Bennett—I’ll lock the door outside, and put the key in the window.
Ward—Do so, old (hic) boy, do so. (And he goes to sleep, and Bennett and John wend their way to Wall street.)
Bennett—Now, John, this is the last chance I shall have. If I fail to sell my papers to-day, I am ruined for ever.
John—Had I not better go into the stores, and try to sell the papers.
Bennett (kisses him in Nassau street)—My dear boy, if you will do that, I will love you next to my God. My great trouble has been to get honest boys to sell my paper, and return the money to me, instead of going to the Theatre and eating peanuts with my funds. Now, you take some, and I’ll take some, and you take one side of the street and I the other, and let us toil for our lives (until the sun goes down) to sell these papers, and, if we fail, my fate is sealed for time, and perhaps for eternity!
John—What! You won’t commit suicide?
Bennett—God only knows what I shall do.
John—Well, I see there’s no time to be lost. So, give me some papers, and I’ll go into the first store on this side, and you take the other side of the street. (They separate, John going into every store on his side, and Bennett into every store on the other side, until they arrive at Wall street, when they go into Bennett’s office, in the old rat hole at No. 20 Wall street, where they count their pennies, and find that they have sold quite a large number of Heralds. They then drink some water and eat some ginger nuts, for their breakfasts, and go down Broad street, and enter every store on either side, and meet with great success. John then takes South street, and Bennett Front street, from the Battery to Fulton street, and afterwards take Water and Pearl streets, and then they canvass either side of Wall street, and sell all their Heralds, and go to a Restaurant and get something to eat, and separate in the afternoon in high spirits. John then got some boys in the Fourteenth Ward to sell the Herald, and in ten days Bennett had about $40 surplus, and begins to put on aristocratic airs, and domineer over Johnny Kelly.)
(To be continued.)
