ns enough to pay for fillin' hisself up is more'n I can
make out," Master Jepson had said, with an air of perplexity. "By the
time he's sold ten papers, he's ate the profits off of twenty, an' acts
like he was hungrier than when he begun."

As Plums waited for, rather than solicited, customers, he gazed in an
indolent fashion at the dejected-looking friend, who might have served,
as he stood leaning against the building on this particular June day, as
a statue of misery.

Joe Potter was as thin as his friend was stout, and, ordinarily, as
active as Plums was indolent. His listless bearing now served to arouse
Master Plummer's curiosity as nothing else could have done.

"Business been good down your way?" he finally asked.

"It's mighty bad. I got stuck on a bunch of bananas, and lost thirty-two
cents last week. Then oranges went down till you couldn't hardly see
'em, an' I bought a box when they was worth two dollars. It seems like
as if every _I_talian in the city, what ain't blackin' boots, has
started a fruit-stand, an' it's jest knocked the eye out of business."

"I shouldn't think you could afford to lay 'round up here if it is as
bad as all that."

"It don't make any difference where I am now, 'cause I've busted; Plums,
I've busted. Failed up yesterday, an' have got jest sixteen cents to my
name."

"Busted!" Master Plummer exclaimed. "Why, you told me you had more'n
seven dollars when you started that fruit-stand down on West Street."

"Seven dollars an' eighty-three cents was the figger, Plums, an' here's
what's left of it."

Joe took from his pocket a handful of pennies, counting them slowly to
assure himself he had made no mistake in the sum total.

Master Plummer was so overwhelmed by the sad tidings, that two intending
purchasers passed him by after waiting several seconds to be served, and
Joe reminded him of his inattention to business by saying, sharply:

"Look here, Plums, you mustn't shut down on business jest 'cause I've
busted. Why don't you sell papers when you get the chance?"

"I didn't see anybody what wanted one. I'm jest knocked silly, Joe,
about your hard luck. How did it happen?"

"That's what I can't seem to make out. I kept on sellin' stuff, an' of
course had to buy more; but every night the money was smaller an'
smaller, till I didn't have much of any left."

"I felt kind of 'fraid you was swellin' too big, Joe. When a feller
agrees to give five dollars a month rent, an' hire