Teddy and Carrots: Two Merchants of Newpaper Row Part 19

The enormity of this last offense caused Master Ma.s.sey more surprise than if he had seen his friend in a much worse bodily condition. He had feared Carrots might get a whipping, but never believed Skip would be so bold as to commit downright robbery.

"How did it happen?" he asked solicitously.

Carrots told his story in the fewest possible words, and concluded by making the most dismal and blood-thirsty threats relative to what he would do to Master Jellison when the proper time should arrive--all of which had but little effect on Teenie.

When from sheer lack of breath the victim was forced to cease speaking, Master Ma.s.sey asked in a matter-of-fact tone:

"Where do you s'pose you'll live now?"

"Where will I live? Why, the same place I allers have, of course."

"But you won't dare to if Skip's goin' to cut up this way."

"I'll have him 'rested for stealin', an' then we'll see how he'll act. I guess he'll get sick of tryin' to run fellers out er town!"

Teenie made no reply to this threat because he did not believe it would be carried into effect, but said in what he intended should be a soothing tone:

"It ain't likely he'll try to do anythin' more to-day, so you'd better brace up an' get some of the blood off of your face. I've jest been down to tell Teddy what I heard Skip say he was goin' to do, an' you ought ter get 'round to the ferry, 'cause he'll be huntin' for you."

"I'm goin' to see that lawyer first, an' find out what can be done with Skip."

"Well, you want ter kind of spruce up a bit before you do that, for you don't look very fine now, Carrots."

"I'll jest leave the blood all over my face till the judge sees it."

"Then you'll stand a good chance of bein' 'rested for a pirate, 'cause you look like one." And Teenie, understanding that it would be useless to argue further with Carrots while he was in such a frame of mind, believed it his duty to notify the victim's partner that it was useless for him to neglect business, since the mischief had already been done.

Leaving the disconsolate victim of Skip's vengeance on the curbstone, Master Ma.s.sey walked slowly toward the City Hall; but before he was very far from the scene of the late encounter, he met Teddy.

A few words sufficed to acquaint the latter with all that had happened.

It certainly was discouraging, to say the least, that Master Thurston should be obliged to spend so much time just at this hour, when trade was most flourishing; but he did not neglect what was manifestly his duty, even though it cost him so much in the way of prospective profits.

His first thought on approaching his partner was to attempt to soothe him; but after a few moments he realized how useless such a task would be, and proceeded at once to more heroic measures.

"Now, see here, Carrots, this won't do at all. It ain't any good for you to try to have Skip 'rested for takin' that dollar, an' the lawyer'll be mad, jest as likely as not, if you go to him 'bout it. Course it's pretty hard to git sich a thumpin'; but it's over now, an' we've got to figger how we can git the best of that villain ourselves."

"He's worse'n a villain--he's a heathen!" Carrots yelled.

"Well, call it a heathen then. We'll square up with him before we're much older, an' that's a good deal better'n tryin' to get somebody else to do it for us. I'll bet he has to give up that money before a week, an' we can 'ford to wait two or three days for the sake of doin' the thing right."

"I don't see how we'll ever get the best of Skip. He's always got his gang with him."

"We'll find some way before long, so you'd better fix yourself up and get to work. There's all the more need of hustlin' now we've lost a dollar."

"I didn't lose it! It was stole!"

"Well, it's gone, an' we've got to make it up. Now, be a man, an'

to-night we'll talk this thing over."

Teddy spoke so sternly that Carrots was forced to obey; and, walking slowly and mournfully to City Hall Park, he washed his face in the basin of the fountain, drying it as well as he could with the sleeve of his coat, for Teddy no longer carried his newspaper valise since he had a dwelling-place in which to leave it.

As a matter of course, Carrots's friends, who chanced to be in the vicinity, insisted on knowing exactly what had happened, and, on being informed of the outrage, denounced the perpetrator of the villainy in no measured terms.

"He'll get hisself into trouble if he keeps on this way very long," one of the listeners said when the story had been told in all its details.

"I've got tired seein' him tryin' to run the whole town, an' it strikes me there oughter be enough other fellers that feel the same way to set down on him."

More than one expressed the same opinion, and Teddy was made happy by hearing suggestions as to what should be done to curb Master Jellison's ambitions; but, although very much advice was given, no one volunteered anything in the way of a.s.sistance toward righting the wrong that had been done.

Vain threats and denunciations would not bring back the stolen money, and, to Teddy, this was more important than "squaring himself" with Skip. Therefore, after having waited for Carrots to talk with his friends as long as he thought absolutely necessary, he whispered:

"Now, see here, old man, I've got to go to work. We mustn't fool any more time away. Let's earn what we can the rest of the day, an' to-night we'll fix up some kind of a plan."

Carrots would have been better pleased to remain with his friends; but his partner was so peremptory that he could not refuse to go to work, and, half an hour later, the business a.s.sociates were industriously engaged either in selling papers or blacking boots, according to the demands of their customers.

CHAPTER XI.

A FRIENDLY ARGUMENT.

Teddy was the first to arrive at the packing-case home on the evening of the robbery; but before he had time to get supper--that is, spread out in the most tempting array possible the provisions he had brought home--a noise near the gate told that his partner had come.

Carrots's face was sadly swollen. He entered the box, and threw himself down wearily in one corner on the pile of straw.

"Anything else gone wrong?" Teddy asked in a friendly tone, as he lighted another candle for the purpose of increasing the cheerfulness of the apartment by an extra illumination.

"Anything wrong!" Carrots repeated. "I should think when a feller couldn't go 'round 'bout his business without bein' robbed, there was a good many things out er the way!"

"But, I mean, have you got inter any more trouble since then?"

"No; that was enough to last me the rest of this week, I guess."

"Now, see here, Carrots; it doesn't do any good to go fussin' 'bout that, an' the sooner you brace up, the better it'll be for all hands.

Skip's got the money, an' you've got the thumpin', I know; but you can't change it by worryin' an' lookin' so glum."

"Do you count on a feller's grinnin' like a cat jest 'cause his face is swelled as big as a squash?" Carrots asked, dolefully.

"No; but I don't count on his thinkin' 'bout it all the time. We've got somethin' else to do besides botherin' with Skip Jellison. S'posin' you turn to an' give up everythin' for the next month jest to pay him back, an' then do it, what have you made? Why, nothin' at all--you 're jest where you are to-day. Now we've got a comfortable place to live in, and money enough to feed us for the next two or three days, even if we don't do any business; an' as good a chance to earn ourselves a stand as any other fellers ever had."

"So you 've laid right down, an' are goin' to let them keep that money, are you?"

"Well, yes, jest now; for there's nothin' else we can do. 'Cordin' to my way of thinkin', we've got to keep on workin' an' waitin' till the chance comes. Then we'll lay inter Skip as hard as you like; but I don't see the sense of whinin' yet awhile."

"What's to prove he won't jump in an' do the same thing over ag'in to-morrow?"