Slow and Sure: The Story of Paul Hoffman the Young Street-Merchant

by Jr. Horatio Alger

  CHAPTER XIX.

  A CURIOSITY SHOP.

  Marlowe realized that he had made the city too hot to hold him. Thepolice, with whom he had a more intimate acquaintance than he desired,were already on his track, and it was doubtful if he could escape. Theaffair in which he was implicated was a serious one, and if arrestedand tried he could hardly hope for less than ten years' imprisonment.This is rather a long term of confinement to be taken out of a man'slife, and must be avoided if possible. But one way of escape seemedfeasible, and this Marlowe tried, as a desperate experiment.

  He made his way swiftly through the darkness to a tumble-down buildingnot far from Baxter street. The front door was unlocked. He opened it,and feeling his way up--for there were no lights--knocked in apeculiar way at a door just at the head of the stairs. His knock wasevidently heard, for shuffling steps were heard within, a bolt wasdrawn, and Marlowe confronted a little old man, of feeble frame anddeeply furrowed face, who scanned the face of his visitor by the lightof a candle which he held above his head.

  "Why, it's Marlowe!" he said.

  "Hush, Jacob! don't mention my name! I'm in trouble."

  "What's in the wind now?"

  "Shut the door and I'll tell you."

  I may as well say that the conversation which ensued was interlardedwith expressions common to the lawless class which Marlowerepresented, but I prefer to translate them into common speech. Theroom which they entered seemed full of odds and ends of wearingapparel, and might have been taken for a pawnbroker's shop, orsecond-hand clothing store. Or it might have been taken for adressing-room to a theatre, but that the articles displayed had longsince seen their best days, with few exceptions.

  "What have you been up to?" asked Jacob, varying the form of hisquestion.

  "Jack Morgan and I tried to break into a house on Madison avenueto-night."

  "Couldn't you get in?"

  "Yes; but the police were in waiting for us. They nabbed Jack, but Igot away. They followed me to Jack's room, but I got out of thewindow. They're on my track now."

  "They didn't see you come in here?" asked the old man, alarmed.

  "No, I have given them the slip. But they'll have me unless you helpme."

  "My son, I'll do what I can. What is your plan?"

  "To disguise myself so that my own mother wouldn't know me. See whatyou can do for me."

  My reader will now understand the character of the old man's business.Thieves, and others who had rendered themselves amenable to the law,came to him for disguises, paying heavily for the use of what articleshe supplied them. In many cases he was obliged to give them credit,but the old adage, "There is honor among thieves," was exemplifiedhere, for he seldom failed, sooner or later, to receive full payment.It might be, and probably was, from motives of policy that hiscustomers were so honorable; for if unfaithful to their agreementsthey could hardly expect to be accommodated a second time, and thiswas a serious consideration.

  When appealed to by Marlowe, Jacob understood that the details of thedisguise were left to his judgment. He raised his candle, and took agood look at his customer. Then he dove under a heap of clothing onthe floor, and fished out a dirty sailor's dress. "Try it on," hesaid.

  "I don't know about that," said Marlowe, hesitating. "I don't know anysailor's lingo."

  "That's no matter. You can say, 'shiver 'my timbers,' can't you?"

  "Yes, I can do that."

  "That's enough. It's all I know myself. But it won't do any harm to pickup something else; the police won't never think of you as a sailor."

  "I don't know but you're right, Jacob, shiver my timbers if I don't!"and he laughed as he used the expression.

  "Try it on. I guess it'll be about right," said the old man.

  Marlowe quickly stripped off the suit he wore, and arrayed himself inthe strange and unfamiliar garb presented. By good luck it hadoriginally been made for a man of about his size, and there was nodiscrepancy likely to excite suspicion.

  "Let me look at myself," said he.

  Jacob produced a small cracked glass, and the ex-burglar surveyed histransformed figure.

  "What do you think of it?" asked the dealer.

  "The dress is well enough, but they'll know my face."

  "Sit down."

  "What for?"

  "I must cut your hair."

