NEW EMPLOYMENT.
Had Ralph been more familiar with the ways of the city, and particularly
with the ways of such merchants as the one with whom he now had to deal, he
would have known that the Jew's anger was only put on in order to
intimidate him into purchasing a suit he did not want.
The Bowery is full of such shops as I have described, and despite the many
protests that have been made, "pullers-in" and their associates continue to
flourish. In more than three-quarters of the cases where passers-by are
enticed into stores they are forced into buying, no matter how hard they
protest against the outrage.
But although he was ignorant of the real facts of the matter, one thing was
clear to Ralph. He did not want to buy, and he was not going to be forced
into doing so.
"I did not come in to fool," he said, stoutly. "Your man outside insisted
that I should come in and try on the things, although I told him I did not
wish to buy."
"Dot's all right--I wrap der suit up and you bay for dem."
"Not much!" and Ralph's temper began to rise. "Give me my coat and vest!"
He made a dash for the articles, but before he could secure them the Jew's
wife had whisked them out of his reach.
"You can't vos fool Isaac," she screamed. "You bay for der suit, and den
you gits dem pack--not before."
"I'll have them back now!" exclaimed Ralph, his eyes flashing dangerously.
"Give them to me!"
The woman ran behind the counter, but he made after her. He caught hold of
the coat and vest, and despite her resistance, twisted them from her grasp.
In a second he had them on once more.
"Hellup! hellup!" screamed the woman.
"Don't you touch mine wife!" howled the old Jew.
"Samuel, come in here and hellup your fadder and mudder!"
The "puller-in" had been watching proceedings from outside of the store,
and now he came running in. He was a big, muscular fellow, and not above
acting roughly when the occasion demanded.
"See here, what do you mean by striking my mother?" he cried out, boldly.
"Do you want to get yourself locked up?"
Instead of replying to this speech, Ralph backed toward the rear of the
clothing establishment. He had no desire to enter into a fight on the
premises. Now he had his clothing, he wished to get out as quickly as
possible.
"Sthop! sthop!" screamed the old Jew. "Vere vos you going?"
Still Ralph returned no reply. The way to the front was blocked. But a rear
door, leading to a small yard, was open, and toward this he ran.
"He's goin' out of der pack!" cried the woman. "Sthop him, Isaac!"
"Run, Samuel!" shrieked Isaac, and the son darted forward, but too late to
stop Ralph in making his exit.
Ralph found the yard both small and exceedingly dirty. Beyond was another
yard, and, looking over the fence, the boy saw an open hallway leading to a
street.
Without hesitation, for Samuel was close at his heels, Ralph vaulted over
the fence. Before the young Jew could follow, he was inside of the hallway.
A minute later he was in the next street, and running through the crowd
toward the end of the block. He did not cease his rapid pace until the
neighborhood was left a good distance behind.
"Well, that's the most trying experience I've had yet," he murmured to
himself, as he at last dropped into a slow walk to catch his breath. "Those
people are not thieves, but they are next door to it."
Ralph was so disgusted with the Bowery--which, in reality, has many nice
places of business in it--that he left the street at the next corner.
At nine o'clock he found himself in the vicinity of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Here he came across a cheap but neat-looking hotel. He entered and engaged
a room for himself alone on the top floor for fifty cents, and soon after
retired and slept soundly until morning.
The boy was on the streets again long before the time appointed for his
next call at Horace Kelsey's offices. Having nothing to do, he mounted to
the bridge, and took a walk across to Brooklyn and return. This gave him a
splendid view of both cities, and afforded him a means of enjoyment until
it was time to make the call.
He had brushed himself up to the last degree, and invested in another shine
for his shoes, and a clean collar and tie, so now, even if his clothing was
rather worn and torn in one or two places, he nevertheless looked quite
respectable.
"He is in," said the clerk, when Ralph entered the offices, and the next
moment Horace Kelsey came forward and shook him by the hand.
"This is an unexpected pleasure," said the insurance agent. "Step into my
private office," and he led the way, showed Ralph to a seat, and closed the
door. "My clerk told me of your calling yesterday."
"This is a totally unexpected trip, Mr. Kelsey," returned Ralph, by way of
apologizing for his appearance. "When I started, I had no idea I would end
up in New York."
"Indeed!" and the gentleman looked his curiosity.
"I've got rather a long story to tell," went on Ralph.
"Yes? Then let me hear it at once. I will be at leisure for the next hour."
It was rather awkward for Ralph to start, but it was not long before he was
deep in the recital of his adventures and the great wrong that had been
done to him. Horace Kelsey listened with scarcely a word of comment until
he finished.
"Well, Ralph, if I did not know you to be an honest boy, I would not
believe it," he exclaimed, at last.
"I can hardly believe it myself, Mr. Kelsey. Why did those two men attack
me?"
"It is a great mystery. Had you not met them after the fall over the bluff
I would be inclined to say that that fall must have been accidental. But,
as it is, it was premeditated, beyond a doubt. And you are certain that you
never met the men before?"
"I am."
"They could not have been the ones that robbed the post office, and got
angry because you put the authorities on their track?"
"No sir; I don't believe they had anything to do with that affair."
"It couldn't be that Percy Paget set them up to it?"
"I don't believe he would go as far as that--not when our quarrel was no
worse than it was."
"I believe you there. Yet there must be some reason," insisted Horace
Kelsey. "Men do not attempt to take life for the mere fun of it."
"I believe you there, sir."
"The thing is--what could they profit by if you were out of the way?"
"I don't know."
"Could they claim that property, the papers of which are missing?"
"No sir; the property belongs to my mother--at least I think it does."
"Your father might have willed it to you."
"In that case my mother would have told me of it."
"You should have gone back to Westville at once and made a search. Your
mother will be worried over your absence."
"I have already written to her, telling her all. I don't see the use of
going back just now. Those men have most likely skipped out."
"That is true."
"And now I had come to New York, I thought I would take a look around
before I went back. I may not get the chance again. Besides, I only had a
job on the lakes running the pleasure sloop, and I would like to strike
something better if it's to be had."
"I see," Horace Kelsey smiled. "Well, I promised to do what I could, and I
won't disappoint you. I will give you employment here in my office unless
you can strike something better."
"Thank you. I would prefer to work for you."
"I need another clerk for a new line of work, and I fancy you would just
suit. But you would have to remain in New York. How would your mother like
that?"
"She would miss me, sir, but if the job paid I could send for her to come
on, and rent the place in Westville."
"Then you can consider yourself engaged whenever you are ready to come to
work. And, by the way," Horace Kelsey went on, hurriedly, as there came a
knock on the door, "there is a gentleman I must see on business. Come in at
one o'clock again, will you?"
"Yes, sir," replied Ralph, and not to detain the gentleman longer, he bowed
himself out, well pleased over the sudden turn his fortunes had taken.
Could the boy have seen what was at that time occurring at Westville, he
would not have been so contented, but would instead have taken the first
train homeward.