"I never stole," said Dick. "It's mean and I wouldn't do it."

"Were you ever tempted to?"

"Lots of times. Once I had been goin' round all day, and hadn't sold
any matches, except three cents' worth early in the mornin'. With
that I bought an apple, thinkin' I should get some more bimeby. When
evenin' come I was awful hungry. I went into a baker's just to look
at the bread. It made me feel kind o' good just to look at the bread
and cakes, and I thought maybe they would give me some. I asked 'em
wouldn't they give me a loaf, and take their pay in matches. But
they said they'd got enough matches to last three months; so there
wasn't any chance for a trade. While I was standin' at the stove
warmin' me, the baker went into a back room, and I felt so hungry I
thought I would take just one loaf, and go off with it. There was
such a big pile I don't think he'd have known it."

"But you didn't do it?"

"No, I didn't and I was glad of it, for when the man came in ag'in,
he said he wanted some one to carry some cake to a lady in St.
Mark's Place. His boy was sick, and he hadn't no one to send; so he
told me he'd give me ten cents if I would go. My business wasn't
very pressin' just then, so I went, and when I come back, I took my
pay in bread and cakes. Didn't they taste good, though?"

"So you didn't stay long in the match business, Dick?"

"No, I couldn't sell enough to make it pay. Then there was some
folks that wanted me to sell cheaper to them; so I couldn't make any