XXI.
SMITH AND THOMPSON'S YOUNG MAN.
At seven o'clock the next morning Paul stood before Smith & Thompson'sstore.
As he came up on one side, another boy came down on the other, andcrossed the street.
"Are you the new boy?" he asked, surveying Paul attentively.
"I suppose so," said Paul. "I've engaged to work for Smith & Thompson."
"All right. I'm glad to see you," said the other.
This looked kind, and Paul thanked him for his welcome.
"O." said the other, bursting into a laugh, "you needn't troubleyourself about thanking me. I'm glad you've come, because now I shan'thave to open the store and sweep out. Just lend a hand there; I'll helpyou about taking down the shutters this morning, and to-morrow you'llhave to get along alone."
The two boys opened the store.
"What's your name?" asked Paul's new acquaintance.
"Paul Prescott. What is yours?"
"Nicholas Benton. You may call me MR. Benton."
"Mr. Benton?" repeated Paul in some astonishment.
"Yes; I'm a young man now. I've been Smith & Thompson's boy till now.Now I'm promoted."
Paul looked at MR. Benton with some amusement. That young man wassomewhat shorter than himself, and sole proprietor of a stock of paleyellow hair which required an abundant stock of bear's grease to keepit in order. His face was freckled and expressionless. His eyebrows andeyelashes were of the same faded color. He was dressed, however,with some pretensions to smartness. He wore a blue necktie, of largedimensions, fastened by an enormous breast-pin, which, in its alreadytarnished splendor, suggested strong doubts as to the apparent goldbeing genuine.
"There's the broom, Paul," said Mr. Benton, assuming a graceful positionon the counter.
"You'll have to sweep out; only look sharp about raising a dust, orSmith'll be into your wool."
"What sort of a man is Mr. Smith?" asked Paul, with some curiosity.
"O, he's an out and outer. Sharp as a steel trap. He'll make you toe themark."
"Do you like him?" asked Paul, not quite sure whether he understood hisemployer's character from the description.
"I don't like him well enough to advise any of my folks to trade withhim," said Mr. Benton.
"Why not?"
"He'd cheat 'em out of their eye teeth if they happened to have any,"said the young man coolly, beginning to pick his teeth with a knife.
Paul began to doubt whether he should like Mr. Smith.
"I say," said Mr. Benton after a pause, "have you begun to shave yet?"
Paul looked up to see if his companion were in earnest.
"No," said he; "I haven't got along as far as that. Have you?"
"I," repeated the young man, a little contemptuously, "of course I have.I've shaved for a year and a half."
"Do you find it hard shaving?" asked Paul, a little slyly.
"Well, my beard is rather stiff," said the late BOY, with an importantair, "but I've got used to it."
"Ain't you rather young to shave, Nicholas?" asked Paul.
"Mr. Benton, if you please."
"I mean, Mr. Benton."
"Perhaps I was when I begun. But now I am nineteen."
"Nineteen?"
"Yes, that is to say, I'm within a few months of being nineteen. What doyou think of my moustache?"
"I hadn't noticed it."
"The store's rather dark," muttered Mr. Benton, who seemed a littleannoyed by this answer. "If you'll come a little nearer you can see it."
Drawing near, Paul, after some trouble, descried a few scattering hairs.
"Yes," said he, wanting to laugh, "I see it."
"Coming on finely, isn't it?" asked Mr. Nicholas Benton, complacently.
"Yes," said Paul, rather doubtfully.
"I don't mind letting you into a secret," said Benton, affably, "if youwon't mention it. I've been using some of the six weeks' stuff."
"The what?" asked Paul, opening his eyes.
"Haven't you heard of it?" inquired Benton, a little contemptuously."Where have you been living all your life? Haven't you seen itadvertised,--warranted to produce a full set of whiskers or moustachesupon the smoothest face, etc. I got some a week ago, only a dollar. Fiveweeks from now you'll see something that'll astonish you."
Paul was not a little amused by his new companion, and would havelaughed, but that he feared to offend him.
"You'd better get some," said Mr. Benton. "I'll let you just try mineonce, if you want to."
"Thank you," said Paul; "I don't think I want to have a moustache justyet."
"Well, perhaps you're right. Being a boy, perhaps it wouldn't beadvisable."
"When does Mr. Smith come in?"
"Not till nine."
"And the other clerks?"
"About eight o'clock. I shan't come till eight, to-morrow morning."
