Fame And Fortune Weekly (no. 480) (1914 12 11)

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‘Ne t+8O))— — DEGIIT™I9I4 FAME ORT STORIES -Or- a] \ atte &, e | , “Hang you! Let me go!” gritted Wyse, as he tried to rise. “Not on your life,” answered Fred, gripping him harder. “I'll kill you for this!” roared Jake, making ineffectual But the game was up. efforts to kick himself free, eR PED Side IRON CAT OSU Tord Die AMT «Ie e2 ‘

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oe st AS + ADS mc and Fortunc Weekly STORIES OF BOYS WHO MAKE MONEY Teaued ye $2.50 per year. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1914, in = offices of the of Congress, Washington, D. CO. Sas “pert Touse, Publisher, 768 West 23d Street, New Yor ntered at the New York, Y., Post Office as Second-Class Matter. No. 480. NEW YORK, DECEMBER 11, 1914. Price 5 Cents. A. START ae IN ie re Take, a * Be OR see out Bite 2 ies STOR A POOR BOY’S RISE TO FAME”: rt A By A SELF-MADE MAN eZ i - CHAPTER L | “Well.” he growled, sullenly, “I’ve let him go, and now ‘ FRED KING TAKES ANNIE MARSH'S PART. ; ee, © “Aren’t Zou ashamed of yourselr, Moses Wyse, to beat that , y cruelly!” cried pretty Annie Marsh, indignantly, her bright blue eyes fldshing a scornful look at a big, loutish Y, who held.a timid-looking lad of eleven years by the » While he clouted him about the head with his disengaged nd. ae hurtin’ him,” replied the assailant, in a shame- way. “Jest teachin’ him manners. The little imp sec me, ” “Please, miss, I didn’t,” blubbered fhe boy, whose name Se iS Eddie Foster, the tears oozing in channels down his Coal-begrimed features, for he was a slate-picker in the Black Diamond breaker ha¥f by. _. “You little liar!” gritted Moses, savagely, giving the boy'd eket-collar a twist, which nearly strangled him. “Let him go!” ordered the sweet-faced girl, peremptorily. Pecaischentis Moses Wyse released his grip, and the little te-picker, taking advantage of the fact, sprang away and iBappeared quickly around the great eulm heap, which was assive pile of coal dust covering acres of ground and ‘hing down to, the brink of the beautiful Susquehanna sr, on the bank of which this Incident occurred. ose Wyse was the son of Jake Wyse, the cracker boss ‘the. Black Diamond colliery, and a cruel ogre in the eyes p ae fhe little boys whose unhappy fate sent them to work : sereen-room. oung Wyse had something of his father’s disposition. - He loved to torture and bullyrag any one whom his huik- stature and scowling face intimidated. when he couldn’t find a human object to practice he transferred his attention -to the dogs and cats, a even the birds, of the neighborhood. : a be expected, he avas a rank coward at heatt. f the nm who excited his ill will was able to resist gression he bided his time and endeavored to get them in a treacherous and underhanded manner. youmg rascal bad the nerve to think he was i to associate with Annie Marsh, daughter of John nee of the Black Diamond colliery, and the the small mining village which formed a suburb a River fac £2 Wilkesbarre, on the banks of the selfish w because she was girl, but he a like Der way ot as was his, ; you'll let me see you home, won’t you?” He spoke the words eagerly, moistening his dry ‘ibe with his tongue, like some animal contemplating a delicious morsel. “no, I won't.” The refusal was short, sharp and to the point. Annie had no use for Moses Wyse, and she wanted him to understand that particular fact. The boy’s face turned a livid, unhealthy color, for her words stung him. “You wouldn’t say that to Fred King,” he snarled, in an ugly tone, while his eyes blazed with a Jealous fury, “and he’s only a common engineer's helper, while I— “Stop!” she exclaimed, with a flash of her eye which, for a moment, disconcerted him. “You shan’t say a word against him in my presence. You wouldn’t dare do it before his.face.” ; “Yah!” he hissed, vindictively. “I hate him!” —_ “Then you’re the only one in the village who does,” she : retorted, spiritedly. e “Am I?” ; "F-+ “ r “Yes. Why do you dislike him? Hasn’t he always treated you fairly?” “No, he hasn't.” “Who saved you from the fangs of Anderson’s dog a few months ago?” “I don’t care. I hate him because he likes you, and you | ‘walk with him and give me the cold shake. You think I ain’t got no feelin’s. You think you kin walk over me and 5 wipe it in. But you can’t, I tell you. I won’t stand it. Ill fF git even with him, and =e with you, too, ef you don’t q look out.” sf He shook his burly head, eae Leg like a "sella bull in a Spanish arena wher on the point of charging upon the toreador. Annie tossed ber head with a look of supreme contempt. Moses took a step toward her and grasped her by the wrist. “Do you know I’ve a good mind to throw you into the river?” he hissed. There was such a malevolent intensity in his words that the girl shrank back in spite of her natural courage. = He was quick to perceive the effect he had produced, and an ‘uncontrollable desire to follow up his advantage. took possession of him. A few moments before he had been foiled by her in be attempt to play the bully with 2 tle Eddie Foster. Now he thought she was id of him and he would | i: get crot with with Bet Sines: she Bes! Tefused: +; ad up

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A START The time and circumstances seemed to be propitious. = They were alone together on the bank of the Susquehanna. - . Night was falling, and there was little fear of interrup- tion, for the machinery was silent in the almost deserted colliery, A few hundred feet away. A few minutes ago a friendly word from the girl would have thrilled his hidebound nature, now it was all different. fi ‘She had contemptuously refused his request. And he knew she liked Fred King, and would be proud / to let that boy, even in his ofl-soaked and cinder-stained overalls and jumper, see her on her road to her father’s ' cottage. ‘ The very thought of such a thing was enough to mske + Moses Wyse furious. ‘Do you know, I'd just as lief do somethin’ to git square with you as not,” he cried, glaring down into her face. “I like. you better’n King ever thought of, but I can’t stand for you. to ride a high horse with me. The more I like ‘you the more I kin hate you, too. If you won’t be seen With me, I’ll swear you shan’t with him. ‘Ili kill him first, and you, too!” — “Moses Wyse, how dare you!” cried the white-faced girl, . struggling to free her wrist from his viselike grip. e “Oh, I dare, all right!’ he gritted, with a sardonic chuckle. “You're a coward, and I'll never notice you again as long as 1 live!” “You think you won't,” he snarled. “You'll promise right now to let me go home with you and treat me better in the future or—” 4 He made a significant gesture toward the swiftly rolling water. “I'll do nothing of the kind,” she replied, desperately. “Yes, you will!” he cried, forcing her backward. “Let me go, Moses Wyse!” “When you answer the way I want.” ~ He seized her other wrist and the now frightened girl uttered a shrill scream. “Hang it! what did you do that for?’ he snarled. Log you want me to choke you?’ Ag Annie had neyer seen him in sach a mood before. oe He had made no effort now to disguise the true instincts of his evil nature. The mask was off, and she saw him as he really was— “a thoroughly unprincipled young rascal. “Moses Wyse, are you mad?” » “Mebbe lam. And ef I am it’s all ’cause of you.” “My father will make you feel sorry for this,” she said. “Yah! My old man won't let him touch me.” 7 ¥ “Do “Let me go!” “Will you do as I ‘want you to?” “No!"’ = “Then 1'—” y “You'll do what, Moses Wyse?” said a clear, strong voice one his ear, as a firm hand was laid on his shoulder. “Fred King!” | cried Annie, with a little shriek of de- light. _. “You!” gritted the cracker boss’s som, the fire of a sullen _ hetred blazing in his eyes, “Yes. ‘And just you let Annie Marsh alone.” “*and supposin’ [ won't?’ resorted Moses, ferociously. “Tf you won't, ’'H make you!” replied the stalwart youth, “ whose handsome features were streaked with evidences of bis calling. oti was an intense moment as the two boys faced each er. a CHAPTER IL _ MOSES WYSE GETS THE WORST OF IT. Fred — King was one es nature’s young noblemen—a dia- mond in the rough. Fie Facts sixteen years of age, strong, healthy’ and every “inch the mgn, from the crown of his curly »rown head to the soles his well-worn shoes. Al er bat 5 the = afforded by peneR Tian. and Soe gee of the Black Diamond breaker, he spen long hours daily, astride of the. slate from the ‘coal, as both stream: i a eae ae IN LIFE. of whom were prematurely stunted and eventually | bro in health by the life they were compelled to 5 But Fred survived this terrible period in his youn Bi reer, though he more than once narrowly escaped the a *F, fate which had befallen more than one of the weaker boys, of being swept from the chute into the pockets—receptacles — ; into which the coal, when freed from all impurities, ran — prior to being loaded into the raflroad cars for trRREPOTORS tion to the market. . King was such a good-natured, sunny-faced lad that he became a general favorite, not only at the Black Diamond colliery, but throughout the little mining Village as well, and when his mother died, leaving him an orphan, he did not care to leave the place. After a time, the engineer, who had taken a great fancy — to him, managed to have him assigned to the furnace-room as a sort of general helper. Here he was employed to do the lowest and dirtiest work in the place—to wheel the refuse to the cinder heap, then t serape the clinkers and scale from the inside of the boilers on Pedy and such other Gays when the ne were ea As own. ¥ Recently he had been promoted to the Natoma where ; he coiled the cups, cleaned the brass and other parts of the machinery, and attended to such other duties as the Job called for. John Marsh, the engineer, began to instruct him in all the mysteries of the big engine which rs the machinery of the colliery. He proposed to make the boy an able fnstetant and, event- ually, a first-class engineer like himself. It was an exceptional opportunity which was thus pre-. sented to Fred to forge his way to the front in a ere ealling. i Fred King had hitenie acquainted with Annie Marsh “af when he first went into the boiler-room, and that acquaint- ance had steadily ripened, with John Marsh’s” approval, br sit the young people got upon a very cordial footing. ey aes boy was always weleomed at the Marsh co te yeas ~2-—madant Lehn. and neyers presumed upon te eos he had attain a % “I would give a great deal to have a son like him,” Mr. ws Marsh more than once said to his wife, and the good woman | was in full sympathy with this feeling. Moses Wyse, who persistently tried to force his undesir, able attentions on Annie, was, on the mappa iy not looked - * upon with fayor by the girl’s parents, nor, as we Beveneme:, by Miss Marsh herself. Therefore, Moses Hated Fred, and had registered a vow to de him up at the first opportunity—not fairly and above- board, but on the quiet, if he could, for Moses had a wiles some respect for Fred’s prowess. As we have said, the two boys stood face to face that ning on the dusky banks of the Susquehanna. still holding Annie Marsh by the wrists. “You'll make me, will you?” snarled Moses, whose ange had made him uncommonly bold. Fred didn’t waste another word upon him, but graubing = 4 his wrists with a grip of steel, made him release the girl ~ “Til ki you!’ yelled the young villain, making a iba ous lunge at Fred, which the boy easily avoided by stepp! quickly to one side. oe “I don’t think you wits answered King, coolly. a “y will! I will, if I die for it!” screamed Moses, livid with passion. : SS: “[ wouldn't get so excited if I were you,” said the othe placidly. Moses sprang at him furiously and tried to strike him in ‘Fred warded off the blow, bat: made no. attempt to retalt a passiveness encouraged the loutish boy to furth effo ¥ : He brought his strength int full play, and Bred “woke up to the fact that matters were going altogether too far to be pleasant. “You will have it, eh?’ f Me 3 Smash! | ae Moses got a straight one in the eye. - ; For the next minute it was nip and tuck bet Fred catching a staggering thump on the che enemy’ s big fist. Then biff! — Veh eo i under y aes ¥ Moses We ah

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ave you had enough?’ asked Fred, as Moses put his nds on his jaw and hunk back. The little villain made no reply, his bugttg eyes fairly gz with fury. . Then he suddenly rushed a yard away, stooped down, aay up a big chunk of slate and let it drive full at Fred’s _Only the quickest kind of a duck saved the boy from what must have proved a fatal blow. _ As it was, one of the sharp corners of the missile tore a fageed wound along the side of his head, from which the blood started freely. _ Annie, who had been watching the conflict with anxious , uttered a suppressed scream and ran to I*red. he cowardly act, however, so angered King that he ed upon Moses with compressed lips that told how a aroused he was. ears Was thump, biff, smash, thump! for the next minute, when he let up, young Wyse was reduced to a cowering __ wreck, and fairly begged for quarter. “Get out of here!” cried Fred, unmistakably in earnest. | “The next time you run up against me that way you'll have to = shoveled into a cart and carried home. Go, do you Moses heard, understood, and slunk awsy like the cur he 7 as, but his black little heart was full of hate and an un- aE chable desire to get square with the boy who had so ca hiy humiliated him in the presence of Annie Marsh. “When I went to the door of the engine-room to get a basin of water to wash up, I heard you scream,” said Fred, r “in explanation of his presence on the scene, as he took one } the girl’s hands in his to look at her wrist, chafed by ‘Moses Wyse’s Tough grasp. Son “Tm 99 “you came,” she sald, earnestly; “but, ob, so ? ve been hurt in my behalf. You are bleeding eer, ” she added, anxiously. ‘“Can’t I do something to stop the blood?) “It doesn’t amoun unt to aliythinghe answered, carelessly. with you to the engine-house and bathe and nd it up for you,” she'said eagerly. “Well,” be replied, pleased with the concern she showed, eas along.” - They walked, hand-in-hand, to the engine-room, like a uple of children, and then he got a basin of warm water and a bar of yellow soap. _ He washed the blood out of his hair and from the wound, a" , and after that removed the grime and oll fron: ‘Bis face and dried it with a coarse towel. “There, you look must better now, Fred,” she said, smiling “into his face. “Thanks, Annie; that’s as good as a doctor could have “You had better go to the druggist and have it properly. tended to.” rg will, it you'll go along,” he bargained, with a cheerful ” “Why, of course I will, if you wish me to.” “It's a bargain. Wait till I pull off my workin’-suit and li start.” 2 nnie’s father had gone home half an hour before, and _ but for the trouble Fred himself would have been at his lodgings eating supper by this time. * “Mother will emateiy be wondering what Has become of ae: eee eee es Seprted em Roto the village, IT guess I'd better not keep you,” said Fred, re- Ly. ‘A ek Ng More won’t make any difference,” she How did you come across Moses?” he asked, curiously. - “I caught him beating little Eddie Foster, and it made eso anzry that I interfered and made him let the boy go.” od for you!” grinned Fred, admitringly. he wanted to walk home with me,” she oe on, alk p cana “Just as if I would permit y you have, eee rm = ‘aim grabbing ne ty te ore wai and wanting to make me do as he wished. What do you suppose he threatened to do?’ she added, indignantly. “What?” “Why, throw me into the river.” “You don’t mean it!” exclaimed Fred, somewhat astonished. “He -said he had a good mind to do that, and he spoke earnestly enough to frighten me. When he pushed me back, as if he really intended to carry out his threat, I screamed.” “He’s gettin’ to be as bad as his father,” said Fred. “TI was up in the screen-room the other day, and the way Jake Wyse was beatin’ the litiie kids would have made your blood boll, It was bad enough in my time, but it’s worse under Jake. He acts like a ravin’ demon with those little slate-pickers.” “Poor little fellows, they have a hard time of it,” she said, with a shudder. Then they entered the drug store, and the druggist fixed Fred up in good shape. A few minutes later the boy bade Annie good night at the entrance to the lane, a stone’s throw from her home, and continued on to his own lodgings. CHAPTER IL A PLOT If HATCHED AGAINST JOHN MARSH. “You're a nice-lookin’ object, you are!” said Mr. Wyse, Senior, as his hulking son Moses slouched Into the house. after the mix-up with Fred King. The Wyse family was at supper, Jake himself being in the act of carving a rather tough steak, while the three little Wyses sat around the board in a state of greut expectation, each secretly hoping he would get the biggest piece, and Mrs. Jake was pouring the tea. . “What's ,happened to yer?’ continued the head of the house as Moses flung his cap into a convenient corner and sneaked into his chair. “Got hurt,” replied Moses, ungraciously. “Yer did, did yer? Well, yer ain't got no bizness to git hurt. Pll see yer in the woodshed after supper.” The significance of the final sentence caused Moses to grow pale. “Fred King licked me, if you. want to know,” he said, sullenly. ‘red King!” snarled Wyse, Senior, with an ominous glitter in his eye. “That whelp! with a hoarse road. “I only wish I’d been boss of the screen-roorm when he worked there!” and Jake wagged his head, forbiddingly. “I’d have taken the hide off him.” From which it may easily be understood that Jake Wyse, for some reason, did not have any great love for Fred King. “You ought to be big enough to put ft all over that hound,” went on Mr. Wyse, as he helped his eldest hopeful to the smallest piece of steak, “Mebbe I am, if I got a fair show.” ‘ ‘Didn't you get a fair show?” “No, I didn’t. He struck me when I wasn’t lookin’,.” “He did, did he?” snorted Jake, beginning to feel a sort of sympathy for his son. “Give me the partic’lars.” Moses, who knew his father like a book, began to see a gleam of hope abead, and with the view of turning his par- ent’s anger away from himself, proceeded to give a bighly yarnished account of the affair down by the river. Needless to say, he represented himself as the victim of an unprovoked assault. “And King jumped on you “iged ‘cause you wanted to walk home with that Marsh girl, is that it?” “That's it, dad.” ‘If you can’t handle him, I'll take the first chance and lick him myself,” said Jake Wyse, after swallowing the greater part of a hnge cup of tea at a gulp. “I wish you’d fix him so Annie Marsh would give him the shake.” “Mebbe I will. So she talks to him, docs she?” ‘Ses, she does,” in a tone which. would imply that Moses regarded this as a real grie vance. “What do you care? She ain’t the only gal in this here village.” “She’s the best-lookin’, and dresses the nicest, too.” “Yah!” snarled his tather. “1 ain’t got no use for nothin’ Aha a: fa Sw @partee ¥

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4 sake “Who said so?” roared Jake, glaring at Mrs. Jake, as if. -he scented fresh fuel for his ill humor to feed upon. “Well; I heerd so,” answered Mrs. Jake, vaguely. KE “Those Marshes make me sick,” sputtered Jake, as though @ was the censor of the village. ‘They try to make out they're better’n other folks. John Marsh thinks himself too good to drop into the ‘Miners’ Retreat’ for his glass of beer of a night. Has it brought to his house instead. He told Gummitt, the landlord, the other day, that his house was the curse of the village. That he was making drunkards of honest miners, and takin’ the bread out of their families’ - mouths, I go there reg’larly, and I don’t take the bread out’r your nor the kids’ mouths, do I, Mrs. Wyse?’- “Oh, dear, no!’ Mrs. Jake hastened to reply. “The idea!’ “There!’ and, Jake brought his hand down on the table, as if he had clinched the argument in the right way. “‘Where’s my hat?’ he asked, as he rose from the table. “Where you left it, I s’pose,”’ answered Mrs. Jake. “Where did I leave it?” ‘Dunno. Are you goin’ out?” “Yes, ['m goin’ out. What did you s’pose when I asked for my hat? That I was goin’ to bed? with some sarcasm. “Here you, Moses, jest you hunt my hat up and be quick, *bout it, or ’'ll take you out in the woodshed and dust your jacket for you, as I intended.” Moses ‘got a hustle on himself, and was so fortunate as to find his father’s hat under his own. Jake Wyse clapped it on his head, lighted his dirty stump of a pipe and walked out of the door, making a bee-line for the “Miners’ Retreat,” the eyesore’ of the mining village. The cracker boss was an early bird at the dram shop, and this gave him the opportunity of a long and confidential chat with Gummitt, the proprietor, for whom he had con- siderable of a liking. It seems there had been some talk. among the better people of the village of requesting Mr. Gummitt, a bestle-browed Englishman, to remove to a more congenial locality, and Gummiti naturally resented this interference with his rights. He was making money, and didn’t want to move. “You kin lay it all to John Marsh,” said Jake Wyse, wagging his head, sagely. : “-h’s a wiper,” said Gummitt, bringing his fist down upon the bar with a force that. set the glasses upon it all of a , panes ingle. ; He meant viper, but, unfortunately, Gummitt’s language was not of the first order. - “Wot right has ’e to go round settin’ people agin me, that’s wot I want to know? asked the Englishman, with a look of virtuous indignation. _. “He ain't got no right,” said Jake Wyse, pouring out a tps glass of whisky for himself and then forgetting to pay for it, - “Of course ’e ain’t. If the miners want to come in ’ere for a glass oe’ beer, or summut stronger, ain’t they got the right to, I awsk you?’ » “Sure they. have.” “It ain’t no bizness o’ mine if they spend more’n they kin afford over the bar. This ’ere is Hamerica, where ev'ry ; ndividool is ‘is hown boss. They come in ’ere of their hown haecord, don’t they? I don’t go hout an’ drive ’em hin with _a club, do Hi? This bein’ a free country I ‘ave my rights, tio: even hif I did come from the other side, which I hain’t ashamed of.” /SBhata right,” “agreed Jake, eniptyttig. hia glass. ke another," said Gummitt, pushing the bottle to- “Hit won’t cost you nothin’. I look on you as _ What would you hadwise me to do? “If it was me, Gummitt,” said Jake, ina confidential whisper, as he poured out another dram, “I’d tury and do ‘thin’ to get square with John Marsh.” - Kin I do it?’ asked the proprietor of the Retreat, hard at the cracker boss. you ee 80: eae ip “Wyse, regarding the Eng- ‘wot won't get found out.” to help you,” sald Jake, in a for” ‘ohn ‘Marsh: ere pane = os him.” A START IN LIFE “T have.” “Wot is it?’ “s ”He’s put all of his earnin’s into that fine os he iffee, Migs in up the lane. A ve seen it, haven’t you?” “Bi "ave. ” 3: | “The insurance ran out to-day at noon, and the letter he I, writ to the comp’ny to have it renewed never reached the — post-office,” “W'y not?” “*Cause I got hold of it—see?’ Jake Wyse pulled an envelope out of his pocket, addressed to the William Penn Fire Insurance Company, of Philadelphia, — and showed Gummitt the enclosures, an unsigned receipt and — a money-order for the amount shown on it. - “He ought to have registered that letter. That’s where. he was a fool. Now, if his house burns down to-night he'll. lose all, with the mortgage standin’ against the land, wheel will wipe him out.” “But ’is ’ouse hain’t likely to burn down to-night,” said % Gummitt. x “Mebbe not, unless you an’ me put a match to it.” 4& Gummittt wasn’t so thick he couldn't understand what — the cracker boss was driving at, and it took his breath — for the moment. #7 “Hit’s ‘a State prison hoffense,” he said, in a hushed tone. - “Not unless you get caught.” Gummitt regarded the proposition with some uneasiness. — “Wot hare the chances?” he asked. “J think it’s easy,” said Jake, coolly. “Come into my parlor an’ I'll let the old ’ooman wait hen the customers,” said Gummitt, leading the way. wt With a bottle of whisky before them they went over 2 ‘ad the scheme, and, after an hour’s confab, came to an aero ¢ z ment to put it into effect that night. Se Then the two rascals parted, to mat again at Reaei OHAPTER IV. Wau. satin ai ss" pip NOT WORK. AMBUSH / When Fred King reach lodgings that evening he found a note from one of his slate-picker friends, who — had got a job in Wilkesbarre, asking him to come and see him that night, if possible. The boy considered the questicn while eating his rane and finally decided to go. As he passed by the ‘Miners’ Retreat,” he observed Moses Wyse and a pal hanging around on the outside ef the dram: # sho F The bully saw him, and scowled darkly. Just then an acquaintance of Fred’s came along and asked him where he was going, “To Wilkesbarre,” he replied. “ttl be late before you get back, won’t it?’ said his friend. — “~ guess it will,” admitted King, and with that the ee ag i “3 3 Jae Moses, however, had heard the brief conversation. It was close to one o’clock in the morning when Fred came through the wood on the outskirts of the mining village. *¢> He was whistling eepbi to beguile the lonesomencss his walk. It was not a very bright night, as there was_ ‘no moon, — and the wind soughed through the leaves and branches. — A timid person wouldn't have relished his surrounding but Fred was built of sterner stuff, and he plodded along eee tea as though he was on a crowded city thore re Suddenly something whizzed through the air and whi his hat from his head as neatly as if sliced off with a kn “What's that?’ cried the boy, stopping in his tracks then ‘tooking after his hat, Fa a had rolled agains’ hedge. Whiz-z-z! -A big chunk of coal almost brushed the Doy'w pes Fred started back, thoroughly startled at the vigor of onslaught made upon him. A third missile passed a foot above’ his head.

