Joshua walked down to the end of the alley, and set to work. There was no difficulty about it, of course, and he performed the work satisfactorily. The young men played two games, occupying about half an hour. When it was over they paid for the games, and calling Joshua, gave him twenty cents.
As they went out others came in.
“Look here, boy,” said the proprietor of the establishment, “if you choose to stay here and set up pins, you can do it.”
“I’d like to do it,” said Joshua.
The position was not a very dignified one, but it was better than starving, and Joshua had been afraid that such a fate was in store for him.
“I don’t pay no wages,” said the man; “but the gentlemen that play will mostly give you something.”
“All right,” said Joshua.
So he remained through the day. By that time he had picked up seventy-five cents. Had all paid him, he would have had more; but some neglected it, and he was not allowed to ask anything. He came back in the evening, as desired, and picked up fifty cents more.
“At this rate I can make a living,” he thought, with a feeling of relief. “But I wouldn’t have Sam know what I was doing for anything.”
He had enough to settle his board bill and about a dollar over. So he paid it without explaining anything of his change of circumstances.