SUBTLE FLATTERY.
THE two boys reached their boarding house as the clock struck twelve.
“The best thing we can do is to get to bed as soon as possible,” said
Sam, as they entered the room and locked the door.
“You might as well pay me what you owe me,” suggested Joshua, who did
not intend Sam to forget his indebtedness.
“Oh, yes!” said Sam. “Let me find my pocketbook.”
He felt in the pocket of his “other pants,” but of course did not find
what was not there. To let the reader into a secret, he had, before
leaving for the theatre, carefully locked it up in his trunk, where it
was even now, as he very well knew.
“By Jove!” he exclaimed, whistling, as he withdrew his hand, empty.
“What’s the matter?” inquired Joshua, anxiously.
“My pocketbook isn’t there!”
“Isn’t it? Where is it, then?” demanded Joshua, beginning to be alarmed.
“I must have taken it with me to-night, after all,” said Sam. “I
understand now,” he added, suddenly. “I must have had my pocket picked
in the car.”
“Had your pocket picked?” repeated Joshua, as ruefully as if it had been
his own.
“Yes; didn’t you notice that black-whiskered man that sat next me?”
“No.”
“I am sure it was he. I thought he looked suspicious as I entered the
car. If I hadn’t been talking with you, he couldn’t have robbed me
without my knowing it.”
“Was there much in the pocketbook?” inquired Joshua.
“Not much,” said Sam, indifferently. “Between twenty-seven and
twenty-eight dollars, I believe--a mere trifle.”
“I call that a good deal.”
“It’s more than I like to lose, to be sure.”
“Then, you can’t pay me what you owe me?” said Joshua, soberly.
“Not just now. In fact, I must wait till the end of the week, when I get
my wages.”
“How much do you get then?”
“Twenty dollars.”
“You will surely pay me then?”
“Of course. You ain’t afraid to trust me?” said Sam, in a tone
indicating his enjoyment of the joke.
“No,” returned Joshua, slowly; but he would have much preferred to
receive payment there and then.
“I don’t think I shall run away on account of such a debt,” said Sam,
laughing. “If it was two thousand dollars, instead of two, I might, you
know.”
“Two dollars and ten cents,” corrected Joshua.
“What a mean hunks!” thought Sam. “He’s going to be worse than his
father, and that’s saying a good deal.”
Had Joshua known the real state of the case, he would have been more
alarmed for his money, but, as he supposed that Sam really received
twenty dollars a week, and was to be taken into partnership at
twenty-one by his employer, and thenceforth to be a prosperous business
man, with a large income, he was reassured, and did not doubt that he
should be paid.
“Well, Joshua, what are you going to do with yourself?” asked Sam the
next morning, as they rose from breakfast.
“I don’t know.”
“I’ve got to go to business, you know. I’d like to go round the city
with you, but I can’t be spared.”
“I’ll walk down to your store with you.”
“All right; only I wouldn’t advise you to stay very long in the store.”
“Why not?”
“Oh, Craven would think I was neglecting my business, and, as I am to be
his future partner, I want to keep his good opinion.”
“To be sure,” said Joshua. “I suppose I can walk round?”
“Yes, you can go around and see the city--only keep your eyes peeled, so
you will know the way back. And, if you ride in the cars, look out for
pickpockets.”
“Is there much danger?” asked Joshua, hastily thrusting his hand into
his pocket, to ascertain the safety of his money.
“Plenty of danger. If I am in danger of being robbed, you are much more
so, not being used to the city. If you like, I’ll take your money--that
is, what you don’t need to use--and lock it up in the safe.”
“I guess I’ll keep it,” said Joshua, hastily. “I’ll look out for
pickpockets. Besides, I don’t think I’ll ride in the cars--I’ll walk.”
“You’ll get tired if you tramp about all day.”
“If I get tired, I’ll come back to the room and rest a while.”
