CHAPTER XV. BUYING OUT A NEWS STAND.

 After the above incident several weeks slipped by without anything out of the ordinary happening.

 

In the meantime Sam Pepper's place was thoroughly¹ remodeled and became a leading café on the East Side—a resort for many characters whose careers would not stand investigation². The man seemed wrapped up in his business, but his head was busy with schemes of far greater importance.

 

He had said but little to Nelson, who spent a good part of his time at Mrs. Kennedy's rooms with Gertrude. Sam had found the letters and put them in a safe place without a word, and the boy had not dared to question him about them. Nor had Pepper questioned Nelson concerning what the lad knew or suspected.

 

The results of Gertrude's advertising³ were not as gratifying as anticipated; still the girl obtained seven pupils, which brought her in three dollars[Pg 120] and a half weekly. Most of the lessons had to be given on Saturdays, when her pupils were home from school, and this made it necessary that she ride from house to house, so that thirty-five cents of the money went for carfare.

 

"Never mind," said the newsboy; "it's better than nothing, and you'll get more pupils, sooner or later."

 

The boy himself worked as never before, getting up before sunrise and keeping at it with "sporting extras" until almost midnight. In this manner he managed to earn sometimes as high as ten dollars per week. He no longer helped Pepper around his resort, and the pair compromised on three dollars per week board money from Nelson. The rest of the money our hero either saved or offered to Gertrude. All he spent on himself was for the suit, shoes, and hat he had had so long in his mind.

 

"I declare, you look like another person!" cried the girl, when he presented himself in his new outfit⁴, and with his hair neatly⁵ trimmed, and his face and hands thoroughly scrubbed. "Nelson, I am proud of you!" And she said this so heartily⁶ that he blushed furiously. Her gentle influence was beginning to have its effect, and our hero was resolved to make a man of himself in the best meaning of that term.

 

[Pg 121]

 

One day Nelson was at work, when George Van Pelt⁷ came along.

 

"How goes it, George?" asked the boy.

 

"Nothing to brag⁸ about," returned Van Pelt. "How goes it with you?"

 

"I am doing very well. Made ten dollars and fifteen cents last week."

 

"Phew! That's more than I made."

 

"How much did you make?"

 

"Eight dollars. I wish we could buy out that news stand. I am sick of tramping around trying to sell books," went on George Van Pelt. "Last week I was over in Jersey⁹ City, and one woman set her dog on me."

 

"I hope you didn't get bit," said Nelson with a laugh.

 

"No, but the dog kept a sample of my pants."

 

"Have you heard anything more of the stand?"

 

"The owner says he's going to sell out sure by next week. He told me he would take ninety dollars cash. He's going away and don't want a mortgage now."

 

"Ninety dollars. How much have you got?"

 

"I can scrape up forty dollars on a pinch."

 

"I've got fifteen dollars."

 

"That makes fifty-five dollars. We'll want thirty-five more. How can we get that amount?"

 

[Pg 122]

 

"I reckon we can save it up—inside of a few weeks, if we both work hard."

 

"The man won't wait. There's a party will give him seventy-five dollars cash right away. He's going to take that if he can't get ninety."

 

At that moment Nelson caught sight of the familiar figure of a stout¹⁰ gentleman crossing the street toward him, and ran out to meet the party.

 

"Good-morning, sir!" he said. "Have some papers this morning?"

 

"Hullo! you're the boy that saved me from being run over a few weeks ago," returned the stout gentleman.

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"I'll have a Sun and a Journal, and you can give me a Times, too. How is business?"

 

"Good, sir."

 

"I was in a hurry that day, or I would have stopped to reward you," went on the gentleman.

 

"You did reward me, sir."

 

"Did I? I had forgotten. You see, that fire in Harlem was in a house of mine. I was terribly upset. But the matter is all straightened out now."

 

"I hope you didn't lose much."

 

"No, the loss went to the insurance companies." The stout gentleman paused. "My[Pg 123] lad, I would like to do something for you," he went on seriously.

 

"Have you got a job for me?"

 

"I don't know as I have, just now. But if you need help——"

 

"I do need help, sir. Are you a capitalist?"

 

"A capitalist?" queried¹¹ the man, puzzled. "What do you mean by that?"

 

"I mean one of those gentlemen that loan money out on business? I've heard of 'em, down in Wall Street."

 

"Well, I sometimes loan money out."

