est for my
lungs."

"That's too bad. How much do you want for the stand?"

"Well, you know this is a good place to do business."

"I'll have to take your word for it," replied Dick. "Still it seems
quite a lively place and ought to be good."

"Good? I guess it is!"

"How much do youse--I mean you--take in every week?" asked Jimmy
suddenly, for he felt he could safely ask this question.

"What's that got to do with it?" inquired the stand-owner sharply.

"Lots. If me and me partner buys this stand, we want to know how much
we're going to make."

"Well, I do a good business. Of course some days it's better than
others."

"What does it average?" asked Dick.

"Well," replied the proprietor, after some figuring, "it averages
fifty-five dollars a week."

Jimmy uttered a low whistle of surprise. That was higher than he had
thought.

"And what are the expenses?" asked Dick quietly.

"I have to pay the elevated railroad company ten dollars a week for
having my stand here, and I have to hire a boy to bring me papers and
other supplies, for I sell cigars and tobacco. But there aren't many
weeks when I don't clear twenty dollars."

Dick thought this was a fine business, but, of course, if he and Jimmy
took it there would not be so much profit for each of them as the man
got, unless they could increase the business. That was another matter
to consider.

"How much do you want for the stand?" asked Dick, while he and Jimmy
waited anxiously for the answer.

"Well, I'll take two hundred and fifty dollars cash, and not a cent
less."

The figure was so high, and the announcement of it caused the partners
such a surprise, that, for a moment, they did not know what to say.

CHAPTER XVIII

BULLDOG THREATENS DICK

Dick was the first to recover his composure. He had to admit that he
had no idea of what a news-stand in New York might be worth. His
previous notions, as well as those of Jimmy, had evidently been wrong.

"I'm afraid that figure is too high for us," spoke Dick slowly.

"High? That's dirt cheap," declared the young man. "Why you can make
the stand pay for itself in six months. I'd never give it up if it
wasn't that my health has failed."

"But we haven't got that much money," said Dick frankly.

"Can't you get it somewhere?"

"I'm afraid not. You see we are in partnership. We haven't been at it
very long, but we've managed to save up twenty-five dollars."

"Oh, I couldn't thin