Part 43 (1/2)
”Where are we goin'?” Seth asked of Bill, believing now that the spread concerning which so much had been said was to be confined strictly to the lodgers in Mrs. Hanson's house.
”You'll see when we strike there, an' if it ain't tony enough for a swell from the Department, you can get out.”
Seth gazed in surprise at his friend; but the latter's face was expressionless, and the guest of the evening began to fear some disaster had overtaken the plans of his roommates.
”Seen Sam Barney to-day?” the ”probationary fireman” asked after a brief time of silence.
”I struck him mighty heavy yesterday, an' he's been layin' low ever since. I made up my mind that he should see the printed stuff about you in the papers, an' hung 'round till he flashed up. Then I acted as if he an' me was the best friends in the world, an' asked if he knowed what kind of a racket you'd been on. That was enough to make him read the paper I had, an' you can bet he was sick when he got through. Teddy Bowser hit him up ag'in 'bout an hour afterward, an from that time till pretty nigh dark we kept him chafin' under the collar. Then he lit out, an' we haven't seen him since.”
”How's Jip gettin' along?”
”First-cla.s.s; tendin' right out on business, an' goin' to pull through into a decent kind of a feller. Say, you know Dan made up his mind to own a store on Third Avenoo?”
”Yes, an' I hope he won't back down.”
”Well, I guess not! He can't, 'cause I've gone into partners with him, an' there won't be any funny business. We're goin' to take Jip for a clerk.”
”But you haven't got the store yet.”
”It ain't such a dreadful long ways off. We've got most twelve dollars towards it, an' I know of a man what'll sell out a bang-up good place for a hundred an' fifty. I'm allowin' we'll get that much before spring.”
”What makes him sell it so cheap?”
”The reason is that he's a duffer; wants to lay back smokin' an' have the dollars come rollin' in without his raisin' a hair. Of course he ain't gettin' along very smart, an' we'll soon be ready to take it. With two fellers who are willin' to work there's a big thing in that place.
We're countin' on settin' up a boot-blackin' place with chairs an' all such kind of swellin', you know. It's going to be 'Roberts & Dean, Newsdealers an' s.h.i.+ners.'”
”You'll make a go of it, Bill.”
”Course we shall,” was the complacent reply. ”I knowed it was a good thing jest as soon as Dan flashed her up, an' said I'd come in before he got half through talkin'. This 'ere little blow-out is the only thing we're goin' to spend any money on till we get the shop paid for.”
”It's too bad for you to put out good money on me.”
”What we're doin' to-night won't break us, I reckon. First off we allowed it would cost fifteen cents apiece; but we had an offer of three dollars for that many tickets, which comes pretty nigh payin' all the bills.”
”Three dollars for three tickets!” Seth repeated in perplexity. ”What is it you've been gettin' up, Bill?”
”Hold on 'bout four minutes longer, an' then the whole thing will be flashed up. It's great!”
Before the time specified by Bill had elapsed, Dan suddenly turned into a German restaurant, walked the length of the lower floor, and led the way upstairs.
Seth felt that already was his ”eye bein' knocked out.”
He knew there were private supper-rooms in some of these Chatham Street establishments, but had never been fortunate enough to see one, and now he was to enter as a guest of honor.
Dan threw open the door at the head of the stairs.
Seth was conscious of a blaze of light, the hum of voices, and before it was possible to distinguish anything clearly, Bill cried:
”Three cheers for Ninety-four's kid!”