Fame And Fortune Weekly (no. 559) (1916 06 16)

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JUNE 16, {916 sfTORIES OF _ BOYS THAT MAKE MONEY. TESTARTNG iS OWN BUSINESS; By. OR, THE ROY MHD CAUGHT ON. ez Stents ee ER STORIES @, Pr aN LG; "Gi, °% - o~ Ae : as VIE At that moment a horse and wagon came tearing up the road. Farmer Whipple was standing u and pulling hard but ineffectually at the reins. To avert a smash-up against the fence, Tom grabbed the gate and swung it open.

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Fame and Fortune Weekly _ STORIES OF BOYS WHO MAKE MONEY Issued Weekly-——By paerigtion $2.50 per year. Entered at the New York, N. Y., Post Office as Second-Class Matter y Frank Tousey, Publisher, 168 West 28d Street, New York. “—— _ ce Bans a | rnc HIS OWN BUSINESS THE BOY WHO CAUGHT ON By A SELF-MADE MAN CHAPTER I. tables and fruit trees, the whole surrounded by a white picket fence. } TOM SHERIDAN AND HIS SURROUNDINGS. There had also been a hen-house, an1 pig-styes, and a small barn. ‘ “Where are you bound, Tom?” asked Bob Pennington. All this, however, was altered now. » “After the doctor.” The garden and small orchard had run wild with weeds. “For your aunt?” The pigs and poultry, and cow, had been sold, while the hen- Xe “Yes. She’s very bad. I’m afraid she’s going to die,” said | house, pig-styes, and part of the barn had been pulled down Tom Sheridan, gulping back a lump in his throat, while his | for fuel. - eyes filled with tears. Ten years since that desolate place had been the well-fur- _ “Too bad,” replied Bob. “I’m dead sorry for her. She’s nished, comfortable home of William Bagley and his con- mt, had a pretty hard time of it for some time back, ever since—-” |tented wife Sarah. @ And then he stopped and kicked a dent in the country road.| He was a carpenter and builder and had plenty of work. “I know what you mean, Bob,” said Tom, solemnly. “She He owned the cottage and ground, and was considered bas had a hard time of it. No one knows that better than | fairly prosperous. me. I've tried to make things as easy for her as I could; but | He had a little money saved, and he hoped one day to ‘add | Mr. Bagley has simply acted like a brute all along. He’s down | a neighboring bit of property to his possessions. - at the Corners now, getting his usual jag on, I guess, though! The owner of the property died suddenly, and the oppor- “where he gets the money to’fill up on is a mystery to me. |tunity was offered to him to get the place cheap for cash. - When she’s gone he'll go to the dogs, not but that he’s pretty; put he didn’t have the cash, and he hated to mortgage his . near there now. own little property. = “You'll pull out, I suppose,” said Bob. While he was considering the matter he discovered that a “There's nothing else for me to do. I'd have gone away | well-to-do farmer on the other side, a man whom he hated, , from here long ago, only for aunt. I wouldn't leave her to | was after the property, too. ae mercy of that hog not for a million dollars.” , | He was in a quandary, for he didn’t want Farmer Whipple to ~ “You've done the square thing by her, Tom.” lget it. “I’ve tried to. She was my father’s sister, and was always| However, he had the advantage of the first chance. good to me. I don’t like to lose her, but she'll be happier away | Unfortunately, at this juncture a reckless acquaintance of om this life.” earlier years turned up. ‘Tom leaned his arm on the rail fence and hid his face in the} He had just come out of prison, but kept that fact to him- ds of his jacket. self. ae felt very badly, indeed, and his friend respected his| He learned how Bagley was fixed, and taking advantage of _ “Well,” he said, pulling himself together, “what’s the use conquered, got him intoxicated one night and persuaded him _ + Half a mile down the road the boys parted, Tom entering | Whipple’s home, ateway before a ee cottage where Dr. Kent) jagiey’s friend, Tom Johnson, had sent a note to the farmer, telling him that his uncle, a wealthy farmer in the next te physician had just teturoed. from visiting a patient, county, was dying, and that Whipple and his wife must come. ind his: ethene stood in the back yard waiting for the hired | there at once. to take the horse out. Johnson calculated that this would leave the house at his uber to do so was countermanded, and Tom and the mercy. were soon driving up the road toward byt tas miserable | The scheme would probably have succeeded only it ha’ ¢ where the lad lived with his aunt, Mrs. Sarah Bag- | pened that the uncle in question had set out to make a 4 shiftless husband. to his nephew, and the two parties came together on the on a time that wretched habitation had been a neat) Farmer Whipple was much astonished to meet vase! man in e nd good a gr he supposed to be dying. lings. his old weakness for liquor, whieh he had, to a certain extent against fate? Are you coming my way?” to take part in an enterprise which promised considerable I’m going to the village.” monetary results. a _ “Come on, then.” It was nothing more nor less than the robbery of Farmer —

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STARTING HIS OWN BUSINESS. Perhaps he was also disappointed, for he yearned for his uncle’s money. Explanations ensued, and these gave Whipple a strong sus-|drink when he couldn’t pay for it. picion that something was wrong. He had ceased to be a profitable customer, but because he _ was useful in a way, he was tolerated and furnished with: Had any one wanted to find Bagley he would have gone to The combined party hurried back to the Whipple farm, ar- |the barroom of the road-house, and that is where the boy went riving just in time to capture Johnson, and the intoxicated |as straight as he could go. Bagley, red-handed. He had never been in the place before, and he hated the Both were tried and sent to the penitentiary for five years. |necessity that forced him to go there that night; but there - When Bagley got out he was a’ changed man. His return to the village was eyed with suspicion. was no help for it. The place was dim with tobacco smoke, and at first Tom His wife, who had borne up as well as she could under the) was not able to see the object of his errand. disgrace, had managed to get along after a fashion. At. length he saw him at a table with three other men, all — She was the only one who gave him a welcome when he| drinking, talking and smoking, as if life held no better em- came back, the only one who stood his friend, and a poor re- | ployment. turn she got for it. He walked straight up to his aunt’s husband and tapped him He made no attempt to go to work; in fact, nobody wished |on the shoulder. to employ him, and the first thing he did was to mortgage his home. With the money he sought the questionable society at the Corners, and commenced the downward path. About this time, Tom Sheridan, a bright and industrious lad, came to live with the Bagleys. : Tom was an orphan, and Mrs. Bagley was his dead father’s only sister. The boy soon saw how things were going, and as he grew older he remonstrated with Mr. Bagley, who drove him away from the cottage. He went to work for Farmer Pennington and stayed with him about a year. The man turned his inflamed countenance toward him an recognized him. ¥ “Oh; it’s you, is it?” he said. the old woman?” The indifferent and insulting way the words were spoken made Tom’s blood boil with indignation. ‘ It would probably have afforded him a certain satisfaction to have struck Mr. Bagley to the floor. But he did not dare show his anger under the circumstances, _ “Aunt Sarah is dying,” he said, huskily. “She wants to see you, and sent me to fetch you.” “Oh, she did?” snarled Bagley, who was in a quarrelsome humor. “She sent you to fetch me. You go back and tell. “What do you want? How's Then his aunt was stricken with a lingering illness and Tom | her I'll come when I get good and ready.” went back to the cottage to do what he could for her, for no- body else would stay with her on account of her husband, - who had got pretty low by this time. “But she wants to see you now.” “What do I care what she wants?” he cried, with an impres cation. “Do you s’pose I’m goin’ to leave my friends just to Several times she had seemed at the point of death, but had | oblige her? Not by a jugful.” pulled through. Tom was her only consolation and support, and he nobly re- |sisted Tom. sponded. On the day our story opens she had been taken with one |heartlessly. “If you don’t come you may never see her alive again,” per- “Well, I'm not worryin’ about her dyin’,” replied Bagley, — “She’s been dyin’ several times, but I notice she — of her sinking spells, and from the way she looked Tom was | didn’t turn up her toes, just the same. Now just go back and afraid that she wouldn’t get over it. The only thing he could do was to go for the doctor. mind your own business, d’ye understand? Maybe you're dry and. would like a drink, first. There’s the bottle—help When they reached the cottage Mrs. Bagley seemed to be ; yourself.” better. : “I wouldn’t touch the vile stuff,” answered the boy, with The doctor’s experienced eye saw that she could not live much spirit. long—not many hours at the most—and after he had done “You wouldn’t, eh?” cried Bagley, with a wicked grin. “I’ve what he could for her he took Tom aside and told him what he |g great mind to make you, you sanctimonious little monkey! might expect. The boy was shocked and upset, though he had practically expected it. : He smothered his grief as best he could and sat down by 4 his aunt’s bedside to stick to her to the last. _ Night found him still there. He made no attempt to get any supper for himself, as he . ‘no heart to eat. ; is aunt, who had been in a semi-conscious state for some time, came to herself about nine o'clock, ; 3 -“Tom, I am going to die,” she said, in‘a weak voice. it here,” putting her hand on her heart. “I shan’t live till morning. Where is William, my husband? Hasn’t he home yet?” ; “No, aunt. He doesn’t usually get back till after midnight.” a “I must see him, Tom. I must see him before I die,” she _ eried, feverishly. a * _ “You'll see him all right,” he replied, reassuringly “But I must see him now. He’s at the Corners. for him, Tom, and bring him to me, won’t you?” she begged, as L sed her tenderly and departed on his errand. 1 haste to reach the Corners. the junction of three roads, two miles outside the the nigh e steadiest one of all was William Bagley, who, in the | at spent several hundred dollars over What say? Shall we pour some down his throat?” he added, turning toward his associates, and at the same time grabbing Tom by the sleeve of his jacket. 5 ae “You won't pour any down my throat, Mr. Bagley,” he said, . resolutely. » ‘ : _ “Oh, I won’t? We'll see whether I won't.” F He attempted to seize Tom around the waist, but the mus- cular boy shook him off. : One of the other men, however, caught him by the arm, — while Bagley, catching up the bottle, labeled whisky, staggered — “T feel |on his feet. Tom, realizing that he was in an embarrassing position, — come |started to get out of it without regard to consequences. Failing to disengage his arm, he struck at the man who hela ise him. % : Swat! 1 The blow reached the fellow’s jaw and he fell against Bag- ley. LES The latter lost his uncertain balance and both men fell to- gether. a The bottle was smashed against the table. * Bagley held on to the jagged end and, as his hand around, he struck his companion a glancing blow, open his cheek. ie The wounded man, bleeding like a pig, jumped on Bagley ‘and began to pound him. : Tom made use of his chance to leave the barroom in a hurr pene \ CHAPTER IL. TOM IS THROWN ON HIS OWN EESOURCES. Tom started for the cottage, conscious that his erran been fruitless. _ - i He saw that there was little chance of Mr. Bagley . his dying e’s bedside for some hours, and he know what kind of report to make to his aunt, who was feverishly anxious to see her husband. ‘ x ‘ | at Fe “al _ tee i b:

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: ‘now decidedly aggressive. ‘He blamed him for all the misery that had. befallen his her’s sister for the past nine years, and especially for his tment of her since he had returned from the penitentiary. hen he opened the back door and entered the kitchen, the Silence of the place struck a chill to the boy’s heart. _ A-strange premonition that somethMig had happened to his mt during his short absence fell upon him like an ice-cold ‘ket. _ He ascended the stairs to the bedroom on the floor above and softly entered. His aunt lay on the bed, just as he had left her, the soft slow of the lamp shading her face, but to his sharp eye there something about her that looked different even across the He stopped and listened intently. abi the faintest sound or movement came from the bed. With a great fear oppressing him, he crossed the room and ed down at her. _ The dropped jaw and staring eyes told their story. His aunt was dead. __ It was a terrible shock for Tom, and for some time he was eyes, - : gee he put a couple of-small pebbles that he found a shelf. After that he sat down to pass the night as a silent and ournful watcher. _ About two in the morning he heard a voice in the road, singing discordantly. “That’s Mr. Bagley,” he muttered, a hele look coming into his pouns: face. “Well, I see his finish right here. The only Tiend he had in the world is gone. After this he'll have to ad his jag somewhere else. The lawyer who foreclosed the mortgage months ago, but who permitted us to dive here because he didn’t want to turn aunt out into the road, will Row ee possession of the property and turn it to some ac- *. -The door banged downstairs as Bagley entered the kitchen. Im a moment or two Tom heard him staggering upstairs. ‘Finally he appeared in the doorway, clinging to the sides. : He was a picture for fair. e had been badly handled in the scrap brought about by “his ineffectual effort to force liquor on Tom, and his face - looked as ugly as sin. e boy, after one glance at it, scented trouble, and he ‘Steeled himself to meet it. _ He was in a humor to stand no fooling from the dead oman’s husband, and was plucky and strong enough to re- Sist any aggression on the part of the drunken man. gazed around the room before entering, and his eyes on the boy, they began to twinkle with a tipsy fury, and, rolling ‘sleeves as he advanced, he made direct for Tom. e lad got on his feet with a deliberation that showed he “prepared to meet the issue, whatever it might be, and his flashed resentfully. “Now, you little monkey, I’ve got you and I’m goin’ to thrash su within an inch of your life!” snarled Bagley. _ “You'd better not touch me, Mr. Bagley, if you know when vre well off,” replied Tom. “I’ve taken all I’m going to m you. If you had the feelings of a mouse you'd respect : ae of the dead, but I don’t imagine that you have “What d’ye ean your wife is dead. She died while I was over at the do. But you wouldn't come. No, you preferred to stay our cronies. Well, you'll have full swing after this to with them right along—if they'll let you. It’s a long lane ’t a turning, and you've reached the turn of; yours. > you'll enjoy the sensation.” turned from Tom and steggered to the bed. ad!" ‘he muttered. “I don’t believe it. You're only 1 to save ve that little villain from a lickin’. Wake up! 2p! Or I'll pull you out of bed.” 4 pibed the | apc Ba age Ry the arm and shook her trying to persuade you to come to her, as she begged OWN BUSINESS. He made one feeble effort to rise, and then rolled over, stu- z "| pidly, and presently was snoring in a drunken sleep. ~ The boy regarded him with contempt’ “You're a fine specimen to call yourself a man, you are,” he said. “If I,-wanted a warning to leave liquor alone I'd find it in you. You ought to be photographed as you are now. The : picture would make a fine illustration for a temperance lec- ture.” Tom grabbed him by the arms and dragged him over to the opposite side of the room where he left him and returned to his post. ; He replaced the pebbles on ‘his aunt’s eyes, smoothed out the s rumpled bedclothes, and sat down to await the coming of morning. At length daylight dawned, and after washing his face he Started for the Pennington farm. He found Bob just coming out in the yard. “Hello, Tom!” exclaimed his friend, in some surprise at see- ing him so early. “What brings you here at this hour? How's your aunt?” “She’s dead,” replied Tom, sadly, but without a tear. “Dead! My gracious, you don't say! When did she die?” “Last night. I would like you to come over and help me out a bit.” “Sure I will. We'll have breakfast in a little while. You’ll eat with me, of course. I'll tell father I'm going over with you.” The Penningtons liked Tom, and they sympathized with him in his loss, though they believed that his aunt was far better off at rest. Mrs. Pennington said that she and her girl would go to the cottage in a little while and wash and lay out the dead woman for burial. Tom thanked her for the proposed kindness. Mr. Pennington asked the boy if he needed any money for | immediate expenses, and offered him a $20 bill. Tom accepted it gratefullyy promising to repay it when he could. Ke said that the furniture and personal property of his aunt ought to easily cover the expenses of her funeral. If there was anything left over he intended to expend it on a tombstone. “If Mr. Bagley interferes with me in any way, or asserts his right to the property necessary to bury my aunt, I'll swear out a warrant against him, and have him put in the lock-up as a vagrant, ” said Tom, resolutely. “I would,” replied Mr. Pennington. do after the funeral, Tom?” “Hustle for myself,” replied the boy, promptly. ( “I can give you something to do on the farm for a while, and that will give you time to consider the future.” “Thank you, Mr. Pennington. I will accept your offer.” : After breakfast Tom returned to the coitage with Bob. bes Bagley was still snoring away where Tom had left him during . the night. i With Bob’s help Tom carzied the man into a back room, laid re him /upon the bed he was accustomed to use since his habits had got so bad, and locked him in. “What do you expect to “Now he’s out of thé way,” said Tom. “If you don't mind. staying here on watch, Bob, I'll call on Mr. Mold, the under- A: taker.” 4 A Bob had no objection, and Tom departed on his errand. and He came back with Mr. Mold, and while the undertaker ea was performing his first duties with the dead, Bagley woke up, fairly sober, and finding himself locked inside the popes, started to kick the door open. Tom then let him out. 49 After raising a small reais Bagley discovered that his Shs wife was indeed dead, That quieted him down, and thr a little while it looked asf he' was sorry for his conduct toward the poor woman. Tom relented toward him so far as to cook him some =, fast. Soon after eating it he disappeared, and the boys gu he had gone to the Corners to drown his feelings in liquor. — He turned up late that night, full, as usual, but not in ORS a quarrelsome mood. yen He was easily persuaded to go to bed, sh eas glad to be relieved of his presence.

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house, where for the next month he shared Bare:3 room and worked at odd jobs about the place. In the meantime the contents of the cottage was sold at auction to liquidate the funeral and other expenses, and the property taken in hand by the owner, who proceeded to put it into shape for a tenant. Bagley, being thrown out on the charity of an unsympa- thetic world, disappeared, and Tom did not care if he never saw him again. CHAPTER III. TOM HAS A RUN-IN WITH THE WHIPPLES. farmer Whipple, for the attempted burglary of whose house Tom Johnson and William Bagley had served a five-year sen- tence in the penitentiary, lived on a good-sized farm which adjoined the Pennington’s. He was not a popular man in the neighborhood, but that fact didn’t worry him. He was also a man of strong prejudices, who never forgave a real or a fancied injury, and his wife and son Ezra were very much like him. Bagley might have got off with a lighter sentence, as it was shown at his trial that he hardly knew what he was about the night of the robbery, but for Whipple’s animosity. While Bagley was serving his time, the Whipple family made things as hard as they could for poor Mrs. Bagley, though everybody knew that she had no hand in or sympathy with her husband’s crime. , Tom Sheridan, when he came to live with his aunt, also came in for his share of the Whipple family’s aversion and suspicion. Ezra Whipple hated Tom because he was much better-look- ing than himself, and because he soon established himself in the favorable estimation of the girls and boys in the neigh- borhood, which he never could do himself. He tried his best to lord it over Tom on the strength of the fact that his father was regarded as one of the most prcs- perous farmers in the county, and because Tom was poor. But it didn’t work very well, for Tom was independent and wouldn’t stand any nonsense from any one. . The fact that Ezra lived in the finest and biggest house out- . side of Liberty didn’t impress Tom with a sense of young Whipple’s superiority. Both he and Bob had Ezra down pretty fina. They knew him for a blow-hard and a coward—a boy ready to make the most of any advantage that came his way, but the first to put up a squeal when things went against him. One morning, Mr. Pennington sent Tom over to Farmer Whipple’s to borrow a small tool which he wanted to use, but found he could not buy in Liberty, Tom would rather have been excused from the errand, but as Bob had gone to the village for something, there was no one ‘else to go. So he put on his best clothes, none too good at that, and Started for the Whipple farmhouse, a rather imposing three- 4X % gamer, square-built frame structure fronting directly on the te et 5 There stood a small barn between the fence surrounding the ro house and the fence encircling the field beyond, and Tom, : the somebody at work therein, walked in. : saan Somebody in question was Ezra in his working clothes. + Moment his eyes lighted on Tom his brow clouded. : nae do you want here?” he asked, in a surly tone. erties Pky mentioned the object of his errand in a pleasant way. ; Wie ont. nothin’ ‘about the tool,” replied Ezra. + sy find your father?” asked Tom. hunt for him,” replied Ezra, ungraciously. nee ‘he ye in one of the fields?” fo, he isn’t in the house.” ok here, Ezra Whipple, why can’t you talk to a fellow civil manner?” asked asked Tom, disgusted with the snappish- shown by the other. ‘a coat want to a ey to you at ie I don’t want nothin’ to Ban boy like you Your uncle was a jail- pa your ee aint was poneey thieats you dare: say a word vy tom ach or sok in te you “ets this shovel,” t my aunt,” exclaimed STARTING HIS OWN. BUSINESS. | eee snarled Wzra. “If my father was here he’d kick you off the — farm. We don’t want you around here.” : “You're a nice boy, you are, I don’t think, holding himself in check with an effort. “Yah!” snorted Ezra, favoring him with a vindictive look, “Why don’t you go when I tell you we don’t want you around?” — “I’m going. I wouldn’t waste my time on such a disagreea- ble young cub_as you are,” answered Tom, turning around and walking out of the barn. He walked to the corner of the field fence where there was a wide gate communicating with the pasture, and paused, un- decided whether to wait a while for the owner of the property or not. . At that moment a horse and wagon came tearing up the road, : Farmer Whipple was standing up and pulling hard. but in- effectually at the reins. To avert a smash-up against the fence, Tom grabbed the gate and swung it open. The horse, which was frightened and unmanageable, dashed ” retorted ‘Tom, ‘ -blindly at the opening and passed through. “Et you'oy it'mae you fel rey or] ~ The wagon was not quite so fortunate. The hub of the forward wheel came into collision with the gate-post. Crash! The wagon came up all standing, the horse tore itself free and kept on, pulling the farmer, who had lost his balance through. the shock, over the dashboard. Ephraim Whipple turned a half somersault, struck the animal's back and tumbled, head first, into the dirt, where he was dragged several yards before the reins slipped from his fingers. Ezra had funbod out of the barn as the runaway approached the fence and saw Tom’s prompt action, which clearly saved ~ the horse’s life. ; : Then he stood gazing, open-mouthed, at the stranded wagon which filled up the opening, while Tom vaulted the fence and hastened to Farmer Whipple's aid. “You're not hurt, are youy Mr. Whipple?” asked Tom, as ae raised him up. The farmer spat out a mouthful of dirt and gazed about him in a bewildered manner. For a moment he hardly knew what had happened to him. If Tom had told him that an earthquake had just shaken up the neighborhood he would have believed the boy. His face was all streaked with moist soil, and his iron-gray hair was plastered with it, while his clothes looked as if they had been in a mangling machine. He was certainly a sight. “Who are you?” asked the farmer, as ‘he began to come to himself. ; “Tom Sheridan.” The farmer rubbed his eyes and stared at him with a hard look. ; “What are you doin’ here?” rk “Mr. Perfnington sent me over to borrow——” 3 “He ain’t got no business to send you here to borry nothin’, I don’t want you on my property, d’ye understand. I won't. have none of the Bagley brood around here. Fust thing I know my house might be robbed ag’in.” “What do you take me for, Mr. Whipple?” asked Tom, indig- ; nantly. . “I don’t take you for nothin’ good. So git out of here jest as quick as you kin, or I'll set one of the dogs on you.” “All right. I'll report your generous reception of me to Mr. Pennington,” replied Tom, thoroughly disgusted with thea farmer. “If it hadn’t been that I opened the gate your horse — 2 would have probably broken his legs, and you'd had to shoot — him, while you might have broken your own neck. If you — were half-way decent you wouldn't treat me this way after * what I did for you; but I suppose you don’t know any better,” — concluded Tom, sarcastically, for he was pretty mad at the £ farmer's words. “What's that, you young whippersnapper?” roared M Whipple, furiously. “You dare to talk to me in that bacscien} Just wait till I git my whip, I'll make your back tingle.” He scrambled to his feet and started for the wagon. ~ Tom, perceiving that the farmer intended to adopt Measures, concluded not to wait for him to carry out human intentions. — He jumped the fence as the man began to climb & ‘ oy ts, Beale shouted to his son. nee

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STARTING HIS Ze cl eel OWN BUSINESS. Ree “eit away. He insulted me, and I’m goin’ to take it out of his hide.” } Tom made no attempt to run, as he considered that would be _ both undignified and cowardly. He simply walked off without paying any attention to Hzra. <* ' The boy, however, encouraged by his father’s presence, _ started to head Tom off. Tor made an effort to avoid him, but finding that he eouldn’t, stopped. “Tf you know what’s good for you, you won’t block my way, Ezra Whipple. I am on the /public road now, so get out of my “way. ” _ “You can’t get away from here till you’ve had a lickin’,” : grinned Ezra. “Can’t I? We'll see about that. “No, I’m not.” Tom seized him like a flash and, tripping him up, walked - ae him wallowing in the dust and yelling that he was Ephraim Whipple, whip in hand, leaped from the wagon and came tearing after Tom, with blood in his eye. “You young rascal! I’ll skin ye within an inch of your life!” he shouted. man Seeing that he could not escape unless he took to his heels, which he scorned to do, Tom stopped and faced the irate _ farmer. + “I wouldn’t advise you to touch me with that whip, Mr. _ Whipple,” he said, calmly and deliberately. “You might regret it. You have no right to attempt to strike me for merely com- _-- ing here on an errand for Mr. Pennington.” ' Ephraim Whipple, witip in hand, leaped from the wagon and glaring at him, said: : “You've insulted me, you beggar’s brat, and I intend to -« thrash you.” , | “You mean you've insulted me several times yourself,” re- - turned Tom. “Lick him, father, lick him good!” shouted Ezra, from a safe distance. j “Tnsulted you!” roared the farmer, amazed at what he con- sidered the boy’s impudence. “Why, you Rage prevented further intelligible utterance, but it urged him on to immediate vengeance. He raised the whip and lashed Tom around the body with it. Quick as a wink, the boy seized the lash, sprang forward, Ss the handle and wrenched the whip from the farmer's an Then he tossed it over into a field on the opposite side of the Toad. cigh _ As he proceeded to walk away, Farmer Whipple sprang at AY him like a wild beast, aiming a blow at his head. : Tom ducked, put out his foot, and his enemy measured his “length in the road. The boy took advantage of his opportunity to walk quickly _.. away, which he was permitted to do without further molesta- tion. Are you going to move?” CHAPTER IV._ TOM GETS INTERESTED IN A MONEY-MAKING SCHEME. When Tom got back to the Pennington farm he reportetl the -unfruitful result of his mission, and also told Mr. Pennington of the run-in he had had with both Farmer Whipple and his : acre not particularly surprised at Ephraim Whipple’s con- ; en said Mr. Pennington. “He is the most pig-headed and unreasonable man I have ever run across. His son is a chip of the old block, with the ignorance of youth added.” ‘You don’t blame me for resenting their attitude toward me, you, sir?” said Tom. “I didn’t look for Mr. Whipple to ank me for saving his rig from a total smash-up, but I did Tae ph he’d behave decent.” “ "course, don’t blame you, Tom. Whipple only got a portion of what he richly deserved. I guess I'll have send you over to the Kenfiworth Farm for that harness , though I am not sure that Brown has it. Whipple has 1 Inow, bu but. I gulght have known that he’s not an accom- man. You needn’t start till after dinner.” - 4 ‘ight, sir,” replied Tom, starting for the barn to re- the job he had left unfinished. Ne Be returned, Tom told him all about what had hap- him over at the Whipple f j tion of the tumble the old farmer ost ‘asa the sot dia, ae is , and Bob was tickled | “J wish I had been there at the time,” he chuckled. must have been as good as a circus act.” “It was, if you can imagine Whipple as the clown of the show.” “Then you tumbled Ezra into the road, eh?” “T did that when he tried to hold me up so his father vould get at me with his whip. I just took him by surprise. The he lay in the dust and yelled murder.” “For a chap of his size and strength he’s got mighty little pluck.” “He acts as though he had none at all, though I’ve heard that he’s brave enough when he tackles a boy of about half. his age.” “That’s right. None of the boys like him, while they all like you. It’s the same way with the girls. That’s why he’s) dead nuts on you. He’s jealous of you. The old man is sore; on you because you're related in a way to Bagley, and he ~ hates Bagley because of his connection with that robbery. If Bagley hadn't gone to the Old Boy of his own accord, I’ve no doubt he’d have hounded him out of the county. There’s. precious little charity in Whipple’s make-up.” “He and Mr. Bagley were not good friends before that. un- fortunate affair,” said Tom. “At least my aunt told me so. That probably accounts for Whipple being so hard on him the moment. he got him in his power.” “T guess so,” replied Bob. At that moment the bell rang for dinner and the boys ad- journed to the big kitchen, where the table was laid. When the meal was over, Tom started for the Kenilworth Farm. It was about five miles away, and he was going to walk the distance. It took him about an hour to reach the place, and he found Mr. Brown, the owner, in his little office, which was an annex to the kitchen. Tom handed him the note he had brought from Mr. Pen- nington. Mr. Brown read it, and said he had the tool in question and ~ would be happy to loan it. Telling Tom to wait, he went out to his barn to get it. The Kenilworth Farm was the biggest fruit and La ty farm in the State. The nearest railroad station to which he had to cart his goods every Say was three miles to the west of Liberty village, or nine miles from the Kenilworth Farm. This made the carriage of his produce quite an item to Mr. Brown. ‘ Just before Tom reached the farm, Mr. Brown had received a letter from the freight department of the railroad line, noti- fying him of an increased rate that would go into effect on the first of the month. : As Mr. Brown’s monthly freight bill was considerable as it was, he certainly did not relish the idea of paying more.’ His only satisfaction was that his rival, the Ivanhoe Dairy and Fruit Farm, a mile distant, would be in.the same boat. A few minutes later Hiram Jones, proprietor of the Ivanhoe Farm, made his appearance. F He said he had called to see if he and Mr. Brown, being extensive shippers, eouldn’t petition the railroad company © jointly, with some effect, to secure a rebate from the new tariff about to go into effect. P “This new schedule is bound to make a hole in our income, Mr. Brown,” he said. “I consider it an outrage, but ‘the rail- road has us tied hand and foot because there is no other way by which we can get our stuff to the Toledo market. was only some means by which we could ship- our stuff . Cherryville on the Maumee, where a connection could be a with the Maumee Navigation Co.’s boat, I'd be in. fa switching off from the railroad altogether and sending products all the way by water.” “Cherryville is twenty miles from here via the “Maumee Branch, and it is forty-five miles by river from there to bods Transport of our goods by water, if such a t 4 was D w6uld take three times as long as it does me by rail,” Mr. Brown. “Not quite, Mr. Brown,” replied Mr. Jones. “Rex takes us a good hour and a half to carry our product station. It wouldn’t take but a third of that time them to a convenient wharf on the monet Branch.” “True enough; but what’s the use of reall thing when there is no suitable ee down to Cherryville?” said Mr. a “Of course,” said Mr. Jones. Pee?

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STARTING HIS OWN BUSINESS. a visionary plan, I must admit, but I wish somebody took a} notion to send a steamboat up the branch-as far as Liberty.” | “It wouldn’t pay, I guess, or I have no doubt somebody _ would have put such a thing into execution before this.” “I think a small boat did run up the branch years ago be- fore.the railroad was built through this part of the State.” “I never heard of it, but then you’ve lived here longer than I._ The railroad was very accommodating before it was ab- sorbed by the P., Ft. W. & C., and made a part of its system. These big trunk lines have things their own way, and shippers have to suffer. The railroad makes the rate and we have to pay it. That’s about all there is to it. We'll either have to continue using the railroad or go out of business.” The gentlemen talked for some time longer on the subject , of the rapaciousness of the railroad, and once or twice Mr. Jones referred to the river route again as something much to be desired but not to be expected. es Tom, instead of reading the magazine, found more interest = in listening to their conversation, and by the time the interview Was ended he found himself speculating upon Mr. Jones’ idea of a freight line down the Maumee Branch, which formed the : southern boundary of the Pennington and Whipple farms, to Cherryville. “I think there would be money in it,” he said to himself, after the two men had walked outside. “If I had the money to start such a thing I’d like nothing better. than to go into it. I know a small steamboat laid up in Cherryville that would just fill the bill. I believe she could be bought cheap and run cheap. It’s a wonder Mr. Brown and Mr. Jones wouldn’t buy her and run her/in their'own interest. But probably they don’t know anything about her. I think it might pay me to look into the matter in their interest. I could find out the price of the boat, what it would cost to run her up and down the branch every day, and other particulars. Then I could submit the scheme to Mr. Jones, who seems to be stuck on a water ronie to Cherryville, and then if he liked it and succeed- } 2 ed in interesting Mr. Brown in the project,/and they started ‘i it, I'd probably be able to secure a good job on, or in connec- tion with, the boat.” * Mr. Brown now came back with the harness tool that Mr. Pennington wanted, and handed it to Tom, who thanked him for the loan of it and started back for the farm. He could think of nothing else on his way but the new water freight route from that locality to Cherryville, and the + = a ' more he considered it the more enthusiastic he grew over it. He was tired of farm work, and ambitious to get into some- thing that promised a future for him. -. He was a born hustief, anyway, and thoroughly believed in the old fable “that heaven helps those who help themselves.” | Many fascinating schemes had presented themselves to his _ mind before this, but as all required money to put into prac- _ tice, and as he’had no money, nor saw an immediate prospect _ of accumulating a sum large enough to fill the bill, he had _ been obliged to forget them, for the time being at any rate. Somehow or another this water freight route strongly ap- led to Tom, and he grew quite excited over the possibilities he thought he saw in it. ; _ At any rate, by the time he got back to the farm he was fully _ resolved to look into the matter for all it was worth, and when Tom Sheridan determined todo a thing he always did it if it _ Was possible to get around it. CHAPTER V. ‘ That evening Tom talked the water freight route over with Sr eee eer . S a bang-up idea, Tom,” said young Pennington, en- tically. Z : - “That's what I think. If I can get these two big shippers take practical interest in it, I consider I’m sure of a job. might even let me like to get a Job on the boat, too. I’m sick eRe ee ee Be ae : } nr father let you make a change?” oh aes ae ulus i would benefit me.” I'd. like to have you in with me, first-rate. By ou think your father would help the scheme Pris be by letting his wharf on the branch be used for a steamboat langing?” “Why not? He doesn’t use it now at all. Besides, he could then ship farm stuff himself by water instead of carting it over to the railroad. I’ll bet he'd take to your idea right off. “Then, another thing, Brown and Jones would have to get the right-of-way from the county road, through your lane, down to the wharf, so they could cart their products to the river. Of course, your father would be entitled to some con-— cession for this privilege.” “Oh, he wouldn’t stand in the way if it was the matter of public service. He isn’t that kind of man. Now, if it was Farmer Whipple, you might make up your mind right now that he wouldn’t let any man alive use his lane if he thought any one was going to benefit by it.” “You're right; he wouldn’t.” “He’s got a wharf, too, and would expect the boat to stop at his place. It would make him boiling mad if he was cut out and forced to keep on using the railroad.” “That would be poor policy—cutting off one’s nose to spite ~ his face. His money is as good as any one else’s, and I'd take it every time if I was running a freight line to Cherryville.” “If you were running the boat as your own speculation, and he knew it, I’ll bet he’d rather send his stuff by rail than throw a penny profit in your way.” “That wouldn’t surprise me,” replied Tom. “He likes me a whole lot, I don’t think; especially after to-day.” Next morning Tom told Mr. Pennington that he wanted to go to Cherryville for the day, and he received permission to do so, and some money to pay his expenses. He walked in to Liberty and took a trolley for the town of Carlyle, a distance of fifteen miles. There he changed to the Cherryville line, which took him. through two other small towns en route, and finally landed him at his destination after a twenty-five mile ride from Liberty. _ Cherryville was an enterprising town at the junction of the Maumee River and the Maumee Branch. a The first thing Tom did was to go into a restaurant and get his lunch. Then he went to the agent of the Maumee River Navigation Co., down on the water front, and made inquiries about the steamer Elsie French. It was quite possible that the boat had been sold since he last heard about her, and that fact did not strike him until he entered the agent’s office. If she had been disposed of, that would knock his newly eonceived scheme into a cocked hat. On getting an interview with the agent of the steamboat company, he found to his relief that the small steamboat had not been sold. He found that she could be chartered by the day, week or month, or longer fof that matter, at a sliding scale, accord- ing to the length of time contracted for. The price included an engineer, fireman, captain, and two deckhands. Tom got the freight rates from Cherryville to Toledo on all the products that he knew Messrs. Brown and Jones shipped East. He inquired into all matters connected with the enterprise he had in view, and having transacted all the business that brought him to town, he boarded a trolley car for Carlyle. As the car -was passing through the suburbs of Cherryville, along a shaded. street bordered by the better class of resi- dences, he noticed smoke issuing from the second story front - windows of a handsome, three-story mansion, which stood well back from the sidewalk, and was surrounded by a well-kept lawn. ; : “Look!” cried Tom, excitedly, to the conductor. “That house is surely on fire.” “By George, it is!” replied the man. “That's the home of Sidney French, president of the Maumee River Navigation — Company. You’d better jump off and alarm the people, for they don’t appear to be aware of the danger they are in. give the alarm from the drug store at the next corner.” wa, Tom sprang from the moving car and rushed into the grounds where the fire was. aie He was rather surprised that nobody came running out in — thé usual panic-stricken fashion, crying “Fire!” and for help. _ “Maybe the family is away, but there ought to be a F se or two around in the lower part of the house,” he breathed. “Tll make for the kitchen.” tg 4 He ran toward the r@ar of the dwelling. _ He could not see a soul through any of the windows pilot, who acted as passed.

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Y= thse ob to try it, it was suddenly flung open in his way, and aol rolled forth, through which ra caught the muck and with his eyes tingling and gasps, he crawled se to the There was a closed window on the landing. Tom staggered to it, and, throwing it open, leaned out to eatch a breath of air. His appearance was greeted by a shout from those within range, who took him for an inmate of the house. With a jingle of bells the first engine and hose-carriage ar- rived on thg scene. The firemen began to get busy with a pair of hose lines. At that moment a fresh and thrilling aspect was lent to the situation. The fire had by this time burned into the third story front, | and from one of the windows of that section of the building a> frantic scream suddenly issued, and almost immediately a — lovely girl of seventeen threw up 4 lower sash and fell across the sill in a state of mortal terror and collapse. CHAPTER VI. A GALLANT RESCUE. A cry of horror went up from the crowd in the street and on that side of the lawn, for the people realized the fair girl's peril. Tom heard the scream, of course, and looking upward to- ward the spot whence it had proceeded, he saw the girl fall helpless over the window-sill. Smoke was coming out of the window all around her, and sifting out through the other closed window of the room. “Great Scott!” cried Tom. “She’s in a bad position, and there don’t seem to be any way of reaching her. If the hook- and-ladder was only here now the firemen could easily reach her, but it is impossible to go up to that floor through the house.” Casting his eyes around in feverish anxiety, Tom noted that an expert climber could make his way to the roof by way of the stout gutter-pipe close to his elbow. : But even if he did he could not save the girl without a rope to lower himself to the level of the windoy, where she lay in fainting condition. At that moment Tom noticed that an extended and stout branch from a big shade tree on the lawn projected right above the window where the girl was. A resolution instantly formed itself in the boy’s mind. He stepped out on the sill of the window he had been lean- ing out of and began to climb the iron Sutter-pipe like a sailor would the rat-lines of a vessel. The crowd watched him in surprise and curiosity. Most of the onlookers probably thought he was erazy, for they could not, of course, understand his purpose, which was to reach tho roof. Several of the firemen shouted to him to come back, but he paid no heed to them. Onward and upward he went till he reached and grasped >the horizontal gutter. Swinging by this he managed to throw one ae over the cop- 5 ing. er In another moment he had scrambled onto the roof. kai As he ran forward to the front of the house, where he was . soon half hidden by the smoke, an automobile dashed up se! the crowd. The gentleman in it sprang to the ground and began to fran- tically make his way through,the throng, while the richly dressed lady rose in her seat and gave every” manifestath of agony of mind. Many people recognized them as Sidney French, the owner: of the burning house, and his wife. mt Tom seized the projecting limb and then looked downwar He now realized that he had undertaken a very ha: ard job. But he was not a boy to hold back because there was a element of danger to be encountered. The girl just below him had recovered her senses and bet to cry for help in a way that nerved him to make the a : he had decided on to save her. ae A second engine came dashing up on the street, and, t! Tom did not know it, the hook-and-ladder was not far b ‘A score of the spectators had gone down the street the hook-and-ladder and urge it Larwere, on out

