paul the peddler-第5部分

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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　installed　himself　on　the　post　office

steps；　and　began　to　cry；　〃Prize　packages。　　Only　five　cents！〃



Having　no　competitor　now　to　interfere　with　his　trade；　he　met　with

fair　success；　and　by　four　o'clock　was　able　to　start　for　home　with

his　empty　basket；　having　disposed　of　all　his　stock　in　trade。



His　profits；　though　not　so　great　as　the　day　before；　amounted　to　a

dollar。



〃If　I　could　only　make　a　dollar　every　day；〃　thought　Paul；　〃I　would

be　satisfied。〃







CHAPTER　V



PAUL　LOSES　HIS　BASKET　



Paul　continued　in　the　prize…package　business　for　three　weeks。　

His　success　varied；　but　he　never　made　less　than　seventy…five

cents　a　day；　and　sometimes　as　much　as　a　dollar　and　a　quarter。　　He

was　not　without　competitors。　　More　than　once；　on　reaching　his

accustomed　stand；　he　found　a　rival　occupying　it　before　him。　　In

such　cases　he　quietly　passed　on；　and　set　up　his　business

elsewhere；　preferring　to　monopolize　the　trade；　though　the

location　might　not　be　so　good。



Teddy　O'Brien　did　not　again　enter　the　field。　　We　left　him；　at　the

end　of　the　last　chapter；　trying　to　escape　from　Mike　and　Jim；　who

demanded　a　larger　sum　than　he　was　willing　to　pay　for　their

services。　　He　succeeded　in　escaping　with　his　money；　but　the　next

day　the　two　confederates　caught　him；　and　Teddy　received　a　black

eye　as　a　receipt　in　full　of　all　demands。　　So；　on　the　whole；　he

decided　that　some　other　business　would　suit　him　better；　and

resumed　the　blacking…box；　which　he　had　abandoned　on　embarking　in

commercial　pursuits。



Mike　Donovan　and　Jim　Parker　were　two　notoriously　bad　boys；

preferring　to　make　a　living　in　any　other　way　than　by　honest

industry。　　As　some　of　these　ways　were　not　regarded　as　honest　in

the　sight　of　the　law；　each　had　more　than　once　been　sentenced　to　a

term　at　Blackwell's　Island。　　They　made　a　proposition　to　Paul　to

act　as　decoy　ducks　for　him　in　the　same　way　as　for　Teddy。　　He

liked　neither　of　the　boys；　and　did　not　care　to　be　associated　with

them。　　This　refusal　Mike　and　Jim　resented；　and　determined　to　〃pay

of〃　Paul　if　they　ever　got　a　chance。　　Our　hero　from　time　to　time

saw　them　hovering　about　him；　but　took　very　little　notice　of　them。



He　knew　that　he　was　a　match　for　either；　though　Mike　exceeded　him

in　size；　and　he　felt　quite　capable　of　taking　care　of　himself。



One　day　Mike　and　Jim；　whose　kindred　tastes　led　them　to　keep

company；　met　at　the　corner　of　Liberty　and　William　streets。　　Mike

looked　unusually　dilapidated。　　He　had　had　a　scuffle　the　day

before　with　another　boy；　and　his　clothes；　always　well　ventilated；

got　torn　in　several　extra　places。　　As　it　was　very　uncertain　when

he　would　be　in　a　financial　condition　to　provide　himself　with

another　suit；　the　prospect　was　rather　alarming。　　Jim　Parker

looked　a　shade　more　respectable　in　attire；　but　his　face　and　hands

were　streaked　with　blacking。　　To　this；　however；　Jim　had　become　so

accustomed　that　he　would　probably　have　felt　uncomfortable　with　a

clean　face



〃How　are　you　off　for　stamps；　Jim？〃　asked　Mike。



〃Dead　broke；〃　was　the　reply。



〃So　am　I。　　I　ain't　had　no　breakfast。〃



〃Nor　I　'cept　an　apple。　　Couldn't　I　eat；　though？〃



〃Suppose　we　borrow　a　quarter　of　Paul　Hoffman。〃



〃He　wouldn't　lend　a　feller。〃



〃Not　if　he　knowed　it；〃　said　Mike；　significantly。



〃What　do　you　mean；　Mike？〃　asked　Jim；　with　some　curiosity。



〃We'll　borrow　without　leave。〃



〃How'll　we　do　it？〃



〃I'll　tell　you；〃　said　Mike。



He　proceeded　to　unfold　his　plan；　which　was　briefly　this。　　The　two

were　to　saunter　up　to　where　Paul　was　standing；　and　remain　until

the　group；　if　there　were　any　around　him　should　be　dispersed。　

Then　one　was　to　pull　his　hat　over　his　eyes；　while　the　other　would

snatch　the　basket　containing　his　prize　packages；　and　run　down

Liberty　street；　never　stopping　until　he　landed　in　a　certain　alley

known　to　both　boys。　　The　other　would　run　in　a　different

direction；　and　both　would　meet　as　soon　as　practicable　for　the

division　of　the　spoils。　　It　was　yet　so　early　that　Paul　could　not

have　sold　many　from　his　stock。　　As　each　contained　a　prize；

varying　from　one　penny　to　ten；　they　would　probably　realize　enough

to　buy　a　good　breakfast；　besides　the　candy　contained　in　the

packages。　　More　money　might　be　obtained　by　selling　packages；　but

there　was　risk　in　this。　　Besides；　it　would　take　time；　and　they

decided　that　a　bird　in　the　hand　was　worth　two　in　the　bush。



〃That's　a　good　idea；〃　said　Jim；　approvingly。　　〃Who'll　knock　his

hat　over　his　head？〃



〃You　can；〃　said　Mike；　〃and　I'll　grab　the　basket。〃　　But　to　this

Jim　demurred；　for　two　reasons：　first；　he　was　rather　afraid　of

Paul；　whose　strength　of　arm　he　had　tested　on　a　previous　occasion；

and；　again；　he　was　afraid　that　if　Mike　got　off　with　the　basket　he

would　appropriate　the　lion's　share。



〃I'll　grab　the　basket；〃　he　said。



〃What　for？〃　said　Mike；　suspiciously；　for　he；　too；　felt　some

distrust　of　his　confederate。