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

  CHAPTER IV

  TEDDY GIVES UP BUSINESS

  "Have you sold all your packages, Paul?" asked Jimmy, as our heroentered the humble room, where the table was already spread with asimple dinner.

  "No," said Paul, "I only sold twenty. I begin to think that theprize-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 wasthat Teddy had managed to distance him in the competition.

  "Can't you do the same, Paul?" asked Jimmy. "Mother's got a gold dollarshe could lend you."

  "That might do," said Paul; "but I don't know any boy I could trust todraw it except you, and some of them would know we were brothers."

  "I think, Paul, that would be dishonest," said Mrs. Hoffman. "I wouldrather make less, if I were you, and do it honestly."

  "Maybe you're right, mother. I'll try it again this afternoon, keepingas far away from Teddy as I can. If I find I can't make it go, I'll trysome other business."

  "Jimmy, have you shown Paul your drawing?" said his mother.

  "Here it is, Paul," said Jimmy, producing his drawing-book, from whichhe had copied a simple design of a rustic cottage.

  "Why, that's capital, Jimmy," said Paul, in real surprise. "I had noidea 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 time--not more than half an hour, I should think," saidMrs. 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 somemoney, so that you and mother need not work so hard."

  "Hard work agrees with me. I'm tough," said Paul. "But when we get tobe 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 todo."

  "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 beselling candy round the streets. I hope I shall have something better todo 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 coldmeat, some potatoes, and bread and butter; but Mrs. Hoffman felt glad tobe able to provide even that, and Paul, who had the hearty appetite ofa 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, bowingceremoniously.

  "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 tothe table, won't you? We're just through dinner, but there's somethingleft."

  "Thank you, mum, I've jist taken dinner. I was goin' to wash thisafternoon, and I thought maybe you'd have some little pieces I couldwash jist as well as not."

  "Thank you, Mrs. Donovan, you are very kind; but you must have enoughwork of your own to do."

  "I'm stout and strong, mum, and hard work agrees with me; but you're arale lady, and ain't used to it. It's only a thrifle, but if you want topay me, you could do a bit of sewin' for me. I ain't very good with theneedle. My fingers is too coarse, belike."

  "Thank you, Mrs. Donovan; on those terms I will agree to your kindoffer. Washing is a little hard for me."

  Mrs. Hoffman collected a few pieces, and, wrapping them up in ahandkerchief, 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, takingthe picture and gazing at it with rapt admiration. "Who showed you howto 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 wehave in the church, of the Blessed Virgin and the Saints. Do you thinkyou 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' aftheryou 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 mustbe goin'."

  "Thank you for your kind offer, Mrs. Donovan. Jimmy shall go to yourroom for the sewing."

  "There's no hurry about that," said Mrs. Donovan. "I'll jist bring it inmeself when it's ready."

  "She is very kind," said Mrs. Hoffman, when Bridget Donovan had gone. "Ishall be glad to have her wash. I am apt to feel weak after it. What areyou going to do this afternoon, Paul?"

  "I'll try to sell out the rest of my stock of packages. Perhaps I shan'tsucceed, but I'll do my best. Shall you have another picture to show mewhen 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 firstsuccess, as well as his first failure--the 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 thecontestants. To explain the cause of the quarrel, it must be stated thatit related to a division of the spoils.

  Teddy had sold out his last package, seventy-five in number. For thesehe had received five cents apiece, making in all three dollars andseventy-five cents, of which all but a dollar and seventy-five cents,representing the value of the prizes and the original cost of thepackages and their contents, was profit. Now, according to thearrangement entered into between him and Mike, the latter, for hisservices, 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, hestoutly 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'llgive you ten more."

  "You must give me the whole sixty, then," said Mike, changing hisground. "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-fivecents 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 thechap to talk about chatin', ain't you?"

  "I'll give you twenty-five cents," said Teddy, "and that's all I willgive 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 chancefor more money.

  Teddy looked at his two enemies, each of whom was probably more than amatch for himself, and was not long in deciding that his best course wasto avoid a fight by running. Accordingly, he tucked all the moneyinto his pocket, and, turning incontinently, fled down Liberty street,closely pursued by his late confederat
es. Paul came up just in time tohear the termination of the dispute and watch the flight of his latebusiness rival.

  "I guess Teddy won't go into the business again," he reflected. "I mayas well take my old stand."

  Accordingly he once more installed himself on the post office steps, andbegan to cry, "Prize packages. Only five cents!"

  Having no competitor now to interfere with his trade, he met with fairsuccess, and by four o'clock was able to start for home with his emptybasket, having disposed of all his stock in trade.

  His profits, though not so great as the day before, amounted to adollar.

  "If I could only make a dollar every day," thought Paul, "I would besatisfied."