paul the peddler-第4部分

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prizes。　　I　got　one　of　'em。〃



There　was　a　group　of　half…a…dozen　boys　around　Paul；　two　of　whom

were　about　to　invest；　but　on　hearing　thus　they　changed　their

intention；　and　walked　of　in　the　direction　of　the　post　office。



Looking　up；　Paul　saw　that　the　boy　who　had　injured　his　trade　was

Mike；　who　had　drawn　the　first　fifty…cent　prize　from　his

competitor。



〃Can't　you　stop　interfering？〃　he　said；　angrily。　　〃I've　lost　two

customers　by　you。〃



〃If　you　don't　like　it；　you　can　lump　it；〃　said　Mike；　insolently。　

〃This　is　a　free　country；　ain't　it？〃



〃It's　a　mean　trick；〃　said　Paul；　indignantly。



〃Say　that　ag'in；　and　I'll　upset　your　basket；〃　returned　Mike。



〃I'll　say　it　as　often　as　I　like；〃　said　Paul；　who　wasn't　troubled

by　cowardice。　　〃Come　on；　if　you　want　to。〃



Mike　advanced　a　step；　doubling　his　fists；　but；　finding　that　Paul

showed　no　particular　sign　of　fear；　he　stopped　short；　saying：

〃I'll　lick　you　some　other　time。〃



〃You'd　better　put　it　off；〃　said　Paul。　　〃Have　a　prize　package；

sir？　　Only　five　cents！〃



This　was　addressed　to　a　young　man　who　came　out　of　an　insurance

office。



〃I　don't　mind　if　I　do；〃　said　the　young　man。　　〃Five　cents；　is　it？　

What　prize　may　I　expect？〃



〃The　highest　is　ten　cents。〃



〃There's　a　boy　around　the　post　office　that　gives　fifty…cent

prizes；　mister；〃　said　Mike。　　〃You'd　better　buy　of　him。〃



〃I'll　wait　till　another　time；〃　said　the　young　man。　　〃Here's　the

money；　Johnny。　　Now　for　the　package。〃



〃Look　here；〃　said　Paul；　indignantly；　when　his　customer　had　gone

away；　〃haven't　you　anything　to　do　except　to　drive　off　my

customers？〃



〃Give　me　two　cents　on　every　package；〃　said　Mike；　〃and　I'll　tell

'em　you　give　dollar　prizes。〃



〃That　would　be　a　lie；　and　I　don't　want　to　do　business　that　way。〃



Mike　continued　his　persecutions　a　while　longer；　and　then　turned

the　corner　into　Nassau　street。



〃I'm　glad　he's　gone；〃　thought　Paul。　　〃Now　there's　a　chance　for

me。〃



He　managed　after　a　while　to　sell　twenty　of　his　packages。　　By　this

time　it　was　twelve　o'clock；　and　he　began　to　feel　hungry。　　He

resolved；　therefore；　to　go　home　to　dinner　and　come　out　again　in

the　afternoon。　　He　didn't　know　how　much　he　had　made；　but　probably

about　fifty　cents。　　He　had　made　more　than　double　as　much　the　day

before　in　less　time；　but　then　he　did　not　suffer　from　competition。



He　began　to　doubt　whether　he　could　long　pursue　this　business；

since　other　competitors　were　likely　to　spring　up。



As　he　walked　by　the　post　office　he　had　the　curiosity　to　look　and

see　how　his　competitor　was　getting　along。



Teddy　had　started；　originally；　with　seventy…five　packages；　but　of

those　scarcely　a　dozen　were　left。　　A　group　of　boys　were　around

him。　　Among　them　was　Mike；　who　was　just　on　the　point　of　buying

another　package。　　As　before；　he　put　it　in　his　pocket；　and　it　was

not　till　Teddy　asked；　〃What　luck；　Mike？〃　that　he　drew　it　out；

and　opening　it　again；　produced　fifty　cents。



〃It's　the　big　prize！〃　　he　said。　　〃Sure　I'm　in　luck；　anyhow。〃



〃You're　the　boy　that's　lucky；〃　said　Teddy；　with　a　grin。



As　Paul　witnessed　the　scene　a　light　broke　upon　him。　　Now　he

understood　how　Teddy　could　afford　to　give　such　large　prizes。　

Mike　and　the　other　boy；　Jim；　were　only　confederates　of　hisdecoy

duckswho　kept　drawing　over　again　the　same　prize；　which　was

eventually　given　back　to　Teddy。　　It　was　plain　now　why　Mike　put

the　package　into　his　pocket　before　opening　it。　　It　was　to

exchange　it　for　another　packet　into　which　the　money　had

previously　been　placed；　but　which　was　supposed　by　the　lookers…on

to　be　the　same　that　had　just　been　purchased。　　The　prize　could

afterward　be　placed　in　a　new　packet　and　used　over　again。



〃That　ain't　the　same　package；〃　said　Paul；　announcing　his

discovery。　　〃He　had　it　all　the　while　in　his　pocket。〃



〃Look　here；〃　blustered　Mike；　〃you　jest　mind　your　own　business！　

That's　the　best　thing　for　you。〃



〃Suppose　I　don't？〃



〃If　you　don't　there　may　be　a　funeral　to…morrow　of　a　boy　about

your　size。〃



There　was　a　laugh　at　Paul's　expense；　but　he　took　it　coolly。



〃I'll　send　you　a　particular　invitation　to　attend；　if　I　can　get

anybody　to　go　over　to　the　island。〃



As　Mike　had　been　a　resident　at　Blackwell's　Island　on　two

different　occasions；　this　produced　a　laugh　at　his　expense；　in　the

midst　of　which　Paul　walked　off。







CHAPTER　IV



TEDDY　GIVES　UP　BUSINESS



〃Have　you　sold　all　your　packages；　Paul？〃　asked　Jimmy；　as　our

hero　entered　the　humble　room；　where　the　table　was　already　spread

with　a　simple　dinner。



〃No；〃　said　Paul；　〃I　only　sold　twenty。　　I　begin　to　think　that　the

prize…package　business　will　soon　be　played　out。〃



〃Why？〃



〃There's　too　many　that'll　go　into　it。〃



Here　Paul　related　his　experience　of　the　morning；　explaining　how

it　was　that　Teddy　had　managed　to　distance　him　in　the　competition。



〃Can't　you　do　the　same；　Paul？〃　asked　Jimmy。　　〃Mother's　got　a

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