man. Some boys were “dropping knives.” “Whole blade or no trade,” and “Red leather, trade forever,” were the usual iron-clad agreements that made the exchange binding.
Presently Pinkey turned his attention to the unsettled argument concerning the knife and pen. It was plain that harmony of opinion was out of the question, and Pinkey felt this a good opportunity to make the effort to procure the pen.
“What ‘ll you take for her, Jimmy?” he inquired, assuming an indifferent air.
Jimmy did n’t know just exactly what he desired most, and asked Pinkey what he had to trade.
Pinkey gets the pen.
“Ain't got nothin’ much here to trade, but I ‘ll give you ten cents for her if you want to sell 'er.”
This put new life into the transaction—cash, owing to its chronic scarcity, being invariably above par. But Jimmy must not appear anxious and ruin his chances for a rise.
“Aw,” he argued, “she’s worth more 'n that. She ’s worth a quarter, anyhow.”
“Ain’t got a quarter; give you twelve cents,” said Pinkey, knowing he must bargain closely, and not daring to name his limit too rapidly.
“Naw; gimme twenty cents—that’s cheap,” pleaded Jimmy.
Pinkey protested that the pen would not write as it was, and that it might be no good even if it was filled.
This was a damaging possibility; so, after the necessary final arguments, Pinkey finally secured the coveted pen for the munificent sum of fifteen cents and a jews’-harp “to boot.” After he had concluded his bargain he retired from the market, and no amount of temptation could induce him to part with it.
The morning seemed interminable as Pinkey restlessly awaited the dismissal time, when he could retum the pen to Mrs. Betts. When noon at last came, and Red Feather was distributing the valentines, Pinkey, without even waiting to see if there were any for him, hurried off to the post-office, tightly clutching in his hand the fountain-pen. He was filled with a mixture of satisfaction at the success that had so far attended his efforts, and concern as to the ultimate outcome.
Rushing in the door, he fairly thrust the pen into the hands of the astonished Mrs. Betts, saying: “I saw a boy pick this pen up off the floor yesterday and carry it away with him, and to-day I traded him out of it and brought it back.” It was some moments before Mrs. Betts could definitely grasp the meaning of Pinkey’s burst of speech. When she did recover from her surprise, she began to question him as to the boy’s identity, but Pinkey stoutly declined to divulge it. He gave as his reason that the boy was bigger than he and would “lick him” the first time he caught him out.
In spite of Pinkey’s reticence, Mrs. Betts knew him too well to attach any suspicion whatever to him, She pressed him with reasons why he should tell her for her own protection, and he was finally persuaded to whisper in her ear the boy’s name.
(it may be stated here that this information caused her to be on the lookout whenever Jimmy was in the store, and resulted in eventually bringing him to the bar of parental justice.)
Not desiring to allow such apparently artless honesty to go unencouraged, Mrs. Betis began to look about for some tangible reward. While doing so, she remembered how, during the holi-