"You ain"t afraid of me, are you?" bl.u.s.tered Luke.
"You understood when you ordered the pants that they were to be paid for when they were taken."
"I hate to see people so afraid of losing their money."
"Do you? Was that why you left Merrill?"
Luke colored. He suspected that the fact of his unpaid bill at the other tailor"s was known to Mr. Hayden.
"I"ve a great mind to leave them on your hands."
"I prefer to keep them on my hands, rather than to let them go out of the shop without being paid for."
"Frank," said Luke, turning to his companion, "lend me five dollars, can"t you?"
"I"m the wrong fellow to ask," said he; "I"ve got to pay my board and another bill to-night."
"Oh, let your bills wait."
"And lend you the money? Thank you, I ain"t so green. When should I get the money again?"
"Next week."
"In a horn. No; I want to wear the pants to-morrow. I"m going out to ride."
"I don"t see, unless you fork over the spondulies."
"I can"t. I haven"t got enough money."
"See Harry Walton."
"I don"t believe he has got any. He bought a lot of clothes last week.
They must have cost a pile."
"Can"t help it. I saw him open his pocketbook last night and in it was a roll of bills."
Turning to the tailor, Luke said: "Just lay aside the pants and I"ll come back for them pretty soon."
Mr. Hayden smiled to himself.
"There"s nothing like fetching up these fellows with a round turn,"
he said. ""No money, no clothes"--that"s my motto. Merrill told me all about that little bill that sent Luke Harrison over here. He don"t run up any bill with me, if I know myself."
Luke went round to the village store. Harry Walton usually spent a part of every evening in instructive reading and study; but after a hard day"s work he felt it necessary to pa.s.s an hour or so in the open air, so he came down to the center of center of the village.
"h.e.l.lo, Walton!" said Luke, accosting him with unusual cordiality. "You are just the fellow I want to see."
"Am I?" inquired Harry in surprise, for there was no particular friendship or intimacy between them.
"Yes; I"m going to ask a little favor of you--a mere trifle. Lend me five or ten dollars for a week. Five will do it, you can"t spare more."
Harry shook his head.
"I can"t do that, Luke."
"Why not? Haven"t you got as much?"
"Yes, I"ve got it."
"Then why won"t you lend it to me?"
"I have little money and I can"t run any risk."
"Do you think I won"t pay you back?"
"Why do you need to borrow of me? You get much higher wages than I do."
"I want to pay a bill to-night. I didn"t think you"d be so unaccommodating."
"I shouldn"t be willing to lend to anyone," said Harry.
"The money isn"t mine. I am going to send it home."
"A great sight you are!" sneered Luke. "I wanted to see just how mean you were. You"ve got the money in your pocket but you won"t lend it."
This taunt did not particularly disturb Harry. There is a large cla.s.s like Luke, who offended at being refused a loan, though quite aware that they are never likely to repay it. My young readers will be sure to meet specimens of this cla.s.s, against whom the only protection is a very firm and decided "No."
CHAPTER XVII. THE NIGHT SCHOLARS
Immediately after Thanksgiving Day, the winter schools commenced. That in the center district was kept by a student of Dartmouth college, who had leave of absence from the college authorities for twelve weeks, in order by teaching to earn something to help defray his college expenses.
Leonard Morgan, now a junior, was a tall, strongly made young man of twenty-two, whose stalwart frame had not been reduced by his diligent study. There were several shoe shops in the village, each employing from one to three boys, varying in age from fifteen to nineteen. Why could he not form a private cla.s.s, to meet in the evening, to be instructed in advanced arithmetic, or, if desired, in Latin and Greek? He broached the idea to Stephen Bates, the prudential committeeman.
"I don"t know," said Mr. Bates, "what our boys will think of it. I"ve got a boy that I"ll send, but whether you"ll get enough to make it pay I don"t know."
"I suppose I can have the schoolhouse, Mr. Bates?"
"Yes, there won"t be no objection. Won"t it be too much for you after teachin" in the daytime?"
"It would take a good deal to break me down."
"Then you"d better draw up a notice and put it up in the store and tavern," suggested the committeeman.
In accordance with this advice, the young teacher posted up in the two places the following notice: