He has jewelry, though I
don't suppose you could cut a wire nail with it. You might, at
that.
To him approaches a boy.
"Got 'ny collar-buttons?"
"Well, now, I'll just look and see. Here's a beautiful rolled-plate
gold watch-chain, with an elegant jewel charm. Lovely blue jewel."
He dangles the chain and its rich glass pendant, and it certainly
does look fine. "That'd cost you $2.50 at the store. How'd that
strike you ?"
"Hpm. I want a collar-button."
"Well, now, you hold on a minute. Lemme look again. Ah, here's a
package 'at orta have some in it. Yes, sir, here's four of 'em,
enough to last you a lifetime; front, back, and both sleeves,
the kind that flips and don't tear the buttonholes. Well, by
ginger! Now, how'd that git in here, I want to know? That gold
ring? Well, I don't care. It'll have to go with the collar-buttons.
Tell you what I'll do with you: I'll let you have this elegant solid
gold rolled-plate watch-chain and jewel, this elegant, solid gold
ring to git married with - Hay? How about it? - and these four
collar-buttons for - for - twenty-five cents, or a quarter of a
dollar."
That boy never took that quarter out of his breeches pocket. It
just jumped out of itself. But I see that you are getting the
fidgets. You're hoping that I'll come to the horse-racing pretty
soon.
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