Teddy and Carrots: Two Merchants of Newpaper Row Part 13

"Course you have, Teenie. What's troublin' you?"

"You might think I wasn't actin' jest square, so I wanted to have it straight."

"Have what straight?" Carrots asked impatiently.

"'Bout how you an' I stand. Now, you see, I met Skip this afternoon--"

"Didn't tell him where I lived, did you?" Carrots asked, sternly.

"Course not. What do you take me for? But he had a good deal to say 'bout you."

"If he don't ever hurt me any worse'n he can with his tongue, I reckon I'll get along all right."

"He says he's goin' to drive both of you fellers out er the city, if he don't do anything else the rest of the year."

"Then he'll have a chance to get through with a good bit of loafin', for we're not goin' to get up an' dust jest to please him."

"But he's awful mad."

"That don't hurt me any. He can boil over if he wants to, for all I care."

"Well, now, Carrots, he wanted me to do somethin', an' I couldn't get out er promisin'."

"What was it?" the host asked, impatiently.

"You won't get mad?"

"Course not, 'less you're givin' somethin' away ag'in me."

"He wanted me to bring a letter down here. You see, he kind er thinks I know where you live, an' so he told me I'd got to take it. I couldn't help myself, Carrots, 'cause he hung right on, an' jest as likely's not he'd have given me a thumpin' if I hadn't done it."

"Oh, that's all right. Fish up your letter."

Teenie drew from his pocket a piece of soiled paper and gave it to Carrots, who, with the candle in his hand, opened it carefully and with an air of the utmost gravity.

Fortunately, so far as the better understanding of this story is concerned, the important doc.u.ment was preserved by Teddy; therefore we are enabled to give an exact copy of it:

[Ill.u.s.tration:

beWArE GiT or Dy this is the LArst WORnin THe NeX tiMe Comes Deth.

the ComMiTE]

CHAPTER VIII.

THE PARTNERS.

It was fully five minutes before Carrots succeeded in deciphering the letter brought by Teenie, and then he pretended to treat the matter as a huge joke.

"Why, Skip must have spent pretty nigh the whole day gettin' up that thing," he said, as he handed the missive to Teddy. "I wonder what he made the moon there for?"

"Moon?" Teenie repeated. "Why, he told me it was a skull, with a dagger underneath it and with bones on the sides, same's pirates have on their flags; an' the two coffins was for you an' the other feller."

"Who are the two duffers down there at the bottom? A couple of pirates?"

"No; they're the committee," Teenie explained. "I s'pose one of 'em's Skip, an' the other's Sid."

"So Sid's taken a hand in this; _he's_ gone to drivin' boys out er the town, has he? Well, Sid's a nice plum to do anything of the kind! 'T isn't more'n a month ago since he was gettin' right down on his knees, coaxin' Skip to let him stay to black boots. It would be a mighty long while before I'd ask Skip Jellison to 'low me to do anything!"

"Them two are awful thick now. Kind er stand in pardners, I reckon. Sid says he's goin' to run Fulton Ferry on the Brooklyn side, an' Skip's to take care of this end, as soon as they drive the feller from Saranac away."

"Oh, they are, eh? Well, p'rhaps it'll be a good while before they finish up the job they've got on hand, so I guess they won't hurt theirselves workin' this season. What do you think about it, Teddy?"

The young gentleman from Saranac made no reply, but folded the paper carefully and put it in his pocket, as if for future reference.

"What're you goin' to do 'bout it?" Teenie asked, so earnestly that Carrots looked at him suspiciously.

"Do 'bout it?" the latter replied. "Why, let him go ahead. What else can we do? I've seen a good many better-lookin' pictures than he made there, an' if that's all he does he won't hurt anybody."

"But see here, Carrots: Skip says you'll have to leave this town if you stand in with Teddy, an' he's goin' to make it awful hot."

"Well, I s'pose if he can do that he will; so what's the use talkin'

'bout it? We can't help anything, as I see."

Teenie understood that his friend was not absolutely satisfied regarding his connection with the matter, and therefore refused to make any explanation as to what his future course might be. This lack of confidence troubled the messenger; for Carrots was a particular friend of his, and he did not wish anything to impair the kindly feeling existing between them.

So he was glad when Carrots said:

"I ain't blamin' you, Teenie; but I can tell you one thing sure: what ain't known can't be told. If Skip Jellison should 'low he was jest about goin' to thump the life out er you if you didn't repeat everything I said, why, you might have to give up. So I don't think it's best for us to have any talk. Of course I'm sure you won't tell where I'm livin'."

"I wouldn't say a word 'bout that, Carrots, an' you know it."

"I b'lieve you, Teenie, I b'lieve you; but you understand how things are workin'. Teddy an' me are in a pretty bad hole jest now, an' we've got to be careful. If you could kind er tell us once in a while what Skip was thinkin' of doin', it might help along; but I won't ask it in case you're 'fraid, 'cause I don't want ter get any other feller in a sc.r.a.pe."

"I'll do all I can, Carrots; an' now I reckon I'd better be goin'.

Mother told me I must come home to-night."

"All right, old man. Be sure, when you get on the street, that Skip ain't watchin' so's to find out where you've been."

"He can't be 'round here, 'cause I went up to supper first, an' walked right down from the house without seein' him."

Then Teenie took his departure, and the victims of Master Skip's wrath were left alone to discuss the situation, which was certainly beginning to look serious for them.

"Now what do you think 'bout it?" Carrots asked, after seeing Teenie over the fence.