CHAPTER XVI.
ANN GRIPPEN PLAYS TRICKS UPON TRAVELERS.
The next day was Wednesday, and as school kept but half a day, Katyresolved to spend the afternoon in finding out which of her employeeswas in the habit of practicing the deception which Mrs. Gordon haddescribed to her. She could think of no one upon whom she could fastenthe guilt, unless it was Ann Grippen, who, she thought, would be morelikely to play such a trick than any other. After she had deliveredtheir candy, she put on her things and followed the girls down to StateStreet, where they separated. Ann went up Court Street, and Katydecided that she needed watching, and so she followed her.
It was a very tedious afternoon to the little wholesale merchant, butthe dignity of the trade depended upon her efforts in seeking theoffender. Ann entered various shops, and seemed to be having very goodluck with her stock. At last she appeared to grow tired of her labors,and turned into an alley. Katy wondered what she was going to do there,for it was certainly no place to sell candy. She waited sometime forher to come out, and when she heard her steps, she placed herself atthe corner of the alley, in such a position that Ann could not see herface.
Presently she heard Ann crying with all her might; and crying so verynaturally that she could hardly persuade herself that it was not real.She glanced over her shoulder at her, and discovered that she hadbroken the nice sticks of candy into a great many little pieces; and itwas for this purpose that she had gone into the alley. Katy wasindignant when she saw so much valuable merchandise thus ruthlesslymutilated, and the sale of it spoiled. She was disposed to presentherself to the artful girl, and soundly lecture her for the deceit andwickedness: but she wanted to see how the game was played.
"Boo, hoo, hoo!" sobbed Ann Grippen, apparently suffering all the pangsof a broken heart, which could not possibly be repaired.
"What is the matter, little girl?" asked a benevolent lady, attractedby the distress of Ann.
"Boo, hoo, hoo!" cried Ann, unable to speak on account of the torrentsof wo that overwhelmed her.
"Don't cry, little girl, and tell me what the matter is," continued thekind lady.
"Boo, hoo, hoo! I fell down and broke all my candy," sobbed Ann.
"Poor child!" exclaimed the sympathizing lady.
"My father'll beat me because I didn't sell it," added Ann.
"He is a cruel man. Are you sure he will punish you?"
"Yes, ma'am," groaned Ann. "He'll whip me almost to death if I don'tbring home half a dollar."
"You can tell him you fell down and broke the candy," suggested thelady.
"He won't believe me; he'll say I sold the candy and spent the money.O, dear me."
"You can show him the pieces."
"Boo, hoo, hoo! Then he'll say I broke it on purpose, because I was toolazy to sell it; and then he'll kill me--I know he will."
"I will go and see him, and tell him about the accident. Where do youlive?"
"Down North Square. He ain't to home now," replied Ann, who was notquite prepared for this method of treating the subject.
"Poor child! I pity you," sighed the lady.
"O, dear me!" cried Ann, exerting herself to the utmost to deepen theimpression she had made.
"How much do you want to make up the value of your candy?"
"Half a dollar."
"There it is, poor child! If it will save you from abuse, you arewelcome to it."
"Thank you, ma'am. It may save my life," replied Ann, as she took thehalf dollar and put it in her pocket.
"What an awful liar she is!" said Katy to herself, as the lady hurriedon, probably much pleased with herself as she thought of the kind actshe supposed she had done.
Katy was curious to know what her unworthy assistant would do next, andshe followed her down Hanover Street, and saw her stop before theAmerican House. She could not believe that Ann would have the hardihoodto play off the same trick again so soon; and she was very muchsurprised and very indignant when she saw her begin to cry with all hermight, just as she had done before. While the deceitful girl's eyeswere covered with her apron, in the extremity of her grief, Katycontrived to get on the hotel steps behind her, so that she could seeand hear all that passed.
"What is the matter with that girl?" asked a gentleman, who presentlyappeared at the door, addressing another who was just behind him.
"It is the broken candy dodge," replied the second gentleman. "Thattrick has been played off a dozen times within a week."
"What does it mean?" asked the first. "I don't understand it."
The second explained the trick, precisely as Katy had just witnessed itin Court Street.
"Now, don't say a word," he continued. "I have a counterfeit halfdollar in my pocket, and you shall see how it is done."
With this announcement of his purpose, he accosted Ann, who told himabout the same story she had told the lady, and he finally gave her thecounterfeit half dollar, which Ann did not suspect was a bad one.
"How abominably wicked she is," exclaimed Katy, as she followed her upthe street. "But I will soon spoil all her fun, and cut off herprofits. I will teach her that honesty is the best policy."
It was easier for Katy to resolve what to do than it was to do it; forthe wicked girl could easily get her stock through another person. Asshe walked up the street, Ann lightened her load by eating the piecesof broken candy, upon which she seemed to feed with hearty relish. At awindow in Court Street, Ann stopped to look at some pictures, when shewas joined by another of the candy sellers, and they walked togethertill they came to an unfrequented court, which they entered. Katy couldhear enough of their conversation, as she followed them, to ascertainthat they were talking about the tricks Ann had practiced. In the courtthey seated themselves on a door-stone, and as they talked and laughedabout the deceit, they ate the pieces of candy.
"There," said Ann, "I have made a dollar and ten cents this afternoon.You don't catch me walking all over the city for twenty-four cents,when I don't get but eight of that."
