Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 220 — page 9: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

——e — ~ ee — — ee ———————————e stant he had his hat, and was at Mr. elbow. The latter, with a courtly bow to Frank’s parents, led the way down-stairs, and through the streets, the lad walking half behind bim, Frank had imagined that Mr. Clark’s pur- pose was to have a private talk with him, but to his surprise the gentleman did not utter a word, but walked steadily on, through street after street, until he reached the store from which Frank bad been so curtiy dismissed only a day or two before. Mr, Clark led up through the store to the pri- vate office of the firm, Frank soberly following. Mr. Thompson sat there alone, and looked up inquiringly as they entered. Mr. Clark took a seat, quietly removed his hat and gloves, and ran his fingers easily through his hair, ‘‘ You have brought the boy, I see,” remarked Mr. Thompson. ** Oh yes,” answered Mr. Clark quietly. ‘‘ This is our new store boy, Thompson. We will give him a chance to learn the business.” Frank’s heart leaped with joy. “ Very well,” rejoined Mr. Thompson. “ Take a turn through the place, my boy, and see how you like the looks of things. You can begin your work to-morrow morning.” Frank hesitated, while his face flushed. ‘* Well, Frank, what is it?’ asked Mr. Clark. ‘‘Excuse me,” faltered Frank, ‘‘ but business is business. It is only the question of salary, sir. You know, Mr. Clark, that we are poor, and I must make some money.” **Why, the grasping little rogue!” laughed Mr. Thompson. ‘' We can’t play it off on him, Clark. Very well, my lad, we will give you three dollars per week for the first year. Or we may increase it if you are very useful. Will that satisfy your greediness?” ‘*Oh yes! Thank you, sir!” cried Frank glad- ly. ‘‘That’s as much as I am worth, but I will try and do my best.” e hurried out of the door and into the bust- ling establishment. ** Looks to me like a good boy,” remarked Mr. Thompson. ‘* He is a treasure,” answered Mr. Clark with energy. ‘‘ As manly a little fellow as I have ever seen. And business tothe back-bone.” He proceeded to describe the fight which had so nearly ruined Frank’s chance of a situation. é CHAPTER VIII. A YEAR OF SERVICE. WE must pass rapidly over the events of a year, succeeding the date in which the two boys chose their life professions, It was a busy and eventful year for both, though we cannot do more than glance at its events. Frank speedily established himself as a polite, obliging and industrious lad, thoroughly honest, and giving promise of making a good salesman. As yet, of course, he was only errand boy and general doer of odds and ends about the estab- lishment. But one may make himself a charac- ter for doing things well evenas anerrand boy; and Frank was so prompt, intelligent and will- ing, that he became a general favorite, and ere long was trusted by Mr. Clark with commis- sions of some importance. Yet he was not without his enemies. The boy was independent, and often spoke quickly where it would have been best for him to keep silent. One man in particular, a salesman who was disposed to be tyrannical and over- bearing with boys, roused the old Adam in Frank, and got curt answers to his rude orders, until he came to have-a special dislike to the boy. But being cowardly at heart, as tyrants are apt to be, he kept his feeling very much to himself, waiting his opportunity. We mention this here, as it was destined to make mischief yet for Frank. While Frank Tanner was thus advancing in his chosen profession, his evil disposed brother was making an equal progress in bis. Bandy Ben introduced him into a peculiar so- ciety of which he was a prominent member, the declared objects of which society were to prey upon all the rest of the community. The old rogues’ proverb, “ get money; honestly, if possi- ble; but get money,” was surpassed by the doc- trine of this association. ‘* Get money,” was its only axiom. Allidea of honesty was left out of the question. It had its degrees, ranging upward from those of pickpocket and sneak thief, to the higher honors of burglar, counterfeiter, bank-breaker, and, as some averred, stock-broker, lobbyist aud Member of Congress, But not speaking for Clark’s | Ee LR RL