Fame And Fortune Weekly (no. 593) (1917 02 09)
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FEBRUARY 9, 1917 BOYS THAT MAKE MONEY. | NAT NOBLE, THE tt ITTLE BROKER; Ry HE BOY Who STARTEDAWALLS STREET Pa Ly Ke BL LEME: ie rT “There he is, officer. Arrest him!” crie@i MEG@Mer Green. Nat turned and (ocket ‘at them Im aston ishbment. “Hold on there,” he ‘protested, indignantly, “what have I done?” The policeman, however, reache@@gr Mam as though he was a common crook.
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FAMEAND FORTUNE WEEKLY STORIES OF BOYS WHO MAKE MONEY Issued Weekly—By Subscription $3.00 by Frank No. 593. 4 NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 9, 1917. er year. Entered at the New York, N. Y., Past Office as Second-Class Matter ousey, Publisher, 168 West 23d Street, New York. Price 6 Cents. NAT NOBLE, THE THE BOY WHO STARTED LITTLE BROKER “A WALL STREET PANIC By A SELF-MADE MAN. CHAPTER I. NAT NOBLE, THE LITTLE BROKER. The tenants, chiefly brokers, of the fourth floor, Niobe Building, No. — Wall Street, noticed one morning that the vacant suite of offices on that floor had been let, for the reba words appeared on the upper glass half of one of NAT NOBLE, Broker, Stocks and Bonds Bought and Sold on Commission. On the frosted glass of the adjoining door appeared, fix’ al ong ok Mol 0% <! 5 | ; e ers who happened to pass that way stopped and Soked at the doors with no little curiosity and some as- tonishment) ; Most of them knew Nat Noble by sight and reputation, and one or two were personally acquainted with the boy, for boy he was. : ‘They knew he was the nephew of Sylvester Noble, th millionaire stock broker of Exchange Place. _ After graduating from high school, Nat, instead of enter- ing college, decided to go into Wall Street and begin his business career. He put in six months’ time as messenger for his uncle, and was then promoted to the counting-room, where he spent an- other six months at a desk. = _ Then he was sent to the Exchange as assistant to his ‘uncle’s lar representative on the floor. Up to moment his name appe on the doors of the Suite of offices as a full-fledged broker on his own account he | had spent six months buying and selling stocks for Sylvester Noble. : , ay | Almost every active member of the Exchange ‘knew him either per or by sight, and all of the a liked him. _ He was facetiously alluded to as the young dude of Wail Street, because he was uncommonly natty in. his attire and - gentlemanly in his manners. a. _ The supposition among the traders was that he would even ‘oo poy in his uncle’s b Nat, however, no intention of partner, even supposing Mr. Noble en’ it alone. emi i his uncle’s “such a view. Nat, however, objected, so the long and short of it was his uncle handed him his check for $25,000 and told him he might as well learn a few things from experience now as at any other time, and wished him good luck. So Nat immediately hired a suite of two rooms in the Niobe Building and had a sign painter put his name and business on the door of the reception-room. He also hired a red-headed, aggressive-looking office boy, son of a poor widow who had once worked as laundress for his mother. This boy’s name was Andy Moore. He was fifteen years old and a corker in his way. His mother was very proud to have him working in Wall Street, and she told him that he must devote himself en- tirely to his young employer’s interests. It wasn’t long before the news was all over the Street that Nat Noble was out for himself as a broker. » Most .of the traders thought it was a good joke. “His uncle is backing him, of course,” said Broker Gum- mett to Broker Keating, when they met on the street. | “I dare say he is, but it’s a wonder he would do it,” replied Keating. “Oh, he can deduct it from the boy’s estate. His father left Nat $100,000, I’ve heard, and Sylvester Noble is ad- ministrator under the will and guardian of the boy.” “I wonder how much he let the boy have to start out with?” said Keating. “He must have given him quite a sum, for it takes money to operate with. Besides, he’s got a tidy suite of rooms on the fourth floor of the Niobe Building, and rents are pretty “re in the big office buildings.” ~ : ; aa m the fourth floor, eh? He’s making his debut in yle.” “It’s right in line with him. He’s the dandy boy of the Street. e always looks as if he had just step out of a showcase.” “That’s right. He’s as spruce as they come, down here. Let’s go around and see him. Maybe we can unload a few shares of some stock that’s hanging fire in our safes on him,” chuckled Keating. “We might as well teach him — a re of the business to our own advantage as any one r: “’m with you, if he’ll bite, but I rather doubt if he will. I’ve never noticed anything of the chump about him.” “Well, whether he’ll bite or not, it is business for us to fish for a little of his fleece. All the boys will look on him ~ as a fair mark to ice upon. Nothing like being the first in the field ore he gets all his eye-teeth cut. “4 “IT agree with you. Shall we give him a call now?” said eo ; ‘ speak of. e nothing particular on hand at the sent. is uncommonly dull of late. Nothing doing ,