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A START King didn’t go very far, but hid himself, awaiting further __ developments. Presently he heard a rustling along the further hedge, and then a dark patch came into indistinct view beside the ' opposite fence, and this was almost immediately joined by another. | Then he heard voices in conversation. ' Presently two forms vaulted over the fence and came out into the middie of the road. : “Where did he go?’ said a yoice, which Fred was willing + to swear belonged to Micky Gibbs, a pal of Moses Wyse. _ “Dunno,” replied companion, whom Fred was sure must be Moses himself, as weil as he could make out in the gloom. “The rascals!” muttered the concealed boy. “It’s like the cowards they are to get at me in such an underhanded way. - They must have learned I went to Wilkesbarre, and they have been waitin’ here to ambusk me on the way back. I'd like to pickle ‘em for it.” ~ “He disappeared all of a suddin,’ went on Micky Gibbs, } “Jest as if he dropped inter the ground. Mebbe he’s hidin’ - along ther hedge.” _ “Let's beat the bushes and see,” suggested Moses. “If ‘we catch him we'll lay it on to him good and thick. I don’t care if we half kill him.” - The two young rascals had~come prepared for business, ne Micky had a stout cudgel and Moses a wicked-looking whip. _ Fred King heard every word they said, and their cowardly project made him mad. “The miserable skunks!’ he murmured. ‘They were goin’ _. to knock me silly with chunks of coal first, and then finish ~ me with a club and whip. Ill just give ‘em a bit of surprise _ 0b my Own hook and see how they like that.” Moses and Micky were gradually approaching the spot " where he was hidden, beating the hedge and bushes as they came. Micky wasyseveral paces in advance of his companion, and, of course, Fenebed-dred first. yith a wild, Coma Vee Fel, Kine Yose up suddenly “and*r Micky’s nose, Young Gibbs was so startled that he let out a similar kind of yell and started to run. Fred reached for him, snatched the stick out of his hand and gave him a good crack over the head, stretching the _ Irish boy half stunned on the road. ‘Moses was at first startled, too; but recovered himself in time io realize what had occurred, and he whistled the whip-lash about Fred’s ears, raising a livid mark upon one of his cheeks. _ King was thoroughly indignant before, but he was wey . Clear through now. A second stroke fell upon his back and shoulders with i vicious force, and Moses had drawn back his arm to infiict +a third stroke, when Fred ciosed on him with a rush. “You cur!’ he cried, furiously. ‘I'll have no mercy on ou now!” ~ Whack! - Moses got in square in the eye, and then the whip was matched, from his grasp . “Take that, and/that, and that!” . ' Fred had Moses by the collar of his jacket and was rain- ing blow after blow upon his body and legs. \ “Help! Help!” cried Moses, as each stroke cut his flesh like the stings of a hundred scorpions. ‘Micky, help me! k him down! He's killing me!” Fe nt. ms was no help: for Moses, for Micky Gibbs was + a Swish! Swish! Swish! “Wow! Wow Wow!” screamed Moses, struggling to avold the terrible punishment he was receiving. yd £ coward! You sneak in the dark!” cried continuing to lay the whip on his enemy without the t intermission. — ‘tl Don’t! You're killin’ me!” screamed mercy on me, you whelp? Bo: lay me out for keeps to-night. Sup- con unk of coal td op fh ea a howled Moses, dropping on to his knees. — TEE) Be, ie Gee Son arin DAG eG. ahvaetie sin IN LIFE. “Oh! oh! oh!” “Tl never touch you ag’in. I swear it. Please stop! Oh! oh! oh!” The cowardly wretch, who had provided the instrument of his own punishment, shrieked, and yelled, and whined for mercy. But for once the usually generous-hearted boy was in- placable, All the. anger and indignation of his nature was aroused by this treacherous attack in the dark, and from which he had escaped only by a miracle. He believed his two euemies would have fairly flayed him alive once they got him in their power, and this feeling: left no pity in his heart for either of them. Though Moses cringed and shricked at his feet, he con- tinued to whip him with an unsparing hand. The young villain had never received such a punishment in his life, even from his father, who had very little merey on him when chastising him. Suddenly Moses ceased his heart-rending cries, and his head fell over on his shoulder. He hung limp and lifeless in Fred’s grasp, He had fainted under the severity of the diabptag in- flicted on him. This fact brought King to his senses, and to the sober realization that he had gone too far. He let go of Moses and young Wyse fell in a heap on the road. Fred bent over him with sudden anxiety. The young ruffian’s white face seemed to reproach him ‘for his fit of ungovernable anger. “Great Seott! I hope If haven’t killed him!’ The boy’s voice died away in a horrified whisper. He tore open Moses’ shirt front and put his ear to his heart. “He's breathin’ all right,” be muttered, with a sigh of relief. “I guess he’s only fainted. I must have licked him more’n I intended: But he deserved every blow he got. Why ean’t he leave me alone?” Then he noticed Micky rising to his feet a yard or two away. He, too, looked like a mighty sick Ber: He had a lunip the size of half a hen’s egg on the side of the head where Fred had hit him-with his own cudgel, “Come here, Gibbs,” Fred called, peremptorily. The boy stared at him, but seemed rather disposed to take to his heels. “Come here; I'm not goin’ to hit you again: You want to 2 look after Moses, and see that he gets home.” Micky came up slowly and looked down at his associate, % “Is he dead?” he asked, in a scared voice. “No—only fainted.” “You must have given him an awful lickin’.” . “Not more’n was comin’ to him,” answered Fred, starting ; to walk off. At that moment a bright light suddenly lit up the near-by landscape, “Great hornspoon!” cried Fred, as the glare of flames sifted through the trees. ‘That must be a house afire!”’ He started for the opening in the woods on a dead run. CHAPTER V. FRED KING IS CHARGED WITH A SERIOUS CRIMX, The glnxre of the fire grew brighter as Fred oo the entrance to the wood. Some house in the village was evidently in A moment later he dashed out clear of John Marsh’s cottage that was burning. “Good gracious!’ exclaimed the boy, _ “this is rough on Marsh!” Anxious to be on the seene of trouble s00n as could, Fred cut across by a by-lane, and ‘ore he ening what was in his way had stumbled over the croue figure of a man. “Blast yer! Can't you -g Be ores yer goin’?”’ ‘Jake Wyse!” exclaimed Fred, in surprise. | ‘ ; “Yer know me, do yer?” ss A the cracker boss, “trees: oak: é his first glance at a familiar locality assured him that it was

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and then Fred noticed another figure snuggling down in - the gloom. - It was Gummitt, the Englishman. “What yer doin’ out here this hour in the mornin’?’ asked Wyse, with a wicked look in his eyes. “Don’t you know — you ought to be in bed?” _ “T’ve been to Wilkesbarre, and oe just got back,” said Fred, struggling to release himself “Hold hard, I think yer lyin’. I “Wiebe you've sot fire to ‘Marsh’s house yerself. It’s my opinion yer ain’t none too good for that kind of work. What do yer think, Gummitt?’ “Hi shouldn’t be surprised hif ’e did,” coincided the land- lord of the ‘Miners’ Retreat,” who detected the drift ey Wyse’s scheme. “What do you mean?’ gasped Fred, amazed at such an aceusation. — “E mean just what I say. Ain’t we ketched you runnin’ - away from the fire?’ : “Runnin” away from it! Runnin’ towards it, you mean!” “Come, now, that won’t wash, will it, Gummiftt?” “Hi should think not,” replied Gummitt, coming forward. Sires which way he was runnin’, didn’t you?” ; ee, yer see, young feller, yer ketched in the act. Come long ry - “Let me go, will you?’ cried Fred, in desperate earnest- ' “We couldn’t think hoff hit,” said Gummitt, laying ” hand on the boy’s other arm. “We're going to take you to the lock-hup.” “[ believe you set fire to the house yourselves!” eaculated Fred, angrily. “The hidea!” cried Grummitt, with a look of virtuous indig- nation. “Did you ‘ear that, Wyse?” “You little Impl” roared Jake, giving his prisoner a rough shake which loosened Gumumitt’s grip. At the same moment Fred gave a sudden tug and ‘tore eA START IN LIFE. he found It fnipdaeibia to force his way, and he thrust his head out of the nearest window to get air. ; Amid this seere of wild excitement, added to every moment by fresh arrivals from the varieus houses, only one person had the ready wit to see a way to save Annie Marsh. That one was Fred King. ae He noticed that the stout oak tree which grew a few ¢ yards from the cettage threw one of its sheltering Mmbs high above the window where the terrified girl, surrounded ~ by the gathering smoke, her form thrown into bold relief — by the glare of the flames in the room behind her, stood, begging in piteous accents to be saved. oa No one observed him shin up the gnarled trunk of the ~~ tree, work his way upward among the limbs, and make his way out on that particular branch, which swayed and bent under his weight until a shout of encouragement from him drew Annie’s eyes upward, and her little cry of sur- prise as’she saw him coming out toward her attracted the ; attention of the crowd below. ths As soon as his object was understcod it was immediately appreciated, and a shout went up from the spectators, as , well as from the perspiring neighbors who were passing the 2 buckets with great zeal. - The farther out Fred progressed the lower bent the limb of the oak, until the boy, anchoring his legs around the branch, extended his hands to the girl. “Stand up on the sill, Annie, and hold on by the side of the window jamb. That’s right. Now steady yourself so I ean catch you under the arms,” He grabbed her and swung her out into mid-air. ‘Don’t get frightened,’ he said encouragingly. “Grasp hold of the, tree under my neck. All right. Now do you think you can hold on for a moment by yourself while I shift myself backward?” “Yes,” replied Annie, bravely. “There’s no danger if you just hold on,” he said. Theo Ke released her, and she swung by. her own grip Svyer thirty fect up in ‘eis aun OS ty oe eg Ae Ne himself away from Wyse. : “Grab him, Gummitt!” | The Englishman tried to, but Fred, like an eel, wriggled ; “aaa of reach and was “ag toward the ‘purning cottage like a|- He worked himself Ge veereagetoot or so, and then grasped her under the arms once more. “Now let go,” he said. ‘ im ‘E's got away,” said ‘Gummttt, in @ tone of disappoint- - “Well, let him go. We'll throw suspicion on him anyway by sayin’ we seen him runnin’ from the fire.” “Hall right. And we can say that ’e changed ‘is: plan when e seen ’e was discovered and ran back again to’ pretend ’e -just- come to ’elp.” “That's right. ‘relll have to go to the fire ourselves, bow, or it wouldn't look well.” So the two rascals started on a jog - ‘for John Marsh’ itag a number of the miners had reached the, scene of e fire by the time Fred arrived. ch ey were only half dressed, and many of them had brought oe and a chain was hastily formed to pass the buckets course, J Marsh and bis wife ‘had been aroused, d both were outside. - here’s. Annie?” asked Mrs.. ‘Marsh, anxiously, looking d and failing to see her daughter. _ if in answer to her question the window of a room tee ee red af the opening. {rs. Marsh uttered a scream. pera ats there cacy wot ik Akt lng ub tae covtict e fire had started, and from the looks of things Annie was ff by the fiamés from escape by the narrow stairway , which’ ‘lea oa the a floor and her parents’ ‘sleep- “miner, ES was directing the ‘bucket t nappened., the premises, ladder. ‘unfortunately, re ees was no iaader a attics ~| only one to do it at‘the critical . She did so. He swung her the same relative distance as he had re- treated, and then told her to grab hold of the branch again. : This plan was repeated again and again until Pred had got Annie well into the body of the oak tree, when he was able to pull her up beside himself, 7 There they rested a while to recover from their exertions. ~ Telling Annie to hold tightly to her seat, Fred clambered gimbly down and called for a blanket to put around the girl, ~ who was only attired in her night-dress, = aid *j * CF ooo er Nea YP Oe Line ‘The article was soon got from the cottage, for the fire, now _ under control, had not reached the main part of the building. — In a short time Fred assisted Annie to reach the ground, | where her mother was waiting to receive her, deeply grate- _ ful for her daughier’s escape. : As the women folks gathered around the rescued miss, as is usual in such a case, King rushed away to make himactf : useful in putting the ‘finishing touches to the end of the “Yowre a nervy young fellow,” said the big miner, adi ae ingly, to the boy. : soem “T'll bet he is,” echoed another. 5 “and not one of us thought of doing such a thing for the poor girl,” said a third. “She'd have been burnt to death but for you,” reinatteade a fourth, “for her room and the room underneath _— com pletely gutted by the flames.” , ‘Other miners had their say, too, for all admired previaes = however shown, whether above or below ground. — é Fred was quite overpowered by the praise showered indis- criminately upon him, and porestes he had only done his duty as he saw it. “That's all right,” said the big miner; “but you were the : oment. You ought to have ~ + {a medal. . What do you say, boys?” ‘ tet of all _—_— “Aye! “aye!” was the unanimous verd|

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A START IN LIFE. Wyse and Gummitt, who had left the scene a short time before, reappeared with Mr. Jinks, the constable. “There he is,” said Wyse, pointing. Jinks immediately walked up to Fred King, and putting his hand on his shoulder said, to the great surprise of all - present: _ __ “Young man, I arrest you for setting fire to this cottage.” CHAPTER VI. + FRED BEARDS THE CRACKER BOSS IN HIS DEN. . Fred King started back in stupefied surprise, while the crowd of miners and other spectators gaped in astonishment. “What do you mean?” gasped the boy. “I guess you know what I mean,” said the constable, sig- Hificantly, tightening his grasp on the lad. “T guess you’ve made a blunder, Jinks,” interposed the big miner, stepping up. > “I think not,” replied the officer. _ “Why, such a charge against this boy is ridiculous,” said the miner, stoutly. _ “What's the trouble?” asked John Marsh, coming forward. “Jinks, here, has arrested King, who saved your daughter's life in such a heroie manner, on the charge of firing your cottage. I say it’s absurd.” “Tt fs, indeed,” coincided Marsh. _ You accuse the boy?” i “On the evidence of Jake Wyse and Mr. Gummitt. They » are here, and you can question them. If there is any mis- _ take, of course Tt won't take the boy,” “Well,” said Marsh, frowning pon the cracker boss and gy the, favern-keeper, who now came ‘forward, “what have you 2 ~ to ‘Say about it?” _ “We were comin’ along the by-lane yonder, afore the fire, ~~ when, dest. ed up we. ketched this-yonng feller ; ae could wemetens we nabbed “On what ground do a That's a lie!’ cried Fred, hotly. ‘t wasn't running from the fire, but toward it, and you knew it, ‘cause I fell over you where you were hidden behind a bush.” - “Don’t yer tell me I He, or I'll smash yer!” retorted Wyse, in.a threatening way. ~~ “Stop!” exclaimed John Marsh, catching his uplifted arm. “What else is there to your story ?” -_, “When he fonnd he was'ketched he fought Gummitt and me, and got away. That’s the whole thing, and I kin prove it by Gummiitt,” and he looked at the tavern-keeper for con- _ firmation. “Fis ham villin’ to swear to hit,” asserted Gummitt, “’cause “You met these men, then, Fred?’ asked Marsh, kindly. - “Remember, I haven't the slightest suspicion that you had anything to do with the fire.” “I shguld say not,” coincided the big. miner, decidediy. “What 0 you say, boys?’ appealing to the crowd. sur- rounding them. _ *“Ayel aye! That's right,” came from a dozen mouths, _ “Yes, sir, I met these men, and they were, hidin’ in the _ bushes as IT came along.” » “What!” roared Wyse. “The hidea!” said Gummitt, throwing up his hands, s ehats what you were, or I shouldn’t have tumbled over ou young villain!” began Wyse, but Marsh checked him. “You've had your say; now let the boy tell his story.” “That's only fair,” said the big miner. “Spit it out, Fred.” “I went to Wilkesbarre to-night to see a friend of mine. ‘On the way back I was waylaid by Moses Wyse and Micky Gibhs, who tried to do me up in the wood, in revenge, I pose, for the lickin’ I gave Moses last evenin’. is vand I'm goin’ to lick you for doin’ it,” cried Wyse, in a atening manner. *d better not,” interposed the big miner, significantly. , have you got to say about it? demanded Jake, i, you pe your hand on sade and ne Your boy strong enough to take own part. est keep out of it.” * be adhe la silts chunks of des, Gibbs had a | = Be look for me and then I went for ’em both and laid ‘em out piyecit. Then I saw the fire through: the trees and started} — or it, tumblin’ over Jake Wyse, as I said before. They, grabbed me, and said they helieved I had set fire to the cottage, and were goin’ to, turn me over to the constable, ~ when I gave ’em the slip and came on here. That's the whole © story, sir.” mS “And I believe you, my boy,” said Marsh. “You'd believe anythin’ from that kid,” said Wyse, wi a sneer, “’cause yere stuck on him. Well, it ain’t none my bizness. It’s your loss, and if yer willin’ to stand : it, of course yer kin, I s’pose. Mebbe yer thinkin’ of malin ; a good thing out’r the insurance,” maliciously. ; ““P’haps you'll explain why you were hiding in the pushes, sO near this place when the fire started?’ asked Marsh, significantly, for a strong suspicion against these two men was, forming in his mind. He understood how they regarded him. “Who says we was hidin’?’ demanded Wyse, with aa dae ent indignation. “You heard Fred King say so, didn’t you?” ‘He was lying to save himself.” “That's wot ‘e was.” backed up Gummitt. “Well, I want both of you to understand I’m going heave this fire thoroughly “investigated,” ssid John Marah,» sternly. “I’m not sure but it will be a loss to me, as | haven't yet received my signed receipt for the coming year's’ premium, which I mailed to the company three days ago.” % “What about the boy?’ asked Constable Jinks. “The lad is not to be arrested,” said John Marsh, decidedly. “Then I guess ’' go home again,” said the village officer, ~ and he walked off. “I’m ranch obliged to you, neighbors all,” said the engineer of the Black Diamond colliery, “for turning out and saving’ the larger part of my property.” “You’re welcome, John Marsh,” said the big miner, who, — constituted himself spokesman for the crow, “for we all = know you'd 49 the same for us.” “That LE would,” replied Marsh, heartily: “though I hope, | there will be no occasion, for fire is a dreadful thing, and) — not essily conquered once it gets a good hold.” Then the crowd broke up and went home in twos and, threes, and the first to go were Jake Wyse and Gummitt, the — tayern- -keeper. Next morning Jake Wyse appeared in the screen-room in a-villainous humor. The slate-pickers took warning from his appearance. and avoided anything which might give their boss offense. But it didn’t avail them much. He watched his slaves with the eye of a hawk. seemingly looking fer an excuse to pitch into them. As a matter of course he soon found the chance, and little Eddie Foster happened to be the first victim. ak He rushed upon the littie fellow and dealt him a severe — blow with his blacksrake whip across the shoulders before he was aware of his approach. Eddie cried aloud in pain, and all of the boys looked up with looks of unspoken sympathy for their companion. This aroused Jake’s anger to a fearful pitch and, with many oaths, he proceeded to ply the whip with impartial severity upon the others, thrashing every boy in the entire place in the most savage manner. “You little imps!” he foamed at the mouth, examples of every one of you before I’ve done.” While performing this task he seemed like a beast of Beatie more than a man, He rushed around the screen-room in a rage, and arene to revel in his brutal task. The cries and frantic appeals for mercy only served whet his appetite. The little slaves now began to think he had actually g mad, and regarded him with eyes full of horror. He bad always been a crnel tyrant, but never had he gone to such an extreme as on the present occasion. At last he hit one of the biggest boys, a particular friend of Fred King’s, over the head with his rawhide. rs. This lad, whose name was Billy Davis, smarting under terrible blow, which for the moment drove him half w with pain. seized a huge chunk of coal, and with it de i the cracker boss a stunning blow on the head, niet ng. deep. PE from which the mpd Po acted ‘Feeplyand, ran dow 4 E “Tl make

