Fame And Fortune Weekly (no. 536) (1916 01 07)

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JANUARY 7, [916 FOR A FORTUNE; IDY IN WALL STREET. 2, 2920 d : GE si & ND OTHER S7 re 5 > th ‘Look here, country,” he said, “you can’t pass unless you have the dough.” “Dough!” exclaimed the mystified Nick. “Money, you chump!” “I've loads of it,” grinned Nick, producing his wad of Confederate shinplasters. Furniss snatched the bills from his hand.

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_ STORIES OF BOYS WHO MAKE MONEY Issued Weekly—By Subscription $2.50 per year. Hntered at the New York, N. Y., Post Office as Second-Class Matte. <2 i by Frank Tousey, Publisher, 168 West 23d Street, New York. No: 536. BID FOR NEW YORK, JANUARY 7%, Price 5 Cents. A FORTUN 1916. eae — 0R——_ : ic Som A COUNTRY BOY IN WALL STREET Gas bi Bie 2 é : gg | ‘ rigs 2 ee +3} By A SELF-MADE MAN P ee jf ee ae bet om hae = CHAPTER I. | “Oh!” exclaimed Frank, with a flickering smile. “I’m afvaid f the whole bunch wouldn't buy you a square meal.” te 2 Shae pea na pe peal tn Wi “That's my opinion, too. She kept the roll these yo “Well, Nick, what are you going to do now?” asked Frank E banks, curiously. “Going to work,” replied Nick Nutting, with a resolute air. “On a farm?” propounded Frank. ms Nick shook his head emphatically. as “In a store, perhaps - “JT don’t know eames in the village who wants a boy.” ’ *Maybe you mean to go to the shoe factory in the next te. 238 “No. I don’t think I’d care to learn the business.” “Then where are you going to work?” -“T haven’t decided that point yet, but I’m figuring on going ‘New York.” + “To New York!” exclaimed his companion, in surprise. +. “Yep. It's a big place, and I hear there’s plenty of work there for everybody.” “I don’t know about that, Nick. I’ve heard father say ’s half a million people out of work there all the time.” “He said that, did he?” asked Nutting, eyeing his companion a Fairbanks nodded. “Your father ought to know something about it, I suppose,” replied Nick, slowly. “He reads the newspapers regularly.” “Yes, we take a New York daily, and father keeps pretty “ ee oosiet on current conditions,” answered Fairbanks, whose 3 was the cashier of the village bank. “Well, i it’s funny,” said Nick, scratching his curly head ; ubtfully. “I saw a New York paper at the Westbury Hou a days ago, and the back part of it was just filled with + all advertisements under the heading of ‘Help Wanted.’ _ There were jobs of all kinds for over fifty boys alone. I ‘thought there must be loads of work going to waste.” vay net's fifty boys, Nick, when there are four million people n ‘New York City?” “That's right.” admitted Nick, a bit dolefully. “Fifty Mend smothered in four million.” ‘How about your sister, Nick?” sh e's going to live with Mrs. Ralston until I can make money to take care of her myself.” a aunt didn’t-leave you anything, did she?” asked Fair- 3 : -* a Feages of parcial replied Nick, with a sickly ina e of surprise. eastuadtacane maT eal | that was needed years, for she thought the government might redeem by. : some time. I’m thinking that time will be never.” Jee eh “If anybody else than Deeton Dabbieton held the mort; a: on your late aunt’s house I’d nk there’d be someth i iage for you and Nellie when the house was sold; something ie . - has a hard reputation in money matters. ver lets any a PS thing escape him if he can _ hg “That’s right,” nodded Nick. “He's one @ those Ww oO grips a quarter so hard that it makes Baa “Well, you’ve got the furniture, at any You —” Ah that. ” , ae “- “If T’can find anybody to buy it.” Wierda | “The deacon will auction it off for you. I'll bet ‘he'll! ret gest that to you, for there will be something in it for “I’d rather somebody else sold it for us. Mr. D might lay on some extra charges and hold onto half oe ceipts, like he did with poor Widow Dunn.” Pui “He wouldn’t dare do that. My father would look after ‘the up sale for you if you wanted him to.” em “If I have to auction the stuff off I'll speak to your beh about it beforehand.” Ta he “That's right. He'll see that you get a square deal.” 4 4 Nick Nutting, the hero of this sotry, was a bright, tious boy, who was born and brought up in the village. Westbury, not more than a hundred miles from N Nore He had one sister, a year and a half his junior, lie,,and the pair, whom a steamboat disaster had m phans at an early age, had been raised by their maiden @ ul Miss Tomkins. : This estimable spinster had done the right thing » niece and nephew, as far as her limited means would p and the children were very fond of her. Unfortunately, a week before the opening of this sic contracted a chill, pneumonia set in, and within she was dead. . It was the afternoon of the day of the funeral that 2 Nutting met his friend Frank Fairbanks on his way from the genera] store where he had gone to buy 50 at the poy and the foregoing con took place between the boys. _ They parted at the corner of one of the side streets. ae Nutting was preparing tea hort i brother e the house that could be theirs but goto She was pesto el fourteen y r ; ert A

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Miss Tomkins used to say that she was the smartest girl in the village. This afternoon she looked sad and depressed, as was natural under the circumstances, and she had very little to say. “T just met Frank Fairbanks,” said Nick, as he laid down the packages on the kitchen table. “I was telling him that I was thinking of going to New York to look for work, and he told me his father said that there were half a million of peo- ple out of work there all the time. Nice prospect for a coun- try boy, isn’t it?” “I wish you wouldn’t talk about going to New York, Nick,” Said Nellie, the tears springing into her eyes. “Why not, sis?” “Because I don’t want you to go so far away from me,” “Why, that isn’t far—not over a hundred miles.” Sn To Nick’s buoyant, ambitious nature one hundred miles seemed a mere bagateile when some desirable object was to be '~ achieved; but to Nellie, who was More of a home body, it expanded into an immeasurable distance when it came between her and the only relative she had in the wide world. _ The girl's heart was full, and the light way in which her brother seemed to regard a separation between them upset may be half a million of people out of work there all r around, but you can bet on one thing—I won’t be one ” ey sun was just setting when brother and sister sat down - to their frugal tea. 3 ey were in the midst of it when a sharp, authoritative knock came at the door. _ Phere was nothing bashful about that knock, any more | than there was about the tall and corpulent individual -whose ; ckles were responsible for it. Nick, wondering who their visitor was, got up and opened _ the door. ; __ #@ was not particularly pleased to find Deacon Dabbleton on the doorstep. : * 2 ae deacon considered himself the most important man in the village, and he tried to impress that fact upon the com- mm ¥: as _ nity. ’ If he had in an English village a hundred years ago he probably ave been a beadle of the parish. : The post w ve suited him to a nicety. Deacon Dabb walked into the room in a stately way -. without waiting for an invitation. He considered the house his own, if not everything in it, ay uently he was not a man to stand on ceremony. a jetta yon take a seat, Mr. Dabbleton?” said Nick, politely, after he had closed the door. +7 sees ‘The deacon took it without wasting any of his precious breatir to say “Thank you.” _ He did not believe in throwing pearls before swine, so to Nn Yad hn . “Ahem!” he said, holding his gold-handled cane between his ponderous legs and leaning upon it in a magisterial way, while he cast his experienced eyes around the room to size up the value of its contents. On the whole, the survey was not very satisfactory. ‘Nick, whose appetite had not been impaired by the appear- even so undesirable a visitor as Deacon Dabbleton, urned to the table, and both of the young people | for the village auctioneer, real estate agent and under- er to unbosom himself. __ “Ahem!” ejaculated the yisitor once more, allowing his _ gaze to rest on the boy and girl as if he thought they ought to feel highly honored to sit in the same room. with him, “We must all die, my young friends,” he said, casting his yes toward the ceiling and then dropping them to their ormer level. “Ahem! May I ask if your excellent aunt left ything besides this house and furniture, which I presume in 6 ; both aware belongs to me in default of payment, and certain interest overdue, of a mortgage, duly re- _. you are = Fees the registry of this county?” et AN Rog hates Mr. Dabbleton; the Nabig suppose, have sold to satisfy your claim, bu furniture 33 to Nellie and me.” - : _ Who told you that, young man?” said the @eacon, 'y told us so. She said it was all she had to leave d Mr. Dabbleton. “I ap- eee. ee x ‘phistieated young people, while it was quite another to ad- t-J7#t t A BID FOR A FORTUNE. Se prehend that the house being heavily mortgaged, and prop- erty having lately shrunk in value in this village, that its sale will hardly cover the sum I advanced on it some years ago; therefore it is quite possible that I will be obliged to levy : on the furniture to make up the difference.” His words carried consternation to Nellie’s heart, but did not seem to greatly affect her brother, who quietly remarked: “Ts that the law, Mr. Dabbleton?” “The law!” exclaimed the déacon. “What do you mean?” “Does your mortgage include the furniture?” “I presume it does, my young friend. However, that is im- material. I am entitled to my pound of flesh, you under- stand.” . “You are if you can get it out of the house and ground, as you easily ought to do. But you have no right to attach my aunt’s furniture. That now belongs to my sister and myself. It is all we have with which to face the world.” } “I should be very sorry to deprive you of any of your la- mented relative’s property, but of course,I can scarcely be ex- pected to rob myself after my generosity in advancing such a large sum of money on such very—ahem!—poor security.” “We deny your right to touch even a single stick of the fur- niture. If you insist on doing so I shall put the matter in Mr. Fairbanks’ hands.” Apparently the deacon did not approve of Mr. Fairbanks being made a party to the proceedings, so he hastily dismissed the subject for the present. “Do you anticipate remaining in the village, young man?” he asked, with some curiosity to learn the boy’s plans. “No, sir; I do not.” “Might I inquire where you propose to go?” “It’s likely I will go to New York.” “And do you expect to take your sister with you?” “Not until I am able to support her.” “Ahem! You can hardly expect to do that for some time to come, I apprehend. Now, I was going to observe ‘that if your sister would like to make her home with Mrs. Dabbleton and myself, we will board and clothe her in return for such — service as she is able to rénder.” Deacon Dabbleton wished to impress the young people with an idea of his uncommon generosity, but Nick, at least, was not particularly overcome by it. He knew that the deacon’s house would not be a bed of roses for his sister or any other confiding girl persuaded to take up her home there. & What the deacon and his vinegary wife were looking for was a household drudge at the lowest compensation possible, — but Mr. Dabbleton was too politic to express the exact truth in so many words. . He believed that pills should always be sugar-coated in or- der to disguise their character. “We are much obliged to you for the offer, Mr. Dabbleton, but my sister has already arranged to live, for the present, with Mrs. Ralston.” The deacon was visibly disappointed. He had counted on securing Nellie Nutting, and had even told his wife that he intended bringing her home with him. As the deacon had nothing more to say, he arose and, wish- ing the young people a stiff “good-evening,” left the cottage. When a few days later Mr. Fairbanks called upon Mr. Dab- bleton in his capacity of auctioneer and asked him to hold a sale of the personal belongings of the late Miss Tomkins, the deacon did not press a claim against the cottage furni- ture. : He knew better. It was one thing to bulldoze a pair of apparently unso- 7 vance the same sentiments to a man of experience, So Mr. Dabbleton advertised and sold the f ture for the benefit of Nick and Nellie, pocketed his commission and paid the balance over to Mr. Fairbanks, who made it his business to see that the sale was properly conducted. . The cashier of the village bank handed half of the money to Nick and the other half to the boy’s sister, who had removed her scant belongings to the Ralston home, while Nick was invited to stay a few days with the cashier's son. ae Nick, having finally made up his mind to seek his fortune — in New York, made his arrangements accordingly. Nellie gradually became reconciled to the separation when she saw that it was inevitable, and when Nick promised to_ send for her at the earliest possible time. hey = aa And so on Monday morning, after an affecting farewell me- _ tween them, Nick carried his grip to the next town, and th boarded a West Shore train for Greater New York. 4% *

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vit = , oe ; -A BID FOR A FORTUNE. Pe ud LAT A | we ns bie AEA re oe — | ae " “Well, how did you like it?” asked the officer. aN CHAPTER II. “Not so far. I suppose you want to see the bulls and bears, i t : eh?” grinned the policeman. = : _ / SIcK NUTTING “ARRIVES IN NEW YORK. } Nick was not so green as to imagine there were any real __—_Nick arrived in Weehawken at about noon, and, boarding | bulls and bears in the financial district. ferryboat, was soon landed in the metropolis at the foot of Porty-second street, on the North River. ane The general storekeeper at Westbury, who was well ac- _. @usinted with New York, had recommended him to a board- ' §ng-house in West Forty-fifth street, and Nick walked up \ there at once. ‘It was a cheap-loeking place, but the boy expected to live “A _. ‘Tre landlady had a small hall room, which she showed to ay a cheaply as he could until he ceuld afford to do better, _ Nick. and at the same time assured him that she set as good aes le as could be expected for the price she asked. _ The rocm did not seem to be much larger than the big closet ’ {m the spacious apartment in his late home at Westbury. e - Tt was furnished with a cot, a cheap iron washstand and one That left just about room enough for the occupant to turn around in. _ Nick was disappointed with its look, but took it just the . same. He paid a week's hoard in advance, as was customary, and __-‘Mated that two meals a day, breakfast and @inner, expected to hand out to her boarders. : After the meal, which consisted of tea, bread and butter and stewed prunes, Nick made a few inquiries of Mrs. Jarvis, the lock around the metropolis. * '. He made a careful note of the number of the house, its gen- eral appearance, which was shabby, and its position in the Sy _ block, so he could find it again, before leaving the neighbor- _ He walked down to Sixth avenue and Forty-second street, and Uecided to take an elevated train for the Battery—a spot _ he had heard so much about that he was anxious to see it. Me - In half an hour he was strolling about.Battery Park, +The benches were well filled with men who seemed to have nothing more important on hand than to kill time. specimens _ Officer and asked him if it was a holiday. fhe policeman regarded Nick in some surprise and then i locked him carefully over. : a3 ce. It was not in any one particular that he showed this stamp him. ; He might have changed clothes with the most stylish New _ Yorker, and yet one would have said at a glance that he came from out of town. + “You're from the country, aren’t you?” asked the officer. _—-s« *J'm from Westbury, York State,” replied Nick, wondering how the policeman knew he was a stranger in the metropolis, _ “Why did you ask if to-day was a holiday? How long have a "you been in town?” 4 - “A couple of hours,” answered Nick. “I asked the ques- tion because I see so many people doing nothing.” _ #“¥ow'll find all the parks populated in much. the same way on a fine day like this. Most of these people are out of a job, either because they can't get one, or because they don’t want — > one. “Then it is true that there are half a million people out the time in New York?” asked Nick, with a feeling intment. ; that there’s half a million of idle people in the is a big army of them.” . that building over there?” asked Nick, pointing to structure. sy the Aquatium. Why don’t y fish?- are specimens from all over the _. *What's the charge?” ee sald ene ieth: od. Bde open was well worth a i . spen on’t say t there s go in and see the world.” .. “ait s then was invited down to lunch, though the landlady inti- | was all she /expected to finance it. landlady, as to the Jay of the town, and then sallied forth to | down to the smailest railroad or navigation company. _ it seemed so strange to the boy to see so many healthy | trict, for it’s uncommonly wide, and is only two blocks long, of humanity taking life easy that he stopped a park | from Beaver to Wall. In spite of the boy’s bright look there was no getting away | the foot of Broadway. _ from the fact that there was something of the hayseed about | triangular park, surrounded by an iron railing, which is called his iBowling Green.” _ of the country, but in the indefinable air that hovered around |pefore this city was evacuated by the British, wasn’t it?” — j tne point. ) The officer had never heard of the circumstance and did not ' «Walk to the head of that little park—that ig, to the nar- e pew end of the triangle looking up Broad He knew quite a bit about Wall Street through conyersa- tions with brokers’ clerks he had met in Westbury on their summer vacations. The truth of the matter was that Nick had a yearning de- Spy sire to get a job in Wall Street if he could. ; How he was going to accomplish it he had no more idea than he had of the man in the moon, but he meant to try, just the same. No matter what other position he might be obliged to take at first, the goal of his ambition was a situation in the region of the Stock Exchange. ois He had a hankering to be around where the money was. a He had read so often that Wall Street was the moneyed Bi: center of the United States that he was curious to see what the = district looked like. : He had heard that the big financiers of Wall Street con- trolled about everything in sight that was worth while. When the government wanted to fleat a big loan it ap- pealed to Wall Street. When New York City had occasion to sell a new issue of bonds it looked to the bankers of Wali Street. When any large enterprise was started, Wall Strest was i, The money kings, who had their dens in the tall office build- ings of the financial district, had a finger in evary melon {hat 5 was worth the cutting, from the big life insurance companies To werk in the exhilarating atmosphere of frenzied finance was what Nick was looking for, and as a first step toward that goal he wanted to take a survey of the graund-——to see if people were livelier there than elsewhere, as he had.an idea they must be, in order to keep abreast of the situation. “Do you want to go to Wali Street proper, or do you wish to take in the whole financial district as well as you can?” asked the policeman. “I want to see as much of it as I can,” replied Nick. “Then you'd better start from the corner of Beaver and Broad. You can't mistake Broad, which intersects.the dis- Do you see that tall office building?” asked the officer, pointing. p “T couldn't well miss it,” replied Nick. “That's the Bowling Green Building, whieh faces partly on Walk up there and you will see a small, “That's where the statue of George the Third used to stand asked Nick, with some interest. ; “T guess it is,” replied the policeman, who was not clear on “The people pulled it down and melted it up, didn’t they?” * eare to commit himself. y; turn your face @ east—that's east,” motioned the police “and you will see Beaver street right before you. Take the upper sidewalk and zo straight ahead, The first street you wil! come to ig New, and the next is Broad. Turn up either one of them and you'll ~ be in the Wall Street district. Broad is the better one to a as the curb brokers are there, and so is the Stack Exchange.” | Nick thanked the officer and started for New York's money — center. 37 CHAPTER III. E \ NICE GETS A JOB IN WALL STREET! ta. q Nick had no trouble in finding Broad street where it inter-_ sected Beaver. Re es eS He turned his face north toward Wall Street, and had to ~ admit that it was a teeming hive of industry as far as he ld see. h Prey orl don’t wonder it’s my Broad street,” he said to him- lf. “It’s wide enough t the name.” , ae * Phen he started to walk up the thoroughfare, where hun- dreds of busy boys and men were passing and repassing all “yiniaioel messenger boys with yellow envelopes in their” oT l Tr } i A Z % wands were flying slong the sidewalls or crossing the 2 NE ere cor Cae

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4 A BID FOR A FORTUNE. | he like winged Mercurys, dodging pedestrians on the one hand : and cabs and vehicles on the other with an ease and precision that Nick admired. “I wouldn’t mind having such a job,” thought Nick, who loved exercise, and was considered the swiftest boy on his feet when he lived in Westbury. The first thing that specially attracted his attention was a roped enclosure on the west side of the street. Here were gathered a hundred or more sharp-looking men and bright-appearing young fellows, in little groups, talking together or walking about from one group to another. This was the Curb Exchange, every member of which was : a regular broker. f Many thousands of shares of various stocks exchanged hands F here every business day, and anybody could lounge about and “watch the way it was done. Nick watched the methods of the curb brokers for a while and then continued on up the street. At the corner of Exchange Place he stopped and looked up and down that narrow street. a It was quite overshadowed by the tall office buildings on ' either side, that soared so high that their roofs seemed to be almost lost in the sky. : Nick’s look of surprised interest attracted the notice of a _ Fough-looking, thickset fellow who was hanging around the corner. '._ His name was Joe Furniss, and until within a day or two he ~~ had been employed as a messenger by the Maritime Exchange. zi Just at present he was hard up, and was figuring how he i raise the wind. e eyed the country as fair game. "Stepping forward, he barred Nutting’s way. “Look here, country,” he said, “you can’t pass unless you have the dough,” “Dough!” exclaimed the mystified Nick. “Money, ~ou chump!” “T’ve loads of it,” grinned Nick, producing his wad of Con- - __ federate shinplasters. - Furniss snatched the bills from his hand. _. Then he started to run. ‘r, But Nick was not going to be robbed of his Confederate ~~ money, worthiess as it was, with impunity. - .. He immediately followed Furniss down Exchange Place at “oa ee Ot pace, “ c The young raseal, finding that Nick was no slow runner, dodged about in an endeavor to avoid being brought to ac- - count for the bills which he had stuffed into his pocket. Such apparent skylarking was of too frequent occurrence in the Street to attract special. notice. _.. Furniss finally darted into the entrance of one of the office - puildings and ran up the stairs to the first floor. hart Nick followed close at his heels, and grabbed the tail of his sack coat just as he stepped on the floor of the corridor. a The fellow turned about and aimed a vicious blow at his pur- - suer’s face. _ -Niek dodged it and then grabbed Furniss by the collar. ~The other, however, was a tough youth, and not in the least averse to a scrap. '. He tore himself free from Nick’s grasp and then squared off in regular prize-ring style. If he thought to intimidate the country boy he was greatly ___. Nick was mad clean through at the fellow’s nerve in snatch- t. As, Bis property, and he sailed in at him like a young cyclone. Bek eg <2 ‘about a minute there was as pretty a set-to as one - would see at an athletic club, and then Furniss went down on ‘the marble fioor from a clean knock-out blow on the end of his chin. He lay there dazed and almost motioniess, while Nick stood ~¥ eee? s boy Narrowly, and finally sized him up above him with clenched fist and flushed face, waiting for him to rise. one of the offices on that floor. is black, alert eyes sparkled with shis tough opponent. hat was neatly done, young man,” he said, stepping up s ww the trick turned better, What's the trouble be- ere, ‘short serap had been viewed by a gentleman who came as he saw the clean knock-out ‘istered to the bulky youth by the lighter and more agile who at the first glance did not seem to be in the same Nutting and clapping him familiarly on the’ shoulder. Then he must be a young crook. This is a case “The dickens he did! He’s got all the ear-marks of one, at any rate. for a policeman.” 3 “The money didn’t amount to much,” replied Nick. Confederate shinplasters.” “Oh!” exclaimed the gentleman, biting his mustache to re- press the laugh which rose to his lips. “Then you wouldn’t have lost much if he had escaped.” “It was “But I don’t want to lose the stuff,” answered Nick, kneel- — ing down beside the reviving young rascal and thrusting his hand into the pocket he had seen Furniss stow the wad in. In a moment he rose with a roll of Confederate notes in his hand. e “There they are,” he said, showing them to the gentleman. “Looks like real money at a casual glance,” said the man, with a-smile. “Any one would take you to be well heeled if you flashed that roll on them.” “I guess that’s what he thought. He sized me up as some- thing easy from the country and tried to do me up. But I wasn’t born yesterday, even if this is my first day in New York.” “Is that so?” remarked the gentleman. to the town?” : “Yes, sir,” replied Nick. “Come here to see the sights, I suppose?” “No, sir. I came here to get a job.” / “What kind of a job?” the stranger asked, with a show of interest, scanning the bright, intelligent features of the boy he had taken a sudden fancy to. “Well, sir, if I can have my choice it will be right here in Wall Street.” “In Wall Street, eh?” “Are, you a stranger At that moment Joe Furniss sat up in a bewildered sort of ° way and looked around him. As soon as his eyes rested on Nick he scrambled to his feet with a growl of rage and began to roll up his sleeves pre- paratory to a continuation of the fight. : The gentleman, however, interfered. “Get out of this building at once, you young scamp!” he exclaimed, with some vigor. Furniss did not like his aggressive manner,and, with a mut- tered imprecation and a menacing glance of his eyes at Nut- ting, he slowly walked downstairs, feeling his jaw as if to make sure it was all there. \ “So you'd like to work in Wall Street, eh?” said the gentie- man, turning to our hero. “Yes, sir. I'd like it first rate.” “What is your name?” “Nick Nutting.” “Where is your home?” : “No. — West Forty-fifth street for the present. I came from Westbury, where I’ve lived all my life.” “How long have you been in New York?” “About four hours, sir.” “Four houvs. Is that all?” “Yes, sir.” _ “Well, upon my word, I should never have thought so from your scientific performance with that young tough. Taken lessons in the art of self-defense, haven’t you?” “Yes, sir. From a professor who stopped at our village last summer.” -“You must have been an apt pupil. You cleaned that boy up in no time at all, and he looked husky enough to eat you. So you've only been four hours in New York?" said the gen- tleman, refiectively, looking the boy over once more with critical attention. “I’m sorry that you’re not acquainted with the city. I’ve kind of taken a fancy to you. I'm a stock- broker, with an office on Wall Strect. I’ve just lost my mes- senger, and I would give you a trial if you had some idea of the financial district; but I'm afraid you'd get mixed up trying | to find your way about, and that it would take you all day to deliver a message.” d “J think I could get the run of this part of the city in- side of a couple of days, sir.” said Nick, eagerly. “At any rate, I’m sure it wouldn’t take me a week, I'd be Willing to work the first week for nothing, sir, if you'll only give me the chance to make good. Then I could buy a guide, I suppose, with a map, and out the position of the streets down here, and find ont where the banks and trust companies are situated. I could do until I got everything down to-night ofter I gut to my bearding-heuse. ‘Tcould keep it up. that — If I had a list of the office buildings I'd spend the rest of the afternoon locating them. —

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A BID FOR “Are your parents living in Westbury?” “My father and mother are both dead, sir. The only rela- noha I have is a sister nearly fourteen years old in West- ury.” - - “Well, come around with me to my office and I will con- sider the matter,” said the broker. “My name is George * “Chiswell. Here is my card.” They walked up to Broad street together, and thence to - Wall Street, the broker pointing out the: Steck Exchange and - yarious banks and office buildings along the route. ; Turning down Wall, half-way to Hanover street, they came » to the Bullion Building, on the second floor of which Mr. Chis- well had his office. - Taking Nick into his private office, the broker questioned him as to his education and general fitness for office work. Nick’s answers were quite satisfactory to him. In the end the only thing that stood in the boy’s way was _ his unfamiliarity with New York, the financial district in particular. Finally Mr. Chiswell wrote down the names of a score of brokers with whom he was constantly in touch, with their addresses, and handed the list to Nick. “TH give you a trial, Nick,” he said. “Report at this office 7 at-nine o'clock in the morning. In the meantime you might amuse yourself during the rest of the day trying to locate the offices of the gentlemen on that list. Several of them are in the Vanderpool Building, on Exchange Place, not far from the buildings where you had that scrap. Others are in the Millis Building, on Broad street. The rest are scattered about. You know where the New York Stock Exchange is. Well, you'll have to go there frequently. But you don’t enter on the Broad street side, but at the messengers’ entrance, on F New street, which is a narrow street in,the rear of the build- S ing, running from Wall to Broad street. You might go there when you leave here and find out the right door. Any one 6 in the neighborhood will tell you.” _. “Yes, sir. I'll do that,” replied Nick, promptly. “It wouldn’t be a bad idea for you to purchase a pocket map and street guide to the city. You can get it at most any stationery store for ten cents. It would help you out “greatly.” er ord That’s my idea, and I mean to get one right “Well. I think that will be all for the present. I’ve an _ idea that you'll come out all right and make a first-class mes- ~ sencer.” —.- “It won’t be my fault if I don't, sir,” said Nick, rising , from his chair. “Don’t forget. Nine o'clock in the morning. This is the Bullion Building.” “I'm in great luck.” chuckled Nick, as he left Mr. Chis- - -well’s office. “Only four hours in the city, and I've caught «3 just the kind of position I’ve yearned for. The next thing is to hold on to it. I mean to do that if I lose a leg. Won't Nellie be glad?” » = CHAPTER IV. on . NICK’S FIRST DINNER IN NEW YORK. _._—s After Nick had found and inspected the messengers’ en- Ris: trance to the Stock Exchange he continued on down New on street to Exchange place, where he looked around for the Vanderpool Building. ‘There was no sign on the building to identify it, so Nick thonght the quickest way of locating it would be to inquire _. ef a messenger boy he saw coming along. é The bey pointed to a tall building across the street and harried on his way. __Niek entered the office building and went up to one of the _ elevator men. _ P ; _ *J want to find out on what floors these people have their - Offices,” he said. ; _ The man pointed to a nearby wall. _ “here’s a directory showing the names of every tenant in the building, with the floor and number of his office. You ean get all your information from that.” eee - Nick studied the directory and soon got the hang of it. Then he looked for the names was in search of, found 7 and noted down the floor t were on and the number A FORTUNE. -, When he got on Broad street again he saw several station- ery stores, and in one of them he purchased a street guide with a map of the city attached to it. “I'll look this over to-night,” he said to himself, putting it in his pocket. Then he looked up the other names on his list and found every one of them by five o’clock. “Now I'll go uptown to the boarding-house. I hope theyll have plenty to eat on the table, for I feel mighty hungry. That lunch Mrs. Jarvis treated me to only took the edge off my appetite. I shouldn’t care to be a regular customer of her midday meal—there isn’t enough of it for a growing boy — like me.” Nick reached the corner of Wall Street and Broadway and looked at the electric cars passing up and down. “I wonder if one of those cars would take me somewhere near my boarding-place? I guess I'd better take the elevated train. It brought me down from Sixth avenue and Forty- second street, and that was only a few blocks from Mrs. Jar- vis’ house.” Nick remembered that the elevated road was on the west side of Broadway. so he crossed over and asked one of the throng of people hurrying home where the nearest elevated station was. “Which one do you want—Ninth avenue, Sixth avenue or _ Third Avenue?” ; “T want to go to Sixth avenue and Forty-second street,” re- plied the boy. x “Do you see that big building half a block down the street?” Nick said he saw several big buildings in that direction. “It’s the corner building I mean. Enter that, pass right on through the wide ground floor and you'll come to the Sixth avenue station. It’s right at the end of the building.” Nick thanked the man, and, following directions, was soon aboard a train bound uptown. : The boy ‘told the conductor that he was a stranger to the city, and that he wanted to get off at the Forty-second street station. The conductor promised to feil him when he got there, and told him to take a seat near the door. : 4 He was as good as his word, and in twenty minutes Nick was walking in the direction of his boarding-place, which he found without much difficulty. He had barely washed his face and brushed his hair be- fore a cracked bell rang somewhere in the basement, ty “T guess that’s the dinner-bell,” he said. “I might as well — be among the first as the last. Probably I'll get all that’s coming to me, then.” So Nick steered for the dining-room in the basement. i The odor of cookery and the voice of Mrs. Jarvis guided _— him to the door. ¢ Sab he “You will sit here, Mr.—— What did you say your name was?” “Nutting, ma’am. Nick Nutting.” x the Mrs. Jarvis pulled a chair out near the head of the table, — presided over by a meek-looking man who the boy was sure did not weigh a pound less than two hundred and fifty. “Mr. Jarvis,” said the landlady, sharply, “this is our new :. boarder. Mr. Nutting, my husband. Jane”—to an invisi- ble personage is a room beyond—“a plate of soup.” Eee Nick bowed to Mr. Jarvis with his usual politeness, while that gentleman said he hoped they would be better ae ; X. quainted. = rite The soup was brought by the maid-of-all-work, who officl — ated as waitress at meal-times, and Nick proceeded to ge away with a watery compound which he understood wa meant for bean soup. Some not over-tender roast beef followed, flanked by side dishes, and Nick did not leave a particle of their contents to be carried back to the kitchen. ‘ Me ire. The amount of bread and butter he got away with, too, rather startled the landlady, who began to entertain’ some | misgivings as to whether there would be any profit in her- new boarder, - Eas “You have an excellent appetite, Mr. Nutting.” she re- marked, in a tone that might have indicated that she re- — gretted the circumstances. ‘ aa “Yes; ma’am,” replied Nick. “I was born that way. But I'm s ly hungry this evening, as I haven't had anythi to te since six this morning.” : “You had lunch with me." — “Yes, ma’am; but I’ve been is afternoon.” apis doing @ good deal of 4 i)

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A BID’ FOR “Are you usually hungry in the morning?” ; “I've a pretty good appetite, ma'am.” : Mrs. Jarvis said no more, as other boarders came in and She had to attend to them? When Nick was eating his dessert. which consisted of a small plate of rice pudding, a sharp-featured, sandy-complex- ioned young man of perhaps twenty-five seated himself be- side him. He locked jinquisitively at his new neighbor, and Mrs. Jar- __ vis aroused herself from a brown study long enough to in- troduce Nick to this party, whose name was Gilson. Nick did not fancy the man much, for his eyes were not _ what the boy called honest ones, and his manner was‘a trifle too forward to suit our hero. “From the country, I believe?” remarked Gilson, twirling . his mustache while waiting for his soup. vote Nick did not like the way he said it, but he simply bowed _ politely. _ “Up the State or New Jersey?” continued Gilson. . The boy told him. a _ “Intend to remain in New York?” ee ~*I do,” replied Nick. “Looking for a job, I suppose?” was when I arrived at noon to-day, but I've got one “What! already? Errand boy, I suppose?” -*Messenger boy in Wall Street.” ea. Ts eh?” What's that?” asked Nick. hat! don’t you know?” said Gilson, raising his eyebrows ; ca a liously. “Why, that stands for American District Tele- raph.” . ween working for a stock broker in the Bullion Building.” _ “Oh, indeed?” regarding Nick with a trifle more respect. ‘Got the job through a letter of recommendation, I suppose?” “No, sir. I got it because it was offered to me.” “Oh, the broker knew you.” No. He never saw me before this afternoon.” And he hired you without any references?” “I had a general reference as to my character from the “You worked in the bank, then?” : ’*No; this is the first job I eyer had in my life.” ‘Mr, Gilson looked at Nick as if he thought the boy was _ stretching the truth, _ “Who is this broker that hired you?” “Mr. George Chigwell.” *Chiswell, eh? I know him by sight. I am employed in Wall Street myself. I am margin Clerk for Mandelbaum & _. Slewsby, in the Barnum Building. You are in great luck to 54 - up a jeb down there the way you did. It isn’t the ‘thing, and I can’t quite understand it.” 4. Nick thovght it did not make much difference wheth = Gilson understood the matter or not. ‘eb he had eaten everything that was likely ‘to come his hat evening, the boy excused himself and left the table the room. s hat a nice, gentlemanly boy,” remarked a young sales- a, employed in a big, department store, who sat oppo- di who had not received an introduction to Nick. he’s a hayseed,” chuckled Mr. Gilson, rather con- ed this as a funny remark, but the young lady $4 perfect gentleman, if he is from the country,” ed, with some spirit. “It's a pleasure to meet one »” she added, pointedly. . Gilson did not have so much to say after that,” x £ | CHAPTER V. _ | ST0K’s FIRST Day IN WALL STREET. found his narrow | harder that night than accustomed to, but did not worry tes for 2, ' down to the dining- deficiency of eatables r that there might be Trodused te A FORTUNE. “You must be a real smart boy to be able to hold such a position.” ‘ i Nick blushed and began to eat his cat éal. 3 Fe had already made way with a cou jie of stewed prunes which he supposed had been served as an appetizer. It struck him that they were of rather ancient vintage with an over-preponderance of stone. , “Are you from the country?” asked the salesgirl. 4 “Yes, Miss Smith.” “T should never have supposed so. Really, you look just like a New Yorker.” Niek bowed, and then began operations on a small piece of steak. The boy thanked his stars that the’ knife was sharp and his teeth good. 4 A lonesome-looking corn mufin and a cup of coffee com- pleted the meal. and Nick left the table feeling that he could eat as much again if he had the chance. He had studied his street guide and map with good re- sults, especially that portion of it relating to the financial | district, and he felt he would be able to make a very fair showing at the office. He decided that he would not lose anything by going down- town early and looking the Wall Street neighborhood over again before it was time for him to report for business. Promptly at nine o’clock Nick entered Mr. picks ¢° si 2 None of the clerks had yet arrived, but they bega ing - ih immediately afterward. . Mr. Edwards, the cashier, appeared about a quarter after nine, and, seeing Nick seated in a chair with his hat off, asked him if he was the new messenger that Mr. Chiswell had engaged. “Yes, sir.” “You're from the country, aren’t you?” said the cashier, Nick admitted that- he was, though he was beginning to grow tired of having everybody make that identical remark. “Know very little about the city, I believe?” continued Mr. Edwards. My “I’m learning fast, sir, especially the lay of the financial district.” “Glad to hear it. You look smart. I hepe you will be able to make good here. We want a trustworthy boy such as you appear to be.” The cashier went to his desk, and presently Mr. Chiswell — came in. € 2 irk ee He bade Nick a pleasant ‘good-morning and called him into his private office, _ The boy helpéd him off with his overcoat and then stood awaiting his pleasure. “Sit down, Nick.” Our hero did so, “Did you locate all the brokers’ offices on that list I gave — you?” asked the broker, with a smile. Yes, sir,” answered Nick, promptly. nite “Do you think you could find them again without losing much time?” \ “Yes, sir.” “Looked the district over some in a general way?” “Yes, sir.” “Did you buy a street guide and map and study it?” “I did, sir.” “Very well. you.” ; The broker outlined his new employee's duties, and then dismissed him to the reception-room, where he took the chair he was to occupy while in the office. The broker busied he rang for Nick. The boy quickly responded. “In one corner of the cotnting-room you'll see a young lady at a typewriting machine. That's my stenographer, Miss Haley. Tell her to come into my private room.” — Nick conveyed the message to the young lady, who was very pretty and petite. : ¥ “You're the new messenger?” she remarked. Now I'll explain what will be expected of ask m Ina went in limself with his morning’s mail, then — .

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Bh en | aie “Nek tock the two envelopes’ and started off to deliver them. - He went to the Mills Building first. _ Consulting his memorandum, he saw that Davis & Co. were _ located cn the third floor, Rooms 309-310. He boarded one of the elevators and was rushed up to the third floor in less time than he could. wink, almost. He easily found Davis & Co., by using his eyes, and deliv- ered the note. There was no answer, so he started for Exchange Place. Merris & Hutchins were on the fifth floor of the Vander- _ pool posing, and an elevator whisked him up in no time at al _ A Pleasant-looking boy asked him what he wanted when ~ > he entered the reception-room. “Tye got a letter for Mr. Morris,” replied Nick. “TN take it in to him. Who from?” _ _“Gecerge Chiswell.” _ “Are you carrying messages for Chiswell?” Nick said he was. “What's the matter with Andy Baker?” asked the boy, in ae "some surprise. “Sick?” . <e “1 couldn't tell you,” replied Nick. “I don’t know him.” sane office boy carried the note in to Mr: Morris. ou'll have to wait for an answer,” he: said, when he tne back. “So you don't know Andy Baker?” u 28No,” replied Nick. - “He was Chiswell’s. messenger up to the day before yes- a 2 tetany.” _*I guess he,left, for Mr. Chiswell told me hefore he gave me the position\that he had lost. his messenger.” i -_ “Lost him, eh?” grinned the boy. “Fired him, more likely. Baker was a cheeky kid. [ didn’t are him for sour apples. So you’ve got the job now?” a Nick said he had heen takes ois tefl. nes *Oh, I guess you'll do all right. What's your name?” Bs: “Nick Nutting.” aa “Glad to knew you, Nick. My name is Dick Hudson. Hbpe “We'll be friends. I rather like your face.” “And T like yours,” replied Nick, frankly. ~~. “Are you from—” _ “The country?” langhed Nick. “Yes. Westbury, up-State.” “¥ou don’t say! I meant Brooklyn. So you're a hayseed, eh? Well. you don’t look it much. How long have you been eres in New York?” “Not quite a day.” “You've been before, of course?” Nick shook his head. _ “You don't say you've only been in New York one day al- —" replied ‘Hudson, in some astonishment. _ Nick assured him that such was the fact. -“I don’t see how you'll be able to. get around among the ' Offices without getting all tangled up.” “Oh, I'm net asleep. I'll soon get the run of things.” ~~ “Well, I wish you luck.” - At that Senent Dick’s bell rang, and he went into the ik private “Here's your answer,” he said to Nick, when he came out. _ #Hope to see you again soon.” a Ahem lost no time getting back to his office, and Mr. Chis- complimented’ him on his speed. Ens was just going over to the “Exchange. an hour afterward the cashier handed Nick a note told him to take it over to the Exchange and te it to ig a. . Chiswell. ee “You want to go in at the New street entrance, mind, Ps he said. 4 “Yes, sir. I know that, sir,” replied Nick, hurrying away. Our hero was kept pretty busy until three o'clock, and that tise OF did not make a single are in fis errands, and on whole made good speed, muc to employer's satisfaction. . At half-past three he- was told that he would not be re- qd any more that day. ‘ phe pt of his hat and lett the office, : A BID FOR lana at the messengers’ entrance of the Exchange. A FORTUNE. 3 On his way back to his room he met Mr. Gilson pes own. “Hello, Nutting,” said Gilson, familiarly. coming?” “How are what coming?” asked Nick, to whom the expres- sicn was new. “Things,” grinned Gilson. “What things?” Gilson looked at him dubiously,’as if he was not quite sure that Nick was as ignorant as he appeared to be. “How are you getting along at your new job?” “How are they “First-rate,” ° oe “Get tangled up any to-day?” : “Not a bit.” fe". “You're lucky. How are you going to put in the evening?” am “Haven't thought about it.” “Well, go out with me. Ill-show you the town.” pie Nick, however, declined the invitation and weit on to his _ re room. “0 On Saturday, about noen, Broker Chiswell called his new ¥ messenger. into his room and told him that he was quite 3 pleased with the way he had conducted himself since he | came to work. “For a lad who came here totaly unacquainted with the me city I am bound to say that you have done remarkably bee Judging from the short record you have made you seem 40,5 be just the boy I have been looking for. Your wages for the _ present will be six dollars a week. I shall advance — saa fast as I can.” ae Nick and Dick Hudson got quite chummy by decrees. One day after Nick had been a month in the Street they Sc) ae A <thee ga a. Dick was coming out and Nick was going in. “They're having a hot old time on the floor this mornings7 ” said Dick. 7 “That's so? What’s up?” ie 4 “4 sudden rise in Michigan Northern. The brokers are acting like a pack of lunatics.” oe “Can you wait till I deliver this note?” asked Nick, Dick nodded, and Nutting dashed inside. where he found a scene of pandemonium which almost baffled description, —_ It was not a warm day by any means, but the traders looked as hot and perspiring as if it was mid-summer. “a The gallery was full ef interested spectators, probably i half of them strangers to the city. Nick had some difficulty in delivering his envelope to Mr, f Chiswell, who was finally located in the mob around the Mi: higan Nothern standard. ws His hat was dented, his necktie loose and awry, and one side of his collar off. ‘ He took the note, read it, and said “All right,” which was a signal for Nick to make tracks for the office, He found Dick waiting for him outside in New Street. a “If L had one hundred dollars I could double it in a = of days,” said Dick. ae “How could you?” asked Nick, interestedly. a “Vd buy Michigan Northern on a ten per cent. ; ay It’s going now around 98. It will be up to 110 in a "ae or two. It was 92 three days ago. People who bought then, stand to make over twenty dollars a share profit.” i, “Well.” said Nick, reflectively, “I've sot a hundred Saini twenty-five dollars. Would you advise me te buy some Shas of Michigan Northern with it?” . “Sure, I would. You can get ten shares on a 1 You'll clear a hundred dollars easily enough.” ; “How will I go about it? Ask Mr. Chiswell to buy shares?” “No. You don’t want to let him know you are with) the market. Brokers object to their employ lating. Get your money and take it to a small bankh you'll find on Nassan street, above Wall. This bank a specialty of small deals. You'll find the j window in the reception-room. Tell him that you~ ‘want t buy ten shares of M n_ Northern, and you h much you'll have to put up as margin. time to lose if you want to get as much B

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pts 8 y A BID FOR a Not having bad any experience with the market, Nick -did not realize the risk he was taking with his little capital. Dick Hudson had been working two years in Wall Street, and Nick thought he ought to know all about working a deal. So when Dick intimated that Michigan Northern was bound to go at least as high as 110, the country lad thought the mat ter a foregone conclusion. . The hrndred and twenty-five dollars represented the total amount of money received from the sale of his aunt's furni- ture and other personal property. Nellie had turned oyer her share to him*to put in a New York bank for her benefit, and he bad deposited the entire sum in his own name in tae Seaman’s Bank. ‘ The temptation to double that little amount, for his sis- ter’s benefit as well as for himself, was very alluring. He knew that money was exsily made in Wall Street by those who Knew how to do the trick. and he had an idea that his friend Dick knew about as well as the next one. So before two o’clock that day Nick found a chance to go to the Seaman’s’ Bank and draw out all but five dollars, whiich he had to let remain in order to hold his book. He knew where the little bank on Nassau street was, and he went around there after three, for Dick told him that the bank kept its stock department open until four o'clock for the accommodation of its customers. There was quite a crowd of small investors in the waiting- -yoom looking at a big blackboard fastened up at the end of the room, which was covered from end to end with the stock - quotations of the day. , he walked up to the margin clerk’s window. __ “What will it cost me to buy ten shares of Michigan North- ern on a ten per cent. margin?” he asked the young man who stood at the desk there counting layers of money. ~~ #¥t will cost you exactly one hundred dollars.” *All right,” replied Nick. ‘“Here’s the money.” +The clerk counted the money, then made out a memo- _ vandum of the transaction and handed it to him. ; ' “iow about your commission?” the boy asked. “We'll look out for that when we close the deal. We charge one-eighth of one per cent. to buy, and ditto when ao ‘we sell. There will also be a small interest charge on the nine hundred dollars we have to advance to carry the stock _ for you. This will be charged to you and deducted on your statement of account. Every point the stock advances above its present figure, which is 100, represents about ten dollars profit to you. When you want to sell the shares come in and tell me, and we will attend to the matter at once.” “Thank you,” replied Nick, and he walked out of the bank. e had made his first bid for fortune. @ _ pattie “4 ; CHAPTER VII. caer NICK HAS A NARROW ESCAPE. Next morning there was a repetition of the previous day's at the Stock Exchange, only, instead of fluctuating k and forth, Michigan Northern took on a boom and up to 107. ‘ ‘Nick. however, was not aware of his’ good luck until he ‘met Dick about noon on Broad street. < ‘ell, - did you buy those ten shares yet?” he asked, doubt that his new friend had done so. . I did,” replied Nick, nodding his head. did you do it?” ’ \ _haif-past three.” - Then you bought the stock al par?” , 2 ipa nodded, ray 4 =) you know it’s gone up seven points this morn- BO ¢ ae _has it?" asked Nick, in some surprise. not unmixed delight, “Is that really a fact?” es, it's really a fact. Why don't you keep tab on your oe busy, and I didn’t ‘about it. I supposed that dn’t go up for a day or two.” you don’t want to. any such thing. [ll will go to 112 before the ut I've A FORTUNE. You may catch on to how the frog is going to jump—I mean you may get a tip as to how the market is likely to go dur- ing the next day or so. You see, it’s probable that the rise is due to some clique that is trying to corner Michigan. North- ern and has so far partially succeeded. When the brokers acting for the pool pegin to unload that’s the time for yeu to get out from under.” “When will that be?” asked Nick, innocently. Dick cocked his head to one side, like a bird, and shut one eye. ““That’s for them to know and you to find out,” he laughingly. “But how will I find out?” persisted Nick, feeling that probably the success of his venture depended on his finding an answer to that problem. “You'll have to use your own judgment.” “What's the matter with my using yours? green in the Street, you know.” “Look here, Nick, if you’re going to take a shy at the market once in a while, when the prospect looks good, you want to study the situation. Get the market reports for a year back. Your boss has ’em on tap. Look ‘em over, com- pare prices, and so on. Study Stock Exchange methods, and always keep in touch with the market. Then you'll have some idea, though by no means a sure one, of what may happen. It’s a game of chance at the best. You bet that a certain stock will go up. If it goes down you lose. If it goes up three or four or even twenty points and you don’t sell in time, you stand a fair show of losing, too. You can’t be too foxy in dealing with the market.” “Well, do you think I'd better hold on to Michigan North- ern till it reaches 115?” asked Nick, anxiously. “T don't like to advise you to do it, for fear it might go down before it reached that figure. I can only say that, as I view things at present, I would not sell under that price. Still, no one can tell what change might happen inside of an hour or two.” A As the boys reached the neighborhood of the Mills Build- ing, where Nick had to deliver a message on the fifth floor, they separated. On his way back to the office Nick pondered over his little venture in Michigan Northern. , His general ignorance of stock transactions made him feel all at sea, as it were, over the deal. The question that perplexed him was, when should he sell out. ; He was tolerably familiar with the hieroglyphics of the ticker tape by this time, and the first thing he did when he reached the office was to look up the latest quotation of Michigan Northern. He found that the stock had gone to 108. While he was eagerly watching for another quotation Mr. Chiswell came in from the Exchange and entered his room. Presently he rang for Nick and sent him on an errand to the Bowling Green Building. £ The boy was gone about three-quarters of an hout, and re- turned with an answer. Mr. Chiswell, however, had returned to the Exchange, and the cashier told Nick he had better take the note over to him. Accordingly Nick hastened around to New street. As he passed the corner of Nassau street, Joe Furniss, replied I’m rather who had tried to relieve him of his roll of Confederate shinplasters on the day Nick arrived in New York, was com- ing down that street and saw him. 4 Furniss had not expected to run across the country bo again, and was rather surprised to see Nick trudging along with an envelope in his hand just like any of the Wall Street messengers. He immediately followed on behind him to see where he was going. Down New street went Nutting and into the messengers’ en~ trance of the Stock Exchange. “So he’s workin’ for some broker, is he?” muttered the “Well, I owe him a lickin’ and I’m goin’ to give it to him.” t He stood back in a convenient doorway and watched for Nick or; Westbury came _ to come out, , After five minutes had gone by the boy from unconscious that ear. 7 Sige - * point bel ? ht the one enemy he had made in TP

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cas A BID FOR Had it taken effect as was intended it is more than probable that Nick would have been badly hurt. Just at that moment. however, the lad from the country, who was thinking more about his little stock venture than} where he was putting his feet, stepped on a banana peel that} aoe messenger boy had thoughtlessly flung upon the side- walk. sir result was that Nick's feet flew up and he fell back- | ward. | Furniss had launched out his fist with all his strength, and, | as it hit nothing but air, he was overbalanced, and he tripped over Nick’s falling body and shot forward upon the cobble- stones. His fofehead came into collision with a stone that happened to be higher than the others, and, as the stone was the harder of the two, Furniss saw more planets and stars than ever in his life before. } __ Im fact, it knocked him out for a little while, during which | Nick picked himself up and then regarded the fallen rascal | with. great astonishment, . ' Several men and boys had witnessed the incident, and the | boys set up a shout of derision and hurried up to see the outcome of the affair. Nick alone was unaware that he had narrowly missed be- coming the victim of a treacherous onslaught. “Dat feller came mighty near doin’ youse up,” said a very small A. D. T. messenger. : “I don’t understand you,” replied Nick, in some surprise. “Don't you know dat he tried to slug youse?” *You're fooling,” repiied Nutting. “Not on your life I ain’t foolin’. He swung a right-handed jolt at you just as you went down, and den he tripped and struck his nut on a cobble. _ doorway. I tought he was goin’ to kill youse, de way he went for you. He ain’t got no more dan was comin’ to him.” ee “Why, I've seen that chap before,” “ejaculated Nick, now a recognizing his enemy. “Blessed if it ain’t the boy I floored dm an Exchange Place office building the day I came to New York. If it hadn’t been for,that scrap I wouldn’t have got a job in Wall Street.” ‘ Furniss sat up with a pained and puzzled look on his coun- tenance. ; = Gazing around, he saw Nick looking at him. _._ -*I'Tl fix you for that, see if I doyt,” he growled darkly, for he had a dim notion that the country lad was responsible _ for the bump he got on the forehead. ; “What's the matter with you?” asked Nick. anything to you.” = gee young rascal scrambled to his feet with a belligerent ~~ — seowl. ___ He seemed undecided whether to sail into Nick then and _ there or not. - A ring of spectators began to thicken about them, for looked as if there was going to be a scrap. : The crowd was disappointed, however, as the rude jolt Fur- ' niss had received had knocked the fight out of him'for the _ time being, at least, while Nick, on his side, was not looking ’ for trouble. He would not withdraw, though, until the other had made the first move. i > *PH get square with you yet,” threatened the, ex-Maritime Exchange messengér, feeling of the painful lump that had app on his forehead. “I'll do you up for keeps at the first chance I get—you can bet your life on that.” And with these words he pushed his way through the circle of, spec- s tors, some of whom jeered him, and walked off down New street, while Nick went off in the other direction, not quite satisfied in his own mind as to what had happened to his ‘former opponent. : + . ; CHAPTER WEIL. NICK PICKS UP A TIP. o'clock came, and the Exchange closed before Nick e had decided whether he would sell his stock or not. The closing quotation was 112, and the prospect that it ald go higher on the following day-was good. was off at half-past three, and he went around to th k in Nassau street with a half-formed intention <o close “T haven’t done it go up to 120 @ while longer gf Ee ee Col be: He rushed out at you from dat} | found that his ten shares had __ ‘ehances of picking up easy money ‘ es 4 y +. i . od A FORTUNE. 9 was going at 116. “It’s going to 120, all right,” thought Nick, when he saw the quotation on the office ticker. Five minutes later he got a different impression. A couple of brokers came in to see Mr. Chiswell, and while they were waiting their iurn for an interview they got to talking about the excitement in Michigan Northern. Nick heard one tell the other that he was lookipg for a break in the market at any moment. : ) He added that Michigan Northern was topheavy, and that when the stump set in it would go down with a crash that would do up a great many of the spectators. Knowing that the speaker was a brother of long experience and good standing in the Street, his"words gave Nick a big - scare. He wanted to run around to the bank at once and order his shares sold, but did not dare to do that without permission. He asked the cashier if he could get off for a few moments, {but that gentleman replied that Mr. Chiswell was liable to call for him at any moment to carry an important message, land it would not do for him to let him off. It happened that the broker rang for him while he was — talking to the cashier, and when he went inside he found a note waiting for him to-carry to the Vanderpool Building,. and that settled any chance of his going to Nassau street, right away. oe When he got back Mr. Chiswell was out, and he repeated his request to the cashier. “Is it important?” asked Mr. Edwards. “Yes, sir.” “Very well. You may. go, but don’t remain out long.” Nick snatched up his hat and made a bee-line for the bank jon Nassau street. He made pretty fast time and arrived flushed and almost breathless. “What's the excitement?” asked the margin clerk, with a grin, as he appeared in front of the window. “I want you to sell my ten shares of Michigan Northern right away,” fluttered Nick. “All right. it will be done inside of ten minutes.” de “Don’t lose any time,” said Nick, anxiously. “What's the matter? Are you afraid the market is going up?” smiled the clerk. “Yes, Sir. It’s liable to go up any Minute.” “Who tcld you that?” “I heard a couple of brokers talking about it.” “Oh, you mustn't believe all you hear,” laughed the clerk, going to the ‘phone and sending an order over to the bank's representative at the Exchange to sell ten shares.of Michigan Northern at the market. “Did you sell it?” asked Nick, who still hugged the window, “Tt will be sold in five minutes,” replied the margin clerk, . and Nick went away with a big Icad off his mind. Half an hour afterward the slump set in, and Michigan — Northern went to pot with a crash, and a panic ensued at the Exchange. Nick was out on an errand at the time and did not learn about it till’ he got back to the office, when he saw by the ex- citement among the crowd of customers around the office ticker that something unusual wes on the tapis. He asked one of them what was the matter. “The market has gone to smash,” was the startling reply. _ “Well,”. thought Nick, “I guess I did not get out any too” soon. I had a pretty close shave. I'll have to study the market before I take any more chances. every cent of that hundred dollars. What would Nellie ha said?” ys: Next day he got a statement of account from the bank an been sold for 117 1-2 and tha he had made one hundred and ‘seventy-five dollars. AF “That's first-class,” he mused, with great satisfactio fe inows = “Nellie and I are now worth one hundred and fi apiece. I tell you, there is money in stocks, if ove on how to pull the strings right. ¢ With me it was a case of sheer good luck. No more deals for m I.am at when I go into one.” ments to the study of the science of stock speculation. — Although he found many temptations during the next six months to take another shy at the market with the th hundred dollars in the savings- he resisted them. He often ta to Miss Haley, the stenographer, about in the market by p ¥ Baa s Why, I might na Oe ntil I am able to tell where So from that day Nick applied himself in his ‘spare mo- ;

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who had learned the ropes, but she generally shook her head Speculations alone, no matter how much knowledge he ac- quired about Stock Exchange methods. “Why, Nick, the oldest and most experienced anew are caught napping once in a while,” she would say to him, “Many “a shrewd broker has been sent to the wall by a single deal that found him on the wrong side of the market at the critical time. - And that, too, after he had played the game successfully aay hundred or more times. ,Take my advice and keep out of it.” One day, after Nick had been nine months with Broker "1 Chiswell, and was considered one of the smarfest messengers + in Wall Street, Mr. Edwards, the cashier, sent him over to \ the office of Morris & Hutchins, in Exchange place, where his . friend, Dick Hudson, still held the post of messenger, to de- _ liver a note of some importance that required an answer from Mr. Morris. “Mr. Morris isn’t in, Nick,” said Dick, when he stated the ; - object of his call. “He’s over at the Exchange whooping things > ip.” “Then I’ll have to go there,” said Nick. “Mr. Chiswell is laid up with a severe cold, and I guess your firm is attend- Zak to his orders. At any rate, this note has to be delivered ' right away, and I’ve got to carry a reply back to the office.” . “All right. Ill see you later,” said Dick, as his friend started for the door and then glided down the corridor to the elevator. Im five minutes Nick was in the Exchange and one of the _ attendants was looking about for Mr. Morris. _ While Nick was leaning on the railing two brokers came in that way, and the boy overheard one of them say, as they tf passed on into the enclosure, “C. & B. is certain .to go to 68 - before re the end of ——” 2 “That was all he heard, but it stirred up his wits. The speaker he recognized as one of the solid men of the Street, and when such a Man made a Statement it was pre- , - sumed to carry some weight. __ *So Mr. Jessup is sure that C. & B. will go to 68 before _ the end of—this week, I judge, he said, though I didn’t hear _ lim say so. I wonder what C. & B. is ruling at now? I'll find out when I get back to the office. It looks to me as if ; 2s, had accidentally stumbled on to a real tip. Maybe I can make something out of it.” Nick delivered his note, got his answer, and hurried out of "the Exchange, - As he was passing a New street quick-lunch house he ran into his fellow-boarder, Mr. Gilson. The margin clerk stopped him. -“T can’t talk to you now,” protested Nick. a8 back to the office.” to me you're always in a hurry,” ‘replied Gilson, “still “holding him tightly by the arm. “That’s what I’m hired for,” replied Nick. “And I make it point to deliver the goods.” - -_*Qh. you're too conscientious,” sneered Gilson. | ; the Bill without overdoing the matter.” - Be “I think a messenger can’t be too conscientious in the Cub os oka of his duty. A great deal depends on his activity Rat es, and he never eam tell when a let-up on his part i, et cost his employer a good deal of money.” sae Sppesre to me that you are a model messenger boy,” nm, with another cur! of his lips. “I don’t claim to be better than any o er. I simply try to io duty the bebt I know how. That's all there is to it,” a Nic tried to release himself. ) you ever pick up any tips?” asked Gilson. “I’m willing to pay you ten dollars for one at any time.” “Produce your ten dollars and I'll give you one now.” “You're joking, aren’t you?” said Gilson, incredulously. “J never joke on serious matters. Ten dollars is a serious Hand it over and thé tip is yours.” ‘ nat is your tip?” asked the margin clerk, with some ‘in- doing unless the money.” : pat his fingers inf his vest pocket and hauled out you see it. ice ae the tip?” it ever and I'll tell you.” Gilson. “How do I OF oe you might seep ant r a “a La sot “Tm in a hurry “You can “No. “Why, you ‘thing out aig ee oy ~ASS SS A BID FOR A FORTUNE. “T'll-give you five dollars, and if the tip is worth anything, over the subject, and constantly advised him to let stock then I'll give you the other five dollars.” “No you won’t. Ten doilars, or no tip.” Gilson, however, shook his head, whereupon Nick managed to break away and start up the street. “TI wonder if he really has a tip?” thought the margin clerk, looking after the boy. “He’s a pretty straight young fellow, and I don’t think he’d fool me. I'm sorry I didn’t give him the money and take my chances. Well, I’ll see him to-night at supper and have a talk with him about it.” In the meantime Nick reached the office, delivered Mr. Mor- ris’s reply to the cashier; and then returned to his seat in the reception-room and took up the WallStreet Indicator. Consulting the previous day’s stock quotations, he found that C. & B. closed at 59. Looking over a file of the paper, he found for a month C, & B. had not been above 60. Then he looked over the tape and saw ‘a dozen transactions © in the stock that morning at prices ranging from 59 to 59 5-8. “I wonder if a pool has been formed to boom that particular stock?” he asked himself, He went into the counting-room and told Miss Haley what he had heard the broker say about C. & B. going to 68 before the end of the week. The stenographer would not encourage him to take any chances on the strength of such a tig, So he returned to his chair to,think it over. He watched the ticker closely until the Exchange closed for the day, and saw that there had been an unusual number of sales of C. & B., the last at 60. When he left the office, half an hour later, he ran around to see Dick and met him coming out of the office building, He told him about the tip and asked him what he thought about it. “T think it’s a good one,” said Dick. “I’ve got money enough to collar ten shares and I’m going to buy ’em-in the morning. I'd advise you to buy as many as you can raise the Margin for and then sell out at 68.” : Nick thought the matter over 6n his way home and decided > to take the risk. Next morning he found a chance to draw his money from the bank, and he bought fifty shares of C. & B. at 60. - CHAPTER IX. NICK'S SECOND BID FOR A FORTUNE. Nick, having a personal interest in the stock market once more, kept a sharp eye on the ticker all morning, whenever - he was in the office, or got a chance to look at the tape in | some other office, and he saw that transactions in C. & B. at the Exchange continued to grow in volume, and that the price, by degrees, advanced to 61. _ This was encouraging to him. “J may say I have made fifty dollars this inoroine ee is, almost. Perhaps I shall be, twice as much as that ahead by three o'clock,” The final quotation of C. & B. that day was 61 7-8, and Nick Was satisfied that his prospect of making another stake was pretty good. i: That evening Gilson cornered him on the stairs and spoke to him about the tip. n “T'll give you a-tenner for it,” he said. “Comeup to my y ” * i al “It’s worth more than ten dollars now,” replied Nick. “How do you make that out?” said Gilson. “Because I've a better evidence of its value than I had when TI saw you-yesterday on New street. I had just got hold of it then, and I offered it to you on the spur of the moment. [f — you'd taken me up at the time you could have had it for ten dollars. *Now the price is twenty dollars.” : “Oh, you go to grass!” exclaimed Gilson, in a tone of dis- gust. “What.do you want for a tip, anyway?” “What I think it’s worth.” - “But do you expect Me to pay you twenty dollars for a pig. . in a bag?” >* “No. You don’t have to.” “I'm willing to give you ten dollars and take all the risk.” — “No. Come ro think of it, the tip is easily worth a hundred — dollars. I’m giving it to you cheap at twenty dollars.” — “I'll tell you what Ili do. I'll give you ten dollars do down er the other ten dollars if I make something outofit.” - I am not anxious to sell it.” ade = you don't sell At re, bh saan make any VY Ri < ee

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A fer SPUR A EVERTON ER) Oo ae FOR “That doesn’t Worry Me any.” _ As Gilson would not give over ten dollars, there was no trade, and the margin clerk went off in a huff. Next day C. & B. began to attract some attention at the Exchange, and there was considerable general buying, which “sent the price up to 64, at which figure it closed for the day. ~ Nick then went in and told the stenographer that he had bought fifty shares of C. & B. at 60 and now it was listed at 64. “You're a great boy,” she smiled. “Did you put up all the . Money you have?” “Yes. Every cent.” “Half of it belongs to your sister, doesn’t it?” Nick nodded. _ *Do you think that’s fair to her?” “Yes; because if I win she gets half of the profits.” _ “Well, I hope you will come out all right, but you are taking _ a great risk.” > “Nothing ventured, nothing wen,” laugh. -)_ “That's all right,” se answered, “but Wall Street is about * the worst place in the world to put that idea in practice.” “I came out a hundred and seventy-five dollars ahead be- fore, and I didn’t know anything more about the stock market than a donkey.” “The more you think you know about a game of chance, ag sometimes, the worse you're off, for you're apt to take greater chances.” _ “Well, I mean to hold on to C. & B. till it hits 68, and then I'm going to sell quick.” Tt happened, however, that when the stock reached that price - next day, Nick was uptown at his employer’s home. ie tae he got back C. & B. was quoted at 69. found fio chance to go to the little bank on Nassau 2 oh until after the Exchange had closed, and then C. & B. z » Was. 71. On his way there he met Gilson coming out of the office mg where he worked. 2A had a handkerchief to his-jaw and. looked unhappy. _ “What's the matter? Got a toothache?” asked Nick. “Gilson nodded. -“Going toa dentist?” _ Another nod. ; “You missed it by not buying that tip,” said Nick. “Tl give it to you for nothing now,” continued the boy. “My tip was to buy C. & B. and hold it till it reached 63. Well, , it’s done better than that. It’s 71, now.” _ “Bah!” snorted Gilson. “I don’t believe you had any tip on C. & B.” a Just then Nick saw Dick Hudson approaching. any “© "Don't you? Just watch me prove it. Hello, Dick, come replied Nick, with a c* z4 _ Dick camp up. “Did I say anything to you about C. & B. three days ago?” “Sure you did,” repiied Dick, promptly. \ “What was it?” Hudson repeated the substance of the conversation. “What was C. & B. prc for then?” “At 59 7-8.” “And now it’s 71. Dia you sell your ten canobt® “Yes, at 68 3-8. Sold your fifty?” “Not yet, but I’m going to give the order now. _ satiated Mr. Gilson?” The margin clerk was satisfied that he had lost a good - thing, and he began to abuse Nick for not taking the ten _ dollars and trusting him for the other ten. _ By the time he finished he discovered that his tooth had ae aching, and he decided that he would not go to the : Ss. “Diek accompanied Nick to the little bank and waited until “his chum had transacted his business with the margin clerk. Phen they walked up Nassau street together as far as the Bridge entrance, where Dick took a car for his home in Brook- Are you aay aie fifty shares were sold when the market opened next ing and went at 71 3-8. Con ly, when he received nié statement he found that he and sister had jointly made his first transaction in Mic Northern he had | Nellie that he had more than bled her money in ‘market, and she had written back that’she was de- ee ive hundred and fifty dollars. ies was tickled to think that he had stilt better news an office A FORTUNE. check and statement in to Miss Haley and showed them to hse: “What have you to say to that, Miss Haley?” he asked tri- umphantly. “I think you’re an uncommonly lucky boy,” a smile. “That’s the advantage of getting hold of a tip,” he said. Nick had no further interest in C. & B., but he watched it, nevertheless, to see how high it would go. It reached 74 that day, but on the following day declined to 71. By the end of the following week it was down to 63, and there it appeared likely to remain. Those who bought it at high-water mark lost money, while those who bought it below 70 and sold out before the deciine did very well. “ “If I had been able to buy a thousand shares,” remarked Nick to himself, “I would have Made a bunch of money. Some day maybe I'll have enough to make a good haul.” As it was, Nick congratulated himse‘f that during the short time he had been in Wall Street he had expanded his original | deposit of one hundred and twenty-five dollars into eight hun- dred and fifty dollars. “If I can keep on doing as well I shall make an heiress out of my sister by and by. it’s a good thing that I came to New York. There may be a milion people out of work here all the year around, but I gues . there’s a chance for a new- comer to get on. jusi the same. At any rate, [ think I've ~ proved it, for I haven’t been a whole day out of work since I came here.” she replied, with i CHAPTER X. NICK MAKES HIS SCOOP ON THE MARKET. As soon as Nellie Nutting received her brother's letter ace quainting her with the fact that he had made another suc- “ cessful venture in the Wall Street market, and that their united capital amounted to eight hundred and fifty dollars, she wrote right back and said that she wanted to come to New York, so that she could be near him, and get a pies > Bet. self in the metropolis. It happened that Mrs. Jarvis, Nick’s boarding-house had a vacant hall room, so the boy engaged it for his sister, and sent her fifty dollars with which to settle any debts she owed in Westbury and to pay her way down tothe city. On the appointed day he met her at Weehawken and brought her to his boarding-place, in West Forty-fifth street. As she was a very preity girl, her appearance at the din- ner-table that evening created something of a sensation. Mr. Gilson was particularly struck, but Nick did not intro- duce him to his sister until the meal was over, and the mar- — gin clerk followed them out into the entry, so that the Boy: was obliged, through sheer politeness, to do so. ‘ “Take the chair, Nellie,” said Nick, when they reached his room. “And where are you going to sit?” she asked. “Oh, the bed is geod enough for me,” he answered. “My goodness! This is an awful small room.” “Yes, I've seen larger. Yours isn’t much bigger.” “It doesn’t look much larger than a good-sized closet.” x “That was my idea of this one when I saw it first, but I've got used to it and don’t mind it at all. Weil, Nellie, what kind of a position are you going to look for?” “E thought I'd like to learn to be a dressmaker or a mil-_ ; liner.” Nick shock his head. “TI wouldn’t, if I was you. Learn to be a stenographer om get an office position downtown in Wall Street,” “I wish I could, but——"” ~ fx “Come now, no buts. Just put on your hat and come wi ==) me over to a Broadwey commercial school. They have) both - day and evening sessions. We'll make arrangement eta to take the day course of shorthand, typewriting and book- keeping. I'll put up the price and pay your board while yc learning. In three or four months you ought to be able t work yourself into a job. I'll ask Mr. Ohiswell to interest himself in getting you a place when I think you're able i fill v3 ae. Then we can go and come from work and T n kind of keep an eye on you.” at would be nice,” said his sister, with hicks So they started off for the school that Nick had in his He paid for a full course of instruction in the branches had outlined and next morning Nellie started to ft herself f + position. She was a belt, clever sirl, and made rapid rogress

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12 A BID FOR A FORTUNE. 1 In the meantime Nick was on the lookout for another chance to increase their combined capital, which Nellie’s advent in the city had reduced by one hundred dollars. It was not long before he noticed that, for some unknown reason, a certain gilt-edged stock was selling low in the mar- ket—much lower than he believed was justified by the com- pany’s reports. So he bought one hundred shares at 52, on the usual ten per cent. margin. It happened, though he was not aware of the fact, that a pool had been formed to boom this very stock, and the brokers employed by the combine had been using every trick known to Wall Street to depress the stock, the name of which was M. & N., so that they could gather in large blocks of it at bed- rock prices on the quiet. Nick bought the shares when it was at its lowest point, and he. soon had the satisfaction of seeing it begin to rise, little by littie, to its former standing of 60. As soon as it reached that figure the boy began to consider about selling out and taking his profit. The market, however, beginning to take on a decided bullish aspect, he decided not to be in a hurry, as he figured that M. & N. would probably go still higher. Nearly ail the stock along the line improved during the en- suing week, and M. & N. went to 64. ; Nick thought that if had pretty nearly reached top-notch, . and was quite unpreparei for the sudden interest that the traders took in it on the following Monday morning, owing to to thirty-three hundred dollars. In a word, Nellie, .you’re worth at this minute exactly sixteen hundred and fifty dol- lars.” “Oh, Nick, is it possible?” The boy laughed at her astonishment and delight. . “Why, we're rich, aren’t we?” “Rich! Hardly, sis. We're just nicely fixed for young peo- ple of our age and inexperience.” “Have you put it in a bank?” “No, It’s in an envelope, addressed to myself in our office safe.” “Do you think it’s perfectly safe there?” “Sure it is. Now, sis, you can either let your share remain with me, to use as I think best, or you can have it to-morrow to put in a savings-bank to your own credit.” “I think I’ll let you keep it, for it seems to prosper best with you.” “T think it does, too; but, still, I might make a mistake and lose the whole of the money at one swoop.” “Perhaps you had better let me have the three hundred dol- lars and you can use the three thousand dollars. Then, no matter what happened, we would still have something to call upon.” “All right, Nell. I'll bring you home three hundred dollars Nutting opened an account in her own name in the sayings Bank.” He was as good as his word, and on the following day Nellie Nutting opened a naccount in her own name in tbe savings '. certain reports that the capitalists interested in the pool man-| bank. aged to get published in the Sunday newspapers. a> When the Exchange opened for business on Monday a crowd of eager buyers gathered around the M. & N, standard and began bidding for the stock. The bulk of the floating shares having already been acquired by the syndicate, the stock was hard to get. So little of it came to the surface that the price rose from _ hour to hour, until at three o’clock 72 was bid, with 73 asked. Next morning when a certain broker offered 73 he found ‘that there was no rush on the part of holders of M. & N. to accept, and consequently by noon there was a dozen brokers offering 78, with few sales even at that price. Nick met his friend Dick Hudson on the street, and they got = to talking about the unexpected developments in M. & N. : “You can take my word for it that there’s a combination of moneyed men at the bottom of it. They’ve practically cor- nered the stock, otherwise it wouldn’t be so hard to get.” “I've begun to think so myself. I bought one hundred shares when it was way down at 52, and now I’m figuring on , se out at the present high price.” - *[d-sell right away if I was you. You bought at 52, you fay. It is now 78, or was fifteen minutes ago. That will give ‘you a clear profit of over twenty-five hundred dollars. You ‘ought to be satisfied with that.” 3 | with you. After I take this note up on Broadway - I'll stop at the bank on my way back and order the shares gold,” said Nick. - Half an hour later the young messenger entered the Nas- sau street bank and told the margin clerk to sell his one hun- _ dred shares. They were snapped up at 78 1-2, and next day Nick re- _. ee@ived a check for twenty-five hundred dollars, in addition to ' . the amount of the margin he had put up. _-—s # Weill, sis,” he said to Nellie that evening after supper, “you and I are getting rich fast.” - * “How is that?” she asked inquisitively. _ “J’ve been taking another shy at the market.” “Have you? And did you win?” “1 should say I did. The other day I noticed that M. & N. was uncommonly low down in price. I said to myself, that __ stock is bound to go up as soon as the general market picks up, so I bought one hundred shares of it. I’d have bought more if I could have afforded it. The market did improve and the stock went up. as I thought it would. Just when I was getting ready to sell out a boom set in that carried the .way up. Yesterday I thought it had gone high enough ne, so I unloaded. I, or rather we—for you are my part- I.began by using your money with my own, and conse- -it was ‘only fair that, having shared the risk, even your knowledge, you should share the profits as well— e cleared twenty-five hundred and fifty dollars.” -five hundred and fifty dollars!” exclaimed Nellie, n such a sum looked iike a small fortune. “You don’t “Nick?” > m Our combined capital now amounts oS wr ¢ : n PA oe do mean it. ; " “ Py <p | Nick also told Miss Haley of his third slice of good luck in the market, and she once More congratulated him. “I suppose you'll keep on till you run against a snag and lose it all in a lump. That’s about the way people do who are successful a few times running in Wall Street,” she said. “I hope I shall prove myself an exception,” replied Nick, laughing. “T hope you will, but I have my doubts. It seems foolhardy to me for a boy like.you to risk his savings or earnings in this Wall Street game, when older, and I shall say wiser, heads are losing their money at it every day in the year.” ; “Don’t you mind, Miss Haley. I am simply making a bid for fortune. To make easy money one has to take desperate chances. It may be foolish in me, but I seem to be built that way.” “T see,” she laughed. “What fever?” “Why, the Wall Street fever, of course. If I had your three thousand dollars I’d put it in the bank and let it stay there. But of course you won’t do that. Now, when are you goine to introduce me to your sister? Why don’t you bring her down soMe day?” “IT mean to. Then we'll all go to Delmonico’s for lunch.” “Debnowice's: indeed! Will nothing less expensive suit you?” f “Well, there’s a nice restaurant on Beaver street that will perhaps answer as well. May I count on you? I'li get my friend Dick Hudson to come along, and then there’ll be four of us.” “I'll consider the matter,” she replied, with a smile. Her manner, however, implied that she was not averse to the proposition; so Nick was satisfied that she would go whe the time came, ‘ “You have the fever bad.” ‘ CHAPTER XI. WHAT NICK OVERHEARD IN THE Woop. Ever since the day that Nick mei Mr. Gilson on Wall Street with the toothache, on his way to the dentist, and, in reply to Dick Hudson’s question of whether he had sold his fifty ~ shares of C. & B. stock, his incautious admission that he had not, but was about to do so, Gilson, satisfied’ that the boy had made several hundred dollars out of the deal, had been trying, on one excuse or another, to negotiate a loan from him. ‘ Gilson, though he received a fair salary, was generally hard up for ready Money, owing to his efforts to cut a spluge and give the impression that his income was much larger than it. really was. ; As far as clothes made the man, he presented a creditabie figure, for he wore only made-to-order garments of the best and most stylish materia! he could afford. ‘ His ties and scarf-pings were always up-to-date, and the dapper appearance he cut impressed Mrs. Jarvis to such an extent that she was accustomed to trust him frequently for board when he could not come up with the money on time._ Gilson spent his evenings at various sporty rescrts, where a ’ 7

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A BID ‘FOR he met and hobnobbed with kindred spirits, who maintained a similar kind of front by all sorts of devices, some of which would not have stood the light of a ‘close inspection. One of their chief recreations was to play cards, smoke fair cigars and drink alcoholic stimulants. The card-playing was more with an idea to profit than mere pleasure. The most expert at this usually got away with the majority of the “pots.” Gilson, not being as good at poker and pinochle as many of his cronies, lost oftener than he gained, and this fact was probably the principal reason why he was so frequently at the end of his wits for the eash to keep his end up. Because Nick had no canfidence in him, and therefore would not lend him money, Gilson was down on him. He also despised Nick because the boy refused to indulge in the nightly pastimes that he himself followed. His original plan had been to initiate Nick into his own set ‘and then to do his utmost io fleece him out of his spare change. He failed, because Nick was not built that way. One Sunday afternoon, soon after Nellie Nutting had been gtaduated from the commercial school and had _ secured, through Mr. Chiswell’s good offices, a position as a stenog- rapher and bookkeeper in an asphalt company’s employ in a big Nassau street office building near Wall Street, her brother Proposed to take her, along with Dick and himself, over to New Jersey for a trolley ride. It was a fine early summer day, and she readily agreed to go. Dick, who had taken quite a fancy to his friend’s pretty Sister, was delighted to have her along: So they took an elevated train for the Desbrosses street ferry and were soon on board of a trolley car on the other ~side of the river, speeding toward the town of Newark. \ The young people enjoyed the ride hugely, and went for ' some distance beyond Newark. Here the country aspect of the vicinage put Nick and his sister in mind of Westbury, and the trio strolled some little distance from the trolley line. 4 Finally they sat down to rest on a big stone on the edge of a small wood. “1 wonder where a fellow can get a drink?” said Nick, pres- ently. j : “There are no saloons around here, and if they were they - would not be open on Sunday,” grinned Hudson. “Oh, you get out!” laughed Nick. “You know what I mean. ~ want a drink of water.” ’ “J thought maybe it was beer,” chuckled Dick. Nellie laughed, for she knew her brother’s friend was only “Well, I'm going to hunt up a house and ask for a drink,” said Nick, getting up. “I'll leave yoy to entertain Nellie.” “T’ll try to fill the bill,” replied Dick. “All right, Dick! but cut out love-making, for I don’t want - to lose my sister yet a while,” laughed Nick. ' “Why, the idea!” blushed Nellie. “Aren’t you ashamed to make such a remark?” Dick flushed up, too, for it was rather embarrassing to, have the suggestion made in the presence of so charming a young Nick grinned and walked off down the road, expecting to ‘find a house at the corner of the wood. - When he reached that point he saw one about a quarter of a mile ahead, around the turn of the road, ; ae eee to the place, knocked on the door, and asked for , waich was readily handed to him. | woman of the house, Nick started to return to the place where he had left Dick and his sister, - *T guess I’d better make a short-cut through this wood. It will save time,” he said to himself. fi ly, he took a well-worn path and was soon thread- through the leafy ten-acre lot. : about half-way through the wood when voices of two men, and one of them seemed fa- “The sounds came from a thick clump of bushes. he deadened the sound of Nick’s footfalls, and not noticed by two well-dressed men seated within the dense ring of shrubbery. on the boy's ear. / really was Gilson ai Nick to stop ee -- S ee: A FORTUNE. 13 and peer through the overgrowth that surrounded the two men. It was Gilson, sure enough, and he held across his knees a japanned tin box, from which he had just removed a covering of newspaper. “So the bonds you spoke of are in that box?” said Gilson’s companion. “Yes. Ten of them, of a market value of ten hundred and sixty dollars each.” “But can you turn them into cash?—thai’s the important question.” “TI think so, if the attempt is made right away. ‘They are not likely to be missed for some little time to come, unless Mr. Mandelbaum or Mr. Slewsby should take it into their heads to make an inventory of the contents of the vault.” “How do you expect to get rid of them? I can’t wait an in- definite time for that money you owe me, and i don’t care to take the bonds as security for the debt, for if their loss should be discovered they would becoMe useless, so far as I am con- cerned.” : “It wouldnt do for me to try to sell them in New York. That's too near home. I might have to answer questions that would place me in a bad light.” “Then what do you mean to do—take them to Philadelphia or Boston?” : “I would if I could leave town, but I can’t. My idea is for you to take them to Boston and hypothecate them for as much as you can get.” : “Oh, come now, Gilson; I don’t propose to make myself a cat’s-paw to draw your chestnuts out of the fire.” “Come off, Fletcher! I’m not trying to make a cat’s-paw of you.” ‘ : “What else do you call it, when you ask me to take all the risk of turning the securities which you have stolen into cash?” ‘“Not so loud, Fletcher. I’m going to put the thing to you as a business proposition. I owe you a debt of honor—three hundred dollars lost at cards—which I can’t pay. You want the Money. Very well. I took these bonds on the chance that I could make a deal with you. If I can’t do it, I'll return the tin box to the vault to-morrow morning.” “What is your proposition?” asked Fletcher, with a show of interest. “Tt is this: You take the bonds to Boston. They aggregate ‘in value ten thousand six hundred dollars. Go to some good ~ bank, represent yourself as a small! capitalist, and request a loan of’ eight thousand dollars on them for thirty days. You can disguise yourself with a beard of some kind and make your face up to look like a man of fifty or sixty years. You ought to have no trouble. Act with great apparent frankness, and you should be able to put the deal through without risk, When you get the money come back, and we'll divide up half and half, you to cancel the three hundred dollars I owe you. That's fair enough, isn’t it? You'll make four thousand dollars instead of three hundred dollars.” : Fletcher was evidenily taken with the proposition. The chances of making four thousand dollars was worth considering, even if there was a bit of risk attached to it. “When the tin box is eventually found to be missing from the vault in your office, what will be the consequence? Any chance of you being suspected?” “I suppose everybody in the office will come under suspi- cion and will be investigated by detectives. I’m going to soak the bulk of my four thousand dollars away in some small savings-bank, under a fictitious name, and be very cautious about spending money, so as not to give any one the impres- sion that I am living beyond my means. Oh, I’m a foxy boy, all right, Fletcher. They'll never get on to me. As for your- | self, no one could ever connect you with the maiter, if you — You must make ~ as you really are; then you — are careful about your disguise in Boston. yourself up to look twice as old will be quite safe.” + “It isn’t a bad scheme. I’m pretty well strapped just now, that’s why I have been pressing you for that three hundred dollars. Four thousand would come in very handy.” | ‘ “Of course it would. You'll have all the advantage on your side for, while I will have to mind my P’s and Q’s to avoid — getting into trouble, you can spend your money as freely as you choose. On the whole, I'd like it if I could change places with you in the transaction.” “Well, I'll do it,” said Fletcher, after some cegitation. “You — are sure that the bonds won't be missed within a few days?” — “1 can guarantee that, as it is not likely either of the - bosses will go through the vaults until the end of the month,. at the soonest. I've never yet known them te do so in the — a a . i hove ae '& Po) Tie z 4). rs ee ee ee,

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oo oS _ ee ae i” - z et 14 A BID FOR A FORTUNE. | | “How do you know he has? Maybe he was just passing up the path when you spied him.” “T didn’t spy him. I only saw the top of his hat, and from its position and movements I knew right away that the wearer was hiding behind the bushes. He was trying to get away unobserved when i shied the box at his head, and as my aim was good I laid him out. The question now is, what are we going to do? You'd better return that box to your office vault in the morning and try to raise, that three hundred dollars some éother way.” ' Gilson stared blankly at his companion and then down at the senseless boy. : nae I can’t raise it any other way,” replied the margin clerk. “You must. It is impossible to do anything with the bonds now. This boy probably knows everything. We've got to try and square him somehow. If he tells what he knows you'll lose your breath so quickly that it will take your breath away.” “I don’t believe we can do anything with him if he has heard what we were talking about,” replied Gilson, gloomily. “He and I don’t pull together. He’s one of those confounded particular chaps that won’t do a thing that ain’t just regular.” “Goes to church and Sunday-school, eh?” “T ain’t sure that he does, but he acts as if he was very good. I hate those kind of people. They make me tired.” “Don’t you think he could be induced to hold his tongue if you agreed to return that box to your office vault?” “IT think it is doubtful. He’d consider that it was his duty to call on Mandlebaum & Slewsby in order to warn them against the kind of chap their margin clerk was.” “Tf he’s that kind of chap he ought to be chucked into the river,” said Fletcher, in a tone of disgust. ; Middle of the month, ir in the middle of the quarter, and I’ve" 3 been with the firm five years. It is now the tenth of June. 4 Those bonds won’t be wanted till the thirty-first of the month, when the interest coupons fall due. Ydu have lots of time-in which to work the riffle.” “All right,” replied Fletcher. “But do you think I can get as much as eight thousand dollars on them?” “Sure. Any bank will let you have seventy-five per cent. of the market value of a gilt-edge security on a short-time loan.” “I'll make my arrangements to take the midnight train for Boston at the Grand Central station, so as to get through with the business early to-morrow and get back to town by te-morrow night. Wrap up that box again. I'll pry it open when I get home and then bury the box in the yard some- where.” : Gilson wrapped the tin box up in newspaper again and handed it to his companion. or “T’ll look for you in the billiard-rooms to-morrow night,” he . said. “If you don’t show up I’ll consider that you’ve been - ag bai and T will be at the same place on Tuesday night at en.” 4 “All right,” replied Fletcher, getting ub. Gilson did the same. : Nick Nutting, who had been an interested listener to the foregoing conversation, looked around for some spot bebind which to conceal himself and thus escape observation when the men came out of the shrubbery. - Jt appeared, however, that the top*of his derby showed #hove the bushes, and Fletcher, who had a sharp and watchful eye, noticed it and saw it move. _He suspected the présence of a listener at once and, with an oath, raised the tin box and flung it over the top of the _- bushes. : “I wish there was some way that we could keep him a pris- cage Nick had just turned to get behind three trees that grew | oner until we realized on the bonds. Then i’d be willing to WY, close together, when the flying box caught him a stunning| chuck up my job and skip out West somewhere, I’m tired of _ blow alongside of the head and stretched him senseless on the working on a small salary, anyway. Four thousand dollars Brass. would set me up in the Nevada gold diggings, for instance, and I don’t believe any detective would come hunting for me out there. Can’t you think of some way of fixing this chap for a few days?” “Well,” replied Fletcher, “if it was only dark now we could carry him over to Peter Furniss’ roadhouse. Peter is a friend of‘mine, and he’d do me a favor if he could. He’d find a quiet lodging in his ceHar for this young man for a week or so if I put the matter up to him.” “Would he?” asked Gilson, eagerly. ‘That would be just the thing. How far is his roadhouse from here?” “Not half a mile.” a “Well, we can wait here till it gets dark. It is sundown now. We won’t have so long to kill time.” “Suppose this boy comes to his senses before we're ready to move him? Me may give us trouble.” ‘i Pc CHAPTER XII. By GILSON AND HIS FRIEND FLETCHER. _ “What's the matter?” exclaimed Gilson, very much aston- _ ished at his companion’s strange act. 4 fletcher did not answer, but sprang through the shrubbery to see what had been the result of his action. ; He almost stumbled over the form of Nick Nutting, that lay directly in his path. He uttered an exclamation of satisfaction, which was echoed ___ by one of surprise and consternation on Gilson’s part, when, - tollowing close at his associates’ heels he recognized the "unconscious boy. aay Re “Nick Nutting!” he ejaculated, aghast. ‘ t o” qe pat; Yousknow him?” cried Fletcher, in surprise. “We can bind his arms and gag him with our handkerchiefs. Sure I do. He boards in the same house with me. . ‘That will keep him. atiat.” “The devce he does! Then the game is up, and we're both is ht.” DP d be t h y im a bad box—or at least you are, for I shall make myself All right, agreed. Pletcher. VA) | ee ~ -geare ” So Gilson and his companion sat down near where Nick lay Bae Sn Ror as var dent stretched out on the turf, and while they talked together in ™ ~~ “It ought to be clear eriough. The boy has been listening | 2 low tone of their plans with regard to raising the eight thousand dollars on the bonds in the tin box they watched the boy for signs indicating his return to consciousness. In the meantime, Dick Hudson and Nellie Nutting sat on the big stone and talked upon different subjects, until the (“The proof of the pudding is the evidence before us. This girl remarked that her brother had been an unusually long ~ boy, you say, lives in the same house with you on Forty-fifth | ime away. Ms ‘ street. What could have brought him a Gut Hero porone That’s so—he has,” admitted Dick. “He must have gone Rees Seabtarton hee teen following ast” some distance for that drink of water.” 2 sin That was a poser for Gilson to solve, and he gave it up. “J wish he’d come,” said Nellie, a bit anxiously. “It’s ___ to our cenversation. Something must have aroused his sus- __ picions to cause him to follow us out here.” _____-“E ean’t see what it could be. Besides, I saw no one fol- CoN _ lewing us when we came here.” “Be saw you carry that box out of the house, suspected | getting late, and we ought to be on our way home by this there was something crooked in the wind, and shadowed you| time. I believe the sun has gone down. We'll have to get our to Herald Square, where I met you. Then he followed us| Supper at a restaurant, for it will be after seven by the time both here.to find out what he could.” we reach New York. _. “Phe theory doesn’t seem reasonable, Fletcher,’ objected Fifteen minutes more passed, and still there was no sign of _ Gils@. “The box was done up in paper and resembled an | Nick. ag ordinary package. Besides, what business was it of his if [| “Where can he have gone?” said Nellie, -beginning to feel | “®arried a dozen packages cut of the house? What is there| almost alarmed over her brother’s continued absence. suspicious in that, anyway? No, I don’t believe he followed| “You know as much about it as I do, Miss Nellie.” s. He must have come here by accident. He’s a great boy “Do you think he could have got into any trouble?” F ' teking long waiks. He’s been all over the Bronx on*foot,| . “Why, what trouble could he get into?” said Dick. p : “It seems to me something must have happened to him, er 5 he wouldn’t stay away so| long. Let us walk up the road a bit.” ai: + Dick had no objections, so they walked to the corner of the wood, from which point they saw the house where Nick had got the drink of water. = eee ee ee care how he hit it; he’s been listening to our talk, : th fire.” fan Se a ; ‘ ; Ee 73 ste

