"I'll take your place till he gets back, Mr. Nichols," said Joshua, with extraordinary kindness for him.
"Much obliged, Joshua," said the salesman. "I'll do as much for you another time. I don't think you'll have long to wait."
"You'd better hurry off," said Joshua. "I'd just as lief wait as not."
"I never knew him so accommodating before," thought Nichols, with a feeling of surprise.
He seized his hat and hurried away.
No sooner had he gone than Joshua, after following him to the door, and looking carefully up and down the street, walked behind the counter with a hasty step, and opened the money-drawer.
There was a small pile of bills in one compartment, and in the other a collection of currency. He took the bills into his hand, and looked over them. His hands trembled a little, for he contemplated a dishonest act. Unable to obtain the money in any other way, he meant to borrow (that was what he called it) five dollars from the money-drawer, and expend it in a lottery ticket.
Singling out a five-dollar bill from the pile, he thrust it into his vest-pocket. He had scarcely done so when he was startled by hearing the door open. He made a guilty jump, but perceived, to his relief, that it was a woman not living in the village, but probably in some adjoining town.
"What can I show you, ma'am?" he asked, in a flurried manner, for he could not help thinking of what he had in his vest-pocket.