paul the peddler-第5章

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gold　dollar　she　could　lend　you。〃



〃That　might　do；〃　said　Paul；　〃but　I　don't　know　any　boy　I　could

trust　to　draw　it　except　you；　and　some　of　them　would　know　we　were

brothers。〃



〃I　think；　Paul；　that　would　be　dishonest；〃　said　Mrs。　Hoffman。　　〃I

would　rather　make　less；　if　I　were　you；　and　do　it　honestly。〃



〃Maybe　you're　right；　mother。　　I'll　try　it　again　this　afternoon；

keeping　as　far　away　from　Teddy　as　I　can。　　If　I　find　I　can't　make

it　go；　I'll　try　some　other　business。〃



〃Jimmy；　have　you　shown　Paul　your　drawing？〃　said　his　mother。



〃Here　it　is；　Paul；〃　said　Jimmy；　producing　his　drawing…　book；　from

which　he　had　copied　a　simple　design　of　a　rustic　cottage。



〃Why；　that's　capital；　Jimmy；〃　said　Paul；　in　real　surprise。　　〃I

had　no　idea　you　would　succeed　so　well。〃



〃Do　you　really　think　so；　Paul？〃　asked　the　little　boy；　much

pleased。



〃I　really　do。　　How　long　did　it　take　you？〃



〃Only　a　short　timenot　more　than　half　an　hour；　I　should　think；〃

said　Mrs。　Hoffman。　　〃I　think　Jimmy　succeeded　very　well。〃



〃You'll　make　a　great　artist　some　time；　Jimmy；〃　said　Paul。



〃I　wish　I　could；〃　said　the　little　boy。　　〃I　should　like　to　earn

some　money；　so　that　you　and　mother　need　not　work　so　hard。〃



〃Hard　work　agrees　with　me。　　I'm　tough；〃　said　Paul。　　〃But　when　we

get　to　be　men；　Jimmy；　we'll　make　so　much　money　that　mother

needn't　work　at　all。　　She　shall　sit　in　the　parlor　all　day；

dressed　in　silk；　with　nothing　to　do。〃



〃I　don't　think　I　would　enjoy　that；〃　said　Mrs。　Hoffman；　smiling。



〃Will　you　be　in　the　candy　business；　then；　Paul？〃　said　Jimmy。



〃No；　Jimmy。　　It　would　never　do　for　the　brother　of　a　great　artist

to　be　selling　candy　round　the　streets。　　I　hope　I　shall　have

something　better　to　do　than　that。〃



〃Sit　down　to　dinner；　Paul；〃　said　his　mother。　　〃It's　all　ready。〃



The　dinner　was　not　a　luxurious　one。　　There　was　a　small　plate　of

cold　meat；　some　potatoes；　and　bread　and　butter；　but　Mrs。　Hoffman

felt　glad　to　be　able　to　provide　even　that；　and　Paul；　who　had　the

hearty　appetite　of　a　growing　boy；　did　full　justice　to　the　fare。　

They　had　scarcely　finished；　when　a　knock　was　heard　at　the　door。　

Paul；　answering　the　summons；　admitted　a　stout；　pleasant…looking

Irishwoman。



〃The　top　of　the　mornin'　to　ye；　Mrs。　Donovan；〃　said　Paul；　bowing

ceremoniously。



〃Ah；　ye'll　be　afther　havin'　your　joke；　Paul；〃　said　Mrs。　Donovan；

good…naturedly。　　〃And　how　is　your　health；　mum；　the　day？〃



〃I　am　well；　thank　you；　Mrs。　Donovan；〃　said　Mrs。　Hoffman。　　〃Sit

down　to　the　table；　won't　you？　　We're　just　through　dinner；　but

there's　something　left。〃



〃Thank　you；　mum；　I've　jist　taken　dinner。　　I　was　goin'　to　wash

this　afternoon；　and　I　thought　maybe　you'd　have　some　little　pieces

I　could　wash　jist　as　well　as　not。〃



〃Thank　you；　Mrs。　Donovan；　you　are　very　kind；　but　you　must　have

enough　work　of　your　own　to　do。〃



〃I'm　stout　and　strong；　mum；　and　hard　work　agrees　with　me；　but

you're　a　rale　lady；　and　ain't　used　to　it。　　It's　only　a　thrifle；

but　if　you　want　to　pay　me；　you　could　do　a　bit　of　sewin'　for　me。　

I　ain't　very　good　with　the　needle。　　My　fingers　is　too　coarse；

belike。〃



〃Thank　you；　Mrs。　Donovan；　on　those　terms　I　will　agree　to　your

kind　offer。　　Washing　is　a　little　hard　for　me。〃



Mrs。　Hoffman　collected　a　few　pieces；　and；　wrapping　them　up　in　a

handkerchief；　handed　them　to　her　guest。



〃And　now　what　have　you　been　doin'；　Jimmy　darlint？〃　said　Mrs。

Donovan；　turning　her　broad；　good…humored　face　toward　the　younger

boy。



〃I've　been　drawing　a　picture；〃　said　Jimmy。　　〃Would　you　like　to

see　it？〃



〃Now；　isn't　that　illigant？〃　exclaimed　Mrs。　Donovan；　admiringly；

taking　the　picture　and　gazing　at　it　with　rapt　admiration。　　〃Who

showed　you　how　to　do　it？〃



〃Paul　bought　me　a　book；　and　I　copied　it　out　of　that。〃



〃You're　a　rale　genius。　　Maybe　you'll　make　pictures　some　time　like

them　we　have　in　the　church；　of　the　Blessed　Virgin　and　the　Saints。