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STARTING HIS OWN BUSINESS. Pe . The people did not seem to get on to his object, even after he had grabbed the limb of the tree. ‘The general impression was that after climbing up to the roof, and finding he could not reach the girl, he was going to " swing off and try to make his way to safety along the tree limb. In a few minutes, however, they got a clear idea of his pur- pose when he swung off the roof and then secured a precarious foothold on the sill of the window below, with one foot, while he clung with both hands to the limb. The tree limb supported him in that position, and the crowd, perceiving that he really intended to try and save Mr. French’s daughter, sent up a loud cheer of encouragement. The girl extended her hands toward him, appealingly. “Save me, oh, save me!” she cried. “That’s what I’m trying to do, miss,” he replied. “Crawl out on the window-sill, then catch hold of me and support your- ‘self into a standing position. After that, throw your arms around my neck and hold on for your life.” For a moment she hesitated, for it seemed to her as though she must surely fall to the ground. Seeing her hold back, he began to encourage her to make the effort. « Throwing a frightened glance behind her, and seeing the flames working rapidly toward the spot on which she stood, she no longer refused to take the risk. Anything seemed better than being burned to death. - Tom’s coolness in the face of great peril, and his calm di- rections, greatly impressed the girl and gave her confidence in him, Slowly she made her way out on the window-sill, laying hold of Tom’s leg as a support, until at last she stood up on what was to her a dizzy height. “Now throw your arms around my neck and cling on like grim death,” he said. Closing her eyes, as a shudder ran rae: her frame, she obeyed him. “Have you got a firm hold?” he asked. “Yes,” she whispered, tremulously. “Now I’m going to swing off.” ~ He released his foot from the window and the branch surged downward under their weight. He expected that it might snap off, and braced himself for the shock of a fall. j The limb, however, was an uncommonly strong one and only a by aed about six feet. Se they hung twenty feet in the air, but free from the a burning building. i ete crowd cheered lustily and a half dozen of the firemen = underneath to catch them and break their expected ‘Tom had no idea of letting go. _ He had muscles of steel and knew exactly what he intended to: do. As soon as the branch came to a rest he began to make his way, hand over hand, along the limb toward the trunk of the ; * Byerybody saw now that if the girl held on she was bound to. escape unharmed, and their satisfaction and relief was great. oa hook-and-ladder came rushing up at this juncture, and en tore fiercely at the first ladder on top, a small one, ath et “tt out of the wey. so they could get a longer one be- re; e flames, too, were bursting out of the window so re- "cently pisttoent by the girl. w that but for the boy’s heroic act the girl ae , for the hook-and-ladder had reached the 00 late to have taken her from the window. e time a ladder was rushed on the grounds, Tom, with r burden, had reached a crotch in the tree when she e to place her foot on.one of the limbs below and thus : ‘gallant: rescuer of her weight. around, he planted his foot on another limb and led the girl’s waist with his arm. were now ne ree ‘from any further danger, and the ‘was the tree to assist them to descend. the’ disiet part of the rescue with the deepest daring to believe ies Se *.giaiaieg would suc- ‘bad fall. ; ’ wpe. received in relia ag arms and fondly ane, As Tom started to leave the spot without waiting to be thanked, he was seized by several of the firemen, who shock him by the hand and told him what a brave act he had ac- complished. They wanted to know his name, and where he lived in Cherryville, and while he was trying to answer their questions, Mr. French came forward with his daughter on his arm and began to express his gratitude to the boy in no uncertain terins. ‘The firemen had by this time got several streams on the flames, and were working like good fellows to try and Save as much of the house as was possible. “What is your name, my boy?” Mr. French asked Tom. “Tom Sheridan,” he answered. “Come with us, Sheridan. My daughter cant thank you here, and she is anxious to express her gratitude. My wife will want to thank you also.” Tom rather shrank from the gaze and plaudits of tte crowd as they made their way to the automobile, where Mrs. French Sat in a state of intense anxiety, although the crowd had in- - formed her that her daughter had been saved, and she herself had had an indistinct view of the rescue. ’ Mrs. French sprang out of the vehicle and clasped her child to her heart, while the crowd cheered again. Mr. French holding on to Tom, led his wife and daughter over to the residence of a neighbor on the other side of the street, where they were received with sympathy for their trouble and congratulations over the escape of Miss French. Tom had already learned that the girl’s name was Elsie, and now that he was able to get a look at her, he saw how pretty she was. As soon as she got the chance she turned to Tom, and, with tears in her eyes, thanked him for what he had done for her. “You're the bravest boy in the world,” she exclaimed, re- garding him with a look of interest and admiration. “I never nto forget you as long as I live—never!” she added, emphat- - ically. ied It seemed a harder trial for Tom to muster suitable words to reply to her than it had been to save her from the fire. He felt decidedly embarrassed in her presence, and before the others, for he was not accustomed: to associate with people of their social standing. Elsie perceived the state of his feelings, and tried in the most delicate way to put him at his ease. In the end she succeeded, and Tom was sure she was the nicest giyl he had ever met. Tom explained that he did not live in Cherryville, but had merely come on business from a farm near Liberty. He said he guessed it was time for him to start on his re- turn, as it would take him some time to get back to his tem- porary home. The Frenches, when they learned how far he had to go, would not hear of his going back that day, the afternoon being nearly spent. “You must stay here till to-morrow morning at least,” in- sisted Mr. French, and Tom finally yielded a reluctant consent to do so. The family who had tendered hospitality to their burned- — out neighbors were glad to include Tom for the night, at any rate, for they considered that his heroic conduct entitled * a * to every consideration at their hands, re So Tom became as one of them for the time being: The fire was got under control by this time through the well- directed efforts of the local fire department, and the greater part of the dwelling was saved, though most everything of real value in the building was more or less injured by water and smoke. ane However, the place and its contain were fully insured, and *) Se Mr. French was not likely to suffer a very large financial loss. — Elsie, after a time, took possession of Tom herself, and the two young people were soon on a most friendly footing, = = —— By the time the fire was out the silvery tones of a bell an-, nounced that dinner was on the table, and all adjourned to the dining-room, where Tom’s embarrassment returned in wes presence of a table display to which he was unused. . ‘However, he managed to get through the’ meal without mak-! _ ing any mistakes that might not be readily excused, and it was with a feeling of great relief that he accompanied Elsie ba to the porch, where they found that the crowd had Obs dispersed, and that the engines had pens a a mae from one of the sess FORRES Re ‘burned building.

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CHAPTER VII. TOM SECURES A FAIR AND INFLUENTIAL BACKER. “Do you know it seems most remarkable to me that it should turn out to be my fortune to save you, Miss French,” said _ Tom, as he and Elsie sat alone on the veranda after dinner. A. oe a, had been any other girl it wouldn’t have been so signifi- __. “I don’t think I quite understand you, Mr. Sheridan,” said Elsie, in some surprise. “Then I guess I’ll have to explain,” he replied. “I came to Cherryville on business connected with a small steamboat called the Elsie French.” “The boat that was named after me?” “I suppose she must have been, seeing that she bears your ie and your father is president of the company that owns er. ; “The’company does not own her, She belongs to me.” we “Does she?” answered Tom, not a little astonished. “Why, I thought “s : < “The company never owned her at all. She belonged to my father when he was the owner of the line that ran between _ Toledo and Fort.Wayne. That was many years ago. When business increased sa that the small boats were inadequate to _ the demands of the business my father formed the Maumee _ River Navigation Company. Three large steamers were built and put into commission, and the smaller ones my father sold; that is, all except the Elsie French, which was the very first boat he had built when I was infant. He made her a pres- : 4 to me, and I have made quite a bit of pin money out of her since.” “So she really is your property?” “She is really and truly all mine.” “Why, I came to Cherryville to see if she was for sale.” ; “Did you? Who wanted to buy her?” “Well, no one wanted to buy her, Miss French, but I was thinking of getting a couple of people up my way to buy her, if I could induce them to go into a scheme I had formed to help them ship their products to the Toledo market by water.” “T am afraid that I wouldn’t consent to sell the boat, Mr. Sheridan. Have you any objection to telling me what your Scheme is? Of course, I don’t want to pry into your business, SO you needn't tell me if you don’t want to.” _“T’lletell you the whole thing, Miss French. I had a talk with the company’s agent, and he told me that the boat was _ Open to a charter for any length of time on satisfactory con- tract, so I thought that such an arrangement might be made _ to answer even better than if the boat had to be purchased, _ though, of course, it would be more expensive in the long run to the persons I am hoping to interest in my scheme.” - *You have some transportation plan in view, then?” she _ said, with a look of interest. _ *Yes. The general freight agent of the A. & T. branch of . the P., Ft. W. & C. road has just notified shippers along the _ line of an advance in freight rates to take effect from the first of next month. This will hit several persons in our part of the county pretty bad, and from what I heard one of them say I am almost sure they would welcome a cheaper means of transportation to Toledo, even by water, if their products could _ be landed at the market in any sort of.reasonable time. As oo Jen the case stands, they have no way of reaching the boats of the ) Cherryville, the Navigation Company would be able to nsport the freight from here to Toledo.” “Of course, that could be done all right,” replied Elsie. - Tom then told the girl that his object was to secure a good job out of the scheme that he called himself the originator of. “If I only had money enough myself to start the enterprise ‘Td run it on my own hook as my own business and make money. Nothing would suit me better than to do that, for I am ambitious to get along in life on my own merits, and - gome day I will sueceed in doing so,” he added, with a deter- mined nod of his head. ? a" “Suppose that I was to let you have the use of the Elsie you have in the girl. ; of her? COR STARTING HIS “scale, as that I have been in so long myself. OWN BUSINESS. - one benefit to you. Now, I am yery much interested in this scheme of yours to carry freight down the Maumee Branch to this town. You have just said that if you had money enough to go into it yourself you would be glad to do it, and that-you think you could make money. Well, I want to help you carry out your ambitious views. You shall have the Elsie French, fully manned and equipped, just as I charter her, for six months or longer, if necessary, free of charge. Won't that give you the start you long for?” “Miss French, you cannot mean that?” exclaimed Tom, almost bewildered by the proposal. “I do mean it. Furthermore, I am sure my father will make special rates with you on all freight that you transfer to his steamers at this town for transportation to Toledo. He will be more than glad to do anything to help you make the, business a success, for he will always be under obligations to you for what you did for me. You will do well to have a talk with him this evening on the subject. He will help you put the business in shape, for he is thoroughly familiar with: all the details of transportation by water.” “Miss French, you are giving me the opportunity of my life, I am sure to succeed, provided, of course, that I can make a long contract with the two shippers in my neighbor- hood. But I cannot accept such liberal terms as you offer me. . You will let me repay you out of the profits, won't you? I should feel more independent.” R “But I don’t want you to repay me, Mr. Sheridan,” she said. “I want to do all this because it gives me the opportunity to express my gratitude to you in what my father would call a substantial manner.” “You are very kind to offer to put me on my feet in this business, but I would rather make the business pay everything. I think you will be doing all that I ought reasonably expect if you will simply give me a start by allowing me to get into, your debt until I am able to turn myself.” “Perhaps you would agree to another proposal on my part. Would you accept me as a silent partner in your scheme. ( will provide the steamer and cost of running her, you will provide the business to make her pay. We will form a com- pany, say—you and I.. You can be president and general man- ager, while I'll be the pecroes I think I should enjoy the f being in business.” ex that would be just the thing!” cried Tom, with en- eateats want it understood, though, that it will, in the — end, be your business. I am a girl, with a rich father, and consequently well provided for. You are a boy, who will soon, be a man, with a future to make for yourself. I am going into this plan simply to help you. While I remain in the com- — pany { will be your partner, but when I retire from the ardu- ous,” she smiled, “duties of the secretaryship, the company will thereafter be wholly yourself, unless you care to take another partner.” ; “Anything you say g0es, Miss French, though it is a mighty — liberal arrangement for me. I will talk to your father about the matter as soon as I get the chance. Then I will call on _ the proprietors of Kenilworth and Ivanhoe farms and try to get them to give me their business on trial. Should they re- fuse to make a change from the railroad when it comes toa pinch, then the whole scheme will, as a matter of course, fall through, and I will have to think of something else in which to make a start in life.” ss id 4 They talked the matter over'a while longer, both being in- ¥ tensely interested in it, and then Mr. French coming out, Elsie left Tom to open the subject to her father. Fit if J Tom laid the whole scheme before the president of the — Maumee River Navigation Co. in a business-like way, and — asked his advice on the subject. geri He told the gentleman of his daughter's generous offer a asked him if it met with his approvat. ~ ee Mr. French was very much interested in Tom’s project. He asked the boy many questions, and seemed to be m struck with his ambitious plans to start himself in busin He said that he was very glad that Elsie had made the to him, and assured Tom that he could rely on assistance at any and all times. 1 “ “It ig impossible that either of us can ever repay you eV: a small part of the obligation we are under to you, but i give us a great deal of satisfaction to. ar «4 you in ar we can,” said Mr. French. “This navigation project of yo naturally interests me, as it is the same ee think 3 in to make it pay so far as your n and it wil sive vou an education ia the b = “2

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ree 10 valuable to you hereafter. I will make you a special rate on all the freight you turn over to our company at this town, so as to increase your profits. Now, in order to help you to gain the confidence of these two shippers on whom you rely to put the business into running order, I will give you an official let- ter endorsing your plan and guaranteeing to see you through a year’s contract. That will enable them to understand just where they are, if they sign an agreement for that time with you.” 3 “I am very much obliged to you, Mr. French,” replied Tom, gratefully. “That ought to fetch them, for Mr. Jones really only wants a good excuse to abandon the railroad.” Mr. French then proceeded to give Tom some good, practical advice on navigation matters, and other points that he would need to know if he embarked in the enterprise he was trying to push through. “Let me know as soon as possible how things are coming, and by all means refer to me as your backer in the’ business when you find such a recommendation will be of assistance to you.” In the morning, after bidding Elsie and her mother good-by, Tom accompanied Mr. French to his office in the agent’s build+ ing. The general offices cf the company were in Toledo, and there was an agent at all the towns along the river that the boats made a landing. Mr. French went to Toledo about once a week, but transacted a good deal of the company’s business at Cherryville. Mr. French introduced Tom to the local agent, and then taking him into his own office wrote a strong letter supporting Tom’s navigation plan, and guaranteeing to co-operate with him from Cherryville to Toledo. He drew a schedule of rates from Liberty to Cherryville, and then added the company’s rates from thence to Toledo. “You can make that the basis of your charges and submit it to Messrs. Brown and Jones. As soon as you have signed @ contract with them and are ready to go right ahead, I will let you know the rebate I will allow you on your freight from this point east.” : After some further conversation Tom parted from Mr. French and started for. Liberty, feeling like a bird. - CHAPTER VIII. DISCUSSING THE PROJECT. Tom built a great many air-castles on his way back to the |; Pennington farm, which he reached early in the afternoon. _ The first thing he did was to hold an interview with Mr. gton. Pennin, ; -_ He laid his transportation project before the farmer, showed _ him the letter he got from Mr. Sidney French, and asked him what he thought about the scheme. Mr. Pennington was very much astonished. “Why, Tom, I had no idea you were such a progressive boy,” . hesaid. “But how can you expect to run such a business when _~ you have had no experience in it?” — “Yl run it all right, Mr. Pennington,” replied Tom, confi- wy - § “3 Ns : + “You seem to have great confidence in yourself. But tell Me how did you manage to interest Mr. French in the mat- ter? His letter indicates his willingness to give you his un- at least. Such backing as that from a stranger unprecedented in my experience.” “Well, I seeured it through a most fortunate circumstance,” iswered Tom, who then described how he had saved the life “French at her burning home. to Messrs. Brown and Jones, with the hope that they would : up the scheme themselves, in which event he expected to rs to avail themselves of er to transport their products to Toledo by water, Mr. is bound to provide well for your future in some other -|morrow morning. STARTING HIS OWN BUSINESS. “Now, Mr. Pennington, even if everything turns out favora- bly for me in my interview with Mr..Jones and Mr. Brown, I can do nothing without your help.” R “How is that?” asked the farmer, in some surprise. “Why, I must have a landing place or wharf in this vicinity where I can take freight. There are only two wharves suitable for this purpose. One is on Farmer Whipple’s property, the other on yours. Of course, you will understand that the Whip- ple wharf is out of the question for me to consider. That farmer would about as soon cut his head off as to let me have the use of it.” Mr. Pennington nodded, with a half smile. “So,” continued Tom, “I must rely on you to let me use your wharf if I am to engage in the business. Then to reach the wharf you will have to concede the right-of-way through your lane from the road to the wharf. That is a more serious ) matter for you to consider, but I am prepared to pay you for \the use of it, either in money or in transportation privileges, for I can carry your produce to Toledo at a less rate than the railroad charges even under its present schedule, which is to be superseded by a higher one on the,first of next month, as you probably know.” “Don’t worry, Tom. You shall have the use of both the wharf/and the lane at a fair figure. In fact, I welcome the prospect of a boat up the branch. It would save me a lot of hauling over four miles of road to the station. To be able to ship my stuff direct to Toledo right from my own door is a great consideration to me, and is of itself easily worth the rent of the wharf privileges.” : “Then you are willing to make a year’s contract with me to that effect, are you, Mr. Pennington? And you will permit the gight-of-way through your lane to any shipper that wishes to reach the wharf if I agree to pay you a reasonable com- pensation?” “Yes, Tom,” replied the farmer, whose admiration of the - boy’s energetic business ideas had expanded greatly since the commencenient of their talk. “Thank you, Mr. Pennington. This is very friendly on your part, and I shan’t forget it, whether the scheme goes through > or not.” » : : “IT sincerely trust it may go through, my lad. Your tact and perseverance surely out to succeed. At any rate, I will do all I can to help you reach the goal of your ambition.” “Then I shall start the ball rolling with the big shippers to- I am anxious to open negotiations with them before they commit themselves to the railread for another year.” After supper Tom and Bob went down to the wharf, and then the former told his friend all that had happened to him in eres and how successfully his scheme had panned out so far, Bob was as astonished as his father. “Then you're going to start-the business for yourself, run it yourself and capture all the profits.” “That’s the idea exactly,” replied Tom. P “You were certainly born for good luck. Did you carry a rabbit’s foot in your pocket when you went to Cherryville yes- terday morning?” Tom laughed. : “I don’t possess such an article,” he answered. “I guess you don’t need one. A fellow who tumbles into such good fortune as you have done can give cards and spades to those who rely on rabbits’ feet. Well, as soon as you start this steamboat on the branch you're. going to give me a job, aren’t you?” “Ill be glad to do so if your father has no objections.” “T'll answer for him. What do you suppose I can do?” “Well, you might be my chief assistant. You could take full charge of this wharf, receive all freight brought here for shipment, make out the waybills in duplicate, see that every- thing was properly loaded on the boat, for I will be respon- sible for any damage to freight after it once has been delivered at the wharf, and attend to such other matters as the local agent at this end will be expected to look after. Understand?” “Sure,” replied b, enthusiastically. suit me, and I will attend to things right up to the queen’s taste, see if I don’t.” “That job will just — % « .

