paul the peddler-第8部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



of　debt；　and　not　be　compelled　to　draw　upon　the　fund　in　the　bank。　

Of　course；　something　depended　on　Paul's　success　as　a　salesman；

but　he　would　not　be　likely　to　fall　much　below　the　average　amount

of　sales。　　So；　on　the　whole；　George　Barry　went　home　considerably

relieved　in　mind；　though　his　head　was　throbbing；　and　he　felt

decidedly　sick。



Arrived　at　home；　his　mother；　who　understood　sickness；　at　once

took　measures　to　relieve　him。



〃Don't　mind　the　loss　of　a　few　days；　George；〃　she　said；

cheerfully；　〃we　shall　be　able　to　get　along　very　well。〃



〃It'll　only　be　part　loss；　mother；〃　he　said。　　〃I've　got　Paul

Hoffman　to　take　my　place　for　half　the　profits。〃



〃Paul　Hoffman！　　Do　I　know　him？〃



〃I　don't　think　he　has　ever　been　here　but　I　have　known　him　for　a

year。〃



〃Can　you　trust　him？〃



〃Yes；　I'm　not　at　all　afraid。　　He　is　a　smart　boy；　and　as　honest　as

he　is　smart。　　I　think　he　will　sell　nearly　as　much　as　I　would。〃



〃That　is　an　excellent　arrangement。　　You　needn't　feel　uneasy；

then。〃



〃No；　the　business　will　go　on　right。〃



〃I　should　like　to　see　your　salesman。〃



〃You'll　see　him　to…night；　mother。　　He's　coming　round　this　evening

to　let　me　know　how　he's　got　along；　and　hand　over　the　money　he's

taken。〃



〃You'd　better　be　quiet　now；　George；　and　go　to　sleep；　if　you　can。　

I'll　make　you　some　warm　tea。　　I　think　it'll　do　you　good。〃



Meanwhile　Paul　assumed　charge　of　George　Barry's　business。　　He　was

sorry　his　friend　was　sick；　but　he　congratulated　himself　on

getting　into　business　so　soon。



〃It's　more　respectable　than　selling　prize　packages；〃　thought

Paul。　　〃I　wish　I　had　a　stand　of　my　own。〃



He　was　still　a　street　merchant；　but　among　street　merchants　there

are　grades　as　well　as　among　merchants　whose　claim　to　higher

respectability　rests　upon　having　rent　to　pay。　　Paul　felt　that　it

was　almost　like　having　a　shop　of　his　own。　　He　had　always　looked

up　to　George　Barry　as　standing　higher　than　himself　in　a　business

way；　and　he　felt　that　even　if　his　earnings　should　not　be　as

great；　that　it　was　a　step　upward　to　have　sole　charge　of　his

stand；　if　only　for　a　day　or　two。



Paul's　ambition　was　aroused。　　It　was　for　his　interest　to　make　as

large　sales　as　possible。　　Besides；　he　thought　he　would　like　to

prove　to　George　Barry　that　he　had　made　a　good　selection　in

appointing　him　his　substitute。



Now；　if　the　truth　must　be　told；　George　Barry　himself　was　not

possessed　of　superior　business　ability。　　He　was　lacking　in　energy

and　push。　　He　could　sell　neckties　to　those　who　asked　for　them；

but　had　no　particular　talent　for　attracting　trade。　　He　would　have

been　a　fair　clerk；　but　was　never　likely　to　rise　above　a　very

moderate　success。　　Paul　was　quite　different。　　He　was　quick；

enterprising；　and　smart。　　He　was　a　boy　likely　to　push　his　way　to

success　unless　circumstances　were　very　much　against　him。



〃I'd　like　to　sell　more　than　George　Barry；〃　he　said　to　himself。　

〃I　don't　know　if　I　can；　but　I'm　going　to　try。〃



The　day　was　half　over；　and　probably　the　most　profitable；　so　far

as　business　was　concerned。　　Paul　had　only　four　or　five　hours

left。



〃Let　me　see；〃　he　said　to　himself。　　〃I　ought　to　sell　six　neckties

to　come　up　to　the　average　of　half　a　day's　sale。　　I　wonder　whether

I　can　do　it。〃



As　his　soliloquy　ended；　his　quick　eye　detected　a　young　man

glancing　at　his　stock；　and　he　observed　that　he　paused

irresolutely；　as　if　half　inclined　to　purchase。〃



〃Can't　I　sell　you　a　necktie　to…day？〃　asked　Paul；　promptly。



〃I　don't　know；〃　said　the　other。　　〃What　do　you　charge？〃



〃You　can　have　your　choice　for　twenty…five　cents。　　That　is　cheap；

isn't　it？〃



〃Yes；　that's　cheap。　　Let　me　look　at　them。〃



〃Here's　one　that　will　suit　your　complexion；〃　said　Paul。



〃Yes；　that's　a　pretty　one。　　I　think　I'll　take　it。〃



〃You　have　to　pay　twice　as　much　in　the　shops；〃　continued　Paul；　as

he　rolled　it　up。　　〃You　see；　we　have　no　rent　to　pay；　and　so　we　can

sell　cheap。　　You'll　save　money　by　always　buying　your　neckties

here。〃



〃The　only　objection　to　that　is　that　I　don't　live　in　the　city。　　I

am　here　only　for　a　day。　　I　live　about　fifty　miles　in　the

country。〃



〃Then　I'll　tell　you　what　you'd　better　do；〃　said　Paul。　　〃Lay　in

half　a　dozen；　while　you　are　about　it。　　It'll　only　be　a　dollar　and

a　half；　and　you'll　save　as　much　as　that　by　doing　it。〃



〃I　don't　know　but　you　are　right；〃　said　his　customer；　whom　the

