Fame And Fortune Weekly (no. 491) (1915 02 26)
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Ne49 | STORIES ~Oor— BOYS WHO MAKE. a Me e MONEY. The flames were already reaching for them. He tied the rope securely around his waist, stepped out on the sill, and measured with his eye the distance he proposed to jump. Then, ; nerving himself for the effort, he leaped upward.
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ame and Fortune Weekly STORIES OF BOYS WHO MAKE MONEY Issued Weekly—By Subscription $2.50 per year. Entered at the New York, N. Y., Post Office as Second-Class Matter a ' by Frank Tousey, Publisher, 168 West 28d Street, New York. = © No. 491. NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 26, 1915. Price 5 Cents. 4 = / mene () Fees | THE BOY WHO GOT THERE By A SELF-MADE MAN CHAPTER I. of the Chippewa River and the stream which flowed by the farm. UCES JACK FROST AND THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH HE “T had a visitor this afternoon, Jack,” said his aunt, after LIVES. the hired man had left the table to attend to his chores i. around the barn. pper is ready, Jack,” said a pleasant-faced little woman “Who was it, auntie?” he asked, curiously. _ of perhaps tive-and-thirty years, standing in the kitchen door- “Nathan Plunkett.” % way of a small, neat-looking farmhouse, to a strong and good- A cloud gathered on the boy’s brow, for he didn’t like looking boy who had just driven a light wagon into the yard.|Mr. Plunkett for a cent, nor, we may!say, did the Eden “All right, auntie,” replied the boy, in the cheery tone | storekeeper regard Jack Frost with a friendly eye. habitual with him, “I'l be ready just as soon as I put the Mr. Plunkett was a widower of about fifty, and had a son horse in the stable.” named Felix, who in many ways was very much like bis ~ The lad continued on to the barn, unharnessed the animal, | father. and led her to her stall. | For some reason not quite clear to Jack Frost, the post- aaPet “You look a bit heated, old girl,” he said, patting her affec- | master’s son entertained a strong dislike for him, and never tionately on her sleek neck. “I guess I won't feed you until | failed to show it when the two boys met. I've had my supper.” Nathan Plunkett himself was not, on the whole, a popular ° _ When he went to the wagon, took out an armful of pack-| man. : _ ages, crossed the yard and entered the house. | The fact, however, did not seem to worry him greatly. _ Jack Frost was an orphan and just sixteen years of age. . He was the political mogul of Eden, and well enough in this orn and educated in the East, the sudden and tragic death | world’s goods .to apparently disregard private prejudices. of both his parents in a steamboat disaster on Long Island “What did he want?” asked Jack, a bit brusquely, when iound threw him, on the eve of his fifteenth birthday, prac- | Mrs. Harper named her visitor. , : tically penniless upon his own resources. “He wanted to know if we had finished harvesting our | ‘Tn this strait he gladly accepted an invitation from his | wheat.” mother’s only sister, Lucy, who, years before, married an “Oh, he did?” ; iS enterprising man named Frank Harper, and moved out West, “Yes. I told him we had it all housed in our big barn.” had bes to Wisconsin and make their farm his home. He| “He seems to be very much interested in our affairs,” re- been there but a couple of months, and was fast learning | plied the boy, sareastically. » make himself useful, when Mr. Harper caught a severe “He wished to know if we intended to ship it soon.” which developed into pneumonia and carried him to his “What for?” said Jack, in some surprise. e. i | “He wants to buy it.” this emergency Jack came to the front, and proved him- “Wants to buy it?” a bulwark of strength and consolation to his bereaved | “He offered me seventy-five cents a bushel for it as it. ol ‘ 4 stands, cash.” = 7 “with a degree of confidence unusual in one so young, he} “Why, auntie, wheat is selling for a dollar, and is expected _ took the management of the farm entirely upon his young |to go still higher.” F ; - shoulders, hired a competent and trustworthy assistant, and, “But it must be delivered at Chicago, ‘St. Louis or some — h to the surprise of the neighboring agriculturists, carried | other grain center to realize that. When you come to figure _ rk on in as good shape us it: had ever been conducted |on the expense of getting it down to Eden, the nearest point ~ Harper. ; on the railroad, and then add freight rates and commission property was located on a shallow stream, one of the | charges, it will make quite a hole in the difference.” utaries of the Chippewa River, in the western part of “T admit all that. auntie, but Mr. Plunkett wouldn't make n, and the chief product of the farm, some two/you an offer if he didn’t see his way clear to making a good nd bushels of wheat, had just been harvested. profit on the transaction.” Harper largely depended on this crop to pay off a two- “¥ dare say that is true, Jack.” \d-dollar mortgage owing to one Nathan Plunkett, the “Kither he has found out in some way that wheat has ster and a prosperous storekeeper of Eden, the nearest | just gone up a point or two, or is about to do so, or else ted fir § distant, at.the junction | there is something else in the, background.” — ace
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oe ° 2 THE WAY TO SUCCESS. “What could be in the background.” “I am sure I couldn't tell you, auntie, as I'm not a mind- reader. You ought to know Mr. Plunkett better than L” “I wish I didn’t know him quite as well as I do.” “He comes around here often enough. Of course, it’s none of my business. He doesn’t come to see me.” “He comes to see me, I regret to say,” replied Mrs. Harper, with a troubled look. “I don’t see why the fact that he holds a mortgage on this place for two thousand dollars makes it necessary that he should be so much in evidence. The farm isn’t going to run away.” “It isn't the mortgage that brings him here. That is amply secured by this property. The. farm was. appraised at four thousand dollars when Frank borrowed the money of him i tne years ago. It is easily worth five thousand dollars 0-day.” ' “All of that, auntie,” replied Jack, nodding his head posi- tively. “I heard Mr. Greene, wha owns the place adjoining on the east, you know/ say so, and he has a pretty clear idea of the value of property in this neighborhood.” “I can well believe that,” Mrs. Harper answered. “Now, Jack, there is no reason why I should ‘keep anything from you. “ou have ‘been a son and a protector to me ever since Frank died.” Wer voice broke in a sob, and her handsome eyes filled with tears. “I don’t really know what I should have done without you.” ; “I have done the best I could for you, Aunt Lucy,” the boy said earrestly, rising, putting his arms protectingly about her, and kissing her gently on the cheek. “You have done nobly, dear,” she replied, drawing his head down and imprinting a kiss on his forehead. “How shall I ever thank you enough?” i “J don't want you to thank me, auntie. -I am only doing my duty to you. You may depend that I will continue to do that as long as I remain with you.” “I hope that will be a long time, Jack,” she said, with a caress. : : '. “T hope so; too, auntie.” : . “As I was going to say, I have no wish to have any secrets from you, so I want to explain the real cause of Mr. Plun- kett’s visits. He wants to marry me.” “Marry—you!” gasped the boy, staring back in the greatest amazement. , : “Yes, Jack. He had the assurance last week to ask me to be his wife.” ‘ “Great Cesar! And what did you say to him?” “I was dumfounded.” -*T should think you would be.” ; “I told him, in great indignation, that he ought to be ashamed to make such a proposal to me when he knew my dear husband had not been a year in his grave.” “And what did he say to that?” “He said he did not expect that I would marry him at once. What he wanted was my promise that I would marry him after a time.” “Well, auntie?” “T said I had no intention of ever marrying again.” “Of course you did.” . “He said that was a very foolish decision. That I could 4 poe expect to carry on this farm successfully as matters 8 “Ho!” exclaimed Jack. “You might have told him that x* 3 ‘the farm was thriving without any outside assistance.” ate “I did. I told him you were conducting the place to my entire satisfaction.” _ . “What did he say to that?” ‘ “We said that my assertion was ridiculous. That you were & mere boy, without agricultural experience. That you were bound to run the farm into the ground, involve me in financial embarrassmenis, and in the end cause me to lose the prop- a4 Srery kind of him,” laughed the boy. “I guess, on the ‘contrary, I’ve harvested a crop of wheat that will relieve you of the embarrassment of owing Mr. Plunkett the sum of - two thousand dollars.” ; “YT told him so very plainly.” “Vill bet he didn't like it.” 3 _ “He certainly did not, for he laughed in an unpleasant _ way, and remarked that there was many a slip between the - eup and the lip.” eee + “What did he mean by that?” asked the boy, quickly. “I am sure [ don’t know, Jack.” 23 = Eiperas.& Bal I'll bet,” replied the young farmer, soberly . : sd ? c r 1 e ay Eat Shee YY ids, “He couldn't have meant me any harm, or he wouldn’t have — come around to-day and offered to buy the wheat from. Even at seventy-five cents a bushel that would amount enough to clear off the mortgage when it comes due a mo from now.” “It certainly would, and leave. something over- But I you won’t accept his offer.” “I told him I had to consult you before I could give him an answer.” ‘ “I'll wager he didn’t like that, either,” chuckled Jack. “I knew he didn’t from the expression of his face,” said Mrs. Harper. “He smiled unpleasantly—I didn’t like his smile, Jack, for there seemed to be something menacing be- hind it—and replied. that I could send him word. Then he took his leave, but I saw him talking to John in the yard, and afterward they both went to the big barn.” “Wanted to see how much wheat we really had, eh?” “I presume so.” “T have no doubt that he is fully satisfied we have enough — to leosen his grip on the farm. Do you know, auntie, it has — been my opinion from the start that he figured on getting possession of this place through foreclosure proceedings. That is, ever since Uncle Frank died. He did not believe you would be able to run the farm successfully this year, espe- cially as Iuck was against Uncle Frank the last two years | or more. Besides, no one expected wheat would fetch more than fifty cents a bushel, or sixty at the most, which has been about the figure for the past five years. But Jordan, the gteat Chicago Board of Trade operator, is working -to corner the product, and that has sent the price of grain soaring. It is hardly likely that he will succeed, though they say the people supporting him are worth millions. Were he suc- cessful, it would mean from $1.50 to $2 wheat, something un- precedented for the farmer, but rather hard on the con- sumer—the poor, particularly.” “Yes. Frank never dreamed of getting a dollar for this year’s. wheat,” said Mrs. Harper, mournfully. “He counted on paying about one-half of the mortgage and getting newal for another year. He believed there would be no culty in making such arrangements, as the security hai ereased twenty per cent. in value.” “Well, I have very little confidence in Mr. Plunke wouldn’t trust him any further than I could see him. fully satisfied that he has been counting on becoming the ~ owner of this farm at a bargain. He is known as a hard — man to deal with when the advantage is on his side. That's ~ his record in Eden. I hadn’t been a monfh in the county — before I heard enough about him to fill a book.” . “I hope he won’t come here again until the mortgage is — due and he comes for his money,” said Mrs. Harper. “You don’t hope it any more than I do, for he looks de- cidedly out of place in this neighborhood, and his room is better than his company. Besides, I don’t want you to be, annoyed by his unwelcome attentions.” a “T certainly told him in unmistakable language that there — wasn’t the least chance that I should reconsider my stand in — respect to his proposal of marriage.” Pe “I am glad you made that plain to him, auntie. He had an awful nerve to think you would accept the attentions of any man so soon after Uncle Frank’s death.” ‘ “But what about selling the wheat, Jack? You know, I shall need the money in a month to settle the mortgage.” s “If you will confide the matter to my judgment, auntie, © I think you will tind that you will come out all right. I have. a plan for shipping it to St. Louis by water which, if I can_ carry it out successfully, will save you all freight charges — and bring you in a net result of at least one dollar a bushel.” _ “Why, Jack, you astonish me! What is this plan?” — - “Yd rather say nothing about it just now,” said the with a smile. ; And with that the little woman had to be content. CHAPTER Il. A CRUISE IN THE SWAMP. On the following morning at half-past five Jack Frost and — his particular friend, Joe Beaseley, who worked for Farmer Greene, met by appointment at the end of the lane between the two farms where it faced upon the creek. BY It was the first day of Sptember, and the sun was ju rising above the distant landscape into a perfectly, clear “Well, Jack, where are we bourd for?” asked Beas Vib, Oe Ria) yy Cees NE aie ~via. are
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THE WAY TO SUCCESS. “We're bound for the swamp,” was the prompt reply. Half a mile from where the boys stood was a narrow and { Stream which flowed into the creek. It formed the boundary of the Harper property on the west. = This branch ran through a small but dense swamp. *"In the early spring its surface was overflowed with water. _ It was covered with a thick - was dark and dismal. ; ; Hardly any one ever yisited the swamp except Jack Frost. _ He was rather fond of exploring out-of-the-way places, other deep and dark morass had early attracted his at- ition. ' Just before his uncle died he had made a small raft and _ threaded its gloomy recesses, and the two boys, when they reached the edge of the swamp that morning, found the raft ating in the very spot Jack had left it months before, with its long pole lying undisturbed among the bushes. _ “Ill bet there hasn’t been any one here since you tied that raft to that stump,” said Joe, in a positive tone. “Doesn't look as if there had been, that’s a fact.” “How long ago was that?” “Last spring.” “You say we’re going right through the swamp, eh?” “That's what we are.” “Will this blamed old raft hold together, do you think?” _ “Sure. Why not? Can’t you see that I put it together to Jast? I didn’t propose to have it come apart up in that morass and dump me out where I couldn’t extricate myself, and no- body would -hear my shouts for assistance. Not much, Joe Beaseley,” and Jack wagged his head sagaciously. _ “What sort of an exploring expedition are we going on?” asked Beaseley, when they had pushed off from the shore, Jack manipulating the pole in a skilful manner. : _ “None whatever,” replied Frost. P “Well, what’s in the wind, anyway?” persisted Joe, ‘con- sumed by curiosity as to the object of the watery jaunt. _ “Business,” replied Jack, laconically. an | ess?” ejaculated -Beaseley, in» astonishment. so ” growth of trees, and the place 4 at kind of business?” told you I was thinking of building a kind of houseboat Fests at our wheat down the creek to the Chippewa, down the = hippewa to the Mississippi, and down the Mississippi to St.Louis, didn’t 17” : “Sure you did. It’s the finest-secheme I ever heard of. It will be a jim-dandy trip, and you promised to take me along _. with you if I'd help you build the beat and assist in navi- gating it afterward.” ‘ “You've got it all right,” grinned Jack, working the raft ‘as"to avoid a sunken log whose nose was just on the level th the water. ; . “You can just bet I'll help you build the old Noah’s Ark, and I’m ready to do my share toward seeing that it reaches St Louis, too. i me a whole acre of his farm for myself if I’d agree » stay back here and let somebody else take my place. No, sir; not for Joe.” I thought I could depend on you, Joe.” “You bet your boots you can. But what has that to do ‘th this here trip up into the swamp?” “Byerything.” “How so?” 2 2 ‘We're making this trip to procure the material with which build the boat,” replied. Jack. “Are you going to cut down some of. these trees? I see brought an axe and a coil of rope with you.” Cut down nothing,” answered Frost. “I expect to find tuff I want already prepared for us to use.” . ¥ou don’t say!” replied Joe, in some surprise. ‘I do say so, and you'll say so, too, when I show you what ‘ve come after.” You saw the stuff when you were here before?” _ “I did. How else should I know it is to be got?” “That's right,” admitted Beaseley. “If it’s all ready cut rn, it will save us a powerful lot of labor.” wish we could build a boat big enough to take Mr. S grain, too. We could make quite a little sum out the freight. But that’s out of the question.” : _“T reckon it is. Do you know how much wheat Mr. Green as got in his barns altogether?” ; F ; re or six thousand bushels.” i . n thousand scant.” ; ‘ sa lot,” said Jack. “I wish we had as much.” r farm is less than hat? the size of ours,” replied Joe. . Le gee pte te Py f I wouldn’t miss ‘it if Mr. Greene was to “TI know it. sure.” “Mr. Greene says you’re a wonder, Jack. He can't get it through his head that you never were on a farm before you eame out here.” “Well, I never was.” “T don't see, either, how you could take hold of your aunt’s place and make things pan out the way you have. I’ve been on a farm ever since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, and blame me if I have the nerve to attempt to run a place like you do.” f : “You forget I have John Gray, who is an experienced man, at.my back. I depend a lot on his advice.” “That's all right. He’s a good worker and understands his business from A to Z, but just the same he hasn’t got the head to run a farm successfully. If he had he woulén’t be working for you to-day. He’s failed as an independent farmer and lost all his money at it.” “It seems to come natural to me to do the right thing and make the most out of my opportunities just as soon as [ see my way clear. When I figured up the trouble and expense of carting our wheat to Eden, loading it on the cars there, paying freight to Chicago and other necessary expenses, I began to consider, since we have a continuous waterway from the farm right to the St. Louis elevators, if I couldn’t manage to float the grain down there on a boat that I could build myself with your help.” “And you decided you could?” “Jo sid.” “I wouldn’t have thought of such a thing in a coon’s age,” said Beaseley, looking at his companion admiringly. “And if I had, I shouldn’t have known how to go to work to bring it about.” : 1 ; . “I, was good at mathematics at school,” replied Jack. “I calculated the size and cubical capacity necessary in a house boat capable of carrying, say, three thousand bushels of wheat in perfect safety down a river like the Mississippi, as well as making allowance for a small living compartment for the navigators themselves.” - “Gee! You're as good as a schooi-teacher.” “Of course, I don’t mean to attempt to build a real boat. I'm not a naval architect, nor a ship-builder. My idea is to construct a serviceable raft first as the foundation for the house in which I expect to store the grain in transit.” “T'll bet you'll do it all right,” answered Beaseley, confi- dently. “Whatever you set out to do I guess you accomplish, or know the reason why.” “You seem to have a pretty good opinion of my abilities, Joe,” smiled Jack: ; “You can bet your boots I have; but I know one chap who hasn’t,” grinned Joe. : “Do you mean Felix Plunkett?” “I do that. That fellow gives me a pain with his dandified airs. He thinks because his old man is the boss storekeeper and the postmaster of Eden that he’s !t. Well, he isn’t by a long shot. He's jealous of you. It’s like waving a red flag before a wild bull to mention your name before him. He can’t say anything too mean about you. And what good does it do him? ~The little fool can’t see that nobody takes any stock in what he says against you.” : “I certainly try to do the right thing by everybody,” said Jack. . “Of course you do, county, bar none.” - “Come off, Joe.” SF “I don’t come off. I'm telling you the cold fact. All the boys like you and speak well of you, except Plunkett and two or three of his cronies, who side in with him because it’s to their interest to do so. As for the girls! Well, say! You're first favorite from the faH of the flag.” ‘ “Aren’t- you trying to get me stuck on myself?” grinned Frost. . : “Ho! You aren’t built that way, Jack,” and Beaseley wagged his head in a conclusive kind of way. “You can’t tell me you aren’t the real persimmons. Is there a social gathering for miles around where us young folks are in the majority that is considered complete without you? No, siree! That voice of yours, and the way you make your fingers prance over the strings of your banjo, wins every time.” - “Then nly popularity, as you call it, is really due to the fact that I possess the ability to entertain an audience. that it? You might give Plunkett-the tip, then, if he has the grit, he might learn to play the instrument, and thus ac- _ quire the ascendancy he is so eager to possess.” “Pooh! He'd make a fine banjo player, I don’t think, Be We've done as well as could be expected, I’m You're the most popular fellow in the Bis a5 5 ”
