will hold its tenth peripatetic occasion at 42 degrees 25 seconds North
Latitude 65 degrees 15 minutes 20 seconds West Longitude on the 10th
instant.
This was a very important order, requiring great care, received from an
older boy, a member of a secret society. Most obscure it seemed to the
firm. Clarence insisted on printing it in plain English and on setting
up in type: "A Walking match will take place, etc. etc." Pete thought
they had no right to argue about the matter, simply to do what was
ordered.
"I should not mind it so much if they would not have such long words;
and we shall have to buy special marks for degrees, minutes, and
seconds--charge extra on that. But peripatetic--I didn't agree to print
such nonsense," said Clarence. "If we are going to do it I am going to
be quick about it and set it all up except the marks and see how it
looks."
He was in such a hurry that he set the type wrong three times. At last
"peripatetic" was right, but no space was left for the right number of
leads. Rejecting Pete's help, he lifted a row of type to make room, did
not hold it tight enough, the middle sank down, fell out and the line
went to pieces.
"I say now," he exclaimed, "I didn't do that--you did it--it did itself.
I never made 'a pie' in all my life, and see here, I won't have it said
that I made one now."
"I have made them lots of times," calmly said Pete.
"You! O yes! I dare say you have. But I never did, and that's why the
other boys want me in their business."
"What business? I would not get so excited just because of this pie."
"You would if your reputation depended on it."
"Why, I won't tell."
"But the other firms will have to know it; our honor is pledged to tell
whenever such a thing happens to any one of us."
"Are you in other business? Shel said you were, when he wanted us to
take him in, and I said you were _not_. That's the end of it. If you are
any one's else partner, you can't be mine, pie or no pie."
"Very well. Just as you please, you can take Shel. You always put on too
much ink and that wastes capital."
"Well, then, you put on too little ink, and blurred work don't bring
orders. I am done with you."
"And I with you."
"I shall bring up my cart to-morrow and take my things away."
"What are you going to do about those new fonts?"
"I would rather you would have them all than be partner with a boy who
invests in bogus firms."
"Bogus or not, I never mix accounts. You can have the first half and I
the second; only as 'x' and 'z' don't count I ought to have two more
letters in my half than you in yours."
"I should call that mixing halves, if you don't call it mixing
accounts," said Pete, who was so hurt by this unexpected closeness that
he instantly went off to get his cart. Meeting Shel on the way, he
retailed his wrongs and met with such hearty sympathy that he formed a
copartnership with him on the spot. Shel advised him to wait till
to-morrow before taking action and give Clarence time to think over the
matter and see if it would not be better for his pecuniary interests to
remain a silent partner.
"You know," urged he, "that he has got a good deal of type, and though
he works too quickly to admit him as active partner, he might do very
well as a retired one, and thus keep the peace. Then it is always a good
plan to have three partners; one of them, or all together--they somehow
act as judge. I must be off now." And the boys separated.
That afternoon it rained, and Pete had to stay at home. Early the next
day he drew his cart up the hill to Clarence's house with very forgiving
feelings, but found he had left word with the hired man that he had gone
off and wasn't going to have any more to do with him. Of course, honor
and justice then compelled him to take what belonged to him, especially
as the man told him that Clarence had expected him with his cart.
So Pete sadly entered the shed, looked at the forms, thought everything
was mixed up, and did what he always did when longing to speak right
out, but afraid to do so; he took hold of his lower lip with thumb and
forefinger and twirled it back and forth turning it over and under.
Clarence's little sister appeared whilst he was thus engaged, and seeing
the sadness of his eyes and the perplexity of his mouth and fingers, she
ventured to say, "It is too bad, and Clarence said it was, and that he
did not mean to upset the type, but that you got him so provoked he
could not help it, and that you could come and pick it out if you
choose, 'cause it was yours; but he--" and she stopped frightened.
"That's just what I shall do. You tell him it is a mighty mean trick;
that I have left him fifteen letters--you remember fifteen, not
thirteen," said Pete.
He had a hard time sorting the type; part of it was smashed, part of it
very dirty. His cart at last laden, he sorrowfully bore home his press
and its appendages, only to spend still more time in cleaning and
"getting it to rights." "I must finish that order," thought he, "for
orders are business; even if a firm is dissolved, the remaining partner
is bound to complete the work." So he manfully invested some capital in
the type for degrees, minutes and seconds, closed the contract and
received extra pay for his neatness and quickness.
But he grew tired and longed for companionship, so that when Shel
appeared, he found Pete quite dejected, willing to listen to terms of
partnership, but utterly unwilling to have anything more to do with
Clarence.
"Very well," said Shel, "I'll give him up if you'll give up some one
else, and then we'll start even."
"Why, I never thought of any one."
"Never mind," was the reply, "make believe you did; just like
politics--each of us gives up his best man and takes an unknown third
man. We must agree on one who has a self-inker larger than this and lots
of type. I want to extend the business."
"Why can't we begin at once as Jones, Downs & Co., and when we find the
right kind of boy let him be Co."
"Agreed, we'll get out hand-bills at once."
That evening the large trees on the road down to the village
post-office, the doors of the grocery, the dry goods, the apothecary and
provision stores--even the depot itself--bore large placards with the
following announcement: