He was not a merchant prince, to be sure, but he had a
fixed place of business, and with his experience he felt
confident he could make it pay.
"I am sure I can make from ten to fifteen dollars a week," he
said to himself. "I averaged over a dollar a day when I worked
for George Barry, and then I only got half-profits. Now I shall
have the whole."
This consideration was a very agreeable one. He would be able to
maintain his mother and little Jimmy in greater comfort than
before, and this he cared more for than for any extra indulgences
for himself. In fact, he could relieve his mother entirely from
the necessity of working, and yet live better than at present.
When Paul thought of this, it gave him a thrill of satisfaction,
and made him feel almost like a man.
He set to work soliciting custom, and soon had sold three
neckties at twenty-five cents each.
"All that money is mine," he thought, proudly. "I haven't got to
hand any of it over to George Barry. That's a comfort."
As this thought occurred to him he recognized an old acquaintance
strolling along the sidewalk in his direction. It was no other
than Jim Parker, the friend and crony of Mike Donovan, who will
be remembered as figuring in not a very creditable way in the
earlier chapters of this story.
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