Tattered Tom. Alger Horatio Jr.
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“What’s up?” demanded Tom, suspiciously. “Who are you laughin’ at?”
“So you want to carry my carpet-bag?” he asked, laughing again.
“Yes,” said Tom.
“Why, I could put you in it,” said the tall man, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
“No, you couldn’t,” said Tom.
“Do you think you could carry it?”
“Let me try.”
He set it down, and Tom lifted it from the ground; but it was obviously too much for her strength.
“You see you can’t do it. Have you found anything to do this morning?”
“No,” said Tom.
“Business isn’t good, hey?”
“No,” said Tom, “but I wouldn’t mind so much if I hadn’t had my money stole. I’m bust!”
“How’s that? Did the bank break or have you been speculating?”
“Oh, you’re gasin’! I aint got nothing to do with banks. Somebody stole two shillin’s I had, so I’ve had no breakfast.”
“Come, that’s bad. I guess I must give you a job, after all. You can’t carry my bag, but you can carry this.”
He had under his arm something wrapped in a paper, making a small bundle. He handed it to Tom, and she trudged along with it after him.
“You couldn’t guess what that is, I suppose?” said her companion, sociably.
“No,” said Tom; “it feels soft.”
“It’s a large wax doll, for my little niece,” said her patron. “You haven’t got any dolls, I suppose?”
“I had one once,” said Tom. “It was made of rags. But granny threw it into the fire.”
“I suppose you were sorry.”
“I was then; but I’m too old for dolls now.”
“How old are you?”
“I aint sure. Somewheres about twelve.”
“You live with your granny, then?”
“No, I don’t,—not now.”
“Why not?”
“She wanted to lick me, so I run away.”
“Then where do you live now?”
“Nowhere.”
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