human
Seen Sam Barney to-day? the
gpt
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.
human
How's Jip gettin' along?
gpt
First-class; 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?
human
Yes, an' I hope he won't back down.
gpt
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.
human
But you haven't got the store yet.
gpt
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.
human
What makes him sell it so cheap?
gpt
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' Shiners.'
human
You'll make a go of it, Bill.
gpt
Course we shall, was the complacent reply.
human
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.
gpt
It's too bad for you to put out good money on me.
human
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.
gpt
Three dollars for three tickets! Seth repeated in perplexity.
human
What is it you've been gettin' up, Bill?
gpt
Hold on 'bout four minutes longer, an' then the whole thing will be flashed up. It's great!