　was

something　wrong　about　you　and　your　husband；　ma'am；　and　now　I　know

it。　　I　don't　want　no　thieves　nor　jail　birds　in　my　house；　and　the

sooner　you　pay　your　bill　and　leave；　the　better　I'll　like　it。〃



〃I'll　leave　as　soon　as　you　like；　but　I　can't　pay　your　bill。〃



〃I　dare　say；〃　retorted　the　landlady。　　〃You're　a　nice　character　to

cheat　an　honest　woman　out　of　four　weeks'　board。〃







〃Well；　Paul；　what　news？〃　asked　Barry。



〃I　am　ready　to　buy　your　stand；〃　said　Paul。



〃Can　you　pay　me　all　the　money　down？〃



〃On　the　spot。〃



〃Then　it　is　all　settled；〃　said　Barry；　with　satisfaction。　　〃I　am

glad　of　it；　for　now　I　shall　be　able　to　go　on　to　Philadelphia

to…morrow。〃



Paul　drew　a　roll　of　bills　from　his　pocket；　and　proceeded　to　count

out　thirty…five　dollars。　　Barry　noticed　with　surprise　that　he　had

a　considerable　amount　left。



〃You　are　getting　rich；　Paul；〃　he　said。



〃I　am　not　rich　yet；〃　answered　Paul；　〃but　I　mean　to　be　some　time

if　I　can　accomplish　it　by　industry　and　attention　to　business。〃



〃You'll　be　sure　to　succeed；〃　said　George　Barry。　　〃You're　just　the

right　sort。　　Good…by；　old　fellow。　　When　you　come　on　to

Philadelphia　come　and　see　me。〃



〃I　may　establish　a　branch　stand　in　Philadelphia　before　long；〃

said　Paul；　jocosely。







CHAPTER　XXVI



CONCLUSION



When　Paul　was　left　in　charge　of　the　stand；　and　realized　that　it

was　his　own；　he　felt　a　degree　of　satisfaction　which　can　be

imagined。　　He　had　been　a　newsboy；　a　baggage…smasher；　and　in　fact

had　pretty　much　gone　the　round　of　the　street　trades；　but　now　he

felt　that　he　had　advanced　one　step　higher。　　Some　of　my　readers

may　not　appreciate　the　difference；　but　to　Paul　it　was　a　great

one。　　He　was　not　a　merchant　prince；　to　be　sure；　but　he　had　a

fixed　place　of　business；　and　with　his　experience　he　felt

confident　he　could　make　it　pay。



〃I　am　sure　I　can　make　from　ten　to　fifteen　dollars　a　week；〃　he

said　to　himself。　　〃I　averaged　over　a　dollar　a　day　when　I　worked

for　George　Barry；　and　then　I　only　got　half…profits。　　Now　I　shall

have　the　whole。〃



This　consideration　was　a　very　agreeable　one。　　He　would　be　able　to

maintain　his　mother　and　little　Jimmy　in　greater　comfort　than

before；　and　this　he　cared　more　for　than　for　any　extra　indulgences

for　himself。　　In　fact；　he　could　relieve　his　mother　entirely　from

the　necessity　of　working；　and　yet　live　better　than　at　present。　

When　Paul　thought　of　this；　it　gave　him　a　thrill　of　satisfaction；

and　made　him　feel　almost　like　a　man。



He　set　to　work　soliciting　custom；　and　soon　had　sold　three

neckties　at　twenty…five　cents　each。



〃All　that　money　is　mine；〃　he　thought；　proudly。　　〃I　haven't　got　to

hand　any　of　it　over　to　George　Barry。　　That's　a　comfort。〃



As　this　thought　occurred　to　him　he　recognized　an　old　acquaintance

strolling　along　the　sidewalk　in　his　direction。　　It　was　no　other

than　Jim　Parker；　the　friend　and　crony　of　Mike　Donovan；　who　will