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A START IN LEFE. one hard, dragged him out on the floor, and began to rain| He questioned him as to the cause of the trouble, and also “ how upon blow upon his little body, till the rest of the lads,| had a talk with Eddie Foster. i sceing he would certainly kill their comrade, attacked nied Then he sent for Jake Wyse and asked for his explanation, _ from ali rides. He saw the man was somewhat under the Influence of _ Still holding on to his fainting victtm, be plied the raw-| drink, and after listening to his. disjointed talk, gave him a hide around him, striking the boys anywhere he could reach} cali-down, and threatened to discharge him if such a‘ thing “=> then], and with such ‘good effect that they were obliged to| occurred again. easy - draw. off. A few minutes after the colliery closed for the day, Eddie oe Then Wyse retheapa to the object in hand, and recom-| Foster ran into the engine-room and handed an opened letter = menced beating Davis. to Mr. Marsh. one | Eddie Foster. in great terror, ran down, and out of the} “I found that on the floor of the sereen- room,” he said) | <a building and aimost into the arms of Fred King, who’was| “It was torn open, so I pulled the letter out and read it. Kes crossing the yard at the time. As your name is signed to it, I-guess it belongs to yeu.” =~ | ~ “Oh, oh!” gasped HEddie,in a paroxysm of excitement. It was John Marsh’s brief note to the insurance company) — ee “Save him! Save him!” in Philadelphia, enclosing the money-order and unsigned re- “What's the matter, Eddie?” asked Fred, holding the boy! ceipt for the coming year’s insurance on his cottage. up. : The erste regarded it in dumb surprise for a moment or “The boss is heatin’ Billy Davis to death. Save him!” two. gee . Fred didn’t wait to hear any more. “You say you found this in the screen- -room?” Tw . He knew what an ungovernable temper Wyse had when “* Yes, sir.” “ _ aroused. ‘Very well; I'm much obliged to you, Eddie, for bringing _ _,Word had already reached the engine-room that Jake was| it to me.” ‘% # fm a fiendish humor that morning. The boy ran off home, while the engineer pondered over Then, too, Fred ‘could hear the most heart-rending shrieks | the circumstance, which meant the loss to him of the results _ : ~ from the direction of the screen room. of the previous night's fire, while it practically confirmed the — o _ He bad been through the mill himself and sympathized] strong suspicicn he already had that Jake Wyse, assisted by with the little slate-pickers. the tavern-keeper, Gummitt, was at the bottom of a plot to — - $o. on the spur of the moment, he rushed up into the] ruin him. bce Next day be called upon the superintendent of the colliery — and had a talk with him. via Fred King was called into the conference, and asked to - give his story of his meeting with Wyse and Gummitt in the ‘ by-lahe. ¥y While it was decided that the crime eould not be brought) home to the rascals, it seemed plain to the two men that ~~ Jake and the tavern-keeper were guilty. oe As a result Wyse was discharged from the company’s em- ploy at the end of the current week, while Gummitt was vis- | _ ited by a committee, who quietly informed him that he would he have to sell out and leave the’ village. s The night Fred visited his © in, Wilkeshatre he learned | $3 that a small farm a few miles from the Black Diamond col- . liery was for sale cheap. ra ary ‘ The farmer had died thonecihy. and bis widow wanted to © leaye the State. Fred, by great economy, had saved a couple of hundred dol- lars, which he had on deposit in the Miners’ Bank in chet nd . barre. It was his at ambition to own 2 piece of good grodua somewhere in the vicinity, so he took the first chance to call on the woman and see if he could do business with her. She wanted $800, claiming that the property was worth $1,000 at. least. : - Finally she said she would take $600 éash. ; Fred had had the idea she might be willing to accept $200 pay on account, and the balance in regulag installments. But she sald she couldn’t do that, as she wanted to get i + away. So the boy gave the thing up as imposnfble for him poy ee buy. eu He mentioned the matter the next day to Mr. Marsh, and they had quite a talk about it. The engineer sympathized with Fred's object... 3 He promised to go and see the property, and if it’ denny was 2 bargain he thought likely the eae bank quent be Re induced to adwance the necessary $400. John Marsh was 4s good as his: word. He visited the farm, and heing a good judge of the value. of such land in that ne: ighborhood, he saw that it was wi worth buying. “It will be 2 great inducement for, Fred to persevere his money-saving habit,” -he argued to himself, for he hae the boy’s best interests at heart, the more since he felt tha his daughter Annie probubly owed her life to his wi _| bravery. “This place is worth every cent of $1.000, more, and I doubt not after the bank has. ae e its apy ay| Fred will be able to borrow the sum he requires to rehs | this property. In my opinion a young man cannot 5 than invest his surplus earnings in real estate.” Ei: Mr. Marsh thought he owed | it, to Fred King to. n’t echanes the LAs farm, oa | So he put the ball in jaotion, and as Sook a6. ported favorably on the Ioan he. had himselt _ breaker, arriving there just as Jake, ‘having. whipped Billy an almost into a state of insensibility, was about to bring the | heavy handle down on the poor Jad’s head with the intention - of finishing his cruel work. - With a cry of anger, Fred dashed forward and tore the _Yawhide from the cracker boss’ hand. CHAPTER YIL _ FRED TAKES HIs FIRST STEP ON THE LADDER OF SUCCESS. “What are you tryin’ to do?” cried Fred, indigtantly. “iil Jake stood a moment ea at the brave lad, then he ew at him, saying: § 1 kill you!” Fred threw the whip ddwh into the “Lion’s Mouthy—a rein space in the room, to fal! into which meant cer- in eath—and stepped back with compressed lips. ' There is little doubt but matters. would have gone hard with King if Jake Wyse could haye got his hands on the Poy. and Fred realized that fact. Jake came at him like a raging Non, the boy quickly p -stepped, and thus avoided his clutch. dn’t want to strike the man it he could possibly vse Seaveved himself and followed the boy up, yang p between him and the door. length he crowded him toward the chutes, and from the “baleful look in his eyes it looked as if he meant to force the boy into one of the pockets. in trying | to avoid both this peril and the boss himself _ tripped and fell over the outside chute. s happened just as Jake made ‘another rush, seeing the nt oe tly in his power, resi was Wyse himself fell over ‘Fred's body “a forward into: one of the pockets himself. Fortunately for him it was full at the moment, and the stationary. — was scrambling to extricate himself, Fred ‘took ; in his orm and bere made his: way out ae ty oP

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at the eottage. and Fred became the prad possessor of the _ Clover Farm on the Wilkesbarre road. _. He had noi difficulty in getting a fansnt to work the place on shares, and this naturally would be a ‘great help toward ¢clesring himself eventually of the debt he had assumed. Somehow it got out that Fred King, the engineer’s assistant, had become 2 landowner, aud many of the miners who knew the boy laughed at his attempt to make a start in life by means of a small farm which he could not work or live on . himself. — “S'posin’ I am at the foot of the ladder,” said Fred to a ‘group of these men one night after they had been badgering him upon the subject of his investment, “I hope to rise to the top some dy. Others have done so, why not me?” “Then you expect to be a rich man, eh?”, laughed the big er. “TI don’t intend to be a poor one if I can help it,” Fred Te- _ torted. _ “Bravo, youngster.” said oné of the men with a grin. “But ‘you won't never do it these days unless you have luck. Luck 4s everything. Wasn’t it Inck put these coal barons, as the -. Tewspapers call ’em, in possession of these mines? How - eould they pile up the fortunes they’re getting if they didn’t _ have luck? Tell me that. I haven’t had any luck myself. I’ve managed at times to get up a‘step or two, but have al- ways fallen down ere long, and now I’ve given up striving, “for luck is against me.” “Tt’s not so much luck as scheming,” cried another with a flourish of bis pipe. “The selfish schemer gets up while more ‘honest folks remain at the foot.” “Tis my opinion,” argued a third, with a wise sbake of his head, gray from years of underground labor. “that patronage does it all. You must get somebody to take you by the hand and help you up, or you'll have no chance... Ain’t that how the r of this mine got to the top of the ladder? I can ah remember when he warn’t no better than me—now look at F red listened to the men, every one ose thom more non . twice his age, ppaned experience eir calling, but : ds made no impression on his min¢ ck is all right in its way,” he thought. “It’s. a good Mic to be lucky. But a fellow would be a fool to wait for luck to come. He would be likely to starve before anything » turned up. I believe a boy like me can make his own luck, by. smking advantage of favorable circumstances, like the Farm sale, for instance.) I haven’t any influential end to take me by the hand and land me in the butter tub, so I have the more need to hustle for myself. If hard luck should come to me I mean to buck against it, and not sit down and chew the rag as some do, but persevere on to _ fortune. My purchase of the Cloyer Farm I look upen as my first real start in life. From this on I mean to branch out - with every chance until some day I may be able to hold my head as high as the manager of the Black Diemond.” ' hese were excellent resolutions for a boy of sixteen to make. and 15 our story protean we shall see how Fred King ‘exrvicd them out. , s CHAPTER VII. Rete, THE BRAND OF CAIN RESTS FOR A MOMENT ON THE BROW OF MOSES WYSE. _ fake Wyse and Gummitt disappenred from the mining vil- lage on the same day, and as they were kindréd spirits 1 us generally believed they had gone away together. The Wyse family did not move away, however, and Moses continued to old his job as a general helper in the company em ba face the terrible whipping Fred had given him on the night Fine fire he had hauled in his horns a -bit, but he hated 5 a hundredfold more, and constantly longed for a chance wreak revenge on hit. this sentiment he was of course backed up by his crouy, y Gibbs, who da liying as a mule-driver in the s sc et ny t with much Cangér and excitement. aan < av A START IN LIFE. About the only recreation he allowed him, aside from an occasional walk to Wilkesbarre of a Sunday afternoon, after he had attended Sunday-school in the little village church, as Was his regular practice, was to go two evenings a week to a singing school with Annie Marsh. it was not because the boy had a particularly musical voice, or that he took any great interest in training it, that induced — him to go to the school. Rather was it because he enjoyed Annie’s society to and from the schoolhouse on the outskirts of the village Where. ta the exercises were held. . Sometimes he couldn’t spare the time to accompany bet to the school, but he never failed to be on hand to see her _ home. Since the fire pone had come to look on Fred with a cashes warmer feeling than before. This was only natural since but for his exertions that night she believed she would have been burned to death. ‘ She always felt disappointed whenever Fred failed to turn up in time to take her to the Singing school. But she was a sensible girl, and felt that her boy-chum had good reasons for not coming on time. So she contented herself with the reflection that he surely would be on hand when the exercises were-over and the class broke up. On one 6f these occasions, however, when the boys and girls had donned their caps and hoods and rushed out hilart- ously into the unlighted road leading into the village, Fred King had not appeared, nor was he to be seen outside. Annie Marsh steod on the steps in a state of some per- plexity. “What's the matter?” asked one of her girl companions, “hasn’t your beau turned up?” “I haven’t any beau, thank you.” replied Annie, spiritedly. “Oh, my, what a fib!” laughed the girl. “Isn’t Fred King your beau?” “Certainly not,” answered Annie, tossing her head. “You never go ’round with any other boy.” “What of it? It doesn’t follow he’s my beau because he comes to singing school with me.” Whereupon there was a general laugh at Annie’s expense. “I guess Fred has given you the shake to-night, ” said one of the boys, with a grin. “You'd better come along with us,” advised another girl. “You can’t think of waiting out in this lonely spot. He mightn’t come at all” “Yes, come along; we may meet him on the road.” That decided Annie, and she joined the party, expecting to-see Fred loom up at any moment. But Fred didn’t appear, and when the party had thinned — down to one couple besides Annie, they _Yolunteered to see her to her parents’ cottage. The reason why Annie’s escort failed to be on hand when mond mine. where he had gone that evening in response to_ a request on the part of that official. The superintendent had taken notice of Fred, had investt gated his record.in the company’s employ, and an opportunity haying occurred which he felt would lead to the bey’s a room, he had asked him'to call at his house. Fred called and had quite a talk with the superintende He learned that the chief engineer of the company wante a bright boy to accompany ae and assist in making wilds: of coal lands. said the superintendent, whose name was Maxwell, “and speaks very highly of you. His intention was to make : engineer of a eveltually. From what I have learned a you, however, I should advise you to accept this opportun sibilities. for the talents and energy I believe you poss What do you. say?” “As you think the change will be an advantage to me, s I will accept it with thanks, While I had made up my mind jit I found I was fitted for something ag al ' ‘ That the key the singing school broke up was because he had been de-— A tained at the bouse of the superintendent of the Black Dia- — ; yaneement in a direction he thought preferable to the engine- * <- was talking to Mr. Marsh about you this afternoon,” 43 “ to enter the chief engineer’s office, as it will open wider pos-_ to become an engineer, 1 did not expect always to be o e at a. Ae aaa yee ae Se) ae us oJ he kee) ee i, or ut

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A START _ “How ‘soon do you think I will leave the engine-room?” “I think within a very few days, as Mr. Wesley is making preparations now for another survey.” At this point the clock struck nine, and Fred recollected that the singing school closed at that hour. = “Will that be°all?” he asked, rising and picking up his _ Cap. “Yes, I think so. If you will wait a moment I will go ng with you a part of the way, as I have some business © transact at the office.” = As the colliery office was on th boy waiied, and a few minutes _ jtendent started out together. It happened that the singing class broke up ae than usual that night, and it also happened that when Fred and ‘Mr. Maxwell reached the road along which they had to walk ‘Annie Marsh and her companions had only just passed that st and consequentiy the boy missed her by perhaps a min- road to the school, the he and the ae ak ona) ; Uneonscious of this circumstance, Fred, after | parting from the- superintendent at a cross-road leading to ‘the colliery, _ kept straight on to his destination. * - Of course he found the village schoolhouse, where the sing- {ng class held forth, closed and dark. — ~ “Too bad,” he muttered, much disappointed, especially as he had intended to tell Annie all about the new job which had “come to him. The night was dark, the sky.being overcast with black clouds, w ch threatened a fall of rain. The inh too, had risen during the Jast half hour, causing @ trees along the roads.de to nod toward him, as if they ought he had no right to be out there at that time of night. : “Of course somebody else had to see her home,” he con- - tinued to himself, with a little twinge of jealousy as he : ncied that somebody might be a boy. “I'll have to square myself somehow. I got here as soon as I could, anyway.” : He turned around and began to retrace his steps. e hadn’t gone very far before he heard voices by the of the road. He looked keenly to the right and left ahead and pres- ently saw the glow of a bright spark in the darkness, which Vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared. Abnost immediately a match flared up, and he saw the ces of two boys as one of them lighted a cigarette. _And though the iilumination had lasted but a” moment or ‘wo, Fred recognized the youths. They were Moses Wyse and Micky Gibbs, sitting on a tree ; trunk | beside the hedge. Fred did not fear them in the least. ‘ Nor did he imagine they would bother him on this oc- “They won’t care to tackle me again in‘a hurry,” he|! jed as he gradually neared the young rascals But that was where he made a slight mistake in his eal- ations. | Dark as the night was, their sharp eyes identified the figure the boy they hated worse than anything else in this ” said Moses i a hoarse whisper to his $ee it. is,” his eye. “Now’s the chance for us to get square with him t what he done to us in the wood.” wish we could,” said Moses through his teeth, but he ‘his- doubts, like all cowards, when the pinch came. “why not?” responded Micky, looking scornfully at his y. “Ain't yer game | to do it. after the way he done yer with yer own whip?’ !* snarled Moses, as the unpleasant recollection re-' edto him. “If.1 had a gen I'd shoot him.” _ Would yer?” sneered Micky, eagerly. “Wot's: the matter takin’ mine?” ‘datos mule driver rae out an old ae from his hip fraid, are “yer?” and his Nechianokat Waugh reached Fred's “for be was now popes coed of it “There, T've returned Micky, with a. malevolent glitter : | Moses pondered a moment. .so easily after all. IN LIFE. weapen into his companion’s hand. “Are yer goin’ to let % him get away?” as Fred passed a couple of yards away. Moses’ hand shook as he made an attempt to raise the re- volver in the desperation of the moment. Evidently he wasn’t equal to the crime. “Uh! You coward!” snorted Micky, kakisiy: giving his arm a jerk upward. A loud report followed. and when the smoke cleared Fred King was seen lying all of a heap in the middle of the road. : CHAPTER IX. FRED 1s IMPRISONED IN THE’ CELLAR OF THE OLD DUTCH MILL. “Now yer done it,” jeered. Micky Gibbs, who was a thor- oughly bad youth from his boots up. “Yer’ve killed him. [I didn’t think yer had the nerve.” “JY didn’t,” protested Moses, his face white with terror. “You done it.” “Me!” retorted Micky, with a wicked chuckle. “Ho, ho! I like that. Ain’t. yer got the gun in yer hand wot done it?” Moses dropped the revolver as if it were a live coal. “You knocked up my hand and made me do it,” gasped Moses, his teeth chattering from ‘fright, while his eyes al- most started from their sockets. “Bah! Yer make me sick!” said Micky. killed him. 1 kin swear to it.” “Tf he’s dead yer “You wen’t’ tell on me, will you?” whimpered Moses. “Vil = be sent to jail and hanged.” “What’ll I tell on yer fer? Don’t be a fool. I'd only git into trouble meself. Come on, let’s look at him.” “I'm afraid. .Qh, I hope he ain’t dead.” Micky Gibbs looked down on his cowardly associate with - the utmost scorn. “Yer a nice one, you are. A little while ago yer was jest achin’ for a chance to do. him, and now yer’ye done it yer shiverin’ and shakin’ like a jelly-fish. Yer give me a pain.” “It’s awful to think you’ve killed a person,” wailed Moses in terror. Not that he felt sorry for Fred King, but rather for him- self, for he dreaded the-consequences of such a deed. Micky had a more calloused conscience; besides he didn’t consider himself responsible for the crime. He didn't hold the revolver nor pull the trigger. Leaving Moses to commune with himself he walked over G to the motionless figure that lay in the road and gazed down il at it. i A thin stream of blood was welling from a slight wound ~ over Fred’s ear, and running down under his collar. = “I don’t believe he's dead for a cent,” muttered young = Gibbs. ee He bent down and, pulling dpen the stricken boy’s shirt, — felt over the region of the heart. “Naw! It’s beatin’ all right. me.” He dragged the unconscious boy into the grass to ene side and reported the facts to Moses. “He’s only stunned, that’s all.” : “Are you sure of that?” asked Moses eagerly. = “Sure thing. Go an’ see for yourself.” It was some moments before “Moses Wyse could muster up- the courage to de it. “No, he ain’t dead,” he said with an air of relief. lucky for me he ain't.” “Wot are we godin’ to do with him? asked Micky. . He ain’t dead no more’n “joni Leave him here?” “Do you think he’s much hurt?” he naked. “Naw. He'll come to in a little while.” “And be as good as ever?” “Sure he will.” : This assurance comforted Moses, but in like proportion his : hate for Fred King reasserted itself. The boy’s death would have been a great satisfaction | to him if somebody other than himself was responsible for it. -He hated to see his enemy, as he looked upon ae ‘cape: “Now we've got him dead to rights, we can fix him in other way,” he said. “How?” inquired Micky. ‘ - “Let's carry him down ie the Dutch Mill.” mae i “What, that old deserted tae oe 3