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4 a! THE WAY sides, he can’t sing worth sour apples. Even if he could play and sing as well as you it wouldn’t make him really popular. Just the same, if you lost your voice and,a finger or tivo, so you couldn't sing or play any more, you wouldn’t be liked a wee bit less. It's the boy himself, and tot what he can do in the entertainment line, which counts. Do you want to know the real reason why Felix Plunkett is dead nuts on you?” “Ob, I'm _not particularly lessly. “Tm going to tell you, anyway. him out with virginia Earle.” Miss Earle was the eldest daughter of Gordon Earle, cashier of the Eden National Bank. '“Nonsense!” exclaimed Jack, flushing through the tan of his countenance. “Is that soy I’m giving it to you straight, Jack. You only met her once, I know, at that party she attended at Carden’s farm. Carden is her uncle. Plunkett was there, too, and you ought to remember how mad he was all the evening be- cause you danced three times with Virginia and took her in to supper. All the boys said you were mashed on her.” Jack kept his head turned away while Joe was speaking. “Well, she’s been just crazy to meet you again.” “What are you giving me, Joe Beaseley?” asked Jack, in some confusion. “Tm giving you the truth. You ought to feel good over it, for Virginia Earle is called the prettiest girl in Eden County.” Jack made no reply. “Felix is plumb gone on her, and it exasperates him to know that she thinks so much of -you and doesn’t seem the least bit interested in him. He persists in forcing his at- tentions upon her, though the fellows tell me she hands: him ‘out plain hints enough to settle any other boy; but he’s too thick to tumble to the truth.” “Tm not surprised, ” replied Jack. “But here we are at the end of our cruise. What do you think of that?” and the boy poihted at a bend in the stream which ran into the marsh. curious,” replied Jack, care- It’s because you've cut pie ROR NE eh Oman RR eae PISS NE CHAPTER III. HARVESTING THE TIMBER. © __ Piled up before them the boys saw a heap of logs, planks, ‘boards and other fugitive lumber which had come down from - the sawmills, miles up the country. One end of a big log had been driven ashore by, the current and had jammed itself between two trees. All the rest of the beards, planks and timbers had rested upon this one, and, being driven in by the sweep of the stream at the bend, had been entangled and held by it. r “Gracious!” exclaimed Joe Beaseley, in no little astonish- ment, “what a lot of wood is there.” “I should say there is. Enough to build several rafts.” “With a house on each of them.” “Perhaps. It would all depend, on the size of ‘the rafts and _ the houses.” _ “Oh, I meant small ones.” “We shall be doing the neighborhood a service by removing _ this wood.” ' \y “How so?” pests “Can't t you see that it is gradually choking the stream up?” ‘Sure thing. A blind man could see that.” “Why, how could a blind man see that, or anything else?” asked Jack, looking inquiringly at his companion. “Oh, you know what I mean. I meant a man must ‘be blind who couldn't see it.” “That's more like it. If ‘that heap isn’t cleared away the whole course of the stream will be choked by it in time. Then, Boke the suow melts next spring our farms, and many others this vicinity, will be overflowed by the. high water, and ve would be the dickens to. pay.” oy guess there would be,” admitted Joe. We don’t need all that lumber for our raft,” said Jack, as } the pile critically, “but-it would be a pity not e it, though it would cost a good’ deal of hard labor. Id come in handy pat a. good many ways . | willing to help you save it,” said Joe. “T'don’t mina hard, work, for I'm used to it.” we'll consider that later on.” : ! 4 to ee bee iia uD here, ote your” ) TO SUCCESS. ‘| viewing the amount of labor involved somewhat doubtfully. 2 “Phat’s my idea. The current will carry it to the erect: You may not have noticed, but the swing of the current where — it empties into the creek sets right in to a bit of ground at — the extreme point of our farm. I haye driven several poles — down into the bottem at .a certain point, leaving the ends sticking several feet above the water. ‘They'll catch the first logs we send down, and the rest will pile on top or jam up, ‘ against them, A few may escape into the creek, but not many.” “You’ve got a great heac, Jack.” : “There’s nothing particularly smart about that. It’s merely an illustration of cause and effect—the same principle which has caused this accidental dam here.” re “IT suppose we may as well start in to throw these planks — and boards into the current. It’ll take some time, you know,” “Is that the way you’d engineer the job, Joe?” laughed Frost. ; “Why, how else would you do it?” “There’s an easier and much better way.” “Tf there is I want to know it,” said Joe. to do any more work than is necessary.” “What do you suppose I brought that rope for?” “You've got me. I’m not bright at guessing riddles.” “Well, I’ll show you. Just make a sliding loop at that end, will you?” “Sure,” and Beaseley hastened tc comply with this re- 5 . quest. “There you are.” ; “Now crawl out onto that lumber, reach dawn over the end and hook the loop over the nose of that mischievous 1G which has caused all this trouble.” Joe followed the directions to the letter, and then stood watehing to see what was going to occur. “Do you want to get a good sousing and some heavy orasta: +. on the head?” shouted Frost at him. “Not on your life I don’t,” returned Beaseley, not mee iz however. “Then come back here.” “What for? This is a nice, aiey spot where I am.” “Is it?” laughed Jack. “If the foundation was to away from underneath your feet all of a sudden you'd | differently.” i “Any danger of it doing that?” asked Joe, in some aineae te hastily moving toward where his companion stood on a Dro- — jecting point of the shore. - cas “Not until you give me the benefit of your muscles.” _ “ “What are you going to do?” cy “Tm going to yank the key log out from under that pile after I cut away a part of the end here where it’s a 63, i this tree.” “Oh, I see. That'll let the whole pile of stuff down with a ‘pe rush,” replied Joe, who could see through ‘4 millstone w the hole was pointed out to him. ; “I rather think it will. Then the surplus water above a follow and push the lumber and logs before it. There's onl one obstacle which may temporarily disarrange my piosect.® “What is that?” “The timber may get caught at some point in the’ swamp je and pile up again.” “We can easily set them free ugain,” replied Joe, conf fy dently. “Can we? I don’t know about that,” answered Jack, dornt. +203 fully. Be “H “Why not?” asked Beaseley, jn surprise. “It may get jammed where we couldn’t reach it on raft.” ; “What would you do in that case?” “I don’t propose to cross a bridge until I come to it other words, I’m not going | to worry about such a thin til it actually takes place.” : “That's right. I agree with you there. to do the chopping here?” “You can begin. if you’re anxious for the exercise. you get tired I’ll lend a hand.” 5 Beaseley took the hatchet and began at the job. The log proved to be a more stubborn proposition than t}had calculated on. Joe hacked away for a quarter of an hour, and relieved him. ‘Tn the course of half an hour, however, they weaken log to such an extent that Frost ee’. ed their muscles do the rest. ee eins got hold of brs rope: and began to exert 2 I'm not anxious ¥ Do you want
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THE WAY TO SUCCESS. AD = Inch by inch the key of the lumber structure began to Planks and slabs and timber occasionally disengaged them- Selves from the mass and started with the stream down =e through the swamp. Soa “Once more, old man,” cried Jack, bracing himself for a mighty effort. eae SOC put his foot egainst a convenient tree and then both _ pulled away for all they were worth. Then something happened. The key log suddenly came away with a rush, and Joe and _ Jack went heels over head backward, Beaseley narrowly es- eaping a ducking in the swamp. a “Wow!” howled Joe, sitting up and rubbing the dirt out of his eyes. “Ha, ha, ha!” laughed Jack, who was the first to pick him- Saeko self up. ' *I don’t see anything funny about that,” grumbled Bease- ley, feeling his back and other parts of his body, to make sure he was still whole. “I nearly busted my back.” , “A miss is as good as a mile, old fellow,” grinned Frost. “You wouldn’t say that if you’d got the whack in the jaw caught,” objected his companion. “Get up and watch the lumber shoot.” Joe got up and looked. , “It’s a regular mill-stream now, isn’t it?” “That won’t last long.” ® “Do we go back on the raft?” _ “Of course. I want to see that the channel through the Swamp keeps clear. If it chokes up we’ve got to assist things if we can.” “Suppose we get stuck ourselves in the heart of the old ~* morass?” “Oh, don’t begin supposing trouble is going to occur. You might hoodoo the whole scheme.” __ “I wouldn’t like to do that,” replied Joe, so seriously that ~ Jack had to laugh at him. _ “If you're ready we'll go afloat. It’s breakfast time by now, he said, stepping onto the bee — st <. and I'm beginning to get hungry,” © raft. j _ “Same here,” replied Joe, following him with alacrity. They cast off, poled the raft into the current and then al- _ lowed things to take their course, which they did in a very _ satisfactory marner. Wherever they came across logs or pieces of timber caught im the projections of the swamp they pushed them clear. ; Ae In this way they continued on down through the morass “toward the creek, preceded, surrounded and followed by a great company of fugitive timber. _ Fortunately no serious difficulty was encountered during the trip, which was a great deal shorter than when they had to pole the raft upstream. They arrived at length ‘at their destination, where they found the advance lumber anchored to the obstructing poles placed at the point of the bight by Jack. - “The whole collection will be here in an hour,” said Frost. t it’s all the same to you, Joe, we'll go to breakfast-now. ou eat with me, of course.” CHAPTER IV. A LEAP FOR LIFE. After breakfast Beaseley returned to the Greene farm to to certain chores about the place, while Jack employed in a similar way around his own place. At one o'clock the two boys met again at the bight of land the creek, and during the rest of the afternoon busied mselyes hauling the fugitive timber onto dry land and separating it into individual piles, ready for business. — This work took up all of their spare time for several days. _ At length they had sorted out as much timber as Jack ted he could use in the construction of the raft, which, owing to the Weight it would have to sustain, was designed to be nae a ponderous affair, so far as its foundation was _ concerned. “We'll leave the rest of the stuff for future consideration,” aa Seige wok pesky the two boys sat on an old log, resting, aplare e Ton eee She glory in the west. pon Bis aoa Comer lho open Seacedeta B eee a Fe ; tions. The most disagreeable and least inter- “T should say not. I’m just tickled to take hold of what is esting part is over. to come.” “You won't find it all fun.” “Qh, I don’t know. I’m willing to take chances on that.” “I hope I won’t make any mistakes in my calculations,” said Jack. “If 1 do, we won't be able to carry all the wheat down the river, which wouid be a great pity and a big dis- appointment to me.” “Oh, I guess you'll come out all right,” ingly. “There must be no guesswork about it,” asserted Frost. “The moment such a thing as that enters into the scheme we'll be all at sea.” “Tf it was my wheat I’d be willing to take chances on you making a success of your |plan.” “Much obliged, Joe. You seem to put lots of confidence in me,” “Sure. Why not?” replied Beaseley, stoutly. “Well, the proof of the pudding is in the eating,” replied Jack, rising. “To-morrow morning I’m going to town to pur- chase the necessary hardware with which to begin opera- Want to come along?” “Of course I do.” : “All right. I'll have the mare harnessed up venay to start about nine o’clock. I'll look for you about that time.” The boys started off together, and separated in the Harper farmyard, Joe proceeding on through the gate, down the lane, and, vaulting the first fence he came to, eut across the fields — to the Greene farm. Next morning he was on hand in plenty of time, and helped Jack harness up his favorite roadster. Then they started for Eden in high spirits. ‘They drove into town as the clocks were striking ten. Nathan Plunkett kept all the articles in his store that Jack ~ expected to purchase, but somehow or another the boy didn’t care to trade with him as long as there were other stores in town that could supply his warts. He stopped in front of Josiah Allen's store, Mr. Plunkett's most successful business opponent, and the postmaster, who | happened to be looking out of his window at the time, took note of the fact, and the circumstance did not make Nathan feel any better disposed toward the boy he cordially de- | tested, and on whom he hoped some day in the near future to have full satisfaction. : Jack purchased nails of two or three sizes, a small keg of spikes, a new saw, a stout hatchet and sundry other articles of hardware. : “Going to build a house?” asked the clerk, with a grin. | “Sure,” replied Jack. “I'm thinking of getting married and setting up housekeeping.” . “Don’t forget to invite me to the wedding.” “T'll keep you in mind. Here, Joe, carry these packuges out to the wagon and watch the team. I'm going over to the © post-office to see if there’s any mail for us.” ; There was a letter for his aunt, which Felix Plunkett handed out to bim in an ungracious way, as if it went against his grain to wait on Frost. While he was in the act of putting it in his pocket the fire alarm bell rang, and Felix vaulted over the counter and ran to the door. : .A few moments later one of the fire engines. a steamer lately imported from Chicago, dashed by with a jingle of said Joe, reassut- ree bells Jack left the store in a hurry and crossed over to is * team. s , ue “Drive aid Joe. Let's see where the fire is.” : x Beaseley kept the engine in sight until he saw it draw prc fire-plug on a corner a dozen blocks from where ti sta They. were now in the residential section of Eden, ‘where many of the better-class citizens of the town had their homes. | A crowd was already gathering in the vicinity of a pre- — tentious-looking three-story dwelling; from nearly every one — of the front windows smoke was issuing, though not densely. Joe drew the mare up near the = curb and then direct his attention toward the imperiled house. : laealce “Good gracious!” he suddenly exclaimed. Earle’s house.” . “You don’t mean Virginia Earle’s--—" ‘ Pg th ow ~ do. That's Virginia Earle’s Bsr Hey, where
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“Has the family got out?” asked Jack of a policeman who Was endeavoring to establish a fire line in that direction. “T couldn’t tell you. Stand back, please.” The boy, in some excitement, slipped away and addressed the same question to two or three of the spectators in turn, _ but they could give him no information. : Further on he tackled another policeman, but the man, in- “stead of answering his question, pushed him roughly back into the crowd of curious onlookers. At this juncture the crowd exhibited a sudden spasm of ex- citement. Jack looked toward the scene of the fire and saw the form of a girl, which, even at that distance, his sharp eyes recog- nized as Virginia Earle, leaning out of a side window on the third floor, toward the rear of the house, where it joined a three-story brick structure. The smoke ‘was sifting out of the window all around her, and her position was apparently one o. great peril. Even as the boy looked she was joined by a little, golden- haired creature, whom Jack knew to be Virginia’s sister. The sight of the girl, who had occupied a great share of his thoughts ever since he was introduced to her some six weeks before at Carden’s farm, standing in imminent danger of f losing her life, with no cne seemingly going to her assistance, aroused Jack’to a fever of excitement. - He burst through the crowd, eluded the policeman who sought to stay his course, dashed across the street and, spring- _ ing up the front steps of the Earle dwelling, disappeared in- side the house. battling his way upward through the smoke, ~ which was filling every nook and corner, in a frantic effort to reach the third floor and the imperiled girls in the rear. When he arrived at the second floor landing he saw that the rooms in the back were blazing furiously, indicating that the fire had originated in this part of the house. _ Jack realized that Virginia and her little sister were stand- ing right over this sea of flame, which at any moment might burst through the ceiling and cut them off from all hope of rescue. It was slow and suffocating work for him to make his way to the landing of the third floor through the choking smoke, which made his eyes run water and his lungs pant for a breath of fresh air. : But he ‘persevered, for he knew the lives of the two girls #2 tee at stake, and might depend entirely upon his personal e orts, ‘He reached the upper landing at last, rushed to a front win- _ dow, where he leaned out, dizzy and half-choked, and drew in copious draughts of air, until he felt in a measure recoy- y ered. The crowd in front saw him and set up a shout. _.The boy did not seem to hear or notice them, and soon with- drew from. the window and began fighting his way to the rear. Already the flames were eating their way through the floor- ing of the passage, and he could see the glare from other ic’ beyond through the dun-colored smoke. . To proceed slowly and cautiously any longer in this direc- ee Jack saw was folly; he would only be overcome by the ; ike. ; He must make a bold dash for the room where Virginia ee her sister had taken refuge. ‘And he did, stumbling and reeling like a drunken man into the chamber where, through the misty cloud of smoke, he : saw. the shadowy forms of the two girls at the window. In another moment he was standing by their side, and Vir- ginia, who had a short length of stout clothesline in her hand, with a glad cry. _ “Jack, you will save us, will you not?” she exclaimed, al- iteously. Age 4 wn” he replied, gamely, “ or perish with you in the _He looked out of the window to see what the fvinien ‘were g to effect the rescue of the girls. eR were a number of them in the yard below, some ¢ in a line of hose, others yelling and ene lently to the hook and ladder people, who had just ar- - rived, to bring on their ladders. “Oh, heavens!” cried Virginia, throwing one of her arms und Jack’s neck in a spasm of terror. “The room is fill- ing with fire!” "Hor little sister seemed stricken speechless with fear, for she never uttered a sound. The flames. were encroaching so fast upon them from be- d “et Frest saw that their position would be absolutely are THE WAY TO SUCCESS. untenable before the firemen could get a ladder up to the =~ window. ae “Great Scott!” he exclaimed. “Something must be done, ~ or we three will surety be sacrificed.” He glanced down at the ground, forty feet below, and then at the roof, close at hand, of the adjoining building. In a moment he had made up his mind what he would do. It was a desperate expedient, but necessity knows no law. He removed his jacket and threw it far out into the yard; then he snatched the short clothesline from Virginia’s grasp and hurriedly made one end fast to the leg of the single bed, the head of which stood near the window. > “I’m going to try to reach yonder roof by springing to it ~ from the sill outside. If I am successful, quickly unfasten the end of the line I have tied to the bed and fasten it around your sister under her arms, and I'll draw her up there. After that I'll throw the rope back to you, and you must tie your- self in a similar manner. Do you understand?” , She nodded in a terrified way. There was no time to be lost if he hoped to carry his plan to a successful issue. The flames were already reaching for them. He tied the rope securely around his waist, stepped out on the sill and measured with his eyes the distance he proposed to jump. Then, nerving himself for the effort, he leaped upward. 4 CHAPTER VY. COMMENCING OPERATIONS. A hundred pair of eyes were on Jack Frost when he made his thrilling spring for the adjoining roof, and a great cheer - broke from as many throats when it was seen that he had eaught onto the ledge and. hung there for a moment dangling in mid-air. Then his muscles of steel came into full play. He drew himself up until his chin rested on the coping, and then with a mighty effort he swung his legs outward and upward and landed upon the edge of the cornice. It was comparatively easy for him to scarmble to the roof. “Quick, Virginia,” he cried to the girl, who had watched his risky feat with distended eyes. “Unfasten the rope and 1 put it about your sister.” ~~ The girl seemed to wake from her trance and hastened to obey his order. As soon as she had tied the line properly under the child’s arms she lifted her onto the window-sill. “Swing off, little one,” cried Jack, pulling upon her and dislodging her from her foothold. es The little girl uttered a thrilling scream, for she thought < she was falling. BY But she wasn’t. : She was sailing up through the air as fast as the boy could work his arms. ; In a moment or two he had her safe on the roof and was vw Pe a athe if ies unfastening the line. “Catch!” shouted Jack, throwing the rope-end back to — es ginia. : Bi oe girl caught it and began at once to tie it around her- = se ee: Then she bravely stepped out on the sill. And it was high time that she did, for her dress was” rf already smoking, and the fire was creeping up all about the spot she had but just left. ; “Now swing off!” cried Jack, bracing himself to meet her <i weight. < She obeyed him, and he started to pull like a good fellow. As she came within arm’s teach of the coping she grasped Sit ok a ile ve « - it. to ze seized her by the arms and pulled her over onto ‘the ; roo! “Thank heaven! You are safe!” said the boy, fervently. = Virginia gave a little gasp as she looked into his eyes, real- ized that her danger was over, and then the reaction over- eame her and she fainted dead away. At that moment the scuttle in the roof, a little distance away, was thrown back and a couple of firemen appeared. They were surprised to find Frost and the two girls up there, for they hadn’t seen Jack's leap, nor the rescue which followed. “How did you get here?” one asked the boy.