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“You can bet it will.” F “And, let me tell you a secret, Bob, which you mustn’t give _ away, Miss Elsie French is going to take a personal interest in the line, and will manage, in a general way, the Cherryville end. “You don’t say!” exclaimed Bob, with open mouth. 2 i. es, she’s enthusiastic over the idea of having something _ to do in connection with my scheme. The boat I’m going to use is her personal property, and she’s going to furnish me _ with all the funds necessary to start the enterprise.” ; “Geewilikins!” ejaculated Bob. “Why, you've fallen into a regular butter-tub.” -.“Butter-tub or not, Bob, it’s up to me to make good. I _ should feel like thirty cents if I failed after getting such a splendid start as I am assured of.” “Don't worry. You'll make -good, all right. A fellow who can originate such a big scheme and push it through to a practical start is not going to slip up.” “T hope not; but the matter isn’t-settled yet by a long way. Everything depends on my being able to talk Mr. Jones and 'Mr. Brown into a regular contract.” “You ought to be able to do that with the backing you have. cand can’t lose, with Mr. French’s guarantee behind the pro- _“That’s what I depend on, and I have very strong hopes of Succeeding. I'll bet the freight agent of the A. & T. will have a fit if the Elsie French goes into commission between Liberty and Cherryville.” “I'll bet he will, too,” grinned Bob. “He'll have several fits. You'll hear from him before you’re long in business.” _ “Why should I hear from him? He won't be able to inter- fere with me.” “Of course he won’t, but I'll bet the railroad will try to buy you off.” 3 “The railr company can’t buy me off,” replied Tom, with _ @ resolute shake of his head. | “Then they'll try to make trouble for you.” “How?” “I don’t know how; but don’t forget you'll be up against not alone the A. & T., but the powerful corporation of which the A. & T. is one of the feeders.” “You mean the P., Ft. W. & C,.?” “That's what I mean.” y “Mr. French will see me through.” “He will if he can; but recollect there are a hundred millions cr more back of that trunk line.” “Oh, i only take a mighty small bit of their trad¢ away. A mere fleabite.” -“Byerything counts with a big railroad company.” : *“T don’t care. They won't bulldoze me out of business, you » ean take your oath to that. I may be only a boy, but I'll fight -~ for my rights just as strongly as if I was a millionaire.” “The railroad.may cut rates on you.” - “That won’t hurt me much, for I'll have a contract for a year at least with the big shippers.” -_. “That’s something, of course.” » “The shippers will understand, anyway, that the cut rates ‘would only hold good until I was driven out of the business, - then the company would get back at them with increased rates _ to make up its loss.” Fi “That's right. They'd. be fools to desert you, for it would cost them dearly in the end.” a and Bob then looked over the wharf. eee “It won't be large enough, do you think?” said Bob. - “Yes, it will,” replied Tom. Etat “ll arrange with your father lease of a portion of this ground here. I'll build a water-proof shed,.with an office in it for you and ay assistant, if you need one, as I fancy you will. All _ freight will be stored under cover that arrives here for the oat. I’ll have hands enough aboard the boat to handle it ex- ¢ ly, so that there’ll be no delay in loading up the mo- steamer hauls in.” you take passengers, too?” Tn anybody that wants to go by water from a pleasanter trip than by trolley, with the five or six miles shorter as well.” STARTING HIS OWN BUSINESS. Lis Next morning Mr. Pennington loaned Tom a light rig to visit the two shippers in business-like shape. “I'll be on pins and needles till you get back with good news,” said Bob, who accompanied him as far as the road. “I’m over head and ears interested in this scheme of yours, and I should feel awfully disappointed if it didn’t go.” “Oh, I guess it will go all right,” said Tom, as he started off. “I’m just stuck on that job he’s going to give me,” said Bob to himself, as he watched his friend out of sight. “It hits me on my weak spot. It’s several hundred times better than working about the farm. The boys will all be jealous of my good luck, while the girls—well, say, I'll be solid with them, then, bet your life.” : CHAPTER IX HOW TOM CAUGHT ON AND IS THEN ARRESTED. Tom had no difficulty in securing an interview with Mr. Jones, whom he first visited, as the boy judged he would be the more easily influenced of the two shippers, and half the battle would be won if he succeeded in talking him over. The proprietor of the Ivanhoe Dairy and Fruit Farm was greatly surprised when Tom broached the object of his call. He listened with much interest as the boy laid the details of his scheme before him, and his interest assumed large pro- portions when Tom handed him Mr. French’s letter and he read it over, : “There is my scale of charges on all your products delivered from the wharf on Mr. Pennington’s property, which I have secured, to Toledo, via Cherryville, in five to six hours.” Mr. Jones examined the freight rates and noted that they showed an appreciable reduction from the present railroad charges. : “If you will sign a year’s contract with me, Mr. Jones,” said Tom, “I will have my part guaranteed by Mr. French, so that you will be sure that the agreement will be lived up to to the letter.” Mr. Jones was evidently much impressed by this. He knew that Mr. French’s endorsement would insure the carriage of his goods in good shape and on time. “Have you spoken to Mr. Brown on this subject yet?” he asked. d “No, sir,” replied Tom; “but I am going directly to his farm as soon as I leave you.” “When will you be ready to take freight?” “On the first of the month.” Tom then told him that he had secured the right-of-way through Mr. Pennington’s lane to the wharf on the branch. He said that he would start at once to put up a first-class freight shed at the wharf for the temporary storage of freight pending the arrival of the boat. a id : The Elsie French, he said, would make connection with both the early morning boat at Cherryville from Fort Wayne, and the late night-boat for Toledo. “That will enable you by shipping fruit in the season from my wharf at five o’clock to connect with the Toledo market at daylight, same as you have been doing by the night freight, and you would save the long haul to the station, ten miles from here.” ; ; “That is a big object, certainly,” replied Mr. Jones. “My rates are much lower than the railroad’s.” igs “That’s true, too.” Abt. “Then on the first of the month the railroad rates ‘will be p— — he said, “go over and have a talk with Mr. Brown, — and see how he takes to your offer, then come back here a % I will give you my answer, which I will consider in the m time.” j = “Very well. If Mr. Brown asks me what your views are it, shall I say that you consider them in a favorable “Yes. You can tell him that I like the idea immensely, am inclined to sign a contract guaranteed by the president of Navigation Company. ot then drove over to the Kenilworth Farm and hes “Are a ~

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12 ‘Was quite satisfactory to Tom, who then returned to Mr. Jones. Tom repeated a portion of the talk he had had with Mr. . Brown, and announced his decision. “Very well,” said Mr. Jones. “Bring me a contract contain- ng the following insertions, guaranteed by Mr. French, and will sign it, the contract positively to go into effect on the first of next month.” “All right,” replied Tom. fnside of two days.” Mr. Jones invited him to dinner, as it was a little after noon, and Tom accepted the invitation. After the meal he called on another shipper, not so impor- ftant as the other two, and succeeded in securing him also fora ‘customer. “My business is as good as started now,” Tom congratu- jiated himself on the road back to the Pennington farm. “The iberty & Cherryville Transportation Company will soon be an ccomplished fact, and the steamboat Elsie French will pres- ently make the water fly twice a day up and down the branch. I wonder what Fariner Whipple and his son Ezra will say ‘when they hear shat I’m at the head of the new concern? : Will they have a it? Well, say, they'll turn green with rage. lf Mr. Whipple wants to get his produce to the Toledo market at low rates he’ll have to see me.” Tom felt about as good as any boy can well feel as he drove along the road. As he approached across-road a buggy, with a boy in it, came up the other road. Both rigs came together at the crossing, and the other boy, who proyed to be Ezra Whipple, whipped up his animal and tried to get ahead. He only succeeded in getting his wheel locked with Tom's forward one, and both vehicles came to a standstill. “What do you want to get in my way for?” snarled Ezra, recognizing Tom. “I rather think it was you who got in my way,” replied Tom, pleasantly. “You lie, Tom Sheridan! It was your fault,” snorted Ezra. “All right; let it go at that,” replied Tom. “Let’s unlock.” “Back your wagon, then,” returned Ezra, who thought he had won his point. “That won't do any good. - ahead.” “I won’t dono such thing. Do you s’pose I’m going to let ‘you get ahead of me on the road?” -“I don’t see how you can help yourself the way things are.” “I can help it. Back your wagon.” -“I can't back without carrying your wheel with me. You must be a foo] if you can’t see that,” replied Tom, impatiently. _ “Do you mean to call me a fool, you beggar!” roared Ezra, _ furiously. “You are acting like one, Ezra Whipple. And I want you _ to understand that I am no more a beggar than you are,” added Tom, angrily. “How dare you call me a beggar!” “I didn’t call you one.” “Yes, you did.” “Are you going to back Four wheel away from mine?” “No, I’m not.” “Then I’m going ahead and you can take the consequences. Get up, Mollie.” “Are you going to upset me?” _ “That’s your lookout. “Whoa, girl! chance to draw out.” aoe your wagon,” insisted Ezra, in a dominating tone. ne Ezra Whipple, if I was to do as you say I might eet on, off. If you will back there is room enough you to get clear.” ot goin” to take no orders from you,” replied Ezra, sulkily. “Al rigst: It’s your funeral. Go on, Mollie.” oe Bac geen out, carrying the front wheel clear, but ‘Tom’ 's eel caught the buggy in such a way as to shove it Fee ditch ahd Utbete ah od tank cine ge elk: ; consequence was that Ezra was spilled out into the while Tom drove on, leaving his enemy to pick him- was scratched and the front wheel wrenched. _ Stn A ne darned Lop “My father wifl have t ave an sent tothe lee, “Ugh! — Say Be veron - Ss “T will have the contracts here Back yours a bit so I can go Vl sive, you another heal STARTING HIS OWN the first day of next month,” was Mr. Brown’s decision, which BUSINESS. He got into his buggy after getting it out of the ditch and resumed his way, nursing a lot of revengeful thoughts against the boy he disliked. ; “Well, Tom, what luck?” asked Bob, when his friend drove » into the yard. “First-class. Brown, Jones and Robinson are going to sign @ year’s contract each.” = “Hurrah!” cried Bob, throwing his cap into the air. “Three _ cheers for the Liberty and Cherryville Transportation Com- pany. »” Tom told him all the particulars of his visits to the three shippers, and Bob was tickled to death that things were com- ing out the way he wanted them to. Mr. Pennington was also pleased to learn of Tom's success, and said there was nothing now to prevent him ‘from going ahead. “And I’m going right ahead, Mr. Pennington. I shall make my application to-morrow to the Liberty Town Council for wharfage rights on the river front.” “You'll get what you want, for it will be of public benefit for you to run a steamboat up and down the branch from Lib- erty to Cherryville.” “That’s the way I figure it,” replied Tom. After supper that evening Tom told Bob about his unex- pected meeting with his late aunt’s husband in Cherryville at the scene of the fire. “He and that other chap had evidently robbed the house, and I guess they accidentally set the place on fire while doing it. Bagley has deyeloped into a full-fledged criminal, and his finish will come pretty soon.” Of course Bob was surprised to hear that news. “You didn’t tell me about this yesterday,” he said. “No, I hadn’t decided whether I’d say anything about it or not, but I don’t mind telling you now. Keep it mum.” Bob promised that he would. “By the way, Bob, I had a run-in with Ezra Whipple on the road this afternoon.” : “Did you? What about?” Tom told his story of how he and Ezra had met at the cross- road, and got mixed up through Ezra’s stubbornness in trying to pass him at the wrong moment. “And you dumped him into the ditch, did you?” chuckled Bob. “I couldn’t help doing it. I wasn’t going to stay there all day just because he chose to be ugly and wouldn't do the right thing.” “You served him right. tumble.” At that moment a man drove into the yard in a light wagon. Mr. Pennington went to meet him as he alighted. The farmer recognized him as one of the town officers. “How do you do, Mr. Pennington,” he said. “I want to see a boy named Tom Sheridan who is stopping with you.” “There he is yonder with my son,” said Mr. Pennington, wondering what the officer wanted with Tom. They both approached the boys. “T believe you are Tom Sheridan?” said the officer, address- ing Tom. “That’s my name,” “You will have to go to town with me.” “What for?” “I have a warrant for your arrest.” “My arrest!” gasped Tom. 7 “There must be some mistake,” said the farmer. “What is the charge?” “Assault on Ezra Whipple. with his father.” Mr. Pennington looked astonished. “Do you know anything about this, Tom?” he asked. Tom explained ar had happened in the road. “Why, this charge is ridiculous,” said Mr. Pennington. “Well, that is for the magistrate to pass on,” said the of- ficer. “I must do my duty.” “Their object evidently is to keep me in prison overnight,” $ said Tom, indignantly. “They shan’t succeed,” said the farmer. “I'll go with yo ve and:bail you out.”"— - Accordingly, Mr. dope epee ic age: the officer sr Tom to the village. — ‘ a mee os segerait ss Ss a Te ne It’s a wonder he wouldn’t take a He swore out the complaint

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STARTING HIS OWN BUSINESS. 13 CHAPTER X. GETTING INTO SHAPE TO START OPERATIONS. _ Next morning, a little before ten, Mr. Pennington, Tom and Bob drove up to the magistrate’s office, where they found Ezra Whipple and his father already on hand to press the complaint ‘against the boy they both hated. _ Tom was turned over to the custody of the officer and pro- ceedings began. The charge was read to him and Tom pleaded “Not guilty.” Ezra was then sworn and stated the case as he viewed it. He also started to tell how Tom had knocked him down in the road and also had insulted his father when he came over to borrow the harness tool, but the magistrate cut him short, and told him to stick to the facts of the case in hand. Tom asked permission to cross-examine him, and was ac- corded the privilege. Questioning Ezra closely, he compelled him to admit facts to accept the position of agent for the new transportation company at Pennington Landing, was instructed in his duties by Tom, who also hired a young and bright acquaintance to - fill a similar position at Liberty. Handbills containing the following announcement were cir- culated in Liberty and throughout the neighborhood: LIBERTY & CHERRYVILLE TRANSPORTATION CO. Thomas Sheridan, General Manager. On and after May 1 the Steamer Elsie French will make two trips daily (Sunday excepted) between Liberty and Cher- ryville, connecting with the fast, palatial steamers of the Mau- mee River Navigation Co. at Cherryville for all points east and west on the Maumee River, leaving Liberty at 7 a. m. and 5 p. m. Passenger fare to Cherryville, 25 cents. Excursion, 40 cents. Freight received at Meiggs’ Wharf, Liberty, and at Pennington Landing (Pennington Farm). For rates apply to james at either wharf. Office of company in Liberty, 119 Main street. A standing advertisement was also inserted in the Liberty So damaging to his story that the magistrate threw the case land Cherryville newspapers after a similar fashion. Out and discharged Tom from custody. Bob saw to it that a bunch of handbills were dumped into __ Ephraim Whipple and his son withdrew, much disgruntled |Farmer Whipple's front yard after dark one night, and Ezra ‘Over the magistrate’s decision, while Tom received the con-|foung them next morning. gratulations of his friends. As ‘soon as possible he took a car for Carlyle, where he changed for Cherryville. at his arrival in that town he found Mr. French at his of- ice. _ The president of the Navigation Company was pleased to See him back so soon, afid asked him what luck he had had with his scheme. “I've caught the shippers, sir, and they, are ready to sign contracts, provided you will guarantee them.” “I’m ready to do that, my lad.” “Here are the special points each wants inserted in his agreement. You can look them over, and if satisfactory I ‘Shall want you to have three contracts drawn up in duplicate. Also an agreement with Mr. Pennington, covering the right-of- Way through his property and the wharf privilege.” Tom then went into the details of his plans, which included the shed for freight at Pennington Landing, as he intended calling it, the leasing of part of a wharf at Liberty, and other matters of importance to the new- freight line. ; _ He remained overnight at Cherryville, and when he left Next morning he carried with him the contracts, and a sum of money sufficient to start the ball rolling.- He reached Liberty in time to attend a regular meeting of the Town Council, and put in his request for the wharf privi- lege that. he required. _ His statement that a freight and passenger steamboat was about to be put into commission between Cherryville and Lib- erty created considerable excitement in the Council room. He received the assurance of the members of the board that his request would be granted on very easy terms. _ Next morning the tri-weekly paper announced that the “Lib- erty & Cherryville Transportation Company” would run a beat between the two places, beginning on the first of the Month _ The publication of the paragraph afoused a good deal of rest in the village, and many of the citizens were of the hion that it would give Liberty a boom. ‘hat day Tom presented the contracts in turn to the three ars, and they accepted and signed them. ‘Then he got an estimate for the shed from a village car- Penter, after he had obtained a lease of the necessary ground om Mr. Pennington, and on the day following work was be- gun on the building. As soon as he concluded arrangements with the Town Coun- he had a small shed put up at the head of the wharf, and vided into a ticket and freight office, and a reception-room inting of tickets, freight waybills and other stationery pared for him at Cherryville ty an employee of the m gomp r, and Tom spent a portion of his time in ‘in being coached in all matters connected with the 1 and t general c ‘look to the boy for his instructions in et Wie dio? t Ma fe ot | RR aR Ae 1 Sh ek fe Pere pea = FF0 be a uced to the pilot-captain of the Elsie’ French, | He started to read one. “Thomas Sheridan, general manager,” he muttered. name as that beggar over at Pennington’s.” Then he read on and presently came to “Pennington Land- ing (Pennington Farm).” He rushed into the house to find his father. “Say, dad,” he cried, excitedly, “there’s a new steamboat line on the Maumee Branch.” “Who says so?” growled the farmer. “This circular says so. And what do you suppose, one of the landings is at Pennington’s wharf.”. - “What!” roared Farmer Whipple. “Let me see that hand- bill.” He also paused a moment at “Thomas Sheridan, general manager.” He did not, of course, connect the name with the boy Tom whom he hated, but put it down as a coincidence. What interested him the most was that this new company had established a landing at Pennington’s wharf. It made him as mad as a hatter to think that his own wharf — should have been overlooked when the selection was made. He figured that Mr. Pennington would make a good thing out of it, and he felt that he ought to have had this good thing himself. He was jealous of Farmer Pennington’s prosperity, although he had no cause to kick about his own, and this extra slice of luck going to his neighbor in place of coming to himself, galled him terribly. ‘ He determined to go to the company’s office and see if he eouldn’t make a deal to have the steamboat landing trans- ferred to his property. In order to do Pennington out of it, he was willing to give the company the use of his wharf free for six months. With that resolve in his mind he harnessed up his buggy and drove into Liberty about eleven o'clock. He stopped in front of 119 Main street, where a new gold sign pointed the way to the offices of the new co y. It happened that Bob and Tom were both there at the time, making the final arrangements for the beginning of business n the following Monday. , . They ‘len in the private office, the outer room being pre- —~ sided over by a small office boy. 3 “Is Mr. Thomas Sheridan, manager of the steamboat line, pere?” asked Farmer Whipple on entering the outer office. ere: “Yes, sir. Do you want to see him?” a “aT do.” ‘ bear “What is your name?” . aA “Ephraim Whipple.” rely The office boy entered the private room and told Tom that a- man named Ephraim Whipple wanted to see him. uaa Tom and Bob looked at each other in astonishment. . “What the deuce does he want with you?” asked Bob. “I give it up,” replied Tom. Then turning to his office boy, — he told him to ask Mr. Whipple to walk in. i gees, eet ~ CHAPTER XI. “Same