be　remembered　as　figuring　in　not　a　very　creditable　way　in　the

earlier　chapters　of　this　story。　　It　so　happened　that　he　and　Paul

had　not　met　for　some　time；　and　Jim　was　quite　ignorant　of　Paul's

rise　in　life。



As　for　Jim　himself；　no　great　change　had　taken　place　in　his

appearance　or　prospects。　　His　suit　was　rather　more　ragged　and

dirty　than　when　we　first　made　his　acquaintance；　having　been　worn

night　and　day　in　the　streets；　by　night　stretched　out　in　some

dirty　alley　or　out…of…the…way　corner；　where　Jim　found　cheap

lodgings。　　He　strolled　along　with　his　hands　in　his　pockets；　not

much　concerned　at　the　deficiencies　in　his　costume。



〃Hallo！〃　　said　he；　stopping　opposite　Paul's　stand。　　〃What　are　you

up　to？〃



〃You　can　see　for　yourself；〃　answered　Paul。　　〃I　am　selling

neckties。〃



〃How　long　you've　been　at　it？〃



〃Just　begun。〃



〃Who's　your　boss？〃



〃I　haven't　any。〃



〃You　ain't　runnin'　the　stand　yourself；　be　you？〃　asked　Jim；　in

surprise。



〃Yes。〃



〃Where'd　you　borrow　the　stamps？〃



〃Of　my　mother；〃　said　Paul。　　〃Can't　I　sell　you　a　necktie　this

morning？〃



〃Not　much；〃　said　Jim；　laughing　at　the　joke。　　〃I've　got　my　trunks

stuffed　full　of　'em　at　home；　but　I　don't　wear　'em　only　Sundays。　

Do　you　make　much　money？〃



〃I　expect　to　do　pretty　well。〃



〃What　made　you　give　up　sellin'　prize　packages？〃　asked　Jim　slyly。





〃Customers　like　you；〃　answered　Paul。



Jim　laughed。



〃You　didn't　catch　me　that　time　you　lost　your　basket；〃　he　said。



〃That　was　a　mean　trick；〃　said　Paul；　indignantly。



〃You　don't　want　to　hire　me　to　sell　for　you；　do　you？〃



〃That's　where　you're　right。　　I　don't。〃



〃I'd　like　to　go　into　the　business。〃



〃You'd　better　open　a　second…hand　clothing　store；〃　suggested　Paul；

glancing　at　his　companion's　ragged　attire。



〃Maybe　I　will；〃　said　Jim　with　a　grin；　〃if　you'll　buy　of　me。〃



〃I　don't　like　the　style；〃　said　Paul。　　〃Who's　your　tailor？〃



〃He　lives　round　in　Chatham　street。　　Say；　can't　you　lend　a　fellow

a　couple　of　shillin'　to　buy　some　breakfast？〃



〃Have　you　done　any　work　to…day？〃



〃No。〃



〃Then　you　can't　expect　to　eat　if　you　don't　work。〃



〃I　didn't　have　no　money　to　start　with。〃



〃Suppose　you　had　a　quarter；　what　would　you　do？〃



〃I'd　buy　a　ten…cent　plate　of　meat；　and　buy　some　evenin'　papers

with　the　rest。〃



〃If　you'll　do　that；　I'll　give　you　what　you　ask　for。〃



〃You'll　give　me　two　shillin'？〃　repeated　Jim；　incredulously；　for

he　remembered　how　he　had　wronged　Paul。



〃Yes；〃　said　Paul。　　〃Here's　the　money；〃　and　he　drew　a

twenty…five…cent　piece　from　his　vest　pocket；　and　handed　it　to

Jim。



〃You　give　me　that　after　the　mean　trick　I　played　you？〃　said　Jim。



〃Yes；　I　am　sorry　for　you　and　want　to　help　you　along。〃



〃You're　a　brick！〃　　exclaimed　Jim；　emphatically。　　〃If　any　feller

tries　to　play　a　trick　on　you；　you　just　tell　me；　and　I'll　lam

him。〃



〃All　right；　Jim！〃　　said　Paul；　kindly；　〃I'll　remember　it。〃



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