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began to entertain some misgivings as to the ultimate out- comee of the affair. He hadn’t by any means forgotten the dressing down Fred had given him, and though the thought of it nerved him on to Tevenge, still he shivered te think that he was, perhaps, in- | viting a repetition of that punishment. “Don’t mind him,” said Micky. “Come along. He won’t feel so cocky after he’s spent a night in this ranch.” Moses was_ready to go, so the two boys returned to the floor above, taking the lantern with them and thus leaving Fred in the darkness of the old mill cellar. ? of Fred King fist wot fee ed Se ape: Wryse’s ideas of. retaliation for the whipping Fred d administered to him the night of the fire. _ So they picked up the unconscious boy. between them and _ Started off through varlows by-lanes with which they were thoroughly familiar until they came out into the open coun- try south of the village. Over this they progressed slowly, taking frequent rests, un- til the old Dutch mill, long since out of commission, loomed up before them. The stream which once upon a time had furnished power to turn the rotting moss-grown wheel was now but a mere rivulet, though in the spring it expanded to a stream of some size. ' The base of the structure, comprising the cellar, was con- structed of stone, while the two stories above were of wood, _. bearing the stains and scars of many a storm. Moses and Micky carried their-burden Into the ground ffoor, which consisted of one big room, beneath the floor of which ran the stout shaft, to the outside end of which was sus- pended the water-wheel A trapdoor at one end led to the depths below. _ “He's comin’ to his senses,” said Micky when they placed Fred upon the floor. “We must get him down below right “= away.” = That the old mill was rot unfamiliar as a stamping ground -- to the young rascals was apparent when Micky went to a hole in one of the walls ard pulled out a lantern and a stout piece of rope, together with a box of matches. He lighted the lantern, then went over and threw up the trap. There was a hook underneath the floor within reach, to “which he hung the lantern. .. Then he and Moses grabbed up their victim again and car- ried him down into the cellar. -. They propped him up on a box against a post in the center of the place, to which they tied him as they thought securely. | The desire to gloat over the boy ‘they hated induced Micky to pee pan of water and dash the greater part of it in Fred’s CHAPTER X A BASE PLOT. “I wonder if those scamps reelly mean to keep me in this’ place ali night,” mused Fred. “If they do they’ll wish they hadn’t done so,” he added, bringing his teeth together with a snap which boded no good for Micky and Moses, who, by this time, had left the old mill and were on their way to their homes, chuckling over the success of their night’s work. “Whichever one of them hit me to-night fetched me a good Trap by the way my head feels. I don't see how they did it, but there isn’t any doubt of the fact. I was unconscious long enough for them to carry me here, whatever place it is—a cellar, I judge.” From which it would appear thet Fred. had no idea he had been het but rather it was his belief he had been downed by a clu It is bad enough to be tied up in a lonesome cellar without the additional torment of a wounded head, so the reader may hp some slight idea of what Fred went through in the next ; our. = During this time there were no indications of the return of _ the little miscreants, therefore King came to the conclusion that they really intended to leave him'there all night. t “I guess I can stand it,” he muttered. “All the same I shan’t stay {f I can manage to slip these bonds and make my way out. Then look out, Mose Wyse and Micky Gibbs!” — : Moses and his crony in tying Fred to the post had passed the short piece of rope twice around his body over his arms, and then once around his wrists, jamming the latter against the wood. d The job was not an expert one. Still it would have held any one who was eastly discouraged _ 3 when his first efforts to free himself met with little success. 5 Fred King, however, was not built that way. He resolved to get clear if it took him the rest of the night. - E And he brought the same aggressiveness and perseverance to bear on his bonds that he was accustomed to expend on his — daily labor and his studies, and, in fact, anything he under: took to accomplish. : This is one of the secrets of success in life. When you have a task before you which looks difficult, Pace a get discouraged if, after you make a start, things don’t seer; to come your way. Go at it with a vim and keep at it—you'll find it will o be a question of time and patience before you get there. a: Whatever is worth while is worth the effort. s You probably remember the old saying: “If at first you. don't succeed, try again.” Ee True grit and perseverance brought all our successful men oe to the front, and what they did most of our boys are capable — of doing. 425 Fred simply made up his mind that that rope wasn’t goin to hold him a prisoner, and it didn’t, though it took him te ie: two hours to free himself of it. It took that time to work his hands clear, and the rest was ti easy. The first thing he did was to feel his head where the blood had dried on the wound. It was a mighty sore spot, and the pain caused him to1 ter a vow of reprisal against Moses and Micky. “It takes a lot of thumping to put sense into some pe but I guess I'm equal to the emergency. The hiding Ts : Moses would satisfy most boys for a long time, but I g he got so much of it from his father, who had that. sor thing down to a fine art, that it failed to have the proper We'll see what another dose will do.” : Fred got up, found a match in his cee age struck a ze produced the desired effect. us King opened his eyes with a long drawn sigh and looked about in a confused way. “Where the dickens am I?” he said loud enough for his two enemies to hear. They chuckled in Breat glee as they noticed the look of per. plexity on his face. ; Then he became conscious of their presence for the first time, and recognized them « even in the dim light furnished by the lantern. “What game are you fellows up to now? Where have you brought me to? You must have knocked me out in some cow- ardly fashion to get the best of me.” ““We'ye got you where we wart you now,” said Moses with triumphant grin. “What do you mean to do? You’ve tied moe so I can’t get back at you, you cowards! Well, it’s a long lane that hasn’t a turning. If you dare to ill treat me I'll do you both up worse ‘than I did a month ago.” : “3 don’t think,” sneered Micky. “It’s our turn now, and ‘oses is goin’ to make you dance to the same music yer ». treated him to. He’s goin’ to lick yer till yer tongue hangs The crack over the sconce yer give me I'll call square, as yer got a wtss “one yerself to-night.” Fred was beginning to realize that something was the mat- ter with his head. threbbed and pained him a goad deal. “Then I s'pose you rascals crept up behind me to-night and ‘ ruck me down?” he said angrily, for he entertained a proper oe contempt for all acts of treachery. 2=\ “No matter how we done it, you went down all right,” Jeered : aly two must’ fools if you think you can do anything _to me and not get it back again with interest.” _ “We'll take aera of that,” grinned Micky. “Yer Bye. lick you with a rawhide till I draw blood uu if I die for it,” said Moses with vindictive earnest- I hate you wuss than anythin’ in the world.” ~ {on the situation. uu phone out your threat 2 aed you" rn make “Gee! This is s cellar, all ‘right, an¢ ish you were dead emel ts = 7 5 ee Kliews steps

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A START IN LIFE. Hello! What's that? There's somebody walking overhead.| “Did you try your hand on this side?” Sounds like more than one person.” “Honly once, hand was sent hup for seven years. When Clearly a couple of men were crossing the floor above. Hi got out Hi came ’ere hand hopened the Miner's Retreat’ The noise didn't last, but the creaking sound which followed| Hi meant to try the honest lay, but Hi’ve been driven hout, = ' Seemed to indicate that the individuals in question were as-| hand me hold ’ooman ‘as shook me.” fs _ eending a rickety stairway. “Well, if you can break into the safe at the office of the Then there was silence as complete as before. Black Diamond colliery we'll be fixed for life, and I shall é _ Fred waited five minutes before he tried the trap-door and| have revenge for my discharge.” —~ found that it was not secured. “°*Ow habout the watchman?” asked Gummitt, with pro- a “This is easy,” he laughed softly, as he stepped out of the/| fessional caution. cellar and let the irap gently back into place. “Ill answer for him, while you attend to your part.” ; He could dimly make out the open doorway, then he became “Hall right. Your hold ’ooman knows ’ow to make a meat ‘@ware that it was raining hard. pie hall right,” said Supe, smacking his lips over the last _ Peering through the entrance he could see nothing but in-| crust. -tense darkness. “That’s what she ‘does, ‘Have you any tobacco?” - o He couldn't get the slightest clew as to where he was. “Hi ’ave,” and Gummitt produced part of a bag of fine cut. That he was in the old Dutch mill, more than a mile on|' Both men lighted their pipes and then went into the de- ‘the outskirts of the village, was the last thing which would] tails of the job they had on hand. , ‘have occurred to him. Fred listened attentively to their conversation, since it was But when he cautiously lit a match and looked about the| his duty to be fully prepared to frustrate their crimimal in- = » room he recognized his surreundings, for this wasn’t the first; tentions.. — : time he had been in the old ruin. They arranged to begin operations in the early hours of the _ “Gee! So they took all the trouble of bringing me out Here, morning. @ mile and a half from the school-house road. It looks as if] ‘It was now past midnight. - they intend to keep me prisoner a while. No one would think “I guess it’s stopped rainin’.” said Jake at last; “we may of lecking for me at this place. They’re a foxy pair.” as well be on the move.” Just then he heard the sound of a heavy pair of boots on} “Hi’m willin’,” agreed Gummitt, getting on his legs. - the floor above. 2 It had been Fred’s intention to get away first and make “I wonder who those men are who went upstairs a few| his way as fast as he could to the house of Constable Jinks, . minutes ago?” mused Fred. “I can’t see what business any-| but he saw that this would be a dangerous move, so he re- body tas in this building. If they came here merely to es-| solved to wait till the rascals had left the mill. cape the rain they wouldn’t bether climbing to the loft.” Jake blew out the light, Gummitt took up his bag of tools, Fred’s curiosity was excited, and as he didn’t propose to| and the twain walked out of the next compartment and_so, ; start for home till the rain let up he resolved to creep up the| on downstairs, the ancient steps shivering and groaning” ‘un- P \ stairs and see who the intruders were. der their heavy tread. : # Ps -He took off his shoes and made his way to the loft as! Fred crept as far as the head of the stairs and listened i that he might be certain when they had gone. <3 | However, they did not leave the lower floor immediately. They filled and Ht their pipes once more, and loitered about _ the door, smoking for a good twenty minutes before they ne yentured: forths) 2 Mreenwhin ae Fred waited all of ten minutes after they had stepped out- A side, to make sure they were not still around somewhere, and then he started down. he He had only taken two or three steps when, without the : slightest warning, the old hud as suddenly collapsed be- neath him. ; He was precipitated es foremost to the floor below with a shock which stretched him out stunned and bleeding. cpeeecronely as possible. The second floor of the mill was divided by a rough par- “tition into two compartments of about equal size. _ One of these hadia door which was nigped, the other looked dark and uninyiting. The sound of voices proceeded from behind the door. Fred saw a gleam of light ffashing through what he judged Oo be a knothole in the partition; but to réach it he would ve to walk some little distance into the dark room. He found he had another match in his pocket, and he softly lit it on his trousers before venturing into the gloomy space yond, since he could not tell what obstruction he might Qn against in the blackness. . The momentary glare of the match showed that the com- ttment was entirely bare of anything but an accummiation of dust and cobwebs, so he entered and tiptoed his way to _ the knothole, an opening as large as the palm of his hand: Two men were squatting on the dirty floor near the center| ‘the room with an overturned box between them on which as spread a page of daily paper and the remains of a cold past, which they were devouring with great relish. ‘A piece of candle stuck into the neck of a whisky bottle nished illumination. | AY a recognized the two individuals with a start of sur- CHAPTER XI JAKE WYSE AND GUMMITT GET AWAY WITH THE “swas.” For two hours Fred King lay insensible on the floor of the old milk ee ve The rain clouds had passed away and the moon was shin- — ing like a big cheese in the sky. The wind had fined down to a soft zephyr which kissed without. disturbing the glistening raindrops hanging pendant ~ from the trees and shrubbery. . ) Then it ‘as that the boy began to move upon the hard ~ planks,. and presently he sat up with the indefinite feeling — of one awakening from a dream. es Yor the second time within a few hours he asked himself where was he. ~And it was several iiinsites before recollection asserted. / itself and the events of the night rushed upon his mind. “By George!” he ejaculated, “I remember now, I ; to come downstairs after those rascals, ani then something happened. What was it?” He staggered to his fect and felt his pad. The concussion had re-opened. the pistol-shot wound at 8. time, but that had dried again after another flow of blood. “I'm up against it to-night for fair,” he muttered. Then he observed the ruins of the stairway which lay all about him, for now that the moon shone objects could ‘clearly distinguished in the room, and the cause of his amnis- hap was ‘plain. ; ' “Y certainly had a nasty fall. It's Incky L,didn’t break | ‘|neck. It’s better to have been born lucky than rich.” SR: ‘He felt kind of shaky on his legs, but th recolle tion Fs the contemplated burglary at'the cffice of the Black 1 eens acted as a spur to his yr some! sai ee epeciogn! _£ won pos They were Jake Wyse aud Gummitt, and both looked as if rcumstances were not running ic their favor. : ; You’ re sure the money his hin the safe?” Gummitt was re. To;motrer is payday. The ‘cashier always brings cash tebe Wilkesbarre the afternoon before.” “Then we'll make a big ’aul, “Hi ain't cracked a crib since Jeft the hold country, but Hi know ‘the ropes as well as h, nd ae “reached lis hand beliina him and ‘brought into tow a ¥ which gave forth a rattling sound. ~ ‘Ere are the beauties wot'll whistle hopen bany Hameri- ‘Safe as was hever made. They belong to a pal Hi run ross in Wilkesbarre. ‘R's laid hup with: the rheumatiz or na Atal be hapa ‘im to join hus.” | ‘Yo t a complete outfit for safe- breaking, have you?” r with ape, ed at be canvas hex.

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A : alkine outside he looked up at the moon as if he thought ould tell the hour by its position in the sky. mt he couldn’t. ‘Those fellows have a big start on me I’m afraid. Well, hurry along to Constable Jinks’. I don’t believe those scals will bé able to open that safe very quickly. It'll be d luck if we don’t catch them in the act.” took thirty minutes for Fred to reach Constable Jinks’ ge, and nearly ten more before he managed to arouse e inmates. 2 “What's the matter?” asked the voice of Mrs. Jinks, as she oked her night-capped head out of an upper window. “Tf want to see Mr. Jinks.” “He's asleep. Do you know what hour it is, young man?” She said with some asperity. “bout twelve o'clock, isn’t it?” asked Fred, anxiously. “Twelve o'clock!” exclaimed. the good lady sareastically. earer three.” “What!” gasped the boy. “So late as that?” eh Early in the morning. you mean.” I’m afraid I’m too late, then.” oney that’s known to be there. I wish you'd tell ut it, and say I overheard the scheme, and he ought to get up and come with me to the superintendent’s house.” _ With an exclamation Mrs. Jinks’ head vanished and pres- ae was replaced by the rubicund visage of the constable mself. “What's this ahout a robbery at the Black Diamond office?” he asked, sleepily. “Please dress yourself as quickly as possible. I'll tell you all about it as we go along.” > “But—but—" sputtered the constable, who didn’t relish the ea of leaving his warm bed at that hour. Sphere isn’t a moment to be lost if we're going to catch @ thieves,” cried Fred, impatiently. Vell, well, Lil. be down in a moment,” the officer said, -testily, as he @ bang. — aa thought Mr. Jinks cite as time to get tito “his haa the was beginning to feel uneasy over the out- erome of the affair, when Jinks appeared with his coat on his 2 “* Now let me hear,ail about it,” he said after he recognized his early cailer. Fred told his story, which duly sialtinted the guardian of mining village, as they ee rapidly toward the super- mH ndent’s cottage. ft didn’t take one-third as long he arouse Mr. Maxwell, and bring him outside reny prepared for business, as it had the table. - e was 2 man of action, and his active mind grasped the ng of Fred’s words in a twinkling. | Ve must srouse the new cracker boss on our way, and ‘Or two others. These rascals won't be captured without ugele. I dare say. I am hardly surprised to learn that se is mixed up in this. His record is none too good. etty certain it was he and Gumoitt set fire to Mr. *s cottage. If we only could have brought it home e could have put both of them behind the bars, they evidently belong. I hope pve’ll nail them now. Tt will be ten years at least for the scoundrels.” By this time they were pounding on the door of the cot- where lived the new foreman of the screen-room, and linates sufficed to get him outside. ‘Tr. Maxwell then aroused a couple of the yard men. : ent we the constable were provided with rolvers. hers, ineluding Fred, were expected to rely on na- weapons—their fists. they hurriedly drew near the Black Diamond colli ar they saw a light shining from one of the office win- ere in time,” ‘cried Fred, joyfully, for up to his mind had been filled with doubts as to - would be in time to head off the ruffians, ntendent halted his little band and {arms ded to put in practice. again with due caution. Segre! Lane hosel 8 Ge START IN LIFE. 13 But its ponderous door had been blown open by a charge of dynamite, and the carpeted floor in front was littered with papers and miscellaneous documents discarded by the thieves as of no value to them. There was no sign of the rascals who had wrought the damage. “We are too late!” wicisised the superintendent in a voice of dismayed concern. “The villains have succeeded in get- i away with their booty. There was over $20,000 in that safe. While the others started te enter the office Fred made a break for the rear of the building. Why he did so he couldn’t have explained even to his own satisfaction. It was an impulse of the moment that he acted upon. As he came around on the other side of the office he al- most ran into a man’s arms. It was Gummitt, who uttered an oath and started to run. Fred recognized him and was on his heels like a flash. “Stop, you thief!” he cried, shrilly. Gummitt, seeing he. was at a disadvantage, dashed his can- vas bag of tools full in the boy’s face. Fred was staggered and went down on his hands and knees. As he staggered to his feet he saw both Gummitt and Jake Wyse vanishing around the corner of an outbuilding. Shouting Joudly to alarm the rest of the party Fred started in full chase after the rascals. —_—_ CHAPTER XI. FRED RECOVERS THE STOLEN MONEY AND IS FITTINGLY REWARDED BY THE COMPANY. Jake Wyse and Gummitt seooted for all they were worth. The former carried a small hand-satchel in which was aa the stolen money, and he hung on to it like grim eath They skirted the different buildings until they struck a Yane leading into the Wilkesbarre road. Fred King gained rapidly on them. The boy was determined they should not escape. They reached the turn of the road first, however, and dis- appeared. Then they stopped, crpuching down and lay in wait for — their pursuer, for they knew they couldn’t elude him, by trusting entirely to their legs. Fred came on at full speed, never dreaming of the trap awaiting him. At the critical moment Gummitt shot out his foot and Fred tripped and pitched forward like a stone from a catapult, — landing several feet away in the middle of the road. There he lay half stunned by the shock, while Gummitt and his companion started off toward Wilkesbarre at a rapid » trot. Yortunately Fred was not much hurt by the fall, though it was the third severe layout he had since nine o'¢lock of the night before. He pulled himself together and started to track the ras- eals to the city, for which he knew they were bound. He had gathered from their conversation in the loft of © the old mill about what section of Wilkesbarre they would aim for, and laid his plans accordingly. “Ym not going te let those fellows get the best of me if. I can help myself,” he muttered sturdily to himself. “Neither — am I going to follow them through the wood, where the pair of them could lay for off in great shape. No, siree, bob! elty first and put the police on to them.” By the road Wilkesbarre was six miles away, But by taking advantage of various short cuts familiar. ery |to him, Fred could reduce that distance by one-third. - Upon that plan he acted. Although his head ached as if It would split open, and — his blood coursed through his veins at fever pitch, the boy brought all of his indomitable energy to the fore, fully de- termined to win out. nats cna would have shown ities grit undert ips song the ioe aba peloh ne I mean to reach the: r

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14 A START IN LIFE. He had no idea where he might find a police station, but he hoped to run across an officer in the streets. His enthusiastic project for capturing Wyse and Gummitt had pictured an officer waiting for him at the first corner. But we are afraid his brilliant scheme Would have sadly miscarried, and the thieves would have easily eluded him, but for the fact that Superintendent Maxwell had notified the Wilkesbarre police of the robbery and flight of the mis- creants by telephone, and half a dozen of the foree were patroling the outskirts on the lookout for the rascals. Fred ran against one of these men and was immediately taken in charge as a suspect. He was hustled off to the nearest station. He tried to explain matters to the policeman, but his ap- pearance was against him. At the station he was subjected to a searching examination, and his earnest demeanor and straightforward answers created a favorable impression. He insisted that he believed he could lead. the officers in the right direction, and that delay was likely to prove of ad- vantage to the thieves. The officer in charge appreciated this idea, and he in- structed two of his best men to go with Fred, but they were cautioned to keep their eyes on him. He piloted them toward the neighborhood through which he believed the rascals would pass. It was near the polnt where the Wilkesbarre road merged itself into the city limits. A region of factories and tenements. One of the officers stepped into a convenient doorway on * the street, while the other, with Fred, entered a by-lane and stood in the shadow of a big factory. ‘The rising sun was just beginning to gild the eastern sky with its preliminary glow when Fred clutched the police- man by the arm and Ww) “ “Here they come.” The officer looked at the advancing figures and saw they tallied with the lad’s description given at the police station. _. Jake Wyse had the grip in his hand, while Gummitt, with a false mustache adjusted, had his hands in his pockets. They were taking things easy, as if satisfied they had eluded pursuit for the time being at least. But their sharp eyes were on the alert just the same, As they entered the lane Gummitt noticed the outline of the policeman in the shadow of the factory door, and he prosned eta _grasped Jake by the arm and said something to im. Wyse gave a start, then they turned around and took the other street. Bidding Fred follow him, the officer started on a run after the rascally pair. Fred, however, didn’t ‘sien but decided to head the men off by cutting through an adjacent alley. It was a lucky move, as the sequel will show. As Jake and Gummitt passed rapidly up the street, the other officer, from his post in the doorway, identified them and walked out to head them off. The two thieves, now on their guard, dashed past him at full speed as the steps of the second officer, the one who had been with Fred, sounded on the walk behind. It was the most natural thing in the world for them to take the first turn they came to, which was the alley Fred was aiming for. He reached it just as Gummitt flew by with his companion close behind. The bey sprang forward and made a grasp for Jake. “You will, will you?” snarled Wyse, recognizing Fred on the instant, and striking viciously at him, The boy ducked nimbly and tatkled the ruffan low down, football fashicn. _ The consequence was the fellow lost his balance’ and meas- ured his iength upon the ground, while the valise, containing the stolen property, went flying several feet away. “Hang you! Let me go!” gritted Wyse, as he tried to rise. “Not on your life,” answered Fred, gripping him harder. _“Y’ll kill you for this!” roared Jake, making ineffectual ef- “forts to kick himself free. But the game was up for him, for the foremost officer rushed up and had a pair of handcuffs on his prisoner in a twinkling. ‘Then Fred det go his hold on Jake’s leg and hastened to se- cure the precious valise. By the time the second policeman came up Gummitt was cars excitement Inoney,” cried the boy triumphantly, and pale ae ca oe, of nip Hoey efforts, prornd too much for his young nerves at last, and he fell in a dead faint, the officer catching him in his arms. While Fred was being revived in a neighboring caopa, Wyse was led off to the station, the officer carrying the va and {t wasn’t very long before the telephone to the Black Dia- mond colliery was telling the story of the capture of one of the thieves and the recovery of the stolen money. : As soon as Fred was able to walk he was taken to Police . Headquarters, where he was attended to by the surgeon of tas department. a Then he was taken to a near-by restaurant and treated to a good breakfast. ‘ “I feel like a new boy now,” he remarked to the officer in charge of the desk when he came back to await the arrival of Superintendent Maxwell. “He’s a plucky young fellow,” remarked the superiata to the chief of police a little later. “He looks like it. The capture of the man who carve the money was actually made by him, owing to his foresight in ~ taking to the alley instead of following the officer he was — with. os “ As it’s a matter of $20,000 the company is certain to reward him handsomely,” intimated Mr. Maxwell. “a “He deserves whatever the directors of your company may think fit to present him. He told me the whole story of his night’s adventure before you came, and I am bound to say 3 his. vitality and pluck are most remarkable.” im On the way back to the village in Mr. Maxwell's buggy Fred — rehearsed his strenuous experiences of the last twelve hours, and some days later repeated them before the board of di- rectors of the Black Diamond colliery. He was highly commended for his conduct, and the board unanimously voted him a reward of $1,000, which was paid ; to him the same day in the form of a check. ‘ The next morning his successor in the engineroom took — his place and Fred reported at the office of the chief engineer, prepared to take up his new duties. 3 ESN SIRS: CHAPTER XIII. MOSES WYSE HAS A SCHEME TO DO UP FRED KING Gummitt was not caught, so it was presumed he had es caped from the State, and probably had gone to Canada: Jack Wyse was duly tried, and, largely on Fred’s evidence ~ and his past record, got the maximum penalty, and was sent to the State prison. - Moses Wyse and Micky Gibbs kept very shady whenever — Fred was within reach of them, and the lad concluded to let — them alone as long as they didn’t bother him. Fred liked his new position under the chief very much ao = deed. 7 He had a better opportunity to study and improve his mind. The rough diamond qualities had begun to wear off from the © day he was emancipated from the screen-room of the breaker, and the polish had commenced to show itself little by little — after he was introduced to the engine-room, from which time he saw- much more of'the John Marsh family and began to. iS associate with a better grade of the village society. Now the polish was coming on more rapidly, the superior — qualities of his mind and the energy of the character ing themselves. ie “He is a remarkable boy,” said Chief-Engineer Wesley to Superintendent Maxwell one day a few months after Fred had ~ come under his jurisdiction. “He is bright, attentive. ae smart, and dutiful almost to a fault. I like him very muc “T believe you,” replied Mr. Maxwell. “One would fist think, to look at him now, that a few years ago he was an apparently ignorant little slate picker. Why, six months a é he bought the twenty-acre Clover farm for $600, paying $200 down, his savings to that date, and giving a mortgage for the balance. The place is easily worth to-day $1,200. Mr. Marsh is acting as his guardian.” : “You surprise me,” said the chief engineer. word for it, that boy is going to make his mark.” One day Fred was in Wilkesbarre and accidentally c: across a sale of horses. He was yery fond of antinals; and one of his ambit hobbies was to become the owner of a good horse. A very handsome leoking Mare was put up while ;he leoking on: / The nictiniger explained that she was afllicted with s disease of ye, which was apparent to the onlookers? he did no yell much on the fact, as a matter of course, devoted his oratory to aonsps ween to the aniealy goed qualities. . . %