 

"Then I'd like to borrow thirty-five dollars." Nelson beckoned¹² to George Van Pelt, who had moved off a short distance. "You see, it's this way," he went on, and then told about the news stand that was for sale, and what he and the book agent wished to do.

 

Mr. Amos Barrow, for such was the gentleman's name, listened attentively¹³.

 

"And you think this would be a good investment?" he questioned.

 

"Yes, it's a good stand," said Van Pelt.

 

"But you ought to have some money with which to stock up."

 

"We'll work hard and build it up," said our hero. "I know that neighborhood well. Old Maxwell never 'tended to business. I'll go[Pg 124] around and get twice as large a paper route as he ever had. And we can keep plenty of ten-cent paper-covered books, and all that."

 

"And we can keep things for school children, too," put in George Van Pelt. "There is a school near by, and many of the children pass the stand four times a day."

 

"Well, I'll give you fifty dollars, Nelson," said Mr. Barrow. "That will help you to buy the stand and give you fifteen dollars working capital."

 

"You can't give me the money, sir. But you can loan it to me."

 

"But why won't you let me give it to you?" laughed the stout gentleman. "Isn't my life worth that?"

 

"It isn't that, sir. I want to do this in a regular business fashion."

 

"All right; have your own way, my lad."

 

"We'll give you a mortgage on the stand," said George Van Pelt.

 

"Never mind the mortgage. I believe I can read faces, and I'll take the boy's word," answered Mr. Barrow.

 

Hauling out a fat pocketbook, he counted out five new ten-dollar bills and passed them over to our hero.

 

"There you are," he said. "I would rather[Pg 125] you would keep them. But if not, you can pay the amount back whenever it is convenient." And he passed over his business card. A few minutes later he hurried on.

 

"He's a brick!" was George Van Pelt's comment. "Now we can buy the stand."

 

"All right," answered Nelson. "But I want to get rid of my morning papers first."

 

"Well, I have several books to deliver. I'll do that, and then we can meet at the stand after dinner."

 

So it was agreed, and the pair separated.

 

Business continued good with our hero, and by eleven o'clock he had sold out. Anxious to look the stand over, he hurried off in that direction.

 

He found old Maxwell sitting on a soap-box, reading a sporting paper. The stand was full of dust and the stock much disarranged. Evidently the owner had lost interest in it.

 

"I understand you want to sell out," said Nelson.

 

"I do," answered Maxwell. "Want to buy?"

 

"I might buy if you sell out cheap enough."

 

"I want a hundred dollars."

 

"A hundred? I thought you'd sell out for seventy-five."

 

"No, I've been asking a hundred. I might knock off ten dollars, though."

 

[Pg 126]

 

Nelson looked the stand over, and asked some questions about the trade done.

 

"I'll give you eighty dollars cash," he said, at last.

 

"Make it ninety."

 

"No, eighty, and not a cent more."

 

"When will you take the stand?"

 

"This afternoon, and I'll pay fifty dollars now."

 

"All right, you can have it," replied Maxwell.

 

A bill of sale was drawn¹⁴ up, and Nelson paid the fifty dollars on account. Then he went off for lunch; first, however, taking an account of the stock on hand.

 

"What you take in from now on is mine," he said.

 

"All right, you shall have it," replied the old stand-keeper.

 

1 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

2 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

3 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

4 outfit   

n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装

参考例句：

• Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
• His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。

5 neatly   

adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地

参考例句：

• Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
• The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

6 heartily   

adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很

参考例句：

• He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿，就出去找他的马。
• The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手，热情地和我握手。

7 pelt   

v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火

参考例句：

• The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。
• Crowds started to pelt police cars with stones.人群开始向警车扔石块。

8 brag   

v./n.吹牛，自夸；adj.第一流的

参考例句：

• He made brag of his skill.他夸耀自己技术高明。
• His wealth is his brag.他夸张他的财富。

9 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

11 queried   

v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问

参考例句：

• She queried what he said. 她对他说的话表示怀疑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• \"What does he have to do?\" queried Chin dubiously. “他有什么心事？”琴向觉民问道，她的脸上现出疑惑不解的神情。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

12 beckoned   

v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He beckoned to the waiter to bring the bill. 他招手示意服务生把账单送过来。
• The seated figure in the corner beckoned me over. 那个坐在角落里的人向我招手让我过去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 attentively   

adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神

参考例句：

• She listened attentively while I poured out my problems. 我倾吐心中的烦恼时，她一直在注意听。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She listened attentively and set down every word he said. 她专心听着，把他说的话一字不漏地记下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。