d beside him and within reach of his hand.

Theodore came up, glanced into the store, and, seeing that the master
was absent, addressed himself to the amiable amusement of teasing and
worrying those who were too helpless to defend themselves.

"Me an' Matty's lookin' out for ye, an' ye needn't come roun' to be
stealin' no more peanuts," said Tony at length, "an' I'll call the M.
P. if you comes too close to the stand. We ain't goin' to stan' no
foolin', we ain't; an' Jim told us you don't have a cent of money now,
so you ain't come to buy with one hand an' help yourself with t'other.
It'd be helpin' yourself with both; so clear out!"

"I ain't comin' near your old peanuts," said Theodore; "an' they ain't
yours, anyway."

This style of converse continued for some minutes, growing more and
more personal each instant; till at last Theodore said to Matty, who,
according to her usual custom, had remained perfectly silent,--

"If I had such a cushion on my back as yours, I wouldn't make it bigger
piling such a heap of hair on it. You look like a barber's-shop show
figger. I wonder you don't sell yourself for a show figger. You'd look
so pretty an' smart."

Matty only gave him one of her most vicious looks, and clinched her
small claw-like hands as though they longed to be at him; but Tony
answered for her.

"They don't get no such hair to the barbers' shops without payin' lots
for it," he shouted; "an' she ain't no need to make a figger of
herself. She can sell it for a heap of money,--five dollars, if she
chooses,--Mr. Petersen says so, an' Jim says so, too. But she ain't
a-goin' to have it cut off; she likes it too much, an' the ladies likes
it, Jim's ladies do, an' they telled her to leave it hang down, an' one
on 'em give her a blue dress to make it look purtier on it; an' she's
give her lots of things more. An' they've give me lots of things, too;
the ole un she give me a whole suit for Easter, an' me an' Matty looked
as good as any of 'em. An' Jim says--now you keep off," as Theodore
drew nearer, "you keep off, or I'll call the M.P. He ain't so fur."

"Oh, you will, will you?" said Theodore; "you've got to catch him
first, and me, too, old Hippity-hop," and with a kick he sent both
crutches far beyond the reach of the lame boy, then, with a derisive
laugh, ran off. And there Tony sat, helpless and unable to pursue, till
a compassionate passer-by brought him the crutches; for Matty could not
stoop for them. Had