“All right,” he said; “I’ll take it.”
He paid the forty dollars, and bade farewell to the kind stranger who had given him so good a bargain.
“You city people are sharp,” said the stranger, as he bade him good-morning. “We poor countrymen don’t stand much chance with you.”
This remark flattered Joshua immensely, and he strutted about the park, glancing continually at his new acquisition, and fancying that he already had quite a city air.
CHAPTER XVIII
TROUBLE IN STAPLETON.
“I could never have got such a bargain if I had stayed in the country,” thought Joshua. “I don’t believe I should have had a watch until I was thirty years old. The old man is awful mean. If he had treated me right, I shouldn’t have had to help myself; that’s certain.”
Joshua congratulated himself that, though he now possessed a hundred-dollar gold watch and chain, purchased at less than half price, he still had left considerably more than five hundred dollars. When he purchased the watch, his first thought was to sell it almost immediately, and so realize something by the speculation. But, being well provided with money, he decided, on the whole, to keep it, for the present, at least, and not to sell unless he should stand in need of money. That would not probably be for a long time, as five hundred dollars seemed quite a fortune to him. Besides, in a short time, probably, he would get a place, with a salary large enough to pay his expenses.
Joshua wandered about the park a short time, but returned to his boarding house in time for lunch. Here he met Sam Crawford. The latter looked with surprise at the watch and chain so ostentatiously displayed by his friend.
“Where did you get that watch and chain?” he asked.