CHAPTER XIII.
KATY EMPLOYS AN ASSISTANT.
As winter approached, Katy realized that the demand for molasses candywas on the increase, and she found it necessary to make a much largerquantity. Mrs. Colvin still rendered her assistance "for aconsideration," and the supply was thus made to correspond with thedemand.
Mrs. Redburn's health which had begun to improve with the advent oftheir prosperity, now enabled her to sit up nearly the whole day, andto render much aid in the household affairs, and especially in themanufacturing of the candy. The good fortune that had attended Katy'sefforts brought many additional comforts to their humble dwelling;indeed, they had everything that they needed, and everything that anypoor person would have required. But the fond mother had never beenable to reconcile herself to the business which Katy followed. Shedreaded every day lest the temptations to which it constantly exposedher might lead her astray. She loved her daughter with all her heart,and she would rather have died in poverty and want than have had hercorrupted. She had every reason to believe that Katy was the pure andinnocent child she had always been; but she feared, as she grew older,that some harm might befall her. She would rather bury her than see herbecome a bad person, and she hoped soon to be able to resume her ownlabors, and let Katy abandon her dangerous business.
Mrs. Redburn often talked with her about the perils that lay in herpath; but Katy spoke like one who was fortified by good resolutions anda strong will. She declared that she knew what dangers were in her way,and that she could resist all the temptations that beset her. Whateverviews the mother had, there seemed to be no opportunity to carry themout, for by Katy's labors they were fed, clothed, and housed. She washer mother's only support, and the candy trade, perilous as it was,could not be given up.
Katy did not desire to abandon the business she had built up, for shewas proud of her achievement. She was resolved to be good and true, andto her it did not seem half so perilous as to others. She had evenindulged some thoughts of enlarging her business. Why could she nothave a shop, and sell candy on a counter as well as in the street? Shementioned this idea to her mother, who was sure the shop could notsucceed, for she was aware that her daughter's winning manners weremore than half her stock in trade, and that her large sales resultedfrom carrying the candy to hundreds of people who did not want itenough to go after it. Therefore Katy gave up the shop at once, but shedid not abandon the idea of enlarging her business, though she did notexactly see how it could be done. One day an accident solved theproblem for her, and at that time commenced a new era in the candytrade.
One pleasant morning in November, as she walked up the court, she metAnn Grippen, a sister of Johnny who stopped to talk with her. TheGrippen family consisted of eleven persons. The father was a daylaborer, and as his wages were small, and he had a great many mouths tofeed, they were, of course, miserably poor. The older children showedno ability or disposition to help their parents but spent most of theirtime in strolling about the streets. Johnny was a fair specimen of theboys, as Ann was of the girls. She might have been seen almost any daywith a well-worn basket on her arm, exploring the streets and wharvesin search of chips, for Johnny was too vicious to do the work whichmore properly belonged to him.
"You sell lots of candy now--don't you?" said Ann.
"Yes, a great deal," replied Katy, who was not disposed to spend hertime idly, and in the company of one whose reputation in theneighborhood was not very good.
"Stop a minute--won't you? I want to speak to you."
"I will; but be as quick as you can, for I am in a hurry."
"Don't you think I could sell candy?" continued Ann.
"I dare say you could. Why don't you try, if you want to?"
"But I haven't got no candy; and mother can't make it, as you can. Ifyou are a mind to let me have some, I will sell it for you, and you maygive me what you like."
The idea struck the little merchant very favorably. There were a greatmany girls just like Ann Grippen, who were wasting their time about thestreets, and learning to be wicked. Why couldn't she employ them tosell candy?
"I will try you," replied Katy.
"Well, I'm all ready to begin."
"Not yet," said the little candy merchant, with a smile.
"Yes, I am."
"Your face and hands are very dirty."
"What odds will that make?" asked Ann, rather indignantly.
"Do you suppose anybody would eat a stick of candy after you hadtouched it with those dirty fingers? Your customers would be afraid ofbeing poisoned."
"I s'pose I can wash 'em," replied Ann, who seemed still to regard itas a very unnecessary operation.
"It would be a good plan; and while you are about it you must notforget your face."
"I ain't a-going to touch the candy with my face," added Ann,triumphantly.
"Very true; but if people saw you with such a dirty face, they would beafraid your candy was not very clean."
"Any way you like. I will wash my face and hands both, if that's all."
"But that isn't all. Your dress is very dirty and very ragged."
"I can't afford to dress like a lady," said Ann, who had some of herbrother's disposition, and under any other circumstances would haveresented Katy's plain home thrusts.
"You needn't dress like a lady; but the neater and cleaner you are, themore candy you will sell."
"I will fix up as much as I can."
"Very well; if you will come to my house to-morrow morning, I will letyou have some candy."
"How much will you give me for selling it?" asked Ann.
"I can't tell now; I will think about it, and let you know when youcome."
Katy went her way, turning over and over in her mind the scheme whichAnn's application had suggested to her. She might employ a dozen girls,or even more than that, and pay them so much a dozen for selling thecandy. She might then stop going out to sell herself, and thus gratifyher mother. She could even go to school, and still attend to herbusiness.
When she returned home at noon, she proposed the plan to her mother.Mrs. Redburn was much pleased with it, though she suggested manydifficulties in the way of its success. The girls might not be honest;but if they were not, they could be discharged. Many of them werevicious; they would steal or be saucy, so that people would not permitthem to enter their stores and offices, and the business would thus bebrought into disrepute. Katy determined to employ the best girls shecould find, and to tell them all that they must behave like ladies.