suggestion　impressed　favorably。　　〃As　you　say；　it's　only　a　dollar

and　a　half；　and　it'll　give　me　a　good　stock。〃



〃Let　me　pick　them　out　for　you；〃　said　Paul；　briskly；　〃unless

there's　something　you　see　yourself。〃



〃I　like　that　one。〃



〃All　right。　　What　shall　be　the　next？〃



Finally；　the　young　man　selected　the　entire　half…dozen；　and

deposited　a　dollar　and　a　half　in　Paul's　hands。



〃Come　and　see　me　again；〃　said　Paul；　〃and　if　you　have　any　friends

coming　to　the　city；　send　them　to　me。〃



〃I　will；〃　said　the　other。



〃Tell　them　it's　the　first　stand　south　of　the　Astor　House。　　Then

they　won't　miss　it。〃



〃That's　a　good　beginning；〃　said　Paul　to　himself；　with

satisfaction。　　〃Half　a　day's　average　sales　already；　and　I've　only

been　here　fifteen　minutes。　　Let　me　see；　what　will　my　profits　be

on　that？　　Three　shillings；　I　declare。　　That　isn't　bad；　now！〃



Paul　had　reason　to　be　satisfied　with　himself。　　If　he　had　not

spoken；　the　young　man　would　very　probably　have　gone　on　without

purchasing　at　all；　or；　at　any　rate；　remained　content　with　a

single　necktie。　　Paul's　manner　and　timely　word　had　increased　his

purchase　sixfold。　　That　is　generally　the　difference　between　a

poor　salesman　and　one　of　the　first　class。　　Anybody　can　sell　to

those　who　are　anxious　to　buy；　but　it　takes　a　smart　man　to

persuade　a　customer　that　he　wants　what　otherwise　he　would　go

without。　　The　difference　in　success　is　generally　appreciated　by

dealers；　and　a　superior　salesman　is　generally　paid　a　handsome

salary。



〃I　don't　believe　George　Barry　would　have　sold　that　man　so　many

ties；〃　thought　Paul。　　〃I　hope　I　shall　have　as　good　luck　next

time。〃



But　this；　of　course；　was　not　to　be　expected。　　It　is　not　every

customer　who　can　be　persuaded　to　buy　half…a…dozen　ties；　even　by

the　most　eloquent　salesman。　　However；　in　the　course　of　an　hour

more；　Paul　had　sold　three　more　to　single　customers。　　Then　came　a

man　who　bought　two。　　Then　there　was　a　lull；　and　for　an　hour　Paul

sold　none　at　all。　　But　business　improved　a　little　toward　the

close　of　the　afternoon；　and　when　it　was　time　to　close　up；　our

young　merchant　found　that　he　had　disposed　of　fifteen。



〃My　share　of　the　profits　will　be　ninety…three　cents；〃　thought

Paul；　with　satisfaction。　　〃That　isn't　bad　for　an　afternoon's

work。〃







CHAPTER　VIII



A　STROKE　OF　ILL　LUCK



Paul　transferred　his　frame　of　goods　to　a　neighboring　office　at

the　end　of　the　afternoon；　the　arrangement　having　been　made　by

George　Barry；　on　first　entering　into　business　as　a　street

merchant。　　This　saved　a　good　deal　of　trouble；　as　otherwise　he

would　have　been　compelled　to　carry　them　home　every　night　and

bring　them　back　in　the　morning。



〃Well；　Paul；〃　asked　his　mother；　when　he　returned　to　supper；　〃have

you　found　anything　to　do　yet？〃



〃I　have　got　employment　for　a　few　days；〃　said　Paul。　　〃to　tend　a

necktie　stand。　　The　man　that　keeps　it　is　sick。〃



〃How　much　does　he　pay　you；　Paul？〃　asked　Jimmy。



〃Half　the　profits。　　How　much　do　you　think　I　have　made　this

afternoon？〃



〃Forty　cents。〃



〃What　do　you　say　to　ninety…three　cents？　　Just　look　at　this；〃　and

Paul　displayed　his　earnings。



〃That　is　excellent。〃



〃I　had　good　luck。　　Generally；　I　shan't　make　more　in　a　whole　day

than　this。〃



〃That　will　be　doing　very　well。〃



〃But　I　shall　make　more；　if　I　can。　　One　fellow　bought　six　neckties

of　me　this　afternoon。　　I　wish　everybody　would　do　that。　　Now；

mother；　I　hope　supper　is　most　ready；　for　selling　neckties　has

made　me　hungry。〃



〃Almost　ready；　Paul。〃



It　was　a　humble　meal；　but　a　good　one。　　There　were　fresh　rolls　and

butter；　tea　and　some　cold　meat。　　That　was　all；　but　the　cloth　was

clean；　and　everything　looked　neat。　　All　did　justice　to　the　plain

meal；　and　never　thought　of　envying　the　thousands　who；　in　their

rich　uptown　mansions；　were　sitting　down　at　the　same　hour　to

elaborate　dinners　costing　more　than　their　entire　week's　board。



〃Are　you　going　out；　Paul？〃　asked　Mrs。　Hoffman；　noticing　that　he

took　his　hat。



〃Yes；　I　must　go　and　see　George　Barry；　and　carry　the　money　I　have

received　for　sales。〃



〃Where　does　he　live？〃



〃In　Bleecker　street。　　I　shan't　be　gone　long。〃



Paul　reached　the　number　which　had　been　given　him。　　It　was　a

large；　four…story　house；　with　the　appearance　of　a　barracks。



〃Mr。　Barry；〃　said　the　servant；　in　answer　to　his　question　〃he

lives　upstairs　on　the　fourth　floor。　　Room　on　the　right。〃



Paul　plodded　his　way　upstairs；　and　found　the　room　without

difficulty。



On　knocking；　the　door　w