paul the peddler-第14部分

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with　fair　success　in　any　business　which　he　undertook。　　So　it

happened　that　at　ten　o'clock　he　had　sold　out　his　stock　of　papers；

and　realized　a　profit　of　fifty　cents。



It　was　getting　late　for　morning　papers；　and　there　was　nothing

left　to　do　till　the　issue　of　the　first　edition　of　the　afternoon

papers。



〃I'll　go　down　and　see　how　George　Barry　is　getting　along；〃　thought

Paul。



He　crossed　Broadway　and　soon　reached　the　familiar　stand。



〃How's　business；　George？〃　he　inquired。



〃Fair；〃　said　Barry。　　〃I've　sold　four　ties。〃



〃How　do　you　feel？〃



〃I'm　not　so　strong　as　I　was；　yet。　　I　get　tired　more　easily。　　I

don't　think　I　shall　stay　in　this　business　long。〃



〃You　don't？　　What　will　you　do　then？〃



〃I've　got　a　chance　in　Philadelphia；　or　I　shall　have　by　the　first

of　the　month。〃



〃What　sort　of　a　chance？〃



〃Mother　got　a　letter　yesterday　from　a　cousin　of　hers　who　has　a

store　on　Chestnut　street。　　He　offers　to　take　me　as　a　clerk；　and

give　me　ten　dollars　a　week　at　first；　and　more　after　a　while。〃



〃That's　a　good　offer。　　I　should　like　to　get　one　like　it。〃



〃I'll　tell　you　what；　Paul；　you'd　better　buy　out　my　stand。　　You

know　how　to　sell　ties；　and　can　make　money。〃



〃There's　only　one　objection；　George。〃



〃What's　that？〃



〃I　haven't　got　any　capital。〃



〃It　don't　need　much。〃



〃How　much？〃



〃I'll　sell　out　all　my　stock　at　cost　price。〃



〃How　much　do　you　think　there　is？〃



〃About　twenty…five　dollars'　worth。　　Then　there　is　the　frame；

which　is　worth；　say　ten　dollars；　making　thirty…five　in　all。　　That

isn't　much。〃



〃It's　more　than　I've　got。　　I'll　tell　you　what　I'll　do。　　I'll　take

it；　and　pay　you　five　dollars　down　and　the　rest　in　one　month。〃



〃I　would　take　your　offer；　Paul；　but　I　need　all　the　money　how。　　It

will　be　expensive　moving　to　Philadelphia　and　I　shall　want　all　I

can　get。〃



〃I　wish　I　could　buy　you　out；〃　said　Paul；　thoughtfully。



〃Can't　you　borrow　the　money？〃



〃How　soon　do　you　want　to　give　up？〃



〃It's　the　seventeenth　now。　　I　should　like　to　get　rid　of　it　by　the

twenty…second。〃



〃I'll　see　what　I　can　do。　　Just　keep　it　for　me　till　to…morrow。〃



〃All　right。〃



Paul　walked　home　revolving　in　his　mind　this　unexpected

opportunity。　　He　had　made；　as　George　Barry's　agent；　a　dollar　a

day；　though　he　received　only　half　the　profits。　　If　he　were

himself　the　proprietor；　and　did　equally　well；　he　could　make

twelve　dollars　a　week。　　The　calculation　almost　took　away　his

breath。　　Twelve　dollars　a　week　would　make　about　fifty　dollars　a

month。　　It　would　enable　him　to　contribute　more　to　the　support　of

the　family；　and　save　up　money　besides。　　But　the　great　problem

was；　how　to　raise　the　necessary　money。　　If　Paul　had　been　a

railroad　corporation；　he　might　have　issued　first　mortgage　bonds

at　a　high　rate　of　interest；　payable　in　gold；　and　negotiated　them

through　some　leading　banker。　　But　he　was　not　much　versed　in

financial　schemes；　and　therefore　was　at　a　loss。　　The　only　wealthy

friend　he　had　was　Mr。　Preston；　and　he　did　not　like　to　apply　to

him　till　he　had　exhausted　other　ways　and　means。



〃What　makes　you　so　sober；　Paul？〃　asked　his　mother；　as　he　entered

the　room。　　〃You　are　home　early。〃



〃Yes；　I　sold　all　my　papers；　and　thought　I　would　take　an　early