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THE WAY TO SUCCESS: eee sy jumped for this roof, was lucky to reach the coping, and then with this line I pulled the girls up.” = vel, you’re a nervy chap,” replied the fireman, admir- ly. “Oh, I don’t know,” answered Joe, lightly. “It was neck or nothing with the three of us, and when one’s life is in danger nothing is too risky to attempt.” “This girl seems to have fainted,” said the man, noticing the limp form of Virginia lying in Jack’s arms. “We'll take _ her down to the street.” ¢ “Tt wish you would,” replied the boy. ’ Frost followed in the rear of the procession, and in a couple _ of minutes the two daughters of the bank cashier were car- tied into a residence on the other side of the rear street. Jack thought it time to get back to Joe and his team. He was elated, because not oniy had he done his duty nobly, but had saved the lives of two helpless girls, one of whom he liked better than any one else in this world, not excepting his Aunt Lucy, and that was saying a great deal. First, however, he had to recover his jacket, which he had _ removed just before making his great leap for the roof, and which he had cast into the yard as far as possible from the blazing building, now a mass of flames from the first floor to _ the roof. He found that one of the firemen had carried his jacket outside and placed it on the hook and ladder truck so it would be out of harm’s way. He put it on, pushed his way through the crowd, avoiding 2 a local reporter who was after him, and reached his wagon, where Joe was watching the flames and wondering what had By ae become of his companion. 2 ee Beaseley did not witness Frost’s rescue of the two girls, as the wagon was too far away, and did not dream that Jack - Was otherwise employed than as a front row spectator of the _ conflagration. * “Jumping Christopher! What's the matter with your face?” exclaimed Jce, when his friend climbed up on the seat be- danger and the girls were safe, was disposed to make light thrilling adventure. ‘re were you? 1 suppose the Earles all got out safely?” ; aieThey got out all right.” “Did you see any of them?” “TI saw Miss Virginia and her little sister.” “They must feel all cut up over the loss of their home. ‘The place seems to be completely gutted out.” “Tt certainly is. The house caught fire in the rear.” “In the kitchen, I suppose?” “No. Upstairs on the second floor.” “Well, it’s too bad. What was all that shouting about a ago? There seemed to be excitement to burn. I thought bably some of the Harle family were being rescued from the building by the firemen with their ladders.” “The cause of the excitement,” replied Jack, slowly, “was ue to the fact that Miss Virginia and her sister were cut off by the flames from escape through the front of the house, ind were assisted from the window of a room where they id taken refuge to the roof of the adjoining building.” Gee whiz!” exclaimed Joe, in some excitement. “had seen that.” “I think we've ‘wasted time enough here, Joe,” said Frost, king up the reins and turning the mare’s head down the street. “T've got a few more things to buy, and then weet start for bome.” “They reached the farm about one o'clock, deposited ‘their hases in the small barn and went in to dinner. \ side-him. “You're like a smoked ham. You must have been "pretty close to the fire.” ee iss “Tt was,” grinned Jack, who, now that he was out of all “I wish ‘they needed to begin work with and wheeled them down the scene of their operations. ‘The afternoon was employed in cutting down six stout trees, : provided them with nla logs thirty feet long, ~ next morning. Promptly at sunrise the boys were on hand to resume upon the craft Jack put so much dependence on. “We'll take our morning bath first,” remarked Frost, get- | was quickly followed by Joe. 4 After they had disported themselves for ten minutes in the basin Jack said: _ After the meal they loaded on a barrow such implements | | work | th jing out of his clothes as fast as he ‘could, and his example| yesterday afternoon. “We'll begin the framework of the raft before we dress, as we've got to put it together on the water. Fetch a couple. of those slabs while I get the smali sledgehammer and a handful of spikes.” Then they placed two of the logs side by side, close to the ~ shore, Jack spiked each end of the two slabs to the inner log, at the extremities of it. Then he and Joe rolled the outer log away from the other until the two were twelve feet apart, and the other end of each slab was spiked to it, thus form- ing the shape of a. raft—thirty feet long and twelve feet wide. “Now, Joe, we'll push each of the other logs one by one into place and spike the slabs to them.” This work was immediately carried out, and thus the six foundation logs were secured in place at equal “distances apart. “Now for the balance of the slabs,” said Frost. ; The thirteen remaining slabs were spiked into the notches which had been provided to receive them, and the boys con- cluded they had done enough until after breakfast. They resumed their clothes and viewed with a great deal of satisfaction the stout framework on which they were to build the upper. works of their novel craft. ; Then they went to breakfast. CHAPTER VI. BUILDING THE RAFT. At. nine o’clock the boys were back again at the basin, full of enthusiasm for the work in hand. “T see wheat is a dollar and ten,” said Jack. Fogarty told my aunt so this morning.” “That's good. Perhaps it will be a dollar and a quarter by the time we have this raft completed. I wish I had a few Segre bushels to sell,” he added, with a cheerful grin. “What do you think? Nathan, Plunkett offered us seventy- | five cents a bushel for it nearly a week ago, when the papers quoted the price at the grain centers as one dollar.” : “Plunkett wants the earth.” “Well, he was prepared to pay cash for it just as it moc in our barn. It would-have cost him something to ship and sell it. But T am sure he had a pretty good idea that it would go up. At any rate, he expected us to hold it for him for two weeks, at any rate, perhaps longer, which would give him the benefit of the expected rise.” “Well, if he offered. you a dollar now for it just as it stands, would you take it and give up the raft scheme?” “IT would not. I am satisfied wheat is going higher, _ It might even go to one dollar and fifty cents, though I hardly think so. Still, there is always a chance of such a figure when these big grain operators of the Chicago Board of Trade try to corner the product of the country.” “It's a fine thing for the big wheat growers out West here when the price does get to soaring.” “That’s what it is. Come, now, get busy; we've lots of work on our hands to-day. “I'm ready. What'll I if first?” “There are a lot of large logs that came down with the rest of the stuff.”’ “T see them.” = hed “We must get enough of them ashore to fit in between) those slabs and make a solid foundation for the next tier te i: rest on.” “We can do that all right,” said Joe, with alacrity. “We only want to use those that are about twelve foot and over in length. Where they are too long we'll cut gerne down. i suppose you like to saw?” with a grin. ~Oh, I'm dead stuck on it.” “You will have !ots of practice, then, before we have on. with the raft.” “Fetch along your leg and your saw and see me go through it like greased lightning.” : “You tell it well, Joe, but you’ ‘li sing another song when e perspiration begins to come.” “Ho! You haven’t seen me work yet.” “Haven't I? “Old man. ¢ a5 a YE fry ve ary t= 7 I thought you put in some pretty good strokes If you can impréve on that you're all to the good, old man.” “Mr. Greene says I’m the best worker on the farm.” “T'm siad to hear it. It does you credit. The world has
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8 : THE WAY TO SUCCESS. no use for lazy people these days. I’ve seen a lot of them in the city. sitting or th: benches in the parks, or gathering about open lots where excavation was going on. However, _I-don’t mean to say all these people were naturally lazy or . shirked work. Some of them, no doubt, would gladly have gone to work if they could have found the »work to do.- Un- less a man is a skilled worker at some prosperous trade it is not so easy to find a job in a big city, where there are a dozen applicants for each position open. I have heard it ' said that there are one hundred and fifty thousand people continuously idle in New York City, and not necessarily through their own fault, either.” “Now, Joe, there’s a log that is too long. Just measure off twelve feet with that two-foot rule and then saw the sur- plus length off.” Beaseley proceeded to follow orders, while Jack began to shave down to a flat surface one side of each end ofthe logs they had hauled ashore. After the necessary number of logs had been prepared the boys rolled them one by one‘onto the raft and spiked them into place. “That raft as it is now ought to sustain a pretty heavy weight,” remarked Joe, looking at it critically. “Tt will; but it isn’t buoyant enough to hold sixty odd tons ‘of wheat.” -. “Will the wheat weigh as much as that?” asked Beaseley. '*Yes. I have estimated that we have easily a big freight ear load and a half. The new cars are said to have a capacity ' of eighty thousand pounds. Our wheat, therefore, weighs, all told, one hundred and twenty thousand pounds.” °. “And you think we'll be able to carry all that on this raft - to St. Louis?” “Sure as you live, Joe, if my constructive ideas pan out, correctly.” “All right. I’m ready to take your word for it,” replied Joe, cheerfully. “Now, Joe, we'll nail some more slabs lengthwise; any old size will do, so that they don’t overlap the water too far at the ends. Leave sufficient space between the layers for an- - other tier of logs, which, of aonene, may also be of varying _ sizes. Understand?” “Sure thing,” replied Beaseley, going to work laying the slabs into place, with Jack helping him. . When the requisite number of slabs had been nailed down on the logs, Frost put a few more spikes into the first tier - to make sure that everything would hold together, even un- _ der trying circumstances, and then he and Joe set to work _ to spike down the second tier. “Phis is the highest raft I ever saw,” they paused for a brief rest. i “That's because there’s no weight on it yet to push it down into the water. Just wait ‘till we begin to load the wheat on board and you'll see ‘t sink.” “It looks stable enough to float a loaded freight car.” af hd. “Don’t you believe it. I’ve arranged for a number of empty barrels I’m going to attach around on both sides. That will give me the real buoyancy I’m after.” “Well, well; what a head you’ve got, Jack!” “qhat’s as old as the hills.” “T know that, but, I never would have thought of patting them into use.” “You want to think when you start to plan a thing. That’s it your brains were made for. Come, now, you're cool at ener and the afternoon is getting on. We will put a layer e : said Beaseley, ee of planks down now.” “That's where I spread myself,” grinned Beaseley. “Is it? See that you do yourself proud,,then.” You just watch me. I’m a born carpenter. Mr. Greene - gets me to do all the jobbing around the place. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had me build him a new farmhouse.” _Yhe sound of the dinner-horn in the distance, however, put a stop to work for the time being, and Joe reluctantly dropped the first board he was hauling on board of the raft. A surprise awaited Jack when he went into the house, all ‘flushed from his strenuous labor of the morning. ‘He had noticed a buggy standing in the yard, and wondered - who their visitor was, but was not prepared to see Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Earle and Virginia and her sister, who had ar- rived a little while before. Aa Earle rose from his chair and ‘seized the boy by the gear lad, how are we to express the gratitude we feel for saving the lives of our two children under dful circumstances’, It was a magnificent ex- — ample of true heroism. But for you I am assured we should now be childless.” His voice shook and there were tears in his eyes. Jack was greatly embarrassed and hardly knew what to say, the more so as Mrs. Earle took a hand in the proceedings, and said so many pretty things about him and assured him of their grateful appreciation. “T only did what I thought was the proper thing-in such - an emergency,” he stammered. “You put your own life in jeopardy to ‘save Virginia and her sister, my lad. There’s no question about that. I’ve had accounts of the affair from a dozen eye-witnesses. That leap you took to the roof of the rear building was a splendid ex- hibition of cool nerve and judgment. Only for that all of you would have perished before the firemen could have reached you. are truly grateful to you, and that we fully appreciate the debt of gratitude you have placed us under,” said the bank cashier, shaking the boy’s hand once more in a warm and feel- ing manner. “As for Virginia herself, she is waiting im- patiently to thank you, and so is our little Jessie. Both of aed will remember what they owe you as long as they ive.” “Why, Jack never told me a word about what he had done at the fire,” said Mrs. Harper to Mrs. Earle, as Virginia came forward, took Jack’s hand in hers and thanked him repreat- edly for the great service he had rendered her and her sister. “I am very glad I was on hand at such a critical moment to help you,” said the boy, blushing to the roots of his hair. “T am always glad to be of service to my friends, especially te you, Miss Earle.” “You say that very nicely,” replied Virginia, with a smile and a blush. “We must be very good friends after this.” “T hope we will.” ; “Why, of course we will. You must call and see us often. Papa has rented a house on. Jefferson street until we rebuild the old site. As soon as we move in, which will be some time next week, you must come.and spend a’ whole afternoon and evening.” “I shall be very glad to do so, Miss Earle.” “I shall hold you to your word, remember,” she said, with a winsome smile. “Now speak to Jessie. The poor child is just dying to say something to you.” The Earles accepted an invitation to stay to dinner. Virginia was placed next to Jack, and she had lots to say to him during the meal, Frost thought he had never met so pretty and sprightly a young miss, and he was more than ever charmed with her. In fact, the two young people were very much taken up | with each other, a fact which did not escape the observation of Jack’s aunt, who smiled and thought the intimacy a very desirable one for her nephew, as the Earles were logked upon as people of considerable social importance in Eden. After dinner the visitors prepared to take their leave. Mr. and Mrs. Earle had more nice things to say to Jack, and wound up by assuring the boy that he would always be _ a most welcome visitor at their home. “Virginia Earle is a very pretty and sweet girl, isn’t she, Jack?” remarked his aunt, as the callers drove off toward town. “Yes, aunty, she is, indeed.” ¢ “Do you know, I ought to scold you very much for not teiling me how heroically you acted at the fire,” she smiled, tapping the boy fondly on his cheek. “All you told me was that there had been a big fire in Eden, Mr. Earle’s house. Don’t you know you did a big thing when you Saved those girls in such a remarkable way?” “Well, auntie, you don’t want me to go around blowing my own horn, do you? When a person knows he has done his duty in a tight place, that. ought to be satisfaction enough for him. I hate to be complimented and patted on the back, just as if I was a little boy, because I happened to. have done something out of the ordinary.” “At any rate, you have made some very nice and geod friends for yourself. Mr. mae: will, no doubt, be of great service to you some day.” “I’ve no objection to making ca friends. A person can't have too many of that sort. But I’ll never have a better friend in this world than you, auntie,” and he gave her an affectionate bug. : e “J hope not, dear, ut least until you find some one you will learn to love and mean to marry. When that time comes, Jack, 1 hope she will be as lovely a girl as Virginia ee and she locked at him slyly. ‘ I want you to understand that Mrs. Earle and myself . which had destroyed
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THE WAY. TO SUCCKSS, : 9 - Jack blushed vividly, gene his aimt a kiss and ran out of “Well, Joe, you -have thought up an original idea at last, ae the house. haven't you?” © “When he got back to the basin he found that Beaseley had “Oh, you don’t know me yet, Jack. My head is chockful oe been most industrious since he resumed ,work after dinner. of the brightest things under the sun, only I can’t always fish He had nearly finished covering the second tier of logs|them out when they're wanted.” with planks, and had performed the job in a very creditable “TI sympathize with you, old man. Come, let’s go to supper, manner. then we'll go over and see Will Benson and see if we can’t “You're all to the good, Joe,” said Jack. as he took off |make life miserable for him for an hour or two.” _ his jacket. “Sorry I was behind time, but my aunt had visit-| Will Benson was a mutual friend who lived a mile and a ors and I couldn’t get away.” half from the Harper farm, and, as he had a couple of interest- The boys worked away so diligently that by sundown they |ing sisters, to one of whom Joe Beaseley was somewhat par- had the raft about half finished, and a very substantial looking | tial, the boys often found it to their taste to go over to the Doings it was even at this stage. Benson farm and spend an evening. They had- their usual good time on this occasion, and left the Benson place a little after nine to return to their homes. The werther looked threatening, and there was every. indi- _ CHAPTER VII. \eation thai it would rain before morning. This was not a desirable outlook for Jack and Joe, as it 4 PLOT AGAINST THE WHEAT. would interfere with the raft enterprise, and Jack especially Was anxious to get the craft finished as soon as posible. ; Mrs. Harper knew that her nephew and his friend Beaseley | «jt will be fierce if it rains to-morrow,” said Beaseley, cast- _ Were engaged upon some enterprise in which they took ing a doubtful glance at the sky. ‘ unusual interest, but as Jack said nothing to her about the! ““; chould say it would,” replied Jack, finding little consola- __hature of the work she made no inquiries, being fully satisfied )tion in the stormy aspect of the heavens. “However, it may _ that whatever the boy gave his time to was all right, and that [rain during the night and clear off by the morning.” he would no doubt tell her all about it in good time. “That wouldn't be so bad; but I’m afraid we can’t expect That evening she mentioned the subject of the shipment of | any such good luck. That sky looks as if it was getting ready _ the wheat. for a week's business.” _ ing up every day. You know, Mr. Fogarty told you it was one | setback.” dollar and ten cents this morning.” “Wel, you can’t put any dependence at all in the weather. So see Tee ee .! Snail poon need the. money to lit it starts in to rain tonight, it is liable to Keep it up for take up the mortgage.” Secon’ : y-four hours, or forty-eight, for that matter. T wouldn't a yet ms ees a pe yh apa fie ra | be surprised if it acted that way just to spite us.” * igi, he Dp D Something damp and clinging struck Jack on the nose at _ Yise,.you could easily get a loan on it that would see you that. mapeserth through. I am arranging now to slip the grain inside of the “next ten days, unless it should be considered advisable to hold [seit on tt. ont his hand, and presently another drop of water on longer for a higher price.” Sb tn +s vi “Do as you think best, Jack. I rely entirely on you.” a thes coe ap Be it ieee he said, gloomily. tee oe apandihien oy Oe gin cor ction of the raft next | They hastened their steps, for they had their good clothes ent ae ts) Sad oe i Ci ee Fit er peng geo hee ri ni sorrovd yet hae he for them, and they ly knoe mA y came down faster and faster, and pretty big drops at that. is ba cals vena’ ‘er build. the superstructure or house in ve eds we're in for a good soaking all right,” grumbled oe ‘which Jack expected to carry his aunt's wheat to the elevator |7 we a gg tgs this even a little bit. at St. Louis. that old ‘tumble-down shack on the other side of those trees : aga cont ete lac om Akt aarp it prom- | itil this downpour blows over..’ It won’t last long, judging © "Phe structure was to be a sort of Noah’s Ark in appear- | ‘70M the way it is starting to come down.” ‘ance, and was to occupy a space ten feet by twenty-five, and to 23 be ready to put in anywhere there’s a roof to keep off the , Kid H moisture.” t mmodate the cargo without being to) = ane ha ee te ‘3 eae thee “Let’s run, then,” said Jack, starting off at a rapid pace, : a ‘The deck of the raft had been extended a foot and a half} Amd Eeaseley didn’t lose a moment in following his lead. : : ‘beyond the hull part on the sides, making the width fifteen They reached the shanty in good time to escape the worst of ‘ same amo maki a smart rate as soon as they got under cover. i baer r peuree Pere rec meth ter alt TOBY “We're lucky,” chuckled Jack, “Tf we were out in that we'd 4 130 small, light addition was to be built onto the after part |800n be a sight for sore eyes. : 4 “ete patie Techie to serve as sleeping quarters. it “Great Scott!” exclaimed Jo ane deny: making a quick _ They expected to cook and eat in the open air, weather per- | Move to one side. %e " mitting, using a small stove imbedded in a sand-box. What's the matter?” asked Frost. 4 _ Jack had his plans down fine, and Joe fell in with them as “Something must have given away on the roof,” grumbled the they were manufactured to his order. -} Beaseley, “for a stream of water struck me on the back of the _ ‘The next day was Sunday, and, of course, nothing was done | 2¢ck just now and soaked me to the waist.” "on the raft, though both Jack and Joe visited the basin to see Jack iaughed, and then, fearing he might come in for a. _ that everything was just as they left them the previous eve- | Similar kind of bath, suggested that they get away back in a corner. ra _ The boys, as usual, went to meeting at the little brick church; Hardly -had they taken up their new position when they ; at the cp staan and afterward attended Sunday-school. heard a noise outside and two men ran into the shanty. | ‘Then’ they parted for dinner. re Joe spent the afternoon with Jack, and the-boys talked en- | one of the new comers, in surly tones. 2 thusiastically about the good time they expected to have navi- “Oh, we've lots of time,” replied his companion, in a voice ‘ ata gating the Chippewa and Mississippi rivers. | familiar to Frost as belonging to the postmaster and store- war rand what will you do with the raft after you are done with | keeper of Eden. a “it? Seems a pity to let it go for firewood, after all the trouble _ we will have gone to after it’s completed.” ' “It wouldn’t pay to have it towed way back up here,” re- plied Jack. “I may be able to sell it as a marine curiosity.” Se, “It will be that all right when we are done with it,” snick- ae ered Beasely. -“I say, what’s the matter with our advertising her in the St. Louis papers as the only and original Noah’s | here than hugging a hedge.” said the postmaster. a Ark, on exhibition at such a place, general admission one “{ don’t know but you're right, Plunkett. How far from * pickel?” ‘here is the Harper farm” The boy, surprised to encounter Mr. Plunkett so far away from his usual stamping grounds, pressed Joe’s arm and whispered in his ear to be as quiet as a mouse. “Supposin’ it keeps up all night, what then?” growled the first speaker. “Oh, it won’t keep up. Ii’s early yet, and. we wight better be “There is no hurry, auntie,” Jack told her. “Wheat is go-| “A week! I should hope not. That would give us an awful agreed Jack. “But we can take refuge in ~ . - feet, and had been rounded out five additional feet forward and | the shower, which began to beat upon the roof of the ruin at “{ wonder how long this is goin’ to last, Plunkett?” said - - 4 8 oy
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10 “About half a mile across the meadows.” “And where is the barn located that holds that there wheat?” “Perhaps four hundred yards back of the house.” “Most of them kind of barns are raised on stilts like, a few feet from the ground. Kind of helps to keep the stuff dry. It'll make a pretty bonfire, I reckon,” and the wondering boys heard the fellow chuckle. They couldn’t understand what he meant, but they “were not long kept in the dark as to the intentions of the two men. “T hope it will,” almost hissed Mr. Plunkett. “At the price wheat is going these days those two thousand bushels will save the farm to the widow and do me out of a good thing, unless we send it up in fire and smoke to-night.” “Al ’t that what we’re goin’ to do? We didn’t come away out here from town for nothin’, I reckon.” “T should hope not. With the wheat lost to her, and no possibility of paying the mortgage, which comes due next month, I guess Mrs. Harper will be glad to listen to my terms if she wishes to keep a roof over her head,” said Mr. Plunkett. “And do you really mean to marry her?” “That is my intention. She’s a fine-looking little woman, not yet forty, and she just suits my idea of a second Mrs. Plunkett.” “And how do you think you suit her, eh?” said the post- Master’s companion, with another chuckle. “T reckon she aint exactly ready to take you for better or worse, or you wouldn’t be so anxious to destroy her two thousand bushels of one-dollar-and-fifteen-cent wheat. It seems like an awful ‘waste of good money, Plunkett; but I s’pose you've got to turn. the screws on her, or she and the farm, too, will slip out of | your grasp. You’re a hard man, Plunkett, to run up against. TY wouldn’t like to owe you money I couldn’t pay when the time came around.” “Don’t get so gay, Monks,” objected the Eden storekeeper. “I'm going to pay you well for this night’s work, so you haven’t any right to amuse yourself at my expense.” ' “Touchy, are you?” laughed the man called Monks. “I like to have my little joke, Plunkett. Kind of keeps me in good humor, I reckon. I see the rain is easing up a bit. b deed time do you s’pose it is?” ‘to consult it. like two statues, for the light, while it lasted, plainly revealed their presence in the shanty. But the backs of the two men were turned squarely upon) better start right off for your barn and stand watch around them, and, as they did not turn around, having no suspicion | the place. that any one but their own two selves were in the place, Jack| guess he stands a pretty good chance of going to jail.” and Joe escaped their observation. -*“Ten o’clock,” reported Mr. Plunkett. “I s’pose we'd better not make a move for an hour yet, to make sure. Most of the people hereabout turn in about nine, and eleven is a good time to get busy. Has Mrs. Harper got; a dog about the place?” “Yes, but we ought to be able to avoid it. You have the teols with you, haven't you, to force an entrance through the back docr?” “TI reckon I have. I ain’t a professional house-breaker, you know, but I can opén a door or window or stab a lock with the best of them. The knack comes natural to me. I was always clever at gett ung at the inside of things.” “Well, it isn’t a h job to get inside a barn, Monks, and this barn isn’t any different to speak of from any other in _ the county. They’re all built on the same plan. Once we're _ inside we'll have the game in our hands. Inside of ten min- utes we'll have fired it in a dozen places. Mrs. Harper will il no wheat this year, and before Christmas she’l! be Mrs. kett, or the farm will have a new tenant. In any case, it will haye become my property, and that young cub, Jack Frost, will have to look for a living elsewhere.” intensity that showed he meant every word of it. At that moment something extraordinary happened. - The oid, rickety box on which Jack and Joe were seated suddenly gave way without warning, precipitating the two boys backward against the wall of the shack with a Joud erash. ~ They struck the time-worn boards with a shock that shook _. the shanty. ace wood, being rotten and insecureiy held by the rusty , yielded in turn, and the boys fell outside in a heap, and i net stop rolling until they butted up against the tres at foot of the incline back of the old shack. The postmaster pulled out his watch and then lit a match | the two thousand bushels of wheat stored there and thus get As the match flared up the boys held their breath and sat if there ever was one.” Mr. Plunkett wound up his little speech with a venomous : THE WAY TO SUCCESS. : | “Gee whiz!” exclaimed Beaseley, scrambling to his feet. “Was that an earthquake?” % eo a ts ee Frost, spitting out a mouthful of moist eart “Then what happened?” “Why, don’t you know?” “Something gave way all at once. lapsed.” “No. You can see it standing there in the same old place.” “Then I give it up.” “Why, the box gave way under us, we fell through the back of the shanty and rolled down here, a dozen feet away. I wonder what Mr. Plunkett and his friend Monks thought about it. We must have given them a great shock,” and the boy chuckled as he pictured in his mind the consternation of the two rascals. Maybe the shanty col- CHAPTER VIII. ON GUARD. * “Our clothes are in a nice state,” grumbled Beaseley, pick- ing off bits of damp soil from the front of his packet as well as he could in the dark. “Don’t mention it, Joe,” replied Jack, ruefully. our go-to-meeting togs at that.” “Hush!” whispered his companion. “That rascally Plunkett and his associate are investigating the cause of our mishap. I saw the flash of a match in the hole we punctured in the snack.” “Let’s get back among the trees here, so they won't dis- | cover us,” suggested Jack, and that plan was adopted. It had almost stopped raining, but that fact didn’t interest the boys as much as it had done previous to their tumble. Their garments were a sight, and would have to be reno- vated before they could hope to put them on again; soa little superabundance of moisture didn’t matter much now. “Isn’t that Nathan Plunkett an-old scoundrel?” said Joe, when they had retired within the shelter of the little wood. '*T should say he is,” answered Jack. “I never liked him, but I did not believe him to be so bad as to originate such a | asta scheme as burning down our barn so as to destroy “And they're my aunt’s property in his clutches, He’s a double-dyed rascal, “It’s a mighty good thing we overheard those two suites talking. Now we can put a spoke into their wheels. We'd If we can catch old Plunkett at this little game IL “T shouid think he would,” replied Jack, earnestly. “He isn’t very sweet on you, by the way he talks,” pei ie Joe. ie “I've known that for some time. He’s down on me because > Im making the farm pay. He had the idea at first that I ae would run it into the ground and thus tighten his grim on the __ property. As soon as he found out we were harvesting sucha — fine crop of wheat it broke him all up. He’s been dead pore aes ee on me ever since.” “Maybe he'll be afraid to attempt to carry out his plan to ‘ mit night, after what has happened,” said Beaseley, as they were approaching the rear of the big barn where Mrs. Harper's | grain was stored. “He must suspect that somebody wasinthe shanty all the time he and his companion were talking and, a of course, overheard their conversation. I'll bet he’s in a blue aa funk over it.” me - “Well, I’m not going to take any chances, if I have to stay up ali night and watch,” replied Jack, in a determined tone. — “{ wouldn't, either. It’s better to be sure than sorry,” — agreed Joe. “I’m willing to keep you company.” “3 “I’m much obliged, Joe; but this isn’t your funeral, and r have no right to ask you to lose your night’s rest.” “Ho! Don’t you s’pose I’ve got interest in your wheat, too? I’ve put nearly three days of good, solid work on that raft be- cause I expect to have a high old time sailing down the rivers on it, If that wheat should happen to be destroyed, all my labor and all my prospects of the good fime I’ve been dreaming over would go up with it. No, siree, bob! I can’t afford to get get it in the neck that way. I feel just like giving Mr. stad oo F one, two, three on the nut for contemplating such a rascally scheme,” squaring off at an imaginary antagonist. “We'll give him worse than that if we catch him at the trick,” nodded Jack, in a tone which meant no good to the postmaster. The boys took their position under the shadow of a. smal M * ie
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THE WAY TO SUCCESS. 11 tool-house, where they commanded all approaches to the big “I wouldn’t marry Mr. Plunkett if he was the last man on barn, and patiently awaited developments. earth,” she answered, indignantly; “even if I had any idea of _ They conversed in low tones, while they kept their bright |ever marrying again, which I haven’t. I thought I made that eyes wide open for suspicious interlopers. fact sufficiently plain to Mr. Plunkett when he proposed to An hour passed away and nothing turned up. me.” The rain-clouds were breaking up and passing away to the “Never mind, auntie,” said Jack, reassuringly. “Don’t let westward. Mr. Plunkett worry you. I believe he'll keep kind of shady ' “There’s the moon,” exclaimed Joe, pointing to a ragged |for a while, as I guess we gave him a good scare last night. patch of the blue sky where the bright luminary was strug-|He can’t have the least idea who was in the old shanty while gling to show herself through the flying scud. “We’ll have |he and Monks were there, and.that fact.will keep him guess- a clear day to-morrow, after all.” ing, and make him rather shy’ of showing his face in this “Looks like it,” replied Jack, cheerfully. “Judging by the | neighborhood again.” position of the moon, I should think it was getting on to mid- “I hope so. I never want to see his face again. When the night. I guess Mr. Plunkett has given up his project for to- | mortgage comes due I’m going to send the money to him by night, possibly for good. If he believes that his plan was over- |ycu” heard at the old shanty, you may depend on it he’ll be pretty “All right, auntie. It would do me lots of good to see how | shy of putting his head into a noose.” reluctantly he will let go his hold on the farm.” : They stuck it out another hour, and then both the boys Jack got his hat, left the house and made a bee-line for the + began to feel decidedly sleepy. anchorage of the raft. The croak of the frog, and other droning noises of the night, produced a somnolent effect upon them, their heads dropped { CHAPTER IX. drowsily forward, and in a very short time both were sound | THE GOLDEN HOPE. Frost found Beaseley already at the basin waiting for him. “Well, I'm ready for business,” he said, with a cheerful expression. “T see you are,” replied Jack, produing a rude plan of the house they were to erect on the raft. “We'll begin by meas- uring off the dimensions upon the deck.” ; They walked across. the plank which connected the un- wieldy-looking raft with the shore. : Jack measured off ten feet from the extreme point of the rounded stern and made -& cross on the boards ‘with a piece of red chalk. “Bring me that piece of scantling, Joe.” Beaseley brought it. Jack laid it down across the deck, told his arene, to hold one end in position, and then drew a straight line from the starboard side of the raft to the port side, intersecting the cross, He then measured off a foot and a half at each end and marked the spots. “Come forward, Joe.” The performance was repeated within five feet of the Sata of the bow, A line was then drawn fore and aft on either side of the seek, connecting the foot-and-a-half marks upon the cross- line, The parallelogram thus outlined formed the exact dimen- _ asleep. And, while they slept, Mr. Plunkett and his companion _ Monks, fully persuaded that there had been eavesdroppers in ‘the old shack while they were discussing their rascally plot, : were beating it as fast as their legs could carry them to town. The boys, in spite of their uncomfortable condition, slept right on through the balance of the night, until John Gray, r. the hired man, coming out at daybreak, found them there, much to his amazement. be He woke them up and inquired why they had anchored themselves for the night in that spot instead of seeking their beds like all good Christians do. “Good gracious! Is it morning already?” ejaculated Jack, - jumping to his feet in surprise. “We must have been asleep.” “JT should say you had been. I found you both as sound as a bell,” said Gray se _~ “And the barn!” almost gasped Frost, casting his eyes in the Wk direction of the big granary. rap “What about the barn?” asked the hired man, in a puzzled . bie + “Thank goodness! It is safe,” cried Jack, fervently. cpt ““Safe! You didn’t think it was about to run away, did you?” _ said Gray. quizzically. “We were afraid it would do worse than that,” interjected _ Joe, solemnly. ; Oh, come now, boys. | You haven't got your eyes open yei, "or your wits about you.” sions of the proposed house. a “Haven’t we? That’s all you know about it,” retorted “Now we'll lay down a new floor twelve by twenty-five _ Beaseley, in a nettled ‘tone. feet,” said Jack. “It will be raised six inches above the deck. _ “The tact of the matter is, we sat down here to watch the | we'll use a double layer, crossed, of those slabs for the foun- _ barn, because we had good reason to fear that it would be} gation and then board it over.” _ burned down last night,” explained Jack. That. provided a couple of hours’ work for them, and they “Burned down!” exclaimed the hired man, in some astonish- proceeded to get busy without loss of time. ment. “Impossible!” On account of the previous night’s rain there was a good __. “Is that so?” replied Joe. deal of moisture in the air—humidity, the scientists call it, Then Jack told Gray how they had overheard Nathan Plun- and the boys felt the effects of it, for they were soon perspir- _ kett and a (oy seo omen he ae, hi in fax rar tid ing. on edge of the woods, where they taken shelter from | “Gee whiz!” eried Joe, wiping his forehead, “it’s blame See rin on their way home, talking over their plan to destroy | this morning.” ee ens ° a hot “No hotter than Saturday, cld man, but we feel it more, that’s all.” arya hot for the second week in September, if you want to ow.” the gran granary. -_*You don’t mean to say that you actually heard Mr. Plun- -kett discussing such a criminal project?” “That's just what I aio to say,” answered Jack, stoutly. And I can prove it by Joe here.’ “If we're gcing to put this building through in record’ time “Surely you must have dreamed it all,” replied Gray, in-/|you don’t want to let a little thing like that. bother you,” eredulcusly, who, gee night just for the fun of the thing? Nathan Plunkett is | that day, the skeleton well secured and braced to the deck. _ eal, and (m going to let my aunt know just what sort| Next day the sides and ends were boarded up, leaving one yf man he is. Come on, Joe.” — openings whatever in the structure. ‘ Harper was very much astonished when Jack sub- On the ensuing day the skeleton of the sloping roof, aden. to her at the breakfast table his report of.Mr. Plun-!ing 2 foot beyond the house line, so that when boarded: over -kett’s character and his rascally intentions toward her. jit would shed the rain, if they encountered any, was put in “Tt seems almost incredible,” she said, with a painful ex- | place. ion. Thursday was devoted to completing the roof, in which a “He seems determined to force you to marry him, and ge et | big hole was left, to which a cover was fitted, for receiving the farm to Hot. auntie.” Itheir caren of grain.
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12 —_—- Jack developed a simple but ingenious method for making the reof water-tight for a limited time—considerably longer than they expected to have any occasion to use the boat. He applied the same process to the sides, thus furnishing a secure receptacle for the weat in transit. On Friday they built the deck-house, as Jack called it—a compartment five by twelve feet and eight feet high, with an opening to be shut in, if necessary, by a piece of sailcloth. Next morning Jack drove in to Eden, paid a flying visit to the Harles, and afterward purchased ten good-sized and stoutly hooped liquor barrels, which he brought back to the farm. That afternoon he and Joe attached five of the barrels se- curely on either side of the raft by means of stout ropes, nailed into the casks to prevent them from slipping. “Before sundown the novel household was completed and ready to receive her cargo, now quoted at one dollar and thirty- five cents a bushel. Jack viewed it with pardonable pride, as the eraktsiin of his own intelligence, while Joe regarded it as the vehicle which was to provide them both with a fortnight or so of rare good fun and adventure. “Now, let’s christen it, Jack,” he cried, enthusiastically. “What sball we eall it?” asked the chief constructor, thoughtfully. “The Jack Frost. How will that do?” grinned Joe. “Go on, you're foolish,” replied his friend. “We'll call it the Golden Hope. That will be somewhat appropriate.” “All right, let her go at that. Three cheers for the Golden Hope,” he cried, flinging his hat into the air and cheering, in pick performance he was joined, but in a more dignified way, y Jack. “On Monday we'll pole the craft around to the little wharf on the creek, and.there we'll load her to the hatches, as the Sailors say.” “And then we'll cut loose from our moorings and gently glide down stream, eh?” grinned Joe, in high glee. “Bet your life when we pass Eden we'll be piped off to the queen’s taste.” = “Tye no doubt we'll be an objeet of interest to the curious,” a] laughed Jack. "You haven't given the snap away to your aunt yet, have you?” Jack shook his head. “ _“No; I wanted to surprise her with the completed boat.” “You'll surprise her all right. I hope she won’t make a kick against trusting the grain aboard of her,” said Joe, get- _ ting solemn all of a sudden, such an alarming possibility oc- ' curring to him now for the first time. “Don’t worry about that,” replied Jack, cheerfully. “Auntie trusts me implicitly. If I say it’s Peers safe, my word will g0.” “I'd have a fit if there should be any hitch at this stage of gh cal said Beaseley, so earnestly that Jack had to laugh at him. “ “There’ s no danger of the Golden Hope floating away from her anchorage between this and Monday, is there?” asked Joe, _ alxiously. ¥ oe “Not a bit more than there was all along,” _ This stout rope holds the boat securely. Besides, she’s well _ -inside the bight, and I don’t believe would move to any ex- tent until poled out into the current of the stream.” “Ym glad to hear it. I wouldn’t sleep a wink if I thought there was a chance of the craft getting adrift.” _ After dinner next day Jack brought his aunt down to the _ basin to introduce her to the odd-looking boat, the history. of which he had told her on the way to church, much to her ey ah astonishment. _ “And do you really think that boat is stable enough to carry ‘our wheat all the way to St. Louis, Jack?” Mrs. Harper asked, _ somewhat doubtfully, as she viewed the unwieldy marine con- trivance. — *As sure as you live, auntie. She'll carry every bushel with perfect safety, save you a good many dollars in freight i i goa a coer of weeks’ outing on the ana for Joe 4 answered Jack. rate the craft together. ‘Later. pe Jack brought John Gray down to look at the olden Hope.” ‘ne: hired man, who had had some experience in river craft rder, examined the raft-boat with much curiosity and he. ‘sald, atter he had ascertained the object for was een “she’s Perane enough to carry the THE WAY TO SUCCESS. wheat to the Gulf, if necessary. You’ve got a great head to be able to build so substantial a craft out of fugitive lumber in two weeks. If you are satisfied that you and your friend Beaseley can navigate the craft between you as well as you have put it together, you ought to be able to get your wheat to St. Louis freight free all right.” “We can do that all right,” replied the boy, confidently. “It’s something of a risk. I advise you to have your cargo insured before you start.” “I mean to do it, if it doesn’t eost too much. I don’t think there’s risk enough to warrant a high premium.“ “You can’t tell. It’s the unexpected which must be pro- vided against, and the only way to offset that,is by insurance. Then your mind will feel easier, and your aunt will be more satisfied.” ; And Jack fully agreed with him. CHAPTER X. UNDESIRABLE VISITORS. On Monday morning the “Golden Hope” was poled around to the wharf on the creek, two extra hands were hired and the loading of the wheat aboard of her begun. While this work was in progress Jack and Joe rigged up a steering apparatus at the stern, which, when completed, was examined by John Gray, who declared it was strong and serviceable enough to answer the purpose required. Stout scantlings, six feet long, were nailed at intervals along the projecting edge of the deck and braced up against the superstructure, and to these uprights a long length of clothes- line was attached to form a kind of protecting railing all around the raft-boat, so the boys might pass from stern to - stem, on either side, without fear of falling into the water, unless through carelessness. The cooking apparatus, a small stove in a shallow box of sand, was next provided. Then Jack drove to Eden and purchased the provisions for the trip and a few cooking utensils; the balance of the outfit was furnished by Mrs. Harper herself, who had begun to take a lively Interest in the expedition. a The raft-boat stood the weight of her cargo in great shape, sinking gradually as ton after ton was shot into her big deck- house. by Her buoyancy was carefully investigated at intervals, and ? when half her load was aboard she had still two inches of ; displacement to her credit, according to Jack’s calculations. At last the final bushel was aboard, and so closely had the bright boy figured that practically she was»loaded clear up to her hatches. She rode the water three inches higher than Jack had expected, and that fact was a cause of much rejoicing all around. an There was now no longer any doubt but she would bear the grain safely to her port of destination, accidents or misman- _ agement alone excepted. 4 Jack made arrangements with an insurance agent to come — out to the farm, view the boat and figure upon a two weeks’ __ marine insurance. Z After the agent had examined the raft-boat and taken the testimony in the case he decided the risk was too great to accept at a sum which the assured would be willing to pay, and expressed himself to that effect, much to Mrs. Harper's disappointment. It is probable that the agent, when he returned to Eden, spread the intelligence about the “Golden Hope” about town, for ‘quite a number of curious people drove out to the farm and asked permission to look at the craft. : Among these was the assistant editor of the Eden “Daily _ News” si and next day the whole town knew about Jack bbe enterprise. a] The story, however, was highly complimentary of the boy's” Rit ingenuity and enterprise, and the editor took occasion also to © oF mention the lad’s pluck and nerve as shown at the recent fire S where he had saved the Earle girls from an awful death. Me This publicity was rather annoying than otherwise to Jack — £ Frost, but he had to put up with it, nevertheless. : Ever since the raft-boat had gone into commission Joe Bease- ley slept on board of her. In fact, he could hardly tear himself away from her to go t his meals. 4 Mr. Greene allowefl him 2 full month’s vacation, and he de- _ clared he was going to extract pleasure out of every ininute of it, except. of Course, when he was asleep. ; The loading of the Wheat was finished late ° Wednesday after- / “o They ee v oe a fa laa
