The speaker was evidently from the country. He was a tall man, with prominent features, and a face seamed and wrinkled by the passage of nearly seventy years. He wore a rusty1 cloak, in the style of thirty years gone by, and his clothing generally was of a fashion seldom seen on Broadway.
The boy addressed was leaning against a lamppost, with both hands in his pockets. His clothes were soiled and ragged2, a soft hat, which looked as if it had served in its varied3 career as a foot-ball, was thrust carelessly on his head. He looked like a genuine representative of the "street Arab," with no thought for to-morrow and its needs, and contented4 if he could only make sure of a square meal to-day. His face was dirty, and marked by a mingled5 expression of fun and impudence6; but the features were not unpleasing, and, had he been clean and neatly7 dressed, he would undoubtedly8 have been considered good-looking.
He turned quickly on being addressed, and started perceptibly, as his glance met the inquiring look of the tall, stranger. He seemed at first disposed to run away, but this intention was succeeded by a desire to have some fun with the old man.
"Canal Street's about a mile off. I'll show yer the way for ten cents."
"A mile off? That's strange," said the old man, puzzled. "They told me at the Astor House it was only about ten minutes walk, straight up."
"That's where you got sold, gov'nor. Give me ten cents, and you won't have no more trouble."
"Are you sure you know Canal Street, yourself?" said the old man, perplexed10. "They'd ought to know at the hotel."
"I'd ought to know too. That's where my store is."
"Your store!" ejaculated the old man, fixing his eyes upon his ragged companion, who certainly looked very little like a New York merchant.
"In course. Don't I keep a cigar store at No. 95?"
"I hope you don't smoke yourself," said the deacon (for he was a deacon), solemnly.
"Yes, I do. My constitushun requires it."
The deacon was in a hurry to get to Canal Street, and after some hesitation13, for he was fond of money, he drew out ten cents, and handed it to his ragged companion.
"There, my boy, show me the way. I should think you might have done it for nothing."
"That aint the way we do business in the city, gov'nor."
"Well, go ahead, I'm in a hurry."
"You needn't be, for this is Canal Street," said the boy, edging off a little.
"Then you've swindled me," said the deacon, wrathfully. "Give me back that ten cents."
"Not if I know it," said the boy, mockingly. "That aint the way we do business in the city. I'm goin to buy two five-cent cigars with that money."
"You said you kept a cigar-store yourself," said the deacon, with sudden recollection.
"Well now, if you aint a bad boy," said the old man.
Here was a good chance for a moral lesson, and the deacon felt that it was his duty to point out to the young reprobate16 the error of his ways.
"My young friend," he said, "how can you expect to be happy when you lie and cheat? Such men are never happy."
"Aint they though? You bet I'll be happy when I'm smokin' the two cigars I'm goin to buy."
"Keep the money, but don't buy the cigars," said the deacon, religion getting the better of his love of money. "Buy yourself some clothes. You appear to need them."
"Buy clo'es with ten cents!" repeated the boy, humorously.
"At any rate, devote the money to a useful purpose, and I shall not mind being cheated out of it. If you keep on this way, you'll end in the gallus."
"That's comin' it rather strong, gov'nor. Hangin's played out in New York. I guess I'm all right."
"I'm afraid you're all wrong, my boy. You're travellin' to destruction."
"Let's change the subject," said the street boy. "You're gittin' personal, and I don't like personal remarks. What'll you bet I can't tell your name?"
"Yes, gov'nor. I'll bet you a quarter I kin tell your name."
"I never bet. It's wicked," said the old man, with emphasis.
"Well, we won't bet, then," said the boy. "Only, if I tell your name right, you give me ten cents. If I don't get it right, I'll give back this dime you gave me. Aint that fair?"
The deacon might have been led to suspect that there was not much difference between the boy's proposal, and the iniquity18 of a bet, but his mind was rather possessed19 by the thought that here was a good chance to recover the money out of which he had been so adroitly20 cheated. Surely there was no wrong in recovering that, as of course he would do, for how could a ragged street boy tell the name of one who lived a hundred and fifty miles distant, in a small country town?
"I'll do it," said the deacon.
"You'll give me ten cents if I tell your name?"
"Yes, and you'll give me back the money I give you if you can't tell."
"That's it, gov'nor."
"Then what's my name, my boy?" and the deacon extended his hand in readiness to receive the forfeit21 of a wrong answer.
"Deacon John Hopkins," answered the boy, confidently.
The effect on the old man was startling. He was never more surprised in his life. He stared at the boy open-mouthed, in bewilderment and wonder.
"Well, I declare!" he ejaculated. "I never heard of such a thing."
"Aint I right, gov'nor?"
"Yes, my boy, you're right; but how on earth did you find out?"
"Give me the money, and I'll tell you;" and the boy extended his hand.
The deacon drew the money from his vest-pocket, and handed it to the young Arab, without remonstrance22.
"Now tell me, my boy, how you know'd me."
The boy edged off a few feet, then lifted his venerable hat so as to display the whole of his face.
"I'd ought to know you, deacon," he said; "I'm Sam Barker."
"By gracious, if it aint Sam!" ejaculated the old man. "Hallo! stop, I say!"
But Sam was half-way across the street. The deacon hesitated an instant, and then dashed after him, his long cloak floating in the wind, and his hat unconsciously pushed back on the top of his head.
"Stop, you Sam!" he shouted.
But Sam, with his head over his shoulder, already three rods in advance, grinned provokingly, but appeared to have no intention of stopping. The deacon was not used to running, nor did he make due allowance for the difficulty of navigating23 the crowded streets of the metropolis24. He dashed headlong into an apple-stand, and suffered disastrous25 shipwreck26. The apple-stand was overturned, the deacon's hat flew off, and he found himself sprawling27 on the sidewalk, with apples rolling in all directions around him, and an angry dame28 showering maledictions upon him, and demanding compensation for damages.
The deacon picked himself up, bruised29 and ashamed, recovered his hat, which had rolled into a mud-puddle, and was forced to pay the woman a dollar before he could get away. When this matter was settled, he looked for Sam, but the boy was out of sight. In fact, he was just around the corner, laughing as if he would split. He had seen his pursuer's discomfiture30, and regarded it as a huge practical joke.
"I never had such fun in all my life," he ejaculated, with difficulty, and he went off into a fresh convulsion. "The old feller won't forget me in a hurry."
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1
rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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3
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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5
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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impudence
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| n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼 | |
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neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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8
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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9
kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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10
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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11
lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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12
dime
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| n.（指美国、加拿大的钱币）一角 | |
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13
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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14
saucily
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| adv.傲慢地，莽撞地 | |
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15
odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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16
reprobate
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| n.无赖汉；堕落的人 | |
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17
horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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18
iniquity
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| n.邪恶；不公正 | |
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19
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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20
adroitly
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| adv.熟练地，敏捷地 | |
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21
forfeit
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| vt.丧失；n.罚金，罚款，没收物 | |
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22
remonstrance
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| n抗议，抱怨 | |
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23
navigating
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| v.给（船舶、飞机等）引航，导航( navigate的现在分词 )；（从海上、空中等）横越；横渡；飞跃 | |
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24
metropolis
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| n.首府；大城市 | |
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25
disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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shipwreck
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| n.船舶失事，海难 | |
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sprawling
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| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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28
dame
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| n.女士 | |
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29
bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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30
discomfiture
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| n.崩溃；大败；挫败；困惑 | |
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