  "What then?"

  "I'll give you a red wig. There's nothing will disguise you so quickas different colored hair."

  "Have you got a wig?"

  "Yes, here it is."

  "It's ugly enough."

  "Better wear it than your own hair at Sing Sing."

  "That's where you're right, old man! Go ahead. You understand yourbusiness. I'll put myself in your hands."

  Marlowe sat down in a wooden chair with a broken back, and the old manproceeded, with trembling hands, to cut his black locks with a pair oflarge shears, which he kept for this and other purposes.

  "You're cutting it pretty close, Jacob. I shall look like ascarecrow."

  "All the better," said the old man, laconically.

  When the operation was over, Marlowe surveyed his closely-cropped headin the cracked mirror with some disgust.

  "You've made a beauty of me," he said. "However, it had to be done.Now where's that wig?"

  He was adjusting it awkwardly, when Jacob took it from his hands andput it on properly.

  "Now look at yourself," he said.

  Marlowe did look, and, as the old man had predicted, found his looksso transformed that he hardly knew himself.

  "That's good," he said, in a tone of satisfaction. "It don't improvemy beauty, but then I ain't vain. I care more for my liberty. If ithadn't been for that cussed boy there wouldn't have been any need ofthis."

  "What boy?"

  "Jack Morgan's boy--Julius."

  "What did he do?"

  "He split on us--gave warning of our attempt. That's how we came to betaken. I'd give something to get at him."

  "Maybe you will."

  "I'll try, at any rate. If not now, my revenge will keep. Is thatall?"

  "Not quite. Sit down again."

  The old man stained the face of his visitor so adroitly that heappeared to be deeply pitted with smallpox.

  "Your own mother wouldn't know you now," he said with pride.

  "That's so, Jacob! you're a regular genius," replied Marlowe. "I ain'tsure about it's being me. You're sure about it?"

  "Shiver your timbers!" said the old man.

  "Shiver my timbers, but I forgot about it! Do you think I'll do?"

  "Yes; but you mustn't wash your face till it is dry."

  "I sometimes forget to do it now. I guess I can get along without itfor a day or two. Now, how much are you going to ask for all this?"

  "Seventy-five dollars."

  "It's a good deal."

  "How long would you get if you got took?" asked Jacob, significantly.

  "You're right. It's worth the money. But I can't pay you now, Jacob."

  "You won't forget it," said the old man, composedly, for he expectedthis, since Marlowe's attempt at burglary had been unsuccessful."You'll pay me when you can."

  "Shiver my timbers, messmate, but I will!"

  "Good!" said the old man. "You're getting it."

  "I don't think those landlubbers--the cops--will know me in thisrig-out."

  "Better. You'll do."

  "Well, Jacob, I'll pay you as soon as I can. By the way, haven't youany place where you can stow me for the night? It won't do for me togo back to Jack's room; it's too hot for me."

  "Lay down anywhere," said Jacob. "I haven't got any bed; I lie down onthe clothes."

  "That'll do; I ain't used to bridal-chambers or silk counterpanes. Iam as tired as a dog. Here goes!"

  He flung himself down in a corner on an indiscriminate pile ofclothing, and in five minutes was breathing deeply, and fast asleep.Had he been a novice in his illegal profession, the two narrow escapeshe had just had, and the risk which, in spite of hi
s disguise he atpresent run, would have excited him and prevented his sleeping; but hewas an old hand and used to danger. It was not the first time he hadeluded the authorities, and was not likely to be the last, so he fellasleep upon his strange couch, and slept as unconcernedly as aninfant. The old man did not immediately lie down. He held up andexamined attentively the suit Marlowe had thrown oft, which, accordingto custom, became his perquisite, in addition to the cash paymentdemanded, and was gratified to find it in good condition. He nextplunged his hands into the pockets, but Marlowe had transferred theircontents to his new attire. However, Jacob would have been littlericher had his visitor neglected to do so. Having finished hisscrutiny the old man blew out the candle and lay down in the corneropposite Marlowe.