ANN GRIPPEN PLAYS TRICKS UPON TRAVELERS.
The next day was Wednesday, and as school kept but half a day, Katy
resolved to spend the afternoon in finding out which of her employees
was in the habit of practicing the deception which Mrs. Gordon had
described to her. She could think of no one upon whom she could fasten
the guilt, unless it was Ann Grippen, who, she thought, would be more
likely to play such a trick than any other. After she had delivered
their candy, she put on her things and followed the girls down to State
Street, where they separated. Ann went up Court Street, and Katy
decided that she needed watching, and so she followed her.
It was a very tedious afternoon to the little wholesale merchant, but
the dignity of the trade depended upon her efforts in seeking the
offender. Ann entered various shops, and seemed to be having very good
luck with her stock. At last she appeared to grow tired of her labors,
and turned into an alley. Katy wondered what she was going to do there,
for it was certainly no place to sell candy. She waited sometime for
her to come out, and when she heard her steps, she placed herself at
the corner of the alley, in such a position that Ann could not see her
face.
Presently she heard Ann crying with all her might; and crying so very
naturally that she could hardly persuade herself that it was not real.
She glanced over her shoulder at her, and discovered that she had
broken the nice sticks of candy into a great many little pieces; and it
was for this purpose that she had gone into the alley. Katy was
indignant when she saw so much valuable merchandise thus ruthlessly
mutilated, and the sale of it spoiled. She was disposed to present
herself to the artful girl, and soundly lecture her for the deceit and
wickedness: but she wanted to see how the game was played.
"Boo, hoo, hoo!" sobbed Ann Grippen, apparently suffering all the pangs
of a broken heart, which could not possibly be repaired.
"What is the matter, little girl?" asked a benevolent lady, attracted
by the distress of Ann.
"Boo, hoo, hoo!" cried Ann, unable to speak on account of the torrents
of wo that overwhelmed her.
"Don't cry, little girl, and tell me what the matter is," continued the
kind lady.
"Boo, hoo, hoo! I fell down and broke all my candy," sobbed Ann.
"Poor child!" exclaimed the sympathizing lady.
"My father'll beat me because I didn't sell it," added Ann.
"He is a cruel man. Are you sure he will punish you?"
"Yes, ma'am," groaned Ann. "He'll whip me almost to death if I don't
bring home half a dollar."
"You can tell him you fell down and broke the candy," suggested the
lady.
"He won't believe me; he'll say I sold the candy and spent the money.
O, dear me."
"You can show him the pieces."
"Boo, hoo, hoo! Then he'll say I broke it on purpose, because I was too
lazy to sell it; and then he'll kill me--I know he will."
"I will go and see him, and tell him about the accident. Where do you
live?"
"Down North Square. He ain't to home now," replied Ann, who was not
quite prepared for this method of treating the subject.
"Poor child! I pity you," sighed the lady.
"O, dear me!" cried Ann, exerting herself to the utmost to deepen the
impression she had made.
"How much do you want to make up the value of your candy?"
"Half a dollar."
"There it is, poor child! If it will save you from abuse, you are
welcome to it."
"Thank you, ma'am. It may save my life," replied Ann, as she took the
half dollar and put it in her pocket.
"What an awful liar she is!" said Katy to herself, as the lady hurried
on, probably much pleased with herself as she thought of the kind act
she supposed she had done.
Katy was curious to know what her unworthy assistant would do next, and
she followed her down Hanover Street, and saw her stop before the
American House. She could not believe that Ann would have the hardihood
to play off the same trick again so soon; and she was very much
surprised and very indignant when she saw her begin to cry with all her
might, just as she had done before. While the deceitful girl's eyes
were covered with her apron, in the extremity of her grief, Katy
contrived to get on the hotel steps behind her, so that she could see
and hear all that passed.
"What is the matter with that girl?" asked a gentleman, who presently
appeared at the door, addressing another who was just behind him.
"It is the broken candy dodge," replied the second gentleman. "That
trick has been played off a dozen times within a week."
"What does it mean?" asked the first. "I don't understand it."
The second explained the trick, precisely as Katy had just witnessed it
in Court Street.
"Now, don't say a word," he continued. "I have a counterfeit half
dollar in my pocket, and you shall see how it is done."
With this announcement of his purpose, he accosted Ann, who told him
about the same story she had told the lady, and he finally gave her the
counterfeit half dollar, which Ann did not suspect was a bad one.
"How abominably wicked she is," exclaimed Katy, as she followed her up
the street. "But I will soon spoil all her fun, and cut off her
profits. I will teach her that honesty is the best policy."
It was easier for Katy to resolve what to do than it was to do it; for
the wicked girl could easily get her stock through another person. As
she walked up the street, Ann lightened her load by eating the pieces
of broken candy, upon which she seemed to feed with hearty relish. At a
window in Court Street, Ann stopped to look at some pictures, when she
was joined by another of the candy sellers, and they walked together
till they came to an unfrequented court, which they entered. Katy could
hear enough of their conversation, as she followed them, to ascertain
that they were talking about the tricks Ann had practiced. In the court
they seated themselves on a door-stone, and as they talked and laughed
about the deceit, they ate the pieces of candy.
"There," said Ann, "I have made a dollar and ten cents this afternoon.
You don't catch me walking all over the city for twenty-four cents,
when I don't get but eight of that."
