CHAPTER XV.
KATY GETS A LETTER FROM LIVERPOOL.
Master Simon Sneed sat at the window when Katy returned, and she had totell him all about it. She pitied him, poor fellow, and she hoped thelesson would do him good. She did not like to tell him so manyunpleasant things, for they would wound his pride.
"Well, Katy, what did my friend the mayor say?" asked Simon, as hejoined her on the sidewalk.
"I am afraid you will not call him your friend after this," repliedKaty.
"Why? He had not the effrontery to refuse my reasonable request?"
"The what? Please to use words that I can understand," said she, forshe was not a little disgusted with Simon's big words, now she knew howmuch mischief they had done him.
"Didn't he give you the paper?"
"He did not."
"I didn't think that of him. It was shabby."
"He said he did not know you. But I showed him your paper, in which youhad written down what you thought of yourself."
"Well, what did he say to that?" asked Simon, eagerly.
"I thought he would split his fat sides laughing. He didn't seem tobelieve a word of it."
"He didn't? I am surprised at that."
"He said you were a conceited puppy."
"I always took the mayor for a sensible fellow; I see I have beenmistaken."
"He didn't like it because you sent me to him upon such an errand. Hesaid you had imposed upon me."
"Go on, Katy; I may expect anything after what you have said," repliedSimon, with all the coolness and indifference he could command.
"He said he believed you were a worthless fellow. Then he told me tomeet him at the store of the Messrs. Sands & Co., and he would inquireabout you."
"Then you went to the store?"
"We did; and when the mayor asked Mr. Sands about you, he said you werehonest, and did your work well, but----"
"Notice that remark particularly. I hope you called the mayor'sattention to it," interrupted Master Simon. "What else did he say?"
"He said you were a nuisance----"
"Observe how far his prejudices carried him. That man believed, if Istayed in the store, that I should supplant him and his partner. Yousee how far he carried his spite."
"But he said all the good he could of you Simon," said Katy. "He saidyou were honest and did your work well."
"Can a nuisance be honest, and do work well? Hath not a Jew eyes?"queried Mr. Simon, with dramatic fervor.
"He didn't say anything about Jews."
"I was quoting Shakspeare, the immortal bard of Avon. Katy, Sands knewthat I was securing the respect and esteem of all his customers; and heknew very well if I should step into a rival establishment, I shouldtake half his trade with me," continued the injured Sneed.
"He said his customers were disgusted with you. You talked so big andthought so much of yourself, he would not have you in the store at anyprice. But I should think that Runn & Reed would be glad to have you ifyou can carry so much trade with you."
"They cannot know till I have had a chance to show them what I can do."
"I hope you will soon have such a chance."
"There is one thing about it; when I do, Sands & Co. will see themistake they have made. I think the ladies that visit their store willmiss a familiar face. They used to insist upon my waiting upon them,though it was not exactly in the line of my duty to sell goods. Oftenwas I called away from the bundle department to attend them. No oneseemed to suit them but me. Why, it was only the day before I left thatan elegant, aristocratic lady from Beacon Street made me go clear homewith her."
"Why, what for?"
"To carry her bundle; but that was all a pretense."
"Did she invite you to tea, Master Simon?" asked Katy, who could hardlyhelp laughing in his face.
"No, but she kept me quarter of an hour at the door."
"What did she say?"
"She was trying to make it out that I had brought the wrong bundle, andso she opened it, in the entry; but it was only to keep me there."
"You think she was smitten?" laughed Katy.
"I have an opinion," replied Simon, sagely. "There are a good many fineladies will miss my face."
Katy didn't think any fine lady could be much charmed with that thin,hatchet face; and she realized now that Master Simon was a great heapof vanity. She never thought before that he could be so silly. Shewanted to tell him that he was a great fool, for she feared he wouldnever find it out himself; but he was older than she was, and she didnot think it quite proper to do so.
"I must go now," said Katy. "If you don't find anything you likebetter, you can sell candy, you know."
"Katy!" exclaimed Simon, sternly.
"I am poor and proud, Master Simon; I am too proud to be dependent, ordo anything mean and wicked; but I am not too proud to sell candy."
"I am," replied Simon, with dignity.
"Then yours is a foolish pride," replied Katy, with a smile to softenthe hard words; and she walked away toward her own house.
She felt thankful that she had no such pride as Simon's; and she hadreason to be thankful for when any person is too proud to do the workwhich God has placed within his reach, he becomes a pitiable object,and honest men will regard him with contempt.
Katy had to work very hard that evening, in making candy for herassistants to sell, and it was nine o'clock before she was ready to goto bed.
The next morning, all the girls who had engaged to come, appeared withtheir trays, and were supplied with candy. Katy instructed them verymodestly in the art of selling; taking upon herself no airs, andassuming no superiority. Ann Grippen came with them, and seemed to bevery much pleased with her new occupation.