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4 . They started off for the Niobe Building. ' Getting out of the elevator at the fourth floor they walked _ down the cotridor till they came to Nat Noble’s office. Opening the door they walked in and saw the red-headed office boy sitting by the window reading a boy’s library. He jumped up and came forward. “Isis Nat Noble in?” asked Broker Gummett. “Yis, sor. Do yez want to see him?” “We do.” “What name shall I tell him, sor?” . “Tell him Mr. Gummett ‘and Mr. Keating.” “Take sates, sors. I'll tell him.” : Andy opened the door of Nat’s private sanctum and dis- appeared. " - I suppose that’s- his messenger and office boy,” lau hed age a “He’s got a fine brogue. It’s as thick as a Lon- ion fog. ; Presently Andy returned and told them to. walk inside. “Glad to see you, gentlemen,” said Nat, in a hospitable tone. “Help yourselves to seats.” “You’ve got a swell office here,” remarked Broker Gum- mett, looking around and noting the fine furniture and ap- pointments. i wee best is always the cheapest in the long run,” replied be “It’s quite a surprise to us to see you out for yourself, « Noble,” said Keating. ; “I like to surprise my friends once in a while,” chuckled the boy broker. “You have certainly done it,” said Gummett. “You’re the talk of the Street by this time. The boys are wondering = ou cut loose from your uncle.” ype none of them are worried over the matter.” . “No, I don’t think they'll worry a whole lot,” laughed Keating. “I suppgse you haven’t started to do any busi- ness yet?” “Not yet. This is only my first day. accustomed to my surroundings.” “Well, business is dull, anyway, otherwise we wouldn’t be here at this hour: of the day,” remarked Gummett. “I’m much obliged to you both for calling.” . “Don’t mention it, Noble,” said Keating. “We thought it our duty to drop in and see that you got a good send-off. You don’t want to let the first day go by without making . Some kind of ‘a trade, if only for luck.” I’m trying to get NAT NOBLE, THE LITTLE. BROKER. order for it, Noble, I'll get it for you. How many shares do you want?” ; i “It’s going at 54. How would you like to sell me a ten- day option on it?” “Buying options, are you? I haven’t been doing anything in that line lately. Still, I might accommodate you. For how many shares?” 3 “Say 3,000,” replied Nat. “T’ll let you have it at 57.” “What deposit do you want?” “Oh, five per cent. of the current value.” ‘ “T’ll take you. Write out your document and I’ll hand you the money,” said Nat, briskly. ! . “Say, Noble, have you a line on A. & C. that you’re will- — ing to pay 57 for it in ten days, when you can get all you want for 54 on the Street this minute?” = “The fact of the matter is, Mr. Keating, I haven’t the - money to buy it at 54 to-day, but in ten days——” _ “Oh, I see! But, of course, you’re counting'on a rise?” “Yes, that’s one of the chances I’m taking. Broker Keating wrote out the option for 3,000 shares of A. & C. at 57, and Nat paid him five per cent. of the market value, 54, which was $8,100. P , The two traders stayed a while longer and then took their eave, CHAPTER I. THE LITTLE BROKER MAKES THE ACQUAINTANCE OF EUNICE BOND. “What are you going to do, Keating?” asked Broker Gummett, when they were on their way to the street. “Go- ing to buy the 3,000 shares now at 54 and hold it for delivery, or are you going to take a chance that it won’t go up for some days yet, at any rate?” “Take a chance, of course,” replied Keating. “I don’t see any signs of the market getting active for several days. Under such cireumstanees you don’t suppose I’m going to. tie up $162,000 of my good money in A. & C., do you? “No, of course not. You can buy it in any time inside of the ten days and clear a matter of $9,000. I think you’ve got the best of that deal.” 8 =i think so myself, or I shouldn’t have given him the = “I’m ready for a trade when I see one in sight that | option promises a profit.” “Perhaps I could put you in the way of such a one. I’ve a thousand shares of D. & Q.° I'd like to dispose of, as ’m pressed for funds. I could let you have the stock cheap,” said Keating. : “D. & Q. doesn’t seem to be very active just at present,” replied Nat. None of the stocks are very active, for that matter. It’s as as any on the list to take a flyer in.” t at are ye asking for it?” _ “Pll take 45, seeing it’s you,” said Keating. - “I think that’s too rich for my blood, Mr. Keating.” “Tt’s easily worth 46.” “Tl not ispute your word, but I don’t care to tie my ey 3; up in it. “Tt wouldn’t hurt kg buy 1,000 shares, would it? The market will ‘lively in a few days, and you ought - to make three or four thousand out of the deal.” [ll consider the matter. If I decide to buy some of it T'll drop around and see you.” as ; _ “I may change my mind about selling by that time, if I ean raise the some other way. I’m offering you a Boor pen Bet 10, Mecumage ry, eas rybe 1 r. Gummett might like to take advantage of bee fpr Os, Tim not buying at present. I’m selling,” said Broker omciage wst'th meB 3" “Wha' e you. sell? ' ald let. you have 500 shares of O. & G. at 39. That’s e giving it away.” : G Ea dug these days. Now, if you said A. & C. business. ing for A, & C.?” asked Gummett. idn’é- , if the price was right. to tie up $160, taking a few shares of it,” said Nat. en't any of it,” said Gummett, “Got any, Keat-| | yon. want’ to give mess. 3 ption. : “I wish I had got something like that out of him myself.” __ “Then Re up to-morrow and offer to sell him an optio%e on A. & C. yourself.” - ay, “I think I will,” replied Gummett, “but it’s a question whether he’ll take me up. The 3,000 he got from you may — be all he may care to handle.” ~ “There’s no harm in trying. His fleece is as good as any one else’s.” : ¢ “I think it’s a little better, if anything.” 7 The two brokers then walked over to the Exchange to see how things were goi In the meantime, got me where the hair uit that’s where hell. bination has been fo stock will be up 1 believe Keating fer the certai the chance of n an additional which is alw: off long en cornered, an 000 wi to meet his ion.” a" option in the bal ~- ae on the floor now, as he no longer repre- so he had to content himself with going comparatively ly no i : Pg 2
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he 4 + i" ALES. > edly Thr, . - a "re tall : OeS..7- “4 . = by r) ae . "ha oa i, a Se abe, ar ued ated >t Voie 1) aeire . . , a i NAT NOBLE, THE LITTLE BROKER. ; 8 1 told him that Nugent was one of the brokers employed by the 1 to buy in A. & C. shares. oe, After remaining something less than an hour, Nat went The druggist came forward to see if he could be of any assistance, but his services were not required. As soon as the young lady recovered her composure a bit she began to thank the young broker for saving her life. “How brave you were to come to my aid! You might have been run down and killed by those horses. I hope you believe that I’m very, very grateful to you, indeed. But for you I know I must have been terribly injured, if not killed outright. I can never:thank you sufficiently for what you did for me—never.” J “T’'m glad I was able to save you from a bad fix, Miss— at may I ask your name?” said Nat. “Bond—Eunice Bond. Will you tell me yours?” “Certainly. My name is Nat Noble.” “I think I have seen you before, Mr. Noble,” she’ said, hesitatingly. “Are you not employed in the Vanderpool Building with Mr. Sylvester Noble?” Z “T was until last Saturday. Sylvester Noble is my uncle. I am now a broker myself, with an office in the Niobe Build- _. His favorite eating-house was on Broadway, an inex- ; ive place, patronized by clerks and the general public. : The waiters here were girls, and every one of them knew the little broker by sight, and were glad to exchange a word and a smile with him when he came in, for he was a hand- _ some young fellow, with light, curly hair and a winning ‘way, and he-never failed to hand them a small tip. er he had finished his lunch and was out on the street again he walked to the Consolidated Exchange and took a - look in there for about a quarter of an hour. P Coming out on Broadway again, he was on his way to Wall Street when his attention was attracted by the clang of an pf ee md fire-engine. ? The vehicles in the street began to scatter to get out of the way of the smoking steamer, with its jingling hose-cart r, 1 ee eee te oe” ele behind. ing, 2 Wall Street. Are you employed in the Vanderpool : the street toward} building? ‘ : —* pen: 0 Spin edn cake vaccinad “Not exactly. I have an office in the building,” Then he saw the engine, drawn by three splendid-looking|~ “An office?” “Yes. I am a public stenographer. My. office is on the tenth floor. I shall be leased to have you call any time you are in the building. “Tt will give me great pleasure to do so, Miss Bond. If you are quite recovered now I will, with your permission, escort you as far as the Vanderpool.” “Thank you,” replied the girl, rising from the chair. ’ The crowd outside had broken up by this time and they attracted no attention as they left the drug store. Nat saw Eunice Bond as far as the Vanderpool Building es then left her, promising to call at her office in a day or wo. The little broker had met a great many nice girls, \- cially in the upper social circle to which he belonged, but pone, Ma had made the impression upon him that Miss ond did. + She was a lovely looking girl, but her chief charm lay in her eyes, which possessed a magnetic quality that at- tracted Nat with an irresistible force. “She’s a fine girl,” he said to himeelf,~as he continued on to his own office. “A mighty fine girl. I’m glad I was so fortunate as to be able to render her a service. I never met a girl I liked so well. I must certainly know her better.” All the way back.to the Niobe Building Eunice Bond’s wonderful, big, expressive eyes were before him, and he could think of nothing else but the girl whose life he had saved in so plucky a way. horses, coming down at a two-forty clip, the driver leaning _ forward and guiding the animals with his eagle eye and muscular arms. Clang—clang—clang! Toot—toot—toot! : It always makes one’s blood tingle to witness the onward - rush of a fire-engine, with the noise ard bustle that attends ‘it on its way to a fire. - : At any rat& Nat never let one get by without stopping to look at it. re : He “was standing‘only a few feet away from Wall Street. , At that moment a very pretty young girl, neatly but not ss mae gowned, started to cross the street from the urch, Whether it was that she was preoccupied, or for some other reason she did not notice the engine that was rushing down on her like a small whirlwind. ope broker and the girl he had saved by the narrowest CHAPTER III. THE LITTLE BROKER CLEANS UP A BIG WAD ON A. & C. prey “Siveral gintlemen were in to see sor,” said And . when Nat walked into his office. we , ~ a “Did they leave their names?” ‘ “Only wan of thim. He said his name was Green.” “I know him. They were brokers, I