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THE WAY noon, and it was decided to sail on the following morning at sunrise. After the sun set the wind rose somewhat, and the waters of ereek ruffled up enough to cause the raft-boat to strain slightly at her cable. ‘Clouds began to pile up in the sky, and before eight o'clock the conditions looked stormy and unpropitious. Joe ate his supper with Jack, and then both boys returned to the Golden Hope. Jack had purchased two lanterns—one with red glass, the other with green—which he proposed to display at night on either side of the boat, above the roof of the deckhouse, after they had started upon their trip down the rivers. ‘In addition, he brought aboard that night an ordinary white glass lantern used about the farm. “Let's rig up the lanterns to-night, just for the fun of the tuing,” suggested Joe. “It will look kind of shipshape, you know.” _ Jack fell in with the idea, and the lanterns were according! Tun up on their respective poles—the green on the starboard side, the red on the port. “Now we look like the real thing,” said Joe, with one of his cheerful grins. “ ! It’s beginning to blow some, isn’t) it?” _ The white lantern was intended to illuminate the small deck- The boys, however, did not think it necessary to light it on S$ oceasion. They sat together in the little cabin, as Joe called it, and talked about the trip they were to enter on the next day. At length they grew weary, and Joe said he guessed it was _ time to turn in. - Jack didn’t propose to roost on board when he had a com- _fortable room to go to, so he bade Joe good-night and started for the house, a third of a mile away. He es aay about half the distance when he thought he He ioerea and listened. Srited wind made a good deal of noise eiaiiich the trees, but t the same time it brought the sound down to him. He was presently aware that two men were approaching him, 4 a the direction of the creek where the raft-boat was a ‘didn’ t know of anybody that had a right to be abroad on ‘property at that hour of the night, so their presence in- ted him considerably, and he determined to lie in wait for and, if possible, see who they were and find out what py were doing in that locality. So he stepped back into the bushes and waited for the two } ‘to come up. There was no moon to aid him, and the sky was overcast and -looking. owever, he knew all his neighbors so well that he believed » could identify the intruders if they came near enough to him afford him a good look. e voices approached closer and closer, and the tones of d a familiar ring to the boy. n the two men came out from the shadow of the trees and d within a few feet of Jack. s, and Paes the few words he picked out of their con- » the raft-boat and see if they could put it out of business. t's the game you’re on, Nathan Plunkett?” muttered lly. “I'll see that you'll get all that’s coming to you try to damage my boat. No doubt you fancy the to itself at night, because two-legged serpents like not common in the neighborhood. Ill qmat. follow and see what didos you try to cut up. I'll have you hile Joe, who sleeps with one eye open ever since on board, will take you in the front. T'll we W' a thing to you both.” 1 “Thought Jack as The followed the pair of ragvals as fast ed go. 3 ‘Was reached at last, pnd Facet paw Plunkett and n standing a few feet a from the Golden Hope, serves hahaa crying an : b on and Plunkett, drawing aside vas. a, which partly screened the opening to the who came to his side ome looked ed they were Tooking ‘at bes who, ashe aida no to pauited the iia was svg egrues fast asleep. ’ Fat eon amas OOS NY ee, kale See : sation Gack realized they were going down to the creek to} Pcie 5 TO SUCCESS. 13 The rascals consulted together. ; They soon reached a decision, which evidently involved Beaseley, for they immediately pushed their way into the little deckhouse. “They mean to do Joe up,” breathed Jack. to butt in.” He grabbed a stout stick which lay close to him on the ground and dashed on board the raft-boat. There was a struggle going on.in the cabin. Jack could hear some pretty strong language being used by the postmaster and Monks, but Joe didn’t seem to be uttering a sound. “I’m afraid they're getting the best of him,” thought Frost, as he reached the deckhouse entrance. “I wish there Was a light burning, so I could see how things look inside.” : Bvidently somebody else had the same desire to throw a light on the situation, for at that very moment a match was ignited, and by its glare Jack saw that it was Plunkett who had lit a lucifer and held it in his fingers, and he also made out that the two men had Beaseley face down on the deck, the storekeeper kneeling on his back, while Monks, who was a smoothly shaven, youngish-looking man, had one of lis hands over the boy’s mouth. As the match expired in the storekeeper’s fingers Jack dashed in and struck him a stunning blow on the head with his cudgel. Plunkett fell half-dazed against the bunk out of which they had pulled Joe. Jack followed up his advantage by rapping Monks in a simi- lar manner, though the blow was not so effectual. The fellow, however, was obliged to release his grip on Beaseley. Joe, finding he was no longer held at a serious disadvantage, struggled to his feet, encouraged by Jack’s voice, and the two boys attacked the intruders in right down earnest. “It’s time for me CHAPTER XI. , OFF AT LAST. ‘The scrimmage which ensued in the gloom of the contracted deckhouse was sharp, short and decisive. Monks soon had all he wanted of it. Managing to extricate himself, he fled to the shore as fast’ as his legs could ¢arry him and disappeared in the direction he and his companion had come. It was different with Plunkett. Jack’s blow had put him out of business, and he became an easy victim. Frost struck a match and flashed the light im the postmas- ter’s eyes. “Well, Mr. Plunkett, ” he said, coolly, “what have you to say }for yourself?” The storekeeper evidently had nothing to say for himself, for he only scowled back at Jack and remained silent. While Joe blocked Plunkett's retreat by the doorway, Jack took down the lantern and lighted it. This cast a welcome illumination on the situation. “Jack and I would be glad to know why you have honored us" with your presence at this late hour of the night,” said Jack, sarcastically. “Let me pass, you young rascals,” demanded Mr. Plunkett, aggressively. “Certainly,” replied Frost, with mock politeness, “after you have explained why you and your friend Monks boarded this raft and attacked my friend Joe Beaseley.” The postmaster flashed him an evil look. “You young villain!” he exclaimed, vindictively. me with that stick you have in your hand. I'll have you in fail for assault the first thing in the morning.” “All right,” replied the boy, cheerfully. “Do so, if you think | it will pay you. But I guess we'll have something to say about your on this cargo of wheat which will make you look tke thirty cents and maybe land you in a cell.” “How dare you talk that way to me?” sputtered Mr. Plunkett. “You can’t work any bluffs on me, Mr. Plunkett,” said Jack, sternly. “We've caught you in a mighty small piece of busl- — ness, and we also know what brought you and Monks around > here a week ago Sunday night.. Somebody heard ail that passed between you and your companion that night in the old shanty, | and you were both recognized. I have evidence enough to cause the arrest of both of you, and I guess I could make it pretty hot for you if I chose to do so. If you know when. a well: off you'll keep away for | from this farm. m your * mortgage falls due it will | paid in full; after. that a0. don't sie} anything to do a you. Let him go, Joe.” i “You ataioe'* +a
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e 14 THE WAY Both boys stepped aside so the postmaster of Eden could pass out of the deck-house. He never uttered a word as he took advantage of his op- portunity. He was cornered and beaten to a standstill, and he knew it. But for all that he was just as dangerous as ever, and a desire for revenge rankled deep down in his heart. He stepped ashore in sulky defiance, and the last the boys saw of him was when his tall form vanished into the gloom of the night. “I guess we’d better stand watch by turns to-night,” said Jack. “I can’t afford_to take any chances with a pair of ras- cals like those two around loose in this neighborhood. They are capable of doing a heap of mischief in their "Present hu- _mmor if they get the ghost of a chance.” Joe thought so, too, so for the rest of the night the boys in turn stood guard two hours at a stretch, until the morning sun brought the hired man down to tell them that an early breakfast awaited them at the farmhouse. Leaving Gray to watch the raft-boat, the boys went to the house, where they found Mrs. Harper waiting for them. After the meal she accompanied them to the wharf to see the boat off on its voyage which was to carry it down the “Father of Waters” to the city of St. Louis. The boys stepped aboard the raft-boat, and each took up a long pole as John Gray released the ropes which held the bow and stern of the craft to the wharf. As she began to move forward of her own accord, Jack took his place at the helm, and then both boys shouted farewell. to Mrs. Harper and John Gray on the shore, waving their hats gleefully. Jack’s aunt and the hired man waved their hands in return, and now the river voyage had actually begun. “Down the river, down the river, down the O-hi-o!” howled Joe, feeling a strong desire to stand on his head through sheer happiness. “You mean ‘Down the creek, down the creek, down to the Chippewa,’ don’t you, Joe?” laughed Jack. ‘ “Sure I do. I mean any old thing that fits into the situation. Ain’t there anything for me to,do? Must I stand around with my hands in my pockets till my turn comes to steer?” “T guess you can find something to do. You want to coil up those ropes John tossed aboard and make things shipshape.” _ “Aye, aye, Cap’n Frost,” grinned Joe, and he started to obey orders at once. Jack was prepared to find that the raft-boat would display a strong tendency to whirl around in the current. of the creek, which was fairly rapid, and was now carrying them down toward Eden and the junction of Chippewa at a. satisfactory speed. Although the young navigator had yet to learn even the art of managing a craft, he soon found that the diffieulty of keep- ing the craft head-on could readily be overcome by practice. A kind of “erow’s nest” had been built on top of the small deckhouse, where the boys would have to take up their post, turn about, in order to keep a lookout ahead. Joe Was the first, of course, to mount the “roost,” as , he }. called it. -He couldn't get lonesome, for he was within easy talking dis- tanee of Jack. It was a nice, airy spot, and afforded an ‘excellent view of the surrounding iandscape. There was small danger of the raft meeting with. any other craft, unless it might be a rowboat, on. the creek. The stream was fairly broad and deep all the way to its junction with the Chippewa, five miles away.. “This is simply gréat, Jack,” cried Joe. “We're going down faster than I thought we would.” ‘“How do you like it up there?” “Fine, I can see a mile straight ahead, and there isn’t any- _ thing in the way.” “The creek runs nearly straight the entire way to Eden,” replied Frost. “7 know it does. I went down once about a year ago ona ; sailboat.” It was nearly seven. Sikics when they approached ‘the steeples of Eden, _ As they floated past the town they became an object of in- terest and curiosity to a good many people, the boys of the neighborhood, who began to flock to the shore in con- siderable numbers as the news of the approach of the house- like this before in their lives.” [ don't believe they over, ave,” lengbad a raft spread. “Gee whiz!” grinned Joe. “Those. kids act as if vere never |. TO SUCCESS. “Hi, hi, hi!” came out hails from the water-front of Eden from the youngsters, who were following the course of the raft as they might a street procession. “There are some girls waving their hands and handkerchiefs at us,” said Joe, standing up and saluting the fair ones with - his broad-brimmed hat. . “IT see them,” answered Frost, taking off his hat and bowing to the young ladies, F “I tell you, this is all to the mustard,” said Beaseley, tickled to death over the sensation their appearance created. “Come now, Joe,” warned Jack. “You don’t want to forget — to attend to business. We're sliding into the Chippewa, and Wwe may run foul of something if you don’t keep your weather eye lifting.” “Nothing in the way, old man. minute.” Jack knew that from the swing of the raft. In spite of all he could do, the raft was getting around broad- on to the current where it emptied into the Chippewa. “Come down and lend a hand, will you, Joe?” he asked his assistant. “Sure I will,” replied Beaseley, cheerfully. He quickly descended from his perch amd gaye Frost. the benefit of his powerful muscles. = Together they managed to prevent the raft from Pera st completely around, as she surely otherwise would have done. i In a few minutes the Golden Hope was fairly launched into the middle of the more rapidly flowing Chippawa, and the ~ raft floated along at a faster rate. “Tt’s seven o’clock,” said Jack. “You may take a spell at the steering gear. You want to see that you keep her head pointed straight down the river. I'll keep you posted. You won’t find — the job very easy till you get some experience.” x He relinquished the rudder pole to his omer, ane * mounted himself to the lookout. ¢ Joe’s first efforts were somewhat discouraging. 3 “What's the matter with the blamed old raft, anyway? I +, can feel it trying to swing the wrong way every me 2 grumbled Beaseley. ; Jack laughed, and then handed him down some advice based” on the experience he had accumulated during the trip down the creek. a “I guess it’s harder down here on the Chippewa,” mumbled Beaseley. 2 At that moment Jack saw a rowboat, with a couple of girls oe and a boy on board, put out from one of the small wharves — and make directly for the raft-boat. en = We'll be in the river in a CHAPTER XII. Ge MISS VIRGINIA EARLE VISITS THE GOLDEN HOPE. “YJ wonder who. they are?” thought Frost. “They are row: ing directly for us.” As the rowboat came nearer, and the faces of the girls mS came plainer, Jack uttered an exclamation of surprise and ; pleasure. : He recognized Virginia Earle and her sister Jessie. “Hello, Joe!” he cried. “Hello yourself,” replied the stout boy, whose attention” een fully occupied with his efforts to keep the raft —s ee, “We're going to have visitors.” et “Visitors!” ejaculated Beaseley, in surprise, letting go of the rudder-pole and rushing to the starboard side of the craft. “Here, here!” shouted Jack. “Get back to your pust, Joe, OF we'll be stern-on in a moment.” g He jumped down to help his companion regain control of ‘the — unwieldy boat. When this had been accomplished, he warned Beaseley against. deserting the steering gear again, and then walke over to the side to welcome the Earle girls. “Good-morning, Miss Earle,” he said, politely lifting his 1 *“Good-morning, Mr. Frost. We've come out to see Golden Hope,” she laughed. is “Joe and myself appreciate the honor you have confers upon us by getting up so early to see us off.” “Do you?” “Sure we do,” chipped in Beaseley, as the boat came | up to the raft’s stern quarter. “May we come aboard, Mr. Frost?’ asked Virginia. “Of course you may, and stay as long as you choot = “Oh, we can only stay a few minutes. We don’t Wane carried too far down the river, you know.” Jack assisted the two girls to the deck. after he ha the boat fast alongside by her painter, and the a rowed them out stepped on poses without any bared
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a ail “This: is my cousin, Tom Waldron,” said Virginia, intro- a ducing their companion. in “Glad to make your acquaintance, Tom. Let me make you aoe ‘known to my crew, Joe Beaseley.” Z The two boys shook hands. é “You're going all the way to St. Louis, aren’t you?” said Ber "Waldron: . “That's what we are,” replied Jack. “I wish I were going along with you,” he answered, wist- _ “I wish you were, too.” replied Frost, cheerfully. _ “TI wouldn’t mind taking such a trip myself,” smiled Vir- ginia. “I suppose you expect to have a fine time?” “We're going to have barrels of fun,” grinned Beaseley. _ “Boys do have such an advantage over us girls.” ; “You see now you made a mistake by being born a girl,” _ ehuekled Joe. _ “Ym afraid I didn’t have any say in the matter,” replied ‘Virginia, roguishly. ‘ 2% “I'm glad I ain't a girl, all right.” ES ie “Would you like to climb up to the crow’s-nest, Miss Earle?” asked Jack, pointing to the lookout platform. “I’ll help you _ up. You'll get a splendid view from there.” “Oh, my, is that what you call that place?” “Yes. That's where we keep our lookout ahead.” “I don’t know if I can get up there or not,” she_ ane doubtfully. ; “Oh, yes, yon can. Just give me your hand. It’s only a short ladder, you see.” re en encouraged, she permitted the young navigator to help up. “Isn't it grand!’ she exclaimed, looking up and down and across the river. “I should just love to stay here all morning. ts almost as nice as being on & steamboat. So you and Joe Beaseley actually built this boat between you,” she added, ress at him admiringly. “Aren’t you too smart for any- “Now, Miss Earle—” protested Jack, though secretly de at her commendation. “IT mean it,” she insisted. “My father says you're the smart- ee. bravest boy in Eden County, and I fully agree with “a I sheuld be a most ungrateful girl if I didn’t,” she added, ~ earnestly, and with a look into the boy’s eyes which sent his blood leaping through his veins at a great rate. “For you eh my life in the most heroic manner, as well as the life of s dear sister.” ~*T ean’t deny that,” stammered Jack, finding that words iz very slow to him under the bewitching influence of her Iresence “All I can say is—what I think I have said two or three es before—that I am glad I was able to help you when needed help. I would do the same thing again for you if At were necessary.” imo you,” she replied, casting down her eyes. “I believe “1 es you will go out and call on my aunt while I am away. She thinks you the nicest-———” Re “Oh, no,” protested Jack. “It's the truth, because I think so, too.” he added mapa ngs a?” he insisted, capturing one of her hands. “Yes, since you wish it,” she answered, in a low tone. ia uk you.” How long do you expect to be away?” she asked, presently. ¢ can’t say exactly. Probably two weeks or more.” ‘ib ell, I shall expect to see you just as soon as you get back. want to hear all about-your trip.” will not fail to call,” replied the boy. te be roar! much disappointed if you delayed your n I shall look to see you a day or two after you get remember,” she said, archly. “Now, please help me down. really must go ashore right away.. We haven't had our st yet, and I know Tom will object to a long pull on an stomach.” assisted her to the deck with as much care as though ‘e a princess of royal -blood. e, Jessie, Tom; it’s time we put out for the shore. We > all of half a mile below Eden.” y embarked, Jack doing the honors. _ od-b¥, boys,” cried Virginia, as her cousin, Tom Wal- ‘sl noved the Dias CEE clear, st hope youn aol a splendid “Miss Earle,” replied “Tack. THE WAY TO SUCCESS. Sa ae eee a ea nee 15 “Good-by, fellows. I’m dead sorry I’m not with you,” floated back from Waldron, as he headed the boat to the shore and bent to his oars in a sturdy fashion. Jack mounted once more to the lookout and noted that the river was clear as far ahead as he could see. At eight o’clock the boys changed places again, the arrange- ment being one-hour spells for each alternately at the helm, At twelve o’clock when Jack took his turn at steering, Joe started in to cook a pot of coffee. An inverted box served them for a table, on which some meat sandwiches, a whole pie and other “fixings” were spread out, “Grub is ready,” announced Joe in twenty minutes. He squatted down on the deck, while Jack took his meal standing, as it was out of the question to leave the helm itself for any length of time. to “This isn’t so bad,” said Beaseley, cheerfully. “These sand- wiches beat anything I’ve tested in a dog’s age.” “They’re all to the good, old man. Aunt Lucy has the knack of making the boss sandwiches on record. And her pies make one’s mouth water just to look at them.” “You bet they do,” acquiesced his companion. “This is a peach pie, I guess. If there’s one pie F like better than another it is peach.” “I thought mince was your favorite?” grinned Jack. “That’s right. I forgot. Mince always goes to the right spot.” “How about pumpkin? I heard you say once that pumpkin pies were first favorites with you.” “Oh, come now, don’t make me think of all the delicacies that I like. Almost all Kinds of pie look alike ie me when I come to eat them.” “You’d make a good pie-rate, wouldn’t you?” laughed Jack. “Sure pop. We ought to have brought a black flag with a skull and cross-bones painted on it to hoist at our masthead.” “What do you call our masthead?” “One of those uprights on which we're going to display our. colored lights when it grows dark.” Joe cleared away and washed the dishes, and then hied him- self up to the crow’s nest, from’ which perch he chinned with Jack until his companion called him down to steer for an hour. “TI guess I’ve got the hang of the thing now,” said Beaseley. | “By the time we reach the Mississippi I'll be able to steer with my eyes shut.” They passed one river steamboat about three o'clock, but she was only a small affair, a freighter. Altogether the river seemed to be singularly clear of boats or vessels of any description. The sun set about six, and shortly afterward Joe piped supper. to At seven the colored lights were hoisted into place, and the white light was hung in the lookout station, exactly between the other lanterns. Darkness gradually settled down deep and solemn over the face of the landscape and river. There were many lights on either shore to guide them their way. on. io must be careful to keep to the middle of the stream, as near as we can guess,” said Jack, “or the first thing we know we may find ourselves ashore. If the tide happened to high at the time we'd be in a pretty fix, unless we succeeded poling ourselves clear right away.” be in “Get your banjo, Jack, and let’s have some music,” said Joe. So Frost got his instrument out of the deck-house, tuned up, and presently the strains of a lively dance were floating on the still evening air. Then he sang several popular songs, Joe joining in on the chorus. “Better turn in now, Joe,” said Jack, as he relieved his companion at the rudder. “We commence our four-hour watches now. I'll wake you at midnight. Then you are to call me at four.” “IT don't feel a bit sleepy. Guess I'll stay awake a while longer.” “You can do as you please, but it’s your funeral, you know.” At half-past eight Beaseley took possession of the one — and in five minutes was sound asleep. 4 5S. shew CHAPTER XII. “es ON THE MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI. Jack Frost was now thoroughly skilled. in feniiahe. eo the att boat, and consequently found the work merely mechani hier Joe ss irate Jack found oe hung Tatler ele slow } _ 7 ww é Jeo, WM +!
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— CHAPTER XV. CONCLUSION. Jack made inquiries early next morning about where he should find commission grain merchants, and was referred to the street where a great many of these merchants had their places of business. When he and Joe were on their way to the restaurant at which they proposed to breakfast, he bought a couple of morn- ing dailies from a newsboy. After giving their order at the table, the first thing both the boys did was to look up the price of wheat. - It was quoted at one dollar and sixty cents per bushel. It didn’t take much figuring to shgw that their load would fetch something over three thousand two hundred dollars, less commission. ' “Hadn't we better hold on a few days, Jack? It might rise to one dollar and seventy-five cents, or even two dollars.” “No, Joe. The present price is good enough for me, Aunt Lucy will clear three thousand over all expenses. That’s a thousand dollars more than she expected to get.” “All right, Jack. It’s your wheat.” “Suppose it was yours?” “T’d wait two days more, at any rate.” “Tm not taking any chances, Joe, now that I have arrived on the ground. waited.” - “Why, what could happen to it now? We're moored to the/ along. levee, as they call it, aren't we?” “Oh, I don’t mean to say that I think anything would hap- pen to it, but, you know, the unexpected is always liable to happen.” _, Dhe words were hardly out of his mouth before he suddenly clutched his companion’s arm and looked over his shoulder toward the front of the restaurant. : ; , “What's the matter?” asked Joe, a bit startled at his man- * ner. i x “The unexpected has happened, Joe,” he whispered. “What do you mean?” » “Don’t look around when I tell you.” “All right,” replied Beaseley, beginning to get excited. “Mr, Plunkett and his friend Monks have just come into the vestaurant and have taken the first table.” _ “Gee whiz! Is that really the fact?” Med Og ; ~ “What the deuce are they doing in St. Louis?” cae they've come here to try and do us up on the . ~*“Ha! How can they?” “Now you've got me. We must wait till they’ve gone, then you must hurry back to the raft and stand watch over it while ___ IT rush off and fetch a commission man down to make the sale.” _ | They ate the meal slowly, Jack keeping a sharp eye on the __» first table, where his enemy and Monks were apparently enjoy- {ng their breakfast. . .At length the two mien rose, went to the counter, settled for ithe meal and walked ‘out on the street. __. “Keep your eye on them, Joe, while I pay these checks.” __. In half a minute he rejoined his companion outside. 4,4 Which way did they go?” he asked. ; _ “Toward the levee,” answered Joe. _ “They are on the ijookout for the Golden Hope, as sure as oo alive. Now, hustle off with you, and don't let them see If they spot our craft, don’t let them on board, if you _ have to slug both of them to prevent it.” Ase ~All right, Jack. Ill knock the daylights out of them if they.monkey with me,” : They parted at once, and Jack took his way to the district where the commission merchants had their stores. |, The boy selected one place at random, entered the store and _ asked to see the head of the house. " was directed to step into the private office. : did so, and lost not a moment in stating his business. I have two thousand bushels of wheat alongside the levee the foot of Blank street. Do you want to buy it at the pre- i “market rate?” the boy said to the merchant. 10m do you represent, Mr, Frost?” Rie - aunt, Mrs. Harper, of Eden County, Wisconsin.” Have you brought the wheat all the way from that State?” “Yes, sir; by water.” ett f e wheat is in bulk, of course?” sir. All ready be go to the elevator.” give you one dollar and sixty MARE MAS Jocks DeVeRTy... fa see THE WAY TO SUCCESS. cfs mon ors" SEND POSTAL FOR OUR FREE CATAL “T’yj send a representative with you to examine the grain and, if it is in first-class condition, to close the deal.” “All right, sir.” In five minutes a bright young man was summoned and introduced to Jack. The merchant gave him his orders, and the young man started for the levee with Jack. When they reached the foot of Blank street they found a crowd gathered about a certain part of the levee, just at the point where Jack knew the Golden Hope was tied up. : They pushed their way to the front, to find Mr. Plunkett and Monks trying to effect a lodgment on the wheat-boat, while Joe Beaseley was standing them off with the short pole which had’ ~ done service as a yard for their sail. ‘Jack rushed to his friend’s aid, and in the struggle which ensued Mr. Plunkett was tumbled into the river, from which he was rescued, a melancholy looking object, by a longshore- man. He and Monks retired from the scene much crestfallen and swearing to take vengeance on the spunky boy. Jack explained the cause of the scrimmage to the astonished representative of the commission house, who declared the ras- cals ought to be arrested. : He then examined the wheat, found it came up to all re- 4 quirements, and the deal was closed. Arrangements were at once made with the captain of a tug Something might happen to our cargo if I! close by to tow the Golden Hope to Elevator D, belonging to a certain big firm, and the young man and the two boys went After the grain had been absorbed and automatically meas- ured by the elevator, the boat was towed back to her former moorings and Jack went back to the store to get the money. eee The merchant kindly permitted his young man to accompany ¢ Jack to the bank and procure for him a draft on the Eden National Bank for the three thousand odd dollars the wheat came to. “ . When he returned to the boat he found Joe talking to @ stranger, : This man wanted to charter the raft-boat to take a load of lime down to a small town at the junction of the Ohio River, and after some conversation Jack offered to deliver the stuff for a certain sum, which was accepted. “You'll have to cut a door in your deck-house in order to get your load aboard,” said the man. t “T'll have that arranged by the time you get your lime here.” *T’ll have it here inside of two hours.” Tt took the Golden Hope two days to deliver destination. Then, while Jack was wondering what he was going to do with his craft, he received a satisfactory offer for her and ae- cepted it. y That night he and Joe started by express for Eden, Wiscon- sin, where they arrived in due time, and hustled out at once for the farm. ' Jack was received with open arms by his aunt, who compli- mented him highly gn the success of his trip with the wheat to. St. Leuis. d Pik Mrs. Harper insisted on presenting Jack with two hundred and fifty dollars as a substantial recognition, in addition to- his wages, of the interest he displayed in the welfare of the farm. + Jack did not fail to call on Virginia Earle right away after his return, as he had promised to do, and was most graciously received. not only by the young lady herself, but by her family as well. In due time Jack Frost personally took up the mortgage on his aunt’s farm and forever relieved her of any further con- nection with Mr. Nathan Plunkett. f When he reached his eighteenth year his aunt presented him with a half interest in the farm, assuring him that it would — all be his at her death. ; , = At twenty-one Jack attended his own wedding in the town of - Eden, and the bride was Virginia Earle, just as everybody who © had watched the course of events since young Frost returned from his trip to St. Louis in the Golden Hope said it would be. ‘To-day Jack Frost is one of the most prosperous farmers of Western Wisconsin. > Next week’s issue will contain “STRUCK OIL; OR, THE BOY WHO MADE A MILLION. mi itt 4° ae as se the lime at its i . ~ “ = - af Se ; Se a i) es ett * we i y So *
