章节正文
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 eloquentappeals 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" target="_blank" title="ad.胜利地；洋洋得意地">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, 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 your drawing?" said his mother.
"Here it is, Paul," said Jimmy, producing his drawing- book, from
which he had copied a simple design of a rustic cottage.
"Why, that's capital, Jimmy," said Paul, in real surprise. "I
had no idea 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,"
said Mrs. 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
some money, so that you and mother need not work so hard."
"Hard work agrees with me. I'm tough," said Paul. "But when we
get to be 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 to do."
"I don't think I would enjoy that," said Mrs. Hoffman, smiling.
"Will you be in the candy business, then, Paul?" said Jimmy.
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 eloquentappeals 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" target="_blank" title="ad.胜利地；洋洋得意地">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, 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 your drawing?" said his mother.
"Here it is, Paul," said Jimmy, producing his drawing- book, from
which he had copied a simple design of a rustic cottage.
"Why, that's capital, Jimmy," said Paul, in real surprise. "I
had no idea 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,"
said Mrs. 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
some money, so that you and mother need not work so hard."
"Hard work agrees with me. I'm tough," said Paul. "But when we
get to be 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 to do."
"I don't think I would enjoy that," said Mrs. Hoffman, smiling.
"Will you be in the candy business, then, Paul?" said Jimmy.
- package [´pækidʒ]
n.包(裹) vt.组装 (初中英语单词) - opening [´əupəniŋ] n.开放；开端 a.开始的 (初中英语单词)
- possibility [,pɔsə´biliti] n.可能(性)；希望；前途 (初中英语单词)
- amazement [ə´meizmənt] n.惊愕；惊奇 (初中英语单词)
- accordingly [ə´kɔ:diŋli] ad.因此；从而；依照 (初中英语单词)
- invest [in´vest] v.投资；授予 (初中英语单词)
- advanced [əd´vɑ:nst] a.先进的；高级的 (初中英语单词)
- customer [´kʌstəmə] n.顾客，买主，主顾 (初中英语单词)
- therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)
- pursue [pə´sju:] v.追赶；追踪；从事 (初中英语单词)
- curiosity [,kjuəri´ɔsiti] n.好奇；奇事；珍品 (初中英语单词)
- supposed [sə´pəuzd] a.想象的；假定的 (初中英语单词)
- funeral [´fju:nərəl] n.葬礼，丧葬；困难 (初中英语单词)
- invitation [,invi´teiʃən] n.邀请；请帖；吸引 (初中英语单词)
- humble [´hʌmbəl] a.谦卑的 vt.贬抑 (初中英语单词)
- parlor [´pɑ:lə] n.客厅；起居室 (初中英语单词)
- partnership [´pɑ:tnəʃip] n.合伙关系 (高中英语单词)
- apparently [ə´pærəntli] ad.显然，表面上地 (高中英语单词)
- shrill [ʃril] a.(声音)尖锐的 (高中英语单词)
- announcement [ə´naunsmənt] n.通告；宣布；言谈 (高中英语单词)
- genuine [´dʒenjuin] a.真正的；真诚的 (高中英语单词)
- appeal [ə´pi:l] vi.&n.请求；呼吁；上诉 (高中英语单词)
- inferior [in´fiəriə] n.下级的 n.下级；晚辈 (高中英语单词)
- alongside [əlɔŋ´said] ad.在旁 prep.横靠 (高中英语单词)
- competitor [kəm´petitə] n.竞争者；比赛者 (高中英语单词)
- hearing [´hiəriŋ] n.听力；听证会；审讯 (高中英语单词)
- angrily [´æŋgrili] ad.生气地；愤怒地 (高中英语单词)
- finding [´faindiŋ] n.发现物；判断；结果 (高中英语单词)
- originally [ə´ridʒənəli] ad.本来；独创地 (高中英语单词)
- resident [´rezidənt] a.居住的 n.居民 (高中英语单词)
- related [ri´leitid] a.叙述的；有联系的 (高中英语单词)
- rustic [´rʌstik] a.田野的；质朴的 (高中英语单词)
- eloquent [´eləkwənt] a.流利的；雄辩的 (英语四级单词)
- triumphantly [trai´ʌmfəntli] ad.胜利地；洋洋得意地 (英语四级单词)
- triumphant [trai´ʌmfənt] a.胜利的；洋洋得意的 (英语四级单词)
- drawing [´drɔ:iŋ] n.画图；制图；图样 (英语四级单词)
- packet [´pækit] n.盒 vt....打成小包 (英语四级单词)
- applied [ə´plaid] a.实用的，应用的 (英语六级单词)
- cowardice [´kauədis] n.懦弱，胆怯 (英语六级单词)
- indignantly [in´dignəntli] ad.愤慨地，义愤地 (英语六级单词)
文章标签:名著
章节正文
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