"Do you mean to say I had anything to do with robbing your store?" and now that this particular debt had been canceled Teddy felt very brave.
"I know that such an amount of money has not been earned honestly, and, what is more, my eyes have been opened to the character of your friends."
"If you mean Mr. Hazelton, he is as much your friend as mine, for you were with him all day Sunday."
"That is exactly who I do mean," Uncle Nathan replied, with provoking deliberation. "I have seen his method of doing business since I came into this fair, and know he is nothing more than a deliberate swindler."
"But one with whom you were perfectly willing to go into partnership," a voice in the rear of Teddy cried sharply, and the jewelry fakir stepped directly in front of Uncle Nathan. "I told you exactly how I worked, and you offered to put up even money with me, growing angry when I said you would be of no use in the business. If it is swindling, you were mighty eager to have a hand in the same business."
"I don't want to talk with you," Uncle Nathan said, as he put Teddy's eighteen dollars carefully in his pocket.
"Then why do you come around here trying to bully this boy? He had no idea of what I was going to do until he saw me work, while you understood the whole plan. Make any trouble for him, and I will get up here and tell every person who comes along that you wanted to be my partner."
"Do it," the old man said, angrily. "After having cheated so many people out of their money, who will believe a word you say?"
At the same time, however, Uncle Nathan took good care to leave this particular spot, and Hazelton stepped to the rear of the board where he could talk privately with Teddy.