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

clerk；　impertinently。



〃This　bundle　is　too　heavy　for　me　to　carry；〃　said　the　widow；

deprecatingly。



〃I　suppose　we　can　send　it；〃　said　the　clerk；　ill…naturedly；　〃if

you　insist　upon　it。〃



Meanwhile；　though　he　had　not　observed　it；　his　employer　had

approached；　and　heard　the　last　part　of　the　colloquy。　　He　was

considered　by　some　as　a　hard　man；　but　there　was　one　thing　he

always　required　of　those　in　his　employ；　that　was　to　treat　all

purchasers　with　uniform　courtesy；　whatever　their　circumstances。



〃Are　you　objecting　to　sending　this　lady's　bundle？〃　said　Mr。

Barclay；　sternly。



The　clerk　looked　up　in　confusion。



〃I　told　her　we　would　send　it；〃　he　stammered。



〃I　have　heard　what　passed。　　You　have　been　deficient　in

politeness。　　If　this　happens　again；　you　leave　my　employ。〃



〃I　will　take　your　address；〃　said　the　clerk；　in　a　subdued　tone。



Mrs。　Hoffman　gave　it；　and　left　the　store；　thankful　for　the

interference　of　the　great　merchant　who　had　given　his　clerk　a

lesson　which　the　latter；　as　he　valued　his　situation；　found　it

advisable　to　bear　in　mind。







CHAPTER　XII



THE　BARREL　THIEF



While　Mike　Donovan　was　engaged　in　his　contest　with　Paul；　his

companion　had　quietly　walked　off　with　the　shirt。　　It　mattered

very　little　to　him　which　party　conquered；　as　long　as　he　carried

off　the　spoils。　　His　conduct　in　the　premises　was　quite　as

unsatisfactory　to　Mike　as　it　was　to　Paul。　　When　Mike　found

himself　in　danger　of　being　overpowered；　he　appealed　to　his

companion　for　assistance；　and　was　incensed　to　see　him　coolly

disregarding　the　appeal；　and　selfishly　appropriating　the　booty。



〃The　mane　thafe！〃　　he　exclaimed　after　the　fight　was　over；　and　he

was　compelled　to　retreat。　　〃He　let　me　be　bate；　and　wouldn't　lift

his　finger　to　help　me。　　I'd　like　to　put　a　head　on　him；　I　would。〃



Just　at　that　moment　Mike　felt　quite　as　angry　with　his　friend；

Jerry　McGaverty；　as　with　his　late　opponent。



〃The　shirt's　mine；　fair；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃and　I'll　make