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1+ STARTING HIS OWN BUSINESS. When his eyes rested on Tom seated at his desk, and Bob by his side, he stopped short and stared, while a hard look came over his features. “I wish to see the manager,” he said, aggressively, intensely aa to find that Tom appeared to be attached to the office, : “I am the manager, Mr. Whipple,” replied Tom, politely. “You the mianager!” snorted the farmer, angrily. “How dare you tell me such a lie!” “I am not telling you a lie, sir. I am the general manager of the Liberty & Cherryville Transportation Company. What ean I do for you?” Tom spoke with the dignity that he felt his position as the head of the company called for, and also with studied polite- ness. Farmer Whipple seemed to be shorenehiy staggered by his statement. To his eyes it seemed ridiculously improbable that he couldn’t bring himself to believe it. He stood and glared in a most unfriendly manner at the boy, while Tom waited for him to speak. “I don't believe such a preposterous statement,” he replied at length. “I came here to see the manager of this steamboat line and not to see you.” “Well, Mr. Whipple, [ can only repeat what I have just told you—that I am the manager of the steamboat company. can’t help it if you don’t believe me. You had better go out and make a few inquiries in order to satisfy yourself. Then I shall be glad to know the errand that brought you here. If it simply refers to the matter of shipping your produce to Cher- ryville, or Toledo, I will refer you to Robert Pennington, here, who is agent for the company at Pennington Landing. He will be pleased to give you all the necessary information. You will find our rates much lower than those of the railroad, and We guarantee to land your stuff in Toledo via the Maumee River Navigation Company’s boats within six hours from the time our boats leave this end of the route.” ' “May I ask, is this new steamboat line run by boys?” asked the farmer, sarcastically. “Well, sir, 1 am running it, and I am a boy, it is true, but I can guarantee thorough satisfaction to shippers. At any rate, Mr. Arthur Brown, of the Kenilworth Farm; Mr. Hiram Jones, ef the Ivanhoe Farm, and Mr. Robinson, of the Robinson Farm, have confidence enough in the new line to warrant their signing a year’s contract for the carriage of all their products to Toledo. Those three gentlemen, as you well know, are the largest shippers in this part of the county, and would not be likely to break away from the railroad without good and suffi- cient reason.” - “Huh!” replied Farmer Whipple, wiping his brow with his bandana handkerchief. “They must be crazy to take any stock in a common boy like you. I certainly shall call on them and let them know a few things about you that they. probably are nat aware of.” You are at liberty to do so, Mr. Whipple,” answered Tom; “but I don't believe you will make anything by it. ‘My busi- ness with those gentlemen is purely on a business basis. I might also inform you that this steamboat line is backed by the president of the Maumee River Navigation Company, and he guarantees all shipments made from up the branch.” “Well, if you are the manager of = line I don’t want any- thing to do with it.” With those words, Farmer Whipple turned on his heel and _ strede out of the room, and thence out of the building. — He was not only disgusted, but very angry. Pade very idea that such a boy as Tom Sheridan Peary have ment of a transportation line, even such a short ee as between Liberty and Cherryville, fairly nauseated him.’ _ He couldn't understand it, and what he couldn’ t understand he had no faith in. _ He rode straight back home in a very ugly mood, and for the rest of the day made Ezra walk a chall line, which did not please that young man for a cent. . _ On the afternoon of the 30th of April, the steamer Elsie French steamed up the branch and made eae to the wharf at ‘Liberty. 4 ‘the do She » aw: > ’ a crowd of ‘curiously disposed weeps came down to rie lock at her. - ~ s a small boat, but a good one in her way. yeen used aaah oe years aaa = a ehattored pan: Mat el € out excursion parties up own River, fe pa ar ge oo ah an up-to- er. . Miss French had hired, through her father’s agent, a couple of extra deck hands to handle the freight expeditiously. ; The pilot-captain brought his family and his belongings up on the boat, and had them moved into a cottage he had already rented in Liberty. The rest of the men were to eat and sleep on board, and a cook was provided to look after them. There was a small amount of freight delivered late that afternoon on Meiggs’ Wharf for transportation to Cherry- ville, and this was. put on board at once. Mr. Pennington, Tom and quite a bunch of his young friends were on hand next morning to make the first trip on the boat to Cherryville. There were also nearly a dozen of the villagers who bought tickets for the initial sail down the branch. Promptly on time the little steamer, with a display of bunt- ing, and a tooting of her whistle, pulled out from the wharf and headed down the river for Pennington Landing, where considerable freight awaited her. She was followed by the cheers of a good-natured and en- thusiastic crowd, who wished the new line all success. Bob was on the wharf in @ new steamboat cap, with the word “agent” in gold letters printed on a blue band, as the Elsie French approached the landing. He felt as big and as important as though he was the chief counsellor of the village. The steamboat. ran alongside the little wharf and made fast. Then the deckhands got busy with their trucks, and the freight was soon whisked on board. . As soon ag the last load had passed over the gangplank, the whistle tooted its warning note, the lines were cast off, and the Elsie French steamed off down the stream and soon disap- peared around a bend in the river. It took one hour and fifty minutes to make the run from Liberty to Cherryville. ) Miss. French, her father, and a ‘crowd of townspeople were on the Navigation Co,.’s wharf to greet the arrival of me little boat on her first trip. She was received with cheers and the lively strains of the | Cherryville Cornet Band. Everybody aboard was glad he had come, and all were in- vited to a light collation spread in the Navigation Company’s passenger reception-room. The freight was hardly on the dock before the morning boat down the river came in sight. She was soon made fast alongside the dock, and her hands bundled the Elsie French’s freight aboard in short order. A few passengers from Cherryville, bound for Toledo, went aboard and then she hauled out and continued her trip east- ward. Everybody who had come down on the Elsie Freneh re-_ turned to Liberty on her when she started back at two o'clock. Tom was in high feather, for his business had opened in a small blaze of glory. CHAPTER XII. THE BOX OF MONEY. Ezra was standing on his father’s wharf when the steam- boat left Pennington Landing and passed up toward Liberty at about fifteen minutes of four. He gazed enviously at the boat and the figure of Tom Sheri- — dan outside the pilot-house, for he knew well enough Bowe that the “beggar” was running the line. 3 It was as much a mystery to him as it was to his father how. Tom had secured such a fine opening for his talents; not that Ezra was willing to admit that Tom had any ability at all. He was far too prejudiced against Sheridan to acknowledge — what everybody else admitted that Tom was an uncommonly smart boy. As the proof of the pudding is in the eating, Tom was deth- onstrating by his actions what was really in him. “The idea of him, a poor boy, being made manager of e steamboat line,” he muttered, discontentedly, for neithe nor his father had the remotest idea that Tom was reg originator and owner of the new transpo nm business. don’t see how he came to get the job. However, he’s bi un to run it into the ground in no time at all—that’s some } faction, and then a man will be putin his place. bes ber» must have been awful slow not to get the landing e: ‘at his wharf. Then I could haye been the th Bob Pennington is now. Of course, he got: it BOnapany } took his father’s wharf. He's pasar”.

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Ww, and try to lord it over me and the rest of the fellows. se he thinks he looks awfully big in that new cap with le gold letters on the band. He makes me sick.” The steamboat having passed out of view by this time, Ezra icked a piece of wood into the river to relieve his feelings, and then sauntered back to the house, feeling as if he’d like to u Bob’s head because he was so fortunate. ‘The sudden cessation of shipments from the Ivanhoe, Kenil- ‘Worth and Robinson farms, as well as-the knowledge that a St boat had been put on the branch to carry freight from i y to Cherryville, caused the freight agent of the A. & T. R to sit up and take notice. __ He lost no time sending a representative to call on Messrs. &B , Jones and Robinson to see what was the matter. en ene pig red man found out what was the matter, all ‘Tight—that the shippers objected to paying the new freight rate, first of all, and that they found the short haul to Pen- nington Landing much more convenient and profitable to them than the long one to the station beyond Liberty, _ The result was*that the agent notified the owners of the farms in question that he would grant them a rebate on the fee. Schedule that would bring the rate below even the old e. : "The three shippers replied that they had signed a contract with the steamboat manager for a year, and they could not Make a change within that time as long as the terms of the agreement was kept by the transportation company. Tom, in the meantime, called on all.the farmers who had anything: to send to market, and solicited their custom, point- ing out that Cherryville and Riverport, five miles further _ down, were good marts for the sale of their products. - As he offered satisfactory rates, he picked up a good bit of custom in this way, and the company’s books at the end of the first month showed good results. _ The business was paying from the very start, and Elsie. con- gratulated Tom on the excellent showing that he was making. _ Bob was pulling through in great shape, and was holding his Pred up without any trouble. : - Tom went to Cherryville two and three times a week, and he never failed to call on Hlsie, not alone to talk business * n her; but also for the pleasure of meeting her. z5 The young people showed an increasing partiality for each Ss company as time passed, and neither was quite so happy as when they were together. - 3 __ Mr. French’s house: had been practically rebuilt since the fire, and it was there that the girl received the young steam- boat lad, whom she was proud to call her partner. _ He always stayed to one meal, sometimes two, and was: a ‘great favorite with Mr. and Mrs. French, who felt they never eould do too much for the boy who had saved the life of their only daughter. i . In this way two months and a half passed away and Tom found that his business was panning out better and better each week. - - One July afternoon both Tom and Bob went to Cherryville on the five o’clock boat. q SOS. ; was the trip they carried the bulk of the day’s freight the steamboat. had business wtih the Navigation Company’s agent and not go to the French residence. ’ In fact, he had barely time im which to do his business, as ; boat only remained one hour in Cherryville, as she was q at Liberty at ten. “had been a very hot day, and soon after the Elsie French fast to her berth at Cherryville, which she reached at there were indications in the sky of an approaching .e time drew near for her to leave, the heavens were ‘covered by the storm clouds. ‘ the brilliancy of the lightning and the loudness of the as the electric clouds came charging over the town, promised to-be a corker while it lasted. minutes before starting-time Tom was surprised to see on board the steamer, accompanied by a well- ‘man, who was a stranger to him. He is the said Mr. French, “this is Mr. Parker. to the gentleman, ard then Mr. French contin- the Cherryville Bank.” wishes to send the sum of $15,000 in gold to k, and-I have assured him that you will take : , So that there will be no eanengor. with tts: F-wilt STARTING HIS OWN BUSINESS. 15 et eae of course, be responsible for the money, so I shall expect you to take unusual care of it.” “T shall certainly do that, sir,” replied Tom, who appre- ciated the responsibility about to devolve upon him. “Both Bob and I will keep the money in sight until we deliver it to the cashier of the Liberty Bank.” ‘“The gold is at the agent’s office in charge of a messenger,” said Mr. Parker. “I will have it sent aboard at once. Where shall you put it?” “There is a little office on the cabin deck. I shall keep it there, and Bob Pennington or myself will stand guard over it all the way up the branch.” ; “When do you start?” “Just as soon as your messenger brings the money aboard.” “You're going to’ have a rough trip, at least part of the way, Mr. Sheridan,” remarked the cashier of the Cherryville Bank, as a terrific clap of thunder sounded almost immediately over- head and the sky was lit up by a vivid flash of lightning. “Looks like it,” answered Tom, as they stepped ashore on to the wharf. “I will wait here at the gangplank for your messenger.” In a few minutes the messenger appeared, bearing a heavy box on his shoulder. “It is already receipted for,” he said, delivering it to Tom. “All right,” replied the young steamboat magnate. “Cast off, Captain Ford,” to the pilot, who was waiting for orders. “Follow me, Bob,” he said to Pennington. As the steamboat swung away from the wharf, amid the crashing of the elements, the two boys walked up the brass- bound stairs to the cabin floor. No one had noticed in the darkness that two men had sneaked aboard the steamer, forward, and crouched down under the tarpaulin that protected some cases of freight billed for Liberty. ‘ e But such was the fact, and they were there for no good purpose. “This is the most valuable freight we've carried yet,” said Tom, as he opened the door of the small room that the pilot used as a storeroom and office. “I should think it is,” replied Bob. “While I don’t believe there is much danger of our being relieved of it, as nobody but Mr. French, the bank cashier and his messenger knows that a box of money is aboard, one of us, as you told Mr. Par- ker, must keep a- constant watch over it.” “You can bet your life on that. I’m not taking any chances with it. If I lost it I'd lose my reputation with it and then I might just as well throw up my hands. The pilot has a revolver. I’m going to borrow it.” Tom locked the door on the box of gold and put the key in his pocket. “You sit down here and watch that door, Bob, while I get the gun,” he said to his companion. s Bob took the seat and Tom went up to the pilot-house. He was back in a very few minutes with the pilot’s re- volver in his pocket. f: Then he took his seat beside Bob, and one or the other of them had his eyes on the door all the time. The fierce wind that accompanied the thunderstorm swooped down on the’ little steamboat, and she rocked about as if at the mercy of a heavy sea. + The thunder roared overhead at frequent intervals, and the lightning flashed almost incessantly. w Ee The storm continued at its height for perhaps twenty min- utes, during which the rain came down in a perfect deluge, The beys could hear it thundering upon the deck above their heads. sky. : eee ‘The pilot had to feel his way up the branch, and watch ou t sharp that he didn’t get the boat aground at any of the turns: in the stream, of which there were several. 55 The result was that the steamer reached Pennington Land- ing an hour late. PR: “You'll have to go on with me to Liberty to-night, Bob, on 9 account of the money,” said Tom. - “All right, old man, I'm with you. I'll have to open up the freight shed so the men can put those empty 2 side. I'll tell Mr. Ford to wait for me.” > “You'll find me here when you get back,” So Bob hurried away to attend to business mained on r ; a Ay ‘Tom took the unlocked the looked into the SS 2 eee. Ne ertog fs te et ES

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a moment to lose if I hope to recover the money. : Pe ie ahead.” a ilot-captain was. standing near the wheel-house, wait- 16 It was very dark, so he struck a match and flashed it around. “My gracious!” he exclaimed. “Where is the box?” It was clearly'not where he had placed it. He was about to look around on the floor when he noticed that the shutters of the single window were broken open and the sash swung inward. ~ “Great Scott! The box has been stolen!” CHAPTER XIII. PURSUIT OF THE THIEVES. a aa was completely staggered by the loss of the box of oney. Tom went to the opening of the window and looked out. Only a narrow six-inch projecting plank extended along the side of the boat under the window. It seemed impossible that one man could have entered the room and got the heavy box out of the window with any suc- cess at all unless he had provided himself with a rope to lower it to the narrow space of deck below, between the railing and the side of the steamer. He must have had an accomplice. But who were the thieves? ee two or more of the deckhands implicated in the rob- ry? As he was about to leave the window he cast his eyes to- _ Ward the stern of the steamer. There in the gloom he saw the indistinct forms of two men. All hands were busily engaged in putting ashore the crates and wheeling them into the barn, so these men could not be- long to the boat. Tom had only brought up one passenger, who he had just noticed reading a paper in the cabin. Who, then, could these men be? = of them stepped across on to the stringpiece of the Ww J The other stood against the rail apparently holding some- thing in his arms. The man on the dock reached out his arms and the other handed him something that seemed to be quite heavy. As soon as he got it in his arms he started off in the gloom, or by the other, who had immeditely sprung on the whar “Those are the thieves!” palpitated Tom. “Whoever they be they are certainly the men who have stolen the gold and are now carrying it away under cover of the gloom. I haven't I must follow them and shoot them both if they refuse to give up the box. They won't be able to go very fast with that load, but the trouble will be to track them across the farm in the dark- jiess. They will probably make for the woods yonder first, and then the road, hoping that the robbery may not be dis- - covered until the steamer reaches Liberty. That would give them a good start and plenty of time to arrange their future ‘Movements. It’s mighty lucky that I looked out this window at the critical moment.” Tom rushed out of the little room, flew down the stairs and = dashed on to the wharf. _He found Bob just locking the shed door. _ “What's the matter, Tom? You look excited,” he said, surprised that his companion had deserted post be- fore the Fonky the room in which he supposed e box of "recover it.” " gasped Bob, in utter amazement. “You can’t re "eT sine it. We haven’t a moment to lose.” “Why, how——” “Don't ask any questions, now. Wait here till I tell Mr. Bob's girvlsadtso hands held the gangplank partly i al a ia ae real aft, ready STARTING HIS OWN BUSINESS. The money-box has been stolen | xiges Se. btbebem, Garweny ob ‘ M ae line of ‘enods as fast as he could go, followed by the greatly bewildered Bob. pent of ten minutes they reached the outskirts of the woods. “Keep your eyes skinned for two men, one of them carrying the box,” said Tom, hurriedly. They stood and listened, but no sound met their ears except — the'distant peals of thunder and the rustling of the trees in the night wind. . Finally. Tom, satisfied that the two men had already en-— tered the wood, if he had calculated their line of retreat aright, led the way in among the trees. Tom carried a heavy heart, for unless he was able to. re- cover the gold he dreaded the interview he would have to hold with Mr. French over the ’phone in the morning. The president of the Navigation Company would, of course, make the bank’s loss good at once, but the theft would be sure to leak out, and it was bound to hurt the reputation of the new line as a trustworthy public carrier of valuable prop- erty. : Tom set great store by the success of the transportation company he had established, and it certainly was hard luck to have such a terrible thing happen during the first three months especially. 3 “What will Elsie think of me?” he muttered, between his teeth. To lose her good opinion he felt would seed break his heart. y He not only admired the fair girl, but was beginning to en- tertain a very strong feeling of regard for her, which every meeting between them deepened. \ The very fact that he had been instrumntal in saying her life made his growing attachment for her warmer. “They may have gone towards that old hut on our property, which covers a kind of cellar where we once stored our crop of ice,” said Bob, as they approached the other side of the woods. 5 “True, they might. But as they are probably strangers m this neighborhood they will hardly strike it except by aeel- dent.” “You are sure they are strangers, then?” “No, I am not sure of it. I could not tell who they were in the dar “It's tahny, but I only noticed that we had one paeeenee up to-night.” . “That was my idea, too. They certainly did not come into the cabin at any time or we would have noticed them.” | “They must have stayed below on the freight deck, in which case some of the deckhands certainly saw them there, and Mr. Ford must have taken their tickets, so that if we fail to over- haul them we will be able to get their description to furnish — to the police of all the towns around. What mystifies me is how they got into that room and got away with so hea¥y a box right under our noses. They certainly did not enter, by - the door, I can swear to that.” ; “No, they broke in through the window on the outside ott boat.” By this time they were drawing near the ice-house. Suddenly, through one of the cracks of the building, they saw a flash of light as if a match had been struck. From the intermittent way the blaze came and went, the boys judged eg some one was lighting his pipe. G ae CHAPTER XIV. RECOVERY OF THE BOX OF MONEY AND CAPTURE OF THE T Lying close to the ground in the wet grass the boys two men talking inside the hut. The tones of one of them was somewhat familiar to * and he wondered where he had heard it before. — ’ He soon found out all about it, and the discovery w: a@ pleasant one. ; ‘The men were smoking and talking. “Fifteen thousand dollars in gold is a pretty tough: a man to carry, Bagley.” said one of the pair, and at f tion of the name Tom gripped Bob by the arm. His late aunt's husband was one of the thieves, | other was probably the fellow Tom met in Bagley’s ms rs sat house at the time

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STARTING HIS OWN BUSINESS. if. =— ad __\*We'll get away with it all right, don’t you fret,” answered | volver on me that I see sticking out of your pocket, and pe _ his companion, in a confident tone. “They haven’t more than | preservation is the first law of nature. Get on your feet an _ discovered its loss by this time; that will give us time enough |I’ll take you to a doctor.” , z _ to reach the Crossings, where you are known. We'll hire a Tom reached down, took possession of Johnson’s weapon _ Yoom for the night, like any respectable person. Then we’ll|jand handed it to Bob. _ break open the box, divide the swag and make a bundle apiece Bagley’s companion got up, with many groans. _ of our shares. That will make it easy to carry. We will then| Tom then shouldered the money-box and ordered the men ' let ourselves out of the house by the window of the room,|to march. ; . Make for Stanton and catch the through freight for Toledo,} They were taken directly to Mr. Pennington’s house, and that gets there at four. We ought to reach the city by eight |Johnson was permitted to lie on the lounge in the sitting- + O'clock at the outside. Then we can take a boat for Buffalo, | room. and a train from there to New York. Once in the metropolis Tom went to the telephone and rang up the solitary night “we'll enjoy real life, and $7,500 apiece will go a long way to-|operator in the Liberty telephone office. ward the article.” He first asked to be connected with Dr. Kent. “The telegraph may head us off at Toledo,” ventured Bag-| When he got the physician on the wire he told him he wanted him to come out to me epiyenty kee ety to set a Man’s w had been broken by a revolver shot. arHe ral cest put in connection with the village head officer. He told him to come out in his wagon and take charge of two erooks whom he and Bob Pennington had captured red- rae of twenty minutes the doctor drove up, and was soon attending the wounded man. ; By the time he was through the officer appeared. The prisoners were loaded on the wagon, and so was the box of money, which would have to be used in evidence against ~- e rascals. per pe sa along, as he had to go back to Liberty anyway, for he had a room there. : Bagley and Johnson were put in the lock-up, while the money was carried to the bank and delivered to the night watchman for security’s sake, Then Tom went home, after promising to be on hand at the magistrate’s office next ene to press the charge of rob- e two prisoners. : mee pavers Canara, for he had recovered the $16,000. “TI hardly think it will bring detectives to the A. & T. freight ' yards. If we think it best, we can drop off outside the city limits and walk to the steamboat dock by a roundabout way.” “I leave the matter to you, Johnson. You know the ropes ' better than me.” __ “Yes, I guess I know a thing or two about hoodwinking the _ sleuths. This won’t be the first time I’ve done it. This has _ been a mighty good haul for us, Bagley, and unexpected at _ that. Your nephew nearly got us pinched that day in Cherry- Ville. This is where we've got back at him for it. He’ll get into all kinds of trouble over the loss of this money.” __ “Serves him right, the cantankerous little monkey! I hate him. I don’t see how he got his job on the steamboat.” i “He's liable-to lose it after to-night,” chuckled Johnson. ie Bagley made no reply to that, and for a little while the men smoked in silence. ‘. e ‘Bob’s hard fist landed on Bagley’s nose, and box and rascal rent to the ground together. Then the sturdy young agent jumped on Bagley’s chest and Pinned him where he lay. “What in thunder does this mean?” roared Johnson. t{ means that you chaps are our prisoners,” replied Tom, utely. our prisoners!” sneered Johnson. “TI ‘guess not.” ran his right hand to his hip-pocket, and Tom, believing he was about to draw a weapon, fired at his arm. phnson uttered a scream of pain, and a succession of , as his arm fell, useless, by his side. 1 a terrible string of profanity, he made a dash at Tom, his left arm to strike him. — y stepped aside and the man fell over some creeping lay there, groaning with anguish. 1 turned his revolver on Bagley, who was putting up a = fight with Bob, in an effort to upset him. der, Mr. Bagley, or I may treat you to a dose of medicine I just handed out to your’side partner.” y that was a bluff, as Tom had no intention of gley.. his resolute demeanor and stern words had the oa ) - d = g company, “at ‘aust g agley was a coward when he saw a gun in front of threw up his hands, yielding sullenly enough. hands behind his back.with your handkerchief, : Ml present you with a new one.” : $8 wrists together and then told him to et aw Bob,” said Tom, goed suttert hich ay,