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Sn aha ee Pees A BID.-FOR A FORTUNE. 15 “Let us go as far as that house, at any rate,” said Nellie. “Perhaps the people could tell us if he went straight on up the road.” “Tf he stopped there, and the people are home, he surely weuld have got the drink, and then he would have had no reason to go any further.” _ “He must have gone further, or he would have been back long before this,” said Nellie, feeling very much disturbed. _ Dick could not help but admit that Nick’s lengthened ab- Sence was rather singular, and he wished that his friend would turn up, for darkness was approaching and they were nearly @ mile from the trolley road. They walked to the house where Nick had got his drink, _ and Dick knocked at the door and inquired if a boy had called Pt an hour or so before for a drink of water. _ “Yes,” replied the woman. “I gave him a drink.” _ “Did you notice which way he went then?” . “I think he went down the road.” “We've been waiting for him at the other end of the wood _ fora whole hour. If he had gone down the.road we should _ Bave seen him.” The woman, however, could not give any more explicit in- formation, as she had net paid any attention to Nick after he Went away. _ . Dick and Nellie held a consultation and then walked back to the stone. i _ __ As it was now growing dusk, Dick said that they had better _ Walk on toward the trolley. 4 _., “Nick may overtake us, or we may find him there waiting _ for us to come on.’ ____ By the time they reached the trolley crossing it was almost _ dark, but they did not see Nick around. _ Nellie now showed evidences of distress.and alarm. _ Dick did his best to comfort her by assuring her that her _ brother was well able to look out for himself, and that what- _ @ver was the cause that detained him, he would surely turn Up all right. : x __ They let several cars pass by, but, as it was now dark, Dick _ Said they had betier start for New York and not wait any longer in that lonesome spot. = _ _ Nellie tearfully acceded, but during the trip to Newark, and _ over to Jersey City, she was silent and depressed, and nothing that Diek could say had much effect cheering her up. _ They crossed the ferry and Dick took her home by the elevated. ; She refused to go to supper with him, for she had no appe- tite now to eat. __-So Dick left her at the boarding-house and went to q res- > “tatrant himself, wondering where Nick had taken himself off _» te, or whether he had really got into some trouble away out in _ New Jersey. —E > CHAPTER = XIII. " NICK FINDS HIMSELF IN A TIGHT FIX. _ When Nick Nutting came to his senses he was rather as- _ tonished to find himself.in the dark. * i He was lying at full length on a couch made of old gunny- Sacks. in one of the corners of a stone cellar, but he was not hnmediately aware of this fact. _ All he realized was that he was lying down, and that the . place was uncommonly dark. _ _He sat up and looked around him. That it was night struck him as a fact; that he was not _ im his little five-by-eight hall bedroom at the boarding-house Be another fact. as yaturally his first confused exclamation was, “Where am I By degrees recollection asserted itself—vaguely at first, _ then more clearly. __ The last thing he could call to mind was listening to a con- ‘ation between Gilson and a man whom his fellow-boarder : as Fletcher. _It related to the disposition of some bonds contained in a th box that had been surreptitiously taken by Gilson from _ the vault of the office where was employed. Nick had no great opinion of the margin clerk, he suspected him as capable of anything crooked. Te = Maga pi mueh surprised to find that Gilson was tents and purposes a thief. - what puzzled Nick was to-fill up the interval between versation and his present singular situation. had ! ened to him? 5 3 of a dull pain in > Re iat ea Soe te (Furniss, in no friendly way. his bead, and Instinet- ively pufting his hand up to the seat of the trouble he found that his head was bandaged. “That’s funny.” he muttered, with all ‘the gravity of a Chinese mandarin. “How did I get hurt? Who put that cloth arcund my head, and where am I. anyway?” He got on his feet, and, his eyes being accustomed to the - gloom, he made out that he, was in a good-sized room that appeared to have no windows. Stretching out his hand, he touched the rough surface of the stone wall. “Why, I'm in a cellar,” he eried. “How did I get here?” Finally he bethought himself of the matchsafe he carried in his pocket. He struck a light, and when the match flared up he looked around. Truly it was a cellar—a low-ceiled, cobwebby, dirty place, littered with old barrels, boxes, and other junk of a similar nature, A short, wide stairway led to a closed trap in one corner. “Upon my word,” said Nick.-“this is a fine hole—for rats.” After thoroughly investigating his surroundings he was, satisfied the only Way out was by way of the stairs and trap. So he walked up the stairs and tried to push open the flap above. It would not budge. “Am I a prisoner?” he asked himself, with some concern. Apparently he was, so he returned to his couch of gunny- ~ sacks to reflect upon his position and to await developments. In the conrse of an hour he heard heavy footsteps moving acress an unecarneted floor overhead, After a time the trap was lifted,'and a pair of legs, fol- lowed by a body and a head, came down into the cellar. By the light of a lantern carried by the intruder Nick saw that his visitor was 2 burly youth. ; The youth advanced straight toward him, and when close ~ enough swung the lantern aloft. The light fell alike on Nick's countenance and the new- comer’s, ; The young Wall Street messenger was surprised, and not a bit pleased, to recognize the boy as Joe Furniss, “Oh, you’ve come to your senses, have you?” chuckled “Took you a lang time +o get ever that little crack on the nut.” “So it’s you, is it?” said Niek, rather aggressively, for he knew that he need look for no favors from. the boy who had proved himselx his enemy. tony “Yes, it’s me,” grinned Furniss. “Perhaps you'll tell me what’ has happened to me?” “Don't you know?” “Tf I did I shouldn't ask you ect.” : “You were caught listenin’ to what was none of your busi- ness, and you got a whack alongside the head that knocked you silly.” * “That was it, eh?” “That's what.” . “And while I was unconscious I was brought here?” “You couldn't have made a better guess.” os “Where and what is this house?” “You want to know too much.” “You won't tell me, then?” “No.” “Am I to be kept a prisoner here?” i “That's about the size of it.” : “Why?” : “"Cause you are.” : Nick saw that there was not much tu be got out of tough youth, - “What did you come down here for?” he asked. “To see how you were gettin’ on,” with a grin. ’ “You don't like me, do you?” “T hate you.” cee “Because I stopped you from stealing a roll of Confederate — shinplasters from me the first day I came to knocked you out, besides?” : “Confederate shinplasters!” exclaimed Furniss. you mean?” AL bia a “Just what I said. The roll you snatched out of my hand was not good United States money, but a bunch of old see sion notes used during the Civil War.” ; oe Furniss was evidently surprised at this information. — _ “What did you chase me for,then, if they wasn’t no good ~*Pecause I wanted them back.” = . ‘ h for information on the sub-. the i Beet ate" ae He _) 2 New York, and “What do ant ie ee ag als a et hat Che tn 4 ole es Ot yee *

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at. oe : 16 “You got ‘em back. You took ‘em out of my pocket when bs I was down.” “Thats right, I did.” “I said I'd get square with you for it.” “I think you tried that on New street a little while ago.” “I'm goin’ to try it again.” “When?” “Now.” “All right,” replied Nick, springing to his feet. right in.” Furniss put the lantern down on the head of a barrel and suddenly drew a stout rawhide from under his jacket. “I'm goin’ to lick you till you yell like blazes,” he said vindictively. ’ “I don't think you will,” cried Nick, dashing to one side > ws Furniss raised the whip menacingly. his Furniss struck out wildly; Nick dodged, kicked over the barrel on which the lantern stood, and then sprang upon his enemy like a young cyclone. The lantern fell over on the floor and the light went out. Nick grappled with Furniss and the two struggled fiercely around the cellar, until they tripped over a box and went down together on the floor. « The young rascal suddenly ceased to struggle and lay ' quite still. “It was a moment or two before Nick dared release his grip on the fellow, thinking that be was playing possum. . At length he did so, and struck a match to see what was - the matter with his husky opponent. _ Furniss had struck his head against a heavy box, and the shock had rendered him’ senseless. _ Nick viewed his condition. with great satisfaction, 7 guess you won't stand in my way of escape now,” he “Sail ¥. He dragged the tough youth to the couch of gunnysacks - and placed him on it. ae oe “See how you'll like it yourself for a change,” he breathed. "Now to get away from this place.” _. ~ He picked up the lantern and relit it. hen he walked up the ladder, opened the trap and stuck his head above the floor. _ All was dark and silent. spite He made, his way up, closed the trap and rolled an empty 3 _ beer keg upon it to hold it down. lashing the lantern around the room in which he found himself, he saw that it was furnished with a small bar, sev- eral round tables and a dozen or more chairs. | “Zooks like a saloon,” thought Nick. “I wonder if I, can . get out through that door?” - The door in question opened upon the country road, but it was locked and bolted, and the key to the lock was miss- ing. “I must find some other way of making my way out,” he SP said, starting to examine the nearest window. a ‘Just then he heard heavy footsteps approaching the rear door of the barroom. - Hastily blowing out the lantern light, Nick concealed him- self ender one of the tables and waited for developments. we ee a ¥ i Xue ; CHAPTER XIV. BUA ee A POINTER WORTH A FORTUNE. ; A stout, middle-aged man, bearing a common lamp in one fd and a tray with three glasses in the other, entered e room and placed his load on the bar. He was smoothly shaven, with short-cropped hair of a ; reddis tint, and a bull neck. . _ His whole appearance was tough and pugnacious: It wwas a toss-up, so far as looks went, whether be was an ex-pugilist or an ex-convict. This was Peter Furniss. proprietor of the roadhouse, and Joe Furniss’ uncle. ~ : Nick. watching him Ronee the table, mentally de- “| that his face would have done honor to the Rogue’s Gallery. _ He placed three clean glasses on the bar, in two of which he mixed fahcy drinks, while into the third he poured three Mrers of whisky. ‘7 t neing the glasses on the tray, from which he removed . he took it up, grasped the lamp once more and ie had come. Ty ae ; ikuy ot quite close the door after him, and Nick heard an entry, and then another door was heard to wes sR eo ay bt eeeee ied “? ae, et ‘iS * k “i pa? wey A BID FOR A FORTUNE. ‘ : Nick waited to make sure that the man was ret back, and then came out from under the fa He did not light the lantern again, but £ to one of the windows overlooking the road He soon found that it was secured by» patent catch that defied his efforts. en The other windows were fitted with similar, It was just. as well that he did not succeed] them, for each had a burglar alarm - attached "bat have set up a most unearthly rattle had ‘the S$ raised over an inch. : Baffled in his attempt to get out of the bari front door and windows, Nick tiptoed his way open door communicating with the entry. 3S, He saw a gleam of light proceeding from a crack a door on the other side of the passage, and heard sounds of several voices in the room beyond. ; Nick crept up to the door and peered through the key- hole. He only caught a very limited view of the interior, but ~ he saw there were two or three persons seated around a table drinking. One of these he had a good view of, He was a handsome, well-dressed man of perhaps thirty.” He seemed to be partially intoxicated. ‘ “Peter,” the man was saying, with a hiccough, “you're a good fellow. Understand? And because (hic) you're a good fellow I’m going to*put something in your way. You've got a thousand or two, Peter, in your (hic) strong-box or. in the bank. Take it out, bring it to my office—you know where my (hic) office is, No. — Wall Street—and Ill buy you as many shares of (hic) N. & O. stock as you can meet the margin for. N. & O. is going up, old (hic) man—going up, up, up! I know, because I'm one of the (hic) brokers that’s going to buy it in and boom it this week. Big syndi- cate behind it, so you can’t lose. Bound to (hic) make a thousand or two. I wouldn't do this for anybody but (hic) you, Peter, ‘cause you're a good fellow, Understand?” It was probable that Peter Furniss understood, though Nick could not make out what his answer was, There was the sound of a chair pushed back, and another voice said: “Come, Watson, it’s time we got back to the city. It’s after two.” “All right,” replied the good-looking. broker, struggling to rise from his chair. “T mustn’t be seen,” thought Nick. He struck a match and took a hasty survey of the entry. . There was a stairway communicating with the upper re- ~ gions on one side, and a door with a key in the lock on the other. Nick, on the spur of the moment, sprang for the door, turned the key, opened the door, and passed out into the open air. ‘ _. Shutting the door behind him, he started for the front of the building, which stood at a little distance from the near- est house. : Reaching the corner, he saw that it faced upon the road, and also that a big touring auto was standing in front of the house. Nick jumped into the car and crouched down under rear seat. Hardly had he stowed himself away when he heard voices approaching. ? Broker Watson was being assisted forward by his compan- ion, who was not quite as much under the influence of liquor ~ as the Wall Street man. They reached the auto and the broker was assisted onto— the front seat. His companion took his seat alongside of him and con- stituted himself the chauffeur. Bs In a moment or two they were bowling down the road ata swift pace. Vers “This is where I get to New York free and without any — loss of time.” chuckled Nick. ll And he was right, for in due time the auto rolled a¥oard — a ferryboat at Jersey City. and Nick got out from under — the seat and entered the meh’s cabin. ca He saw by the clock in the engine-room that it was three — in the morning. ey the ee "nm

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#: is A BID FOR A FORTUNE. 17 —_— pues A As = — _ but the fact remains that I was. Of course, I owe my im- brisonment in the cellar of the roadhouse to Mr. Gilson and his friend Fletcher. Knowing that I was on to their little game, they carried me to that place and arranged to have Me detained until Fletcher cowld go to Boston and get rid of the bonds. Well, I rather think I'll put a spoke in their wheel to-morrow, or rather to-day. I feel sorry for you, Mr. Gilson, but it’s your funeral, not mine. You should not have taken the bonds.” Nick then began to consider the valuable tip he had picked up at the roadhouse. __ “So a combination of big traders has been formed to boom N. & O. stock, eh? I guess I shan’t lose much time in getting in en the ground floor with the knowing ones. I ought to be able to more than double my three thousand dollars on this deal. I know the tip is a sure thing, for the broker was talking about the boom with his friend ail the way to the Terry, and I easily heard every word he said. Probably he Wouldn't have been quite so communicative if he hadn’t been So loaded. Liquor is a bad thing for any man to put into his mouth. It plays the dickens with his brains.” When the ferryboat reached Desbrosses street, Nick hur- Tied ashore and took a Ninth avenue elevated train uptown. He got ont at the Forty-second street station and hurried _ to his boarding-house. - It was nearly four o’clock when he reached his room, where ‘e ie found Nellie, fully dressed, stretched out asleep on his a e He lit the gas and saw that his sister's eyes were red from weeping. - “Poor sis!” he said. _ May acconnt.” _- Then he woke her up, and she was overjoyed to find her- - Self in his arms. “Yh explain everything to-mforrow,” he said, in answer to her anxious inquiries. “Now go to your room and turn “in. “It's four o'clock.” “It’s too bad you had to suffer on A . CHAPTER XV. _ NICK BECOMES A PERSON OF SOME FINANCIAL IMPORTANCE. When Nick arrived at the office that morning he had his Plans all arranged. house unusually early, so as to avoid meeting = > . Chiswell came into the office Nick surprised him with a request for a private interview. “Well, Nick, what is it?” the broker asked, after motion- to the seat beside his desk. ‘ Tt's a matter of great importance, sir, as you will admit _ &$ soon as I have told you.” ' He then gave his employer an account of his adventure in the wood on the outskirts of Newark. _. “So this man Gilson, employed by Mandelbaum & Slewsby, 4s a thief? He took the box containing the bonds in ques- _ tion from the office yault on Saturday afternoon, I suppose. _ Very well, I'll send for Mr. Mandelbaum. It won't do for _ You to carry the message over, for if Gilsen fs at the office _ this morning, and should happen to see you there, he'd take alarm at once and make himself scarce. We must get him f into the Tombs right away, and then telegraph the Boston to try and catch his associate in guilt.” -_ So Mr. Chiswell called in a junior clerk and seut the note him to the office of Mandeltbaum & Slewsby. In the meantime Nick told Mr. Chiswell about his further experiences at the roadhouse. _ “It is evident that the proprietor of that house stood in with those two rascals, and that he meant to detain you a until they had accomplished their object. I will : the Newark authorities to arrest the man and hold , aN until you can go out there this afternoon aud appear - against him.” ‘The broker called up Central on his phone and had con- om made with the Newark police headquarters. By the time he had made the authorities there under- land what he wanted Mr. Mandelbaum entered the private “Take a seat, Mr. Mandelbaum,” said Broker Chiswell. “I aye a very serious matter to call to your notice. It ap- from information I have received from my office boy i, you have been robbed of a tin box containing a if bonds.” - slag - at : morning at astonishment. “Not that I am aware of, Mr. Chiswell. Let me hear on what ground you base your belief.” “Nick,” said Mr. Chiswell, turning to his messenger, “tell your story to Mr. Mandelbaum.” Mr. Mandelbaum heard him with attention, and was thun- derstruck at the revelation. “Why, Gilson has been in our office five years. He has our entire confidence. It doesn’t seem possible that he could —pshaw! I %xill soon find out. An examination of the vault will at once Show if the tin box in question be missing. If it is—well, Gilson is at the office, and he will have to ex- plain in the nee of a detective.” After Mr. Mandelbaum bad taken his departure, Nick said he pe peomregd else to speak to Mr. Chisweil about. “More adyehtnres?” asked the broker, with a smile. “No, sir; this is about a tip on the market.” “Indeed!” repli @ Chiswell. “What is it?” Nick then told vyhat he had overheard Broker Watson say about the cémmmation which had been formed to boom N. & O., and how®he was one of the brokers that had been selected to do thé’ buying and booming. “Upon my word. Nick, I think you have got hold of an im- portant pointer. shall investigate it at once, and if I find that developm bear you out I will invest largely on the strength of which event I propose that you shall share my good fortune. I will give you ten per cent. of whatever I may win.” “Thank you, sir,” replied Nick. When lie returned to his duty in the outer office the boy looked up the previous Saturday’s quotations of N. & O., d found that the stock was ruling around 59, but it had been as low as 55 on the preceding Monday. At.that moment Mr. Chiswell called Nick inside. ~ “I've just had word over the wire from Mr. Mandelbaum that your story is corroborated by the absence of the tin box containing ten Lake Shoré bonds, worth ten thousand six ‘hundred dollars. He has sent for a detective to take Gilson into custody.” When Mr. Chiswell dismissed him, Nick asked for half an _ hour’s leave of absence, which, being granted, he made use of to draw his monew from his safe deposit box, take it around to the little bank in Nassau street and purchase five hundred shares of N. & O. at 59 on the usual margin. : That afternoon Nick was called upon to attend the Tombs Police Court at the examination of Gilson for grand larceny, and he gave his evidence just as he had told it that morn- ing to his employer and to Mr. Mandelbauim. Gilson was held to await the action of the Grand Jury, Nick learned then that Fletcher had been arrested in Boston- while trying to negotiate the anticipated loan of eight thousand dollars on the bonds. f News was also received that Peter Furniss had been ar- rested at his roadhouse and would be brought up for exami- nation in a Newark police court next morning, at which time Nutting was directed to appear and substantiate his charge against him. When Nick returned to the office the Exchange had closed for the day, and N. & O. had gone to 61. 4 Nick went to Newark on the following morning and told his story before the police magistrate, y Peter Furniss put in an absolute denial. - ab} As Nick could not substantiate his charge, the ate said that he could not held the prisoner, and so the proprietor of the roadhouse was discharged. . aS? eit When the young messenger returned to Wall Street early in the afternoon he found, much to his satisfaction, that — N, & O. had advanced to 64. That afternoon Mr, Chiswell told Nick that he had n> * ja 4 k ons ‘ 4 , ‘ec chased fifteen thousand shares of the stock in question, vu a hoped to get as many more before it went much, higher. z ¥ oy Next morning there was a considerable demand in the Seen change for N. & O. stock, and the price went up to 66 by noon. ‘ : oes . The scarcity of the steck demonstrated that a corner had probably been made in it, and there seemed to be nothing to prevent the price from advancing at a rapid rate, which it did, closing at 70. Ra SL Ph On the following day the Exchange was in an uproar ere . certain statements that leaked out about the road, all to advantage, and the price went to 80 three. . : That afternoon Mr. Chiswell told thousand of his shares at 2 profit of or dollars, and that he intended to get rid the opening of the yt} MRA ( its f

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Se expect to clean up four hundred thousand dollars through your tip, and if I do I shall hand you my check for forty thousand dollars, as agreed between us.” “Gee!” whistled Nick. “I'll be wealthy.” “You certainly will, for a messenger boy.” Before four o’cleck the boy hastened around to the bank and ordered his five hundred shares to be sold first thing in the morning. | It was done, and Nick found that he had cleared ten thou-| sand five hundred dollars off the deal. The combined capital of himself and his sister now amounted | to thirteen thousand five hundred dollars. : In view of what he expected to receive from his employer, he decided to hand Nellie her half of that amount, and not run the risk of losing her money in any subsequent deal he might _ carry into effect. Accordingly, he got her to go with him to the banking de- partment of the Title Guarantee and Trust Company. and, he handed over to the cashier the sum of six thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars as a time deposit in her name, which | would be entitled to draw regular semi-annual interest. Next morning Mr, Chiswell handed Nick his check for forty thousand two hundred and fifty dollars, which raised his in- dividual capital to forty-seven thousand dollars. ’ | CHAPTER XVI. } CONCLUSION. | Nellie went into raptures over the big sum of money her! brother had received from Mr. Chiswell. “Why, you're rich, Nick, aren't you? worth forty-seven thousand dollars! And I am actually worth a little over seven thousand dollars. My goodness! What a grand house we could build in Westbury if we went back there | - to live. How the people would open their eyes!” | “We'd be the great moguls of the place, and all our o1a | friends would take their hats off to us,” laughed Nick. “I| wonder how the news, if it traveled there, would strike Deacon | Dabbieton? I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a fit.” i Nick stowed his money, as usual, in his safe deposit box, and went about his regular duties just as if he depended for ay living on his wages end was not the richest Messenger boy in Wall Street. - He and Nellie moved to a much better boarding-house in West Twenty-fourth street, where they had a small and a} large room, connecting. : A month later Gilson and Fletcher were tried on separate counts for the bond crime, and were convicted and sentenced Just to think, you're} ss to Sing Sing for a term of years, is On the morning following their conviction Nick received a 4 letter from Mr. Mandelbaum, in which he thanked the boy _ for his services insaving the firm from a loss of nearly eleven _ thousand dollars, and begged him to accept the enclosed check for one thousand dollars as a substantial evidence of their appreciation. F He showed the letter and check to Mr. Chiswell, and the broker congratulated him on his further good luck. Nick and Nellie both paid a two weeks’ visit to Westbury in t, taking their vacations at the same time, and per- haps they did not make the eyes of their old friends bulge with wonder! : _ . Nellie had stylish summer gowns to burn, while Nick had - a couple of dandy suits that took his boy friends’ breath away. Je He told Frank Fairbanks’ that he was not sure whether there were half a million peopJe out of work all the time in ___New York, but, as for himself, he got a job the first day he hi er landed in the metropolis, and he had it yet. __ -Deacon Dabbleton so far unbent his starched-up dignity as to greet them both with great affability. is". Be 7 =e seen te ely arg eo had acquired the : ey to put on so m style; bu e would not gratif = curiosity. = * The day that they returned to New York, Nick pointed out r to his sister which stated ¥ was afterward convicted and sent to Snake Hill for two years. - The weeks and months flew by after that, and brother and r continued to give complete satisfaction to their em- he accidentally secured advance information about jlidation of two big railroads. buying five thousand shares of the L. & / A BID FOR’ A FORTUNE. ——_—_—_—__—— SSeS > M., which controlled the situation, at 92, putting up almost every cent he had on margin. In the aggregate the deal involved a matter of four hundred and sixty thousand dollars, and the Nassau street bank had to hypothecate the shares as fast as it secured them in order to carry the transaction. : Nick gave Mr. Chiswell and Dick Hudson the benefit of the tip also. The former agreed to give Nick anot his winnings as a compensaticn, It was some days before the news of the consolidation was officially confirmed, but as soon as it was there was an imme- diate rush by the brokers and the public alike to secure some of the shares. In the seramble which ensued the price ran up to par on the first day. her ten per cent. of Two days later I. & M. was going at 110, and Nick con-. cluded to sell out, and he did. He cleared something over fifty thousand dollars. Dick Hudson sold out his L. & M, holdings at about the same time, made one thousand dollars, and was proportionately happy. Mr. Chiswell held on until the shares reached 112, and then gradually disposed of the stock at a profit of two hundred thousand dollars. A few days afterward he called Nick into his office and gave him his check for twenty thousand dollars. “You ought to be pretty well fixed by this time,” he said to his messenger, “That makes sixty thousand dollars I’ve paid you for the use of two tips.” “I amy sir. I'm worth exactly double that amount,” smiled Nick. f “TI don’t quite understand you,” réplied the broker, in some surprise. Then Nick confessed that he had been operating im the market on his own hook for some little time, and that he had not only made seven thousand dollars for his sister, but sixty thousand dollars for himself. “So you see, sir, I’m worth, with this check, exactly one hundred end twenty thousand dollars at this moment.” Mr. Chiswel!l was certainly astonished. He congratulated Nick on his good luck, but advised him to keep out of the Market in the future until he grew older and had accumulated more experience and knowledge of the tock business. Nick tock his employer’s advice, dropped further dealings with the market and put his money out at interest. After that he attended strictly to business, and was soon = promoted to the counting-room, where he gradually rose toy the post of cashier. z" During this time he discovered that Miss Lizsie Haley, the stenographer, had other desirable qualities besides that of mere good Icoks, and he began to exh!bit a strong interest in her direction, which the girl reciprocated, for she recognized that Nick was pure gold and a lad who was bound to make his mark in the world. : ; Dick Hudson's partiality for the society of Nellie Nutting also increased as time went by, and Nick was not at all sur- prised when his chum came to him one day and asked him if he had any objection to him as his future brother-in-law. “Of course not, Dick.” he replied heartily. “Are you and Nellie of one mind on this interesting question?” F “We are,” replied Dick, and the two boys shook hands over it. That night Nick congratulated his sister. “TI have also a secret to tell you, sis.” “What is it?” she asked, interestedly- “Lizzie Haley and I are engaged to be Married as soon as Mr. Chiswell takes me into the firm.” “I'm so glad,” cried Nellie, putting her arms around her brother’s neck and kissing him fondly. “I must see Lizzie at once.” : Six months later Nick became Mr. Chiswell’s junior partner, and during the following week there was a double wedding, at one of which the broker officiated as best man for the boy who — had made a successful Bid for Fortune. Next week's issue will contain “BOUND TO RISE; OR, FIGHTING HIS WAY TO SUCCESS.” + ats SEND POSTAL FOR OUR FREE CATALOGUE, AS ; aie ge a ee CP ~ ; nga Z pa _

