Paul the Peddler | Page 9

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, with a grin.
As Paul witnessed the scene a light broke upon him. Now he
understood how Teddy could afford to give such large prizes. Mike and
the other boy, Jim, were only confederates of his--decoy ducks--who
kept drawing over again the same prize, which was eventually given
back to Teddy. It was plain now why Mike put the package into his
pocket before opening it. It was to exchange it for another packet into
which the money had previously been placed, but which was supposed
by the lookers-on to be the same that had just been purchased. The
prize could afterward be placed in a new packet and used over again.
"That ain't the same package," said Paul, announcing his discovery.
"He had it all the while in his pocket."
"Look here," blustered Mike, "you jest mind your own business! That's
the best thing for you."
"Suppose I don't?"
"If you don't there may be a funeral to-morrow of a boy about your
size."

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 anybody to go
over to the island."
As Mike had been a resident at Blackwell's Island on two different
occasions, this produced a laugh at his expense, in the midst of which
Paul walked off.

CHAPTER IV
TEDDY GIVES UP BUSINESS
"Have you sold all your packages, Paul?" asked Jimmy, as our hero
entered the humble room, where the table was already spread with a
simple dinner.
"No," said Paul, "I only sold twenty. I begin to think that the
prize-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 was
that Teddy had managed to distance him in the competition.
"Can't you do the same, Paul?" asked Jimmy. "Mother's got a gold
dollar she could lend you."
"That might do," said Paul; "but I don't know any boy I could trust to
draw it except you, and some of them would know we were brothers."
"I think, Paul, that would be dishonest," said Mrs. Hoffman. "I would
rather make less, if I were you, and do it honestly."
"Maybe you're right, mother. I'll try it again this afternoon, keeping as

far away from Teddy as I can. If I find I can't make it go, I'll try some
other business."
"Jimmy, have you shown Paul