dare say. Come up to congratulate me upon my debut as a trader, and to size up my place here.” : Z “There was a b’y here, too.” iit lett es Maeda ete chester iii tp tt ge ic a ; eels ‘ “A messenger boy?” a _ Willing hands helped them both their feet, and there) | “Yis, sor. He brought some kind of a missage man | Was no to of commendation for Nat, who was regarded invelo e. I put it on your disk.” as a hero by the crowd. ee “All right, Andy.” we re, e ing the dazed girl by the arm, Nat_said: He wor a mighty cheeky b’y, sor. : oh - e way there, please, gentlemen. Make way. The “Cheeky ?” af ent = = over. tetine ns Soe | been hurt. Kindly nad ; - che, Beers to menkecthet oe 8 understand that they should for the principal actors in the incident. wanted to catch a* glimpse of the girl and in getting over to the sidewalk op far hadn’t uttered a sound. , and walked so unsteadily, that the ght erate py to faint. to get h “Yis. He called me ‘Reddy.’ He wanted to know whether I wasn’t afeard of sittin’ the bed on fire whin I put me head on the pillow. He said if he was a fire insurance he wouldn’t issue a policy on the house where I lived with- out puttin’ an extry hazardous clause in it about me hair. , Whin he asked me if me mother had red hair, too, I got mad and tould him to git out of the office or I might forgit esilf and run him out.” an et ct, Nat laughed heartily at the look of virtuous indignation on Andy’s countenance. : ah). “You mustn’t mind these messengers, Andy. The always on the lookout for an excuse to give another roast, I was a messenger myself once and know ‘is. They used to guy me a whole lot about my e _-
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They called me the little dude of Wall Street. I had to polish two or three of them off, and then they let up on ‘me a bit.” “Ye did polish ’em off, sor, did ye?” “Oh, yes! I had to in self-defense.” “Thin I s’pose ye won’t have no phjectan if I should be after polishin’ one or two of thim off mesilf?” “You mustn’t look for trouble, Andy,” advised Nat. “No, -sir, 1- don’t mane to look for it; but if the b’ys don’t lave me red head alone I’m thinkin’ trouble will be j after comin’ their way, so.I do.” 2 Andy wagged his shock-head in a menacing way that boded fT for a persecutor. La went into his private room, picked up the note and it. It was from his uncle, and commissioned him to go around among the offices in Wall Street and buy as many shares of D. & G..as he could get, as Ee as possible. All deliveries were to be made C. O. D. at the Bank of South America. Nat started out at once to a and get the stock. * He visited all the brokers’ ces on that floor first, but : found none of the stock. He got 2,000 shares on the floor below, and then began the tour of the second floor at Broker: Hooker Green’s office. “Hello, Noble!” said Green. “Take a seat. I was up at your den a little while ago with some of the boys, who were’ anxious to see how you were getting on, now that you have started out for yourself. Done anything yet?” ’ __“Not much. I have an order for a few manic of D. & G. Got any?” “l’ve got a block of 5,000. It can’t be divided.” “How much are you asking for it?” '~ “Eighty-one.” “Tll give you 805-8.” “Make it ore hths and you can have it.” “It’s a go at, hauling out his memorandum pad. “Deliver it é. 6. . at the Bank of South America.” “All right,” on Green, and they exchanged pape: “} sup your uncle is backing you, Noble?” aed the er, curiously. “No, sir. Whatever money is behind me is my own, not my uncle’s.” “That so? Everybody believes that your uncle is backing you.” “I’m not responsible for what everybody believes. “That’s true enough. By the way, where did: you get that office boy you have? “What’s the matter with him?” :. “He’s rather different from the usual run of boys down ere.” “That won’t hurt him any. I can thoroughly depend on him, and that’s the kind of office boy I want.” “He’ 's got a mighty rich brogue. Is he a ate importa- . tion? / “He is rather new to the count ‘ “The other boys are likely to ma oe life strenuous for him when he gets out on the street.” “see. ee “4 “’m thinking the boot will be on the other leg if they Re get funny with him. He’s as strong as a young bull, and ’d back interesting for any lad of his m to make eee size who tackles him. , ve got to be Drop up and see me, Mr. Green, when you "ve no on hand,” ar be replied the broker, texain to hid desk _ Nat the rest of floor and got 3,000 noon next da: ‘he had bou + 40,000 shares for his «Algae 4 ae Eee cites on. Same bengt e’s. going pp pe de Pi mee oe that’s his. taneral, not ding may A. &C merit en the t before and ae Tifoet Src Rohe eteaeeorepaelp NAT NOBLE, THE: LITTLE BROKER. —_————— | He was feeling kind of rocky as it was. The cashier went in to call his attention to the market, which was going up, and particularly to A. & C. “You'd: better go out and buy those iad shares you sold Noble the option on,” he said, respectfully. “Why? Has he called for the stock ?” “No, “but there seems to be a boom on in it. I looked at the ticker a moment ago and noticed that it has gone up four points this mornin “Four points! The dickens you say!” cried Keating, in some consternation, turning to his own private indicator and grabbing the tape. He soon saw that there was something doing in the stock, without a doubt. Quotations were oe Te. out rapidly, and at that moment