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FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. CURRENT NEWS a Dispatches from Petrograd say the conditions at Lodz, | able to escape in a few minutes. Policeman White over- _ which was captured by the Germans some time ago, are | took Heasted, arrested him without trouble’ and found. _terrible.. The population is starving and the re are | the money in his pockets. : peng cats and dogs. Billiard enthusiasts are beginning to concede that _ The Germans claim that their 42-c.m. gun has been | George Sutton, the veteran Chicago player, will carry off in their hands for six years, though its existence has been|the honors in the Champion Billiard Players’ League, concealed until now. An officer of the English army re-| Since Ora Morningstar retired from the competition while ports having seen the gun at Krupp’s some years ago. He| holding the lead, Sutton has been playing a better game was then told that it was a freak gun, not available for use,}than any other "member of the organization. He now ut this statement may have been part of the policy of} holds a good lead with the season nearing its end. Calvin concealment. Demarest and Harry Cline, however, are close up and ; Patieeien D they may make matters interesting for the veteran before ‘When a thief drove out of the town of Silverfield, six|the season ends. Either has a good chance to win. Al- miles south and four miles east of Goldyke, Nev., with | bert Cutler and Koji Yamada, along with the three young: a team of horses belonging to Curley Jones, a mine owner |sters in the tournament, do not appear to haye much ", of that place, he took with him the only conveyance in the chance of carrying off the honors. rea lace, and as a result Jones was compelled to walk thirty- five miles over mountains and desert to notify the sheriff. theft oceurred in broad dayli George Culbert, of Michigan City, professional diver, . shag eens car eae gas sr employed in the digging of the new wells in the Kankakeé River for Laporte’s (Ind.) auxiliary water supply, had a thrilling experience while in thirty-five feet of water. One — 3 fine pio Aig of his hands became caught in the monster suction. pipe, Twenty mentbers of the Young Ladies’ Mission Circle holding him fast so that he was unable to reach his. life, f the Tabernacle Christian Church, Columbus, Ind., have line ‘and give the signal to the men shove: | For tan! min- 2 we * a Vane Hs eee 2. ea a 2p creme : utes he was helpless, while those above continued to ‘pomp. 2 others do not attend church because their babies cry and ait to him, ‘but Sinally, by superhumin ‘efforts, be Was ablel ; F tb the services. The young- women will take charge = ye a see - . oe tags iat we ea aa ff: i the onrushing water-could overcome him, he Je es f all babies taken to the church and will keep them in a ‘ fed) yd Setters trout the waditorinin-that id Prot Miadccat life line and was hoisted to the top. Culbert was none bel ih 7 > Reagtenenre th i worse for his experience, although it was some time before. i : i tapi Sena he was able to resume his work. © ; ale An unusual guest appeared recently at the Stewart Ho- ; iv Ss meyer ve S a “y San eee ae a huge oa bear, accompanied] An Associated Press ecrrespondent sends the followin y ‘Fred Thompson, his owner, and nature man, Joe he from: the battle line in Poland: “TI suppose thousands of} /Russian schoolboys, most of them not more than 11 or 12 years old, have run away from home, and managed by hook, — or crook to attach themselves to the army as helpers. one kind or another. Most useful they are, too. At that age they don’t know or care about death or danger. few smart boys solve the difficult problem of the su; of ammunition to the fighting lines during the hott times. The great schoglboy hero now is Orlof, 1 ag Zhitomir. He fought in eleven battles and has been deeds: . rated by the Czar with the order of St. George. W : on scout duty, he came upon a trench of Russia were having a hard battle with a superior force enemy. Ale lay in a trench with, them and fou day. By nightfall their ammunition was giving ou ‘Orlof saved his corps by creeping out i in the dark a ing his way through the heaped corpses to the main ly.) sian line, where he he eicet ieee and a ult. |of ammunition. and rifle rifle fire tl ms ! but Fe : ‘4 nowles, waddled up to the desk and gravely went through formalities of registering, giving his name as “Baby of Rockies.” After a good feed on lumps of. sugar, yy,” who weighs slightly over 500 pounds, took a trip e elevator, which he jammed on his way up. - Ar- / on the seventh floor, “Baby” and eseort visited a jwomen. The grizaly was captured by Rhomppon ier Earl Randall, two other men and a boy at the State Bank, Bingham, Utah, took $18,000 in 4 was arrested without resistance soon after- quick ca re was due to the fact that the cr wah Po ee held up and locke@ in his vault, as in another Utah — Apes
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FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. THE GOLDEN GROTTO oe — OR —- TWO BOYS’ SEARCH FOR NO-NO LAND By GASTON GARNE CHAPTER IT (continued) “T reckon I was, seeing I was the only white man against fifty. They robbed the camp of all that was worth _ taking and went off quickly, taking me with them. No doubt our people tried to rescue me and the loot, but those black fellows moved so fast that there was no overtaking them. First of all, I was almost dying, but they gaye * me some native remedy and the fever began to leave me.” _. “That was very kind of them.” _. “Very, Jack,” answered Morgan, savagely. curing me to eat me.” _ “Just as if you were pork! Ha, ha!” . “Well,:they didn’t eat me, anyway. They changed their minds and made a slave of me. Great Scott! What a Eh life I led for six months. Every nigger kicked and cuffed me just as he pleased.” _ “So you made up your mind to escape ?” said Frank. “Iam coming to that. There was an, old fellow that i was almost worshipped by everybody, a sort of medicine man or priest. Anyway, he was the whole thing, and it was decided that I was to be a slave. I’d never seen this _old chap, but I had heard a great deal about him, and at > last I reached the place where he lived. I have no recol- be _ lection of how I got inside. I guess they drugged me and a carried me in asleep, so that I would not know the way. ite: When I woke up, I was in a cave with lamps and torches . burning that made it as bright as day. I looked around Bid in amazement. The roof, the walls, aye the floor itself, was all of one color, gleaming yellow in the Seyting light. My lads, it was a golden grotto!” =~ ~ “Not real gold?” cried Jack, opening his eyes wide. Ys “Real as this,” retorted Morgan, holding out a piece of sar metal, which he took hastily from his pocket. ple and I have carried it with me ever since. and you will see that there is no mistake.” t is gold, right enough,” bye: Frank, “but ner your =i Mtorys” “That's soon done. I escaped. Some dag I will tell I then fell in with a party of slave traders, was serose the continent to Abin and nally sailed ] for America. Directly I had the chance, I Loango, and that is what brings me on board n. Now, lads, what do you ee of my. yarn ?” oth boys were silent. out,” said Morgan. “They were ’ #) rs us ne ay shall aa feel offended. “This is a} Look at} Burton got it into his head that some plot had been hatched, and more than once he warned Jack and Frank to beware of their companion. Both boys were fond « Ben, but they were so dazzled by the fascinating pect held before them by Morgan that they took no b of the kindly advice which was given to them. from the ship, and for the expedition in search of the They had already learned from Captain Reed that 1 would not be allowed to go ashore at Loango, and they were more furious with him than ever. _ “We shall have to take (French leave i swallow, eh? Well, it is true, fad, the} | real ete we apebon off the’ (A SERIAL STORY) and face savages and deadly fevers and wild beasts to get back to the Grotto. I can’t say fairer than that.” “T believe you,” said Frank. “I don’t doubt but that there are many treasures in Africa known only to the na- tives. You intend then to leave the ship as soon. as we get to land and start on a search for the Golden Grotto?” “Yes, if you two will come along.” “What makes you tell us your secret ?” “Because I trust you and your chum, Frank Hardy, and I can’t go alone. We shan’t quarrel about the sai There: is enough there to make rich men of all of us.’ ; “Do you think you can find this grotto again?” “I’m dead sure I can, Frank Hardy. Anyway, I can get to within a few miles of it, and the rest ought to be easy. Now, lads, make up your minds, for I am going ashore, and if you don’t come along, I will pick up some one who. will. The first chance is yours.’ “6S “And I take it, Morgan!” cried Frank, excitedly. “And. so, do 1,” echoed Jack.. “We shall have a fine — time and no mistake. I wouldn’t be left out for anything, Hurrah for the Golden Grotto!” “The Golden Grotto of No-!No Land,” “No-No Land?” “That’s what the niggers call it, lads. I minaret that it’s as good as any other.” said Morgan. ¢ -_———— ’ CHAPTER III. A STARTLING SPECTACLE. The great project was talked of continually. y Seeing the boys and Jim Morgan so often together, Ben Steadily they made their arrangements for the fi
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* aes“ eaatety try cee ate teu a Tee Me Pe ema ie EE Be 8 - Vhat a lucky chance it was that we brought our rifles. ust have thought that we were going off on a hunt- instead of a deck-scrubbing trip.” Ve thought that Captain Reed would treat us decent- said Frank, angrily, “and we have found that we have de a mistake. This time to-morrow I hope to be out his prison, and if we have good luck we shall be. Mor- un’s going to manage to get ashore the first thing in the ning. He’s got to get hold of a craft fitted for the ver and some natives to row it.” “That will cost money,” said Frank, “and precious lit- “We don’t need it. We must give Morgan all the kets and little things we can spare, and that will be all will want, for these black people, as he says, will go y over trifles we would despise. He’s got to get food board the boat and anything else he thinks we will need.” ‘And when do we start up the river ?” soon as we reach the port. We must not lose a ute, for Captain Reed will miss all three of us and is s sure to send a searching party ashore. Our hardest will be getting away ‘from the ship. Once we have that, it will be quite easy.” daybreak the Puritan dropped anchor outside the A large white building could be seen from the deck ship. This was a large warehouse where cargoes five ‘miles up the river. ost immediately, Captain Reed signified his inten- f going ‘ashore and told the chief officer that he not return until the next day. Jim Morgan was to shore with him as one of the crew, and he was to stay * ecb until the captain was ready to return. dverything is going our way,” said Morgan, laughing. wont part of the job is yours, my lads, but it can’t r rowing that boat ashore?” cried Jack. child’s play!” n’t you believe it. See that surf? Well, you've. got of : through it, and you will have your work cut ‘oat u, let me tell you!” are not afraid,” said Frank, “I would go through han that to get away from this hateful ship. Now, just a last word. You know exactly what you de “Why the list you wrote down for me, and I will see ’s left behind.” n,” added Frank, “I want you to distinctly that we want no rum with us, and I won’t have te you've got to say? 2 said Morgan, with’some- sneer on, his face. “Well, T will bear it in oiakae: ‘the two fol began to make \Ginds flight. One of the ship’s hoats was rid- un make matters: easier for the es- FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. ‘export were stored. The town of Loango itself was} ot cover of darkness, Jack slipped into the boat down the painter, and, one by one, Frank brought everything that was to be taken along, and handed them down to Jack. Then he lowered himself into the boat and cut the painter. The two lads bent down to their work, and slowly the heavy boat moved away from the steamer. It was a long - and exhausting journey to the shore, and when they were struggling to get through the surf, it seemed as though the boat would be capsized. But, using all their strength and skill, they got the boat safely over the bar and were in still water. fe Making their boat fast to the dock, they sprang ashore, and after going a few yards they met Jim Morgan, “This way, lads,” he cried. “Follow me. The craft’s only a stone’s throw from here, and she’s all ready to start.” Phe boat they were to travel in was lying in the river hidden behind somé trees. It was a long, clumsy-looking craft, something in the nature of a canoe, and in it were seated six black men who were to row the boat along. Without a moment’s loss of time, the boys and Morgan got on board it and the craft shot out toward the middle of the stream. “Off for the gold ” eried Jack. Morgan put his hand over the boy’s mouth. “Hush!” heswhispered, angrily. “Do you want to give the whole thing away?” ; ‘4 “But I am speaking in English !” “What of it? Many of these natives understand our language and speak it after a fashion.” Jack was silent after this. In fact, he and Frank dozed during the night, while the boat traveled on. When morn- ing came, they took their first look at the river. As far -as the eye could reach, each bank of the river was “covered with dense vegetation, the trees growing about twenty feet high. “What are all those logs?” asked Jack. “Crocodiles,” said Morgan, dryly. Jack gave a shout and instantly seized his rifle. Frank at once caught him by the arm. “No shooting now,” he said. — “Why not, Frank?” ~ “Because the report of the gun may be heard. Captain Reed is sure to send up the river in search of us. Hark! I hear something now.” Frank held up his hand and the men ceased rowing. : “Ti’s the launch coming!’ cried Morgan, excitedly. “Quick, quick, you niggers! Over to the bank!” . Urged on by Morgan, the natives reached the bank in a few minutes, and instantly they ° threaded their way through the vegetation which hung down to the water,and = were quite hidden from view. The launch passed, and two hours Jater they heard it return. Then their journey up the river was resumed. For two days they traveled’on, the natives taking little rest, and then it was decided that © it would be quite safe to halt. A landing was made and’ iat camp formed. They had brought a fair-sized tent with them that they had hired with the boat, and that night — all Bsa a sleep which they badly needed. aL * eariad ven gues OEE RP a ee
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FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. : SHIP BABY IN SUITCASE. _A baby boy a few weeks old is being cared for at the Cincinnati Hospital while city detectives are searching two States for its parents. The baby was found in a suitcase on a doorstep in the rear of the Children’s Home, Ninth and Plum streets, the other night. Ella Robinson, of No. 312 Richmond street, living in the rear of the home, was attracted by eries of a baby, and found the child. A hole had been cut in the top of the suitease to admit air. Two marks on the suit- case are being used by the police as clews. On the end of the case was an American Express Com- _ pany tag of the Detroit office, showing the case had been shipped from Detroit. The name of “William Smith” was written with a Jead pencil on the tag. The police believe the name may be that of the express agent at Detroit who handled the suitcase in transit or the shippers. MILE-A-MINUTE BOAT. ’ Count Casimir Mankowski is having a motor boat built which he anticipates will attain the dream of the motor boat racing enthusiast—the mile-a-minute boat. The new boat will be 26 feet long and will have two engines of 250- horsepower each. Fred Chase, of the firm of Tams, Le- moyre & Crane, is the designer. The boat will be ready to take part in all the motor boat regattas at Chicago, | Thousand Islands and Lake George. <a Count Mankowski came into the limelight of publicity fires vears ago with his boat Ankle Deep, which should have won the last contest for the Harmsworth trophy when the struggle was fought out at Huntington Bay. The Ankle Deep was a mile and a quarter in the lead over Maple Leaf, England’s representative, five miles from home when she was disabled by a floating log. The new boat will be named Ankle Deep Too. The old Ankle Deep was 32 feet long and contained one engine of 300-horsepower. It will be seen by the dimensions of the new boat that Count Mankowski is making a radical - ehange not only in her length but in her horsepower. The “new boat will be 6 feet shorter than the old Ankle Deep, but its engine capacity will be greater by 200-horsepower. aa A QUEER ESTRANGEMENT. :. _ When Jaris Wood, aged eighty- -two, died in his lonely oe Teneriffe Mountain, i in East Brookfield, Mass., re- ee , the story of a strange enmity was told to the vil- ze, Vor forty-two years Jaris and his brother John rked side by side without speaking, and when John lay deathbed neither of the brothers would consent to The estrangement of the two brothers the fondest plots of the Mt ‘men Baie eed Case ‘the hand of ‘Miss ites would be the lucky man. Jaris won and went to Spencer, Es ‘very common condition, and it seems peculiar to me hme: if EE FACTS WORTH READING ~— ' as ove 4 < = Mary Squires, and it is said by some, never contradicted by either brother, that they fought a duel to see which — 3 Mass., and married the girl. This was back in 1862. Jaris — Wood. returned to the lonely farmhouse with his bride, but : received no welcome from John. For a time the newly- weds occupied one side of the house and John the other. — Mrs. Wood’s efforts to effect a reconciliation were fruitless, * and this resulted in Jaris building another cabin. When + John took sick, Jaris Wood’s wife nursed him, but when ~ she saw death was coming and she tried to unite the — brothers, neither would consent. During the funeral of me John, Jaris sat upon the doorstep, but did not enter the — old house until the funeral cortege had started toward — the cemetery. During their lives the brothers eked out a — bare existence. No ‘modern implements were ever used — by them, for both were decided to conduct the rocky farm just as their father did before them. The estrangement was known by all the townsfolk, but neither John nor Jaris would answer any questions of interviewers, and — their own stories of the forty-two-year feud were never ” told. “ a a aE - INTERIOR LIGHTING OF BUILDIN G3... 2 _ At a recent meeting of the Illuminating Engineers’ So- ciety one of the speakers made a novel but eminently prac- tical suggestion in regard to the interior lighting of build. ings, says the Scientific American. The apa an gas ; by that paper, were as follows: “a “Not long since.a resident owner called my attention the fact that the front rooms of his home were in ‘da time the darkest ones in the house, notwithstanding fact that these rooms were the most used and the n important. The darkness was caused there—and in will be caused in any average residence—by the shieldit effect of a large porch, and ‘overhanging eaves. This: use has not been made of prism plate glass, or rib sheets, in the form of skylights set in the veranda’ to direct the daylight against the face of the building into the windows. Glass with a smooth upper side with prisms on its lower face, parallel to the buildin would direct considerably more light into these. fr rooms, than is found at present. . ve “Going a little further, it seems reasonable to me use could be made of translucent glass brick or blocks in the actual construction of a building. blocks. could readily be made of glass of pleasit tints, impervious to weather, and it is conceivab many beautiful effects could be worked into spaces | pilasters, around domes, friezes, ete. Many a do not want to have the exterior of a building made acterless by the use of many windows. Glass brick. the color of stone, would offer a solution of su h
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FIGHTING WITH By ED. CHAPTER X (continued) red hastily to the saddles, while the four men got their | animals from behind the house and mounted. Leaving the boys’ horses, they galloped away just.as the oman returned, bringing her ‘husband and several negro borers to the house, 7 hey crossed the trail of Marti, which the boys had been owing, and sped along rapidly. Not a word was uttered during the ride. Tn an hour they reached a high stone wall surrounding a old, ruined monastery, went through the broken gate, r Aarew rein before the building. ere we are at the rendezvous, safe enough,” Durango d as he dismounted. “It’s lucky we chanced to stop at that farmhouse for our luncheon. Had we not done 30, could not have captured these boys.” “Shall we take them inside, captain?’ asked one of the ee SR aie es. There we can kill them unseen. I’ve had Fanita ht here from the house where she has been kept.” nd the wedding?—” queried another man. ~ sent one of! the boys to fetch a priest here to per- ceremony. The good padre I want is a greedy ‘drunken scoundrel. He: will. do anything I ask for Sees belioxe his. Sia habits will soon cost, him she'll never consent,” replied Ned with a frown. they little care for that, confound them!” rango must be a fcol,” said Ned, in contemptuous he’s after believing he can force her to marry ‘at all, at all. It takes two consents. to make veral more of ae ey there, and -barred window of a room opening on the ‘FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. Two Yankee Boys in Cuba wna snk which a short a ea rhich age ch thrust meee: soeacials THE PATRIOTS KING (A SERIAL STORY) Her face was as pale as death, her large dark eyes had ‘Their horses were at the front door, and they were se-|# look of intense horror in them, and as her tiny hands . > grasped the iron pons of the window, she cried: “Oh, gracios. mio! They have captured my friends, too!” “Fanita !” jured you?” “Not yet!” she replied. “And my poor brother?” “He is yet free and has sworn to find you and avenge the death of your father. As for us “ “Silence there!” roared Dur ango with a fierce scowl. No talking! I won't permit it!” “Oh, you pitiful coward!” cried the girl scathingly. “Take those boys away!” snarled the captain. Two of the soldiers grasped them roughly, were dragged toward one of the-cell-like rooms. “Fanita—farewell!” groaned Dick in tones of regret. “May heaven protect you, Dick,” she answered. “T eave go of me, you yellow monkey!” indignantly roared Ned at the trooper who held him, The Spaniards hurled then into the room with such violence that they fell to the floor bruised and stunned. It was fully an hour later ere they recovered all their faculties, and sat up on the floor. They spent the day discussing their situation. Nothing was brought to them to eat when night fell, exclaimed Dick, huskily. “Have they in- and they |and they heard their captors moving about the ruin uaa :| talking in disjointed septences. “If they're going to kill us,” growled Ned, savagely, “they might at jeast give us the comfort of a square meal.” “There i is but little humanity shown in the stern mar- tial law of insurrection,” * suid Dick, “and more so nations of Spain. We need not expect any mercy from them at all.” “Hark! what’s that?” - _ A shout arose outside. “The padre! The padre!” It made Dick feel sick at heart, “The priest has arrived!” he muuttered, hoarsely. A few moments later the door of the room was o: Durango and several of the men entered, carrying candles, which smoked a great deal and fing a sickly : over the scene. | ‘Two of | the men carried a wooden chair, to the back a. post was fastened. "There was a hole in the Bek ju snes Oi ;