"I ain't so smart as you," modestly replied Julia Morgan, the othergirl.
"You'll learn," said Ann, as she took out her money and exhibited thetwo half dollars.
"I don't think people would believe me, if I should try that game."
"Try some other. I think I shall, for I've about used up the brokencandy game."
"What other?"
"I have one," replied Ann, prudently declining to divulge her secret;"and when I've tried it, I'll tell you all about it."
"Why don't you try it now?"
"I would if my candy wasn't broken."
"I will let you have mine."
"Then I will."
"Give me fourteen cents."
"I will when I've done with it."
"No, you don't," laughed Julia, who justly inferred that if Ann wouldcheat one person, she would another.
But Ann was so much interested in the experiment that she decided togive the fourteen cents, and took the candy. Katy wondered what the newgame could be, and wanted to see her carry it out, though herconscience smote her for permitting the lady to be deceived, when shecould have unmasked the deceit. She resolved not to let another personbe deceived, and followed the two girls into State Street, as much forthe purpose of exposing Ann's wickedness, as to learn the trick sheintended to play.
"Now you go away," said Ann to her companion, as she placed herself onthe steps of the Merchants-Bank.
It was nearly dark by this time, and as there were but few persons inthe street, Ann did not commence her part of the performance till shesaw a well-dressed gentleman approach; whereupon she began to cry asshe had done twice before that day.
"Boo, hoo, hoo! O, dear me! I shall be killed!" cried she, so lustily,that the well-dressed gentleman could not decently avoid inquiring thecause of her bitter sorrow.
"I haven't sold out," sobbed Ann.
"What if you haven't? Why need you cry about it?" asked the stranger.
"My mother will kill me if I go home without half a doll
ar."
"She is a cruel woman, then."
"Boo, hoo, hoo! She'll beat me to death! O, dear me! I only got tencents."
"Why don't you fly round and sell your candy?" said the gentleman.
"I can't now, the folks have all gone, and it's almost dark. O, I wishI was dead!"
"Well, well, don't cry any more; I'll give you half a dollar, and thatwill make it all right;" and he put his hand in his pocket for themoney.
"Don't give it to her," said Katy, stepping out of the lane by the sideof the bank. "She has deceived you, sir."
"Deceived me, has she?" added the stranger as he glanced at Katy.
"Yes, sir. She has got more than a dollar in her pocket now."
"Don't you believe her," sobbed Ann, still prudently keeping up theappearance of grief.
"How do you know she has deceived me?" asked the stranger, not a littlepiqued, as he thought how readily he had credited the girl's story.
"Because I saw her play a trick just like this twice before thisafternoon. She has two half dollars in her pocket now, though one ofthem is counterfeit."
"What do you mean by that, Katy Redburn?" demanded Ann, angrily, andnow forgetting her woe and her tears.
"You speak very positively," said the gentleman to Katy; "and if whatyou say is true, something should be done about it."
"She is telling lies!" exclaimed Ann, much excited.
"We can soon determine, for here comes a policeman, and I will referthe matter to him."
At these words, Ann edged off the steps of the bank, and suddenlystarted off as fast as she could run, having, it seemed, a verywholesome aversion to policemen. But she made a bad mistake, for, notseeing in what direction the officer was approaching, she ran into thevery jaws of the lion.
"Stop her!" shouted the gentleman.
The policeman laid a rude hand upon her shoulder, and marched her backto the bank. In a few words the gentleman stated what had happened, andrequested the officer to search her, and thus decide whether Katy toldthe truth or not. He readily consented, and on turning out Ann'spocket, produced the two half dollars, one of which the gentlemandecided was a counterfeit coin.
"How could you know this was a counterfeit?" he asked of Katy.
"I heard a gentleman at the door of the American House, who knew thegame, tell another that it was a counterfeit;" and she proceeded togive all the particulars of the two tricks she had seen Ann play off.
"I shall have to take you to the lock-up, my little joker," said thepoliceman.
"O, dear me!" cried Ann, and this time she was in earnest.
"Please don't do that!" said Katy, who had not foreseen thisconsequence of the game.
"I must; it is downright swindling."
"Please don't; she has a father and mother and I dare say they willfeel very bad about it. I promise you she shall never do it again,"pleaded Katy.
"I must do my duty. This candy trick has been played a good many times,and has become a nuisance. I must lock her up."
"Save me, Katy, save me!" begged Ann terrified at the thought of beingput in a prison or some dreadful place.
"Why do you wish to save her?" interposed the gentleman.
"Because her mother will feel so bad; and she will lay it all to me."
Katy told him all about herself and about Ann, and he was so muchinterested in her that he joined in pleading for Ann's release. Theofficer was firm for a long time, but when the gentleman declared thathe should not appear against her, he decided to let her go, to Katy'sgreat delight, as well as to Ann's.
Humbled by the peril from which she had just escaped, Ann promisednever to be guilty of playing another trick upon travelers; but Katywas firm in her purpose not to supply her with any more candy. She didnot dare to resent Katy's interference, for the terrors of the lock-upwere still in her mind, and she did not know but that Katy might haveher arrested and punished for what she had done, if she attempted toretaliate upon her.
Katy was shocked at the wickedness of her companion; and, as theywalked home together she tried to make her see the enormity of heroffense, and give her some better views of her duty to herfellow-beings. Ann heard her in silence and with humility, and thelittle moralist hoped the event would result in good to her.