A MEDICAL FRIEND.
This unexpected addition to their family had a good effect on Carrots, because it made him more careful of his money, almost uncomfortably so, Teddy thought, when, having reached Mose Pearson's, the junior member of the firm questioned whether it would not be better to have no breakfast, in order to save time.
"You see now we've got Ikey on hand we'll have to be careful of the money; else we sha'n't get that stand very soon."
"We're bound to eat, Carrots. If you want to be so awful careful of your money, you might give up smokin' cigarettes," Teddy replied.
"Oh, I swore off buyin' any, yesterday. I don't smoke now 'less some feller gives me one. Of course, you can't reckon I'd refuse it; but this soup will be ten cents gone, an' we'd be jest as hungry by noon. Besides, we've got to buy somethin' for supper, 'cause we're feedin' three now, you know."
"We'll get the breakfast, an' work enough harder to pay for it," Teddy replied, as he led the way into the restaurant; and again did Carrots's new ideas of economy appear, as he swallowed the soup almost at the risk of choking himself, in order to save a few moments.
He was the first boy on the street prepared to black boots that morning, and no fellow ever worked more industriously, until nearly twelve o'clock, when he approached his partner in a mysterious manner, beckoning him to follow where they could converse without fear of being overheard.
"Say, did you know lamb was awful good for sick people?" Carrots asked, with an air of great importance.
"No; I didn't know that. Who told you?"
"When old Miss Carter was sick, she said a little bit of lamb would do her a power of good, an' the boys chipped in an' bought some."
"But it'll come pretty high now, Carrots. You see it's kinder out of season."
"Pretty high, eh? Well, what would you say if I got a bang-up good mess of lamb for five cents?"
"Why, I'd say it either wasn't lamb, or else the man what sold it didn't know what he was about."
"Well, it's lamb, an' I paid the reg'lar price for it, Teddy," Carrots said triumphantly, as he drew from his pocket a small package wrapped in brown paper, and, opening it, displayed to the astonished gaze of his companion two pickled lambs' tongues.
"There, what do you think of that? Talk 'bout lamb for sick folks! If it does any good, I'm goin' to have Ikey well as ever by to-morrow. I'll make him eat all this before he goes to bed. You see it's jest as cheap as anythin' we can get," he added. "He couldn't stuff down more'n six in a day to save his life, an' I reckon we can spend that much."
Teddy was not positive whether lamb was good for the invalid, neither did he think the tongue Carrots had purchased would be beneficial; but, as the latter had said, it would serve as food, and certainly was not a waste of money, and therefore he replied:
"I don't know as it'll do him any good, old man, but it'll keep him from bein' hungry, anyhow."
"Are you goin' down there this noon?"
"No; I wouldn't dare to in the daytime. We shall have to wait till night. Have you seen anythin' of Skip?"
"Not a smitch. I reckon he got scared when he saw you talkin' to that policeman yesterday, an' I think he will give us a wide berth for a while."
"I don't think you're right. He hasn't stopped tryin' to drive us out er town jest 'cause I told the officer; but is waitin' till he can catch us where we don't know anybody. Keep your eye peeled for him."
"I'll be careful enough, you can be sure of that," Carrots replied. "I never'd gone to the market for this lamb, if it hadn't been that a couple of fellers I know were goin' down, an' they wouldn't let Skip pitch inter me."
This day's business was not so large as the previous one, owing to the fact that both in the bootblacking and news-selling departments of the concern there was active competition; but both considered they had earned very good wages, and were in the best of humor when they started home with a sufficient addition to their larder to provide a generous meal for all three.
"I'll tell you what I've been thinkin' of, Carrots," Teddy said, as they walked slowly along. "Ikey is in a pretty bad way, an' it seems to me we ought ter do somethin' more'n jest feed him up on lamb, if he ever expects to get out."
"Want to try the bread an' milk?"
"No, I don't know anythin' 'bout that business; but this is what I was kind er figgerin' on. It costs terrible to get a doctor, of course; but don't you s'pose we might make the same trade with one that we did with the lawyer? If we'd 'gree to give him a paper, an' black his boots, till the bill was paid, I don't reckon it would take long to fix Ikey in great shape."
"That's a good idee!" Carrots replied, enthusiastically. "Why, I'll bet you could get any quantity of 'em at that rate. Say, there's one up on Rivington Street. I used to black his boots last year, when I worked 'round that way; but haven't seen him since. He's awful nice; ain't so very old either, an' a good many times give me something extra when I got though with my job."