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“Tt’s a garroting chair—the instrument with which the Spaniards « execute condemned eriminals,” said Dick. Se that to he our fate?” asked Ned, with a shudder. No dowbt. Well, Durange, what now ?” Have. you said your prayers? Your time on earth js up.” ~ “Proceed with your cruelty. We do not fear death.” “Very well. Put him in the chair, amigos.” Two of the men sat Dick on the chair. _ Pushing his head back against the post, one of them adjusted the noose of the strap over his head and around his throat, holding him thus rigidly where he was. Another man took a stick an inch thick, put it through the noose of the strap at the other side of the post, and gave the stick several turns. » ~The more he twisted the stick, the tighter the strap be- came, and the more it pressed in against Dick’s throat. “Ready?” asked the self-imposed executioner. - “In a moment,” Durango replied, glaring at Dick. 3 _“T have nothing to say,” muttered the boy, quietly. ‘He was resigned to his fate and showed no fear. - “Oh, good heaven!” screamed Ned, who was over- whelmed with horror and despair over the doom of his friend. _ “Hold your tongue, or we’ll gag you!” hissed Durango. “P71 not,” shouted Ned, furiously. “Give me one mo- We ‘ment’s “freedom, you ‘scoundrels, and let me fight you _ single-handed'!” “Don’t take on, old chap,” said Dick. “Heaven bless you. ‘Tt will all be over in a moment. Good-by, Ned.” _ A how] of anguish from the red-headed boy interrupted phe 3 sea for poor Ned was wild with grief about his friend. neg “Turn that stick!’ exclaimed Durango, in gruff tones = eo the executioner. “I don’t want to prolong this scene.” ~ It seemed as if the man was eager to obey, he acted so Ng oasis and the strap tightened on Dick’s throat. The poor fellow.cast a reproachful glance at Durango, ke and the crowd formed a group around the chair. _’ Filled with morbid curiosity to see how a person looked tile undergoing the operation of garroting, the vid sania leat Diek keenly. : Rea a As the strap was drawn tighter, the boy began to. breathe He grew dark in ‘the face. * ‘ ‘is eyes bulged from their sockets. His lips swelled, and the almost bursting veins stood m on his forehead and temples like whip cords. - iter and tighter his throat was sepa: until at 2. Wren : g one ‘his eyes and groaned ied ‘gradually choked 1 to death. | rege for the injury you have consed: me,” = as. oe over toward FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. he had provided himself from one of the ‘patriots’ ci and a thunderous report, and scattered its burst a metal, and one was killed outright. had escaped serious injury made a wild rush fo exit, stumbling over each other in their furious os _ He could. not endure the terrible spectacle of seeing his je cut of the place uninjured, ing their terror, and-he hurled a third bomb. ete i ae Dice | ceived further wounds of a serious, if not ; Lit up by the flickering torches the scene asta <6 frightful aspect, for the life of the brave boy in the: chats Ay was slowly but surely ebbing away. ; CHAPTER XI. THE FATAL CLOCK CHIMES. “Help! Help!” Bang! Bang! anes In a moment more they parted. “T shall save you yet, Fanita, sister mine!” cried boy. “Oh, Mario, go away. You cannot cope with so r the girl replied from her prison window. ‘The moon was flooding the place with its silvery Rr it. “Compadre | !” eried the captain, vehemently. “It i brother !” “Shall we attack him ?” eagerly asked one of the ot All hands made a ash’ for the boy. Hegdid not flinch, however, but picked up a sinatt ae parc cee he had laid down when attacked by the sentry. a _From it he withdrew four dynamite bombs with - Mario hurled one at the crowd. =! : It struck in their midst, exploded with a flash A yell pealed from every man. Several were badly wounded by the flying fra He intended to get ‘the bombs. “Instead, he got a ball from Mario’s sidtol dropped him in his ere and the boy hurled nu bomb. As the deafening report roared out, the Spani: A faint, grim smile crossed the boy's face u It burst so close to the flying Spaniards that “Not a shot fired at me yet!” the Cuban boy : Then he dashed over to the door of his siste
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a ‘John Calimer, of Philadelphia avenue, Waynesboro, Pa., arrested charged with cruelty to animals and had to $8.92. Some weeks ago the valuable Russian hound ging to O. M. Peters, superintendent of the Emerson- ngham Implement Company, strayed away from and later the animal was found near the Welty in a weak condition as the result of having been Calimer admitted he shot the dog, thinking at the that it was a rare specie of wild animal, and, when ed by a queer animal and shot it in self-defense. log was shot and has now about recovered. It is at $150. 1otor omnibus run by steam. generated from coke is test automobile novelty in London. ‘So successful is Royal Automobile Club has awarded to the National n Car Company the Dewar Challenge Trophy for the meritorious achievement of the year in automobile neering. Instead of having a furnace fed with paraf- the new omnibus automatically stokes itself with coke. bunkers are inside the bonnet and surround the Thus not only is the coke kept dry and warm, but ‘is a small vertical boiler, with the furnace un- ¥ and mechanical feeders, which may be likened fingers of a hand, pass the coke downward to the An i ingenious device prevents clinkering. The bunk- ch can be easily replenished, hold sufficient coke n of fifty to sixty miles. On a trial trip to and back a lorry weighing with its load six and ons used 446 pounds of coke in 10914 miles and miles before it was necessary to stop for water. erage speed was twelve miles.an hour, and the fuel is less than. one-third that of an omnibus araffin for steam + erasing Potican Portage ni gusher, 170 miles north of Alberta, Canada, has given off daily for six- an average of 4,000,000 feet of natural gas. The ruck in 1898 and has never shown signs of ig Attempts made to cap it have proved futile, ous pressure, some 600 pounds to the square ng off all valves. At one time a company was Bae ‘the gas to Edmonton, “but was refused a : y publie-spirited men subscribed $10,000, ar the city’s limits. They strezk a flow ly output of the Pelican. This will m and, now that the venture has| i men who furthered it will be reim- the great gusher at the é county millions. The FAME AND FORTUNE ’ WEEKLY. , GOOD READING acts as lagging to the boiler and prevents loss of 25 § gusher to their workings. Indians occasionally camp ins the(neighborhood and as the gas seeps through the ground they merely heap up a pile of stones over some crevice, touch a match and took their simple food. 1t is always warm near the blaze even in below zero weather, so that men sleep about it in the balmiest of air while a few hun- dred feet beyond is bitter cold. — The last of three Spanish feast plays, “Los Pastores,’” hunted for by Spanish students throughout Mexico, Cali- fornia and Arizona, has been found in Santa Barbara, Cal., by Prof. A. M. Espinosa, head of the Spanish department of the Stanford University, and Frank Price, Spanish stu- dent. The manuscript was found among the papers hand- ed down to the family of Jose,Manuel Pico of this city. It had been brought to California 200 years ago by Patricio Sepulveda. The three plays, taken together, form a cycle in the life of Christ, and were written by the first padres as a means of teaching the natives. Copies of two of the eycle were found in 1887. Since then a search for the third has been carried on by university researchers and. other Spanish students, Stanford being especially active, as the university is compiling the ancient Spanish litera- ture of the Californians. Prof. Espinosa has been to Santa Barbara many times on the quest. Ancient plays telling the story of ‘the birth of Christ, the three kings and a number ‘of other parts of the cycle have been found here and elsewhere, but that part called “Los Pastores,” telling of the three Shepherds, nad eluded search until now. The manuscript has been sent to Stanford, where it will be closely studied and ai into English. vam At a recent meeting of the Academy of Sciences in Paris M. le Roy ‘described a quick process of waterproofing clothes of any sort. He takes five to ten parts of lanolin, ~ liquefied in chloroform and diluted with ninety to ninety- five parts of gasoline. Into this the clothes to be treated are dipped, without removing linings or buttons. After being shaken about in it for a few minutes they are wrung _ out and dried in the open air, i in New York Dr. Charles Frederick Pabst of Brooklyn . told how to make clothes fireproof. They should, he said, be dipped in a solution of ammonium phosphate, eek pound to a gallon of cold water. costs only 25 cents a pound, he said. Dr. Pabst took an $ eight-inch strip of ordinary cotton gauze, equivalent t the material in the Indian and cowboy | ‘suits so popu among children, and ignited it. It-was wholly consume within four seconds. Then he took a similar’ PS lipp. At the Safety Exposition Ammonium phosphate
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FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. ‘aie and Fortune Weekly! ; NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 26, 1915 K, Y 26, 1915. TERMS TO SUBSCRIBERS Postage Free “HOW TO SEND MONEY—At our risk send P.O. Money Order, Check -or Letter; remittances in.any other way ate at your risk. _. We accept Postaye Stamps the same as cash. When sending silver “wrap the “age ina saperaie piece of paper to avers porring the envelope. Write your address plainly. Address lett. Haany E, Wotrv, President Roy L. Vice-President Wourr, Treasurer Cuamixs E. Nriaxpsn, Secretary BRIEF BUT POINTED ITEMS “The Howe Show, in winter quarters at Peru, Tnd., has lost one of the largest pythons in captivity. The snake, which died recently, was twenty-four feet in length. Lo- éal taxidermists have prepared the skin for the Boston Museum of Natural History. Frank Tousey, Publisher 168 West 23d St., N. Y. ~The Kennedy-Mohler contest at Walker, Minn.,: for the office of sheriff attracted attention over this entire section. About 100 witnesses were examined, among them a num- ber of Indians. An amusing incident oceurred when one of the Indians who had been on the stand for some time and had tired of the searching examination, replied: “Tf you do not quit asking foolish questions I will go out and go home.” ie trick elephant was standing in an alley in the rear of a theater, Porterville, Cal., mhext Jobn Wallace, a box- maker, came along fectinic an orange. The orange was sour, so he passed it onto the elephant With a snort the elephant promptly wound its trunk about Wallace and hurled him headlong into a pile of packing cases, thirty - feet away. Wallace was uneonscious when he was dug from the wreckage and two surgeons worked over him for ed three hours repairing euts and* contusions. Rt, ; ‘That’ the pressure in an automobile tire, fully pumped up, remains practically the same whether the car is rest- ing on the tires or is jacked up is the discovery made by _ one of the large rubber companies in an endeavor to solve _ some questions of “caring for tires while the car is laid ie It was found by means of special gauges that in an ordinary sized tire, which shows a pressure of 80 pounds while the car is jacked up, it will show 80.4 pounds with the weight of the ear resting on the tires. The cubic con- Whos compressed by eres from 900 eubic inches p 89 cubic inches. : ing to Consul John M. Savage, aa is stationed Sheffield, England, a firm in that city has introduced ain SS a Rant yeep anctave den > an ) caters, ae the ovine bali cutlery, é seine polish cae is maintained after use, even when brought in con seer with the most acid foods, and it mequiaes only ordinary washing to cleanse. “It is claimed,” writes Mr. Savage in the Commerce Reports, “that this steel retains a k D edge much like that of the best double-sheer steel, and, the properties claimed are inherent in the steel and m due to any treatment, knives can readily be sharpened a ‘steel’ or by using the ordinary cleaning machine Be knifeboard. Tt is expected it will prove a great boon, pecially to large users of cutlery, such as hotels,, steam- ships and restaurants. The price of this steel is about 26 cents a pound for ordinary sizes, which is about do: the price of the usual steel for the same purpose. It alse costs more to work up, so that the initial cost of article: made from this new discovery, it is estimated, will about double the present cost; but it is considered th the saving of labor to the customer will more than co the total cost of the cutlery in the first twelve months.” JOKES: AND JESTS 3 she told the lawyer. he asked, “ ‘Nothing, ee she i “I want to get a divorce,’ “W has your hushand been doing?” replied, “Some men get a heap 0° education,” said Uncle E “de same as some "people:g get a fine collection 0 bpit wifo eatchin’ any fish.” “Some o’ de men,” said Unele Eben, “dat shouts loudes’ *bout de wickedness of de trusts wouldn’ hesi a minute to do a friend in a : mule trade.” Smith—I weke up last night with a horrible suspic that my new gold watch was gone. So strong was the pression that I got up to look. Brown—Well, was it one Smith~No; but it was going. eh od camel? Tourist—Well, we don’t blend very well, were. You see, he can do with a drink every three. we and [ want one every three miles. Reighhore 22 heard your dog howling Jast night howls three nights in succession it’s a shre sign of Next Door—Indeed! And who do you think will Neighbors—The dog. : ze Freda—He claims to be related to you, and says prove it. Floyd—Related to me? Why, the man’s Hpede--Of course; but that may be a mere coincide Two ae students were seuaned Sato trate charged with hurdling the low spots in t their motor-car. “Have you a lawyer?” asked trate. “We’re not going ta have any lawyer,’ the elder of the Sega ue i
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A LADY’S HAT. 1g Alexander Armstrong One tempest-tossed night, weather-bound at’ a small ho- on the stage-route from Santa Fe, we met a fellow- eler in whom we became greatly interested. e howling gale and elemental uproar intensified the y cheer of our snug little parlor. The genial warmth from the heaped-up ruddy coals in grate and spicy exhalations steaming from an earthen brewing in front, out of which, from time to time, we ed our glasses, stimulated conversation, and we soon launched upon a stream of startling adventure. hong others, my companion—a finely-built, athletic low—narrated an experience of the previous season, ich, he said, “Made every hair stand on tip-toe.” “How?” we ‘asked. “You were in great peril?” ne of those imminent risks that meet you at every our of us came in the stage from Santa Fe, the last e, I think. A young lady—governess in an officer’s ly—her escort a wealthy young merchant, reputable, a guarantee of honor inscribed on every line of his st face, and myself, were acquaintances; the other hae horseshoer of the company, bound for the stable myer. - “As a government expert I was well known to the bank- ‘Santa Fe. They never hesitated to intrust me with amounts of gold, and this time was no exception. So oaded, partly by means of an inner belt around my partly by a false bottom, improvised in my valise ming strong wrapping-paper over the precious par- s and inner lining of the bag. 2 day would have been intolerable. but for the cool s that swept down the declivities and through the ix ravines. Frequently during the day, up the ascents, we would get out and walk. It rested us ieved the tedium of the drive. ‘The lady was most ing, rattling her words like fine shot against s of wit and wisdom, and turning into sport and jest ‘iotis fears. She became confidential, and told us ed to return a madame, with a military escort, returned at all: Her intended was a lieutenant, now in the Indian territory; but when he re- his furlough—well, very soon, perhaps—then we expect to hear of wedding-bells.’ ould like to be a little richer,’ she added, with a ut we must be content.” *, the amount of your neat said the practical wughed yale: ‘Are you a bandit in dinghiie? x : “Dhe fruits of my industry amount to the it of one thousand dollars in gold,’ u haven’t it with you?’-he inquired, so quickly and that I was surprised. I answer all relevant questioning.’ FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. ae for a moment on a rock that projected from the side of the road over the mountain edge. She had gathered stray flowers on her walk, diving under bushes and behind rocks, and was fastening them on her hat and mantle. A searlet creeper ran around the base of the rock down the side of the mountain. ““Oh, that is beautiful; I must have it,’ to her feet and dropping hat and flowers in the excite- ment. Just then a sudden eddy of wind came twisting around the corner of a fissure, and whirled hat and flowers around and around, lodging them beyond her power of re- covery, on a narrow ledge of perpendicular rock, jutting out and inaccessible from the road. “‘How now? What will you do?’ I said, half in sport at the possibility of a bare-headed tee for the rest of the trip. “To my surprise she tooked! the image of despair and grief; the color had faded out of her rosy cheeks, even her lips were ashy and pale. Her hands were clasped in the most agonizing expression, as she mutely gazed at the slender shape below, mocking: her with its airy grace of blooms. ““Oh, my friends! Do, in pity, and I will thank you to my dying day? “No mother, appealing for a lost child, could have been more piteous, while tears stood in her eyes.. I was half angry that any woman could be so metamorphosed by the loss of a hat. The merchant whistled, looked bewildered, but. evidently didn’t choose to risk his life. The driver and horseshoer came to her rescue; they fastened a hook on to the end of a coil of rope, saying, ‘Don’t fear, miss, nor look so anxious; we’ll rig something an’ get yer hat.’ “The driver, stretched at full Jength, with only his head and an arm over the precipice, and anchored firmly by the rest of the party, threw his rope, harpoon fashion, with an unerring aim. It caught in the rim, the hat was drawn’ up carefully and restored to the young girl, who, with exhilarating color and sparkling eyes, thanked the men most profusely. They cut short her rhapsodies by jumping on the driver’s. box and telling us to ‘pile in,’ “Once inside, she said, ‘As you are all my friends, I must let you into the secret of my hat. All the money 1 possess is hidden in the lining—quilted in—and no man, not even a highwayman, would ever suspect the treasure hidden in such a cell, now would they? “We, of course, praised her ingenuity. “A good thousand, is it? said the merchant. “ “The very sum,’ she replied. * * 9. +* ue s s “It was two o’clock in the morning. We were well out of the most formidable passes, driving briskly towards the Canadian fork. The full moon lighted our way, mak- ing the bushes and trees adjacent cast sharp and decided shadows across the road. I had exchanged places with the horseshoer. and alert. We beguiled the weary hours by story-telling. | Suddenly I saw something moving in the. shadow of S 4 road on beyond us. a stammered & an oe. Lae see sat aoe i she said, rising ~ ean’t you recover that hat for me? ~ Inside they were dozing, but I was wakeful —
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FAME . “‘Nothing but a burro,’ referring to the pack-mules that frequently strayed down the mountainside. It dis- __ appeared quickly in the shade; and thence instantly, as if _. by magic, jumped out into the road two men. They were hidden in huge slouch hats and army cloaks. The stoutest _. caught the bridle of the leaders; the other .coverimg us with his rifle shouted: ‘Don’t stir, or you are dead men!’ “Advancing closer, and keeping us within the range of his muzzle, he cried out, ‘Pitch out. the treasure-box— quick! We are in a hurry! “The driver began, to stammer a reply, shaking as if he had an ague, but I hushed him with a whispered ‘Stop, stop; let me talk to these men. There is no treasure aboard to-night.’ é “As T intended he should, he took me for an express - messenger, and as neither driver and messenger are sup- posed to jJossess any valuables, they are seldom molested. --“‘Come, heave out that specie-box,’ shouted the man holding the rifle. R aes insisted there was none, . “Here, look at the way-bill; if there is any such thing - aboard it will be among the items.’ '_ “And I made a move to get down, holding it in my “hands. “Stay where you are, or I will shoot you!’ - [threw him the way-bill. He dropped -his rifle and - Bicked it up, perusing the items in the moonlight. _ “Profiting by this action, I endeavored to slip my port- pabntean under the seat. “The driver, -misunderstanding the movement, whis- sey a “lave you got one?” bs “The man at the reins noticed the conferring, and hal- ; " Aiaed to us. The other instantly raised his gun. '_ **None of that! * Hands we f 4 : _ « “You see there’s no mention made of the treasure, and + =: it was sent it would be noted on the bill. However, you “ean get up and look in the box, and satisfy yourself.’ _ “He hesitated pat a moment, and om eee up and “Open this, said tA “I did so, taking out. pe its contente aud letting him look inside; the wrapping-paper deceived him, i= No? he cried, ‘there’s no treasure on. this stage; but Sta to have a hundred dollars bite and if we xr, going to Denv ell yess gia for ’em. Whatever Sea Vig don’t stir find. thes money, on nem oF. in AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. out the lining, you will find something worth your pa | salvation; if. they had searched me furthe solitaire from his _vest-lining, he eae chant’s portemonnaie showed but five, and the young ladys — nothing but her papers and a little change. The girl, res wag sure, looked as if she would swoon. re “You're a mean lot, to have so i tle with you, id he, ‘and J’ye a mind to finish you. undred dolla must have, so we'll go for your Pores “You'll find nothing of account in our baggage, but’ you will ask this young lady for her hat, and carefully “The girl turned towards him with blazing eyes uttered but the one word—‘Traitor !’ Bk “There was no escape; the hat was secured. “After the lining had been very carefully nee ou was returned, with thanks. 5 “<In luck, in luck! said the highwayman. ‘Jump all. I’m sorry for your loss, miss, but we are bound to take whatever is sent us. We have no treasure, E will do. Drive on!’ _ “T want the way-bill!’ I said, excitedly, for the we had just witnessed had increased my indignation | fever-heat. “He handed it to me, but it fluttered under the h feet, and again I demanded it. Mechanically he picke it wp, mounted the wheel, and handed it to me. The: touching his hat to the lady, said: aa “But. for this lining you might have been lying 1 yonder ditch. No treasure on board! Come this way time without it, and we’l] finish your accounts. Dri “We gladly followed this advice, but could not fin guage vigorous enough to express our~ contempt for meanness of the merchant.,.The driver swore at_ hin y Spanish, and the young lady answered all attempts ail solation with hysterical sobs... The merchant alo served his.cool equanimity .of temper. “Arriving at Denver, he begged very caxslestea voung lady, with me as her friend, to grant him moments for explanation, in a private room. He in earnest that the young sin. yielded a reluctané sent. “He closed the door. sed bolted it, whieh strangely. “Don’t fear,’ BY. said, as T fumbled for 1 my. Sitting in a chair, he pulled off his boot, and; toe, drew out a roll of notes. . Said he: 3S oe “<4 few days before leaving, I was lucky enoug an opportuhity to exchange my doubloons for poor child, let me make restitution, Here are | sand in notes for the one thousand secured by —handing her that amount. ‘Your lining h P| have ‘secured: twenty instead of one thousand. in my baggage are diamonds and precious if they had secured, would have beggared me.’ se ghowld hay
