Paul the Peddler; Or, The Fortunes of a Young Street Merchant Read online

  CHAPTER III

  PAUL HAS COMPETITORS

  The next morning Paul took his old place in front of the post office.He set down his basket in front, and, taking one of the packages in hishand, called out in a businesslike manner, as on the day before, "Here'syour prize packages! Only five cents! Money prize in every package! Walkup, gentlemen, and try your luck!"

  He met with a fair degree of success at first, managing in the course ofan hour to sell ten packages. All the prizes drawn were small, with theexception of one ten-cent prize, which was drawn by a little bootblack,who exclaimed:

  "That's the way to do business, Johnny. If you've got any more of themten-cent prizes, I'll give you ten cents a piece for the lot."

  "Better buy some more and see," said Paul.

  "That don't go down," said the other. "Maybe there'd be only a penny."

  Nevertheless, the effect of this large prize was to influence the saleof three other packages; but as neither of these contained more thantwo-cent prizes, trade began to grow dull, and for ten minutes allPaul's eloquent appeals to gentlemen to walk up and try their luckproduced no effect.

  At this point Paul found that there was a rival in the field.

  Teddy O'Brien, who had applied for a partnership the day before, cameup with a basket similar to his own, apparently filled with similarpackages. He took a position about six feet distant from Paul, and beganto cry out, in a shrill voice:

  "Here's your bully prize packages! Best in the market! Here's where youget your big prizes, fifty cents in some of 'em. Walk up boys, tumbleup, and take your pick afore they're gone. Fifty cents for five!"

  "That's a lie, Teddy," said Paul, who saw that his rival's attractiveannouncement was likely to spoil his trade.

  "No, 'tisn't," said Teddy. "If you don't believe it, just buy one andsee."

  "I'll tell you what I'll do," said Paul, "I'll exchange."

  "No," said Teddy; "I ain't a-goin' to risk givin' fifty cents for one."

  "More likely you'd get ten for one. You're a humbug."

  "Have you really got any fifty-cent prizes?" asked a newsboy, who hadsold out his morning stock of papers, and was lounging about the postoffice steps.

  "Best way is to buy, Johnny," said Teddy.

  The boy did buy, but his prize amounted to only one cent.

  "Didn't I tell you so?" said Paul.

  "Just wait a while and see," said Teddy. "The lucky feller hasn't comealong. Here, Mike, jest buy a package!"

  Mike, a boy of fifteen, produced five cents, and said, "I don't mind ifI do."

  He selected a package, and, without opening it, slipped it into hispocket.

  "Why don't you open it?" said Teddy.

  "What's the use?" said Mike. "There ain't no fifty cents inside."

  However, he drew it out of his pocket, and opened it.

  "What's this?" he exclaimed, pulling out a piece of scrip. "Howly St.Patrick! it's I that's in luck, anyhow I've got the fifty cents!"

  And he held up to view a fifty-cent scrip.

  "Let me look at it," said Paul, incredulously.

  But there was no room for doubt. It was a genuine fifty cents, as Paulwas compelled to admit.

  "Didn't I tell you so?" said Teddy, triumphantly. "Here's where you getfifty-cent prizes."

  The appeal was successful. The sight of the fifty-cent prize led to alarge call for packages, of which Teddy immediately sold ten, while Paulfound himself completely deserted. None of the ten, however, containedover two cents. Still the possibility of drawing fifty cents kept up thecourage of buyers, while Paul's inducements were so far inferior that hefound himself wholly distanced.

  "Don't you wish you'd gone pardners with me?" asked Teddy, with atriumphant grin, noticing Paul's look of discomfiture. "You can't dobusiness alongside of me."

  "You can't make any money giving such big prizes," said Paul. "Youhaven't taken in as much as you've given yet."

  "All right," said Teddy. "I'm satisfied if you are. Have a package,Jim?"

  "Yes," said Jim. "Mind you give me a good prize."

  The package was bought, and, on being opened, proved to contain fiftycents also, to Paul's great amazement. How Teddy's business could pay,as it was managed, he could not comprehend. One thing was certain,however, his new competitor monopolized the trade, and for two hoursPaul did not get a solitary customer.

  "There's something about this I don't understand," he pondered,thoughtfully. "He must lose money; but he's spoiled my trade."

  Paul did not like to give up his beat, but he found himself compelledto. Accordingly he took his basket, and moved off toward Wall street.Here he was able to start in business without competitors, and succeededin selling quite a number of packages, until a boy came up, and said:

  "There's a feller up at the post office that's givin' fifty-cent prizes.I got one of 'em."

  There was a group of half-a-dozen boys around Paul, two of whom wereabout to invest; but on hearing thus they changed their intention, andwalked 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 customersby you."

  "If you don't like it, you can lump it," said Mike, insolently. "This isa 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 bycowardice. "Come on, if you want to."

  Mike advanced a step, doubling his fists; but, finding that Paul showedno particular sign of fear, he stopped short, saying: "I'll lick yousome other time."

  "You'd better put it off," said Paul. "Have a prize package, sir? Onlyfive 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? Whatprize 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 yougive 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 thecorner 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 itwas 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 knowhow much he had made, but probably about fifty cents. He had made morethan double as much the day before in less time; but then he did notsuffer from competition.

  He began to doubt whether he could long pursue this business, sinceother competitors were likely to spring up.

  As he walked by the post office he had the curiosity to look and see howhis competitor was getting along.

  Teddy had started, originally, with seventy-five packages; but of thosescarcely a dozen were left. A group of boys were around him. Amongthem was Mike, who was just on the point of buying another package. Asbefore, he put it in his pocket, and it was not till Teddy asked, "Whatluck, Mike?" that he drew it out, and opening it again, produced fiftycents.

  "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 understoodhow Teddy could afford to give such large prizes. Mike and the otherboy, Jim, were only confederates of his
--decoy ducks--who kept drawingover again the same prize, which was eventually given back to Teddy. Itwas plain now why Mike put the package into his pocket before openingit. It was to exchange it for another packet into which the money hadpreviously been placed, but which was supposed by the lookers-on tobe the same that had just been purchased. The prize could afterward beplaced in a new packet and used over again.

  "That ain't the same package," said Paul, announcing his discovery. "Hehad it all the while in his pocket."

  "Look here," blustered Mike, "you jest mind your own business! That'sthe best thing for you."

  "Suppose I don't?"

  "If you don't there may be a funeral to-morrow of a boy about yoursize."

  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 anybodyto go over to the island."

  As Mike had been a resident at Blackwell's Island on two differentoccasions, this produced a laugh at his expense, in the midst of whichPaul walked off.