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__ Physicians are puzzled by an ailment which strikés W. H. Hilton, of Crane, Mo., dumb when he attempts to ad- dress persons near him, but permits him to speak plainly to Persons at a distance or to animals. Hilton is a farmer and has suffered with the affliction since» he had the whooping- cough two years ago. He is sixty-five years old. “ Two monkeys at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, are being fitted with eyeglasses in an effort to discover a cure for various diseases in the human. The direct result ex- pected is a serious reaction of the thyroid glands of the monkeys, with a consequent development of diseases found in human beings to have their origin in the thyroid gland. _ What is perhaps the smallest penknife in the world has Just been completed: by M. A. Kaufman, employed in a Jewelry store. Altoona, Pa. It measures 5-32 of an inch in length, with a blade less than 2-16 of an inch long. The handle is solid gold, while the blade and spring are of tem- pered steel. The knife is kept in a bottle to prevent losing it. The workmanship must be seen through a magnifying oh - at The Conyngham, the largest destroyer in the American Mavy, exceeded her contract speed requirements by almost # full knot during her five top speed runs. over the mile co on Dee. 7. The corrected figures showed an average 6f 30.40 knots an hour, while her contract called for 2914 Knots. On one spurt the Conyngham tore through the wa- © at a rate of 31.63 knots, at which time her turbines » making 608 revolutions per minute. She burns oily exclusively. ‘Sh ai SE aa ~ Experts in the United States forestry service have dis- covered, in removing timber from the water of Great Salt ‘Lake, that the salt of the water acts as a great preservative of wood. The timber had been in the lake for many years, but it was perfectly sound. It is believed, therefore, that ‘the life of timber may he greatly lengthened by impregnat- ‘iny it with a strong salt solution and then covering it with ‘Some preparation to prevent the leaching of the salt € : Jeath Valley is the most barren part of the Great Ameri- Desert. More men have died in its arid wastes than any other equal area of the world’s surface, excepting ne the great battlefields. It lies, a great sink in the dy plain, about two hundred and fifty miles north and “of Los Angeles, Cal., and within the boundaries of State. The valley received its sinister name owing to ict that in the early fifties a patty of emigrants, some dzed and twenty in number, traveling overland by from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Los Angeles, per- a in its awful solitudes, barely a man escaping. art é . the Norwegian Government, sent out a ‘warships, armed with mines, tor- | e ey ago. > FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. CURRENT NEWS > ‘| holder to kill two elephants. Every elephant shot in ex- — pedoes and quick-firing guns, to exterminate a vast horde of seals which was denuding the sea on the northwest coast of all kinds of fish. But the Government had reckoned upon tens of thousands of seals, whereas there were»mil- lions. So unending was their number that the fleet had eventually to admit itself defeated, with the loss of one man and two slichtly wounded, owing to an accident. and to “re- tire in order,” having exhausted its entire supply of am-. munition. et A ean oan The quantity of wine produced in the western provinces of France this year will be exceedingly small, so official reports state. The vintage is declared to have been only one-tenth of what was expected. No season since 1854 has been as poor as this one in the quantity of wine produced, although the quality is probably good. The failure has been caused principally by mildew, which attacked the vines at blossoming time, as a result of excessive rains — 4 and fog. It is currently said, indeed, that the vines have suffered so much from mildew that the vintage for 1916 will be affected. The white man is no longer free to shoot elephants at his will and pleasure in French West Africa. The governor has issued severe provisional regulations pending the pro- mulgation of a decreeton this subject. Every European who has a regular license to carry arms and who wishes to hunt elephants must make a declaration and pay a tax fixed by the district governors, which must not be less than i $200. This is only good for one year (or less if the deeree is issued before the lapse of a year) and only entitles the i SF We Ce eee “2 cess of the two must be declared and paid for at the rate __ of at least $100 a head, and not more than five in all may = be killed in the year. The spoils of an elephant killed in — ee self-defense must be handed over to the district au- thority. ; a see ee In a letter made public by Representative Chandler, of New York, recently, Secretary of War Garrison declares there is no foundation for the current report that Jews have difficulty getting into the Military Academy at West a8 Point, and that they are ostracized if they do enter. Mr. Garrison’s letter was written in reply to Mr. Chandler, who informed the Secretary that while 40 per cent. of the people of his district are Jews, few Jewish young men ped ‘= entered the competitive examinations for West Point. On a inquiry, Mr. Chandler stated, he found a belief among ae the Jews that there is strong racial prejudice against them in the Military Academy. Secretary Garrison quotes from a report made by the superintendent of the West Point Academy, who says 10 such prejudice exists and that the religions faith ofa man is not considered. Secretary Gar- vison assures Mr. Chandler that “while I am Secretary: o War no such discrimination or rt ee Seed

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-FAME-.AND CHAPTER XXIII. THE SEARCILT FOR THE MOONBEAM. ‘led way ; t tdo you think we "hate landed at the "ight " professor 2” said Elias, confidently. “We left the shore id why things look so much different.” is queer,”.said Ned, “but maybe that’s one of the pe- ities of this country.” if erhaps it is like a chameleon, constantly changing its said Dick... lus. giving way to surmise and puzzled comment, they ep on along 1 the coast until suddenly Dick paused. old. on,” he said. eg “What is the matter?” asked Elias. “This place looks paceceal ¢ it?” x. Y Yes. Don’t you iecabae coming .down over this big g ea is where we first came down to the it 1” cried Ned. “I remember it now. This 85 then it will be an easy matter to on!” cried. Ned. | : ra they went up. Sahiee.- Tt was. a Jong seram- crossed the tidge of land and came to the ae of Miia ey Aeonenn had been and eae the spot. bushes hid the lov from their gaze #ORTUNT WEEKLY. ‘to it. aes sama ace decom was eta in their ears 3 they marched ‘ “palace. — ——~ SIX WEEKS IN THE MOON ce OH as A TRIP BEYOND THE ZENITH By ED. KING eas ie (A SERIAL STORY) = “Great Apollo!” exclaimed the savant. “What can have _ become of it?” Then slowly all proceeded to walk about the spot, aes vi examining the gpepad. This resulted in a number of dis- = The aher ropes had been cut. There were fresh foot- Rae prints in the spongy soil. This was evidence that it had not been a great while: ‘near he point where we just landed I cannot under- | sinee the unknown beings had taken the Moonbeam away. — Instinetively the trio scanned the sky. “It is very queer!” said Elias; “some one who was fami liar with the machinery must have taken her.” riba “Tt is hard to understand,” said Dick, “how any one could have fathomed that problem so quickly! 1” Ree “They might have gone on board and set the: wings in : — Pa a: motion by accident,” said Elias. s + Si = “And in that case——” r ane All looked upward. es “They must have gone up to the moon’s zenith,” esid Elias. grimly; “it means, boys, that we are in a bad sera unless they can contrive to come back.” ere <3 “ : “They can never do that,” groaned Dick.. ee “Then we are in a bad box. the rest of our lives.” The appalling force of this nearly crushed the boys. 4 short while before they had thought this not the easy fe that could befall them. But now it seemed as if they. were buried in some terrible junderground cave and they were never to eet out, and eat hope was shut from them. Ay But as-nothing could be done, it was decided i Sy the best of it. Slowly they wended their way back down to the s They entered the gondola, and were taken ea ' Modite city. It seemed to them as if the knell oe They went at once 6 tlt presence of Prince Moda. _ The lunar ieee was — in sipping a bowl: of

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a any lunar prince appeared surprised and deeply con- ~ He mage -y close and careful inquiry into the ne rag 2m ¥ a | “If the airship ean be found in pe moon,” he said, mak- ing sign language, “my people shall find it. I will send searching parties at once.” Ah” said Elias, hopelessly, “it is beyond our reach. unfortunate meddlers have doubtless anchored them- lves miles above us in the air.” Moda, upon this, grew deeply concerned. He dispatched hither and thither and called in the priests and the se men of the, iribe. But all agreed that nothing could be done and the mat- ‘began to look serious. Indeed, secretly, our explorers began to fear that the ‘superstitious Modites might be tempted to put a new con- | struction upon the matter and associate it again with the doings of the Evil One. ¥ What the result might have been, it is hard to say, had it been for an intervention. A great outcry was heard de the palace. There was a surging of the crowd, and Elias and Dick Ned went to a balcony to see what was the Lathan oe n astounding spectacle met their gaze. ee, along the main street of the town were a throng moon natives. They carried a huge object on their me ‘sight of it Elias gave a ery: | “Great Rameses! Boys, it is the Moonbeam.” This was true. x ras ‘rom the earth to the moon. ds can hardly explain the situation, The first thing and frantically embrace each other. ——_— Le CHAPTER XXIV. eee AT RODMANTOWN. planations were soon made and the situation clearly arty of Modite hunters had come across the airship it was anchored. — proceeded to embezzle the strange object at once a to their monarch for his inspection. was why the aerial voyagers had failed to find the where they had left it. > ad but a brief. inepédtion to satisfy our friends FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. jshall go back Borne by the Modites triumphantly into the palace yard|the moon’s zenith. Then it went out of their es igh me, the airship aboard which our tray elers had made theif } gether. : Ned, Dick and the professor did was to turn about |men after the thrilling ‘to have taken that-boy Dick in hand long ago. I should — “save known that he would go and do some crack-brained : acne! had blinded their notions of honesty and world. ¢ Moda’s orders it was at once turned over to its| from the missing ones. : intact ‘and that é harm oi aaa fons. The | are 21. of They could not cufficiently express their fulsome joy. “f[oorah !” cried Dick. “Now we are sure to get back to the earth.” “Yes!” cried Ned. “And I’m just crazy to see my mother and father and tell them all our wonderful expe- riences. Let us start at once.” “We will!” declared Elias. “So I say!” agreed Dick; “if we want to we can come back to the meon at any time.” Moda insisted, however, upon the boys staying to a fare- well banquet. This was a most magnificent affair, and the moon na- tives spared no expense. Moda even expressed a desire to some time visit the earth. > 5 “And you shall,” cried Dick; “this is not our last trip to the moon; by any means. I am coming again, and you with me next time.” The Moonbeam was set up in the palace yard. All)” ~ preparations were made for the leave-taking of the aerial — ae voyagers. ari: ‘The entire moon nation turned out to see them off. The ~~ final moment came. The three voyagers embraced Moda. aboard the Moonbeam. Dick touched the electrie lever. The pee wings eit the air. The screw revolved and the airship ® shot: upwards. A mighty shout went up from the Modites. The airship grew smaller and smaller until it was but a black speck in Then they stepped Col. Rodman and Nathan Davis had behaved like pin ae departure of the professor and the : beys in the Moonbeam, as aay in the —— of + “4 story. Fat “Confound me!” cried the este? ahetindly: apa sig hid , thing or other.” yi “To think that Ned would forsake his mother and me,” groaned Nathan; “but it’s all the fault of that” old ate Elias Benton. If I ever get my clutches on him—ugh!” ~ But the two old codgers at once ‘themselves in com-— . ey munication with all the great observatories in the world. 5 The heavens were constantly watched in all parts of the — ar They provided themselves with: the most powerful glasses — obtainable, and studied the sky by day and night, They even contracted for more powerful lan and : many other foolish things. But yet they got no “Six weeks to-day,” said the colonel one f the hilitop from which the boys had taken flight. either dead or. beyond recall weer * # ; will hey wes come back ?”

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FAME BIGGEST FIG FARM. “That the largest fig orchard in the South is being plant- ed in George County, Miss., along the route of the New Orleans. Mobile and Chicago railroad, is the opinion of H. H. Bolton, immigration agent at Mobile, Ala. The orchard is being financed by Boston, New York, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia capitalists and now has 63,000 trees set - out, with plans for 75,000 more. The concern cwn 2,500 acres of land in George County, between Lucedale and Eubank. A large force is at work clearing land for the 75,000 more trees to”be planted. “Their first planting came into bearing this season,” said Mr. Bolton, “and more than 50,000 small samples of fig preserves were sent out to prospective customers. _ It is claimed that a market for the product will be found in France and England, as well as in-the United States.” BEAVERS IN NEW YORK. To introduce beavers into new territory and four months ~ later find that they have felled trees, built houses, con- structed dams and ‘taken up the usual activities of beaver 5 = Hife, is to be quickly repaid for one’s labors, says the - Zoological Society Bulletin. This is what has happened ‘on the estate of Ambrose Monell. _In May, 1914, Mr. _ Morell placed eight beavers on one of the small streams ‘on the extensive tract belonging to him in Sullivan County, ~ New York. - The animals were lost’ to sight until their presence was made known by their works, when it was found that they places, no two being nearer together than one mile, the ex- tremes being four miles apart as the watercourses flowed. The lasgest dam, situated on Berger Brook, is about 75 yards long and has a shorter supporting dam immediately below it. The house erected by this family of beavers rises the water just inside the rim of the dam. “= Another family, located on the Bushkill, a deeper - stream, built a higher dam, with the house on the bank 50 yards 2 pore it. SereorEan CUSTOMS IN SAMOA. The natives of Samoa are exhibiting a marked inclina- - on to imitate European manners. The beautiful siapos, * hallowed by age-long usage, are disappearing more and more, their place being taken by imported cotton cloth. Women and girls ete to put on greater quantities of Euro- pean wearing apparel. Tn the vicinity of A sils have been a native Samoan house and kitchen by European articles of less New foods are be introduced. Instead of taro. s and yams, itives now eat rice, bisenits and and even drink coffee in the morning. The new nhowev mere but a eres number of consumers AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. | eG ITEMS OF INTEREST | i with hatches of against the mass which is an the channel. sugar-cane. Insects have desiroyed the sugar-cane planta- — tions, and the natives now cover their dwellings wit cor- rugated iron, which gives them much less protection both — against the sun during the day and against the eold at night. The Samoan house *is ‘disappeari ng, too, and its place i is heing taken by square buildings of American pine. The total native population of the Samoan group 18 about 42,000. There are 1,500 whites and half-castes. & BIRDS SHAMMING DEATH. ; Telegraph wires play sad havoe with game on occasions, — but, though birds are often killed by coming in contact with them, I have known both partridges and pheasants — hit such an obstacle quite hard and go on apparently un- injured. I once, too, saw a woodcock. rising from ene bracken fly straight at some wire that had been put up to- keep rahbits away, and so injure itself that it could not fly. — The bird did pot sham death when picked up, but avcock = pheasant of my acquaintance certainly did so. for he was put in the bag and taken out again, and actually Jaid out in line without exciting any, suspicion, and it was only ; when everybody was busily engaged that he got up and ran halfway across the field before we realized what had hap pened. 3 Somewhat similar was the behavior of a wild duck, wick; e rose with a_companion from dense rushes and, wpon the latter being shot, dropped straight back onto the water — and could not again be ousted from his fastness by the united aid of dog and man. The bird was not hit nor ine jured in any way, but evidently saw that safety lay rather = in hiding ihan in escape. * % CANAL MAY BE SHUT FOR SIX MONTHS. oe Owing to the tying up of the Panama Canal by the Te- ue cent slide many employees, mainly in the operating anc’ sions,.are being furloughed, which is taken to indicate that the canal will remain closed for a much longer. time tae: “ was first expected. ; In some cases employees are being dismissed. In sey-— eral cases employees of the operating division have been _ transferred to other divisions which need men owing to the increased work, notably the dredging division, which has - re taken over most of the canal, pilots as tug masters and captains of dredges. w It is the intention cf Major-General Goethals, Governor-* - General of the Canal Zone, to force a temporary channel — 3 through the slide as quickly as possible and pass throug ‘ the waterway a few ships which have been waiting ince the canal closed, and then again shut off traffic . danger of slides ‘has been definitely ended. This probably will be not less than six months, according to the best j available estimates. oa The condition at the slide remains virally unchanged, although slight gains are now being made by the di #4 - u ti 1 i ad

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FAME. AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. 23 Young Fresh from ’Frisco a eee THE BOY WHO BOSSED THE MINE By GASTON GARNE_ : (A SERIAL STORY) CHAPTER XV (continued) “TI was thinking whether we did or not,” replied Sile. €Do it, father!” cried Daisy. \ “Do-listen to Mr, Winton, |“The professor is a man T despise. Still, he mows his He saved my life. Do it for my sake!” | business, and it’s a question in my mind whether it’s go- “Waal,” said Sile, “I dunno but thar’s reason in what ing to pay you to quarrel with him. He's at work on you say. You’re a powerful slick talker. that. But looker ‘ig Thar’s s’posed to be two thousand gunning for Tom Barnacle? After all, he’s the head ‘dollars a-comin’ to me for my share of the run of this mill horner of the pack. Once we get him foul the rest will "since I engaged to act as guard a year ago. I hain’t never | fall in line like a flock of sheep.” _Seen a cent of it yet; nothing but wages. What about that “He’s dead right, Jack,” said Arthur. “There’s a whole “ar if I shift over on to your side?” lot in what he says.” - “170 tell you what,” replied Jack, feeling that the day| “I don’t know but what there is,” replied Jack. “Well, Was as good as won. “I'll keep you right at work at the |and bow is it to be done?” Same wages, either here or at the mine, and on the day I “Now, looker hyar, boss,” said Sile. “I don’t want to down Tom Barnacle and get control I’ll give you two thou- {dictate none. That hain’t my style. But if any one wants ‘sand dollars. I can’t fight this man alone. I’ve got to|my opinion I'll give it, and it can be took or left, just as have help, and I’m willing to pay for it, too.” you blame please.” * Old Sile pondered for a moment, made three long squirts| “By all means, Sile. We are waiting for it. Pitch in,” ‘of tobaceo-juice, and then announced his decision. Arthur said, “Til go yer,” he said. “Shake, young feller. I've want-|, “You see what Tom Barnacle has done. He’s tried to ed to gét square with that thar imperdetit Dutehman this | kill you, boss. He’s tried it two or three ways. Now I “long time, and now seems to be about the time to do it, | don’t advocate killing him offhand, but it seems to me that From this minute I’m on your side,” r between us we ought to get him and tie him up somewhere Tt was an immense relief to Jack. Once more he was | Util Jack has a chance to make himself boss of High Roek on top, or, at least, had a fighting chance of getting there. | mine. After that you can both do as you blame please.” Daisy was wild. with joy as Jack and her father shook | “Your suggeStion is all right, but how is it to be carried hands. out?” questioned Jack. _ “This way for young Jones,” said Sile, and he led Jack| “Waal, thar’s two ways,” replied Sile. “We can either into a back room, where Arthur lay in a bunk, in so sound} go after Tom Barnacle or we can wait for-him-here.”- @ sleep that even the talking had failed to arouse him. Jack saw that Sile’s suggestions were not likely to help He was tied up just as Jack had been, and Sile had eut | much. : him loose before he awoke. | The old trapper evidently had a simple streak running “Sack! You here?’ Arthur cried, as he raised up in |through his make-up. : ‘the burk. “I—you—what’s it all about? That fellow} “Let’s get hack to High Rock to-night and kidnap him?” /eaught\me by the legs there in the lake. I——” he said. “Sile Deering, ean that be arranged ?” “Wake up, Arthur,” said Jack. “We are ready for busi-| Sile thought it could. ness now. This is Daisy Deering, the girl I told you | 3 A Sabout, and this is her father, Old Sile Deering, just the |quized Arthur. “If the’ plan is to keep him out of the Ssert of proposition we want to come up against. He’s | Way of everybody, that has to be thought of first.” fighting on our side now, and between us we ought to| “I ean fix that,” said Sile. “If I’m to cut loose here I make the feathers fly.” | don’t care where I go. I know a place back in the moun- “You bet we will,” said Sile. “I nevér do nothing by | tains which will do right weil. It’s a hut I built myself, , halves. Now, what’s the programme, boss ?” and lived into for ten years. It is so located that it would » “Good!” thonght Jack. “I’m ‘boss’ to one ta, any-| puzzle any man to find it. On the whole, I don’t know “how, and I'll put the whole gang’ where they belong before | but what I should enjoy keeping Tom Barnacle a prisoner 1m many hours older, or know the reason why.” there.” : _ “We wart to collar the professor’and that fellow Kimo} “Then it is all settled,” said Jacks “You do-what I te = of all,” he added aloud. pt ae you and you will lose nothing by it. High Rock mine I don’t deny | that lot of ore now. Why not let him finish it while we go , “And what shall we do with him after we get him?” im-,

