by accident. He has the
Western business instincts, and what do you suppose he did? He actually
started a wee shop of his own in the corner of the yard (really it is
a surprisingly pretty place, and they are quite civilized in the house,
gas, hot water, steam heat, all most comfortable), and sold 'pop' and
candy and cakes to the boys. He made so much money that he proposed a
partnership to the cook and the setting up a little booth in the 'county
fair,' which is like our rural cattle shows, you know. The cook (a
superior person who borrows books from Mrs. Lossing, but seems very
decent and respectful notwithstanding, and broils game to perfection.
And SUCH game as we have here, Sarah!)--well, the cook made him
cream-cakes, sandwiches, tarts, and candy, and Harry honorably bought
all the provisions with his profits from the first venture. You will
open your eyes at his father permitting such a thing, but Henry Lossing
is a thorough Westerner in some ways, and he looks on it all as a joke.
'Might show the boy how to do business,' he says.

"Well, they had a ravishing display, so Alma, the cook, and William, the
man, assured me--per Derry. All the sadder its fate; for alas! a gang
of rowdy boys fell upon Harry, and while he was busy fighting half of
them--he is as plucky as his uncle, the general--the other half looted
the beautiful stock in trade! They would have despoiled our poor little
merchant entirely but for the opportune arrival of a schoolmate who
is mightily respected by the rowdies. He knocked one of them down and
shouted after the others that he would give every one of them a good
thrashing if they did not bring the plunder back; and as he is known to
be a lad of his word for good or evil, actually the scamps did return
most of the booty, which the two boys brushed off and sold, as far as it
went (!) The consequence of the fray has been that Harry is unboundedly
grateful to this Tommy Fitzmaurice, and is at present coaching him on
his graduating oration. Fitzmaurice has studied hard and won honors, and
wants to make a show with his oration, to please his father. 'You see,'
says Harry, 'Tommy's father has saved money and is spending it all on
Tommy, so's he can be educated. He needs Tommy in the business real
bad, but he won't let him come in; he keeps him at school, and he thinks
everything of his getting the valedictory, and Tommy, he worked nights
studying to get it.' When I asked what was the father's busine