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FAME Sera apy was made by the Pittsburgh Baseball r day that Catcher Frank Kafore, draughted i the fall of 1913 and on the club’s roster last year, had been released to the Omaha Club of the Western League. is leaves the Pittsburgh Club with five catchers, four- pitchers, eight infielders and ten outfielders. Hans barking dog led to the discovery of a $4,000 robbery he Bank of Neelyville, Mo. The bank failed to open the regular hour. Depositors gathered about the door rd the cashier’s pet dog barking within. They investi- fated and found the cashier locked in the vault. He called the lock combination and was released. He said he ‘urna locked i in by a robber who ted him at the against the liquor traffic in a local theater, Rey- oldsville, Pa. After becoming enthusiastic over local ion at their afternoon meeting the teachers attended formance at a theater. Before they would-allow the pa on, nicest several climbed to the stage and on the stage curtain. When the officials of the removed .the cloth the teachers were’ indignant _immediately “retacked” the covers over the ads. The erformance finally proceeded, « ‘but the liquor ads re- hidden. Saints: of Egypt has been changing in a remark- mner in. the last few years. Rain fell in torrents Alexandria during the celebration of the accession of new Sultan. Such’a happening half a century ago have been regarded as a phenofnenon, but rain now in places where it had never been known to fall be- -in many centuries, and more rain is falling where very little, or merely dew, once aided the farmers. dish are believed to be responsible for the rain, new channels for spreading over the land the the Nile. J ust as the plantation of trees in a ring rain, so is Egypt now a moister place onan of cultivated lands. But it; is not AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. FROM AL r | on: his. work and on the. measure of his corn by Mr: Brumm L POINTS what he said looked like a great sheet of butter and eggs. Suddenly strips of yellow and white began to separate from the mass and extend toward him. He turned to swim out of reach when the creature threw its tentacles about him arid the mad fight was on. In the struggle Wilson broke the mass into fragments, but reached the shore exhausted, and his face and shoulders stinging as though from scalds. At the hospital it was said that the patient. is getting along favorably. His pain at times was so intense that morphine had to be administered. His shoulders and. face resemble one mass of poison oak burns. California’s lawn tennis players are greatly profiting by the excitement of the controversy as to whether or not — Newport or New York is to be the scene of the national championship tournament next season. At the close of last season Dr. E. B. Dewhurst, former national indoor champion ; Raymond D. Little and others started a cam- paign for a new amateur rule. The men behind the move- ment stated that Maurice E. MeLoughlin had been playing: tennis for six months with’ all of his expenses paid out of the treasury of the national association; that other players from California were in reeeipt of abundant expense: — money and that the entire principal of the payment of expenses was wrong. The draft of a rigid amateur rule, positively prohibiting payment of any expenses or the offer ; of any entertainment except for Davis Cup teams, had been made when the storm broke between Newport and the West Side Club. According to the by-laws of the national association the amateur rule must now await another year for enactment, while the future of ven all- ak comers’ championship is bitterly fought out. iM P. E: Thomas, of Grand Rapids, Mich., claims the championship of Michigan for corn husking. He estab- — lisned a new record this year on the farm of R.G. Brumm, near Nashville, in Barry County, when he husked 146 — bushels in ten hours, an average of 14 3-5 bushels per hour, or one bushel to each 42-7 minutes. His best time | during the day was 15 bushels in forty, minutes. Mr. Thomas’s grandfather was an expert husker and at one — time did even betier than the grandson’s. ‘best record, husk- Bi. ing 168 bushels in ten hours. His father husked 14% bush- els in ten hours. Mr. Thomas has made-a business of a el husking corn for seventeen years. He says the corm in Mr. Brumm’s field is the best in which he ever wor ed. as The corn is of the Folsom yellow dent variety, which v introduced into this locality by W. H. Burd. Mr. Brun oa field contains 8 1-6 acres “and the total yield was 1143 oe bushels per. acre. There is no question about the correct- va ness of Mr. Thomas's record, as accurate time bit kept Be — i a 1 sy }. #¥ jays. hi ecco haan eevee
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30 - FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. . — OF ALL KINDS MAKING BIG GUNS. -» BEE |, However,.this great expense was done away with by an. EE. A fascinating sight is to watch the first ‘stages in the invention of Master Mechanic John Kennedy, who devised — manufacture of the big guns which: are proving so devas- | ® system of forcing live steam from the locomotive boiler upon the rails pend of the cowcatcher. The heat xilled tating in the war, says the Chicago Journal. A solid ingot of steel, some 50 feet in length and ‘weighing about ' the insects, while the force of the jet threw their bodies oif the track without erushing them. In this manner, | -100tons, is employed in the making of.a 13-inch gun. > After being forged and then allowed to. cool, ‘so that: it | the problem was solved with slight expense, as Mr. Ken- = nedy’s invention was of extreme simplicity. It consists may be toughened for the heavy work, this gigantic bar | 2 : ts of steel is pressed into cy lindrical shape by a power hy-|0f a couple of small tubes extending from the boiler to-39 draulie press, which exerts a pressure of anything between | the front of the lecomotive and terminating a few ines 5,000 and 10,000 tons to the square ineh. Later. what| above each rail. ‘The engineer controls the steam outlet — Ae known as the trepanning operation is carried out, name-| With a simple device. After using this invention for a ly, drilling the bore from end to end. ‘ Next the bore. is} Short period, the bodies of countless thousands of cater- rifféd. pillars were banked alongside the track: for miles. The most impressive sight, however, is the hardening process, when the rough weapon is heated to dazzling white heat and plunged into a well full of oil. If the operation takes place in the night time the sight of this big, glowing bar of metal being lowered apparently intd the bowels of the ‘earth, sending forth. leaping | tongues of flames: from the burning oil, 1s impressive in the extreme. The gun is lef to coo) in the oil bath, out of which it comes hard- ened, ‘toughened and tempered. _ _ ¢ Now follows the wire-winding operation to make the weapon stronger and impart to it some measure of elas-| ticity. This wire-winding is much the same in principle as the whipping on the handle of a racket bat. In this case, however, the whipping takes the form of a strong steel ribbon, which is wound around the body of: the gun. Eyery 13-inch gun has about 120 miles of this steel ribbon “wound about it. Some idea of the labor inyolved in the | _ manufacture of one of these guns: Inay be gathered from the fact that from start to finish the time occupied is dup 3 months. ‘FIGHTING CATERPILLARS WITH STEAM.” Hordes of caterpillars proved a serious menace to rail- ~~ road operation this summer on the McCloud River Rail-. _ toad, in northern California. Locomotives could not make: traction because of the millions of wriggling crawlers that | : “clogged the rails, forming a slimy mass as the engine ; passed over them. Sand was of no avail; cresol sprinkled along the rails checked them for only a brief time; and the expedient of placing men on the coweatcher to sweep £ $F She. creatures with a broom was of no value at-all. More: zy rs‘ were crushed by the brooms than were brushed ¥ of the’ tracks,-while those that escaped alive. -prompt- a back upon the rails before the train: had. passed. pparently the railroad was under the necessity of dig- aes for many miles along both: ‘sides of the ; ‘of way, a Espa ee oe the only effective pee nY ere BIG ENTRY SURE FOR AMATEUR CUE HONORS. | So many amateur billiard players have signified their % intention ‘to compete in the national Class “A 18.2. balk 4 line championship tournament as to make it éertain’ “that the Comyetition will be the greatest ever held in this country... It is practically assured that ten or a do will qualify” for ihe matches which are scheduled to nes at the Unicon League Club, Philadelphia, Monday, Maré@hef, Among-the men who have announced ‘their intention striving for the title now‘held by Edward W. Gardner are Joseph Mayer, the winner of the championship at Phila- delphia in 1913; J. Ferdinand Poggenburg, international champion ; FE. B, Milburn, of Memphis, Tenn.; Dr. Wa ter E. Uffenheimer,. of “Philadelphia,: and W. E. Cop Morton. While they: have not replied to .the officials of | the National. Association of ‘Amateur Billiard Players to their intentions, it is understood that Gardner a Morris D. Brown, cae veterans, will cine ” in tournament. The chief interest centers. in Nathan De Hall, the y Bostonian, who defeated Joseph Mayer recently lengthy mateh, and the youthful wizard from Chik August F. Bloese, who are to send in-entries. Hall’s p formance against Mayer stamped him as a remark player, as his average stood above 14. Bloese is said | another Calvin Demarest, with plenty of runs up to. hundred mark and averages all the way up to 40. Re Lord and Wilson Henderson, two other amateurs ° cago, are likely entrants. Dr. Walter G. Douglas, tary of. the National Association, thas tried out Hen and found him eapable of » pe bite to -an. avera around 15,°. 08. 4 : Charles’ Hedden, of Diwagiaz: “Mich:, the amate put up the high. record ruh of 135: last year at the tournament in this city, has stated that he will be to compete. Heddon, however, has made a find in s| Huston, of Detroit. Huston began his billiards ¥ in] was a student at the University of. tet work his way eeougs ae by running a aa
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Pronounced by all, the most baffling and scientific novelty tering it, still it can be done in two seconds by giving the links the proper twist, but un- one dozen, 50c., by mail, postpaid. FRANK SMITH, 383 Lenox Ave., N. Y. greatest merit! It looks just like a gen- LINK THE LINK PUZZLE. OMjzO The sensation of the day. ; out. housands have worked at it for hours without mas- less you know how, the harder you twist them the tighter they grow. Price, 6c.; 3 for l5c.; Cee ee eee eee Se THE SURPRISE FOUNTAIN PEN A. novelty of the uine fountain pen. But it isn’t. That’s where the joke comes in. If aes take off the cover, a nice, ripe, juicy lemon appears, Then you give the friend you lend it to the merry ‘‘ha-ha.” You might call it an everlasting joke because you can use it over and over again. Price, by mail, postpaid, 10c. H. F. LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’klyn, N. Y. JAPANESE TRICK KNIFE. You can show the knife and instantly draw it across your finger, apparently cutting deep into the flesh. The red blood appears on the blade of the knife, giving a startling effect to the spectators. The knife is removed and: the finger is found in good condition. Quite an effective illusion. Price 10c. each by mail. WOLFE NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥. STAR AND CRESCENT PUZZLE. The puzzle is to sepa- rate the one star from the linked star and cres- cent without using force. Price by mail, postpaid 10c.; 3 for 25c. WOLFF NOVELTY Co, 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥. SLIDE THE PENCIL. The pencil that keeps them guessing. Made ef wood and lead just like an ordinary pen- cil, but when your victim starts to write with it—preste! the lead disappears. It is so con- structed that the slightest pres- sure on the paper makes the lead slide into the wood. Very funny and a practical joke. Price, 10c. each by mail, postpaid; 3 for 250 H. F. LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’kiyn, N. Y. NORWEGIAN MOUSE. ; A very large gray mouse, measuring 8 incnes from tip of nose to end of tail. The body of mouse is _ hollow. Place your first finger tn his body, and then by moving your finger up and down, the mouse appears to be running up your sieeve. Enter a room where there are ladies, with the mouse runn’ag up your sleeve, and you will see a rapid scat- tering of the fair sex. Many practical jokes can be perpe- this small rodent. ay trated with | Price, MAMAS. This interesting toy ts one of the latest novelties out. It is in great de- mand. To operate it, the stem is placed in your mouth. You can blow into it, and at tho same 3 time pull or jerky lightly string. The mouth opens, ang it then “Ma-ma,” just exactly in the sones of a tive baby. The sound is so human that would deceive anybody. 3 3 Price 12e. each by mail. VOLEF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥. Be. THE FRIGHTFUL RATTLESNAKE! et To all appeardnce it isa harmless piece of coiled Piece attachment, upon placing it to one’s mouth, and blowing into the tube, an imita- tion snake over two f Mghtning, producing a whistling, flut- sound that would frighten a wild In- ag snake packed in a box. Price, 10c.; 3 mailed postpaid. in length springs out of the roll like a. papers with a mouth- | but) We guarantee our rattlesnake not to. if i t To) CIGARETTE, The greatest trick fy joke out. A perfect imitation of a smoul- dering cigarette with bright red fire. It fools the wisest. Send 10c. and we will mail it, WOLFF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥. ’ THE BURNING TRICK PUZZLE. PURSE. The first attempt usually made to open it, is to press down the little knob in the center of the purse, when & small needle runs out and stabs them in the fin- f ger, but does not open it. You ean open it before their eyes and still they, will be unable to open it. Price, 25c. each by mail, postpaid. WOLFF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. Y. MARBLE VASE. A clever and puzzling effect, easy to do; the apparatus can be minutely examined. Effect: A marble can be made to pass from the hand into the closed vase, which a moment before was shown empty. This is a beautiful enameled turned wood vases. Price, 20c. FRANK SMITH, 383 Lenox Ave., N. Y. » POCKET WHISE-BKOOS This is no toy, but a real whisk-broom, 6% inches high. It is made of imported Japanese bristies, neatly put together, and can easily be carried in the vest pocket, ready for use at any mo~ ment, for hats or clothing, etc Price 10 cents each, by mall, poatpaid. c. BEHR. 150 W. 6%4 St. N. % FOUR WEEKES (A LOUD BOOK). Has the absolute and exact shape of a book in cloth. Up- on the opening of the book, after having it set up accord- ing to directions furnished, a loud report similar to that of a pistol-shot will be heard, much to the amazement and surprise of the victim. Caps not mailable; can be bough: at any toy store. Price, 65c. by mail, postpaid. WOLFF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥. FALSE NOSES. - Change your face! Have @ barrel of fun! They are life- like reproductions of funny noses, made of shaped cloth, waxed, and colored. When x placed over your nose, they re- 5 main on securely, and only @ close inspection reveals their false character. All shapes, such as pess, hooks, short-horn lemons, and rum blossoms. Bet- ter than a false ge gg be carried in the ves . Price, by mail, 10c. each. H. F. LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’klyn, N. ¥Y- THE MYSTIC RING. Mystifying and Per- jiexing. A metal ring japanned iron. A cane, a pencil or a string is held tightly at each end by a spectator. ors. A Brand-New Trick, s handed around for The performer lightiy taps the cane with the Just Out.—Puzzling, examination, and is found to be solid, unbroken ‘ring, and the ring suddenly is seen to be en- | How did the ring pass the | circMng the cane. spéctator’s two hands and get on the cane? The most mystifying trick ever invented. Others charge 75 cents for this trick; but our price, including instruction, is 12e¢.. postpaid. Cc. BEHR, 150 W. AUTOMATIC COPYING PENCIL, The importauce of carrying a good re- liable penci] need not be dweit on here... It is an absolute ne- cessity with us all. pencil is beautifully box-wood handle, giv- The holder or this this pencil can be copied the same as if copy- ing ink was used. It is the handiest pencil on the market; you do not a knife to keep it sharp; it is ever ready, ever safe, | and just the thing to Bayes Price of Zone, with box of leads complete, only We. ; 8 for 25c.; one dozen 90c. postpaid. 62d St, New York City. | | to do. 308 SONGS [0c "GREENBACK NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St, N, ¥. | WOLFF NOVELTX OO., 29 W. 26th St, N. ¥. | H. F. LANG, 1815 Centre St., oq 30 DAYS F RANGER” bicy: REE TRIAL id on the new er. cannot afford to buy without etting Nf thing in th prices. y prices on Motorcycle and Automobile Supplies. MEAD CYCLE CO., DEPT, Giss CHICAGO . Wanted. $i to $600 paid for Old Coins hundreds of coins dated befora 1895. Send 10c¢ for our illustrated coin value book. 4x7; get posted, Clarke & Co., Box95, Le Roy, N.Y. Old Coins Mee noes your fortune. OLD COIN GO., O4 BAST Sin SE, CHICAGO pots OF MAIL If you want to get lots of mafl from difen ent Arms—Send us your name aud address ectory. also send you at once, 12 sample Cards, 14 fine Pictures, and « large —and wo will pur your name in cur Dir » Andwe will assortment of curious and wonderful reading matter. Write today, send 10 cents, coln or stamps for postage; and you will get lots of mall—and the big losof preseats besides. Williams & Co. 326 Madison St., Chicago ON MOONLIGHT BAY; I'd Love to Live in Loveland; If You Talk in Your Sleep; Oh Mr. a SOuc Dream Man; Everybody's Doln’ It: ‘When Was 21 and You Were Sweet os a nn the Honeymoon; I'm Goin: io xande iful Doll ; Case; es: Grizzl on Your O} Grey Rosea ill 4 Silver Bell: Billys Mysterious Rag ote. Song Hits & 10 pieces PIANO MUSIC for 10, 800 Enterprise Music Co,, 3348 Lowe Ave., Chicago REMEDY sent to you on FREE TRIAL If it cures, send $1.00; if not. don Give expressoffice. Write today. w. Sterline, S37 Obie Ave., Sidney. Obie For PROFIT FREE toany man small, who has S. It is worth $10 acopy INVESTING in tad harper Rtabiy or whocan save 8 or more ves money U2) . w . hasn't learned the art of invest rimonth, but who hasn't ‘or profit, It demonstrates the reat earning power money, the knowledge financiers and bankers hide from the masses, It reveals the enormous profits bankers makeand shows how to makethesame profits, Itexplains how stupendous fortunes are madeand why made: how $1,000 grows to Loma To introduce my magazine write me now. Flt send it six months, absolu' FREE. BL BARBER, Peby 522 26W Jackson Brd., Chicago, I, Disedrercest et vi ye Sn tah alee eee is ] Big Wad, 10c.; 4, 250. J. Downey ''T-3537 Union Ave., Chicago : TRICK PUZZL?I PURSE. — The first at: open it, is to press down the Hittle 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 open it be- fore their eyes and still they will be unable to open it. Price by mail, postpaid, 25c. each. WOLFF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥. APPEARING BILLIARD BALL.—A solid billiard ball, beautifully made, can be made to appear in the bare hands with the sleeves rolled back to elbows. Very fine and easy Write at once for — tempt usually made te. Price, 350.” WOLFF NOVELTY CO.. 29 W. 26th St., N. Yo ee 5 BUBBLER. The greatest invention of the age. The box contains a blew- pipe of neatly enameled metal, and five tablets; algo t ing numerous soap-bubble games, such a Floating Bubbles, 4 print di- | rections fat plays Repeaters, Surprise Bubbles, Double Bubbles,.. The Boxers, Lung Tester, Supported Bubbles Rolling Bubbles, Smoke Bubbles, Bouncing Bubbles, and many others. Ordinary bubble- blowing, with a pipe and soap water, are not : in it with this scientific toy. It produces larger, more beautiful and stronger bubbles. than you can by the ordinary od. The games are intensely interesting, too. Price, 1 “Pree J ipa, SE re
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DEVILINE’S WHISTLE. Nickel plated and polished; it pro- duces a near-pierc- sound; large illustration Price, 12e. by 209 W. 26th St.. N. Z% TS 6 EEE Oe ROUGH RIDER DISC PISTOLS. Made of nicely col- .red wood 5% inches long. The power is furnished by rubber WOLFF NOVELTY Co., bands. Ten discs of cardboard with each pistol. Price, 6c. each, Postpaid. H. F. LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’klyn, N. Y. TRICK COIN HOLDER. The coin holder is attached to a ring ade so as to fit anyone's finger. The holder clasps tightly a 25-cent piece. When the ring is placed on the finger with the coin showing On the palm of the hand and offered in change it cannot be picked up. A nice way to tip people. Price, 10c. each by mail, postpaid. H. F. LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’klyn, N. Y. THE HELLO PUZZLE Can you get the ring off? This puzzle is the latest cre- ation of Yankee ingenuity. Apparently it is the easiest thing in the world to remove the ring from the block, but it takes hours of study to @iscover the trick, unless you know how it is Gone. Price by mail, postpaid, 10c.: $ for 25e. H. EF. LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’klyn, N. Y. = FRICK FAN- A lady’s fan made of colered slik cloth. The fan may be used . and then shut, and when it opens again, D : it falls in pieces; shut and open again and it is perfect, without a sign of a break. A great surprise for those wot in the trick. Price, 35c. by mail, pestpaid. H, F. LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’klyn, N. Y. WE WANT YOU “WMioving Picture Stories” A Weekly Magazine devoted to Photoplays and Players es ae PRICE 5 CENTS A COPY 3 ISSUED EVERY FRIDAY BEAUTIFUL COLORED COVER DESIGN z New portraits of actors and actresses every week - Six Gripping Stories, based on the latest and best films, each profusely illustrated with fine’half-tones of scenes in the plays. Photographs and Biographies of the most celebrated Photoplay actors and actresses. Special Articles relating to Moving Pictures, written by the greatest authorities in the film business. News Notes from the studios about the doings of everybody of prominence connected with the Photoplays. Scenario Hints and the names 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. ~~ io GET A COPY NOW from your newsdealer, or send us 5 cents in money or postage stamps, and we will mail — you the latest number issued. tae FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher _| 168 West 23d Street LAUGHING CAMERA. Everybody grotesquely photographed; stout pec- ple look thin, and vice versa. Price, 25c. postpaid, WOLFF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥. THE BUCULO CIGAR. The most remarkable trick-cigar in the world. It smokes without tobacco, and never gets ‘smaller. Anyone can have a world of fun with it, especially if you smoke it in the presence of a person who dislikes the odor of tobacco. It looks exactly like a fine per- fecto, and the smoke is so real that it is bound to deceive the closest observer. Price, 12c. each, postpaid. C. BEHR, 150 W. 62d 8t., New York City. IMITATION CIGAR BUTT. It is made of a composition, exactly resembling a lighted cigar. The white ashes at the end and the imitation of to- bacco-leaf being perfect. You can carelessly place it on top of the tablecloth or any other ex- pensive piece of furniture, and await the result. After they see the joke everybody will have a good laugh. Price, 19c, each by mail, postpaid; $ for 25c. / H. F. LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’klyn, N. Y. TRICK CIGARSTTE Bux, This one is a corker! Get a box right away, if you want to have a barrel of joy. Here’s the secret: It looks like an ordi- nary red box of Turkish ciga- rettes. But it contains a trig- ger, under which you place a paper cap. Offer your friend a | smoke and he raises the lid of the box. That explodes the cap, and if you are wise you will get out of sight with the box before he gets over thinking he was shot, Price, 1léc., postpaid. | WOLFF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥. TO READ EVERY NUMBER CONTAINS Absolutely the finest little publication on the news-stands FINE HALF-TONE FRONTISPIECES Get a copy of this weekly magazine and see what itis NAIL PUZZLE. .. A ym Made of 2 metai natis linked together. Keeps . folks guessing; easy to take them apart when you know how. Directions with every one. Price, 6¢., postpaid. WOLFF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥; PIN MOUSE. It is made of cast metal and has the exact color, shape and size of a live mouse. Pinned on your or somebody else's clothes, will have a startling effect upon the spectators. “The screaming fun had by this little novelty, especially in the Presence of ladies, is more than can be im- agined. If a cat happens to be there, there's no other fun to be compared with it. Price, 10c. each by mail, postpaid; 3 for 25¢, FRANK SMITH, 383 Lenox Ave., N. ¥. WIZARD'S PACK OF TRICK CARDS. E+ A full pack of 53 cards, but by the aid of the in- structions given, anyone can perform the most tricks. Many of the feats ex- hibited are truly marvelous and astonish, and amuse a whole audience. Positively no sleight-of-hand. The whole trick is in the cards. Price, by mail, postpaid, 35e. H. F. LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’kiyn, N. Y,. THE DEVIL’S CARD TRICK.—From three cards held in the hand anyone is asked to mentally select one. All three cards are placed in a hat and the performer removes first the two that the audience did not select and passing the hat to them their card has mysteriously vanished. A great_ climag; highly recommended. ice, FRANK SMITH, 383 Lenox Ave.. N. ¥ THIRTY-TWO PAGES wonderful -