Part 21 (1/2)
”I'll give you four dollars for the week if you do the work properly. I won't have any circulars wasted.”
Ralph hesitated. Four dollars was not much, but it was better than nothing.
”I am looking for a steady place,” he said. ”But if I can't find it, I'll take the job,” he said.
”I want the circulars to go out as soon as possible. They advertise my summer sporting goods, and the season is now pretty well advanced.”
”Will you keep the place open for me until this evening?”
”What is your name?”
”Ralph Nelson. I used to be the bridge tender.”
”Oh, yes, I thought I had seen you before. All right, Nelson; I'll wait until six o'clock to hear from you.”
”Thank you, Mr. Dunham. I'll let you know one way or the other by that time,” said Ralph.
When the boy left the store he found it was already noon. He had a lunch with him, and, strolling down to the water's edge, he sat on a little dock and ate it.
He had just about finished when a rowboat came into view. There was a single occupant at the oars. It was Percy Paget.
”Hallo, there! what are you doing here?” cried the young bully, as he ran up to the dock and leaped ash.o.r.e.
”Taking it easy,” returned Ralph, coolly.
”Indeed!” said Percy, sarcastically. ”Plenty of time for that now, I suppose.”
”Yes, I have more time on my hands than I care to have, Percy.”
”Don't call me Percy! I am not an intimate of yours, Ralph Nelson!”
”All right; just as you please.”
”If you had treated me like a gentleman on the bridge you wouldn't be out of a job now,” went on the fas.h.i.+onable bully.
”We won't talk about that,” returned Ralph, sharply.
And then, to see how late it was, he drew out his new watch and consulted it.
”Where did you get that watch?” questioned Percy, on catching sight of the golden time-piece.
”It was made a present to me,” replied Ralph, and he smiled at the young aristocrat's evident wonder.
”A present to you?”
”Yes.”
”When?”
”A couple of days ago.”