paul the peddler-第12部分

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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

running　any　more　risk　in　the　matter。　　He　accordingly　walked　to

Fourth　avenue　and　got　on　board　the　car。



It　was　nearly　eleven　o'clock　when　he　reached　home。　　As　it　was

never　his　habit　to　stay　out　late；　his　mother　had　become　alarmed

at　his　long　absence。



〃What　kept　you　so　late；　Paul？〃　she　asked。



〃I'll　tell　you；　pretty　soon；　mother。　　Here's　the　shirt　that　is　to

serve　as　a　pattern。　　Can　you　cut　out　the　new　shirts　by　it？〃



Mrs。　Hoffman　examined　it　attentively。



〃Yes；〃　she　said；　〃there　will　be　no　difficulty　about　that。　　Mr。

Preston　must　be　a　pretty　large　man。〃



〃Yes；　he　is　big　enough　for　an　alderman；　but　he　is　very　kind　and

considerate；　and　I　like　him。　　You　shall　judge　for　yourself　when　I

tell　you　what　happened　this　evening。〃



It　will　not　be　necessary　to　tell　Paul's　adventure　over　again。　

His　mother　listened　with　pardonable　indignation　against　Mike

Donovan　and　his　companion。



〃I　hope　you　won't　have　anything　to　do　with　that　bad　boy；　Paul；〃

she　said。



〃I　shan't；　if　I　can　help　it；〃　said　Paul。　　〃I　didn't　want　to　speak

to　him　to…night；　but　I　couldn't　help　myself。　　Oh；　I　forgot　to

say；　when　half　the　shirts　are　ready；　I　am　to　take　them　to　Mr。

Preston。〃



〃I　think　I　can　make　one　a　day。〃



〃There　is　no　need　of　working　so　steadily；　mother。　　You　will　be

well　paid；　you　know。〃



〃That　is　true；　and　for　that　reason　I　shall　work　more　cheerfully。　

I　wish　I　could　get　paid　as　well　for　all　my　work。〃



〃Perhaps　Mr。　Preston　will　recommend　you　to　his　friends；　and　you

can　get　more　work　that　way。〃



〃I　wish　I　could。〃



〃I　will　mention　it　to　him；　when　I　carry　back　the　last　half

dozen。〃



〃Is　he　going　to　send　the　cloth？〃



〃I　nearly　forgot　that；　too。　　I　have　an　order　on　Barclay　&　Co。　

for　the　necessary　amount　of　cloth。　　I　can　go　up　there　to…morrow

morning　and　get　it。〃



〃That　will　take　you　from　your　work；　Paul。〃



〃Well；　I　can　close　up　for　a　couple　of　hours。〃



〃I　don't　think　that　will　be　necessary。　　I　will　go　up　myself　and

present　the　order；　and　get　them　to　send　it　home　for　me。〃



〃Will　they　do　that？〃



〃It　is　their　custom。　　Or；　if　the　bundle　isn't　too　large。　　I　can

bring　it　home　myself　in　the　car。〃



〃That's　all　right；　then。　　And　now；　mother；　as　it's　past　eleven

o'clock；　I　think　we　may　as　well　both　go　to　bed。〃



The　next　day　Paul　went　as　usual　to　his　business；　and　Mrs。

Hoffman；　after　clearing　away　the　breakfast；　put　on　her　bonnet　and

shawl；　and　prepared　to　go　for　the　materials　for　the　shirts。



The　retail　store　of　Barclay　&　Co。　is　of　great　size；　and　ranks

among　the　most　important　in　New　York。　　It　was　not　so　well　filled

when　Mrs。　Hoffman　entered　as　it　would　be　later。　　She　was　directed

to　the　proper　counter；　where　she　presented　the　order；　signed　by

Mr。　Preston。　　As　he　was　a　customer　of　long　standing；　there　was　no

difficulty　about　filling　the　order。　　A　bundle　was　made　up；　which；

as　it　contained　the　materials　for　twelve　shirts；　necessarily　was

of　considerable　size。



〃Here　is　your　bundle；　ma'am；〃　said　the　clerk。



Mrs。　Hoffman's　strength　was　slender；　and　she　did　not　feel　able　to

carry　the　heavy　bundle　offered　her。　　Even　if　she　took　the　car；

she　would　be　obliged　to　carry　it　a　portion　of　the　way；　and　she

felt　that　it　would　overtask　her　strength。



〃Don't　you　send　bundles？〃　she　asked。



〃Sometimes；〃　said　the　clerk；　looking　superciliously　at　the　modest

attire　of　the　poor　widow；　and　mentally　deciding　that　she　was　not

entitled　to　much　consideration。　　Had　she　been　richly　dressed；　he

would　have　been　very　obsequious；　and　insisted　on　sending　home　the

smallest　parcel。　　But　there　are　many　who　have　two　rules　of

conduct；　one　for　the　rich；　and　quite　a　different　one　for　the

poor；　and　among　these　was　the　clerk　who　was　attending　upon　Mrs。

Hoffman。



〃Then；〃　said　Mrs。　Hoffman；　〃I　should　like　to　have　you　send　this。〃



〃It's　a　great　deal　of　trouble　to　send　everything；〃　said　the

clerk；　impertinently。



〃This　bundle　is　too　heavy　f