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FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY, - > belongs to me, and Tom Barnacle has no rights in the} “You!” gasped Barnacle. “Sile Deerimg, you traitor, — me matter. Help me to get it, Sile Deering, and you will not | you shall sweat fer this!” : regret it to the longest day you live,” “Hold hard, boss!” growled Sile. . “I’ve switched over And so this long conversation came to an end. to the other side.” Sile soon had the horses ready, and they rode into the} “Traitor!” shallow lake, crossing over to the trail by which the boys} “That will do!” said Jack. “Arthur, keep him covered had come. with the revolver. Mr. Barnacle, you-are in our power. _ They saw nothing of Kimo nor of Dr. Steinmetz. Stand on your feet.” As they went galloping up the steep slope Jack felt more] “I won’t do it!” snarled the superintendent. “What do — ies hopeful than he had done at any time since he left San} you intend to do with me?” : a ah Francisco. “In intend to tie your hands behind you, first thing. Will _ _ It seemed to him that everything was working around |you submit peaceably, or do you want trouble? Three his way at last. times you have set out to kill me. It is my turn now.” “Give him till I count three,” said Sile. “We can’t — stay polyfoxing around here all night; that’s one sure ~ thing.” Barnacle swore and sputtered, but when Sile began to count he changed his tone, and submitted to have his hands tied behind him. 4 Gagged and bound, they led the superintendent down- : stairs and through is mine yard to the woods. Here hé was forced to mount one of the horses, and was & tied to the saddle. < “Look out for him, Sile,” said Jack, when all was cllne e “You can trust my father, Mr. Winton,” said Daisy. ; CHAPTER XY. SAM CALAWAY SHUTS THE DOOR. Jack began to like Sile Deering before they had. ridden a mile. The old trapper was full of quaint sayings, and it must he admitted that some of the stories he told as they rode along were very entertaining. -. © OF course, they kept a sharp lookout for Barnacle, but they met no one up to the time they reached the piece of woods where Jack had camped the first night. ~ Here Daisy was left in charge of the horses, and Jack, “with Sile and Arthur, started for the mine. ~ Sile had given back the revolvers to the boys, and he had Si this Gen tifte, ~ He had also brought along a ina’ rope for the purpose of tying up Tom Barnacle in case they were fortunate “ $aangh to capture him. | ” hae se was pions morning when they stole into the mine “He will never go back on you.” “The gal is right, * said Sile. “This here is the first time | ever I went crooked, and betwixt ourselves I am glad to get over to the straight side again. Boss, I'll keep this feller Just as long as you want me to. Daisy will come. 3 down every day to the mine to report.” a Barnacle’s face was a study as they rode away. a” As soon as they were out of sight Jack and Arthur % mounted the remaining horse and rode back to the mine, — va 2 They put the horse in the stable, and, returning to. office, went upstairs to Arthur’s room, where they lay down on the bed without undressing, remaining undisturbed un til daybreak. , of courses a, was no gsi and equally of course 2 the 4m ed to run up against the watchman first : ting. ‘and were ready to deal with him. _ Nothing was to be seen of the man, sa alba and they ~The door was locked, but Arthur had a ee “They en- 2 “tered noiselessly, and crept upstairs, lighting their way a lantern which Arthur prochived from a closet. The door of the room assigned to Jack stood open, and passed directly into the superintendent’s room, finding ie a door unlécked, “Here he is,’ breathed Arthur. “We have got hig ; ‘Tom Barnacle lay in bed in a deep sleep. * empty whisky bottle standing on the table showed he had had probably been loading up in the usual way. r¢ mine. The watchman turned up from wherever he ae en sleeping, and began te go his rounds. — dow fe was somewhat astonished to see a young 1 man AS at Mr. Barnacle’s desk pulling oyer the papers in the pigeon-holes, whild Arthur stood at his customary weet “Now, then, boys,” whizpered Sile, “it is up to you to tie | before the high standing desk, writing in a big book. , " snoozer. Abid — him covered with i gun in case] He at once hurried off to the boarding-house to baie kes.” the news. | Arthur caught sight of the watchman as he through the window, and reported the case to Jack. : “Look out for mUBIG now,” said Arthur. : “Let ’em come,” replied Jack. “This is my day. Tt 1 can’t make these fellows understand that I am boss of this mine before night comes I shall never get there. 1 asin rng we here, Arthur, here’s another. I wonder at Barnacle 5 pines eee “papers a A “eg was ak ‘out from under the ers, ui ‘to this : proceeded to tie the rope, and ac- omplished it without waking the man. urn him over, Arthur,” he Been “I don’t be-

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be TIMELY * ‘TOD SLOAN, EX-JOCKEY, DEPORTED. - Pod. Sloan, at one time America’s leading jockey, was OTC ered deported to the United States on an order issued under the Defense of the Realm Act. He was accused of conducting a gambling house. Sloan left for Liverpool ind will immediately take passage for New York. “ ~ Tod Sloan virtually took up his home in England after r ding under the colors of the royal stable. Previous to ‘that time he rode for the late William C. Whitney, James R. Keene and other noted owners. “Sloan’s most famous victory in England was in 1897, ien he rode Nunsuch against a big field. It was in this ent that he introduced the “crouch” position in racing d. In 1898 he won the Brooklyn Handicap with ament and in 1900 the Futurity and Flatbush with allyhoo. | The rider’s career in England was one of short triumph. it was ended when the Jockey Club refused to renew his nse. By this action he also lost’ his licenses in America France. | September, 1907, the rider and Julia Sanderson, the 3, were married in the Little Church Around the r. Six years later she obtained a divorce from him. . . ELECTRIC SERVANTS. recent partial canvass of manufacturers of electrical e appliances disclosed the remarkable fact that more 3,000,000 washing machines, toasters, percolators, ‘dishes, grills, egg boilers and other electrically erated home devices were sold in the United States dur- ing the last two years. Since the first electrically-propelled home washing ma- chine was introduced imiprovenients have followed so rapid- the latest: model bears little, if “any, resemblance to ; ilahhl machine. very housewife knows that it injures clothes to rub }. The latest machines built make use of an entirely ent cleansing principle—suction and compression. yacuum plungers move up and down inside the tub t the rate of sixty times a minute, revolving above the ai ry and thus reaching all parts of the tub. On the down- Toke of the plunger air is compressed and forces the suds the mesh of the fabric. On the upstroke the r reverses the operation, sucking the water through and carrying with it all foreign substances. washer and ringer are operated by a one-sixth horse- motor, requiring practically no attention. One 2 says it will wash clothes eleaner, without injury, about one-fifth the time site if ene by hand. FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. 25 TOPICS this action was taken on account of the extraordinary rise in the price of steel and the likelihood of serious delays in obtaining castings at any price. The steel plant at the New York yard, while not intended for large work, can make castings weighing up to four tons, and its operation, Secretary Daniels believes, will effect economies, and ob- viate delays. “In a small way,” said Mr. Daniels, “the stgel plant at the New York yard serves to illustrate the advantages of equipping the navy with facilities for the manufacture of its own materials. The building of a battleship can be se- riously delayed by a Jack of comparatively small castings, and when it is stated that in repairing battleships every day’s delay in the dock represents $3,000 expense to the Government, it can be easily seen that facilities for making these castings at the nayy yards, when commercial firms are too crowded with work to permit prompt delivery, will repay the investment required in a very short time.” Secretary Daniels said it was the belief of the Navy De- partment that the same argument held true in the matter. of armor plates and projectiles. The Secretary intends to ask Congress for an appropriation for their manufacture. SPENT HALF HIS LIFE IN JATL. After pleading guilty to forgery, Charles E, Russell, sixty-one years old, told Judge Backus in the Municipal Court, Milwaukee, Wis., that he bad spent more than half his life in prison. “And I'll probably be found in prison when death comes,” the man added. Russell entered a store and made arrangements to buy a piano on the installment plan. The man offered to pay. $20 down and handed the clerk a check for $50, request- ing change. The clerk became suspicious and notified the police, Russell was identified as an old-time criminal with a long police record. +i Judge Backus sentenced him to five years ‘in the Henk tentiary at Waupun. “Five years,” remarked Russell. “You ‘might as well make it life, judge. I got seventeen years staring me in the face in Nebraska when I finish this bit, so I guess Ta 4 5 never be free again.” 3 “How does it happen that you are agers getting into trouble?” Judge Backus asked. “T got into trouble and prison, too,” Russell said, Bours day I was horn. And I’ve been in trouble or Relea hat ever since. i “T fell in with exo and Decame a crook. Ttw

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es 4S Eg Ci agers ye = dete eid : 26 FAME NEW YORK, JANUARY %, 1916. TERMS TO SUBSCRIBERS Single Copies: . One Copy Three Monta. - One Copy — a. Riateee Free HOW TO SEND MONEY—At our risk send P.O, Money Order, Chee: or Registered ietter; remitiances in any other way are, at-yvur risk. We accept Postuywe Stumps the same as cash. When sending silver Wrap the Coin in u separate piece of paper to avoid cucuing [he envelope, IFrite your fame and address pluinty. Address letters t Frank Toussy, Publisher 168 West 23d St., N. Y. ? SP ie N. Maatixos Worry, Nanny B Wourr, President ir (nanies EK. NyLaxoxnk, Secretary GOOD CURRENT NEWS ARTICLES One of the features of the recent Indian fair at Cherry Greek, S. Dak., was a pound of bitter made by a full-blood Sioux woman, who handled the milk and cream and ~ churned the butter herself. R The B. A. Corbin. Compeny, of Webster, Mass., received - g contract from the Italian Government for 400,000 pair of army shoes at a cost of $1,500,000. The order means _ the employment of 2,000 new hands. The shoes are'a spe~ @ial design of the best leather, sizes 7 to 11, and will be used by regiments in the mountains of Austria. - "he manager of a large whaling station at Akutan, * Alaska, who has just returned from ‘his season’s work, re- " “ports that his company took 367) whales, yielding 15,400 tons of fresh meat, exce!lent.in flavor and highly mutri- > tious. An effort is being made to place whale meat on the market as a table food, whalers insisting that this flesh is ES, oe shaw hat valued at $1,000 is worn by the proprietor ‘a fashionable cafe at Merienbad, Bohemia. It is woven of straws through which the crowned heads of Europe have at various times imbibed cooling drinks dispensed in the owner’s estal;lishment: For many years this king wor- has been collecting straws from the royal lips, scorn- ng mere nobles or statesmen. When the collection was ugiehed the hat was earpeectnred. Si “Gi. w. Wallan, assistant sales manager of the Stude- baker corporation in charge of the West, had a novel ex- ce on a recent trip into South Dakota when he : “ealted at a city where the dealer had become dissatisfied to inability to seeure enough ears to meet the de- _The dealer met Mr. Willman at the train to e” bim up to the store, and what was the surprise piteeies ap ti to be driven to the store| . i ye a team of slow-moving oxen, Fame and Fortune Weekly| encke san: eaten by man, but not used ashoré because of. and then made another fortune raising cane in best he could do, as} that AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. Commenting on a characteristic German propaganda article in a nentral country, Belloc criticises the statement that “the German Empire alone was prepared to put in the field a total of 12,000,000 men.” It is generally agreed that a nation is able to mobilize about one-tenth of its population; but Bellec admits that when the effort is ex- tended to a second year and when a supreme effort is made and. a few elements not quite cary are introduced, you~ may just reach 12 per cent... Twelve milligns of men for Germany, however, means over 17 per cent., and it would include children, elderly men, invalids, lunatics, cripples, blind. and paralytic The French General Staff have eal- culated as a’ maximum for the Germans somewhat over 8,000,000, this calculation: being based upon the knowledge of what they can themselves do. with a population at least as healthy. GRINS AND CHUCKLES “T have you spotted,” said the policeman, as he nabbed .. a freckled wrong-doer. ‘ eee 2S ae Fa Oflicer--How’d you like a home of your own? Cook—~ I’d like it; I’m tired hossin’ other people’s families. 4 Maud-—Do you mean to tell me that you and George a engaged at last? Mabel—Yes; he had quit spending money on me, and I theught I might as well let him pro-- ee ara +: eo! 6 / 2 “In refereeing the prize fight, why didn’t’ yon count~ McSwatt out when he had been-down ten seconds?” “Be-- cause I suddenly remembered my watch was three minutes _ slow.” ae A fiye-year-old Philadelphia boy, recovering from a ravens and sceing frequent consultations of the thermometer, ine quired after meditation : “Mamma, aren’t there any ther- popaters ?”” “5 “You really ought to marry. There’s.a legend that ; women who don’t marry must lead an ape through, the nes world.” “That's all the more reason why I should not | 1 one in this world, too.” : she Mother—What’s baby crying about, Jane? Nurs dcen’t know, marm, unless it was what the parlor ma said. She remarked that Willie looked like his Pay, I'm afraid Willie heard her. “Funny about young Spenditt, wasn’t it?” said the serving man. “Was it?” asked the man of an in mind. “Yes; he lost his money raising Cain in Eu alehe - ‘ Le f a “Jimmy,” said the teacher, “what is the shape of earth?” “T dunno, sear os “Well, what is the st

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FAME THE MISSING FINGER. By Horace Appleton | All day it had been raining like mad. The wind howled through the tall chimneys, and the rain itself dashed with @ sickly splash upon the broken pave. See and downhearted, T strolled:into the Astor House. 3 agi up a copy of the Herald, prepared to lose my- 4 a while, until my boon friend and companion, Tred Sterling, for whom I was waiting, should appear. | Glancing carelessly over the columns, my attention was attracted to an Associated Press dispatch from Boston, relative to a reward offered by the authorities for the cap- ture of some unknown ruffian, who had robbed the Bank of ——,, besides adding murder to the offense. By this dispatch it appeared the watchman and cashier were, on the morning of August Ist, found dead in the latter's private room at the bank. : _ There was not the faintest clew as yet to guide the po- ice, and the affair was wrapped in the deepest mystery. Being at leisure, and well supplied with funds—the pro- peeeds of-a Jate successful case—and somewhat dazzled by he - enormity of the proffered reward, I determined to Start at once for the scene of the tragedy, and, if possible, nz it home to the perpetrator. pe. Vhe journey being short, I reached the place before the hodies were disturbed. Upon reaching the ak, my attention was attracted by the strange appearance of the room wherein the murder had taken place—it was entirely devoid of windows. “The floor was covered with a rich and elegant carpet, of a Tight, though intricate, pattern, which in many places ad been torn up, and still bore traces of the assassin’s pod-stained hands. _ih one corner, half in and half out of the light stream- g in through the open door, communicating with the cor- Without, lay the body of the cashier. His face was mand pinched Hes pain, while from a deep mopnd ‘coagulated pools on the eons “Be tore no other wound, and the hand which dealt this Ine must have been that of a man, of iron nerves; for the ng blade of the weapon used had ecevered both the aorta ‘and the pulmonary artery. From the cénter of the apartment depended an elegant ndelier, and, dangling from the end of a rope lashed his, hung the gashed and mangled body “i the watch- ome trace of the assassin. © In this search I was not dusiinine "In the corner, and covered by the body of the murdered er, IF found & card which must have been dropped by Y. murderer: for I ascertained shortly after, froin the es of the deceased men, that the name thercon was Res written Howard," this card was “Perey the ink inily blurred with blood, — smurderer’s hands also must hive Yeo sage, for' of smoke, and AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. 2? he had wiped then: on the carpet; and, upon closer scru- tiny, I saw that there was a space between the middie and smaller fingers of the left hand, which clearly proved to my mind that one was missing. Quitting the place, I bent my footsteps toward the near- est police station, and-made myself known. “Happy to meet you, Mr. Havens,” said the captain, who, by the way, was named Jones. “Can I do anything for you?” “Yes,” I replied. “You see I am here to ferret out that little misunderstanding at the bank. Does the rogues’ gallery contain the picture of one Percy Howard?” “Oh, yes; he is a well-known gambler and cracksman in’ the Hub; a.hard nut, that.” “Hard or not, I’m going to crack it,” “What! you don’t mean to say——” I held up my hand warningly and turned to the picture. Having fixed ‘the face firmly in my mind, I retraced my footsteps to the captain’s side. “You say this fellow is well known to the police. Are you acquainted with him?” “Rather! T’ve grabbed at him often, but, like an eel, he always slipped through my fingers.” ° “Speaking of fingers, have you ever noticed any pecu- liarity in his? Was one missing on the left hand?” He assured me that such was not the case. Percy How- | ard was possessed of all the fingers nature gave, and, con- siderably perplexed, I thanked him and turned away. Paying another visit to the bank, I carefully noted down even the slightest thing which could possibly help me in my search. After careful deliberation, I came to the conclusion that, ignorant of the clew he had left behind him, Perey How- ard had not left the city, and so I determined to seek for him that very night among the class of gambling hells visited, My search was égitek and though I ‘sought him every- where, a x passed and I had discovered no clew to him. A few aes previous I had telegraphed to Fred to rejoin me, which he did on the night of which I am now writing, and, as'there still remained three dens to be searched, we ‘carefully disguised ourselves, and sallied forth to the first of these. The massive oaken door which obstructed our entrance was guarded by a mulatto on the urn whose ugly visage could be distinctly seen through the aperture cut in a panel. Satisfying the guard that I was not a man-hunter, we were admitted to the brilliantly lighted apartment. The room was were ranged tables, at which the low ruffians 1 were staking all but life itself on the games of chance. Casting a hasty around, I was d to find the man T sought’ leaning lazily against mantel and puffing his cigar. T knew him: at once from the picture. at up, I tapped him on the shoulder. “Good-evening, Mr. pia I said. ei se «mt Te removed bis » a sx Ha Riape, and upon the sides 3

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_ “Who are you?” he said, grufily. “I don’t know. you.” “T was introduced to you the other evening by Ben Johnson.” Johnson was one of the keenest gamblers about town, - and I knew must be acquainted with Howard. “Will you have a game?” I asked, not giving him time to reply. Without more ado, he seated himself at a table and be- gan shuflling a greasy pack of cards. “What is it to be?” he asked. “Poker?” I nodded my head, and we proceeded. For the first three games I lost heavily. Fred was locking over my shoulder, and quietly taking my notebook from my pocket I wrote: _ “Go at once for the police and surround the house.” “What are you doing there?” asked Howard, glancing suspiciously at me as Fred left the room. “Merely keeping the account,” I said. The game went on for half an hour, at the expiration of which time I judged that Fred had returned, and was not epee as the sequel will show. Arising, I said, in a loud voice, which attracted all ‘s Petia to our table: “T am bound to win the next hand and will stake 500 FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. | “Hait 1’ I cried. “Halt or you're a dead man!” He sent back a mocking laugh, sprang up the stairs above, and, reaching a window communicating with a nar- row alley without, flung it up and leaped upon the sill. Crack! a bullet whistled by my ear. “Blame you!” he hissed. “‘You shall never tee me alive.” And with the words still upon his lips, he sprang ‘into the darkness beyond. As I reached the window I saw him clinging to the cop- ing of the house on the opposite side of the alley, and daugling from his hold—he had jumped for the roof but had nof measured the distance correctly. “Yield or T fire!” I said, cocking my revolver and level- ing it at him. . “Fire and be d d,” came back his muffled reply, as he struggled to draw himself on to the roof. I saw he would escape, and fired. A shrick rang on the night air, his fingers clutched convulsively at the coping, slipped, scraped along the stone, and then, with another wild shriek of dismay, he went top- pling over and over in space, and struck the hard stonieg: beneath with a dull, heavy thud. “ * oui ee Quitting the window, I hastened to his side. He was ok te: ag it. dead when I reached him, and, summoning the pélice, I aa “> He covered the sum, shuffled the cards and dealt them. | made a litter, upon iia. he was borne to the station. _ AS oe FO ee > % ‘ fpr, =I glanced at my “hand,” and, smiling as if success were H4 lay quite still for a moment when we deposited him aw certain, said: upon one of the cots, then his eyes opened, and the old them if you can.” ~ . . “I ean!” I cried quickly, springing up and glaring at him. ~ *'guished and the place was enveloped in darkness, His face grew deadly white: his fingers sought his pistol- es eer and he demanded: * intel, he leaped up, dashed his fist in my face, and as I "Now I will go you 200 better.” _ “T call yous what have you got?” “Four aces.” he replied, as he flung them down. “Beat ~ “What-card can beat mine?” _ “The one found beside the body of the cashier of the} _ — + Bank!” I hissed, tossing it upon the hand and point- ing to it. “You're the man!” I had not time to say more. Before I could grasp my 7 went reeling backward to the floor the lights were extin- -- I staggered to my feet and discharged three shots: into the crowd. At that instant the door was dashed in, and daredevil light stole into them, and, drawing himself up to a sitting posture, he leveled his bony finger at me, and hissed : : “You brought that murder home to me, blame you,. but I die game!” “Ss 3 His evelids drooped, a hoarse rattle gurgled in) his. throat, and, flinging up both arms, he fell. back upoe) the couch, stark, rigid—dead! It is ten years since then, and, although I gained the Tee ward, I shall never forget the incident of the a finger. ‘ a gt af The Federal migratory bird law, enacted in 1913, has. had. according to the Department of Agriculture, a very marked effeet upon the abundance of waterfowl dtghoat the greater part of the country. Reports collected by the Biological Survey show increases varying, with the locality, from 10 to several hundred per cent., in such species; ¢ mallards, widgeon, sprigtails, teal, ail ducks, canvas backs, Canada geese and swans. Some reports state tha’ the number of waterfowl remaining to breed exceeds an thing seen during the past ten to twenty-five years. T timely character of this law is shown by the fact. et, number of migratory game birds now existi United States is only about 10 per cent, of that found i the same area seventy-five. years ago, and the t termination of many important species was imminent. hy law protects not only game birds but also insectiyo || binds, and the latter are the natural enemies of 5 » Fred Sterling headed the police to the deadly fray. Bottles flew right and left, chairs and tables were over- turned, and shrieks of pain rent the air, as pistols from - both sides cracked in the darkness, The next instant the _ light flashed up, his pals were ix? the grasp of the police, . though the man I sought was nowhere to be found ; but on ‘the floor near where he had Saco

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ren Pat: oes : Niger 3 ae FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. 8. pt a ee ¥ { _, Hf Captain Robert Kidd were alive to-day he might rec- ' ognize in the exhibition of pirates’ treasure at No. 1254 8B Gap ray, New York, some of the loot he and his buc- ' eaneers secreted along the shores of the Gulf of Darien Bea two hundred years ago. The treasure that has attracted “crowds to the uptown office of the United Fruit Company “is ‘part of the million-dollar find of the Sackville-White i, 4 ne the city of Moundsville, W. Va., and handing out sums ranging from ‘ten cents to dollars, an unidentified - man has been calling at the homes of residents, telling ' them he was formerly engaged in supplying ice and that he amounts given were the overcharges he had collected years ago. The conscience-stricken dispenser of cash, who bel eved to have distributed $1,500 in small’ amounts, wore his coat collar high about his face and a cap peak his eyes. It is believed the man was converted at a ent revival meeting. - ~ James R. Deshong, fined by Alderman George D. Her- bert for “cussin” out” Charles E. Landis, Progressive lead- er, at the polls on election day, has taken steps to test the in the Dauphin County Court, Harrisburg, Pa. Evi- ; ee was presented at the aldermanic hearing that Des- hong had sworn at Landis six times. After taking a day ~-*0 consult the authorities, Alderman Herbert fined Deshong _ 40 cents per “cuss,” under the act of 1794, or $2.40. Costs totaling about $14 also were imposed. Deshong is the Re- publican leader in the Twelfth Ward. ee me | a a, = - The Government at Kingston, Jamaica, on instructions from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, has pro- ‘hibited the export of logwood, except to Great Britain. ~The export of logwood to the United States from Jamaica, the principal source, of the world’s supply, has heen stopped by an embargo declared by the British Government, aceord- ng to information received by the American Dyewood vany of Boston. Manufacturers who have been ob- ng dyes from these woods since the supply of aniline from Germany was cut off by the war said the blow as a serious one to textile industries. y ‘ause her son and husband have died since the ecqui- : of the: mummy skull of an Egyptian queen neatly vears old, Mrs. Jere Bauman, of Newcastle, Pa., has i the head to the Carnegie museum. Mrs. Bauman 3 she believes the mummy werked a spel! upon the mers of her family and hopes to break this by giving J away. Her son died four years ago and her hus- in November, 1915. The skull is that in November, NEWS OF THE DAY ‘lin the Beechmont, of Queer [apr detection at the hand frequen getion ide 7 : As ey ‘; P The United Securities Dye and Chemical Company in- eorporated at Dover, Del., with a capitalization of $5,000,- 000, is to acquire all kinds of dye substances and to refine and prepare them for market. It also will manufacture, buy, sell, and deal in tools and other implements and will produce acids, alkalies, explosives, ete. The capital stock is divided into 50,000 shares of the par value of $100. 4 Twenty thousand shares will be preferred stock and thirty” — ; thousand common. The incorporators mentioned include 5 Scott S. Baker, Clarence J. Jacobs, Harry W. Davis, all a representing the Delaware Trust Company of Wilmington, = Del., through which company the charter was filed. as a ae A kitten about six months old was taken to a house a few | miles distant from its birth-place, confined in a room, and ~ ae tenderly cared for during-a week, and then set at liberty. Bid: It was supposed to have become habituated to its new sur= Be roundings, but it returned to its old home on the day of if ee os release, The sense of locality and direction was exhibited ~~~ still more strikingly by an old tomcat, which was stolen and carried a distance of twenty miles, confined ina bag. | The cat was imprisoned, but made its escape. and in afew _ : days reappeared In a pitiable state at the home of its former master, which was separated from that of the thief by a © high wooded clitf. tee While the application of the automobile and motor ~ truck has been extended to almost every conceivable phase sar of industrial and social life, the appearance of @ motor car, especially designed for the transportation of a racing horse is a distinct novelty, indeed. In order to insure the safe transportation of his famous $60,000 race horse, “Uhlan,” €. K. G. Billings, the well-known horse fancier, has had . constracted a special automobile. In reality, the automo- ‘ty bile is in the form of a transportable stall fitted withevery == reqnisite for feeding and taking cafe of the horse while traveling. as well as for grooming it at the racetrack. The — Oy stall is fitted with two wheels at the rear, while the front portion is pivoted to a powerful. three-wheeled motor — tractor. ; ; sie : 4 Pr Soe: r Dn Jewels valued at $9,000 were taken from a pocket of a dark-skinned passenger on a train at New Rochelle, N. Y, the other morning by Police Sergeant John McGowan, who has been stationedvat that place because of bu and Davenport pear] necklace, seven diamond rings; a years ago, station - ‘4