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STARTING HIS OWN BUSINESS. | ——_—__- ville, and, as far as he was concerned, there were two flukes to the anchor. _ . After the first of October, Tom cut out the morning trip and changed the time of the afternoon boat as follows: Leave Liberty at 2 p. m., arrive at Cherryville at 4 p. m.; leaving Cherryville at 5 p. m., arrive at Liberty at 2. p. m. This was due to the closing of the fruit season, and was made after a conference with his three principal shippers, ; whom he invited to his office for that purpose. About the middle of October, Elsie gave a birthday party at her home, and, of course, Tom was invited. Ps ne ir 3 soon have thought a jumping into the Maumee give a party and not have him righ - ticular star of the occasion. esthgeigt nad sag Bob was also invited to be present, and both the boys, ar-" rayed in their best apparel, took the two o’clock boat for Cherryville on the day in question. Tom only knew two or three of Hisie’s own set, and Bob none at all. However, she seemed to enjoy the task of introducing them, especially Tom, and both boys were favorably received in the aristocratic social atmosphere of Cherryvill’s highest circles. Lapel had a pretty swell time of it, and enjoyed every min- Tom danced with Elsie so many times that some of the girls and boys got jealous, but Tom made himself so popular on the whole that no one could find fault with him. Bob managed to pick up one little brunette beauty to whom he paid particular attention, to the great amusement of Tom and Elsie. The supper was the event of the evening, and both boys, in common with all the young guests, did ample justice to it. As it was too late for them to think of returning to Liberty when the party broke up, they were invited to stay all night at the French mansion. In fact, they remained in town until five the next afternoon, when the steamboat returned up the branch. . By this time Tom Johnson and William Bagley were getting accustomed to their quarters in the State pnison, where they had been sent for fifteen years apiece—their prior conviction a Bg Farmer Whipple attempted burglary telling against Bob, having told all his friends and acquaintances what a/>y looking after it once a year. -up time he and Tom had at Miss French’s birthday party in Cherryville, the news naturally reached the ears of Ezra Whipple. : The result was that he persuaded his mother to allow him to have a birthday party, too. He sent out a pile of invitations to those he thought were his friends, but he took mighty good care not to include Tom and Bob in the list. When the girls who were invited found that neither Tom nor Bob, who were by long odds the most popular lads in neighborhood, were not going to be at the party, the ma- of them decided to stay at home, and they did. fost of the boys, when they learned, in one way or another, their particular girl was not going to attend, also stayed that the party w: than sour apples. course, Tom and Bob heard that the Whipple party had and they grinned quietly at each other, for Ww what Ezra had aimed at when he got-up his party, ‘were rather tickled because his scheme had missed gates something of a frost, and oie 5 yy CHAPTER XVI. CONCLUSION. With the reduction of freight carried, Tom had to reduce his help some. Secereer Senne wate: eeeienet: te: dofall the: week onthe _ Bob's assistant was also Jaid off. = ih On the first of December a trip up and down the branch very other day was enough to handle all the business that came Tom’s way. f “ , was satisfied * | | texpense of a survey?” | boy or man to rely on himself, as a rule, for it brings out any _—— _ ———— There was a large town called Colfax, three miles. west of Liberty. It was located on the A, & T. Railroad, the ~station and freight sidings being on the side facing Liberty. This was the place where Messrs. Brown, ones and Robin- son, the fruit, produce and dairy product shippers had been obliged to send their stuff for shipment by rail before Tom started his steamboat line. < Colfax was also close to the head of the Maumee Branch, but owing to the flats a mile below the town, that is, toward Liberty, no craft of any draft could pass up to its water front, Tom, however, got an idea in his head that a channel could be dredged through the flats. The question was, how much would the work cost, and also could the channel, if made, be kept open at small expense? One day he went to Toledo to consult with the manager of a Lake Erie dredging and wrecking company. This man declared he could furnish no opinion on the sub- ject without one of his experts went over the ground and made a thorough examination. This would cost a certain amount of money and might yield unpromising results, after all. a Tom returned to Cherryville and laid the matter before Mr. French, “It would mean a whole lot to me if I could get my boat’ through to Colfax. Would you advise me to undertake the “Tom,” replied Mr. French, “I would rather you'd use your own judgment in this matter. It is ever so much better for a latent energies he may possess, and vastly strengthens his grip on the strenuous conditions of life.” Tom went home and thought the matter over, with the re- — sult that he ordered the Toledo company to make the survey and submit an estimate if the project was practicable. : The survey was duly made, and the manager of the dredging company notified Tom that his diver had discovered a filled-up channel through the flats. : He said that in the spring he would undertake to dredge it out for so much, and that in his cpinion it could be kept clear & : Tom was delighted at the prospect and called on Elsie to yp Ka consult with her about the matter. oh She told him to go ahead, if he thought it best to do so. Accordingly, at the proper time the dredging company sent its float up to the branch, and commenced operations. The channel was opened up, and after running the Elsie French through to Colfax one day, to the great surprise of the people along the water front, Tom publicly announ that the steamboat would make regular trips between Colfax — and Cherryville, via Liberty, until further notice. nes He changed the name of his line to the Colfax & Cherryville Transportation Co. and removed his office to Colfax. Suds He inserted a standing advertisement in the town news- papers, and called personally on the more important shippers, to whom he submitted through water rates to Toledo and in- termediate points. ‘ Les He received encouragement enough to guarantee the com. plete success of his venture, and the receipts during the y were more than double what they had previously been on the original route. : ; Kf The running schedule was only increased by fifteen es but the carrying capacity of the Elsie French was frequent; severely tested, and sometimes freight had to be refused for certain trips. At the close of the year Tom mustered up the courage to ask Elsie if she would enter into new articles of partnership, the term of which should be for life. : cigar’ fee Her answer, was “Yes,” and in the following June changed her name to Elsie Sheridan, in the presence of crowd at the church she attended in Cherryville. ai 2 Tom now has two steamers on the Branch, both paying and has proved beyond all doubt that he is a boy who, in ing his own business, caught on. 1 SS Next week’s issue will contain “A CORNER <: OR, THE WALL STREET BOY WHO WON.”

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FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. Among the numerous superstitions of the Cossacks “there is none stronger than the belief that they are more d likely. to be welcomed in heaven if they are personally | lean at the time they are killed. Consequently, before an | e pected battle they perform their toilets with scrupulous care, dress themselves in clean garments and put on the best they have, What is said to be the most promising of the inventions | bmitted during the year to the Interstate Commerce | _ Commission in its eontest for a successful railway safety device for the regulation of traffic is an apparatus on which a patent has just been secured by a Spokane, Wash- ington, inventor. The device is so arranged that steam is shut off from the cylinders and air is applied to the brakes hen trains come within a predetermined distance of one hother.. Applications fér patents on the device have been filed in England and France. é Stone money called “fei” is used in the island of Uep, mong the Caroline Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The ei” consists of large, solid, thick stone wheels, ranging diameter from one to twelve feet, having a central hole ugh which a pole can be inserted so as to convert the mass into “currency.” ‘It is customary to “ear- the money, as it were, and leave it in its position side the first owner’s hut. The owner for the time ing possesses, meanwhile, power to wield the influence ch attaches to this visible display of wealth. ©. King, of St. Paul, Minn., exhibit clerk for the ‘Board of Immigration, swallowed the beard of a — macaroni wheat. The beard.stuck in his throat. He tried to cough it out. Recently the beard, one and ne-fourth inches long, was removed from his right chest. » time of the accident Mr. King noticed no ill- While at the Galesburg, (Ill.) Fair his chest be- re. Mr. King did not know what was the matter. Neither did a physician he called. But the pain grew ss, and he forgot about it. striking spectacle presented by Venus and Jupiter ‘proximity to each other in the evening sky on y 13th and 14th led to needless perturbation in arts of France, where the two planets were mis- the unastronomical majority for the lights of a “At Ronen the alarm was complete; the ap- hostile craft was announced by the firing of he fire department turned out, and the people until the planets had sunk peacefully of the Dead Sea, supposed and Gomorrah CURRENT NEWS || ships of 30,000 tons displacement, and Germany, it is’ _| lieved, | Germ the water, instead of being more than forty-six per cent., as estimated by Lavoisier, is only between twenty-four and twenty-five per cent. The percentage of common salt is 8.52 as against 2.8 in ordinary sea water. While in ocean water there is seven times as much common salt,as mag- nesium chloride, in the water of the Dead Sea they are © about equal in quantity. A gallon of distilled water weighs — ten pounds, a gallon of ‘ocean water weighs ten and a quarter pounds, and a gallon of Dead Sea water twelve pounds. Richard S. Wooldridge, cashier of the Bank of Har- risonville, Missouri, bids fair to win fame as the man who invented a safety release for locks on bank safes. Some time ago Mr. Wooldridge rigged up a simple de- vice for opening the safe from the inside, so that in event he was inadvertently locked in he might make his escape. — The device is a sort of screwlike arrangement that en- — gages certain parts of the lock and frees it from all other parts of the lock.- He has tested it with time locks and all-other safety devices turned on and has made his exit without a particle of trouble. He expects to apply for a patent on the device, so it will be applicable for prac- tically all bank safes. ¢ Lawbreakers may be nipped in the bud. most effectively ‘by the police, n#ppers invented by John J. Murphy, of Norwich, Connecticut. The police nippers or “leaders,” ~ as they are sometimes called, are clasped about the wrist or even the ankles of, the arrested man. The advantage of the new nippers is not alone in their effectiveness but also in the fact that they may be quickly and easily oper-_ ated with one hand. The closing of the hand about the — handle portions of the nippers causes the jaws to close. These are pivotally connected by opposed extending arms, _ with a sliding tubular member attached to the T-shaped — inner handle. This tubular member slides on a basic rod, _ to which the outer T-shaped handle is mounted. It takes — but an instant to clasp the nippers on the wrist of an offender. 1} Las Not only is the United States building battleships of. great displacement, as witness our Pennsylvania of 31,40 tons, but the other nations, with the exception of Great Britain, are keeping well abreast of us in this respect. Thus, the Russian navy is completing this year four h cruisers of 32,200 tons. Japan has in commission 30,600-ton battleship Fuso, and she is building three ers. due to go into commission this-year and ne 31,300 tons. Italy will complete next year four has completed since the war began three

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FAME AND FORTUNE | AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. | _ HARRY, THE HUSTLER x EES Soke “a THE BOY WHO WAS READY FOR BUSINESS Sikaae eae By GASTON GARNE (A SERIAL STORY) ‘ CHAPTER XVIII (continued) The boys slept the sleep of the just that night, being _. thoroughly fatigued. =e They were up early, and saw nothing of any of the Bunce bunch at the breakfast-table. _. Immediately after breakfast Harry started in to perfect: ~ ly memorize Joe’s lecture, while Joe himself went out in the town. te ten o’clock another note from the enémy was hand- ed in. _ This time -it was dltowathes of a, different sort. The note sone as follows: ME. Henry Howe: Bh “Dear Sir—Pardon the liberty I am lading’ but I feel - that I cannot rest until I have more properly thanked you _ for the very great service you rendered me on the occasion of the pron wreck. ty ‘the excitemeAt of that awful to wait, on me at Parlor A, that I may have . a fey mo- ‘ ments’ seacoast with you. Sincerely your friend, 4 Lae, “JouLra Bunce.” oa this letter Harry pandgun long. Was it sincere, or was it a trap? He could not deter- y and on the other hand he could not refuse so ae nade at ‘Paslor A in about a ‘qnarter of 2 an hour. | eevee was taxed to its utmost to make our 2 oan iets eae * Beet the door’ in person. | “She was git we M 0,” she exclainied gushingly, “I am $0 me you. I was so afraid’ that you would think me dSistt Nga TK Shia? - “insincere.” bust. » and ‘replied rather Pek | you. ei know . B cil percck Tet is ~~|tested’ and declared that he really must have: | suppose I am not worth very much to anybody but my poor father, but you know life is sweet.” ¥ Making a complimentary remark, Harry turned the con-- yersation into general channels. He inquired if this was her first visit to the Black Hills country, and, receiving a ~ reply in the affirmative, asked how she liked it, and’ sO on. At last, finding that there was not likely to be anything in the interview but the smallest of small talk, he arose” e take his leave, feeling that there was nothing in the call but the desire of a romantic girl to cultivate his acquain' 3 ance. He was mistaken, however, and he knew it before he reached the door, for who should walk out from an ad- jeining room but old Bunce himself. Se “Oh, Mr. Howe! Stop a minute!” shrilled Miss Julia. “I want to introduce you to my father.” “Why, Howe, my. boy! How-de-do?” cried the con~ _ tractor, pushing forward and seizing Harry’s hand with Pe. great show of hearty friendliness. . “We need no intro- __ duction. We were introduced all right there at the tag 7 Say, you have put me. under everlasting obligations. t Sit down for a few minutes and give a fellow 2 We want to know you, Ho W chance to get acquainted. Have a cigar? Light up: Julie don’t mind.” ia As Mr. Bunce produced cigars ue touched the clectr bell. 4 Harry declined the cigar, and résutied his seat. ae “What! You don’t smoke? ?” eried Bunce. “Well, < Never mind! I’ve rung for the waiter. Shall I ores Anything you say vold bottle, or will you take whisky? . | goes.” Sad “Well. I’m»not»saying, for I don’t drink.” , © *“Pshaw, man ! What nonsense! Everybody drin! these vege it I et % it any other way stort a 1 beer.” eT tr ae “We'll make it atid werciigae than seltzer as am concerned,” said Harry, and even when Julia | wine with her, he remained firm. So thé hall boy was’dii missed without an order, but old Bunce’ kept ra rat ling or “ite in Sy was his old friend, Mr. Longwor ? peatocet Res Mr. Longwo

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FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. lage old Bunce was rattling on in this strain, Julia|only trouble with him is he is dead slow when it comes to — e and excused herself. closing a contract on modern limes, that’s all.” We really must see more of you, Mr. Howe,” she said.| “It may be so. I have only been with him in this busi- ie and J are going for a drive this afternoon, as I| ness. I suppose I have a lot to learn.” th to see something of this wonderful country. If you! “We are none of us too old to learn, young man: I know fon’t accept our hospitality in any other way you won’t|] am not. But looker here, what’s the use in finishing use me the pleasure of your company, I am sure.” your education with an old back number like Bill Long- gal really must decline, Miss Bunce,” replied Harry. | worth? Why not make a break while there is a chance?” “I have too much business on hand, and cannot spare the| “J don’t exactly see the chance. I don’t know what you me.” mean.” ~~ “Oh, we will see about that!” said Julia, laughingly.| «]¢ [ really thought you didn’t I should put you down 4+ am coming back in a few minutes, and we will talk it | for greener than I believe you to be. But I guess you ver then.” inderstind my meaning well enough. Any time you get She. swept out of the room, throwing a languishing} tired of New York, which is as much of a back number glance at our hero. among cities of this United States as Bill Longworth is No doubt she meant to be extremely captivating, but | among contractors, just take a run out to Chicago and he Hest gone the wrong way to work to capture Harry} cal] on Bunce & Co.” 0 This was the merest bluff, of course. “Oh, I’m very much satisfied with my present job, Mr. Bunce,” he replied. “You think you are, but you don’t know what is best for your future as well as ari old man like myself does, Howe, you have put me under a big obligation to you. There is a place ‘open for you in my office any time.” “Thank you, sir,’ replied Harry. “Well, there is a whole lot in what you say, I will admit. Suppose you just give me a little memorandum of this, and I'll take it into consideration?” ; “Put it in writing?” gasped Bunce. “Good Hed. venia) Howe! Can’t you trust my word in a matter like this?” ~~ “Oh, just as you please,” laughed Harry. “You do business in Chicago style, and I do it the old New York way. We have a little more method in our way, pers haps.” ; “We'll take that matter up later,” said Bunce quickly. _ “Now about the bridge contract. We may as well come to an understanding on that.” “Tf we can.” said Harry. “Tf we can, as you say.” “Well?” a “T have asked you to call off your dogs. Are you willing = to do it—under conditions?” : eat eB. Siaes, however, had not given up the job, by any . He came right down to business, and showed his s the moment Julia was out of the room. Ys Howe,” he began, “‘you have taken rather an ag- ve stand in this bridge vetittect business. Don’t you so, now?” don’t know that I have,” replied Harry. “I’ve been a little hustling—that’s all.” re’s no donbt that you are a hustler,” said Mr. with a grim’smile. “That is proved. You have oved yourself ready for business. That being the ere is nothing left for me to do but to prove myself aarrbiisthens, too. I’m a man who don’t mince mat- I hit the nail ee on the head. Call off your if you want to, and I'll show you just how much e is in the. contract. I shall be ready to put a 2 1. it now, ” said ‘Harry, quietly. “There can be no ht,” Sepliba old Bunce. “I agree with you. cuir titi for this new tie You = \ as 5 | “Certainly I am—under conditions.” ms ’ “Put your proposition, = I'll take it into considera-_ ew ‘CHAPTER XIX. | tion.” ge ae | ~ ‘1 “Oh, not You are the one.to put the proposition.” ec ‘HUSTLES JOE OUT OF THE WINDOW. ‘Do you want me to put a proposition for Longworth, . H Jor a proposition for Howe ?” asked the contractor, ~_ w as by far too shrewd to turn down old Bance one eye. d, and d indignantly reject his proposition. “You might put it both sacl Pc fs pwelt rated that ee were not. peor “Well, then, I——” . . “Oh, hold on, Mr. Bunce,” said Harry, rising. aT cay -| still stick to the old New pete) of doing ee as it is. The proposition m in writing. You cam send it up tomy room, and I will give it imme pa -|sideration.” Poe 4 es “Hold on! “Hold « on! ” eried Bunce. “Don’t | me to put such business on pi aur *

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(22 : FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. ITEMS OF INTEREST a DISINFECTS LEAD PENCILS. Lead pencils are germ carriers which may transmit dines ease, especially to children, most of whom have the habit — of putting pencils in their mouths. A New Jersey iIn- — ventor has devised a disinfecting’ rack to guard against a this danger, Popular Mechanics tells us. This rack con-— sists of a square metal frame, or case, about 3 inches deep, In its top are small holes through which pencils may be — inserted. Beneath the top is a tablet of clay composition — ; in which are depressions corresponding to the holes above. Into these the pencil ends project, without touching the — clay, and are disinfected by formalin gas exuding from — the clay, which has been previously charged with that dis- infectant. The pencil of each child may be assigned a cer- tain place in the rack. TREE 720 YEARS OLD FELLED. An elm tree that was,a sapling when Columbus dis- covered America, and which for more than seven hundred | e “and twenty years has stood near to the sit of historic Fort Ticonderoga, has just been cut down. The trunk of the tree measures sixty-eight feet to the limbs and is sixty inches in circumference at the base. The top measures twenty-seven inches. THROWS CURVES WITH SPEED. Dan Handelan, inventor of the baseball courts, has just completed a machine which will take the place of a pitcher. The outfit, which will be portable, will be set up in the pitcher’s box. It will be electrically operated from the bench by the manager. It will pitch any kind of a curve, a fast or slow ball, and will throw to any of the bases instantly. The machine is said to be about ready for pub- ‘ lic inspection. A PEACE-MAKER. Venezuela defaulted in her debts to Germany and sev- eral other European powers. To collect them, Germany — persuaded some of these powers to join her in a blockade p of Venezuela, and proposed to land troops. Roosevelt 2 pointed out that such a landing would violate the Monroe Doctrine, and proposed arbitration. Germany tefused. — Then Roosevelt sent a quiet, verbal, unpublished m to the Emperor that, unless he consented to arbi Dewey’s fleet would sail in forty-eight hours to de Venezuela. The Emperor’s consent came in thirty hours, with an invitation that Roosevelt act as arbitra Roosevelt publicly praised the Emperor's magnanimity, b turned the case over to The Hague Tribunal of Arbit tion. The public knew nothing of the secret ultimatum — till years later when “The Life of John Hay” was pub. lished. “Thus, Roosevelt defended the Monroe Doct rin as SAYS BERLIN BETRAYED THE IRISH. | _ Herbert Samuel, the Home Secretary, in an address at the National Liberal Club on the Irish revolt, said the uprising was a foolish one because its leaders rashly had put faith in German aid. He continued: “I believe that when the full story of the rebellion comes to be written it will be found nothing has been so significant in this crisis as the manner in which the German Government betrayed those whom they had duped. Undoubtedly the leaders of the revolt anticipated ‘substantial aid from ‘those sey. oa called their Continental allies.” aaa BIG GAIN IN CIGARETTES. # " Sales of cigarettes manufactured in the United States in the first quarter of 1916 established a high record for kept peace, saved the Kaiser's pride, and made Ar all equal periods in the history. of the industry. The gain respected. - : : _ over the same period of last year was 1,484, 000,000, or |. California. was ablaze against the Japanese, exclu _ 41.8 per cent., according to the records of Dow, Jones & them from her schools, ean protesting sitet coolie €o. Last year, in the full twelve months, production) icration, “But our treaty guaranteed both these y S amounted to 18,000,000,000 cigarettes and if the current leges to the Japanese. Roosevelt here showed his dee Tate of consumption is maintained, 1916 will see more}. i1]/ Por California, he secured a nisin’? es than 21,000,000,000 marketed from factories of this coun- ment? with Japan to keep the soediiiies sab tinue ae _fleships without its proper complement of auxiliary craft, exposed to sudden disaster. This was a self- “evident truth long before the present war, yet it would eee. to have been ignored by the ‘American naval ad- ministration until very recently.” Thus says the Naval ilitary Record, and ii statement 4 is correct, for out

