Dan The Newsboy 4
He opened the bundle, and examined the vests with an evident desire to
find something wrong.
He couldn't find any defect, but that didn't prevent his saying:
"They ain't over-well made."
"Well, they won't be over-well paid," retorted Dan. "So we're even."
"I don't know if we ought to pay for them at all."
"Honesty is the best policy, young feller," said Dan.
"No more of your impudence!" said the clerk, sharply. "Wait here a
minute till I speak to Mr. Gripp."
He kept Dan before the counter, and approached the proprietor.
"Well, what is it, Samuel?" asked Mr. Gripp, stroking his jet-black
whiskers. "Are the vests all right?"
"Pretty well, sir, but the boy is impudent."
"Ha! how is that?"
"He keeps calling me 'young feller.'"
"Anything more?"
"He don't seem to have any respect for me--or you," he added, shrewdly.
Nathan Gripp frowned. He cared very little about his clerk, but he
resented any want of respect to himself. He felt that the balance at his
bankers was large enough to insure him a high degree of consideration
from his work-people at least.
"How many vests are there?" he asked.
"Half a dozen."
"And the boy wants his pay, I suppose."
"He hasn't asked for it, but he will. They always do."
"Tell him we only pay when a full dozen are finished and brought in.
We'll credit him, or his mother, with these."
"That'll pay them off," thought the astute clothing merchant.
Samuel received this order with inward satisfaction, and went back
smiling.
"Well, young feller," said he, "it's all right. The vests ain't
over-well done, but we'll keep 'em. Now you can go."
But Dan did not move.
"It seems to me you've forgotten something," he said.
"What's that?"
"You haven't paid me for the work."
"It's all right. We'll pay when the next half dozen are brought in. Will
you take 'em now?"
Dan was disagreeably surprised. This was entirely out of the usual
course, and he knew very well that the delay would be a great
inconvenience.
"We've always been paid when we brought in work," he said.
"We've changed our rule," said the clerk, nonchalantly. "We only pay
when a full dozen are brought in."
"What difference does it make to you? We need the money, and can't
wait."
"It's my orders, young feller. It's what Mr. Gripp just told me."
"Then I'll speak to him," said Dan, promptly.
"Just as you like."
Dan approached the proprietor of the establishment.
"Mr. Gripp," said he, "I've just brought in half a dozen vests, but your
clerk here won't pay me for them."
"You will get your pay, young man, when you bring in another half
dozen."
"But, Mr. Gripp, we need the money. We haven't got a big bank account.
Our rent is due to-morrow."
"Is it, indeed? I don't see how that concerns me."
"Will you pay me to-night as a favor?" pleaded Dan, humbling himself for
his mother's sake.
"I can't break over my rule," said Nathan Gripp. "Besides, Samuel says
the work isn't very well done."
"Then he lies!" exclaimed Dan, provoked.
"Do you hear that, Mr. Gripp?" ejaculated the angry Samuel, his tallowy
complexion putting on a faint flush. "Didn't I tell you he was
impudent?"
Nathan Gripp's small black eyes snapped viciously.
"Boy," said he, "leave my store directly. How dare you address me in
such a way, you young tramp?"
"I'm no more a tramp than yourself," retorted Dan, now thoroughly angry.
"Samuel, come here, and put out this boy!" exclaimed Nathan, too
dignified to attempt the task himself.
Samuel advanced, nothing loth, his fishy eyes gleaming with pleasure.
"Get out, you vagabond!" he exclaimed, in the tone of authority.
"You're a couple of swindlers!" exclaimed Dan. "You won't pay for honest
work."
"Out with him, Samuel!" ordered Gripp.
Samuel seized Dan by the shoulder, and attempted to obey orders, but our
hero doubled him up with a blow from his fist, and the luckless clerk,
faint and gasping, staggered and nearly fell.
Dan stepped out on the sidewalk, and raising his hat, said, with mock
politeness, "Good-morning, gentlemen!" and walked away, leaving Gripp
and his assistant speechless with anger.
[Illustration: "You're a couple of swindlers!" exclaimed Dan. "You won't
pay for honest work." Page 30.]
CHAPTER IV.
AN ODD COUPLE.
When Dan's excitement was over, he felt that he had won a barren
victory. He had certainly been badly treated, and was justified in
yielding to his natural indignation; but for all that he had acted
unwisely.
Nathan Gripp had not refused payment, he had only postponed it, and as
he had the decided advantage, which money always has when pitted against
labor, it would have been well to have been conciliatory. Now Gripp
would undoubtedly annoy him with further delay, and refuse to give Mrs.
Mordaunt any further work.
"I suppose I've acted like a fool," said Dan to himself, with
compunction. "My spunk is always getting the better of me, and I am
afraid poor mother will have to suffer. Well, there's no use crying for
spilt milk; I must see what I can do to mend matters."
While these thoughts were passing through Dan's mind he found himself
passing the clothing establishment of Jackson & Co., who were special
rivals of Mr. Gripp.
"Perhaps I can get some work for mother here," thought Dan. "I'll try,
at any rate."
He entered, and looking about him, attracted the attention of a clerk.
"Do you want something in our line to-day?" asked the clerk, pleasantly.
"Yes, I do," said Dan, "if you're giving things away; but as I've got a
note of ten thousand dollars to meet to-morrow, I can't pay anything
out."
"Your credit ought to be good," said the salesman, smiling, "but we
don't trust."
"All right," said Dan; "I may as well proceed to business. My mother
makes vests for amusement. Can you give her any work?"
"I will speak to Mr. Jackson. One of our hands is sick, and if your
mother understands how to do the work, we may be able to give her some."
The young man went to the rear of the store, and returned with the
proprietor.
"Has your mother any experience?" asked the proprietor, a big man, with sandy whiskers.
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