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"I thought it was a book-peddler." "Why is my brother's heart sore against the book-peddler?" asked Mushymush. "Because," said the Boy Chief, fiercely, "I am again without my regular dime novel, and I thought he might have one in his pack.
"Therese, who can that young mother be whom I saw bareheaded on the stairs just now, with a pretty little boy?" And Therese replies that it was Madame Coccoz. I stare up at the ceiling, as if trying to obtain some further illumination. Therese then recalls to me the little book-peddler who tried to sell me almanacs last year, while his wife was lying in. "And Coccoz himself?" I asked.
He had a way of talking to me in a quizzical, condescending style, in the belief that he was drawing me out, the way you talk to some old book-peddler in your office when you've got nothing to do for a while; and it was easy to see he regarded me as a "character" and thought he was studying me.
I approved of the plan exceedingly, and began to sum up within my mind the many uncommon felicities in the life of a book-peddler, especially when his character resembled that of the individual before me.
He spoke to her in a low tone and said: "I am from prison," then glancing at the note, "I think that is for you." She took the novel, and, holding it open as if reading it, scanned the contents of the note: "MY DEAREST WIFE: This is the book-peddler. You will want to buy books from him. Buy what you want. Give him the packages for me. He is honest. "All is well.
At the appointed time the book-peddler was seen by us coming up the lane, and at almost the same moment a buggy came in sight going down. It was a moment of breathless interest to both of us. They met almost directly opposite to where we were concealed. Madam Imbert said: "Let us have some books!"
I told her to be sure and do as she said she would get the money to-day at all hazards by storm, if necessary, as I did not like to trust Cox another day. At Jenkintown there was no lull in the fight. The battle was going on gloriously. Breakfast at Cox's was a meagre meal, even the children were neglected, as all the grown portion of the household were on the lookout for the book-peddler.
Josh. said no more, but mentally washing his hands of the whole transaction, started for Stemples's. He found Rivers and Barclay there, but said nothing about what had happened, further than that he was having trouble at home. In the evening Mrs. Maroney received a letter from her husband, stating that the book-peddler would call the next day. The next day was to be an eventful one for me.
It would most likely be excessively hot by noon, but the morning was fresh and balmy. White, in his character of a book-peddler, was to go into Jenkintown on foot, so as to give the impression that he had walked out from the city.
Pingree was about to solicit Miranda's hand for the dance, when there came a knock at the door. Miranda stuck her knitting-needle through her back-hair in an agitated and expectant manner. But it was not the lank figure of the book-peddler, her betrothed, that darkened the door. It was a forlorn woman, dripping with rain, with two small boys clinging to her skirts.
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