As proposed, Joshua accompanied his friend to the shoe store, and
entered, but, after a few minutes, went out to see what he could of the
city. He wandered about for two hours, looking in at shop windows, and
examining with curiosity the many unusual objects which everywhere met
his view. It was interesting, but it was also tiresome, particularly as
he walked everywhere. At length, his attention was drawn to a car going
uptown, on which was printed its destination, “Central Park.” Joshua had
heard a good deal of Central Park in his country home, and he naturally
was curious to see it. The car was nearly empty, and, therefore, as it
struck him there could not be much danger of pickpockets, he resolved,
especially as he felt quite tired, to get in and ride to the park, even
if it did cost five cents. Getting into the car, he seated himself at a
distance from other passengers, and kept his hand on his pocket. After a
time, he reached Fifty-ninth street, and had no difficulty in guessing
that the beautiful inclosed space before him was the park of which he
had heard so much. He was a little afraid, on seeing the policeman at
the entrance, that there was a fee for admission, but was gratified to
find that no money was required.
He wandered on, with the other promenaders, and by and by sat down on
one of the seats considerately placed at intervals for the benefit of
weary pedestrians.
He had not been sitting there long, when a dark-complexioned man of
forty also seated himself on the bench. Joshua took no particular notice
of him till the stranger looked toward him, and remarked, politely:
“It’s a fine day, sir.”
“Yes,” said Joshua, who was secretly flattered at being called “sir.”
“It is a fine day to enjoy the park.”
“Yes,” said Joshua.
“I suppose you live in the city?”
“Yes; that is, I do now,” answered Joshua, flattered again at being
mistaken for an old resident of New York.
“I am a stranger in the city,” said the other; “I live in the country. I
came up here on a little business. I never was in the park before.”
“Weren’t you?” asked Joshua, with the air of one who had visited it a
great many times.
“No; I like it very much. It reminds me of the country where I live.”
“It is very pretty, we city people think,” said Joshua, swelling with
satisfaction as he classed himself among the city people.
“I ought to like it,” said the stranger, laughing, “for I have had a
piece of great good luck here this morning.”
“Indeed!” said Joshua, pricking up his ears, with curiosity.
“I was walking just above here, when I found this in the path.”
As he spoke, he drew from his pocket what appeared to be a handsome gold
watch of considerable size.
“Did you find that?” said Joshua, enviously, wishing he had had the same
good fortune.
“Yes; somebody must have dropped it. It must be worth a hundred dollars.
Why, the chain is worth thirty, at least,” and he pointed to the chain,
which also was, to all appearances, gold.
“I wish I had been as lucky,” said Joshua, gazing at the watch and chain
with longing eyes. “How long is it since you found it?”
“About twenty minutes. However, I’ve got another watch at home. I don’t
need it. I’d sell it for a good deal less than it is worth,” and he
looked suggestively in Joshua’s face.
Now, Joshua had long cherished the desire of having a watch, though his
hopes had been confined to a silver one, and a chain of silk braid.
Never, in his wildest and most ambitious dreams, had he thought of an
elegant gold watch and chain like this.
“How much will you take?” he asked, eagerly.
“Why, it’s well worth a hundred dollars,” said the stranger, “but I’ll
take half price.”
“That is, fifty dollars?”
“Yes; it’ll be a great bargain at that. Any jeweler would give more, but
I haven’t time to go and see one; I must go out of this city in an
hour.”
“I can’t afford to give fifty dollars,” said Joshua.
“I might take a little less,” said the stranger, “considering that I
found it; but it’s well worth fifty dollars, or seventy-five, for that
matter.”
“I’ll give you thirty dollars,” said Joshua, after a little pause.
“That’s too little,” said the other. “I’d rather stay here till the next
train, and sell it to a jeweler. I feel sure they would pay me sixty, at
least.”
If that was the case, it would certainly be a good speculation to buy
the watch and sell it again. Joshua began to be anxious to get it.
“I want it for myself,” he said, “but I can’t afford to pay fifty
dollars.”
“Will you give forty-five?”
“I’ll give thirty-five.”
“Say forty, and it’s yours; though I ought not to sell it at that. Just
put it on, and see how well it looks.”
Joshua put it in his watch-pocket, and was conquered.
“All right,” he said; “I’ll take it.”
He paid the forty dollars, and bade farewell to the kind stranger who
had given him so good a bargain.
“You city people are sharp,” said the stranger, as he bade him
good-morning. “We poor countrymen don’t stand much chance with you.”
This remark flattered Joshua immensely, and he strutted about the park,
glancing continually at his new acquisition, and fancying that he
already had quite a city air.
------------------------------------------------------------------------