"Suppose we go there to-night?"
"All right; I'm with you! We'll fill Ikey up with this lamb, get him to bed, an' then take a sneak. We can be back in half an hour. Say, how would it do to carry him along with us?"
"I wouldn't like to do that, 'cause you see p'rhaps the doctor might not be willin', an' we'd have dragged the poor feller 'round for nothin'. Besides, if we should happen to meet Skip while he was along, it would be kind er hard lines to take care of a lame boy an' fight at the same time."
"I never thought of that. I reckon I'd better let you 'tend to things anyhow. You seem to know more'n I do."
The invalid welcomed them very cordially, as might have been expected from one who had been forced not only to remain inactive, but absolutely silent, during the many hours of their absence.
In reply to Carrots's questions, he represented himself as being comparatively comfortable, and stated that, although the time had seemed long, he was more than glad to be there, rather than on the streets enduring such suffering as must necessarily be his while moving around.
The first duty of the evening was to count the money, and it was learned that they had earned one dollar and twenty-six cents, exclusive of the amount spent for food procured on their way home.
"That makes us pretty nigh five dollars," Teddy said, as he placed these profits with the others. "If nothin' happens it won't be so very long before we'll be in great shape for doin' business."
Again Carrots had visions of the green news-stand and brass-covered bootblacking outfit, and from this reverie he was awakened when Teddy prepared the evening meal by unwrapping the papers in which the food had been brought.
This reminded Carrots of the scheme formed for the benefit of the invalid, and he handed the sheep's tongues to Ikey, as he said:
"There, old man, I want you to fill yourself right up on that, 'cause Miss Carter said they was awful good for sick people, an' I 'low they'll straighten you out in pretty nigh less'n no time!"
Then Carrots explained what they intended to do in regard to securing a doctor, and Ikey's eyes glistened as he thought of getting relief from his sufferings, which must have been great, judging from the expression he constantly wore.
"I'm 'fraid you can't do much," he said, with a sigh.
"It won't do any harm to try," Carrots replied, as he began to satisfy his own hunger; and when the meal was brought to a close, owing to the fact that neither of the partners could eat any more, Teddy led the way to the street again, the invalid expressing his earnest hope that the doctor might accede to their wishes.
Fortunately for their purpose, upon arriving at the doctor's office, they found him at home and not busy.
Singular as it may seem, he did not recognize Carrots until he had been told of the previous business connection, and even then appeared almost indifferent in regard to seeing his friend again.
Teddy had supposed Master Carrots was to attend to this portion of the task, owing to his acquaintance with the physician; but instead of doing so, his young partner, after entering the office, stood first on one foot and then on the other, staring at the medical gentleman in a manner well calculated to make a nervous person uncomfortable.
"Well, what can I do for you?" the doctor asked.
Carrots looked around at Teddy as he said, in a hoarse whisper:
"You tell him, old man. You can fix things up better'n I can."
Master Thurston opened negotiations by proceeding at once to the heart of the matter.
"We want ter hire a doctor," he said. "You see, Ikey Cain's got a lame leg, an' we haven't done anything for it yet except to give him some lamb, which I don't 'low is goin' to make him better very soon. Now what we thought 'bout doin' was to get you to look out for him, an' let us pay in trade. I sell papers, an' Carrots blacks boots. If you'll 'gree to fix Ikey up as he ought ter be, we'll come here every mornin' till the bill's paid."
"Where is the boy?" the doctor asked, looking amused rather than grave.
"Down where we live."
"Give me the address, and I will call there to-morrow morning."
"Oh, you mustn't do that!" Carrots cried, in alarm. "If you should go there in broad daylight and shin over that fence, the folks in the shop would know jest where we live!"
The doctor was at a loss to understand the meaning of this remark, and Teddy explained by saying:
"You see, we've got a couple of boxes down here back of a store, an' the folks who own 'em don't know anything 'bout our livin' there. We can't go in till after dark, when the shop's shut up, an' have to come out in the mornin' before it's open."
"I understand," the gentleman replied, with a smile. "Then it will be necessary to bring the boy here."
"Couldn't you fix him to-night?" Carrots asked.
"I fancy so, unless there should be a call from some patient."
"I s'pose we can get him over the fence; but it'll hurt him a good bit," Teddy said, musingly.
