Teddy and Carrots: Two Merchants of Newpaper Row Part 31

CHAPTER XVII.

PROSPERITY.

If Teddy believed that his new admirers would allow him to go on quietly with his business immediately after punis.h.i.+ng Skip Jellison, he was mistaken.

The bully had terrorized the bootblacks and newsboys who pursued their callings in the vicinity of the City Hall, during the previous year, without having been called upon to defend himself against one of his own size and strength.

As a matter of course it had been necessary to engage in several fights for the purpose of sustaining his reputation as a "dangerous character;"

but he had always been careful to attack some boy smaller than himself, or, as in the case of his first a.s.sault upon Teddy, had contented himself with striking two or three blows suddenly when the victim could be taken unawares.

Until the day when Teenie Ma.s.sey brought the news from Brooklyn that Skip had been whipped by a boy not more than half his size, every fellow believed Master Jellison to be bold, and skilful in the use of his fists.

Even then, most of Skip's followers fancied Teenie had colored the story to suit his own purposes. They were willing to give the bully the benefit of the doubt, and consequently the surprise of all was very great that Teddy had vanquished him so easily.

Since Teddy's victory, however, the opinion of every street merchant in the vicinity of Skip's usual haunts was that he "could not fight a little bit," and no one was silent on the subject.

The newspaper business was much neglected that morning in order that the details of the battle might be told to those who were not present; and more than one gentleman with muddy boots wondered what had become of the small army of bootblacks who were usually so eager for work.

Teddy's praises were warmly sung; for even Skip's most intimate friends felt a certain sense of relief now that his reign was over.

"That feller has got plenty of sand!" Sid Barker said, admiringly, after he had repeated his story of the bully's downfall for at least the twentieth time; "an' I think we ought to tell him just how we look at this thing."

"Do you s'pose he'll get his money back?" Teenie asked, in his shrill voice.

"Not a bit of it! Skip never'll show up 'round here again; an' if he did, how'll he raise the cash?"

"He says you an' Reddy got a share."

"I won't say that we didn't," Sid replied, promptly; "an' I'm goin' to give Teddy back my part before noon."

"So am I," Reddy added. "I've got it now, an' am willin' to hunt him up this minute, if you say the word."

"Come on," Sid replied, as he started in the direction of South Ferry, for it was well known by all that Teddy was doing business in that part of the city.

As a matter of course every fellow who heard this offer was eager to be present when the payment was made to Teddy, and the crowd of newsboys who marched down Broadway was so large as to attract considerable attention.

When the small army arrived at the head of Cortlandt Street, Carrots met them; and, it is needless to say, he halted in astonishment and some alarm.

His first thought was that Skip's friends had come together for the purpose of taking revenge upon the boy who had chastised the bully, and he remained motionless an instant, wondering whether it would not be the better part of valour to seek safety in flight.

A hail from Sid soon dispelled his fears.

"Come on, Carrots! We're goin' down to find your pardner, so's to kinder square things. You'd better come, too."

"What do you mean to do?" Carrots asked, as he joined the throng.

"They're goin' to give him back part of the money Skip stole," Teenie squeaked; "an' then I reckon he'll work up round the City Hall."

A few moments previous to this meeting it had seemed to Carrots as if he desired nothing more, because he was part-owner of a stand, and Skip's tyrannical reign had come to an end; but now, if such a thing could be possible, he was even more elated than before, and all idea of business was forgotten as he followed those who, but a short time previous, were his enemies.

It was a regular triumphal march for the amateur farmer, and the promises of friends.h.i.+p from every side gave him much pleasure.

"I knew you fellers would like Teddy when you got acquainted with him,"

he said, gleefully.

"It wouldn't have taken us long to find that out if he'd started in different," Reddy Jackson replied. "Why didn't he pitch right inter Skip the first thing?"

"How could he when he got in the station-house?" said Carrots. "He wouldn't 'a' let Skip get away, then, if that policeman hadn't been there."

"But after he got out there wasn't anything done," Sid objected.

"You couldn't expect him to jump into trouble again right away. He had to wait so's to fix things, an' then he came out like a little man."

"That's a fact; an' now he can go into any part of this town that he likes."

Carrots was strongly tempted to add to the glory of the march by telling the story of the stand; but he remembered that as yet his word was pledged to his partner, and remained silent.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CARROTS DISPLAYS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MESSRS. THURSTON AND WILLIAMS.]

When the party reached South Ferry, Teddy was found hard at work; and, like Carrots, he was at first inclined to believe the advancing force boded evil for him. But Sid Barker said, as he handed Teddy twenty-five cents:

"What Skip Jellison told 'bout our havin' some of your money was straight; an' so we've come here to give it up. Here's all I got, an' if I'd know'd what you really were, the money wouldn't 'a' been kept so long as this."

"An' here's my share," Reddy added, as he slipped another coin into Teddy's hand.

"But it was Skip who stole the money," the boy from Saranac said, with some confusion; "an' he ought to give it back."

"I reckon you won't see him very soon," said Reddy. "Skip hasn't got the nerve to show his face round here ag'in, for he knows nearly every feller has something against him. We used the money he gave us, so it's no more'n right we should give it back."

"An' you'd better work round City Hall," Reddy added. "You're a dandy, an' if there's anything we can do to help you along, just say the word!"

Teddy protested that business was good enough near the ferries to warrant his remaining where he was; but his new friends would listen to nothing of the kind.

They insisted so strongly on Teddy's going with them, that he was finally forced to yield, and not until the party was marching up Broadway did Carrots get a chance to speak privately with his partner.

Then he whispered:

"Why not tell them about the stand? They're all glad 'cause you thumped Skip, an' we needn't be 'fraid any more that they'll try to make trouble for us."

"I'd rather have waited till we had a bigger stock, an' you'd paid for the chair," said Teddy; "but I s'pose the best way is to give the news out now, 'cause they're bound to see the place before long. You can tell 'em."

Carrots felt very proud when he announced the fact that he and Teddy "had gone inter business _reg'lar_;" and he concluded by inviting every member of the party up to see the stand that evening.

The one incident of this triumph which did not please Teddy, was the fact that he was forced to waste so much time, when he might have been adding to his capital; but there did not seem any way to prevent it, and he submitted with the best grace he could.

As a matter of course, every member of the party promised to visit the partners' establishment before nightfall, and after the news had been thoroughly discussed several times more, most of the young merchants went about their business.

Teddy never worked harder than during the remainder of that day, and no one can blame him for being secretly proud of the victory he had won.