Do　you　think　you　could　draw　me；　now？〃　she　asked；　with　curiosity。



〃I　haven't　got　a　piece　of　paper　big　enough；〃　said　Jimmy；　slyly。



〃Ah；　it's　pokin'　fun　at　me；　ye　are；〃　said　Mrs。　Donovan；

good…humoredly。　　〃Just　like　my　Pat；　he　run　into　the　room

yesterday　sayin'；　'Mother；　there's　great　news。　　Barnum's　fat

woman　is　dead；　and　he's　comin'　afther　you　this　afternoon。　　He'll

pay　you　ten　dollars　a　week　and　board。'　'Whist；　ye　spalpeen！'　said

I；　'is　it　makin'　fun　of　your　poor　mother；　ye　are？'　but　I　couldn't

help　laughing　at　the　impertinence　of　the　boy。　　But　I　must　be

goin'。〃



〃Thank　you　for　your　kind　offer；　Mrs。　Donovan。　　Jimmy　shall　go　to

your　room　for　the　sewing。〃



〃There's　no　hurry　about　that；〃　said　Mrs。　Donovan。　　〃I'll　jist

bring　it　in　meself　when　it's　ready。〃



〃She　is　very　kind；〃　said　Mrs。　Hoffman；　when　Bridget　Donovan　had

gone。　　〃I　shall　be　glad　to　have　her　wash。　　I　am　apt　to　feel　weak

after　it。　　What　are　you　going　to　do　this　afternoon；　Paul？〃



〃I'll　try　to　sell　out　the　rest　of　my　stock　of　packages。　　Perhaps

I　shan't　succeed；　but　I'll　do　my　best。　　Shall　you　have　another

picture　to　show　me　when　I　come　back　tonight；　Jimmy？〃



〃Yes；　Paul；　I　love　to　draw。　　I'm　going　to　try　this　castle。〃



〃It's　rather　hard；　isn't　it？〃



〃I　can　do　it；〃　said　Jimmy；　confidently。



Paul　left　the　room　with　his　basket　on　his　arm。



He　was　drawn　by　curiosity　to　the　spot　where　he　had　met　with　his

first　success；　as　well　as　his　first　failurethe　front　of　the

post　office。　　Here　he　became　witness　to　an　unexpectedly　lively

scene；　in　other　words；　a　fight；　in　which　Teddy　O'Brien　and　his

confederate；　Mike；　were　the　contestants。　　To　explain　the　cause　of

the　quarrel；　it　must　be　stated　that　it　related　to　a　division　of

the　spoils。



Teddy　had　sold　out　his　last　package；　seventy…five　in　number。　　For

these　he　had　received　five　cents　apiece；　making　in　all　three

dollars　and　seventy…five　cents；　of　which　all　but　a　dollar　and

seventy…five　cents；　representing　the　value　of　the　prizes　and　the

original　cost　of　the　packages　and　their　contents；　was　profit。　

Now；　according　to　the　arrangement　entered　into　between　him　and

Mike；　the　latter；　for　his　services；　was　to　receive　one　cent　on

every　package　sold。　　This；　however；　seemed　to　Teddy　too　much　to

pay；　so；　when　the　time　of　reckoning　came；　he　stoutly　asseverated

that　there　were　but　sixty　packages。



〃That　don't　go　down；〃　said　Mike；　indignantly；　〃it's　nearer　a

hundred。〃



〃No；　it　isn't。　　It's　only　sixty。　　You've　got　the　fifty　cents；　and

I'll　give　you　ten　more。〃



〃You　must　give　me　the　whole　sixty；　then；〃　said　Mike；　changing　his

ground。　　〃I　drawed　the　fifty　as　a　prize。〃



Teddy　was　struck　with　astonishment　at　the　impudence　of　this

assumption。



〃It　wasn't　no　prize；〃　he　said。



〃Yes；　it　was；〃　said　Mike。　　〃You　said　so　yourself。　　Didn't　he；

Jim？〃



Jim；　who　was　also　a　confederate；　but　had　agreed　to　accept

twenty…five　cents　in　full　for　services　rendered；　promptly

answered：



〃Shure；　Mike's　right。　　It　was　a　prize　he　drew。〃



〃You　want　to　chate　me！〃　　said　Teddy；　angrily。



〃What　have　you　been　doin'　all　the　mornin'？〃　demanded　Mike。　

〃You're　the　chap　to　talk　about　chatin'；　ain't　you？〃



〃I'll　give　you　twenty…five　cents；〃　said　Teddy；　〃and　that's　all　I

will　give　you。〃



〃Then　you've　got　to　fight；〃　said　Mike；　squaring　off。



〃Yes；　you've　got　to　fight！〃　　chimed　in　Jim；　who　thought　he　saw　a

chance　for　more　money。



Teddy　looked　at　his　two　enemies；　each　of　whom　was　probably　more

than　a　match　for　himself；　and　was　not　long　in　deciding　that　his

best　course　was　to　avoid　a　fight　by　running。　　Accordingly；　he

tucked　all　the　money　into　his　pocket；　and；　turning　incontinently；

fled　down　Liberty　street；　closely　pursued　by　his　late

confederates。　　Paul　came　up　just　in　time　to　hear　the　termination

of　the　dispute　and　watch　the　flight　of　his　late　business　rival。　



〃I　guess　Teddy　won't　go　into　the　business　again；〃　he　reflected。　

〃I　may　as　well　take　my　old　stand。〃



Accordingly　he　once　more