At noon they all returned, though only two of them had sold out theirtwo dozen sticks. Katy gave them further instructions in regard to thebest places to sell candy, and when they came home at night, all butone had disposed of their stock. The experiment, therefore was regardedas a successful one. The next day several other girls, who had heard ofKaty's plan, came to the house, and wanted to be engaged. The littlemerchant could not supply them, but promised, if they would come thenext day, to furnish them with a stock. Even now, the quantitymanufactured required the services of Mrs. Colvin for three hours, andthis day she engaged her to come immediately after dinner.
I need not detail the manner in which Katy's trade kept increasing. Ina fortnight she had more than a dozen girls employed in selling candy.She was actually making a wholesale business of it, and no longertraveled about the streets herself. By the first of December, Mrs.Redburn had so far recovered her health as to be able to take charge ofthe manufacturing part of the business, and Katy was permitted to go toschool, though she supplied the girls in the morning and at noon, andsettled all their accounts.
One day she received a call from Michael, Mrs. Gordon's man, requestingher attendance in Temple Street. She obeyed the summons; but when shemet Mrs. Gordon and Grace, she was alarmed to see how coldly andreproachfully they looked upon her.
"I have heard a very bad story about you, Katy," said Mrs. Gordon.
"About me?" gasped she.
"Yes; and I was very sorry to hear it."
"What was it, ma'am? I hope I haven't done anything to lose your goodwill."
"I am afraid you have."
"I don't believe she did it, mother," said Grace. "She is too good todo any such thing."
"What is it? Do tell me."
"I have been told that a little girl, who sells candy, has been playingtricks upon passers-by in the streets; that she tells lies and deceivesthem."
"I never did such a thing!" protested Katy, her cheeks covered with theblush of indignation.
Mrs. Gordon explained the deception, and spoke in very severe terms ofit. The trick had been played off on a friend of hers, who had told ofit the evening before.
"When was it, ma'am?" asked Katy.
"Yesterday forenoon."
"I was in school then. Besides, I have
n't sold any candy in the streetfor more than three weeks."
"I knew it wasn't she!" exclaimed Grace triumphantly.
"I was very unwilling to believe it," added Mrs. Gordon; "but thedescription seemed to point you out as the little deceiver."
"I wouldn't do such a thing, ma'am. If you inquire you will find that Ihave been in school every day this week."
"I believe you, Katy. But can you tell me who it was?"
"I don't know, but I will find out;" and before she took her leave shetold the ladies how she conducted her business, which amused them verymuch.
"Who played this trick?" said she to herself when she got into thestreet. "If I can only find out, I will discharge her. She will bringthe business into contempt."
Of course no one would own it, and the only way she could find out wasby watching them. It must be stopped, for, besides being too honest toallow such deception, Katy saw that it would spoil the trade.
When she got home, she found a letter which the penny-post had brought,directed to her in large schoolboy hand.
"It is from Tommy," exclaimed she, eagerly seizing the letter andretiring to a corner to read it.
"You and Tommy are great friends," said her mother.
"Yes, mother; but don't you see it came all the way from Liverpool?"
Mrs. Redburn sighed deeply at the mention of her native city, and athousand memories of the past flitted before her. Katy broke the seal,and as this letter contained some very important information, my youngreaders may look over her shoulder while she reads it. It was asfollows:--
Liverpool, Nov. 13, 1845.
"Dear Friend:--I take my pen in hand to let you know that I am well,and I hope these few lines will find you enjoying the same blessing. Iarrived to Liverpool safe and sound, and when I got home, I will tellyou all about it. Just as we got in to the dock, I kept thinking aboutwhat you told me. They won't let us have any fires on board ship in thedocks; so we all board ashore. I asked the man where we stopped if heknew such a merchant as Matthew Guthrie. He did not know him, and neverheard of him. Then I went round among the big merchants, and askedabout your grandfather. I asked a good many before I found one who knewhim, and he said your grandfather had been dead ten years. I asked himwhere the family was. He said Mr. Guthrie had only two daughters; thatone of them had run away with her father's clerk, and the other wasmarried and gone to America. He said her husband belonged to Baltimore.This was all he knew about it, and all I could find out. We shall sailhome in about three weeks. I thought you would like to know; so I wrotethis letter to send by the steamer. Drop in and see my mother, and tellher I am well, and had a tiptop voyage over. No more at present from
"Your affectionate friend, "THOMAS HOWARD."
Katy read the letter twice over, and then gave it to her mother, afterexplaining that she had told Tommy her story, and requested him toinquire about her grandfather. Mrs. Redburn was too much affected bythe news from her early home to find fault with Katy for what she haddone.
Both of them felt very sad for while Mrs. Redburn thought of herfather, who had lain in his grave ten years without her knowledge, Katycould not but mourn over the hopes which Tommy's letter had blasted.