Kimper."
Sam laid down the money, received some change, and departed, while the
men who were lounging about the store began an active conversation as
to whether that man was the fool he looked or whether he was not
perhaps a regular sharper whose natural abilities and inclinations had
been cultivated during the two years he was in State prison. They
understood, those evening loafers, that prisons were nominally for the
purpose of reforming criminals, but they had known a great many
criminals themselves, and their astonishment at seeing one who
apparently desired to do better than in his past life, and to make
amends for the misdeeds of his family, was so great that the
conversation which ensued after the exit of the ex-convict was very
fragmentary and not at all to the point.
The next morning Sam appeared bright and early at the shoe-shop of
Larry Highgetty. He had made an arrangement with the cobbler to do
whatever work might be assigned him and to accept as full payment
one-half the money which would be charged, most of it being for
repairs. As nearly as he could discover by a close questioning of the
proprietor of the establishment, the entire receipts did not exceed two
dollars per day, and the owner had so few responsibilities and so much
surplus that he would be quite glad if he might lounge at one or other
of the local places of entertainment while some one else should do the
work and keep the establishment open.
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