He had come to town to buy shoes, which he badly needed.

He glanced down at his old shoes.

They were nearly falling to pieces, but they might last a little longer.

If he bought the "Conquest of Peru" he would still have two dollars left.

Could he buy a pair of shoes for that amount?
Very likely but not the kind his mother had told him to get, the kind that were not too heavy or "stogy" looking, but would be "nice" for Sundays.