the price was up to 59 1-2, which represented a loss to him on the a a of $7,500, for he was bound to deliver the stock to Nat at 57. He got his hat on pretty quickly and rushed over to the Exchange. By, the time he had sized up the situation, A. & C. was ruling at 60. He made strenuous efforts to get the stock he wanted, but there was none coming-out, whereupon he realized that he had been caught by a corner. Gummett met him on the floor. “Haven’t you.got those shares yet that you sold Noble at 57?” he asked. “Not a share,” yeuiin’ eng with a mild imprecation. “That young 1 must have been tipped off about what - was going to happen, that’s why he was so eager to buy that | option from me. I was a fool not to have gone right out and bought the stock when I could have got it at you sell him an option, too, as you thought about doirtg ?” ; “I’m thankful to say that I didn’t. haven’t been near him since that afternoon. I had other fish to fry,” replied Gummett. “You’re lucky. There doesn’t seem to be any doubt but that A. & C. has been cornered by a combine, and that op- tion_may cost me a pretty penny before I’m through with it. I hate to be euchred by a “It is rather annoying, aie: you'll have to take your medi- cine, I’m afraid, and try and get back at him on.” “It’s my opinion that his uncle tipped him off to this‘ rise. Sylvester Noble is always in some pool or another for bulling the market.” “IT wouldn’t be surprised but that is where he his in- formation. It would be quite natural for the old man tg want to nope his n a to the front.” - “Well, I must make another effort to get those shares. I see 62 is alread being offered for it. Keating got 1,000 shares during a lull, at 66. The other 2,000 he had to pay 69 for. ae: then sent Nat notice that he was ready to deliver the stoe! As the option had two days more to run, the little broker was in no hurry to call for the shares, ett aoe uncle had told him that the price would proba ly go to 75. Nat watched the market closely from the visitors’ lery, and when A. & C. got as high as 73 he ordered his 5,000 shares sold. That gave him a profit of about $90,000. He then went around to see his uncle. “I want to borrow $150,000 from you, Uncle Sylvester,” he said. “The deuce you do. .Are you in trouble TR tes “No. I bought an | ion on 8,000 shares of A. & C. a 57, the other day, I want to take it up and sell the shares.” ‘ “Who from?” Nat told him. His uncle laug “So Locke Iv aoe that. old war-horse, eh?” Ne like it. .The joke of ‘allege Rane ten a0 Fon pages aps de to catch 5 come of my pee: xy stock was the wi ae could have picked up the shares at that figure then if . had wanted to mah mete a- profit a a Ree
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Pie “Let me see, the price is about 75 now. You'll make a good thing out of that option. Is that all the use you made | out of hee ! “No, sir. I ‘bought 5,000 shares at 541-2 and have just sold it at 73. That'll give me a profit of $90,000.” “You’re doing pretty well for a beginner. ‘Well, I'll give “you my check for the money you want. Sell the stock as ‘soon as it’s in your hands.” : “That’s what I mean to do, sir,” replied Nat. He got the check, carried it around to the Bank of South America and cashed it, and then he called on Keating for the stock. re “This is the time you got me where the hair is short,” said the trader, grimly, as Nat handed him the balance due, $162,900, and took the shares. “That is your fault, not mine. ‘sell me that option.” “That’s right. . Next time I’ll know better when I’m dealing with you, young man.” : oe “Well, don’t let us have any hard feelings over it,” said Nat. “I'll tell you what I’ll do. I'll let you sell the shares for me. That will give you a commission of $375. I'd ‘sooner give it to you ufider the circumstances than any one else.” ; “All right,” replied Keating. “You’re acting You can’t blame me for feeling sore because $33,000 on the deal.” ‘ “You’ve been long enough in the business to learn that ou can’t win all the time, Mr. Keating,” replied Nat, ris- to take his leave. - 1 . Keating sold the shares for him that afternoon at 74, and Nat made a_-profit on his option deal of something over ,000. ; 55 arr ana inside of ten days, Nat Noble had_ increased his -. small eapital. of $25,000, which came out of his share of his father’s estate, to $170,000, j If the natty little broker felt as if he needed a larger _ size hat to accommodate his curly head, the reader will probably not be surprised. You were obliged to square enough. I’m out about CHAPTER IV. THE LITTLE BROKER IS THE vicrm™ OF A SCURVY TRICK. Next day, Nat went around to call on Eunice Bond at her office on the tenth floor of the Vanderpool Building. __ -..He “found her up to her eyes in business, with four girls helping her out. ‘ eens A | were all good-looking girls, too, and they sized the little broker up as a dude, and wondered what business he had with Miss Bond. ’ They noticed that she greeted him with great cordiality ‘and. seemed very glad to see him. : In spite of Nat’s dudish appearance, his good looks made a great impression on the four girls in the room, and they _* were continually glancing in his direction while he remained 3 wasn’ ’t any doubt but every one of the girls would given Soikettciige for an introduction to him. didn’t get it, however. ; ; Im awfully glad to see you, Mr. Noble,” said : “Not. more