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A START IN LIFE. 15 SE SS Ee EE Many would-be purchasers examined the mare with much| “I presume you won’t give me any rest till I say yes. rest, but the eye trouble deterred them from bidding. You're th> most persevering boy I ever met.” Finally the auctioneer offered her for $50, but nobody took} “Am 1?” , im up. “Yes, you are... Now are you satisfied?” ‘Then he reduced the price to $40 without siiccess, and the} “I ought to be. I'll call for you at three.” € was about to be taken back to her stall when Fred im-| “I will look for you at that hour.” sively shouted: Then the young people continued their walk to the cottage, ‘Tl give you $35.” where Fred was invited to take supper. ra €’s yours, young man:” They had scarcely turned their backs on the hedge before, Fred had only a $5 bill with him, and paid that on account, |a sallow, freckled face, in which a physiognomist would hard- hile he hastened to the mining village to get his bank book. |ly have found e redeeming feature, was thrust, through the _ As soon as he could get back to Wilkesbarre he drew thejleaves and twigs, and the small, wicked-looking eyes followed Necessary funds and took charge of the mare. the retreating forms of the boy and girl up the lane. _ Then he consulted the stable veterinary surgeon. It was Moses Wyse, not much different than when we saw “The animal has got an incurable cataract of the eye,” re-| him last in the cellar of the old mill, but more than a year ‘plied that person very frankly. . older. _EWill she become blind, do you think?” ' A second face -popped up over his shoulder which could “In time, yes.” never be mistaken for any one but Micky Gibbs. Fred asked no more questions on the subject, but took his} Micky was still a mule driver in the mines, and his ambition urchase back with him, and left her at Clover farm. was fully satisfied with the post, for he could beat the dumb “] may have made a poor investment,” he said to himself; | beasts to his heart’s content without fear of retaliation on _ “but I don’t care, I like that horse.” their part. ‘Fred thought the matter over for a week, Aa finally got| He often boasted that he had put a half dozen of them dut : s treating about the human eye as well as the diseases of | of commission, and we have no doubt but that he spoke vase orses, and studied the subject carefully. truth. _ Finally he decided to treat the mare himself, “He’s goin’ to take his gal on the river_ter-morrer, did sou _ “It is possible-the veterinary doctor was mistaken, At any |hear that, Micky?” rate I’m going to do something for the horse myself.” “D'ye tink I’m deaf?” replied his crony, ejecting a squirt of . He tried several remedies without result, but at length hit | tobacco juice into the lane. ‘upon one which had been notably successful with the human| “We've been wantin’ to git square with him for a good eye. . while, ain’t we?” As a matter of fact the mare was not afflicted with areal} “Sureting. Ef-ye’d more backbone we'd ’r done it, too, long ; cataract, though she had many of the symptoms of the dis- | ago.” ease. : “I’m thinkin’ we have a chance now,” said Moses mysteri- Fred’s perseverance and gentle care triumphed, and the ani- | ously. ; mal was completely cured in four months. “Let’s hear about it, then,” asked Micky with some curi- ‘In due ‘course of time a fine colt was added to Fred’s pos- | osity. , as. “He's goin’ to use Wesley’s boat.” ae e animal ow. three ible old when the boy; “Wot ef he is?”. was offered $3,0 or but refused to seli. tpemecoe “We could go down to the boat-house to-night, break into Fred was now liner’ years aT and had advanced several the place, and with an auger bore half a dozen, holes in the steps upward in the chief engineer’s office. bottom of t Mr. Wesley put a great deal of confidence in him, for his “So she’d sink inned Micky. ork was strictly accurate and well done, and, therefore,| “No,” returned le with a ae “We'd plug ’em loosely could be relied on, from the bottom, tie stout cords to the ends of the plugs, and '_ Although he had had no actual collision with either Moses| then tie the other ends of the cords to spikes we’d drive into or Micky Gibbs for more than a year, those worthies out-of-sight places under water.” had it in for him just the same. “Well,” asked Mieky, “wot then?” On the principle that all things come to him who waits,| «what then?” exclaimed Moses scornfully. “Why, when hey were lying on their oars,»+so to speak, poping. if not| he pushed the boat-out into the river, with him and the gal tually watching, for a chance to get back at hi on board, the cord: uld pull out the plugs, wouldn’t they?” Annie Marsh had developed into a very scent young; « Ef they mes s Bata tse -: at s of seventeen. “We'll see they’re strong enough,” nodded his companion : 3 Many of the villagers were of the opinion that in time she| determinedly. “Ther the water would come inter the cabin, be the most beautiful woman in the Wyoming Valley. | and they’d never notice it till it began to run out inter the had always admired her in his way. cock-pit, which is a foot higher. By that time they’d be) way ww he was prouder than ever to be seen in her society. | out on the river, too far to sail back afore the boat ‘d sink— . onally of a Sunday he took her out riding, and once} see?” 4 oe ~while” he would induce her to take a sail with him in a} Micky saw and grinned. 2 pica the property of Mr. Wesley, on the delightful] “Yer've got er great head arter all, Moses. I never'd have *) b’lieved it.” % I shall be off duty to-morrow. afternoon,” he said to her} “Are you with me in. this?” ’ is U | Friday evening as they stood talking at the corner of the} “Betcher life I am.” ee to her home, “I wish you'd take a sail with} “Come over to my house and we'll ake the plugs. We'll stop at the store and I'll hook a roll of cord—we've got a*lot ‘was dusk and they stood quite close together in the/ of good stout stuff there that'll jest answer the purpose.”~ w of se hedge. Then the two-heads disappeared behind the shrubbery sania Il,” she replied, a little bit coquettishly, “ are you really | and the lane was as silent as before. 2 y anxious for me to go?” : pe: come now, Annie, you know I am,” he said, earnestly. ‘ 4g think about it,” she said, flashing a saucy glance at CAPTER XIV. ; ti you wont Bive me a decided answer?” he said in a THE HAND OF PROVIDENCE. After they had got the tools and material together for their ask methen™ ‘thie replied demurely. wicked project, Moses Wyse and Micky Gibbs spent the rest know she won't object,” persisted Fred. of the evening until close on to night in the kitchen of race’ the the pir, coyly, after a pause, “if it’s a very| the Wyse demicile playing cards. : Moses was accustomed to come in and go out when he eagerly. e ae chose without question from his mother, who felt ‘obliged to ied | knuckie to him as he was the chief support of the family, two — say, wasn’t ir” of the other young Wyses being employed in the ‘screep-room to. }.me?” ghe asked| of the breaker at very small wages. “When the clock indicated a quarter to twelve, Moses threw tg, Dane, te tiie wards and suggested to Micky that it was time

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A START “Tm ready,” example immediately followed by Moses himself as he led the way outside. He went to the woodshed and got the parcel. Then the young rascals made their way to the river by a ee round-about way, whence they sneaked under the shadow : of the banks till they reached Mr. Wesley’s boat-house. eS _ It wasn’t a hard matter to force one of the side windows, and through this opening they entered the boat-house. It took them more than an hour to accomplish their ‘pur- cee pose, after which they got out as they had entered and close q the window tight. ‘Then they went to their homes to dream over thei ex- pected revenge. zi Promptly at three next day Fred knocked at the door of the a Marsh cottage and was admitted by Mrs. Marsh. agers is all ready and waiting for you,” she said with a smile. 5 “And Pm on time to the minute,” 4 clock. “ “I believe she'd had a conniption fit if you’d been five min- utes late.” : “The idea, mother! Aren’t you awful!” exclaimed Annie, who entered.the. room at that moment, looking simply charm- int in her fetching summer hat and white lawn dress. © a ae be back before dark, won’t you?” asked Mrs. Marsh 0 ed. “Oh, yes, we expect to,” answered the lad, who looked very handsome and manly in navy blue coat and trousers, cambric shirt with blue dots, and a wide leather belt and straw hat. “They're a fine-looking couple,” remarked many a miner’s wife, observing them as they passed along the streets toward the Susquehanna. “I shoyldn’t be surprised if it will be a match.” ( * Fred had the key to the boat-house. | “Let me help you on board?” said the boy, after they had entered. _ Then he opened the tall outer door which came to a point “) “3 the upper half of a diamond, and gave the boat a stout == push. Something seemed to hold her back, and Fred looked to see what it was. She was apparently clear, for when he pulled the boat in- ward a couple of feet she moved easily enough. He gave her another shove, harder than before, when she floated clear with a jerk. “T wonder what was the matter?” he thought as he jumped Ae aboard and busied himself hoisting the sadl. mtd The catboat darted off beautifully under the infiuence of a _ smacking breeze, and under the exhilaration of the moment he forgot all about the matter. i “It’s a delightful afternoon, isn’t it?” remarked Annie as Fred took his seat beside her and grasped the tiller. “Couldn't be better if it had been made to order especially for us,” he replied, heading the boat down the river. How Moses and his accomplice, Micky, would have grinned if they could have seen those young people start on their fateful cruise; but Moses couldn’t leave the store nor Micky the mine at that hour of the day, / _ The boat leaned to the influence of the wind, exposing a foot or so of her copper sheathing which flashed back the rays of the afternoon sunshine. + “Father said this morning you had a big offer for that pony of yours,” said Annie from under her white sunshade. “That's right. Three thousand dollars.” _ ‘*Oh, my! Are you going to sell him? WHe’s just the sweet- 4% = mt little aid I ever saw,” she continued enthusias- _ tica “No, I don’t think I wilk—-at least, not for that money.” - *Ts he worth more?” _ “His sire is Theodolite, who once wen the Brooklyn Handi- cap, and I don’t know how many other events. He ought to a (turn out a winner. I consider $5,000 nearer his figure.” ' “My, my!” said Annie, “you'll be a rich man some day.” “I mean to be, if I can get the money honestly.” “Ym sure sch Ape won't try to make it aan “other way,” she _ amswered ear cae zou ania: for your good opinion ot ua, he said, “youre. welcome,” laughed Ley ‘were : ae Reg in ipod ~ he said, pointing at the Fred th ought the boat’ was moving ‘Master Gibbs, lighting another cigarette,~an eae ee , sailing free| No word or hint ee Teached the little _ Jake was Sr % se * IN LIFE: Had he glanced into the cabin the truth would instantly have become apparent, for it was now half full of water, and — rising every moment. | But he had no oceasion to do that, and so the boy and girl, chatting gayly; went on unconscious of the imminent danger facing them. Ep do you expect to do with your little farm?” asked — Annie “Maybe I'll live there one of these days when I get married,” he answered laughingly. co Their eyes met. ; es dropped hers and blushed. | She could hardly have answered that question " pabiaus. BAe eS erg there was something in Fred’s eyes which she read ght. We can’t say. “You know this is a great coal region?” she said, half ques- ~ tioningly. ; “Well, I ought to. I’ve lived here long enough, while during ~ the past year I've seen a good deal of the country with Mr. Wesley.” “Did it ever occur to you that way down somewhere, maybe ~~ hundreds of feet, under the soil of your farm, there might ~ be coal?” , “What! ” ejaculated the boy in surprise. Father was speaking about it the other night.” rat made no reply. The mere possibility of such a thing struck him dumb. Smart, bright boy as he was, he had never thought of the matter before. Yet such a thing was by no means an improbability. ‘ Clover farm was in the very heart, you might say, of the Wyoming Valley coal region, . “You say your father suggested the idea?” asked Fred at — a hardly dare hépe for such a thing,” he said, his voice trembling with suppressed excitement. “Why, if coal was — found on my spun it would make me a rich man—or boy, ~ rather.” “That's what father said. He intended to mention the mat- They were nearing a small wooded island at that moment. 3 Some bright ss seaiae:: growing upon it ween Annie’s at- asked eagerly. “I do love flowers, and I’d like——” “You'd like a sample of those yonder, eh?” he said mis- lent to a command to me,” said Fred heading the boat toward : shore. very happy. The boat grounded heavily on the little strip of shingle. slowly toward where the flowers were growing in all their wild luxuriance. ‘ 5 He was clad almost in rags, and the faimshed glare in b i is eyes put one in mind of a starved hyena. A keen glance of the stranger convinced Fred he had that face before, dirty as it was, and disguised by an unkempt In other words it was Jake Wyse. | Fred was so surprised that he could not find words ter to you.” ir tention. chievously. Was it the hand of Providence which was suddenly stretched — Fred ran forward, leaped ashore and secured the catboat Suddenly as they made their way through the bushes a | Annie screamed and started back in fear. growth of beard. mo which to address this escaped prison-bird. ¢ mining “I mean to speak to Mr. Wesley about it.” £ “T would if I was you.” 3 She was wonderfully fond of wild flowers. “Do you think we could stop there a few minutes,” she — “I would indeed.” : ; “Then you shall have them. To wish for anything is equiva-— out in their behalf? “Aren’t you good!” she cried, with a look which made nists her painter to a small tree. ae Then he assisted Annie to land, and together they walked — wild looking and villainous, rose in front of them and barre their way. Fred stepped in front of her, calm and fearless, ready protect her at any cost. It was the face of a man he supposed was at that : doing time in the faraway penitentiary ot the State. est i, YS 25 % 4

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A START IN LIFE. 1? OE deere na ean a oe RY = eas — The discovery came like a shock to the boy. considerable excitement in the mining village when the facts * “It’s you, Fred King! You to whom I owe so much. You,| became generally known. ‘whom I swore to kill when I got out of the place your infernal} When Moses realized that he had unwittingly caused his evidence sent me to! And now I’ve got you within reach I’ll| father’s death—that the trap he had set fer others proved a carry cut my oath if I swing for it. Yes, I mean to kill you veritable boomernag—he had a momentary spasm of remorse; -here and now.” but it didn’t last long, for Moses never had any great love With a scream of fury he rushed on Fred and grappled with for his paternal parent. i Mr. Wesley did not blame Fred for the loss of his boat. He took measures, however, to have her recovered. A diver and a derrick-float were brought down from Wilkes- barre and the catboat lifted to the surface. They went down on the earth, Wyse on top, his hand search- Wyse’s body was not found on board, but the astonishing ing for a knife he had, and against which Fred could not de- fact was developed that five auger holes had bees bored fend himself. through the bottom of the boat’s cabin. Annie looked on frozen to the spot with terror. This explained why she had sunk. She saw Jake draw the glittering weapon and raise his arm| Who had done the deed, or why it had been perpetrated, was to drive it home into the boy’s breast, and the sight broke | not -so easily established. ; the spell which held her. Fred, when he heard about it, recalled the sluggish move- With a cry she suddenly picked up a stone at her feet and| ment of the catboat when they were nearing the little wooded dashed it at Jake’s head. island. ; It took effect and staggered him. At the first chance he went down to the place and carefully The knife dropped from his hand. examined the basin in which the boat floated when housed. At the same time Fred gave a mighty heave and threw off He discovered the cords, and puliing them out of the water - the villain.’ found a wooden plug, weighted with a bit of old iron, attached Before he could get up, however, Wyse staggered to his feet,| to each. looked about in a dazed sort of way, and then rushed off} “The fellow at the back of this job will land in the peniten- down to the beach where the catboat lay. tiary some day,” he said indignantly, “that is if he is not He tore the painter loose, pushed the boat off, and leaped hanged for murder beforehand.” on board. He showed the bits of evidence to the chief engineer, and Then as the crait gathered headway; he ecieed the tiller and| Mr. Wesley didn’t waste many words in expressing his opin- - headed the boat down the river. ion of the author of the villainous deed. He was so worked up over the matter that he sent to Wilkes- barre for a detective, to whom he offered a handsome reward if he would discover the guilty party. Before anything developed Mr. Wesley and Fred went off on a trip to survey a section of coal land some miles from the — village. ; During this trip Fred recalled what Annie had said that Saturday afternoon on the river about the possibility of there being’coal on his Clover farm, and he asked Mr. Wesley what he thought about it. “It would have to be prospected, probably to a depth of many feet here and there before anything like a definite idea} could be arrived at. You see, Fred, the great coal vein of — the Black Diamond branches off a mile to the east of your; — ground. That fact, coupled with many experiments over the ~ intervening ground, which have not been productive, rather upsets the theory that there might be coal on your property. Still you can’t always tell for certain. The best of us have missed a coal deposit by a narrow margin, and the discovery | 4 has been afterward made by accident. It would be a great thing for you if coal was found on your farm.” 4 “Y'm afraid you hayen’t much confidence in the presence ot 4 coal on my farm,” said Fred in a disappointed tone. eM “T won’t say yes or no to that, my boy; but I would advis® ‘i ‘you by no means to dispose of the property until you have. made some apr poe oe of its underground possibilities. You are young yet, and you have lots of time before you. It there is coal there it won't run away. Stick to business as you are doing, and when you are in a position to make ‘sho’, necessary experiments then it will be time enough for you to act.” This was good advice, and Fred accepted it in the spirit in which it was given. ; Stout and brawny as the boy was, and nervy to the back- bone, he suddenly felt like a child in the infuriated man’s CHAPTER XV. THE OURTAIN FALLS ON JAKE WYSE. Fred King had made an offort to intercept Wyse, but Jake __ had been too quick for him. ve tho ee waiaSiie of reach and the boy and girl were left on e their | S Fred bit his lip with ane eS - Wigl How they were to get ashore, unless they signaiiia some a passing craft, and boats were not numerous on the river that _ afternoon, was a poser. — In the midst of these unpleasant reflections he noticed that _ something was going wrong with the catboat. The eatboat lurched to port, then pitched her nose forward, like a duck taking a dive, and then disappeared beneath the _ surface of the river, carrying’ Jake Wyse down with her. She was weighted down by her ballast. _ "Fred and Annie watched the distant bubbles and ever- c increasing circles of the water with horrified surprise but not a sign of man or boat again appeared gn the wavelets of the - Susquehanna. ~ -They sat there a long time, until, in fact, the lengthening shadows recalled Fred to a realization again of their unfor- tunate situation. _ “J wonder how Jake Wyse got over here from the main shore?” Fred asked himself. “He certainly didn’t swim. Win he must have come in a rowboat, or perhaps a raft. it was the chances are it’s here yet somewhere e a I'm going to look. Come along, Annie, let's r _ Sho went with him readily enough, for she was as. anxious as he to discover some means by which they might be enabled 22 wep the island. » they were not disappointed. | skift lay tied to a stake on the other side of the “There was a single pair oars in it. They embarked at once, Fred pulled off his coat and got n to work, and a pretty tough job he had before him. ut he knuckled to it like he did to everything he took hold o that the Matter: simply resolved itself into a question 2. you truants!” exclaimed Mrs. Marsh when the two} Sunday recreation for them. ; people walked into the cottage at half-past eight o'clock.| They kept their improvised poles and fishing lin im have been making an afternoon of it, Come now, sit up| gether with their bait cans, in a secluded nook of fais h fone bo and haye your supper.” f ‘where they knew they could always put their hs t between bites, told the story ot their remarkable| After digging up a ‘quantity of worms for bait be hiokin on ays Tiver;, but he cold dia no explanation off for a near-by stream. ; ser C a _ “I seen King goin’ tochureh: ‘this mornin’ with y. “He was dressed up to peat the 3 be { CHAPTER XVI. FRED COMES OUT AT TEE TOP. whole day to tivinsetves: They had tumbled out of bed about the time nivst of the. good people of the village were on their way to church, and after a hasty breakfast had met by previous appointment the door of the old Dutch mill. They intended to spend the afternoon fishing, a had een trou roe ‘State ae in the: a bien created