dinner；　so　as　to　be　on　hand　in　time　for　the　first　afternoon

papers。〃



〃Don't　you　feel　well？〃



〃Tiptop；　but　I've　had　a　good　offer；　and　I'm　thinking　whether　I

can　accept　it。〃



〃What　sort　of　an　offer？〃



〃George　Barry　wants　to　sell　out　his　stand。〃



〃How　much　does　he　ask？〃



〃Thirty…five　dollars。〃



〃Is　it　worth　that？〃



〃Yes；　it's　worth　all　that；　and　more；　too。　　If　I　had　it　I　could

make　two　dollars　a　day。　　But　I　haven't　got　thirty…five　dollars。〃



〃I　can　let　you　have　nine；　Paul。　　I　had　a　little　saved　up；　and　I

haven't　touched　the　money　Mr。　Preston　paid　me　for　the　shirts。〃



〃I've　got　five　myself；　but　that　will　only　make　fourteen。〃



〃Won't　he　wait　for　the　rest？〃



〃No；　he's　going　to　Philadelphia　early　next　week；　and　wants　the

whole　in　cash。〃



〃It　would　be　a　pity　to　lose　such　a　good　chance；〃　said　Mrs。

Hoffman。



〃That's　what　I　think。〃



〃You　could　soon　save　up　the　money　on　two　dollars　a　day。〃



〃I　could　pay　for　it　in　a　monthI　mean；　all　above　the　fourteen

dollars　we　have。〃



〃In　a　day　or　two　I　shall　have　finished　the　second　half…dozen

shirts；　and　then　I　suppose　Mr。　Preston　will　pay　me　nine　dollars

more。　　I　could　let　you　have　six　dollars　of　that。〃



〃That　would　make　twenty。　　Perhaps　George　Barry　will　take　that。　

If　he　won't　I　don't　know　but　I　will　venture　to　apply　to　Mr。

Preston。〃



〃He　seems　to　take　an　interest　in　you。　　Perhaps　he　would　trust　you

with　the　money。〃



〃I　could　offer　him　a　mortgage　on　the　stock；〃　said　Paul。



〃If　he　has　occasion　to　foreclose；　he　will　be　well　provided　with

neckties；〃　said　Mrs。　Hoffman；　smiling。



〃None　of　which　he　could　wear。　　I'll　tell　you　what；　mother；　I

should　like　to　pick　up　a　pocketbook　in　the　street；　containing；

say；　twenty　or　twenty…five　dollars。〃



〃That　would　be　very　convenient；〃　said　his　mother；　〃but　I　think　it

will　hardly　do　to　depend　on　such　good　luck　happening　to　you。　　By

the　way；〃　she　said；　suddenly；　〃perhaps　I　can　help　you；　after　all。



Don't　you　remember　that　gold　ring　I　picked　up　in　Central　Park　two

years　ago？〃



〃The　one　you　advertised？〃



〃Yes。　　I　advertised；　or；　rather；　your　father　did；　but　we　never

found　an　owner　for　it。〃



〃I　remember　it　now；　mother。　　Have　you　got　the　ring　still？〃



〃I　will　get　it。〃



Mrs。　Hoffman　went　to　her　trunk；　and；　opening　it；　produced　the

ring　referred　to。　　It　was　a　gold　ring　with　a　single　stone　of

considerable　size。



〃I　don't　know　how　much　it　is　worth；〃　said　Mrs。　Hoffman；　〃but　if

the　ring　is　a　diamond；　as　I　think　it　is；　it　must　be　worth　as　much

as　twenty　dollars。〃



〃Did　you　ever　price　it？〃



〃No；　Paul；　I　have　kept　it；　thinking　that　it　would　be　something　to

fall　back　upon　if　we　should　ever　be　hard　pressed。　　As　long　as　we

were　able　to　get　along　without　suffering；　I　thought　I　would　keep

it。　　Besides；　I　had　another　feeling。　　It　might　belong　to　some

person　who　prized　it　very　much；　and　the　time　might　come　when　we

could　find　the　owner。　　However；　that　is　not　likely　after　so　long

a　time。　　So；　if　you　cannot　raise　the　money　in　any　other　way；　you

may　sell　the　ring。〃



〃I　might　pawn　it　for　thirty　days；　mother。　　By　that　time　I　should

be　able　to　redeem　it　with　the　profits　of　my　business。〃



〃I　don't　think　you　could　get　enough　from　a　pawn…broker。〃



〃I　can　try；　at　any　rate；　but　first　I　will　see　George　Barry；　and