so than I am to see you, Miss Bond. I’m afraid you’vye occupied a good share of my thoughts since - le your acquaintance in such a strenuous way.” . Nat’s eyes said even more than his tongue, so that the fay po dropped hers to her desk, while a vivid blush suffused “ne + cheeks. ; 2 z Ce ‘ At “You are very kind to think of poor me,” replied Eunice, ‘a low tone, without looking u eth i <2 thought of me since that day.” - “Why, of course, I’ve thought of you. How could I help g so, after what you did for me?” 33 : regard that afternoon as my lucky day,” said Nat. ! ‘ Yes. _T consider myself lucky in making your acquaint- uppose I may accept that as compliment,” sh “flashing a. sidelong Pslance at him that ‘set ‘his heart Doe dng ’ AR he, oo ye ~ al een eh NAT NOBLE, THE LITTLE BROKER. a a gp ne il il it ti ts p- _ “Don’t mention it. I’d give a whole lot to know whether| to 't e it would be possible for me to. : ee ch as you deserve,” answered the ide broker, _ Tha “Dear me! I’m afraid you’re a great fiatterer,” she said. blushingly, but, nevertheless, secretly pleased at his words. “Not at all. I mean every word I said. I hope you will aches’) me to. know you better, as I like you very much, in Re “I shall be glad to see you whenever. you care to call here, Mr. Noble,” replied Eunice, not looking at him. “Thank you, Miss Bond. That’s kind of you. I regard your friendship as a precious favor, and I trust it may not be broken.” f ’ “T don’t think there is any danger of that on my_part. I should be an ungrateful girl if I ever forgot what F owe you,” she, answered, earnestly. “Mother is also very grate- ful to you for Saving my life. I am sure she would be glad for a chance to thank you in person.” “Oh, I don’t want to be thanked any more. If you will allow me to be your friend it is all the reward I ask. It would give me great pleasure to meet your mother, of course. Any day she comes down to your office you can notify me and I'll come right over. Here is my business card. “My mother goes out very seldom, as she is something of an invalid. If you would care to call at our home we should bé delighted to have you do so.” That was an invitation Nat had been angling for, and accepted it right off the reel, assuring Miss Bond that he would be glad to call. “Then I will give you our address,” she said, writing it down on a slip of paper and handing it to him. mi you,” said the little broker, folding it up and placing it as carefully in his vest-pocket as if it were a million-dollar banknote. “What evening would be most con- yenient for me to come up?” “Most any evening, though I would prefer if you could let me know beforehand so that my mother could be pre- pared to meet you.” “How will Friday evening of this week do?” asked Nat, e ly. "Friday evening was quite satisfactory to Miss Bond, and she said she would look for him on that night. Nat then wished her good-by and returned to his office. Andy said nobody had been in while his, young employer had been away, and Nat passed on in to his private room. .He had hardly seated himself in his chair before Andy — . entered and said that Mr. Green wished to see him. “Send him in, Andy.” Broker Green entered the room. “Say, Noble, got any money lying around loose that you ng Ahegs a say a ye 2 ‘i - “I have a few dollars that are not ve: asy ; at pres- ent, Mr. Green. Why?” id a eee “T’d like to borrow $50,000, if you can spare that amount.” “How much are you willing to pay for the use of it for a week, and what collateral have you to put up?” Green stated what he was willing to pay for the money, and said he would put up 2,000 shares of Midland Central, the market value of which was 42. ’ “Fetch up, your stock and I'll let you have the money,” | replied Nat. “Return in about twenty minutes. haven’t so much money on the premises. I'll have to go out for it.” “All right,” replied Green. “Much obliged for the ac- commodation. I'll be back in about half an hour.” ; Nat went’ to the Washington Safe Denosit Co.’s vaults, a few doors away, where he kept his funds, got $50,000 out of his box and returned with it to the office. ; * Green returned within the stipulated time, and he brought an oblong envelope with him, containing the security he had’ offered to hypothecate. ay Nat looked the stock over carefully, and finding that it was all right. he handed the broker the money. That formality done with, the broker took his leave. Next morning the market took on a bad slump. : 5 oem went down in value, Midland Central dropping __ , 1 Next day the bears continued to slaughter prices, and Midland Central suffered # further decline ar-28: by noon. Nat sent a note to Green, by Andy, stating that he must _ have a larger margin of security, or, a Central oe Py E he might have to sell the Midland bone’ +t himself Green came “Dent
