“Full-blooded Jersey, I suppose? Eighty to a hundred quarts of milk when you fill the pail with water?” the boy said with a chuckle of satisfaction, and then added impatiently, “Come, pay me for that candy! I can’t stand here all day!”
Josiah was dimly conscious of the fact that he had not agreed to make the purchase; but the boy’s tone was so peremptory that the huge pocket-book was drawn forth with no slight difficulty, much to the amusement of the candy vendor.
After this financial transaction was completed, and Josiah had opened the package only to find the cheapest of brass pins as a prize, the first attack of homesickness began to pass away.
He was angry because of having been cheated; and this fact, together with the panorama which could be seen from the window, so diverted his attention that, for the time being, he forgot both the calf and Towser.
CHAPTER II.
THE ARRIVAL.
A glance at the plethoric pocket-book caused the boy on the train to feel a kindly interest in the traveler from Berry’s Corner; and as a result of this one-sided friendship Josiah, in a comparatively short time, had two more brass pins with their accompaniment of candy, a roll of colored pictures, and three bananas.
If the distance had been longer, to this collection would have been added the news-agent’s broken-bladed knife; for he had already begun to make overtures toward such a sale when the train rolled into the station, and the journey was at an end.
“Jersey City!” the conductor shouted, and the newsboy said imploringly:—
“Hold on a while. You’ll have plenty of time; the cars won’t be pulled out for twenty minutes yet, and I’ve got a lot of things to trade.”
Josiah paid no attention to the young man’s request. His one desire was to meet Tom and Bob as soon as possible, and there was no question in his mind but that they were at this moment standing on the platform ready to receive him.