The next morning Ann Grippen appeared with her face and hands tolerablyclean, and wearing a dress which by a liberal construction could becalled decent. She brought a dirty, rusty old tray, which was the bestshe could obtain; yet in spite of all these disadvantages, the littlecandy merchant looked upon it as a hopeful case.
"Now, Ann, you must be very civil to everybody you meet," said Katy, asshe covered the rusty tray with a sheet of clean white paper.
"I hope I know how to behave myself," replied Ann, rather crustily.
"I dare say you do;" and she might have hinted that there was somedifference between knowing how to do a thing and doing it. "I was onlygoing to tell you how to sell candy. If you don't want me to tell you,I won't."
"I should like to have you tell me, but I guess I know how to behave."
"You must be very civil to everybody, even when they don't speak verypleasant to you."
"I don't know about that," replied Ann, doubtfully, for it was contraryto the Grippen philosophy to be very civil to any one, much less tothose who were not civil to them.
"When any one buys any candy of you, you must always say, 'Thank you';and then the next time you meet the person he will buy again."
"How much you going to give me for selling?" demanded Ann, abruptlycutting short the instructions.
"Mother thinks you ought to have four cents a dozen."
"Four cents? My mother says I ought to have half, and I ain't going tosell your candy for no four cents a dozen."
/> "Very well; you needn't if you don't wish to do so;" and Katy removedthe sheet of white paper she had placed over the dirty tray.
"You ought to give me half I get," added Ann, rather softened by Katy'sfirmness and decision.
"Four cents is enough. I often sell a hundred sticks in a day."
"Well, I don't care; I will try it once."
"If we find we can afford to pay any more than four cents, we will doso."
Katy covered the tray again, and arranged two dozen sticks on it in anattractive manner. After giving Ann some further instructions in theart of selling candy, she permitted her to depart on her mission. Shewas not very confident in regard to her success for Ann was too coarseand ill-mannered for a good sales-woman. She hoped for the best,however, and after preparing her own tray, she went out to attend tobusiness as usual. In the court she saw Master Simon Sneed, who wassitting on his father's doorstep. She noticed that he looked sad anddownhearted; and when he spoke to her the tones of his voice indicatedthe same depression of spirits.
"Have you seen the Mayor lately, Katy?" asked Simon, as he approached.
"Not very lately."
"I should like to see him," added he, raising his eyes to her.
"Why don't you call upon him? You know where he lives--don't you?"
"Yes, but----"
Master Simon paused, as though he did not like to explain the reason.Katy waited for him to proceed, but as he did not, she remarked that helooked very sad, and she hoped nothing had happened.
"Something has happened," replied he, gloomily.
"Nothing bad, I hope."
"I have left my place at Sands & Co.'s.
"Left it? Why, how can they possibly get along without you?" exclaimedKaty.
"It is their own fault; and though I say it who should not say it, theywill never find another young man who will do as much for them as Ihave done."
"I shouldn't think they would have let you go."
"Nor I; but some men never know when they are well used."
"How did it happed?"
"I asked them for an increase of salary, and told them I could stay nolonger unless they did so. And what do you think they did?"
"I don't know; I should suppose they would have raised your salary."
"No, Katy," added Simon, bitterly. "Mr. Sands told me I might go; hewouldn't have me at any rate. Wasn't that cool? Well, well; if theydon't know their own interest, they must bear the consequences. If theyfail, or lose all their trade, they can't blame me for it. Now I havenothing to do; and I was just thinking whether my friend the mayorcouldn't help me into a situation."
"I dare say he can. Why don't you call and see him at once?"
"I don't like to do so. He sees so many persons that I really don'tthink he would recollect me. I must get something to do, though; for myfather is sick, and winter is coming on."
"How much salary did you get, Master Simon?" asked Katy, who highlyapproved his determination not to be a burden upon his father.
"Two dollars and a half a week."
"Is that all!"
"Yes; they ought to have given me ten. Even that was better thannothing."
"I was thinking of something, Master Simon," said Katy, after a pause.
"What, Katy?"
"I make four or five dollars a week."
"Is it possible!"
"If you have a mind to sell candy, I will furnish you all you want, sothat you can make at least three dollars a week."
The lip of Master Simon slowly curled, till his face bore an expressionof sovereign contempt. He rose from his seat, and fixed his eyes rathersternly upon the little candy merchant, who began to think she had madea bad mistake, though all the time she had intended to do a kind act.
"What have I done, Katy, that you should insult me? Do you think I havesunk so low as to peddle candy about the streets?" said he,contemptuously.
"Do you think I have sunk very low, Master Simon?" asked Katy, with apleasant smile on her face.
"Your business is very low," he replied, more gently.
"Is that business low by which I honestly make money enough to supportmy sick mother and myself?"
"It would be low for me; my ideas run a little higher than that,"answered Simon, rather disposed to apologize for his hard words; forKaty's smile had conquered him, as a smile oftener will conquer than ahard word.
"You know best; but if I can do anything for you, Master Simon, I shallbe very glad to do so."
"Thank you, Katy; you mean right, but never speak to me about sellingcandy again. I think you can help me."
"Then I will."
"I will see you again when I get my plan arranged. In the meantime, ifyou happen to meet my friend the mayor, just speak a good word for me."
"I will;" and Katy left him.