"I've bought the stand," he said.

 

"Already?"

 

"Yes. I had a talk with old Maxwell, offered him eighty cash, and he took me up. So we've saved ten dollars."

 

"He'll be mad when he learns he might have had ninety."

 

"He needn't know. Give me your money, and I'll pay him the balance."

 

So it was arranged, and Nelson went to the stand and closed the deal. Old Maxwell had taken in thirty-two cents, and this was passed over to the boy.

 

"Going to run the stand alone?" queried² the old man.

 

"No, a man is going to help me," said our hero.

 

"Who is it?"

 

"George Van Pelt."

 

[Pg 128]

 

"Oh, that's it, is it?" exclaimed old Maxwell. "I thought he wanted the stand himself."

 

"He couldn't raise the money. Here he comes now."

 

Nelson beckoned³ to Van Pelt, and soon both were hard at work cleaning up the stand. They talked the matter over and agreed to give old Maxwell a dollar more, if he would come around for two mornings and explain whatever proved strange to them.

 

"Sure, I'll do it," said Maxwell. "I want you to get the best of the man up on the elevated station and the man on the next block. They are both mean fellows and don't deserve any trade."

 

"We intend to hustle⁴ and get all the trade we can," said our hero.

 

It must be confessed that he felt very proud of his situation. He was no longer a mere⁵ newsboy, but a business man, and he felt, somehow, as if he had grown several inches taller.

 

"We must have a sign," said Van Pelt. "What will we make it—Van Pelt & Pepper, Newsdealers?"

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