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FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. HAL, THE POOR BOY Or is THE ADVENTURES OF TWO ORPHANS By ED KING (A SERIAL STORY) ; CHAPTER II (Continued) running for their lives. “Look out for Water Valley it. ee derisive shout ted th hen ¢ you are working South! If you value your lives, don’t 0 the barn. Ro Pe: ee strike below it. Now, mind!” ello, where did you catch the kids, Aleck?” cried a| Hal and Terry heard him, of course. bu y tramp, who was just lighting his pipe. But they did not understand the warning, and just _ “Outside there. They jumped out of the window. Guess then were in no frame of mind to stop and think. : they are too high-toned for us, and meant to give us the; As will soon be seen, they had every reason to wish cold shake,” was the reply, they had done so later on. % “The denies you say. Millionaires’ sons, mebbe. Well, The boys ran on through the rain, and were soon well y look it. Say, you tall one, got any dough? 2”? away from the barn. - haven’t anything,” replied Hal. “Let us go, mister;| “Oh, Hal, I don’t believe I can stand this much longer,” only a couple of poor boys.” said Terry. “J am wet to the skin, and so lame and _ “Search ’em, Aleck,” ordered the fat hobo. sore.” Ss Of course, no money was found on the boys. “Brace up, Terry,” said Hal, putting his arm affection- _ Meanwhile, the fat tramp had produced a harmonica, ately around the neck of his “chum. “There are better and began to play. times coming, boy.” 660 g, y+ 2 a eres Leagioy Fe der eee eat. “If I only thought so, Hal, , but IT am so hungry! You ‘No,” replied Hal. . oa the little one?” | don’t know how hungry I am.” ; he can’t dance, either.” “By gracious, I think I’ do,. Terry. a have {us ae 4 >. Il, you will, then. Aleck shall learn you, Lace ’em, munich, Zn. gaye stomach ast gy every. hit {Lace ’em, an’ make ’em leg it, just for fun!” “Oh, I know that, Hal. I’m not saying a word; but it of them hed an old horsewhip, which had been don’t seem as though I could stand it much longer unless somewhere. I can get something to eat.” oe “ ” ‘ t+ was handed to Aleck, and he began cracking the . greece a cried wm ery have Het weigh ae $ ave a square ; 1 around me legs of the boys, while the fat man played Hevea invabtegavat see les 1g selena Wennay iss a little while.”- A sudden turn in the road had shown Hal something ‘ : ; : which gave him hope. t once an old man with a white beard and his feet Right ie ig salt (Gk Mpluabe,, Wiese tone entirely concealed by the strip of woodland meee which they were passing. There was the store, and the tavern, and the cotton gin, and the bank, and the railroad station. A broad, swollen stream ran under a bridge, and went tumbling into the Mississippi over a stretch of sloping: ground. ; Seen even in the rain, it was a pretty place, and there ity seemed to be quite a number of people in the main a moving about under umbrellas. . The boys tramped on over the bridge. _ i It trembled beneath them. The brown was almost a to the plafiks. — “It wouldn’t take much’ to” send’ thie. bridge into the ) cried. “Serves ight !” pi,” remarked Hal. “For my part, I'd x ere he baw “after ie boys, who wore been menor Seen The sting S the lash made the boys jump about, of urse, and the tramps were roaring with laughter, when ed up > songe shuffled into the barn. ‘What’s all this? What’s all this?” he demanded. , it’s old Dawley!” exclaimed Aleck. “Say, we “4 "having a dance !” ‘Let those boys alone,” ordered the old man, sternly. > agi his whip ne Hal’s legs again, as he A “had done it just once too often. : ’s blood was all up now. 8] rang at Aleck, and even hase ty blow be- th eyes. wn went the alle: flat on his” back, while Hal and > for the aber nme tne I started to etch them, but old Davtey planted

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‘fae | ~* FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. eae: be eaoaoaanaaoaoanaouu0Qqaqauaqaqauauauoo eee eee ets. The rig in question was a buggy coming rapidly down the road toward the bridge. . The boys walked on, keeping close to the stream, the , stores being on the othat side of the street. Bac Hal felt “that he would like to size up the place a bit | before crossing. They had just'reached the cotton gin, which stood on the bank of the rushing stream, when the buggy struck the bridge and started to cross. There was a gentleman in a psioais auiving: and a yery pretty young girl by his side. The gentleman turned right onto the bridge, and was at about the middle of it, when a loud cracking of timbers was heard, and, to the horror of all who witnessed the disaster, the bridge slipped from its fastenings ad went whirling down the stream, carrying the team with it, while the girl screamed loudly for help. “Oh, look! Look!” cried Terry. “They are goners unless something is done to help them !” Hal exclaimed. '“Hey! It’s Colonel Crofut and his daughter!” yelled a man from the other side of the way, and people came running across to the stream. But shouts and talk would not save the colonel and his daughter. To a dead certainty, they would have been swept int the Mississippi if it had not been aor the prompt action of Hal North. He There was a coil of rope iyi near the cotton gin. “3h Hal ‘seized it and ran down close to the bank. a On came the bridge, swirling down the stream. Colonel Crofut had climbed out of the buggy and ran to the forward end of this impromptu raft. heayen’s sake!” he cried. He did not see ‘Hal, but. there the. poor boy was, all ready for him. . - “Look out, sir! Here | ote comes !” shouted Hal, and, om swinging the rope about his head, he sent it whirling to- pe mpd § the bridge. & ——_—— CHAPTER I. “ caprowp BY MAN-HUNTERS, ) a Crofut caught, the rope, and made i it at around rail. 44 regress of the bridge Ped the, Dove: was now the crowd,.. pushing the boys aide fave hold ®, and drew it in. Alen aot ; “Throw me a_ line, somebody ! Throw. me a line, for 4 they could have swam the swollen creek and “Qh, father! Avren’t you going to say a word to the brave hoy who saved our lives?” the girl exclaimed. “The boy! Oh, yes! Where is he? Hello, a pair of them! Here, you boys, come here. Which one of you was” it who threw me the rope?” 7 “T’m the one, sir,” replied Hal. : a “Oh, you are, hey? What’s your name?” AES “Hal North, sir.” in ie “Well, then, Hal North, let me advise you to keep away from Water Valley,” said the colonel, gruffly. “Here is something that will pay you for your trouble. Now you had better get a move on you as quickly as you can.” — o* The girl blushed rosy red with shame when her father tossed Hal a quarter, and, applying the whip to the homie drove away. The crowd, black and white, burst forth in a loud laugh. "ae “Say, that’s Crofut all over!” drawled a man with ; big sombrero. “He’s meaner than a dead cat on the ga ret stairs.” es “That’s sd, too,” said another. “But what he says 1 dead right, all the same; you boys better get out of tov right lively. Thar’s a law agin tramps hyar.’ pee Hal was too frightened to say a word. Visions of being locked up in jail rose before him. Comes Terry,” he whispered, “we, must be on- move.’ ae a kind look or offered a helping ia And yet Hal had performed a brave act. on It seemed as if the people of this town must be capa unfeeling lot. t all events, they were down on hobos, and — that it was no place for them. lasting forest again, which Regan few hundred ‘ya I hind the town. i This was Hal’s second warnin c Beware of Water Valley! seemed to be the word. ie And it was so, most emphatically. 4 known all about it. In those days, Water Valley, Miss., and cig to sree was the terror of all ee abe e: avoid Rs, A The. ‘reason for this il be disclosed a our vances. - Fe At.the present: nothing more need be aad abo | cept that, unknown. to, Hal and Terry, the town | just left was Water Valley. < Well would it have been for the silken

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TIMELY red at several places in the West, boring tiny holes ‘ough the lead sheath of copper-covered telephone cables. _ Noah Lundy, a farmer living near Arcola, Illinois, is earning the loss of $2,650 in crisp United States eur- acy Lundy had secreted the bills in a mail-order com- oi ny’s catalogue, and, while away from home, his wife, hile cleaning house, burned the book along with other papers. venty-six negroes, all women and children, except one, hed in a fire which destroyed a motion picture theater a gasclene explosion at Wallaceton, near Norfolk, A number of children were trampled to death in the Twenty persons were injured, some se- : be ee Coran, Shask County, the smallest incorporated city in Jalifornia, and once a popular mining camp, with a popu- . of twenty-four, of whom nine are men, has eight to fill at the coming municipal election in April. the men, C. W. Barker, at present a city trustee, justice of the peace. He will not seek re-election. ry man in the city will be an office-holder unless of the women could be induced to accept municipal —— \ nty years ago an American missionary resident in Shantung, China, brought to his mission station when re- urning from. his furlough in the United States a quart EC: ilifornia peanuts, which he gave to a native convert to replace the poor, shriveled, native peanut which ed little or no maiketing qualifications. To-day quart of peanuts has spread all over Shantung prov- , resulting in giving to these people an export trade atiele of 150,000 tons a year. Lost ‘singular forest towth in the world is en- d in the Falkland Islands, a dismal region con- wept by a strong polar wind. What appears to r-worn and moss-covered boulders are schttered 1d when one of these” curious objects is seized’ in > “boulders” being, in fact, native trees which forced to assume this shape. ihass wood ap- an, paar as an raniey: a » in ‘hain Indian, is at his Agee the mailing division of the Union In- Muskogee, Oklahoma, ‘while on the pay- { gana FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. . 25 TOPICS -| conducted a cross-roads store east of. Muskogee, and made a good liying. He has a son eleven years old and wanted to get him in the Muskogee schools. He applied for a position as interpreter at the Indian agency, and thus con- nected with the payroll of Uncle Sam. He has his son read the newspapers to him. Since the outbreak of the war the British navy has shown a marvelous increase in ships and men. 1,100,000 tons have been added in ships and the regular enlisted force has been doubled. Not only has-the mighty German fleet been shut up in the Baltic, but in practically every quarter of the globe the British fleet has been trans- porting troops and munitions of war and keeping open the trade routes of the world. The task in the Mediterranean alone has been a most serious one, as witness the state- ment of the First Lord of the Admiralty that 1,000,000 combatants, 1,000,000 horses, 2,500,000 tons of stores and 27,000,000 gallons of oil have been transported to the Mediterranean for the use of the British and their allies. One of je most interesting and remarkable of the many regions for the observation of sand dunes lies be- tween Bordeaux and Bayonne, in Gascony.” The sea here throws every year upon the beach, along a line of one hundred miles in length, some five million cubic yards of sand. The prevailing westerly winds continue picking up the surface particles from the westward slope, whirl them over to the inward slope, where they are again de- posited, and the entire ridge, by this means alone, moves. gradually inward. In the course of years there has thus been formed a complex system of dunes, all approximate- ly parallel with the coast, and with one another of all alti- tudes up ‘to two hundred and fifty feet. These are march- ing steadily inward at a rate of from three to six feet a year, whole villages having sometimes been torn down to prevent burial and rebuilt at a distance. Simon Lake, inventor and builder of submarines, lec- turing recently before the New York Electrical Society on “The Submarine in the Present War,” said this coun- try should adopt the ‘policy of European governments and guarantee to manufacturers of undersea boats that. they will not sustain any loss on contracts of an experimental character. “The quickest and most reliable defense for the United States,” said Mr. Lake, “would be a large fleet — ey of what I term ‘amphibious’ submarines. not too heavy to be transported by rail. railroads run their tracks down to the water and we would be prepared to shift immediately the boats from one point I mean boats About: Then let our = to another along the coast.” Mr. Lake said the weak point y in the submarine as now constructed was the necessity of — directing the aim of the torpedoes with the boat itself. — The submarine, he added, “has saved countless thousands — if | of ower ner a ssa te! nemy

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i. by the owner of a Fame and Fortune Weekly NEW YORK, JUNE 16, 1916. TERMS TO SUBSCRIBERS — TO SEND MONEY--at our risk senda P.O. Money Order, Cheek or Registered remittances in any other way are at your risk. We accept Postage the same as cash. When re silver envelope. Sie Sele Sis Spee ioks of bp nape coe Write your name Frank Tousey, Publisher _ 168 West 23d St., N. Y. BRIEF BUT POINTED ITEMS Five thousand employees of the Colorado Fuel and ‘Iron Company’s gteel mill at Pueblo have been granted an in- crease in wages, adding $40,000 to the company’s monthly payroll, according to announcement by officials of the . company. Dr. John Grier Hibben, president of Princeton Uni- versity, will be present at the Platisburg encampment for a week this summer, according to a statement from him the other day. One hundred Princeton students have signed for the encampment. Ten tons of skins of the begula, or white whale, re- ceived from Bering Sea were shipped from Seattle to Eastern shoe factories to be made into the white shoes now so popular among women. The begula abounds in Bering Sea and Cook Inlet, and the new fashion has stimulated the hunting of the animal. ~The will of William S. Murphy, by which his entire estate of $40,000 was left to Harvard University to pro- vide scholarships for young men named Murphy, has been admitted to probate. Cousins in Worcester and New Haven, Conn., who had contested the will, withdrew their objections after an agreement by which they received a small amount. An opossum with five legs was captured at Smith’s Landing, New Jersey, by Thomas E. Allen. The animal was caught in a trap. The fifth leg juts out from be- tween the shoulders in front, but did not seem to interfere with the animal’s movements in the least. Many people are curiously viewing the freak, having never t before seen an opossum so built. : A new method of fooling the fish has been discovered 1g boat in Berwickshire, Scotland. ‘He uses a net dyed the hue of the sea, and the result has always been a much better catch. A convincing test was recently made, when a fleet of sixty-five fishing craft com- peted. One of the boats used nets dyed blue ,and the an, FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. oth s the ‘usual leone nets. ‘ ‘The’ ae! nets: in every test|the black skirt, the mink furs and the laret les” “Not there es es That our American soldiers in Mexico are in need of some of the luxuries, if not the necessities, such as we have been sending to the men in the trenches of Europe’s battlefields is the suggestion coming from Washington through the newspaper correspondents. Good, substan- tial socks are desirable gifts, and automobile goggles as protection agdinst Mexican sand storms would be wel- comed by the enlisted men. In view of the experience of. an officer of the Allies whose tour of duty while wearing a pair of gift socks was made particularly uncomfortable — owing to the unsuspected presence of a visiting card crumpled up in one of the socks, it is suggested that donors of such gifts put them outside the socks rather than within them. Chewing gum, tobacco and cigarettes — may be added to the list, but candy is not among the things wanted at present, owing to the deluge of gifts of sweets that resulted from ah appeal of some weeks ago. - > JOKES AND JESTS z “Waiter, is this beef stew or Hungarian goulash ?” This is Wednesday, isn’t it, sir? Then it’s 2 za “Let me see. goulash.” Mamma—lIkey, vat you vant for yer birt’day? Ikey (after a paute)—A box of matches. Papa (proudly) Such a peesness man he’ll make. “My husband considered a very long time before he proposed to me. He was very careful.” “Ah, it’s te those careful people who get taken in!” Sister bahia has just sung for charity)—Well, I neve thought my voice would fill that big hall. “Freshme Brother—Neither did I. I thought it would empty it.— the after-effects I’m afraid of. Rivers—The after-effects is what ails me. I’m dodging the doctor. Mrs. Suburbs (to tramp)—Out of work, are you? T you're just in time. Ive a cord of wood to be cut w and I was just going to send for a man to do it.. Tramp- That so, mum? Where does he live? Ill go and g him. gras # Mistress—I don’t want you to have so much compan You have more callers in a day than I have in a ¥ Domestic—Well, mum, perhaps if you’d try to be a more agreeable you’d have as many friends as I have. “But, father,” protested the sweet young thing, ‘ have to dress this way these days to catch a husbai “You stand a better chunce of catching cold,” father. “Did you notice that woman who just passed quired he. “The one,” responded she, “with the the white feather, the red velvet roses, the mat

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THE BLACKSMITH. By Horace Appleton Young Joe, the blacksmith, was a sturdy fellow—rather ll, broad-shouldered, arms big with muscle, and a good- ured face, well worth seeing, if only for the bath of d-humor it gave you. Everybody liked him, and his forge was a resort for vil- @ idlers, who loved to watch him strike the shining s from the glowing iron, and listen to his cheery for something of a singer was Joe. There was an hour in the day, from three to four in the ‘rnoon, when Joe would haye none of them. Why? Be- the child Nellie, across the way—a blue-eyed, sunny n dearly loved by the blacksmith—always spent that our with him. As Joe worked, she was wont to stand, with hands be- ind her back, watching him in an old-fashioned way, tiet and talkative by turns. Sometimes she asked strange uestions which would puzzle him. When she was leaving, it was her habit to put her arms round his neck and kiss him; and they loved each other ery, very much, t time goes by for young and old. It seemed but a while till Nellie became almost a woman, and it was mger proper for her to go to Joe’s forge; but to be he could go to her. . d now, not to linger by the way, Joe had learned to er with the love of manhood, and she returned his They would have been very happy but for Nellie’s r; the old man would have her look higher than a ith. So when Richard Ross—young, handsome h—came to the cottage, the old man smiled and en- “(] him. ; be Richard Ross was not worthy of Nellie. For all es, his heart was merest dross beside the pure gold ye’s. When he passed the shop the sturdy smith sught his hammer down like an angry: giant; for, you . this Richard Ross was stealing his life away. evening Nellie’s father shut the door in his face, “J don’t want you coming here any more.” oe knew how obedient the girl was, and the words : him like a sword. The next day he received a note, ad. from little Nellie. It said she loved him still, but aust not come again. Her father said so. He com- ded her to listen to Richard Ross; she had never dis- ed her father yet; she could not do so now.. “But I ‘and pray, dear Joe, and you must hope.” vent on, and the blacksmith grew paler yet. He too, and unlike himself; and -the village nger loved to gather at his forge. The ard Ross maddened him. Once he caught hroat for saying Richard and Nellie were to pon. -* the idiot of the village, “Crazy Sam,” stood wo silver pieces and gazed on them with e asked: e Mann? Why ‘ + FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. The lad had something on his weak mind, | . } and shook his head in glee; then he drew, ee eee, SSE 27 — The blacksmith glowered at him from under a frown- | ing brow. © “I'd ery if I were you, Joe,” said the idiot; “I'd ery if Richard Ross stole my gal.” _ “Who told you to say that?” he demanded. “Richard Ross. He gave me the money to say it.” “The low hound!” shrieked Joe. “Heaven have mercy on his soul !” When evening drew on, he picked up a long, rusty knife blade, and fitted it into a stout handle. Then he stepped to his grindstone, and sharpened and ground the rusty blade. Ah! but Joe was changed! ‘There was despair and mur- der in his noble heart. 7 The night fell; and he stood, knife in hand, silently waiting. : “Richard Ross leaves her home at ten,” he muttered, “and goes on the lonely road through the woods.” When- it came nine he could wait no longer, but sped away to his ambush. Behind two trees, growing close to- gether, which completely hid him, he crouched and lis- tened. Joe pressed his hand to his forehead and found it burn- ing hot. He began to be afraid, he knew not of what, perhaps of his own soul. He felt his murderous purpose weakening. He rose and walked about the wood. and thought upon his wrongs. This gave him new resolve, and he returned to his hiding-place and crouched again, But again his terror was renewed, and the hand which held the knife trembled. The-village clock struck ten, and at the stroke he shuddered. He heard footsteps on the road. Nearer, nearer, came the man for whom he waited. For a moment Joe’s mind seemed gone. Before his eyes he saw a great sea of trou- ble. From him fell great drops of cold sweat. Nearer the footsteps came. His brain cleared and he could see the young man’s form a few feet from him. He gazed through the trees to the sky, and saw a single star looking down upon him like the eye of heaven, With a shriek of fear he flung the knife from him and fled—from mur- der. All that night he lay like one dead upon the floor of his little shop. The morning sun, forcing its way through the dusty window, fell upon him there. Miserable as the, man was, it saw no better sight than this crushed soul saved from crime. But some one brighter than the sunlight entered at the door. It was Nellie. She saw him there upon the floor, and her blue eyes filled with tears. She bent over him and touched him gently. - bs “Joe! dear Joe!” she called. — ; Tac He sprung to his feet, gazed on her coldly, and would have fled, but she restrained him ; “Joe,” she said, “I have-hoped—I have pleaded—I have prayed—I have won. Take mejim your arms.” =). Not yet did he understand her, and she added: and says “Father has learned to pity you and me, Joe, say we may be husband and wife. Richard Ross has gone for- ever.” + *"> ade > ea Pe 2 oy So Joe took her in his arms, and all his repentance and ee a ned :

