Ned made a good job of cleaning the walk. The snow was not falling so heavily now, though the storm was far from being over.
“I think I could get work at this if I only had a shovel,” Ned thought as he put the finishing touches on his task. “Maybe the clerk would lend me this one.”
He made the request when he went in to get his pay.
“I’ll leave the fifteen cents with you as security for the shovel,” he said, when he had made his request.
“That’s a hot one; fifteen cents security on a dollar and a half shovel,” the clerk replied with a laugh. “Still, you look honest, though I had my doubts at first,” he added. “Go ahead, take the shovel. Never mind about leaving the money. You’ll need it to get dinner with. Bring the shovel back to-night.”
Thus was Ned started in business. He got several jobs at cleaning sidewalks, and at noon had earned two dollars. He went back to the restaurant, returned the shovel and got dinner. The cashier he had dealt with had gone, but the one who had relieved him knew about the transaction. When Ned had finished his fifteen cent dinner, for that was all he allowed himself, the waitress brought him a big piece of pie.
“I didn’t order that,” he said, though he looked at it longingly.
“The cashier says it’s his treat,” the girl replied with a smile, and Ned had no further compunctions about eating it.
“I told the other fellow you wouldn’t bring the shovel back,” the cashier remarked as Ned paid his check.
“How do you mean?” asked Ned.