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Pare Ae She received him in her prettiest gown, and Nat thought she looked more charming than ever. _ She and her mother, together with a younger brother and sister, lived in a modest but comfortable flat in Harlem, » not far from 125th Street. _ The little broker found Mrs. Bond a motherly looking woman of perhaps forty-five, afflicted with chronic rheu- matism. She was very gracious to Nat, thanking him in a feeling way for having saved her daughter, Eunice, from being run down by the: fire-engine. : ~The boy spent a very pleasant evening, and received a warm invitation to call soon again, which he promised to do. Next morning the market continued weak, and Midland Central closed at noon at 28. _ On Monday things looked a little better, and prices were improved all along the line until near closing time, when a fresh slump set in. Nat discovered that a determined effort was being made against Midland Central by a big clique. _ However, as long as he had Broker Green’s word that he would take up the loan at the end of the seven days he felt | that he had no cause to worry about the value of his sécurity. The money was due at three o’clogk on Wednesday, at which time Midland Central was down'to 20. Green, instead of showing up, sent word to Nat that he was unable to pay up, and advised the boy to sell the stock before it went any lower. | ‘*J think that’s pretty cool,” thought the little broker, “He told me not to sell the stock even it got down to 25, as he weuld make everything ail right; now when the price has dropped to 20 he advises me to sell to protect myself, _ but says nothing about reimbursing me for any loss I might suffer. I guess I'll have to go downstairs and refresh his memory.” So Nat put on his hat and visited Mr. Green in his office. “I received a note from you, Mr. Green, which I don’t quite understand,” he said, when he was seated beside the er. “Didn’t I write it plainly enough?” asked the broker. — “You wrote it plainly enough, but I don’t understand it, for all that.” ; “So you came downstairs to be enlightened, eh?” *“That’s about the size of it, sir.” “Well, tell me what you don’t understand about the note.” “The note advises me to sell the Midland Central shares which I hold as security for the loan of $50,000 I made you a week ago.” é The broker nodded. + “I suppose you are aware that M. C. is selling to-day at 20.” pes a “I am.” “That’s five points below the figure that would cancel your debt.” : ; “You should have sold before the price got so low.” “You forget that when I called on you for additional margin ha told me not to sell even if the price of M. went as low as 25.” i “I told you that?” replied Green, with a well-simulated urprise. “You must be dreaming!” __ “Do you mean to tell me that you didn’t office?” cried Nat, indignantly. See Zoysia nde oe eh ye hy a wa r a te 4 © oe . say so in my ‘to know the custom of the : _ “When a broker personally requests me not to take ad- v of the rules and at the same time gives me his word pos of the matter all right, I respect his wishes.” go xs I didn’t tell you any such thing.” ; _ do: ist on certainly.” ihe orang in ? care what you do with it. It’s your rty ar the to ee in a ag ge of the Toan.” ‘show a loss of something more ‘T. sup ke good that t, do ‘you, Mr. Green?” sell M. C. at 20, or whatever it C. |anything against him, had let tie matter go by default and NAT NOBLE, THE LITTLE BROKER. “Tt isn’t my fault if you didn’t protect yourself as’ you had a right to do at the proper time.” “All Heht, Mr. Green, I won’t argue the matter further,” replied Nat, rising with some dignity. “If you ever need a loan in the future don’t call on me to help you out. I can’t afford to do business with any man whose word is so flexible as yours appears to be. Good afternoon!” Thus speaking, the little broker walked out of his office and returned to his own. CHAPTER V. THE LITTLE BROKER GETS A TIP FROM EUNICE BOND.’ However the news got out it was impossible to say, but it was soon known through Wall Street that Nat Noble had caught a well-known broker on an option to the tune of $50,000, and had also cleaned up $100,000 in the late A. & C. boom. The result was the little broker was congratulated on all sides, both by his real friends who wished him well and by those who pretended to be his friends, but hoped to strip him of some of his newly made” fleece at the first oppor- tunity. As Nat was a genial and interesting boy to talk to, many brokers got the habit of dropping in at his office when they had an hour or so to spare. Nearly all of his visitors had an axe to grind, and they hoped to make Nat turn the handle—that is, they had blocks of more or less worthless or slow-selling securities they wanted to get rid of, and they tried to unload theirg holdings on the little broker. * Nat, however, wasn’t biting at such bait. He was acquainted with the real value of all the stocks on the market and nobody could fool him worth a cent. The traders soon found out that he was not an easy mark, but they did not give up hope of catching him off his guard some time. Nat said nothing to any one, not even his uncle, about ne oes. trick Broker Green had played upon him. @ might have made things warm for the trader if he had had a mind to, but he decided to take his revenge some other way. He hoped to get back at Green in a legitimate way some time, and was willing to bide his time, even if it took years. in the meantime, he avoided contact with the faithless trader. He placed the 2,000 shares of Midland Central away, in. his safe and let ‘them lie there, trusting to luck that the value of the stock would pick up after the bears and the adverse conditions surrounding the road let up a bit. — Broker Green expected that Nat would accuse ‘him of trickery, and had prepared a stout defense to meet the at- tack; but as days went by and he heard nothing about the matter, he was somewhat surprised, though