Jerry　give　it　to　me。〃



But　Jerry　had　disappeared；　and　Mike　didn't　know　where　to　look　for

him。　　In　fact；　he　had　entered　a　dark　alleyway；　and；　taking　the

shirt　from　the　paper　in　which　it　was　wrapped；　proceeded　to

examine　his　prize。



The　unusual　size　struck　him。



〃By　the　powers；〃　he　muttered；　〃it's　big　enough　for　me

great…grandfather　and　all　his　children。　　I　wouldn't　like　to　pay

for　the　cloth　it　tuck　to　make　it。　　But　I'll　wear　it；　anyway。〃



Jerry　was　not　particular　as　to　an　exact　fit。　　His　nether　garments

were　several　sizes　too　large　for　him；　and　the　shirt　would

complete　his　costume　appropriately。　　He　certainly　did　need　a　new

shirt；　for　the　one　he　had　on　was　the　only　article　of　the　kind　he

possessed；　and　was　so　far　gone　that　its　best　days；　if　it　ever　had

any；　appeared　to　date　back　to　a　remote　antiquity。　　It　had　been

bought　cheap　in　Baxter　street；　its　previous　history　being

unknown。



Jerry　decided　to　make　the　change　at　once。　　The　alley　afforded　a

convenient　place　for　making　the　transfer。　　He　accordingly　pulled

off　the　ragged　shirt　he　wore　and　put　on　the　article　he　had

purloined　from　Paul。　　The　sleeves　were　too　long；　but　he　turned　up

the　cuffs；　and　the　ample　body　he　tucked　inside　his　pants。



〃It　fits　me　too　much；〃　soliloquized　Jerry；　as　he　surveyed　himself

after　the　exchange。　　〃I　could　let　out　the　half　of　it；　and　have

enough　left　for　meself。　　Anyhow；　it's　clane；　and　it　came　chape

enough。〃



He　came　out　of　the　alley；　leaving　his　old　shirt　behind　him。　　Even

if　it　had　been　worth　carrying　away；　Jerry　saw　no　use　in

possessing　more　than　one　shirt。　　It　was　his　habit　to　wear　one

until　it　was　ready　to　drop　off　from　him；　and　then　get　another　if

he　could。　　There　is　a　practical　convenience　in　this　arrangement；

though　there　are　also　objections　which　will　readily　occur　to　the

reader。



On　the　whole；　though　the　shirt　fitted　him　too　much；　as　he

expressed　it；　he　regarded　himself　complacently。



The　superabundant　material　gave　the　impression　of　liberal

expenditure　and　easy　circumstances；　since　a　large　shirt　naturally

costs　more　than　a　small　one。　　So　Jerry；　as　he　walked　along　the

Bowery；　assumed　a　jaunty　air；　precisely　such　as　some　of　my

readers　may　when　they　have　a　new　suit　to　display。　　His　new　shirt

was　quite　conspicuous；　since　he　was　encumbered　neither　with　vest

nor　coat。



Mike；　feeling　sore　over　his　defeat；　met　Jerry　the　next　morning　on

Chatham　street。　　His　quick　eye　detected　the　improved　state　of　his

friend's　apparel；　and　his　indignation　rose；　as　he　reflected　that

Jerry　had　pocketed　the　profits　while　the　hard　knocks　had　been

his。



〃Jerry！〃　　he　called　out。



Jerry　did　not　see　fit　to　heed　the　call。　　He　was　sensible　that

Mike　had　something　to　complain　of；　and　he　was　in　no　hurry　to　meet

his　reproaches。



〃Jerry　McGaverty！〃　　called　Mike；　coming　near。



〃Oh；　it's　you；　Mike；　is　it？〃　answered　Jerry；　unable　longer　to

keep　up　the　pretense　of　not　hearing。



〃Yes；　it's　me；〃　said　Mike。　　〃What　made　you　leave　me　for　last

night？〃



〃I　didn't　want　to　interfere　betwane　two　gintlemen；〃　said　Jerry；

with　a　grin。　　〃Did　you　mash　him；　Mike？〃



〃No；〃　said　Mike；　sullenly；　〃he　mashed　me。　　Why　didn't　you　help

me？〃



〃I　thought　you　was　bating　him；　so；　as　I　had　some　business　to

attind　to；　I　went　away。〃



〃You　went　away　wid　the　shirt。〃



〃Yes；　I　took　it　by　mistake。　　Ain't　it　an　illigant　fit？〃



〃It's　big　enough　for　two　of　you。〃



〃Maybe　I'll　grow　to　it　in　time；〃　said　Jerry。



〃And　how　much　are　you　goin'　to　give　me　for　my　share？〃　demanded

Mike。



〃Say　that　ag'in；〃　said　Jerry。



Mike　repeated　it。



〃I　thought　maybe　I　didn't　hear　straight。　　It　ain't　yours　at　all。　

Didn't　I　take　it？〃



〃You　wouldn't　have　got　it　if　I　hadn't　fit　with　Paul。〃



〃That　ain't　nothin'　to　me；〃　said　Jerry。　　〃The　shirt's　mine；　and

I'll　kape　it。〃



Mike　felt　strongly　tempted　to　〃put　a　head　on〃　Jerry；　whatever

that　may　mean；　but；　as　Jerry　was　a　head　taller　already；　the

attempt　did　not　seem　quite　prudent。　　He　indulged　in　some　forcible

remarks；　which；　however；　did　not　disturb　Jerry's　equanimity。



〃I'll　give　you　my　old　shirt；　Mike；〃　he　said；　〃if　you　can　find　it。



I　left　it　in　an　alley　near　the　Old　Bowery。〃



〃I　don't　want　the　dirty　rag；〃　said　Mike；　contemptuously。



Finally　a　compromise　was　effected；　Jerry　offering　to　help　Mike　on

the　next　occasion；　and　leave　the　spoils　in　his　hands。



I　have　to　chronicle　another　adventure　of　Jerry's；　in　which　he　was

less　fortunate　than　he　had　been　in　the　present　case。　　He　was　a

genuine　vagabond；　and　lived　by　his　wits；　being　too　lazy　to　devote

himself　to　any　regular　street　employment；　as　boot　blacking　or

selling　newspapers。　　Occasionally　he　did　a　little　work　at　each　of

these；　but　regular；　persistent　industry　was　out　of　his　line。　　He

was　a　drone　by　inclination；　and　a　decided　enemy　to　work。　　On　the

subject　of　honesty　his　principles　were　far　from　strict。　　If　he

could　appropriate　what　did　not　belong　to　him　he　was　ready　to　do

so　without　scruple。　　This　propensity　had　several　times　brought

him　into　trouble；　and　he　had　more　than　once　been　sent　to　reside

temporarily　on　Blackwell's　Island；　from　which　he　had　returned　by

no　means　improved。



Mike　was　not　quite　so　much　of　a　vagabond　as　his　companion。　　He

could　work　at　times；　though　he　did　not　like　it；　and　once　pursued

the　vocation　of　a　bootblack　for　several　months　with　fair　success。



But　Jerry's　companionship　was　doing　him　no　good；　and　it　seemed

likely　that　eventually　he　would　become　quite　as　shiftless　as

Jerry　himself。



Jerry；　having　no　breakfast；　strolled　down　to　one　of　the　city

markets。　　He　frequently　found　an　opportunity　of　stealing　here；

and　was　now　in　search　of　such　a　chance。　　He　was　a　dexterous　and

experienced　barrel　thief；　a　term　which　it　may　be　necessary　to

explain。　　Barrels；　then；　have　a　commercial　value；　and　coopers

will　generally　pay　twenty…five　cents　for　one　in　good　condition。　

This　is　enough；　in　the　eyes　of　many　a　young　vagabond；　to　pay　for

the　risk　incurred　in　stealing　one。



Jerry　prowled　round　the　market　for　some　time；　seeking　a　good

opportunity　to　walk　off　with　an　apple　or　banana；　or　something

eatable。　　But　the　guardians　of　the　stands　seemed　unusually

vigilant；　and　he　was　compelled　to　give　up　the　attempt；　as

involving　too　great　risk。　　Jerry　was　hungry；　and　hunger　is　an

uncomfortable　feeling。　　He　began　to　wish　he　had　remained

satisfied　with　his　old　shirt；　dirty　as　it　was；　and　carried　the

new　one　to　some　of　the　Baxter　street　dealers；　from　whom　he　could

perhaps　have　got　fifty　cents　for　it。　　Now；　fifty　cents　would　have

paid　for　a　breakfast　and　a　couple　of　cigars；　and　those　just　now

would　have　made　Jerry　happy。



〃What　a　fool　I　was　not　to　think　of　it！〃　he　said。　　〃The　old　shirt

would　do　me；　and　I　could　buy　a　bully　breakfast　wid　the　money　I'd

get　for　this。〃



Just　at　th