Alnaschar
By Bret Harte (Francis)
Heres yer toy balloons! All sizes!
Twenty cents for that. It rises
Jest as quick as that ere, Miss,
Twice as big. Ye see it is
Some more fancy. Make it square
Fifty for em both. Thats fair.
Thats the sixth Ive sold since noon.
Trades reviving. Just as soon
As this lots worked off, Ill take
Wholesale figgers. Make or break,
Thats my motto! Then Ill buy
In some first-class lottery
One half ticket, numbered right
As I dreamed about last night.
Thatll fetch it. Dont tell me!
When a mans in luck, you see,
All things help him. Every chance
Hits him like an avalanche.
Heres your toy balloons, Miss. Eh?
You wont turn your face this way?
Mebbe youll be glad some day.
With that clear ten thousand prize
This yer trade Ill drop, and rise
Into wholesale. No! Ill take
Stocks in Wall Street. Make or break,
Thats my motto! With my luck,
Wheres the chance of being stuck?
Call it sixty thousand, clear,
Made in Wall Street in one year.
Sixty thousand! Umph! Lets see!
Bond and mortgagell do for me.
Good! That gal that passed me by
Scornful like why, mebbe I
Some dayll hold in pawn why not?
All her fathers prop. Shell spot
Whats my little game, and see
What Im afters her. He! he!
He! he! When she comes to sue
Lets see! Whats the thing to do?
Kick her? No! Theres the perliss!
Sorter throw her off like this.
Hello! Stop! Help! Murder! Hey!
Theres my whole stock got away,
Kiting on the house-tops! Lost!
All a poor mans fortin! Cost?
Twenty dollars! Eh! Whats this?
Fifty cents! God bless ye, Miss!