paul the peddler-第3部分

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〃All　right；　Paul；〃　and　Jimmy；　glad　to　be　of　use；　got　the　pen　and

ink；　and；　gathering　up　the　envelopes；　began　to　inscribe　them　as

he　had　been　instructed。



By　the　time　the　packages　were　made　up；　dinner　was　ready。　　It　was

not　a　very　luxurious　repast。　　There　was　a　small　piece　of　rump

steaknot　more　than　three…quarters　of　a　pounda　few　potatoes；　a

loaf　of　bread；　and　a　small　plate　of　butter。　　That　was　all；　but

then　the　cloth　that　covered　the　table　was　neat　and　clean；　and　the

knives　and　forks　were　as　bright　as　new；　and　what　there　was　tasted

good。



〃What　have　you　been　doing　this　morning；　Jimmy？〃　asked　Paul。



〃I　have　been　drawing；　Paul。　　Here's　a　picture　of　Friday。　　I

copied　it　from　'Robinson　Crusoe。'　〃



He　showed　the　picture；　which　was　wonderfully　like　that　in　the

book；　for　thisthe　gift　of　drawingwas　Jimmy's　one　talent；　and

he　possessed　it　in　no　common　degree。



〃Excellent；　Jimmy！〃　　said　Paul。　　〃You're　a　real　genius。　　I

shouldn't　be　surprised　if　you'd　make　an　artist　some　day。〃



〃I　wish　I　might；〃　said　Jimmy；　earnestly。　　〃There's　nothing　I'd

like　better。〃



〃I'll　tell　you　what；　Jimmy。　　If　I　do　well　this　afternoon；　I'll

buy　you　a　drawing…book　and　some　paper；　to　work　on　while　mother

and　I　are　busy。〃



〃If　you　can　afford　it；　Paul；　I　should　like　it　so　much。　　Some　time

I　might　earn　something　that　way。〃



〃Of　course　you　may；〃　said　Paul；　cheerfully。　　〃I　won't　forget

you。〃



Dinner　over；　Paul　went　out　to　business；　and　was　again　successful；

getting　rid　of　his　thirty　packages；　and　clearing　another　dollar。　

Half　of　this　he　invested　in　a　drawing…　book；　a　pencil　and　some

drawing…paper　for　Jimmy。　　Even　then　he　had　left　of　his　earnings

for　the　day　one　dollar　and　eighty　cents。　　But　this　success　in　the

new　business　had　already　excited　envy　and　competition；　as　he　was

destined　to　find　out　on　the　morrow。







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　his　hand；　called　out　in　a　businesslike　manner；　as　on

the　day　before；　〃Here's　your　prize　packages！　　Only　five　cents！　

Money　prize　in　every　package！　　Walk　up；　gentlemen；　and　try　your

luck！〃



He　met　with　a　fair　degree　of　success　at　first；　managing　in　the

course　of　an　hour　to　sell　ten　packages。　　All　the　prizes　drawn

were　small；　with　the　exception　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　them　ten…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

sale　of　three　other　packages；　but　as　neither　of　these　contained

more　than　two…cent　prizes；　trade　began　to　grow　dull；　and　for　ten

minutes　all　Paul's　eloquent　appeals　to　gentlemen　to　walk　up　and

try　their　luck　produced　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；

came　up　with　a　basket　similar　to　his　own；　apparently　filled　with

similar　packages。　　He　took　a　position　about　six　feet　distant　from

Paul；　and　began　to　cry　out；　in　a　shrill　voice：



〃Here's　your　bully　prize　packages！　　Best　in　the　market！　　Here's

where　you　get　your　big　prizes；　fifty　cents　in　some　of　'em。　　Walk

up　boys；　tumble　up；　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

attractive　announcement　was　likely　to　spoil　his　trade。



〃No；　'tisn't；〃　said　Teddy。　　〃If　you　don't　believe　it；　just　buy

one　and　see。〃



〃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　had　sold　out　his　morning　stock　of　papers；　and　was　lounging

about　the　post　office　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　come　along。　　Here；　Mike；　jest　buy　a　package！〃



Mike；　a　boy　of　fifteen；　produced　five　cents；　and　said；　〃I　don't

mind　if　I　do。〃



He　selected　a　package；　and；　without　opening　it；　slipped　it　into

his　pocket。



〃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　Paul　was　compelled　to　admit。



〃Didn't　I　tell　you　so？〃　said　Teddy；　triumphantly。　　〃Here's　where

you　get　fifty…cent　prizes。〃



The　appeal　was　successful。　　The　sight　of　the　fifty…cent　prize　led

to　a　large　call　for　packages；　of　which　Teddy　immediately　sold

ten；　while　Paul　found　himself　completely　deserted。　　None　of　the

ten；　however；　contained　over　two　cents。　　Still　the　possibility　of

drawing　fifty　cents　kept　up　the　courage　of　buyers；　while　Paul's

inducements　were　so　far　inferior　that　he　found　himself　wholly

distanced。



〃Don't　you　wish　you'd　gone　pardners　with　me？〃　asked　Teddy；　with

a　triumphant　grin；　noticing　Paul's　look　of　discomfiture。　　〃You

can't　do　business　alongside　of　me。〃



〃You　can't　make　any　money　giving　such　big　prizes；〃　said　Paul。　

〃You　haven'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

fifty　cents　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　hours　Paul　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

compelled　to。　　Accordingly　he　took　his　basket；　and　moved　off

toward　Wall　street。　　Here　he　was　able　to　start　in　business

without　competitors；　and　succeeded　in　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

were　about　to　invest；　but　on　hearing　thus　they　changed　their

intention；　and　walked　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

customers　by　you。〃



〃If　you　don't　like　it；　you　can　lump　it；〃　said　Mike；　insolently。　

〃This　is　a　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

by　cowardice。　　〃Come　on；　if　you　want　to。〃



Mike　advanced　a　step；　doubling　his　fists；　but；　finding　that　Paul

showed　no　particular　sign　of　fear；　he　stopped　short；　saying：

〃I'll　lick　you　some　other　time。〃



〃You'd　better　put　it　off；〃　said　Paul。　　〃Have　a　prize　package；

sir？　　Only　five　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？　

What　prize　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　you　give　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

the　corner　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　it　was　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　know　how　much　he　had　made；　but　probably

about　fifty　cents。　　He　had　made　more　than　double　as　much　the　day

before　in　less　time；　but　then　he　did　not　suffer　from　competition。



He　began　to　doubt　whether　he　could　long　pursue　this　business；

since　other　competitors　were　likely　to　spring　up。



As　he　walked　by　the　post　office　he　had　the　curiosity　to　look　and

see　how　his　competitor　was　getting　along。



Teddy　had　started；　originally；　with　seventy…five　packages；　but　of

those　scarcely　a　dozen　were　left。　　A　group　of　boys　were　around

him。　　Among　them　was　Mike；　who　was　just　on　the　point　of　buying

another　package。　　As　before；　he　put　it　in　his　pocket；　and　it　was

not　till　Teddy　asked；　〃What　luck；　Mike？〃　that　he　drew　it　out；

and　opening　it　again；　produced　fifty　cents。



〃It's　the　big　prize！〃　　he　said。　　〃Sure　I'm　in　luck；　anyhow。〃



〃You're　the　boy　that's　lucky；〃　said　Teddy；　wi