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- ATTACKED BY STOWAWAYS., “Ay, ay, shipmates, I know it is my turn now, so hold up while I get wind,” said old Jack Caswell, as we lay be- calmed off St. Verne one sultry day in August, and to pass away the time, that hung rather heavily on our hands, were engaged in story -telling. -“Tet’s see,’ he began, after a moment’s reflection, “it was in the season of *56 that I hired under old Captain Warrenton, who run a schooner on the coasts of the Gulf. She was a peal craft, of not more than one hundred and} fifty tons burden, and on the trip I am speaking of was loaded at Mobile ‘with a cargo for New Orleans. “Besides the skipper and myself, then a lad of only fifteen, there was but one hand. As the craft was easily _ handled and the runs short, Captain Warrenton seldom - ever shipped more than four; and on this time, when he -- got ready to sail, and one of the men couldn’t be found, he concluded to start with me and the other one, a sailor named Ned Allen, for there was a prospect of a quick and easy passage. “There was great excitement in Mobile at the time over the escape of a couple of villains from the jail, who had _. been recently captured and were waiting trial for mur- _. der. I don’t believe a tougher pair of rascals were ever found in Alabama than Ruell Victor and Dennis Lorne. They had killed as many as half a’dozen persons, to say nothing of other crimes without number of which they .were guilty. “The authorities did. their best to recapture them, but _ no trace of the desperadoes could be found, and the day we left port three thousand dollars reward was offered for ‘them, or one-half that sum for either of them. _ Well, we had a fair wind for a start, and ran down the eet bey: standing off between. the Dauphin and the Point at about six. * “About that time I had occasion to go into the forepeak to get some rope yarn. .Now we had no forecastle parted __ off from the hold, as there was room enough for all in the . eabin, and .we had this stowaway in between the bows, Was where we chucked away our old trumpery. - “I was hard, at work unlaying a piece of rope for the ‘- yarns, when I thought I heard a noise among the boxes in _ the hold. Listening a moment with my ear close to the - bulkhead, I knew some one was in there. As the captain 3 -yand Allen were above, I wondered who it could be, and pe. _ kept perfectly still to see if I could find out. “Twas not kept in suspense long, for pretty soon I sd aman speak, and then another answered him. ou may | believe I was all attention then, and I soon covered that our passengers wete none others than Ruel! Victor ‘and Dennis Lorne, the: peeatatoes who had “escaped from the Mobile jail. --“From what they said, I found that they had crawled into the hold and stowed themselves away so well that we had not seen them we had finished loading. They had got provisions enough to live on a day or two, and were planning to come pd ope dark, ov S Raogy "They were armed, and, what ig we ced as ispgsepil ait Aoe eres FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. | fetched him, and, as he fell, Warrenton turned to he overpower us, and} frightened me |! (for you must remen I was only a boy,| Allen to help them! This acid make them three against the captain and myself. 5 “As they had been further aft when I first came ina and were now getting back to their old corner, I felt that they had not heard me, so I crept back to the canes ac quietly as possible. “We were then leaving the lighthouse out of sight snd’ it would soon be dark, so that I was anxious to tell be: skipper what I had discovered. = “The captain was a big, brave man, but he tremble % when I told my story. Se “In a moment, however, the captain asked if I thougl I could carry a steady hand in a tight fix; anc, telli him I could, for I knewour lives were depending on his eyes flashed as he said: ag ‘Good, my boy! If you don’t fail me, we will fx t scoundrels, or my name isn’t Joe Warrenton. Keep a your courage, do as I say, and fifteen hundred dollars a1 yours.’ . “Seeing Allen coming up the companionway at moment, Warrenton motioned for me to take the helt and hurried to meet the sailor just as he gained 1 deck. “Before the traitor saw what was coming, the eapte seized him by the throat and bore the wretch to the~ just as if he had been a child, without any ve e3 ing his lips.- “Getting a piece of tarred rope and some bunting, we gagged and bound the ruffian in a few moments. “Soon after dark the skipper said he heard them moving a board from the ‘bulkhead. :¥ “Captain Warrenton had cautiously crawled forward! hind the bitts by the bowsprit, weapon in hand, and motioned to me to leave the helm and join him. : tiller was lashed so that all was safe in that quarter. * a “T had barely time to reach the bitts, which I had done in silence, when the scoundrels were moving in the bish in the forepeak. sy “The captain touched me, and I knew the time fo tion had come. “While the rascals stood for am instant as if try see where we were, we sprang upon them. : “T seemed to possess ten times my ordinary strengtl had nerved myself up so, and you may believe I my power into a blow. “However, the villain saw season to partially dodge it, so that it fell upon his der, and the next I knew he had sprung upon me. : “But my second clip. which I was not long in d he having fixed his man at a single stroke. “It was a good while before I could fully we had really overcome the burly desperadoes ; but, they were, securely bound; and, in spite of their and entreaties, we put back to port and gave » the authorities, receiving the reward of three th ima yh the captain generously shared ~ m

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FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY: NEWS OF B: The Persian crown is made of pure gold, incrusted with ‘Precious: stones. The Persians declare that the crown is! 33000 years. old and belonged to Saladin. A new emerald s added at each coronation. Ii was formerly. the custom for the crown to be suspended by a chain and for the shah to stand under it, but now two statesmen place it “upon the ruler’s head. An improved baseball bat is the recent invention of George J. Blahos, a sailor on board the U. 8. S. Missis- His device can be applied to any bat by any car- It consists in cutting slots in the thick or batting end of the bat. inserting in them strips of nonresilient ma- _terial—cardboard, for “instance—fastening these» with a ) peg driven through at right angles to them. This bat is especially designed for bunting, as when the ball is struck with the plane of the nonresilient strips presented to it, the: blow is much deadened. When the edges of the strips "are used in striking the ball, the reaction is substantially é@ same as when an ordinary bat is used. ‘Ralph H. Upson, who returned recently from abroad ere he went in the interests of an American rubber tire concern, said that the Lewis machine gun, invented by Col. I. N. Lewis, U. 8. A., retired, which was adopted by the French War Office, has proved so effective that it is ow being mounted in the new ench battle planes for aerial at- k. Several of the guns- were ured, he said, after desperate s by the Germans with the © purpose of getting them and hav- _ ing them copied by the Krupps. ~The Allies, Mr. Upson added, are ite t : ii An emergency telegraph code is . d by Luis Jackson, of air, N. J., for which he s that it will “place the en- Peetik and file of a railroad in a ion to use the wires, and aged man in the army or - a telegrapher in emergen- uses only dots and spaces, ashes, and” for emergency t be worth remembering ow- ‘the simplicity of its idea. jd probably be too, cumber- other use, however, tak- “dots to represent the habe Aral the Morse — above Weeklies. $03 ‘Aitidrons |code takes ¥? dots and dashes. PREMIUMS GIVEN a Do you want any of the following articles? w removing all other makes of * Devil's Card Trick—Mysto Leaping Cards—Mysto | Fade-Away Card ‘Trick machine guns from the first. aye sappearing som eg Startling Card er Card ‘line trenches and aeroplanes as Trick Pon. _uantom Sam i i arte wonder, i= ast as the Lewis guns can be ob- 1 Mouse — Snapper tiger = The Dro —Fortune Teller Game— ned to take their places. Hunter Game—Magic Key Puzzle Nail Head Puzzle—Star ay Crescent Puzzle—Heavy-Weight Pencils—Wire It Will Not Cost You A Cent To Get One WE PUBLISH THE FOLLOWING WEEKL “PLUCK AND LUCK “WORK ANI Wir ee Data POE » « RK » '76,” “HAPPY DAYS,” AND MOVING PICTURE ST Ask five of your friends to each give oan a nickel pais a somo of hn A of = When you have 25 cents, send addresses of the five subscribers. Also onnd. name wb address, a mention the premium you have selected. wilt th then mail the Weeklies to | your friends and the premium to you. The tricks are the best made, very mystifying, and give no ‘end of pnd ment. ane ae of them ia worth the priee asked for the five subscriptions. ' 168 WEST 23D STREET THE DAY The idea can hardly be regarded as a new one, for the code is simply the method |of dividing the letters of the alphabet into five: groups, in | their order; the first number of dots tapped indicates the group number, and the second number tapped the posi- tion ofa letter in its group. This is practically the code known in most prisons and used with such success in com- munication between political prisoners in Russia, well known to the public through its description by George Kennan and other writers. One fox was captured and six escaped in the annual fox drive in Northern Tippecanoe County, Ind., recently. More than 500 men and boys took part in the ‘round- -up. They all carried noise-making devices, but clubs, dogs and guns were barred. An immense circle was formed, cover- ing an area nearly fifteen square miles in extent. All niade for a given point in the center. Despite the vigilant work half a dozen foxes inside the circle managed to get through the line. At the round-up on the William Ross farm several boys finally ran the lone remaining fox down and captured it. An auction sale was held and $50 was derived for charity. The women of the Pleasant Grove Church served lunch to the crowd. Farmers in the vicinity of the fox drive have been losing poultry for several weeks due to visits of the hungry foxes. AWAY FREE By 3 Here is our plan: it to us FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher _ _ NEW YORK CITY 29

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FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. INTERESTING ARTICLES 3 DRIVES AUTO WITH HIS FEET. to know better and which do a grave injustice to. the Ser-" ¢ With a caution to drive carefully and avoid bad roads,| vice because laymen so seldom hear the exact facts when g the State granted an auto’ license to Irving Collins, of|a refutation of such a statement is made. It is age Mansfield, Conn., following a hearing before State Secre- larly inexcusable for a member of Congress to make sucl ‘2 tary Charles B. " Buriix: Collins, whose right hand has}a grievous misstatement when there is eat every year 0 ze ‘sed amputated, has rigged up his auto so he can shift}the Congress of which he is a member the annual report ~ t gears with his feet. ei is the owner of a poultry farm at! of the adjutant-g general of the army, which contains statis- ' Mansfield, and has a summer hotel at Waterford. Because| tics that any member of the Government ought to be fami- — 5 of business, he travels about the country a good deal. liar with before he talks on such a subject. In the annual” ee report of the adjutant-general for the year ending une } WHAT A RAT’S NESTP CONTAINED. 30, 1915, the aggregate. number of desertions for all , Martyn Black, a logging man, of Freeling, Virginia, pialisbes of the Sérvice, including West Point detach- _ A who operates in the “north” of Cumberland Mountain,} ments, Indian and Philippine scouts, casuals and recruits | : bought a small crib of corn of a mountaineer who was| at depots and en route, is stated at 4,457. This is about moving away. While shelling out the corn he found a| four anda half per eent>of the aggregate enlisted strength i rats’ nest, which contained, besides seven young rodents, a| of the army, which ranged from 92,877 at the begin ning f pencil, spoon, small penknife, corkscrew and seven dollars} of the fiscal year 1915 to 101,195 at its close. in currency—two ones and a;five. The larger bill had been cut in three pieces, while the smaller bills remained intact. The torn bill was mended with paste and tissue Paper, and was, as Black said, “as good as new.” pi x DOUBLE STARS. 3 Many ‘stars that appear single to the naked eye are found to consist of two stars close to each other whe examined through a powerful telescope. They are ca P . LOOKING FORWARD. “Aa : aan the hearings on the army appropriation. bill, Se ue several thousands haye been observed Brig. -Gen. Henry D. ‘Shar pe, Q. M. Corps, recommended : the purchase of $4,500,000 worth of cloth annually for} "There are two classes of double stars. The first e four years, at the end of which time there would be on sists of those that only look double, These appear dou hand a reserve amounting to $17,000,000. This would because they are nearly in the same line of vision as s and. tents:for 800,000 men. ‘Phe| from. the earth, though they have no connection, and star may be very much nearer to us than the other. second-class consists of those really double, or binary « where one star revolves about the other or where each volves around the center, of gravity common to the p forming what is called a binary system, Many double stars have been found to perform su revolution. ‘This is generally oi slow, requiring ¢ furnish the unif = Sate and uniforms, should war come, would be manu- - factured before the men could be enlisted and mobilized ‘The manufacturers of uniforms, eic., would be supplied with patterns and specifications. end the clothing for a - million men could be turned out in a few weeks. “FINDING YOUR WAY BY THE STARS. The need. of soldiers, when marching or scouting at F 4 ‘ es + wo mente a cathe = ee place since they were first observed. There are some ve ; Bigand oy R. Weatherhead, entitled “The Star Pocket- period: is less than’a century. turies for its completion. A few@inary stars, howe’ revolve so rapidly ‘that a complet revolution has This beak not only serves as a guide to the con-| The colors of double stars are superbly bri Ilia - stellations, but also shows how the stars may be used for varied. ‘The components often shine in contrast etermining time and directions.. There are tables.4how-| one being blue and the other yellow, or one being , dng the dates when certain stars cross the meridian at mid-| and the other yellow. Sometimes the companions a night, and the highest altitudes of stars in various lati- ple and white or red and white, or both are vit tudes. There are also lists of “simul-transit pairs,” i. e.,] A few stars’are known as naked-eye doubles. which transit at the same time, and whieh, when | small star in Lyra, near the bright Vega. A ae i observer may see it double, says the Washington s ar. low power of the telescope will separate it into sy h stars wide apart. A high power will separate e t two components into two stars. This tiny star is fore. a double double, forming a quadruple s A beautiful. double star easy ‘to! find. is All i ary. DESERTION EXAGGERATED. as the course of a speech delivered before the Anti-War e of Mount Vernon, N. Y., Representative Warren | ve rth, Bailey, of Pennsylvania, said. that one-fifth of all abies in the United States army were deserters. This|of the components is of the third and the a Fient typical illustration of the loose statements| fifth magnitude. The colors” ion a armny iteh Pay, t phire blue, a i atone! ae

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THE NOMATCH LIGHTER CAN BE USED AS A CANDLE, TORCH OR LAMP. RECOMMENDED TO THE THEATRICAL PROFESSION AS A MAKE-UP LAMP, # VALUABLE IN HOME, OFFICE, OR STUDY. A light is produced by pressing a key at the right, as shown in the illustration, Release the key and the light is automatically extinguished. Absolutely Positive in Operation There is a quick, detachable ash receiver at the base— easy to clean, and which prevents spilling. Try a Lighter for 30 Days If it is not satisfactory, return it, and we will cheer- fully refund your money. of SAFETY FIRST + DANGER ELIMINATED To savers of trading stamps and coupons: A Nomatch Lighter can be redeemed for the following coupons or trading stamps; SPERRY & HUTCHINSON 500 stamps UNITED CIGAR STORE 500 coupons or 100 certificates SCHULTE CIGAR STORE 500 coupons or 100 certificates Remit by express or post money order. Currency can be sent by registered mail. The Nomatch Manufacturing Co. 271 Broadway, New York City, New York TO READ ISSUED EVERY FRIDAY * EVERY NUMBER CONTAINS PRICE - - $1.00. WE WANT YOU “Moving Picture Stories” A Weekly Magazine devoted to Photoplays and Players : Absolutely the finest little publication on the news-stands Be PRICE 5 CENTS A COPY REAUTIFUL COLORED COVER DESIONS ° FINE HALF-TONE FRONTISPIEOES New portraits of actors and actresses everyweek + Geta copy of this weekly magazine endsce whettte “Six ge Stories, based on the tatest end best films, each profusely filustrated with fine balf-tones of seenes:im the f er coke and Biographies of the most celebrated Photoplay actors ahd actresses. ‘} Special Articles relating to Moving Pictures, written by the greatest autherities im the film business, " Poems, Jingles, Jests and every bright feature calculated to interest both young and eid. okt, A COPY NOW from your newsdealer, or send us 5 cents in money or postage stamps, and we will mati wf 2 to $500 EACH paid for hundreds of olf Coins. Keep ALL money dated before 1895 and send TEN cents for - Illustrated Coin Value Book, size 4x7. your Fortune, nCEARKE COIN N CO. Bo Box 95, Le Roy, N. Y. TAKE NOTICE! Itch Powder, Bombs and Cachoo can- not be sent by mail. Only orders for these goods amounting to one dollar will be accepted, as delivery will have to be made by express. eS GLASS PEN.—Patent glass pen, with nice @ip, writes like any ordinary pen; each put up in wooden box. Price, 10c., postpaid. WOLFF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th Bt., N. ¥. GooD LUCK rg 2 Ornamental as woll as Made ef ar 4 ——— ‘yoase T hobd:: i One hen filed 4 feet Remains lecked veitted. Can be used as a watchebeum. Money refund- satisfied.) Feice, We. H. F. LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’klyn, N. Y. LITTLE RIP’S TEN-PINB. In each set there are ten pins and two bowl- ing balls, packed in a beautifully ornamented box. With one of these miniature sets you can play ten-pigs on your dining-room’ table just as well bey ae game b layed in a regular alley very game han ta professional bowlers can be worked with these pins. Price, 10e. per box by mail, Oa eS NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥. THIRTY-TWO PAGES

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FRAN! IK TOUSEY, PUBLISHER, 168 WEST 23D STREET, NEW YORK NEW YORK, JUNE 16, 1916. Price 5 Cents. ‘

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ghse se 522 A ae the day, also the most popular magica! illu- sions as performed by our leading magicians; every | Ne." wiles of flirtation are fully explained by this little book, handkerohief, fan, glove, parasol, hat filrtatien, No, 4, this little book. in the art of dancing, etiquette in the ball- _piving sensible advice, rules and etiquette to Giving bels, ‘bars and various other methods of developing a manos healthy muscle; containing over sixty WwW TO KEEP BIRDS.—Han somely iiiustratea and containing full instruc- tions for the management and training of the canary, mockingbird, —LATEST ISSUES— Adrift on the World; or, oa hey og Way to Fortune. Playing to Win: or, The Foxiest y in Wall Street Tatters; or, A Boy from the Slums. A Young Monte Cristo; or, The Richest Boy in the World. Won by Pluck; or, The Boys Who Ran a Railroad. Beating the Brokers ; or, e Boy Who “Couldn’t Be Done.” A Rolling Stone; or, The Brightest Boy on Recora. 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The Road to Success; or, The Career of a Fortunate Boy Chasing Pointers: or. The I.uckiest Boy in Wall Street. Rising in the World: or, From Factory Boy to Manager From Dark to Dawn: or, A Poor Roy’s Chance. ity. 27 Out for Himself; or, Paving His Way to Fortune. For sale by all newsdealers, or will be sent to any address on receipt of price, 5 cents per copy, in money or postage stam FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, - - - = ¥ IF YOU WANT ANY BACK NUMBERS of our weeklies and cannot procure them from newsdealers, they can be obtained frem this office direct. Write out and fil your Order and send it to us with the price of the weeklies you want and we will send them to you by return mail. PO AGS STAMPS TAKEN THE SAME AS MONEY. FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, - - - ‘ ouR TEN-CEN TT Ban Dp Boo rs No. 1. REAM of human destiny; also the true meaning of almest any kind of dreams, charms, NAPOLEON’S ORACULUM AND BOOK.—Containing the great oracle together with ceremenies, and curious games of ‘ HOW TO DO TRICKS.—The great Fs magic and card tricks, containing full instruction on all the leading card tricks of —One of the bri little boeks ever body wishes to ful, beth male should obtain a copy of this book. HOW TO FLIRT.—The arts and NING methods of window and . it contains a full list of the and sentiment of flowers. Ne. 21. HOW TO DANCE is the title of It contains full instructions Besides the various tions, HOW TO MAKE LOVE.—A com- guide to love, courtship and marriage, foom and at parties, how to dress, and full ! ing, oe for calling off in all popular square | fish, No. 5 \ No. 22. HOW TO assistant, be ebserved, with many curious and interest- things not —, known. 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