"I ain't so smart as you," modestly replied Julia Morgan, the other
girl.
"You'll learn," said Ann, as she took out her money and exhibited the
two half dollars.
"I don't think people would believe me, if I should try that game."
"Try some other. I think I shall, for I've about used up the broken
candy game."
"What other?"
"I have one," replied Ann, prudently declining to divulge her secret;
"and when I've tried it, I'll tell you all about it."
"Why don't you try it now?"
"I would if my candy wasn't broken."
"I will let you have mine."
"Then I will."
"Give me fourteen cents."
"I will when I've done with it."
"No, you don't," laughed Julia, who justly inferred that if Ann would
cheat one person, she would another.
But Ann was so much interested in the experiment that she decided to
give the fourteen cents, and took the candy. Katy wondered what the new
game could be, and wanted to see her carry it out, though her
conscience smote her for permitting the lady to be deceived, when she
could have unmasked the deceit. She resolved not to let another person
be deceived, and followed the two girls into State Street, as much for
the purpose of exposing Ann's wickedness, as to learn the trick she
intended to play.
"Now you go away," said Ann to her companion, as she placed herself on
the steps of the Merchants-Bank.
It was nearly dark by this time, and as there were but few persons in
the street, Ann did not commence her part of the performance till she
saw a well-dressed gentleman approach; whereupon she began to cry as
she had done twice before that day.
"Boo, hoo, hoo! O, dear me! I shall be killed!" cried she, so lustily,
that the well-dressed gentleman could not decently avoid inquiring the
cause of her bitter sorrow.
"I haven't sold out," sobbed Ann.
"What if you haven't? Why need you cry about it?" asked the stranger.
"My mother will kill me if I go home without half a dollar."
"She is a cruel woman, then."
"Boo, hoo, hoo! She'll beat me to death! O, dear me! I only got ten
cents."
"Why don't you fly round and sell your candy?" said the gentleman.
"I can't now, the folks have all gone, and it's almost dark. O, I wish
I was dead!"
"Well, well, don't cry any more; I'll give you half a dollar, and that
will make it all right;" and he put his hand in his pocket for the
money.
"Don't give it to her," said Katy, stepping out of the lane by the side
of the bank. "She has deceived you, sir."
"Deceived me, has she?" added the stranger as he glanced at Katy.
"Yes, sir. She has got more than a dollar in her pocket now."
"Don't you believe her," sobbed Ann, still prudently keeping up the
appearance of grief.
"How do you know she has deceived me?" asked the stranger, not a little
piqued, as he thought how readily he had credited the girl's story.
"Because I saw her play a trick just like this twice before this
afternoon. She has two half dollars in her pocket now, though one of
them is counterfeit."
"What do you mean by that, Katy Redburn?" demanded Ann, angrily, and
now forgetting her woe and her tears.
"You speak very positively," said the gentleman to Katy; "and if what
you say is true, something should be done about it."
"She is telling lies!" exclaimed Ann, much excited.
"We can soon determine, for here comes a policeman, and I will refer
the matter to him."
At these words, Ann edged off the steps of the bank, and suddenly
started off as fast as she could run, having, it seemed, a very
wholesome aversion to policemen. But she made a bad mistake, for, not
seeing in what direction the officer was approaching, she ran into the
very jaws of the lion.
"Stop her!" shouted the gentleman.
The policeman laid a rude hand upon her shoulder, and marched her back
to the bank. In a few words the gentleman stated what had happened, and
requested the officer to search her, and thus decide whether Katy told
the truth or not. He readily consented, and on turning out Ann's
pocket, produced the two half dollars, one of which the gentleman
decided was a counterfeit coin.
"How could you know this was a counterfeit?" he asked of Katy.
"I heard a gentleman at the door of the American House, who knew the
game, tell another that it was a counterfeit;" and she proceeded to
give all the particulars of the two tricks she had seen Ann play off.
"I shall have to take you to the lock-up, my little joker," said the
policeman.
"O, dear me!" cried Ann, and this time she was in earnest.
"Please don't do that!" said Katy, who had not foreseen this
consequence of the game.
"I must; it is downright swindling."
"Please don't; she has a father and mother and I dare say they will
feel very bad about it. I promise you she shall never do it again,"
pleaded Katy.
"I must do my duty. This candy trick has been played a good many times,
and has become a nuisance. I must lock her up."
"Save me, Katy, save me!" begged Ann terrified at the thought of being
put in a prison or some dreadful place.
"Why do you wish to save her?" interposed the gentleman.
"Because her mother will feel so bad; and she will lay it all to me."
Katy told him all about herself and about Ann, and he was so much
interested in her that he joined in pleading for Ann's release. The
officer was firm for a long time, but when the gentleman declared that
he should not appear against her, he decided to let her go, to Katy's
great delight, as well as to Ann's.
Humbled by the peril from which she had just escaped, Ann promised
never to be guilty of playing another trick upon travelers; but Katy
was firm in her purpose not to supply her with any more candy. She did
not dare to resent Katy's interference, for the terrors of the lock-up
were still in her mind, and she did not know but that Katy might have
her arrested and punished for what she had done, if she attempted to
retaliate upon her.
Katy was shocked at the wickedness of her companion; and, as they
walked home together she tried to make her see the enormity of her
offense, and give her some better views of her duty to her
fellow-beings. Ann heard her in silence and with humility, and the
little moralist hoped the event would result in good to her.