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FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. WOMEN FOLD ODD JOBS. -) Mrs. Mary Warren and Alice Purington hold important rp Government offices. at Washington, but are almost totally unknown to the genera! public. Mrs. Warren has the job of looking over the waste baskets of the Treasury Depart- ; ‘ment. For more than thirty years she has sat-at her desk ** , ina smal! back room in the Preasury Building carefully examining eyery bit of refuse taken from the offices Miss Purington is in the Patent Office and she has ihe task of passing on ali dolls, toys and games for which pat- _ ents are sought. Her business is to see that dolls, toys and games work as represented. In the department she is called the first assistant to Santa Claus. THE POPULAR BOY. What makes. a boy popular? Surely it is manliness. pring the war how many schools and colleges followed pular boys? These young leaders were the - manly boys ae Pirhose hearts could be trusted. The boy who respects his mother has leadership in him. The boy who is careful of _ his sister is a knight.. The boy who will never violate Tis word, and who will pledge his honor to his own hurt and change not, will have the confidence of his friends. t ‘The boy who will never hurt the feelings of any one will one day find himseif possessing all sympathy. If you want sehen popular boy, be too manly and generous and un- a selfish to seek to be popular; be ‘the soul of honor; love others better than yourself, and people will give you their hearts, and try to make you happy. This is what makes a y bay popular ae E Eo ——— Je GIGANTIC BIPLANES. 24 German baitleplane, steered. from the bridge like a hip, was deséribed by Baron Cederstrom, director of ie Swedish Government aeroplane factory at Soedertelge, 4 o has been visiting aviation centers in Germany, a Reu- ; ig dispatch from Copenhagen says. + m Cederstrom said that the entire’German aeroplane uetion is undergoing complete revolution, the change ing made from light to heavy machines, the latter capa- of carrying immense loads, Including guns, wireless ap- tus, petrol bombs and signaling devices. A 2 ribing one such machine on which he made-a trip, ‘Baron said it was a giant battle-biplane of improved j and enormous dimensions, nearly three times the ze of the ordinary albatross type, with immense | lifting oS r, great stability and notable speed, and carrying an E precedented weight of armor, on petrol and pro- ‘with a very large crew. : ee _ PREPARING WAR CASUALTY LISTS. e preparation of casualty lists is proving to be much difficul I in this than in former wars, becanse bettes ver | ch long and are ey over so a+ INTERESTING - ARTICLES > London Weekly Telegraph. This, fact the picture ended, the regiments concerned are paraded, often on - the battlefield itself, and the rolls called by the adjutants. ; The names of those who do pot answer are noted and sent © to the headquarters of the brigade to which the regiment : is attached. ar The names of the, wounded who haye been sent to hospi- % tal by the Royal Aviny Medical Corps men are taken and marked off on special forms. Even if a soldier ig so $= ~ viously wounded that he cannot give details of himself the : doetors have no diflic culty in discovering them from identity disc and hadge each soldier carries. It is from a these badges that the names of the dead are noted and taf i warded to headquarters. ; A certain amcunt of time is allowed for stragglers to. re- Fe turn to camp before they aré reported as missing and the lists completéd, They are then cabled to £ngland and — checked again at the War Office from the regimental rolls” which are kept there. Then the lists of dead, Mate is and missing are published. ANIMALS IN WAR ZONE. <= A Polish lady, in order to save her two horses, drove the whole way from Warsaw to Brest-Litovsk, a distance of 184 versts. A vergt is a little less than a mile. Fod X and a pail of water were carried on the back of the ee She was prepared to drive even farther into the interior it necessary. ae In a village on the Grand Morin an aged lady around ‘the town-crier with a drum, as is the practice = provincial France, to announce that she would take care of all cats and dogs left by their owners in their flight nee, the locality, and she remained behind to look after these household pets. pas The Belgian Army Messenger has a story of an old’ tom: cat, from no one knows where, who has made his home in | the trenches on the Yser. His existence seems intimate bound up with that of the soldiers, whose conrage and pov ers of endurance he imitates. lf he hears the sound, of - shrapnel, he goes from one soldier to the other, rubbing himself against their legs. Shells make no impression on him. He. watches them against the sky and waits till th burst without disturbing himself’ in the least. One day- he had certainly breakfasted too well—he was see stretched on a ruined wall, where he lay the whole day | spite of the heavy bombardment. From time to was covered with dust from the explosion of a shell. \é sprang up, shook himself, mewed angrily and then ned his former position on the same stone. To own a mascot has always been considered a mark of quality amongst fighting men, and to-day it i diversion to turn. from war's dreary side to the pets y delighted the soldiers and sailors in time of peace, says ie and news agencies haye been quick to grasp, me h

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no —- eC TAKE NOTICE! Itch Powder, Bombs and Cachoo cannot be sent by mail. Only orders for these goods amounting to one dol- lar will be accepted, as delivery will have to be made by express. GOOD LUCK BANKS. Ornamental! as well as use- ful. Made of highly nickeled brass. It holds just One Dol- lar. When filled it opens it- self. Remains locked until refilied. Can be used as a watchcharm. Money refund- ed if not satisfied. Price, 10c. by mail. H. F. LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’klyn, N. Y. THE BUCULO CIGAR. ea World. It smokes without tobacco, and never ts smaller. Anyone can have a world of nm with it, especially if you smoke it in the resence of a person who disifkes the odor tobacco. It looks exactly like a fine per- ‘ecto, and the smoke is so real that it is : d to deceive the closest observer. Price, 12c. each, postpaid. THE JOKER’S CIGAR. The biggest sell of the sea- son. A real cigar made of 5 aes, tobacco, but secreted in the Faag is, i, center of cigar about one-half F inch from end is a fountain of sparklets. The moment * the fire reaches this fountain hundreds of sparks of fire burst forth in every direction, te the astonishment of the emoker. The fire mr = > and will not burn the skin or a, F. LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’klyn, N. ¥. The most remarkable trick-cigar in the | a eee laa al MAGIC CARD BOX.—A very cleverly made box of exchanging or vanishing cards. In fact, any number of tricks of this character can be performed by it. A very necessary magical accessory. Price, 15¢, FRANK SMITH, 383 Lenox Ave., N. Y. THE FRIGHTFUL RATTLESNAKE} | To all appearanceit isa | harmless piece of coiled paper with a mouth- piece attachment, but upon placing it to one’s mouth, and blowing = into the tube, an imita- | tion snake over two feet in length springs out of the roli like a fash of lightning, producing a whistling, flut- tering gound that would frighten a wild In- dian. We guarantee our rattlesnake not to bite, but would not advise you to play the joke on timid women or delicate children. Price, 10c.; 8 for 25c., maildd postpaid. WOLFF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥ LITTLE CLINCHERS With a pair of these creepers ¢linched on your shoes you can defy the slipperiest ice or snow. No matter how slippery the road or how steep the hill, these claws of steel will carry you safe’ over them. A child ean adjust them in 30 seconds. No nails, straps, screws or rivets are needed. They will not injure your shoes. No need to remove them imdoors—sim- ply fold the heel-plate for- ward, réevérsing the under the instep. They comfortable, durable and in- visible. Just the thing for postmen, golfers, huntefs, woodsmen, brakemen, miners and all who would insure life and limb in winter weather. 25 cents a pair, postpaid. H, F. LANG, 1815 Centre St.. B’kiyn, N. ¥. spikes | are | | mentally select one. | highly recommended. * + Wanted. $1 to $300 paid for Old Coins hundreds of coins dated befors 1895. Send 10e for our illustrated coin value book, 4x7: get posted. Clarke & Co., Box 9, Le Roy,N.¥ Will stop the most vicioustoz (or (eeemened man) without permanent injury. Perfectly safe to carry withont dan- ger of leakage. Fires and recharges by pulling trigger. Loads from any Nquid. No cartridges required. Over six shots in one loading. all dealers, or by mail, 50c. Piste] with rubber- covered holster, b5¢. Holsters separate, 100, Monsey order or U. &. stamps. No coins. PARKER, STEARNS & CO., - 273 Georgia Avenue, - Brooklym, M /. ROUGH AND READY TUMBLERS. These lively acrobats are handsomely deco- rated with the U. &. flag and with sold and " silver stars and hearts. pon placing them up- on any flat surface and tilting {t they at once begin a most wonderful performance, climbing and tumbling over each other and chasing each other in every direction, as if tho evil spirit was after them, causing roars of laugh- ter from the spectators. They actually ap- pear imbued with life. What causes them to ~1t_ up such antics is a secret that may not pe known even to the owner of the unruly subjects. If you want some genuine fun send for a set of var tumblers. Price per set, 1U¢. matied, postpaid, WOLFF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥, a THE DEVIL’S CARD TRICK.—From thres cards held in the hand anyone is asked to 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_ climax; Price, 10e, FRANK SMITH, 383 Lenox Ave.. N. ¥. : VE WANT YOU TO READ “WNioving Picture Stories” A Weekly Magazine devoted to Photoplays and Players sf zy fSSUED EVERY FRIDAY BEAUTIFUL COLORED COVER DESICN - _ New portraits of actors and actresses every week = - ” ¢ k. : plays. - - - - EVERY NUMBER CONTAINS Absolutely the finest little publication on the news-stands a PRICE 5 CENTS A COPY & . THIRTY-TWO PAGES FINE HALF-TONE FRONTISPIECES Got a copy of this weekly magazine and see what itis Six Gripping Stories, based on the latest and best films, each profusely iNustrated with fine half-tones of scenes in the _ § Photographs and Biographies of the most celebrated Photoplay actors and actresses. Special Articles reluting to Moving Pictures, written by the greatest authorities in the film business, News Notes ftom the studios about the doings of everybody of prominence connected with the Photoplays: Scénario Hints and the names of all the companies who may buy the plays you write. Sg © ‘you the latest number issned. | —s MOVING PICTURE STORIES,” Inc. — | | 168 West 23d Street rk Poems, Jingles, Jests and every bright feature calculated to interest buth young and old. GET A COPY NOW (rom your newsdealer, or send us 5 cents in money or postage stamps, and we will mail

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sneesnupemeines ae Bees —— eis ie Bae igeka Es + er 168 WEST 23D STREET, NEW YORK 1916. Price 5 Cents. at FRANK TOUSEY, PUBLISHER, NEW YORK, JANUARY 7, » Feannor In Tuax DEFYING THE SULTAN By HAL STANDISH. ‘@ @ AND OTHER STORIES

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* ee | - — LATEST ISSUES— 503 A Rolling Stone; or, The Brightest Boy on pg 504 Never Say Die: or, e Young Surveyor of Happy The Little Castaways; or, The Fortune That a Wreck Brought | 505 Boss of the Market; or, The Greatest Boy in Wall Street. bi Taking Big Chances; or, The Boy Who Saved a Town. 506 The Chance of His Life; or, The Young Pilot of Crytal Lake 474 ae. ag Ay Bos 9 raters Pt ~~ 507 Striving for Fortune; or, From Bell-Boy to Millionaire 475 The Winning Trick; or, How a Boy Made His Mark. moe Soe cvedaetee Porteia oe pectin Boy in hy Wy alt Street. ote ane go el gg aoe pew Se ar 510 Through Thick and Thin; or, The Adventures of a Smart Boy 4 roke: or, e La oO ade a ecord. ° 7 78 In the Copper Field: or, The Mine That Made the Money. Sil Dolng His Level Beets oc, Worties ee wt ane 479 From a Cent to a Fortune; or, A Chicago Boy's Great Scoop +4 7:0 Street Brok 480 A Start in Life: or, A Poor Boy's Rise to Fame. 513 ae ee a oe ag ace a mate Gasater ~ A Wide Awake Boy; or, Born With a Winning Streak. 515 On the Square: or, The Success of an Honest Ho 482 eens the Money ; or, How Ben Bailey Made His Mark 516 After a Fortune; or, The Pluckiest Boy in the West. ~ 3 Diggi G - Th yr Bo. ’ . 5 454 4 oy With Grit! or; Earning Am Honest Living S17 Wiesing the Dollars: i The Toes Noe pe ie} akin; s ; , le boy ; 485 Andy. the Mill Boy: or. Rising to the Top 319 Helr t» a Million; or, The Boy’ Who Was Born Lucky. 486 Fame Before the Footlights: or, The Boy Who Bossed the Theater Lucky Lee, the Office Boy: or, The Nerviest Lad in New York 488 Sure to Get Rich; or, A Smart Young Messenger. 520 Lost In the Andes; or, The Treasure of the _Buried City. On His Mettle; or, A Plucky Boy in Wall Streets 522 A Lucky Chance; or, Taking Fortune on the Wing. 489 Pushing it Through: or, The Yate of a Lucky Boy. 523 The Road to Success; or, The Career of a Fortunate Boy 49C A Born Speculator: or, The Young Sphinx of Wall Street. 524 Chasing Pointers; or, The Iuckiest Boy in Wall Street. 491 The Way to Success: or, The Boy Who Got There 525 Rising In the World; or, From Factory Boy to Manager. 492 Strock Oil: or, The Bov Who Made a Million 526 From Dark to Dawn; or, A Poor Boy’s Chance. . 493 A Golden Risk: or, The Young Miners of Della Cruz. A Sure Winner. or, The Boy Who Went Out With a Circus. 495 Golden Fleece; or, The Boy Brokers of Wall Street. st on. 496 A Madcap Scheme: or. The Boy Treasure Hunters of Cocos Island. | 530 Out for a Million; or, The You idas of Wall Street. 497 Adrift on the World: or, Working His Way to Fortune. Every Inch a Boy; or, Doing His Level Best. 498 Playing to Win; or, The Foxiest Boy in Wall Street 532 On to Success; or. The Roy Who Got Ahead. 499 Tatters: or, A Boy from the Slums. 533 An Eye to Business; or, The Boy Who Was Not Asleep. 500 A Young Monte Cristo: or. The Richest Boy In the World. 534 Tipped by the Ticker; or, An Ambitious Boy in Wall Street. 501 Won by Pluck: or, The Boys Who Ran a Railroad 535 Money to Burn; or, The Shrewdest Boy in Wall Street. Reating the Brokers: or, The Boy Who “Couldn't Be Done.” 536 A Bid for a Fortune: or, A Country Boy in Wall Street. | For sale by al] newsdealers, or will be sent to any address on receipt of price, = cents per copy, in money or postage stamps, Dy FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, - - . : ° - - - - - 168 West 23d St., New York. aa IF YOU WANT ANY BACK NUMBERS * of Our weeklies and cannot procure them from newsdealers, they can be obtained from this office direct. Write out and fill in your Order and send it to us with the price of the weeklies you want and we will send ‘hem to you by return mail _ POSTAGE STAMPS TAKEN THE SAME AS MONEY. 168 West 23d St., New York. FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, - - - : ° = . a - . ou rR TEN-CENT BAN YD BOOKS # HOW TO MAKE AND USE ELEC- RAPHER.—Containing useful information re- with figures and the magic of numbers. By reicrrys— “y description of the wonderful | garding the Camera and how to work it; also | A. Anderson. Fully fllustrated. ies Of electricity and electro magnetism; to- how to make Photographic Macic Lantern No. 74. HOW TO WRITE LETTERS : gether with ful! instructions for making Elec- Slides and other Transparencies. ‘Iandsomely CORRECTLY. Consainits full instructions or writing 527 Out for Himself; or, Paving His Way to Fortune. 528 Diamond Cut Diamond: or. The Boy Brokers of Wall Street 529 A Start in Life; or, A Bright Ambition ‘ric To: Batteries, etc. By George Trebel. illustrated. letters on almost any subject; A. M. MD. Containing over fifty flustra- Ne. 62. HOW TO BECOME A WEST also rules for punctuation and composition, tions. POINT MILITARY CADET.—Explains how with specimen letters. * No. 47. TO BREAK, RIDE AND | to gain admittance, course of Study, Examina- No. 75. HOW TO BECOME A "RER. DRIVE A Hi E.—A complete treatise on tions. Duties, Staff of Officers, Post Guard, Po- —Containing tricks with Do Dice, the horse. Deseribing the most useful horses for business, LY best horses for the road; also valuable fpes for diseases peculiar to the horse. ! No. 48. HOW TO BUILD AND SAIL CANOES.—A Bandy book for boys, contain- mg full directiOns for constructing canoes and, the most popBlar manner of sailing them. filustrated. No. 49. HOW TO DEBATE.—Giving rules for conducting }debates, outlines for debat>s, uestions for discussion, and the best sources for procuring “information on the question ven. rae 50. TO STUFF BIRDS AND AN- IMALS.—A VAluable book, giving instructions in collectingy preparing, mounting and pre- serving birdg animals and ingects. No. 51, ow DO TRICKS WIlH ARDS.—Containing explanations of the gen- c eral prin of sileight-of-hand applicable to onan a. of card tricks with ordinary cards, am@synot requiring sleight-of-hand; ef tricks ving sleight-of-hand, or the use of red cards. Illustrated. re; How To PLAY CARDS.—Giving and full directions tor playing Cribbage, Casino, Forty-Five, Rounce, Sancho, Draw Poker, Auction Pitch, All Fours, and many other pepular games of cards. No. 53. HOW TO WRITE LETTERS.—A wonderful little book, telling yeu how to write to your sweetheart, your father, mother, sis- No. ter, brother, employer; and, in fact, every- body and as y_ you wish to write to. 54. OW TO KEEP AND MANAGE trations. No. 55. HOW TO COLLECT STAMPS D COENS.—Containing valuable informa- regarding the collecting and arranging mps and coins. Handsomely filustrated. How TO ME AN together TO BECOME A PHOTOG- , Publisher, « or will be sent to any addnegs on recelpt of price, 10 cts. per copy, ur 3 for 25 cts., In money or postage stamps, by lice Regulations, Fire Department, and all a boy should know to be a cadet. By Lu Senar- ens. No. 63. HOW TO BECOME A NAVAL CADET.—Complete instructions of how to gain admission to the Annapolis Naval Academy. Also containing the course of instruction. de- scription of grounds and buildings, historical sketch, and everything a boy should know to become an officer in the United Ste «s Navy. By Lu Senarens. No. 64. HOW TO MAKE EL .CTRICAL MACHINES.—Containing full directions for making electrical machines, induction coils, dynamos, and many nove! toys to be worked by electricity. By R. A. R. Bennet. Fully illustrated. Ne. 65. MULDOON’S JOKES.—The most original joke book ever published, and it is brimful of wit and humor. It contains a large collection of songs, jokes, conundrums, etc,, of Terrence Muldoon, the great wit. hu- morist, and practical joker of the day. No. 6. HOW TO DO PUZZLES.—Con- taining over three hundred interesting puzzies and conundrums, with key to same. A com- plete book. Fully illustrated. No. 67. HOW TO DO ELECTRICAL TRICKS.—Containing a large collection of in- structive and highly amusing electrical! tricks, together with illustratiens. By A. Anderson. No. 68. HOW TO DO CHEMICAL TRICKS. —Centaining over one hundred highly amus- ing and instructive tricks with chemicals. By A. Anderson. Handsomely illustrated. No. 69. HOW TO DO SLEIGHT-OF-HAND. —Containing over fifty of the latest and best tricks used by clans. Also containing the secret of second sight. Fully illustrated. No. 70. HOW TO MAKE MAGIC TOYS.— Containing full directions fer ype si Magic Ee ory devices of many kinds. Fully ilius- ra No. 71. HOW TO DO MECHANICAL TRICKS.—Containing complete instructions for performing over sixty Mechanica! Tricks. Fully illustrated. Ne. 72. Hi DO SIXTY TRICKS WITH CARDS.—Embracing all of the latest and most deceptive card tricks, with illus- trations. No. 73. HOW TO DO TRICKS WITH NUMBERS.—Showing many curious tricks _ . ~ -* 4 — ee NE EEE ee Cups and Balls, Hats, etc. Embracing thirty- six illustrations. By A. Anderson. No. 76. HOW TO TELL FORTUNES BY THE HAND.—Containing rules for telling for- tunes by the aid of lines of the hand, the secret of palmistry. Also the secret telling future events by aid of moles, marks, scars, etc. T!lustrated. No. 77. HOW TO DO FORTY TRICKS WITH CARDS.—Containing deceptive Card Tricks as perfortned by leading conjurers and magicians. Arranged for home amusement. Fully illustrated. No. 78 HOW TO DO THE BLACK ART. —Containing a complete description of the mysteries of Magic and Sleight-of-Hand, to- gether with many wonderful experiments.» By A. Anderson. Illustrated. No. . HOW TO BECOME AN ACTOR, —Con@ining complete instructions how te make“up for various characters on the stage; together with the duties of the Stage Manager, Prompter, Scenic Artist and Property Man. No. 8@. GUS WILLIAMS’ JOKE BOOK,.— Containing the latest jokes, anecdotes and@ funny stories of this world-renowned German comedian. Sixty-four pages; handsome col- ored cover, containing a half-tone photo of the author. No. 81. HOW TO MESMERIZE.—Contait ing the most approved methods of mesm ism; animal magnetism, or, magnetic h ing. By Prof. Leo Hugo Koch, A.C.S. auth ef “How to Hypnotize,” etc. Ne. 82. HOW TO DO PALMISTRY.—Co: taining the most approved methdds of ing the lines on the hand, together with a f explanation of their meaning. Also expi * ing phrenology, and the key for telling c acter by the bumps on the head. By Hugo Koch, A.C.S. Fully illustrated. No. 83. HOW TO HYPNOTIZE.—Contain- ing valuable and instructive information re- garding the science of hypnotism. Also ex- piaining the most approved methods which are employed by the leading hypnotists of the world. By Leo Hugo Koch, A.C.s. No. 84. HOW TO BECOME AN AUTHOR, —Containing information regarding choice of subjects, the use of words and the manner of preparing and submitting manuscript Aige containing valuable information as to the neatness, legibility and general composition of manuscript. 168 West 23d St., New York. * x, a ws