Short stories; United States -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
your business if you've got any, and not bother the life and soul out of
him, because he won't sell anything but a dollar's worth of whips, and
that's all there is about it.
He sells other things, handsaws, and pencils, and mouth-harps, and two
knives for a quarter, of such pure steel that he whittles shavings off
a wire nail with 'em, and is particular to hand you the very identical
knife he did it with. He has jewelry, though I don't suppose you could
cut a wire nail with it. You might, at that.
To him approaches a boy.
“Got 'ny collar-buttons?”
“Well, now, I'll just look and see. Here's a beautiful rolled-plate gold
watch-chain, with an elegant jewel charm. Lovely blue jewel.” He dangles
the chain and its rich glass pendant, and it certainly does look fine.
“That'd cost you $2.50 at the store. How'd that strike you?”
“Hpm. I want a collar-button.”
“Well, now, you hold on a minute. Lemme look again. Ah, here's a package
'at orta have some in it. Yes, sir, here's four of 'em, enough to last
you a lifetime; front, back, and both sleeves, the kind that flips and
don't tear the buttonholes. Well, by ginger! Now, how'd that git in
here, I want to know? That gold ring? Well, I don't care. It'll have to
go with the collar-buttons. Tell you what I'll do with you: I'll let you
have this elegant solid gold rolled-plate watch-chain and jewel, this
elegant, solid gold ring to git married with--Hay? How about it?--and
these four collar-buttons for--for--twenty-five cents, or a quarter of a
dollar.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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