Josiah was greatly troubled in mind.
He had been almost recklessly extravagant since he arrived, believing the amount received from the fur would give him all the spending money needed, and with that idea had invited Sadie to accompany him to the museum on the Bowery.
Now, however, the utmost economy would be necessary, probably at the expense of the presents to his parents, and he must count carefully the pennies in order that all his hoard might not be exhausted before his father arrived.
“I have been a big fool,” he said to himself; “but who would have thought things were so high in the city? Now I’ve got to go on with the racket even though the last cent is spent, an’ I don’t have anything to carry home.”
By the time these mournful reflections were brought to a close they were at the shop first visited, and the trapper from Berry’s Corner received the amount offered for his furs.
The sixty cents were deposited in the huge wallet, and the boys turned toward the City Hall once more, Tom urging them on at full speed in order that they might leave for Coney Island at the earliest possible moment.
But it was as if Josiah could not walk rapidly.
He paid no attention to the alluring shop windows, neither did he appear to hear what his companions said to him, until they were crossing Chambers Street, when Bob cried impatiently:—
“If you don’t hurry up we won’t get there till noon. So long as we’ve got to spend our money for it, we may as well scoop in the whole show.”
Then it was Josiah suddenly awakened to the fact that his companions were urging him to greater speed; and he said abruptly, as he halted and seized both boys by the arms to insure attention:—