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ge , Ne STE SRR HT Eee NR ey - “It’s tough we can’t get hunk on that feller,” went on Gibbs. We thought we had him dead to rights three months ago, _ when we took the trouble to bore them holes in that catboat, ‘and blamed ef he didn’t get off scot free.” “I'd like toedrop a chunk of coal on his head,” Moses re- MInarked vindictively. y “Not much chance of doin’ that.” “Pil tell you what we could do,” struck with an idea. “Wot could we do? ” eh heard about that colt of his, ain’t you?” said Moses, as if suddenly _ “I heard a feller say he’s worth $3,000.” J “Wot yer drivin’ at?” j “S’pose we go over to Clover farm to-night and set the barn = eed The colt will be inside, and his name will be mud— “And ef we get ketched doin’ it our names’ll be mud, too.” Ho! Who’s to know anythin’ about it? We didn’t get caught for what we done to the boat, did we?”, “That's right—we didn’t. Well, I’m with yer in anyt’in’ that'll take that feller down, Moses.” “Tl tell yer how we'll do it.” Moses outlined his scheme, which met proyal, . They were to go to the Clover farm about midnight, crawl in through the manure hole, pile the dry hay well up around the colt’s stall, and set it on fire. _ They calculated not only that the colt would be burned up, ___ but that the whole barn would be destroyed. ? It was a cruel and wanton act to put in practise, but then it was quite in line with the heartless natures of the two é mad boys. . They talked over the plan for some time while they fished in the stream, occasionally making a finny capture, and ap- ‘peared to be tickled over the scheme. They wouldn’t have been quite so happy if they had known that every word they uttered was overheard by the Wilkes- barre detective, who had been shadowing them for the past _ three months in the hope of getting the evidence against them Om account of their doubtful characters, and former open - animosity to Fred King, they had come under suspicion of _. . The detective happened to be sunning himself among the , bushes that day, without any particular object on hand, when _ the two boys came out there to fish. : a pair of young villains they are!” thought the de- tective as he med to their conversation. “So they’re going barn on the Clover farm to-night, are they? Very guess I’]] treat them to a bit of surprise. It’s high time their carcer was wound up in this section of the State.” ___ Having got possession of their entire plan of operations, the detective withdrew and went to his boarding place for dinner. ‘Then he made a call on Mr. Wesley. ; “We must arrange to catch those young scamps in the act . as to be able to make out a clear case against them,” he to the chief engineer after he had gone over the discovery ad made beside the stream. 4 with you,” was Mr. Wesley’s reply. ie chief engineer soon after sent his gardener to hunt up und him at John Marsh's. was surprised at the summons, and not particularly pased to leave the society of Miss Annie; but he felt obliged’ report, as requested, at the home of the chief engineer. immediately admitted to the conference between the ; and his chief, and when he learned the particulars was not sorry he had come. ' with Micky’s ap- was called upon to assist in the plan arranged yse and his crony, Micky Gibbs. entered the barn and concealed them- A START IN LIFE. ‘Set They lighted a lantern they had brought with them and looked around the place. “All's serene,” said Micky, and then they went to work. In ten minutes they had gathered enough of the hay to suit their purpose, and nothing remained but to set fire to the pile and escape. “Let’s open that big window yonder,” said Moses. “Wot fur?” asked Micky impatiently. “Tt’'ll make a draft and help the fire burn; besides, we can get out quicker that way.” “All right,” answered Master Gibbs. ~ : Then while one held the lantern the other Opened it and took out the candle to complete their work. At that moment a heavy hand fell on each of their shoul- ; ders. 4 They looked up in alarm to find themselves prisoners to the : detective and Fred’s tenant, and Fred and Mr. Wesley stepped . ; out from their place of concealment and took the candle and lantern from their nerveless fingers. : “The game is up, you young rascals,” said the detective sternly. “You'll have to go with me.” ; Moses broke down like a whipped cur, but Micky was defi- ant. They were bound, tossed into q light wagon, and the whole party, with the exception of the chief engineer, drove to Wilkesbarre, where Fred made the charge and they were locked up. Subsequently they were tried and sent to the State prison for seven years. Fred King celebrated his nineteenth birthday by selling his colt for $5,000 to a wealthy horseman, who believed he had got a bargain even at that figure. A few weeks later he was still further advanced in the office of the Black Diamond colliery. : With $5,000 in bank he became more than ever anxious to penetrate the surface of his twenty acres for signs of coal. His capital had been reduced as he had paid off the mortgage on his farm. < He had talked the matter over many times with John Marsh as well as with the chief engineer. While the former encouraged the project, the latter did not favor it greatly, as his experience in the neighborhood did not point to favorable results in that locality. However, Fred finally determined to proceed, and hired a competent man to make the investigations. It cost the boy all of $2,000, and very many discouraging hours, before anything tangible transpired. : But in the end a big vein of coal was discovered many ‘feet below the surface of Clover farm, and the boy’s financial fu- ture was assured. The Black Diamond company made a tempting offer, more than a quarter of a million, for the property after their own experts had verified the estimated value of the coal deposit, © and Fred accepted it. ; Two years later, before he had quite reached his twenty- second year, Fred found himself called upon to fill the posi- tion of chief engineer for the Black Diamond Coal Company, Mr. Wesley haying resigned for a more lucrative position else- where. _ A month later he was married in the village chureh to An- nie Marsh, to whom he had been engaged two years. ‘ The officers and several of the directors of the Black Dia-_ mond colliery were present at the wedding, and were unani- — mous as to the beauty of the bride and the manly, energetic character of the bridegroom. ‘3 4 At the reception which followed at the Marsh coitage, Fred was called on for a speech, and responded by saying, among other things, that he had now been in the coal company’s em- ploy for eleven years, and hoped to remain for many years more. And there were many persons present who remembered that four of those years had passéd in the slavery of the screen- room, while he was a diamond in the rough. ¥ Next week's issue will contain “A WIDE-AWAKE BOY; OR, BORN WITH A WINNING STRBAK.” Be POSTAL FOR OUR FREE GATALO u 5°22 2 eas

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_Carabao, the notorious outlaw of the Lanao and Cota- Pato districts in the Philippines, surrendered recently to governor of Cotabato. The surrender was arranged : by Ignacio Ortuoste, recently appointed third member of _ the provincial board of Cotabato. Carabao was a sergeant _of constabulary, and deserted six years ago with a number of men and arms. He has turned in all the arms taken at the time of his desertion. Consul John H. Snodgrass, of Kobe, reports that since Dr. Koch advised the keeping of cats as the best means for the prevention of plague, the Japanese authorities have been active in investigating the number of cats main- tained and their relative value. The result of investiga- tions made by the police shows that there are 54,389 cats E kept in Osaka, a city of 1,500,000 population, the families “where cats are kept numbering 48,222. In addition there are 5,096 homeless cats. It is noteworthy that in certain asia of the city, recognized as more liable to plague, ; no cats are found. = APT W vasin tie laxgeat xiap in the, world ie the ordnance survey map of England. It contains indications _ of over 108,000 streets, and cost $1,000, 000. Twenty years " wer- reauired to complete the work. In this map we find my Scule‘varying from ten feet to one-eighth of an inch to ‘the mile. The details are so minute that sections having ascale of twenty-five inches show every hedge, fence, wall, building and every isolated tree. The plans show not ~ only the exact shape of every building, but every porch, 4 ee doorstep, lamp-post, railway and fire plug. 3 aac _ The battleship New York, with the record of being the . fastest ship of her size and tonnage in the world, docked 1e other day at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. She had been on a trial trip for a week off the Maine coast. It was learned that she had excelled the best mark of her sister ship, the Texas.. On her trial trips the latter registered 21.22 knots, while the New York is credited with 21.47 san hour. Off Rockland, and under favorable condi- ms, the new dreadnought developed a speed of 22.44 ots. There was never a lack, of steam since the ship ioe her trial. She ran for twenty hours at 21 knots am cno A sais from Belgium by the pies of an Eng- automobile trade journal tells of a most extraordinary f an automobile top. It seems that a British patro] ce seded in capturing a German touring car in which two rs were seated. ‘The motor had gas down and eae Aaa a te one receiver and, holding it was dumbfounded when che could plainly hear sp Following the wire he pulled eph . Rink # ee The ty 3 FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. CURRENT NEWS pA ct NBN ia Pleat wheel eae Bh RD oe cad Me Vy se Ries Re PER ABE ee aC «Ae a OAT lit Sarto ‘school determined to walk to Birmingham from Tusca- ehh wall ner ae their jeunt. gaa Saaicee 2 ¢ J skeleton formed the receiving wires ofa wireless telephone station, and the message came from the nearest headquar-| ters of the army corps to which the officers belonged. An attack in force on the White House in Washington is threatened by Mrs. John Laird, of Garfield, Ore., who announces her intention of bearing down on President Wilson with her family of ten children, weighing in the aggregate 2,085 pounds, or an average of 208 pounds p child. The heaviest, who is twenty years old, weighs 295 pounds; three others weigh 245 pounds each. The mother, of this ponderous family is, comparatively, a featherweight, tipping the scale at a paltry 185. The avoirdupois of the, father is not told. Such a family would have filled the’ day with joy for the colonel. It should quicken the won-| — der, if not the admiration, of President Wilson. Mrs. Laird is frequently heard to remark that “the President, just ought to see these lovely children.” Every time 1,000 feet of cut lumber is turned out 250 pounds of sawdust drops off in waste. In the province of British Columbia alone the annual lumber output is es-! timated at 1,850,000,000 feet. This means a avin waste of 236,250 tons. The theory that sawdust could be’ made worth more than a useless pile on a dump heap, or| coverings for barroom floors and icy sidewalks has long, been germinating. Now two British Columbia concerns! are beginning to compress sawdust into v.-cks, or briquets,| to be sold for fuel, and the same thing can be done in ~~ Washington, Oregon, Michigan and other timber States.’ It is estimated that the 236,250 tons of sawdust waste in “ British Columbia alone would be worth $1,417,500 if” turned into bricks at six dollars per ton. It is estimated ; that the cost, including depreciation, interest on the capi- — tal, insurance and other items, would average three dol- lars Fe _ 4 Pe Be Intense fone between the football teams of the Unis versity of Alabama and the Sewanee University was Te- cently emphasized when twelve students of the former loosa and back, fifty-nine miles each way, rather than | miss the game. These students were working their, way _ through college, and the¥ made the trip afoot as a matte of economy. It was either a ease of walk or miss” game. The party left Tuscaloosa in the afternoon spent the entire night on the hike. Te hike from Tn loosa to Birmingham was made by nine of the bun thirteen hours actual walking time, while three mem of the party covered it in eleven hours and twenty 1 utes, establishing a new walking record between the cities. The party reached Birthingham at 4:15. morning, rested unti] the game was called, saw it th then. hiked back to. Tuscaloosa. All declared &

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FAME AND FORTUNE E WEEKLY. ‘THE GALLANT TROOPER | j=! OR as ae FIGHTING FOR UNCLE SAM (st i By GASTON GARNE Bs (A ee STORY) . CHAPTER VII (continued) | next day was ordered out to the frontier where the atte Be “You poor, dear child,” she exclaimed," bustling up to | was thickest. x N Diana, and patting the pale cheek. “The captain has} ‘Strange as it may seem the next morning the first news _ told me all about your trouble,.and I am so sorry for you. | that greeted him was, that Gen. Custer would that day Come right along with me. You shall share my room, | Pass through Lake Forest on his way to the assistance of — A and it won’t fake me five minutes to make you a cup of his comrades on the frontier, consequently the sehool ~— } tea over my little spirit lamp. No one will know that you | Was thrown into a state of excitement, and immediately are in the building at all. Dear, dear, who would ever} after breakfast there was a rush to each boy’s room, a a think that Miss Skelton could treat you so badly. Poor hasty examination of buckles and buttons, hurried prepara- % =: lamb, you look tired out, but a good night’s rest will soon tions to make a good showing, and then they formed in a , i make you feel like a different person. Good-night, Captain body to march away and greet the gallant soldier whom } = Noble, I will take good care of her,” and she bustled out of they had never as yet seen. a _ the room, taking Diana with her, leaving Captain Noble Captain Noble had good reason. to be proud of hie ca 2. pring thoughtfully beside the table. school, and Vivian Merle’s heart beat high as with firm, id steady step they marched forward to ‘welcome the wet ies 1 . pal np Pe Custer. "e ne 4 On either side ofthe street he was to pass through they rf CHAPTER VIII. halted, forming in ‘two bodies, oné*on either side. of thei gi road. eh =a _ ORDERED TO THE FRONT. | Straight and erect everyone stood, shoulders well thrown es Fa an back, chest out. The bright morning sunlight shone full Bo During the commencement week at Lake Forest Mili-| upon the glittering bayonets, the shining brass buttons and — Pi . tary Academy rumors of the trouble with the Indians on splendid gold trimming of their handsome captain’s uni- he the frontier had been coming in thick and fast, and almost | form, and it is safe to add that every boy present” folt 4 ry day regiments were ordered out, until there was} himself to be a full-fledged soldier. ry ‘searcely any of the militia left in that part of the country.| Nearly an hour passed, and still the eagerly watched- “ And yet it seemed impossible to conquer the red demons} for hero came not. Many of the spectators had grown ~ y who | were ruthlessly slanghtering women and children, g¢ whole Villages i in spite of all the soldiers could do. ‘The awe of affairs troubled Captain Noble sorely, and at was one reason why he looked so 'grave after Diana a. gone with Mrs. Webb to her room. _ Another reason s that poor little Mrs. Golden in whom had become o strangely intorested, was unhappy at Lakeside Seminary. I had the courage I would like to ask the little _to marry me, but I beligve I would rather face annon than attempt a-proposal of that kind. She cer- y needs someone te look after her, heaven bless her,| I pats peu forlorn vena who longé for some com- weary of waiting, anid every now and then a low bide at Sir " follow ed by a hand-clapping, would run through the crowd. So motionless did the boys in uniform ‘stand that. en seemed like statues. The sun grew hotter and hotter, but they did not mind it, for were they not soon to see the gallant hero whom eh all eanctape their ears, follow, d 4 the ring of iron shod hoofs, a ae i in breathless silence the mass of men, and women leaned — forward, straining their eyes io catch a glitapse of hi Presently a cloud of dust arose and then a loud cheer burst from the waiting throng as the form of a hh and rider came into view at ‘the head of the long colu :| Cheer after cheer rent the June air, hats and handkerchie: were waved wildly as the gallant Custer came riding by mounted on his famous black horse “Satan.” First to the -| right and tien to the left the handsome general bowed, a- om lighting up his face. A less skillful rider coul n se rin! his seat in the freer for the big Sd i sud ‘seem as. t the | poor captain was ngle-blessedness mh the rest of his| ha

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Beye ee See rely Ape SS 11, his long, fair locks flowing carelessly over his ders, the sunshine lighting it to a living, burning then a strange thing happened. When he was just site a gothic house, close to the edge of the walk, a girl standing upon the baleony leaned far out, and ra large wreath of flowers toward the gallant rider. e same instant the black steed reared, and the garland ded for the master slipped over the horse’s head, ng about the smooth, satin neck. General Custer Kked up at the balcony, kissing his hand to his fair dmire} ‘and then rode on amidst cheers that drowned the of the music. It was a pretty picture, one never forgotten, and afterwards when word came back that ld. dauntless soldier had been murdered with all of gallant little band, men and women with tears in their ‘spoke of the day they last saw him when he rode , 2s he supposed to victory and triumph, the garland wen over the neck of the black horse Satan, almost as nous as his heroic master. They thought of him lying d among the Black Hills away from his home and ~_ hie ‘dauntless little army with him and they oi Noble congratulated Vivian Merle when they ned to the Academy, and he was more particular than after that about the drilling. Almost a week went _ The school year was ended, the beys were packing reparing to home for their annual vacation when, : thunderbo He filling in ‘their midst, -eame. this mes- from Gen. Scarlett, who was stationed at the garrison nearest the frontier where the: trouble was: together a volunteer conipany as quickly as you d come to our ‘Telief. Every troop called out. look worse than ever. No delay. Mie 3 “GENERAL SCARLETT.” CHAPTER IX. — ae ME GO IN HIS PLACE.” ing a lighted match to inflammable material. He old, soldier, and he loved the din of battle far better the aie lite he was then leading. The boom of the 2% s ayN8 roll of create m were mabe music to his ear “His eyes flashed, his ‘pattie ‘dilated, and, his" a back, he began pacing the room to. sme epowcer and smoke once more,” he citedly, “a nd I must say that T am glad. of weary of this dull, tame existence, the same over again from day to day: I must tell them in readiness. I know Vivian Merle =e will a great many of the others. : will show ‘the white feather at himself | a FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. ‘worried and perplexed. yet why. Spe a G 1 Baal time I notice he-is just as nervous at drill as ever. Poor fellow, I suppose he cannot help it.” It is not necessary for me to state that the news was received: joyfully by the boys at the Academy. They had longed for an opportunity to show what they were made of, and now they would soon have the chance, and their hearts beat high with hope at the thought. All save one were delighted, and the announcement that they were to go on to the frontier filled him with dismay. He trembled from head to foot, his face grew pale, his lips dried and cracked, and the boys aa to him, noticing it, turned away in disgust. ’ “He is the biggest coward I ever saw in all my life,” Charlie Root remarked contemptuously, “and he is a dis. grace to the school.’ = “Perhaps he does not like the idea of leaving the very charming Miss Sinclair,” Manuel de Garcia said with one of his eyil smiles. “He is not a coward,” Vivian Merle’s voice suddenly broke in, and they turned quickly about, for they did not know that he was anywhere near them. “He did not prove himself a coward on the day of the boat race. Cowardice is a word better applied to the scoundrel or scoundrels who so basely attempted my life. coward.” Muttering something beneath their breaths, they made an excuse to get away from him as quickly as they could. He stood watching them, a look of doubt and anxiety, dn, his eyes. “I do not know why it is, but I find it impossible to either trust-or like those fellows,” he muttered, shaking his head. “They neither one of them like me—I can sea it in their faces. Well, I have no time to waste on either fone now. There is something else to be done,” —~ they were to go the next day. Captain Noble was so very busy sitting everything in readiness that he saw but very little of any of his pupils. — He had ordered them to be ready to start at a pepe "4 notice, and he spent the greater part of his time in order- ing the articles that were to be taken with them. It was an entirely different thing going hundreds of miles away) ’ : from home and friend§ into a wild country, swarming — with hostile savages, than ‘simply drilling and living in 4 luxury at Lake Forest Military Academy. One was the other mere play, and the change was destined to turn - them from light-hearted boys into serious men, who at last. realized what war meant. On the night before their departure Captain Noble, having everything i in readiness for the morrow, sat. alone — in his study, awaiting the han of Diana le Grand, who was still there, He had sent word to her that’ he wished to see her | a few moments, and while he was waiting his face grew “TI do not know what to do with the child,” he x tered. “She cannot remain here, and she ‘cannot | re the Seminary, neither will she go back to Mada And shé has ne Bo ad to ios Poor’ ae and he — went to his own room to make pepetsoe to leave, tom - Pe Clarence Kendal is no

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ITEMS OF INDOOR ROWING TANK. of the perplexing problems encountered »y coaches of the various varsity racing shell crews, that of providing better means for winter training than is offered by the One the ordinary rowing machine, has been met satisfactorily at | Syraouse University through the installation of an indoor rowing tank, provided with mechanical means for stimu- lating the passage of the boat through the water, says Popular Mechenios. This provides what might almost be called a¢tual rowing, besides keeping the men in condi- tion. The tank proper is 60 feet in length and approximately 311% feet in width. The boat substituted for the regula-| . tion shell is launched in still water at the middle of the chamber, and held in place by springs which connect with upright iron rods. This arrangement allows sufficient so that the eraft rides naturally. In operation the eee effect is Ike natural rowing, except that the water moves ’ sand the boat remains stationary. The arrangement which engine and a number of propeller, the water is kept in constant circulation, mov- jng past the craft from bow to stern and then returning ‘through the coverts to be used over again. The engine ‘drives the water at a rate of about six miles an hour, while the oar pull increases this to eight miles, thus making the current and the resistance against the oars approximately ‘equivalent to that met in outdoor practice. i THE DAILY FOOD OF AN. ARMY. _ How an army in the field gets its food from day to day is an interesting story that is told in the special war edi- tion of the Scientific Amefican, from which the following a _ extracts are taken: ; .: The supply train of an infaptpy division carries two _ days’ field and grain rations. In the late afternoon or at} the end of a march or close of a combat the division com- -mander directs the field trains to move up immediately - in rear of the troops and informs the commanding officers of organizations that one day’s rations have been’ ordered to a designated place. An orderly is sent to that place _ to conduct the wagons to the organization ; after being un- tion of the ration section, That same night or early the a following morning the empty wagons are refilled from the | train, and this latter secures a renewal of its sup- from a designated point on the line of communica- «thor or is reloaded from a pertaining to the line’ of communications, if the distance from the end of that he zone St iy the per is so pie as. (oe FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. 3 loaded they return immediately and join the grouped por-| INTER REST 1. By consignments of supplies forwarded by the orvieed | of the line of communications amd distributed as above = pees indicated ; and : 2. By utilizing the resources of the country. 7: Tt is generally necessary to utilize to the fullest extent a the food, especially the forage, available in the theater of — operations, In former times the invader possessed the = right of booty and pillage, the resort to which was most — unfortunate far the army, as it embittered the population and compromised the safety of the troops in an enemy’s — country, and in the event of any real or imagined injury being done them it gave rise to redress and reprisals, A GREAT DISK, A gigantic glass disk, weighing nearly 5,000 ee — be used in the new telescope to be erected by the Canadian 4 government in Vancouver, has arrived in whic ahaie, Ta where it will be prepared for use. a9 A Pittsburgh company has the contract for grinding and polishing the disk, while a Cleveland concern oak build the mountings for the telescope. Commenting. on” the great disk and its journey to his plant, Doctor Jom PA: Brashear ssid; “The great glass disk for the immense reflecting tel se scope that is to be constructed for the Canadian gover! ment was shipped from St, Gobain, France, about a wee before war was declared, and it fortunately reached New. York by way of Antwerp. As the package was so large a and difficult to handle, the railroad was delayed in getting — a suitable car for shipping it to Pittsburgh, but it is no there. : ‘With a big wagon and by the aid of six horses and as many good men to. take care of its transportation, it was safely placed in our optical shop, although the doorjambs had to be torn out in order that the glass could be passe through it. The glass disk is 73 inches in diameter, 131 inches thick, and weighs very nearly 5,000 pounds, © “Doctor Plaskett, assistant to Doctor King, chief ‘tronomer of the Canadian government, visited. the wo the ‘finest pieces of glass ever cast for a. eas : ie E scope. The disk was then accepted by the Canadian au- thorities, . “The 100-inch disk for the Mount Wilson observ 1 another big one recently finished, was made by ri the contents of three pots or crucibles of glass into mold, and a great many internal imperfections unfortunately made, although the latest inves the glass show it to be practically perfect on i and great hopes are expressed by the astronomers at M Wilson that the large mirror is going te prove