"We can rig that all right," Carrots replied, carelessly. "If he's goin' to have his leg done up, he's got to come out, an' we can't help it if it does hurt him;" and then turning to the doctor, he asked, eagerly, "Say, how much you goin' to charge for doin' that?"
"What should you think it would be worth, or, in other words, how many shines would you give me? We won't say anything about the newspapers, because I already have a young man who serves me with them."
"We'll try to come to your terms if we can," Carrots replied, "an' you're the one that ought ter set the figger."
"What should you think would be a good price, if you were going to pay money?"
Carrots hesitated, looked around at Teddy, then again at the doctor, and finally said:
"I reckon I'd be willin' to go as high as twenty-five cents if he was fixed up in good shape, 'cause I know he'll pay it back jest as soon as he gets to work. Course he can't do anything now."
"Very well, bring your friend here whenever you please, and when I chance to be where you are working, I will call on you for one of the shines."
Then the gentleman took up the book he had been reading, as a sign that there was no need to prolong the interview, and the boys went at full speed after the invalid.
On being told that he would receive attention from a regular doctor, Ikey announced his willingness to climb over the fence a dozen times if it should be necessary, and without delay the journey was begun.
Fortunately the physician was still at home when they returned. He examined the injured member, took something from his pocket which the others could not see at first, and, before the invalid was aware of his purpose, had passed the keen blade of the lancet through the swelling.
Ikey felt faint with pain for an instant, and then looked wonderfully relieved, as the doctor said, soothingly:
"There, my boy, you will be all right in a few days. I will bandage it, and you must be careful not to catch cold."
Carrots watched the operation intently, and when the physician intimated that his services were at an end, he drew a long breath of relief as he said:
THE BOYS AT THE DOCTOR'S DOOR.
"By jiminy! If I could earn twenty-five cents as quick as that, it wouldn't take Teddy an' me long to buy that stand!"
"You see, my boy, that medical men have to charge a very large amount of money for their services because it takes them so long to learn the business. Of course you would think I should get rich very rapidly if I had many such customers at twenty-five cents; but you can see that they are scarce to-night."
"That's a fact," Carrots replied, thoughtfully, as if this phase of the case was something which he had not previously understood, and after gravely assuring the gentleman that "his face was good for a shine any time," Master Williams led the way out of the house.
"How do you feel, old man?" Teddy asked, when they were on the sidewalk.
"He hurt me a good bit with his knife; but jest as soon's that was over, it seemed like as if the pain had all gone. I reckon I'll get well now, eh?"
"If you don't, there won't be any sense in puttin' out twenty-five cents ag'in on you," Carrots said, as if he should consider a continuation of Ikey's illness as a personal affront.
The three arrived at home without having seen anything of their enemies, and in a short time were busily engaged discussing their future.
"I'll tell you what it is, Teddy, Ikey'll make an awful good clerk for us when we buy our stand, an' after we get him mended. He can sell papers or shine boots with the best of 'em, for I've seen him work."
Teddy suggested that they might not have a sufficient amount of business to warrant their hiring a clerk; but Carrots had his own ideas on the subject, and could not easily be persuaded that an assistant would not be an absolute necessity when the green-painted establishment with its bootblacking outfit was opened.
The idea that he was to have an opportunity for working, without being forced to run around the streets, pleased Master Cain wonderfully, and this, in addition to the relief from pain, served to put him in the best possible humor.
He promised to repay the boys, not only the twenty-five cents which was to be given the doctor in the form of boot-polishing, but also for such provisions as he might eat while one of their household; and agreed, in case Teddy finally concluded it would be desirable to hire him as a clerk, to do his work faithfully and honestly.
"We'll have the stand before two weeks go by, an' I reckon you'll be right there helpin' us with it," Carrots said, enthusiastically, as he once more prepared the bed for the invalid, and saw to it that there was food enough on hand to satisfy his wants during the coming day.
It was later than their usual time for retiring when the boys finally lay down to sleep; but, despite this fact, they were awake next morning as early as on any previous occasion, and, before leaving, Carrots again cautioned Ikey against allowing his presence in the box to be known.
"You needn't be worried," the invalid replied. "Now my leg doesn't ache so bad, I can keep mighty still, no matter what happens. Yesterday I had to turn over pretty often to rest it, an' was 'fraid sometimes the folks would hear me."
Then the boys clambered over the fence once more, and another day's work was begun.