find　out　whether　he　will　take　twenty　dollars　down；　and　the　rest

at　the　end　of　a　month。〃



Paul　wrapped　up　the　ring　in　a　piece　of　paper；　and　deposited　it　in

his　vest　pocket。　　He　waited　till　after　dinner；　and　then　went　at

once　to　the　necktie　stand；　where　he　made　the　proposal　to　George

Barry。



The　young　man　shook　his　head。



〃I'd　like　to　oblige　you；　Paul；〃　he　said；　〃but　I　must　have　the

money。　　I　have　an　offer　of　thirty…two　dollars；　cash；　from　another

party；　and　I　must　take　up　with　it　if　I　can't　do　any　better。　　I'd

rather　sell　out　to　you；　but　you　know　I　have　to　consult　my　own

interest。〃



〃Of　course；　George；　I　can't　complain　of　that。〃



〃I　think　you　will　be　able　to　borrow　the　money　somewhere。〃



〃Most　of　my　friends　are　as　poor　as　myself；〃　said　Paul。　　〃Still；　I

think　I　shall　be　able　to　raise　the　money。　　Only　wait　for　me　two

days。〃



〃Yes；　Paul；　I'll　wait　that　long。　　I'd　like　to　sell　out　to　you；　if

only　because　you　have　helped　me　when　I　was　sick。　　But　for　you　all

that　would　have　been　lost　time。〃



〃Where　there's　a　will　there's　a　way；　George；〃　said　Paul。　　〃I'm

bound　to　buy　your　stand　and　I　will　raise　the　money　somehow。〃



Paul　bought　a　few　papers；　for　he　did　not　like　to　lose　the

afternoon　trade；　and　in　an　hour　had　sold　them　all　off；　realizing

a　profit　of　twenty　cents。　　This　made　his　profits　for　the　day

seventy　cents。



〃That　isn't　as　well　as　I　used　to　do；〃　said　Paul　to　himself；　〃but

perhaps　I　can　make　something　more　by　and　by。　　I　will　go　now　and

see　what　I　can　get　for　the　ring。〃



As　he　had　determined；　he　proceeded　to　a　pawnbroker's　shop　which

he　had　often　passed。　　It　was　on　Chatham　street；　and　was　kept　by

an　old　man；　an　Englishman　by　birth；　who；　though　he　lived　meanly

in　a　room　behind　his　shop；　was　popularly　supposed　to　have

accumulated　a　considerable　fortune。







CHAPTER　XV



THE　PAWNBROKER'S　SHOP



Stuffed　behind　the　counter；　and　on　the　shelves　of　the

pawnbroker's　shop；　were　articles　in　almost　endless　variety。　　All

was　fish　that　came　to　his　net。　　He　was　willing　to　advance　on

anything　that　had　a　marketable　value；　and　which　promised　to　yield

him；　I　was　about　to　say；　a　fair　profit。　　But　a　fair　profit　was

far　from　satisfying　the　old　man。　　He　demanded　an　extortionate

profit　from　those　whom　ill…fortune　drove　to　his　door　for　relief。



Eliakim　Henderson；　for　that　was　his　name；　was　a　small　man；　with　a

bald　head；　scattering　yellow　whiskers；　and　foxlike　eyes。　

Spiderlike　he　waited　for　the　flies　who　flew　of　their　own　accord

into　his　clutches；　and　took　care　not　to　let　them　go　until　he　had

levied　a　large　tribute。　　When　Paul　entered　the　shop；　there　were

three　customers　ahead　of　him。　　One　was　a　young　woman；　whose　pale

face　and　sunken　cheeks　showed　that　she　was　waging　an　unequal

conflict　with　disease。　　She　was　a　seamstress　by　occupation；　and

had　to　work　fifteen　hours　a　day　to　earn　the　little　that　was

barely　sufficient　to　keep　body　and　soul　together。　　Confined　in

her　close　little　room　on　the　fourth　floor；　she　scarcely　dared　to

snatch　time　to　look　out　of　the　window　into　the　street　beneath；

lest　she　should　not　be　able　to　complete　her　allotted　task。　　A　two

days'　sickness　had　compelled　her　to　have　recourse　to　Eliakim

Henderson。　　She　had　under　her　arm　a　small　bundle　covered　with　an