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CHAPTER XIX (continued) e turned round and swam back to the beach. en Dick Decker, freed from the enemy, pulled his aah out into the ocean. on he was lost in the gloom of the night. iling ‘over with impotent rage, Captain Diablo stood the shore watching his mortal foe disappear. @ hurled execrations at him, but was powerless to do Gea: have pursued him in the other boat, but it 1 some time to start, and he knew that ; ae could not overtake the young sailor. ~ » The pirate chief remained on the alert, apprehensive of an “attack, oe) ae a ae ated or, he reasoned to hime if Dick Decker and "the “man ‘the pirates were pursuing were on the island, might |* hey not have companions? Blame the dogs! why don’t they come back?” he mut- | savagely. ass. in hand, he stood and waited. , thoxade? hava you brought back the scoundrel ” 2 without waiting for an gen he went on: arse not. I knew it. Your feet are weighted keel of a ship, or perhaps you were afraid. Ha, uiz rarely ventared to remonstrate with his chief, have done so’ on the deck of the Rattlesnake or on es’ Isle would have meant death. stranded on an unknown island, things were fferent. . in, there’s no want of coutage about us, as you | know. How many times have we faced death not seeing his man in this blackness.” not see him ?? <2 Sri once- only. "Then he aigioesce bog) = a we a ee FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. The Fight for the Pirate’s Isle CAPTAIN DIABLO’S LAST CRUISE d. will again? But by St. Iago, a man may be |. said the Sea Demon, in somewhat milder ac. |brought an oar down within a few inches of : my n’t| “He’s got a charmed life.” ue By ED. KING (A SERIAL STORY) in stanching the blood that flowed freely from his face and head. His only reply was a smothered oath. “Ha, ha!” laughed the Sea Demon, playing blind man’s buff.” “Hullea !” suddenly shouted Ruiz in excited tones. “One of the boats has gone!” ws The rest of the gang looked, and seeing the lieutenant — had spoken the truth, they exhibited much surprise, Captain Diablo was alone unmoved. “TJ, know it,” he said, calmly. ~ “You know it ?” repeated Ruiz. “Yes.” He smiled in a mysterious: manner. Then perhaps, captain, since you knew it had gone, you might, also kaew how it went. ” Ruiz was uneasy. He suspected some villainous plot on the part of the pirate chief to leave him, or at least some of the men, on the island, . “Oh, ves, [ know how it went,” laughed Captain Diablo. “Then for heaven’s sake tell us!” said Ruiz, impatiently. “Gently—gently, Ruiz, not so much hurry. Sit down, ‘ my friend, and have a smoke.” “You don’t like yy He took two cigars from his pocket as he spoke, and = handed the‘lieutenant one. ; | toe “Make the most of this, Ruiz. I have few left, and how . — long we shall be in this cursed place can’t be told. ” Then Re bowing in a mock polite manner he sometimes assumed —__ to the | rest of the band, he said: “Gentlemen, I’m sorry I a can’t offer you cigars as well.” E- Seated round the fire, in the darkness of the night, the men listened breathlessly to the words that fell from the = : chief's lips about Dick Decker. ° “Saw him! You bet I saw him.” aie ve Sek “But you may have made a mistake, ovata Vite hoe “Mistake? Nonsense! ‘Mistakes’ can’t row ts. That me requires men.’ oe ea don’t méan that, but that it wasn’t Dick Decker” — . a ahh ee a & stood in the beat, and if my Y pistol hadn’t tased me hed have been a corpse.” ene 3. if “Why didn’t you! follow him?” =e “Sor T did, and nearly got brained for my ‘trouble. ] ~ “Yes, but listen to the waves. ‘ark! how

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~ “Go on, my beauties,” be muttered. “please me better,” “You couldn’t © “But it will keep us on the island.” ee “What matter? The storm will send Dick hae to the bottom.” _ “You are right, captain. is his master. pet Rp.” 3 ~ Shortly it was light. He may resist us, but nature a Eagerly the men gazed on the water for some appear-. ance of the Boy Commander. ‘* But there was not anything moving to be seen onthe angry sea which was now a mass of foam. Against the rocks the waters beat furiously. “§ ~ “Guess he’s in Davy Jones’ locker by this time.” Bisa en es, Raz. y - “What shall we do? We don’ t dare to put ont to sea in es Chis awful gale.” es “It’s quite out of the seach Now it’s Het we ‘1 - search the island for that villain we ¢hased last night. el Dividing themselves up and leaving two men in charge of the boat, the rest started off with the. ge of cap- _ turing dh im Miller. / - CHAPTER XX..- eer ae , y; DICK VISITS THE PIRATES’ ISLE, Z a -... Dick Decker could never understand how he aevived ae age ‘that awful night. oF Soon after he had steered through the quiet water into ey "the open sea the storm rose i in all its fury. ~ Ns For a time he endeavored to keep the boat’s heag Ys the i d. Z But shortly this had to be abandoned. - The little craft was tossed hither and thit! ier like a dee, ‘ Pig Sometimes it was halt full of water. ‘ \ Dick, groping around in the dark, found a fin. i With this he sarc himself i ine valine out the water. rite Sor eraft, or that it would be dashed to Pleves on it h Pita not feel: quite ‘so nelilese as in the gah } I d anxiously. for the isa as he rose on} / FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. But.see, the sun’s just beginning to show’ water and a couple of hard biscuits, his strength w jin sight ? Byery moment ‘he: pant he a wicanlie ware Neils en-| % leave their haven until the storm moderated. bie pean they Pech be hore just yet, ? che mu | gerous passage. ive “By heaven! ust fully. ‘Ths ‘ashy still Vi oat try., Tw Drawing the cork, he turned the cask around and poure some of the contents into the tin he had used for bali “Water.” Dick Decker took a long drink and carefully rep the cork. To him at this moment the liquid was more pre than gold, \ For his life dgpended on it. Then he found in the locker at the enh a a c euits, old and stale, but still sufficient to sustain life. “Wonder how these things came here! Oh! I kno’ é recollect seeing one of the pirates chuck them in as tl were lowering the boat. Well, it ie very ae them anyway.” This is how his thoughts ran, Towards evening the sea’ began to moderate. Again, Dick took the sculls, and steering by the rowed in what he thought was the Lege of the Is Delight. From time to time he rested. slept heavily. When he awoke it»was daylight. : He felt thoroughly refreshed, and after » obi drin reat as ever. «_ : 4 “Can, my eyes deceive: me?” erie ola Fookedehround on the occan. “No, no!” he shouted, ‘dts no dream, is the. pira isle.” eS It was quite true. The boat had drifted in the storm a great distance, now it was riding on the waves not far’ trom, the en to Captain Diablo’ s stronghold, = Ue, ‘The situation was puzzling. “What was to be done? ; Should he mane about trusting to the Albatross But then regaiehee not Captain Diablo, ond hi along in the other boat? gi . - Dick Decker naturally, assumed that: Wes wou X hin a visit. -, No one but. Captain Diablo knew a FM do it ‘sclained Diablo carefully when ae sper the brig i out re g008. foreste 9c ; . himself with the two Fanti ‘

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FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. WE WANT YOU TO READ Weekly Magazine devoted to Photoplays and Players oe Absolutely the finest little publication on the news-stands aa BH PRICE 5 go-sbieg bry COPY Sz ISSUED EVERY FRIDAY - < THIRTY-TWO PAGES BEAUTIFUL COLORED COVER Desicxs ace FINE HALF-TONE FRONTISPIECES ‘chs portraits of actors and actresses every week - Gota@ copy of this weekly magazine And see what itis EVERY NUNIBER CONTAINS 2 ix Grtoptne Stories, based on the latest and best films, each profusely illustrated with fine half-tones of scenes in the 2 Photographs and Biographies of the most celebrated Photeplay actors and actresses. | Special Articles relating to Moving Pictures, written by the greatest authorities in the film business, 7 / News Notes from the studios about the doings of everybody of prominence connected with the Photoplays. Scenario Hints and the nates of all the companies who may buy the plays you write. Poems, Jingles, Jests and every bright feature calculated to interest both young and old. : GET A COPY NOW trom your newsdealer, or send us 5 cents in money or postage stampa, and we will mati ; She, latest number issued. sid _ ote FRARNK TOUSEY, Fublisher 68 8 West 23d Street return with the season’s catch. Revillon Fréres and inde- * orn frnit crower of Citrus Heights near Sacramento, | pendent traders who also have trading posts throughout produced: one of the biggest apples ever grown in|ile great north land are taking a simile: view. While mento,or any other county. A great White Astra- nothing has as yet been done by the government, it is 1 it was, weighing twenty-nine ounces, seventeen inches | likely large amounts of supplies will be shipped by scow cireumference, and sixteen inches around measuring by | down the Athabasca and other rivers into the far interior, Ww of the stem. Another, only a trifle smaller, weic chad to elleviate the suffering. y-five ounces, and three others, weighing sdieveed nity ounces each, came from the same rep. The Alaska-Canada boundary from the St. Elias Range straight north along the 141st meridian to the Arctic ; : Ocean has been in progress since 1907, and is reported &: oe aa Fee for 2 aivok Lean with to have been completed during the past summer. This dead ‘trains. He announces that his’ plans -heve heen undertaking was notable for several reasons. No other pleted and a satisfactory system has been developed, | 1.oder boun dary demarcation has extended into such high bre he is able to talk with a moving train a hundred latitudes, and few boundaries of equal length anywhere. Aa: the wireless transmitting station. Wire-1 +, tho wotld are so straight; the line follows the meridian Pe ations are tobe established at Grand Island and| without the slightest der viation, regardless. of mountains, eae" Prone and stag River, Wyo, swamps and forests. Wherever “the ‘boundary passes ei 3 {through timber and brush a 20-foot clearing has been _ made. Monuments have been: set up along the entire line, at points visible from each other 3 generally at distances of three or four miles. At important points these monu iments are 5- foot shafts of aluminum bronze, weighing 30 pounds, set in 2,000 pounds. of concrete. The .bou a is Hy miles one pee: is parked. ie about. 200° acai ‘+s; s Ye af % : thousand ‘Northern tating sire Shtatsaed ing to war closing European fur mar- sn nee Company explains that owing to et'for its present surplus | and, thus the usual supplies which in past - years. the geass 0 debt, for, pending his

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FAME AND FORTUNE WEERLY. : : Fame ae Fortune Weekly The latest ane prove that the finest pea not formed by the oyster as a coating for grains of s but to protect itself against a microscopic insect enemy, sort of fluke, known as the diatoma. The substance of” which a pearl is formed isa secretion caused by a dis- — eased condition of a portion of the oyster’s anatom: i Pearls all over the world’ have exactly the same compete tion, namely, water, calcium carbonate, and a certai amount of organic or animal matter. As the pearl irae at present over $3,000,000 a year, it is safe to say that Postage Free. cther known disease yields such valuable results. Th NEW YORK, » DECEMBER 11, 1914. _ | TERMS TO SUBSCRIBERS | HOW TO SEND MONEY —At our zink send .0. Monog Grder, Check ’ or Registered Letter; remittancss y other ws at your risk, s ey Fos Soeonss uj send enane ilar other ar Set iss silver most valuable specimen found in recent years was secured wrap the Coia ina separate piece per toavoid ousting the off the north coast of Australia. It consisted of nihe pe | ope. Write yosr name and address plauiniy. Address letiers Tg A+ th thaiah f ifi oe t | Brucare Toussr, Prosiceet : Frank Tousey, Publisher jgine ogether in the ape of a crucilix, mos perfe 168 West 23d St., N. Y. in shape. It js known as ie Southern Cross, and was’ sol for $50,000. B. Maermes, Tresearer Ques. & Neeson, Secretary GOOD CURRENT NEWS ARTICLES es ' Having missed considerable honey from an apiary on GRINS AND CHUCKLES : i his farm in Milan Township, near Milan, Ohio, William|~ “Faith, Mrs aoe how d’ye till thim twins apart 4 } Weikel set a trap for the suspected thief. The miscreant | “Aw, its aisy. I sticks me finger in Dinny’s mouth, ‘ an proved to be a large black skunk. if he bites I know it’s ashe = “One thing I like about our new man,” said a idei Ne the firm to his partner, “is that he is reliable. You ¢ always tell what he is going to do next.’ » “And what that?” “Nothing.” ‘ 4 n=. Speed. of more than sixty miles an hour was deeeioste by the Disturber IV., a forty-foot hydroplane, owned by James A. Pugh, of Chicago, i in a trial spin on Lake Michi- gan Tecently. The speed is said to be the greatest a boat was ever ridden. Its engine turned 1,600 revolutions a - minute. New Barber preisering to shaving iupy-aTsae your ’ fae mug, Mr. O'Reilly? O’Reilly—Say, Misther Barber, _ Oi’ll break your face if ye git personal. Do ye see onythii fancy about my mug? : + The largest catch of big game ever made was accom- plished near Buttonwillow, Cal. George S. Palmer, head eattleman for Miller & Lux, sprung the great trap and ~-eaught 150 elk. At a signal fifty vaqueros closed in be- hind, nearly the last of the thousands in the San Joaquin. a ‘a ~ Dry Everman, director of the California Academy of ‘Sciences, will distribute the elk to parks in the State. 4a “Any objections to my smoking here?” asked the offer ively cheerful man as the yessel gave another disquie' : lurch. “None,” zeplien the pale chap in the steamer “here—or hereafter!” ' Employer—What! You want a raise? Why, wh was an office boy, I had to work five years before I got on Bey—Yessir; but perhaps you were one of those fathe e kids that ain’t worth a raise. ‘Three boys who shipped themselves in a reinforced, _ upholstered piano box from Binghamton, N. Y., to Colma, ~ @al., as freight, were discovered when a sweating truck- “man “dumped the box on the floor of the Erie freight house ‘in Chicago. The travelers are Willard E. Mon- _ tague, Carl Espe and William Fox, They wanted to go to a “ranch owned . -by Mortague’s. unele, and not having the _ yailroad fare they had shipped themselves in the piano box iad a stock of canned ane They had .been travel- “You handle large sums ‘of money in this Ri E lion or more in every act.” “TI see,” said Yorick 1 H “And you must handle it as if you were used to it. ‘ “T see. Could you let me have a two-dollar ‘bill to. reh with?” © = Banker Sussell (who with his friends has mad r 1 cursion into the woods, is summoned. by his serv, brings important, ae however did you - storie old Sheepshead Bay racetrack, Brooklyn, te es has ‘been sold. The course, it is reported, is to be “ tritiafbimod into’ a huge motordrome for automobile and bottles. es east An ‘Teiahe ‘recruit, Gn a Biticn: ‘tid y -| face badly swollen, “ane “T want to know wha epee eed ‘tract embraces 430 acres, Hier wren too - The medi al j ‘said to have been financed} the offending mo nformed th

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A QUEEN’S By D. W. Stevens CRIME. of the most glorious names in the history of Sweden wf Gustdvus Adolphus, the great defender of the ot faith. er Gustavus Adolphus the arms of Sweden attained gree of proficiency and power they had never before jeved, and when he fell at the great battle of Lutzen the civilized world wept. ‘was a raw, dark, foggy morning when the king, riding 2 ¢ head of one of his regiments, which had been tem- arily checked by the masses of imperialists which essed Apon it, was betrayed by his near-sightedness, and dd y found. himself surrounded by the enemy. decimating volley swept down all his attendants, and king was left alone upon the field, wounded and dying, the thrust of a lance completed the work of death. he next day, when the Swedes had beaten the enemy and moyed on in pursuit of the retreating imperialists, a of the wounded, who had been left behind, rolled, with abor, a large stone to the spot where the king had , and roughly. -eut upon’ it, “G. A,, 1632,” the initials ot the monarch, and the date of the battle, . : —— remains. pre ah as a more than two ig rt “monument, has since d over it. tavus’ only child and heir was.a daughter named a, seven years: of age, and the parliament was : =) they demanded to see her. was placed before them, and, after eyeing her in- one of them exclaimed: she has the eyes and nose of Gustavus Adolphus. ue our queen!” and she was e antinionay ac- eased her majority. queen was never popular. feta SA masculine, and acquired few of the 2 *« rapidly Sioksnat the respect the na- tained for her as the daughter of their great nd when, in a ¢ religion for which her illustrious father had its nee became exhausted, and the queen . FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. “T cannot rest here where I was so lately a crowned sovereign,” was her answer. And so, amid the gathering darkness and the rapidly falling rain, the daughter of the great Gustavus quitted her country forever. Her subsequent life was spent mostly at Rome and Paris. ; Catholic sovereigns everywhere extended her a cordial welcome, and she drifted from court to court, accepting honors and flatteries from those who had directed armies against her father and her country. Seandal followed her wherever she went; her enemies found ample opportunities for censure, and her best friends ample occasion for regret. It was at Fontainebleu, however, that she ecammitted, or . caused to tbe committed, the crime that will blacken her character forever. / Among the attendants which she had, gathered around her was an Italian, Count Monaldeschi. Between him and another Italian gentleman of the ex- queen’s suit, named Sentinelli, a bitter quarrel had long existed, and as both were on intimate terms with her,| each industriously sought to prejudice her against. the other. One day Monaldeschi charged Sentinelli with treachery, and declared that any man who would betray the affection — or confidence of his mistress was worthy of death. The ex-queen, whose confidence in Monaldeschi had been somewhat shaken by the tales of his adversary, smiled at the remark, and charged him to remember it, for she: might yet be called upon to act upon his judgment. A few months after this conversation she sent a note to. ; Father Lebel, her confidant and pee estes request= ing to see him at o He found her in great + the treachery of some of her most trusted attendants, ey, proof of hase had just come to her hands. The reverend father attempted to calm her indigadiien:: but she would listen to nothing, and, placing a package of papers in his hands, and requesting. him to mark them, and note the day and hour they came into hs possession, she dismissed him. Ten days elapsed, and Father Lebel was waited upon, by a messenger from Christina, requesting him to call at a certain hour alone, and bring the packet she had pre viously intrusted to his care. He went, and was shown into «lange bell in an unoo- cupied wing of the palace. Christina was in animated conversation with Maniatbeas “Rg chi, and three stalwart men were perpeeagecd her. The door was carefully locked, and they were left pea 2e The ex-queen’s manner toward the ¢ changed. f ice be > 4 “< thin duddenly, 3 She demanded the packet from Lebel, opened it, and 5 en several letters which she handed to the ¢ 3s

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— Se The count trembled, and, seizing the ex-queen’s -hands, declared that he could explain all. She listened impatiently, walking rapidly from one side of the room to the other, he following, vehemnenyy. utter- ing his protestations. When he finally ceased, she having said nothing in the meantime, she catne and stood before the priest, and de- _ sired him to bear witness how calmly and patiently she’ had listened to all that that traitor had said. ee She then turned to him, and demanded certain keys and , documents. He handed them over, when Christina, approaching the priest, said solemnly: “Father, I leave this man in your hands; prepare him for death, and have care of his soul.” She turned to leave; but, horror-stricken, both the priest and the intended victim detained her, fell at her feet, and “implored mercy, but all in vain. ‘ “He has done that,” she said, “for which he deserves to - tbe broken alive. on the, wheel. He has betrayed me—he, ' who was trusted with my most important affairs, and my most secret thoughts. I have treated him more kindly -.. | ‘than if he had been a brother. His own conscience should _ © be his executioner.” { - The deor closed behind her and she was gone. epee Ee unhappy count turned to Father Lebel, but the . “three assassins made a step forward, drew their swords, + and recommended him to confess. The poor wretch begged so piteously for life that the “murderers were touched with compassion, and their chief, accompanied by the father, sought Christina in her pri- _. vate apartments, and made another effort to soften her resentment. \ The priest was especially urgent, and implored her by - the love ofvheaven, by the offended majesty of the King ef France, whose palace’ would be desecrated by the aci, and by the good name she would imperil forever, to. re- ae consider her resolve. .» «She stood firmly on her right in punish a traitorous ys ae ‘subject—a right she. had expressly reserved: in her org wa a » tion, protested that she had no personal hatred to Monal- » degchi, but again exclaimed: — a must die.” . ; , The priest returned sorrowfully to. the hall, where the en trembling culprit awaited his doom. Lebel shook his head, and the count groaned in agony. man for the fate which now seemed inevitable. t wasa touching scene, for the priest was smitten with a Z = pity, be the penitent was almost i less with FAME AND F ORTUNE WEEKLY. : The priest took a seat, and did J his best to prepare the -| copted. 4 ihe mystery remains a mystery still. ; | everywhere excited disgust and horror, | longer delay was impossible, and, pushing him into a ner thrust his sword into his right side. ; The wounded man frantically caught at the wea and as the assailant drew it back, three fingers were from the victim’s hand. The point of the sword was broken, and it was di 20 ered that Monaldeschi wore a steel coat of mail. On making this mae his assailant cut him across the face. The mutilated rian cmc, and rushed into the arms of the priest. The executioners stepped aside a moment at the oes request, while he hurriedly performed the rite of absol tion, and enjoined upon the unhappy man, as a penance, patient endurance of the death he was about to suffer. — The good offices of the clergyman finished, the y staggered from his arms and fell, receiving as he sank the floor a terrible cut on the head, whish fractfred ] skull. He retained his consciousness, however, and as lay helpless and bleeding, he made a sign to one of ' to end his nuisery. At this sign, one of the men made two or three cuts his neck, but the struggle had pushed up the coat of 1 so that the blows were ineffectual. Father Lebel meanwhile exhorted the dyi ing man to. fer patiently. Hh yee On hearing the exhortation, the chief of the exec ition ers asked-if he should deal the deathblow...- The priest replied that he had no counsel to. give, that his mission was to beg for mercy, not to enforce justice # Once again the door of the room softly opened, ane officer aforementioned appeared. The half-murdered man, mutilated and covered blood, saw him, and, dragging himself along ‘the floo 5 e tended his hands as if pleading for mercy. ‘When he breathed his last, they all returned t i queen, to inform her that her calor 4: had been J pire ; ‘The room was closed, and ree corpse. catamticn turbed until Monday—the murder. was committed o urday—when it was eee removed to the parish ck masses. for the repose of the soul. The queen’s crime was then complete. © What the precise nature of Monaldeschi’ s crime never been: korown, , f ‘The letters the queen, erlnbiett as his are suppose | have: contained some scandal about her, ant were Yr They were ‘des strayed: as soon as the eourht was / Tt was in vain Christina claimed t