"There's one thing I should like to ask you," said Paul. "Of course youwon't answer unless you like."
"Out with it."
"How much does Mr. Smith pay you?"
"Ahem!" said Benton, "what does he pay you?"
"A dollar and a quarter a week."
"He paid me a dollar and a half to begin with."
"Did he? He wanted me to come first at a dollar."
"Just like him. Didn't I tell you he was an out and outer? He'll be sureto take you in if you will let him."
"But," said Paul, anxiously, "he said he'd raise it in a month or two."
"He won't offer to; you'll have to tease him. And then how much'll heraise it? Not more than a quarter. How much do you think I get now?"
"How long have you been here?"
"A year and a half."
"Five dollars a week," guessed Paul.
"Five! he only gives me two and a half. That is, he hasn't been payingme but that. Now, of course, he'll raise, as I've been promoted."
"How much do you expect to get now?"
"Maybe four dollars, and I'm worth ten any day. He's a mean oldskinflint, Smith is."
This glimpse at his own prospects did not tend to make Paul feel verycomfortable. He could not repress a sigh of disappointment when hethought of this mortifying termination of all his brilliant prospects.He had long nourished the hope of being able to repay the good sextonfor his outlay in his behalf, besides discharging the debt which hisfather had left behind him. Now there seemed to be little prospect ofeither. He had half a mind to resign his place immediately upon theentrance of Mr. Smith, but two considerations dissuaded him; one, thatthe sum which he was to receive, though small, would at least buy hisclothes, and besides, he was not at all certain of obtaining anothersituation.
With a sigh, therefore, he went about his duties.
He had scarcely got the store ready when some of the clerks entered, andthe business of the day commenced. At nine Mr. Smith appeared.
"So you're here, Peter," remarked he, as he caught sight of our hero.
"Paul," corrected the owner of that name.
"Well, well, Peter or Paul, don't make much difference. Both wereapostles, if I remember right. All ready for work, eh?"
"Yes, sir," said Paul, neither very briskly nor cheerfully.
"Well," said Mr. Smith, after a pause, "I guess I'll put you into thecalico department. Williams, you may take him under your wing. And nowPeter,--all the same, Paul,--I've got a word or two to say to you, as Ialways do to every boy who comes into my store. Don't forget what you'rehere for? It's to sell goods. Take care to sell something to every man,woman, and child, that comes in your way. That's the way to do business.Follow it up, and you'll be a rich man some day."
"But suppose they don't want anything?" said Paul.
"Make 'em want something," returned Smith, "Don't let 'em off withoutbuying. That's my motto. However, you'll learn."
Smith bustled off, and began in his nervous way to exercise a generalsupervision over all that was going on in the store. He seemed to be alleyes. While apparently entirely occupied in waiti
ng upon a customer, hetook notice of all the customers in the store, and could tell what theybought, and how much they paid.
Paul listened attentively to the clerk under whom he was placed forinstruction.
"What's the price of this calico?" inquired a common-looking woman.
"A shilling a yard, ma'am," (this was not in war times.)
"It looks rather coarse."
"Coarse, ma'am! What can you be thinking of? It is a superfine piece ofgoods. We sell more of it than of any other figure. The mayor's wife wasin here yesterday, and bought two dress patterns off of it."
"Did she?" asked the woman, who appeared favorably impressed by thiscircumstance.
"Yes, and she promised to send her friends here after some of it. You'dbetter take it while you can get it."
"Will it wash?"
"To be sure it will."
"Then I guess you may cut me off ten yards."
This was quickly done, and the woman departed with her purchase.
Five minutes later, another woman entered with a bundle of the samefigured calico.
Seeing her coming, Williams hastily slipped the remnant of the piece outof sight.
"I got this calico here," said the newcomer, "one day last week. Youwarranted it to wash, but I find it won't. Here's a piece I've tried."
She showed a pattern, which had a faded look.
"You've come to the wrong store," said Williams, coolly. "You must havegot the calico somewhere else."
"No, I'm sure I got it here. I remember particularly buying it of you."
"You've got a better memory than I have, then. We haven't got a piece ofcalico like that in the store."
Paul listened to this assertion with unutterable surprise.
"I am quite certain I bought it here," said the woman, perplexed.
"Must have been the next store,--Blake & Hastings. Better go overthere."
The woman went out.
"That's the way to do business," said Williams, winking at Paul.
Paul said nothing, but he felt more than ever doubtful about retaininghis place.