LL LL LLL LL LL Leama = ——a=- _ the higher grades of the profession, we must contine our attention to that in which Bandy Ben had made himself prominent, the lucrative lines of pickpocket and sneak-thief. In this direction the young reprobate was ex- ceedingly expert, and could empty pockets, and slip into carelessly -guarded houses, with a celerity and success that made him the envy of his less expert associates. It was nothing un- common for them to be caught in the exercise of their art, and be sent to prison for a year or two’s repentance, But Bandy Ben had yet eés- caped the clutches of the guardians of the law, and nothing gave him more pure enjoyment than to see some of his awkward associates nabbed by the police. Tom Tanner knew well the life he was taking up, when he obeyed the summons of the skilled young thief to accompany him to his haunts. But Tom was irredeemably bad at heart. Mrs. Tanner had done her best to instill virtuous sentiments into the two boys, but her teachings were thrown away on the elder of*the two, who eagerly caught up all the vile lessons to be learned from the boys in the street. Thus it did not require much argument to persuade Tom Tanner to be a thief. He was utterly devoid of conscience, and he only want- ed to be assured by Bandy Ben that it was safe and would pay, to throw all shreds of honesty overboard. It is true that the effects of early teaching cannot be thrown off instantly, and Tom did feel some slight compunctions at his first lessons under his skilled tutor. But this feeling did not last, And he was soon hardened enough to steal the pennies from a starving beggar, with- out a care as to what became of his victim. And theft was not the only accomplishment of Bandy Ben. He prided himself on being able to smoke more tobacco and drink more whisky than any boy of his age in the com- munity. And he was as skilled in cheating at card play as any Mississippi gambler, So it may be surmised that Tom Tanner was in very promising hands. We must drop in upon the two boys at the end of their first year of duty, tosee how they have progressed in that period. A year has made a marked change in Frank’s appearance, He has grown taller and stcuter, while his face has be- come very handsome and intelligent. He is nearly the sole support of his parents, for his fatWer is no fonder of work than of yore, and spends the greater part of his time in a favorite gin shop, where he manages to git rid of what little money he earns. But he treats Frank better than of old, and can find no words strong enough to express his opinion of his ab- sent son, ‘Tom. “Haven’t you never seen the young rapscal- lion, nowhere, while yer scootin’ ’round town?” he asked Frank, one morning, as the latter was about to set off for the store, ‘No, sir,” replied Frank, . ‘*I often look for him but I have never seen him,” ‘Blame his thunderin’ eyes, ’d like to git hold on him ag’in. I didn’t give him half a sockdolégin’ that day that he kicked out. Id jist like to finish it.” ‘* Ain’t you too hard on poor Tom?” asked Frank, somewhat hurt. -‘‘ He wasn’t any worse than the other boys, and most of them are get- ting to be good fellows now. Why, I’ve often been as ugly and as wild as Tom myself.” You?’ cried Mrs.’Tanner, with an incredu- lous laugh. ‘‘ Youugly and wild? Why, you don’t know what you are talking about, ehild.” ‘‘Tam not quite an angel,” laughed Frank, as he put on his hat. “Oh, you git out!” cried Mr. Tanner. ‘* Don’t stand there palaverin’, You couldn’t bring sweet butter out of Tom Tanner, if you was to churn away for a whole year. He’s all butter- milk, that chap; and the sourest kind.” Yet, if the truth were known, the main source of Mr. Tanner’s anger against Tom was that he had ceased to be a source of income, He might be as rascally as he pleased, for all Jacob Tan- ner would have cared, if he only supplied the Tanner exchequer with funds, Frank made his way to the store. He had been home to a very scanty dinner, and was back again for his afternoon service. cu, btir up, boy,” cried one of the salesmen, Mr. Thompson was just out looking for you.” ‘* Ah!’ said Frank regretfully, ‘‘ some errand, I suppose. I thought I would get done sortin those plaids before I went out again. But judge there’s no help for it.” ‘Tet the plaids rust. You can’t do two things at once, You bave too many irons in the fire, Frank. There’s no use for you to make work, They’ll make enough for you,” . Tom Tanner, Scalawag and Scapegrace, © | ‘‘Oh! I like to be pottering around,” laughed Frank. ‘I don’t find that it’s pulling me down much, or spoiling my appetite.’ He made his way cheerfully to the counting- room. Mr. Thompson was not there, and Frank pusbed on to the door of the private office. ‘*Come in,” was the answer to his knock, ‘Oh! it is you, Frank,” said Mr. Thompson, who was there alone. ‘*T was told in the store that you wanted me,” answered Frank. ‘*1?—Oh! yes, so I did; but I sent Harry. But, since you_are here, Frank, you may take this package of papers for me to Mr, Brown, at Sargent & Co,’s wool house, And—have youa pocket book?” On. fro ‘Then puf this twenty-dollar bill into it, Take the cars and run up to Tenth street and Sixth Avenue, There’s a bill of eighteen dollars and twenty cents due Yates, the pork dealer there, on my private account. Be sure you get a receipt from him.” ‘T always do that,” answered Frank, as he left the room to execute bis commission, He walked briskly to Sargent & Co.’s store, and left the package there as directed, This establishment was a considerable distance up town, and Frank thought it hardly worth while totake the cars for his other errand, ‘Tecan walk there about as quick,” he said to himself, “‘and I suppose I ought to save money for the firm wherever I can.” Yet it is often best to obey orders strictly, as he found to his cost. There was some excitement ina street through which be was passing. A considerable group of men and boys had gathered, and Frank hur- ried up, curious to learn what was the matter. Pushing into the crowd he found that a horse had fallen, and the driver was making vain efforts to get him on his feet again without tuking off his harness. Frank stood for a few minutes, looking on, But the thought came to him that his time was not his own, and that he was not hired to super- intend the raising of fallen horses. Just as he turned away there came a slight pressure in the crowd and he felt himself inconveniently squeezed. With a jerk he released himself, and pushed out to the edge of the throng. Some impulse then induced him to look back, and his eye caught, in the midst of the crowd, the well-re- membered face of his brother Tom, Yet it wag not Tom as he remembered him. The face had. grown older, and had a peculiar expression which Frank did not like. But his old feeling for his brother came back at the sight of Tom’s face, and he pushed quickly back, calling out; ‘‘Hey, Tom! Holdup, old fellow. Itis me— Frank, Holdup. I want to see you,” Perhaps Tom did not want to see him. At any rate, when Frank had reached the center of the crowd his brother had disappeared, and he could not get another glimpse of him. “That was mighty shabby in Tom,” and Frank drew out into the street again much dis- appointed. ‘‘He couldn’t help hearing me. Maybe though, he is ashamed for having stayed away solong. I thought Id find out what heis doing and tty to coax him home again,” Frank walked on thinking he might catch another glimpse of Tom, But in vain he looked on every side, there was no vision of the fa- miliar face, A few minutes now brought him to the pro- vision store to which he had been sent. ‘**T have some money for you, Mr. Yates,” he said. ‘‘From Mr. Thompson, How much is your bill against him?” ** Which Thompson?’ asked the Dutch butcher. ‘Shon Thompson from Fifth avenue?” ‘*'That’s the man.” ‘“He owe me eighteen dollars mit twenty cents,” answered Mr. Yates, consulting bis books, “That’s right. Here’s your cash. Please write me a receipt.” Frank plunged his hand into his pocket, but a look of blank astonishment came upon his face as the hand came up empty. He felt cg BA his other pockets;they, too, were empty. With growing alarm, he felt all his pockets again, but vainly. The pocket-book was gone, ‘“What’s wrong?” asked the butcher, “ You no got the money?” ‘“T had it,” answered poor Frank, “but it is gone. I must have forgot and left it at the store.” ‘Don’t know that,” remarked the Dutchman. ‘Good many pockpickets ’bout here, You stop any where’s coming?” Frank’s heart sunk as he remembered the in- EONNIELNOOKS Cc