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4 FAME AND FORTUNE WEEK ce NEWS OF ~ The first postoffice ever established was in Vienna, Aus- tria, nearly four hundred years ago, in 1516. From this : » office mail was sent to Brussels, Belgium, where a postoffice was later established. Posts were established regularly i twcan London and the principal towns throughout Eng- “land in 1635. Postage stamps were introduced in Eng- Jand in 1840, = in the United States in 1847. __ The beach in the vicinity of Playa del Rey, Cal., is lined with hundreds of tons of seaweed washed up by the tides. In the seaweed were’ hundreds of fish, tangled in the _ meshes. Fishermen believe the presence of so much weed indicates either an eruption at the bottom of the ocean or a heavy storm at sea. The city will be put to the neces- ity of carting it all away. Some of the fish washed up _ are members of the shark family and measure! three feet in Jength. Innumerable small sand crabs came up with R mot Ay m<"fondly under her wings. For five days ihe hen eared for the baby swallows. ‘The sixth (day Mr. Campbell, the owner of the ee hen, went to the poultry yard and ons Seas themselves ‘Chvetats are engaging in a war of ‘annihilation contrary to the teachings of the Prince This, they say, indicates that the power of ity i is waning, that so-called Christian civilization = a veneer, and that thé inconsistencies of nom- | nations are the greatest obstacles to mis- jae os pe { 1 iain and barbarism, as will be seen curred in Oklahoma: “The bride was hand- attired | in pink silk foulard, with pink silk ribbon e collar and cuffs, black hat with yellow and| ‘trimmings, green veil and black gloves. ‘The eoroom, wore: the conventional black,\except his coat, “béing 2 warm day, he had left at’ Pee, He 2 =. | an ense/eagle wing.” As Oa tee old, collapsed while lifting the sixteenth glass to his Tips.) 3 when he grew ill. i |e but shock his head and started. to drink th ‘THE DAY little over 7,000,000,000,000 tons. Of this store Great Britain has available for use about a fiftieth part, or, ac- cording to the best estimates, 145,000 millions of tons. One would hardly believe that Great Britain, though it has hardly reached the fulness of its growth or the full de- velopment of its civilization, consumes more than one hun- dred and fifty millions of tons each year, a rate of con- sumption that would exhaust her whole store in about nine hundred years. The world’s store, it is estimated, will be exhausted in about two thousand years. An automobile club at Knoxville, Tenn., has offered fifty dollars reward for the conviction of the guilty party who placed about a peck of tacks on the Islahome pike, which is, traveled by President Plyly of the club on his way to and from home. The act is attributed to desire for re- venge on the automobile club for tearing down advertising signs along pikes. President Plyly has removed several hundred signs during the last few months. The tacks -| were picked up by the automobile people, and they have ae ht, namely, to see an old hen feed four baby swallows and cuddle” them’ been traced to a certain firm doing business in another city that advertises tacking signs on fences and trees. The. tacks punctured the tire of a well-known Beets who was making a call upon a patient. In the jungle near Naina Ta, says a Bombay letter, a wild-looking creature, apparently a human female child,’ has been found. That she is human is proved by the — fact that there are vaccination marks on both arms, but — exposure to the elements has caused a thick growth of, f -| hair down each side of the face and spine, which makes |_ her appearance more like that of a monkey than a human Pe bejng. There is evidence to show she has always walked; upright, but her sitting posture is that of a monkey, ag are all her actions. She was very much frightened when’ first caught, and cried and whimpered. She would eat) only grass and raw potatoes, but later was induced to tf bread and milk. She is unable ‘to talk, but there is 10 doubt that she can hear. Ne Having made a wager in Harry Cooper’s saloon, in Philadelphia, Pa., that he could drink twenty i whisky in as many minutes, John Langer, forty-two years He died, a short time later, in the back room of the saloo After the wager was made, the little glasses were line up on the bar and Langer started. Taking each at a . gul he passed down the line until he came to the fi “Plenty. of-time,” said the bat back and sit down for n moment.” Langer sai

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STRANGE FINDS IN BOOKS. City libraries are prolific producers of odd incidents. Articles of every kind and description are found in re- turned volumes. There is, for example, a well-known bookmark, endeared to its owner by some association, which has been found in returned books at least one hun- ldred times. On two occasions indorsed checks were dis- ‘covered between the leaves of works of fiction. ‘he first check, for a large sum of money, was left by a young girl, who quickly realized her loss, and came back breath- * fless to find the check still in the book just where she had left it. The second check was in a book returned by a young man one evening just before the library closed. He was waiting, haggard “and: wan, on the doorsill when the wilding was opened next morning, and stated that as the check belonged to his brother, who was ignorant of the logs, the night had known no sleep for him. As may be imagined, letters are left in books by the wholesale. If igealed, addressed, and lack a stamp, it is supplied, and they are sent on their way. But opened letters addressed to ‘persons not known are kept a reasonable length of time ‘and then destroyed. Spectacles and even scissors are fre- quently found, but usually claimed by the owner. Occa- sionally when subscribers desire some book not in the li- brary collection it is purchased and added to the list. Sey- ~ ‘eral “years ago a subscriber asked for a little volume enti- tled, “Monologues of the Dead.” It was bought. Weeks later, and after the gentleman’s death by suicide, the book was: Cine ne EY | MARANVILLE ACCEPTED 980 CHANCES IN GAMES DURING PAST SEASON. _ If/any proof were needed of the exceptional speed of ‘Walter Maranville, shortstop of the Boston Braves, the ; _- evidence might be found in the fielding averages for the _ Beason which has just closed. The “Rabbit” did not lead Pa the shortstops. Of the regulars, both Wagner and Jack pln topped him, but Maranville in 156 games accepted 980 chances. The best previous mark for the number of chances accepted by a shortstop was 955, which was made twenty-two years ago by Allen, of the Phillies. KE Maranville made more errors than many of the short- stops in the National League, but this is easily explained on account of the amount of ground he covered: No less than 6 572 assists were credited to him. Fletcher always has -considered a wide roaming shortstop, but his record f assists last season was only 433. The best that Wagner guld do was 455. not content with one marvel Boston prodéesd® an- ‘Tris Speaker, center fielder of the Red Sox, shat- rd on vious record for an outfielder belonged 2 Cubs, who accepted FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. INTERESTING ARTICLES structing new snares when the old ones are destroyed. B his account. Speaker handled 56 chances. Ag soon as a spider’s web-constructing material has to| exhausted and its last web destroyed, it sets out i setanna a Epitope snaps gulbmogtit to d covering ability may Rontenbiges unig pect aah the 1 death of the Milan, speediest of the Senators, In 158 games Speaker | ye made 427 put-outs. In 116 Milan made exactly 235. The only man who came within one hundred of | Speaker’s put-out record was Bert Shotten, of the Browns, who captured 359 flies in 155 games. Speaker’s superiority — in throwing was-almost as manifest, as he made 29 as- _ sists, compared to 21 for Harry Hooper, of the Red Sox, his nearest throwing rival in the league. cee Perhaps the most worthy rival for Tris Speaker was Sol George Burns, in the National League. Playing most of the time in left field, where the number of chances is 4) slightly less than in center, Burns in 154 games made 323 put-onts, He threw out 23 men. 9 THE REASONING POWER OF A SPIDER. The instinct of-the spider is always an interesting sub+ — ject for study. - Recently a naturalist placed a small spider in the center of a large spider’s web some four feet above _ ground. The large spider soon rushed from its hiding © place under a leaf to attack the intruder, which famupone —~ of the ascending lines by which the web was secured to: “i the foliage. The big insect gained rapidly upon the little one, but = the fugitive was equal to the emergency, for when barely — an inch ahead of the other it cut with one of its rear legs + the line behind itself, thus securing its own escape, the ferocious pursuer falling to the ground. Ae The naturalist says: “It is not the habit of apie to = eut the slender thread below them when they are ascend- ing to avoid some threatened danger unless there is a hole close at hand—and a hole’ that is known to be unoccupied.” From this it would seem that the little creature’s action was the result of some sort of reasoning. Instinct led it to run away, but it must have been something more thi instinct that led it to sever the line, and cut off the pur- suit. The same naturalist says that spiders are cannibals, an that they are naturally pugnacious. But they do not ‘fg for the satisfaction of eating one another. “When two spiders fight there is generally a very good reason $ the attack and the vigorous defense that follows. “Tt is generally known that after a certain time spi become incapable of spinning a web from lack of mate The glutinous excretion from which the slender are spun is limited, therefore spiders cannot keep el they can avail themselves of the web-producing peony their younger neighbors, and this they do without seru;

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BOY'S SLING-SHOT Just the thing to hit \tar- ets, dogs, rats, or any other Smali It has a solid rubber strap. Shoots etraight, and works as t- fast as ligh ,iing. The very best shooter on the market. Price, 15 cents each, by mail, post- Paid y NOVELTY CoO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥. TRICK COIN HOLDER. — The coin holder is at- tached to a ring made so as to. fit Gnyone’s finger. The holder clasps tightly trig ages en the ring is placed on the finger with the coin showing on the psalm 0% the hand and offered in change it cannot be Picked up. A nice way to tip people. Price by mail, postpaid, 10c. each, H. F. LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’klyn, N. ¥. VANISHING PACK OF CARDS. : You exhibit a neat black card cease, you request from the pang loans a ring, a Fuge et, or other jew ar- ticles. ‘Ou b to fill the case with a pack of cards. After doing #0, the pack of cards disappear from the case, and the jewelry novelties ap- pear instead. Price, 85c. by mail, postpaid. FRANK SMITH, 383 Lenox Ave., N. Y¥. INDIAN FINGER TRAP. A couple can be joined tesether and their oe gie to be released only wilh hold then” aa then w eC them as tig! @s & rat-trap, and the more they try to pull away, the Signer pgs Our traps are extra long. ce, each; for 25¢e. b mail, postpaid. om 73 WOLFF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥. pide s -_.. ne er HAPPY HOOLIGAN JOKER. With, this joker in the make Hot ey. time, Complete with _rub- ber ball a tubing. Price, 16e. by mail, pestpaid. C. BERK, 150 W,. 624) 8t, New York City. FALSE MUSTACHE AND BEARD. ~ ’ bean- | metal hendle, with powerful | This-is a novelty whereby you can ~ make a great number of changes; in fact, you can so disguise yourself that your best friend won't know \ you. This mustache and beard are so made that you can fix the same to your face and they will stay on. They are a very valuable acquisi- tion to your make-up when you,mask or when ou take part in some amat@yr theatrical. .Price by mai), postpaid, 10c. a set; 3 for 25c. WOLEF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥. MAGIC PIPE. A cardboard finger, carefully bandaged with linen, and the aide ane blood-stained. When you sifp it en your finger 4 show it to your ds, just | give a groan or two, | nu se tt up, and pull | @ look of pain. You will get nothing but sympathy until you give them the laugh. Then duck! Price, 10c., postpaid. WOLEF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥- IMITATION CUT FINGER. | | SPIRIT SLATE-WRITING.—No trick has ever puzzied the scientists more and created e mater sensation than the famous spirit- w Rings which appear between seated slates wh ih b - freely eden shown cleaned, care- ggethee and given to a spectator to Bid. Thege spirits answer questions. Sold by us complete, slates and secret. No chem- ical used. Price, 75c¢. H. F. LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’kiyn, N. ¥. | THE MULTIPLYING CORKS.—A small round box is shown to be empty and one of ors is allowed to place three corks in it. e cover is out on and the box is handed to one of the spectators, who, upon removing the cover, finds six corks in the box. Three of the corks gre now made to vanish as mysteriously as they came. Very deceptive. | Price, 15, | H. F. LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’klyn, N. Y¥. | SURPRISE PERFUME BOTTLE. Those in the joke may freely smell the perfume in the bottle, ths the uninitiated, on removing in @ cork will receive the contents his hends. This is a simple = ae gets ee ati, Tice, . @ac y m pest- paid; 3 for 25c, ) H. F. LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’klyn, N. ¥. THE PHANTOM FINGER. As these fingers are cast in moulds in which @ person’s fin- gers have been entased, they are a lffelike model of the same. The finger can be made to pass threugh a person’s hat or coat without Injury to the hat or gar- ment. It appears to be your own finger. A perfect illusion. Price, I5c.; 2 for 25e., pestpaid. | WOLEF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥. Made of @ regular corn. cob pipe, with rubber figures inside; by blowing threugh the stem the figure will jump out, Made in following fig- ures: rabbits, donkeys, cats, etc. Price, 10¢., postpaid, WOLFF NOVELTY Co., 29 w. 26th St., N. ¥. —e—eee—— THE TOM-TOM DRUM. Hola the drum in one hand snd with the thumb of the other ie MZ against the side of the =r manipulate the drumstick a the fingers of the same hand (as indicated in the cut). - * With practice it is possible to attain as great skill as with a real drum. The movable sounding board can be adjusted for @ither heavy or Hsht playing. Th, re da Sxtensively in schocls tor marching. aT ee Price, 10e. each, delivered free. 0. BEHR, 150 W-. 62d St, New York City. ee THE LirrLE GEM TELEPHOYE. The transmitter in this telephone is made from the imported hment; with ordinsry use will lest a long time; can be made in any length by” addin cord; the only ri telephone for the } up in a neat box; Beef ge how 5 aa | NOVELTY CO, 29 W. 26th Bt... 1." ¥. pir aR, LSS aie Se See THE GHRMAN OCAEINO, A handsome metal instru- ment, made in Germany, from whijch peculiar but sweet music can be produced, | Its odd shape, which regem- | bles a torpedo boat, will attract much atten-— tion. We send instructions with each instru- ment, by the aid of which anyone can in a short time play any tune and produce very sweet music on this odd-looking instrument. | | Price, 10c. by mail, postpaid, WOLFF NOVEL?Y CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥. SCARF-PINS. - Genuine Sterling Silver Scarf-pins of va- : rious designs. They are set with two bril- Hant Rhinestones. These pins retail for 50 cents in all jewelry stores. Price by mail, postpaid, 15 cents each. H WOLEF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 2%th St., N. ¥. | LOTS OF FUN =m " Ventriloquist Double Throat 5 ‘ Pita roof of mouth; always lovisible; grestost 7 yet. Astontab, aud mystify your iriends. Neigh like shares; whine like « puppy; al like « canary, and imitate birds and beasts the Seld and forest. Leads ef Fun. Wonder- fal tuventjon, Thousands sold. Send e dime and «2c stemp for one dozen. DOUBLE THROAT €D., Qept. K, Frenctitown, Mi , rs | NOVEL TIES— tiviiraded ctiblogue trea, EL co.. Dept. C, Mount Vernon, N. ¥. 0° band EXCELSIOR NO Auderson Keaity Bidg., H FY Flash eur“‘Millica Wi a are dsadjes.Easy move +4 and Go Dope es, WINONA, arr vik ivy easas® : ey beall ness aD 6 Sune to please-you. Money back If 3 WOMAMY L553 sth Ave. Now York City. MAGIC CARD BOX.—A very cleverly made box of exchanging or vanishing cards. In fact, any number of tricks of this character can be performed by it. A very necessary magical accessory. Price, 15e, i. &. LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’klyn, N. Y¥. THE CAMERA CIGAR HOLDER. A beautiful ebonized cigar holder that takes pictures. Every smoker who loves fun will want one togntertain his friends. We furnish with Gach holder ma- térial, all prepared, fer making six different photographs, and guarantee every paper to produce a completely finished photograph if directions are followed. Directions—Take holder epart at the joints, roil up one of the — blank papers (six furnished with each holder) and insert it in the holder. Put the holder together and smoke a cigar for one minute. A beautiful finished photograph will &@ppear on the paper, which can be taken out and preserved for years. Price of holder, with six dDlank pictures, 1@c.; $3 for 25c. by mail, postpaid; extra blanks, 5c. per dozen. C. BEHR, 150 W. 62d St., New York City. CARTER AEROPLANE No. 1. Will sd on @ horizontal Mne 150 feet! Can be flo in the house, and will no injure itself nor enythin: in the room. The most per- fect little seraplane made, The motive power is os nished by twisted rubber ba: contained within the tubpiar body of the ma- chine. It is actuated ty & propeller at each end revolving in oppose , r) directions. Variation in height may talried by moving the planes and the balance weight. It can be made to fly either to the right or the left by moving the balance side- wise before it is released for flight. Price, Bbc. each, delivered. WOLFF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥, THE SURPRISE BOUQUET. The best practical joke of the mn. This beautiful buttonhole bouquet is made of artificial flowers and leaves which so closely resemble natural flowers that not one person in a thousand would detect the difference. After placing the bouquet in your buttonhole you call the attention of a friend to its beauty and fragrance. He will very naturally step forward and smell of it, when, to his utter astonishment, a fine stream of ter will be thrown Into his face. Where the water comes from is @ mystery, a8 you com have your hands at your side or behind you apd not touch the bouquet in any manner You can give one dozen or more persons 2 shower bath without removing the bouq from your buttonhole, and after the water is exhausted !t can be immediately refilled with out removing it from your coat. Cologne desired. he | be used in place of water when have many funny things in our stock, nothing that excals this. Price, complete <3 erie py ee wad portpalae ve ds or ‘or . WOLFF OT ELES COe 22 Ww. st. N. % sate HS

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ae — CHINESE RING PUZZLE. Here is a genuine “corker.” The object is to remove the handle from the rings. Made 4 4 of polished brass and each one in a box. The bar can be taken out and replaced in less than five minutes without bending the rings or bar, when you know how to do the trick. Price by mail, postpaid, 10c.; 3 for 25c. ©. BEHR, 150 W. 62d St., New York City. MYSTERIOUS SKULL. Shines in the dark. The most frightful ghost ever shown. A more startling effect could not be found. Not only will it afford tremendous amusement, but it is guaranteed to scare away bur- glars, bill coNectors, and bcok #4 agents. It cannot get out of order f and can be used repeatedly, Price, 4x5 inches, idc.; by mail. WOLFF NOVELTY O0O., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥. JUMPING JACK PENCIL. This pencil is made up CM in handsome style and SEs looks so inviting that po 5 every one will want to look at it. The natural thing to do is to write with it, and just as soon as your friend tries to write, the entire inside of the pencil files back like a jumping Nosy” will be frightened sti our best pencil tricks and you will have @ hard job try!ng to keep it. Your friends will try to take it from you. Price by mall, post- pald, 10c, each. 2 A. A. WARFORD, 16 Hart St., Brooklyn, N. Y. ss. NEW SURPRISE NOVELTY. Foxy Grandpa, Mr. Peewee and other comical faces ar- tistically colored, to which ip attached a long rubber tube, connected with a rub- ber ball, which can he filled with water, the rubber ball being carried in the pocket, a slight pressure on the bulb / causes @ long stream, the re- / gult can easily be seen. Price, 15¢., Post . paid. C. BEHR, 150 W. 62d St., New York City. Look! TRICK PUZZLE PURSE.—The first at- tempt usually made to open it, is to press down the Httle knob in the centre of purse, when a small needle runs out and stabs them in the finger, but does not open it. You can opon it be- fore their eyes and still postpaid, 25c, each. H. F. LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’klyn, N. Y. RISING PENCIL. —The performer ex- Mhibits an ordinary pencil and shows it top and bottom. The pencil is laid on th<« palm, the performer calling attention to his hypnotic power te objects. The pencil is seen slowly to rise, fol- lewing the move- ments of the other The witnesses are asked to pass their to assure themselves no Price, 25c. hand. hand around it thread or hair is used. H. F. LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’klyn, N. Y. THE GRLAT FIRE EATER. A great Sensational Trick of the Day! With the Fire Eater in his possession any person can become a perfect salamander, ap- parently breathing fire and eject- ing thousands of brilliant sparks from his mouth, to the horror and consternation of all behold- ers. Harmless fun for all times, seasons and places. If you wish to ene ai a decided sensation in your nelgh- bdorhood don’t fail to prooure one. We send the Fire Eater with all the materials, in a handsome box, the cover of which is highly ornamented with illustrations in various col- ors. Price of all complete only 15¢., or 4 boxes for 50c., mailed postpaid; one dozen by express $1.20. N. B.—Full printed instructions for per- forming the trick accompany each box, which also contains sufficient material for giving several exhibitions. WOLFF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. Y. ~ A CRAND PREMIUM they will be unable to open it. Price by mail, | POCKET SAVINGS BANE, A perfect little bank, handsome! nickel! plated. Holda Just five rif lars i dimes). It cannot de opened until the bank is full, when it can be readily emptied and ro° looked, ready to be again refilled Every parent should see that the'r children have a small savings ban}. dimes is of the greatest importance. Habits formed in early life are se!- enn, tonmorten In a years. Price 8 e bank, lOc. 250.2 mailed postpaid. i es WOLFF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. Y, pa A eS oe THE HIDEOUS SPIDER. Fun for every- body with one of theese bandsome brutes) His body in 3 inches long, beautifully ename!- ed green, wit white yol- bulging eyes, and a bi red low speckles, mouth. He is armed with six | and ewo upright feelers, made of fiexible springs. A dark, invisible thread attach to his bot= lets you shake him in the alr befors yous friends’ eyes, when the legs wiggle in a mort natural, lifelike manner. uaranteed to mak any lady howl and to scare the bravest here on earth out of his boots. Price by mall, 10¢. each. WOLFF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. B THE PRIN-~ CESS OF Y- = GE CARD F TRICK .— Four cards are held ia the form of a fan and = gwpectator is requested ic mentally select one of the four. The cards are now shumMed and one is openly taken away and placed in his pocket. The performer remarks that he has taken the ‘card mentally selected by the spectator. The three cards are now displayed and the selected card ic found to be missing. Reaching in his pocket the performer removes and exhibits the chosen card. Price, 15a: “4. 2. WANITORD, 16 Mari St., Brookiyn, N. ¥. Look! One’ of these fine watches FREE to anyone sending us For either of the following: “Moving Picture Stories,” § “Happy Days,” “Wild West Weekly,” “Fame and For- tune Weekly,” “The Liberty Boys of 76,” “Secret Service,” “Work and Win,” or “Pluck and Luck.” There is onty one condition—send us the money ($3.50) and we will send you the watch, and any one of the above \publications for the period subscribed for. Date. ...cceccerens properly filled out forwarded ; Description of the Watch It Is American-made, open face, stem wind and set, and will run from 30 to 3¢ hours with one winding. The movement is the same size as an expensive railroad timepiece, absolutely accurate, and each one is guaranteed. The cases are made in Gold Piate, Polished Nickel, Gun-metal with Gilt center and plain Gun-metal. The design om the back case is a fancy engraved scroll. Send In Your Subscriptions Now to FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher 168 West 23d St., N. Y. City | as the early habit of saving their ;