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Alger, Horatio, 1832-1899

"Paul the Peddler, or the Fortunes of a Young Street Merchant"

Montgomery. The
latter received it with so much the more satisfaction, as he had made
up his mind at one time that it was gone irrevocably, and put it away in
his waistcoat pocket.
"I had intended to buy some silver spoons," he said, "but it will be
necessary to wait until I have disposed of the ring. However, I may as
well look at some, eh, Mrs. Barnes?"
"If you like," assented the lady.
So the pair examined some spoons, and fixed upon a dozen, which they
said they would return and buy on the next day, and then, with a
polite good-by, went out of the store, leaving behind, on the whole, a
favorable impression.
Ephraim Young accompanied them out, and walked along beside them in the
street. He, too, was in good spirits, for had not his companion promised
him five dollars for his services, which he had faithfully rendered?
Five dollars to the young man from the rural districts was a very
considerable sum of money--quite a nugget, in fact--and he already
enjoyed in advance the pleasure which he anticipated of telling his
friends at home how easily he had earned such a sum in "York." He walked
along beside the adventurer, expecting that he would say something about
paying him, but no allusion was made by the adventurer to his
promise. Indeed, five dollars was considerably more than he had in his
possession. When they reached Amity street, for they were now proceeding
up Broadway, he sought to shake off the young man, whose company he no
longer desired.


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