nevertheless, pleased, at his immunity from criticism. ‘He judged that Nat, realizing that he could not prove stood his loss like a little man. 4 After a while Green began to feel ashamed of his conduct but as the deed could not be recalled, even if he wished to do so, he dismissed the affair from his mind. his office a ‘One morning when Nat was sitting alone in messenger boy came into the outer room and asked for him. He was a little, fat messenger, about fourteen years old, and looked like a kind of animated plum pudding. . He had a comical face that tickled Andy Moore’s- risi- bilities. | 3 “So it’s Mister Noble ye want to see, is it?” he asked the boy. . : “That’s what,” grinned the messenger. “What do you want to see him about?” “That’s my business,” replied the visitor, in a saucy tone. — it’s mighty indepindent ye are for a little apple dumplin’.” ry “Who are you calling an apple dumpling, you red-headed, y —— Mick, is it? cried _ be “Red-headed . Mick, is it? cried Andy, waxing wroth. _ “If ye wasn’t such a hop-o’-me-thumb I’d make ye ate yoyr words, so] would!” pay ee “Aw, forget it,” gri the messenger. “Say, why don’t you dye your hair g ” “Dye me mé reen!” roared Andy, angrily. “Sure! With that green necktie you above the green, which agtiost Ge law for . ~
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NAT NOBLE, THE LITTLE BROKER. bd apres ye think thot’s funny,” replied Andy, with a look of disgust. : “Are you going to tell your boss I want to see him?” _“What’s your name and where do ye come from?” name is Clarence Fitzherbert Montmorency Scott, Miss Eunice Bond’s typewriter factory. “Howly smoke! Clarence Fitz—what?” “Not Fitzwaht, but Fitzherbert. Sorry I haven’t got a card, but I’m all out at present. Come now, mosey! I can’t stay here all day.” “Well, upon me word, it’s foolin’ me I think ye are! Saag a sate and I'll till Mr. Noble ye are wantin’ to see “Where’ll I take it to?” asked the messenger. “Whot’s thot?” : “I ain’t saying anything. You’re doing all the talking,” grinned the boy. “Faith, I think size of ye.” “Aw, get a move on—23 for you!” ae “It’s to be hoped ye won’t be after comin’ here often, aT might forget mesilf and take ye for a football.” ith those words, Andy knocked on the door of *Nat’s sanctum. | “Come in!” said the little broker. : “There’s a b’y outside, wid a name a yard long, says he wants to see ye, sor,” said Andy, respectfully, after en- tering. “What do you mean by a name a yard long, Andy?” asked Nat, somewhat mystified. j a7 , “Sure it’s thot long thot I can’t remimber it all, sir. It’s Clarence Fitzsomebody Mont—the Ould B’y shoot me if I can think of the rist,” said Andy, scratching his red shock-head. “Send him in.” “Yis, sor.” In another moment the messenger entered the room. — , “& note fromm Miss Eunice Bond,” said the lad,. laying it on the little broker’s desk. em. __*T'll admit there’s a whole lot of truth in that, I to make several millions in ; sae: st
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said, “but you may rely on it as a sure a I wouldn’ _ have sent it to you if I had any doubt about it being a fact.” “Haven’t you a little money to back it with yourself?” he asked her. ° “I wish I could afford to,” she said, earnestly. “Well, if I use the pointer I’ll give you five per cent. of any profit I make out of it. You’re entitled to some recog- _hition if the tip proves to be all you represent, it.” “Thank you, Mr. Noble; but I don’t ask you to pay me for it. You saved my life and I want to make you some return for that great favor.” “That’s all right, Miss Eunice, but I wouldn’t think of reaping benefit from a tip you sent me without making some fitting acknowledgment in return.” “Well,” she answered, with an arch glance in his face, “I suppose I cannot refuse if you insist on prveceting me with something, but I’d rather have you use the tip without giving me any compensation.” : “We won’t quarrel over it, Miss Eunice. We won’t say anything more until we see if we hatch any chickens out. Then it will be time to consider the matter.” . After a little further talk on other subjects, Nat returned to his office. e There was a letter awaiting him which had been delivered by_the carrier. x It was from a man who had seen his advertisement in one of the financial papers. Fae He wanted some information about the market, and as to the advisability of taking a flyer at that time. Nat wrote him a reply;and had just put a stamp on the envelope, when a visitor was announced by Andy. San $5 » e to be goed Gummett. a “s » how are things coming with you oble?” he ‘asked, after taking a seat. . 7 “T have no complaint to make.” “T should think not,” replied the trader. “I understand you made quite a tidy wad out of A. & C.” “J made a few dollars, but this is ancient history now.” “Just so. Do you smoke?” asked the broker, tendering him his cigar-case.” “No, ‘I do not. Much obliged just the same.” “Nor drink, either, I suppose?” “No, sir. I don’t think it’s good for boys, 4 nor for men; either, for that matter.” “Just the same, there are few brokers who don’t drink, | b more or less. You see, the excitement of the Exchange is often racking on a man’s nerves, and he feels in need of a bracer to steady himself-after the day’s hustle.” “I don’t believe a man up to thirty-five or forty needs stimulants to carry him through a day’s campaign unless. he isn’t naturally vigorous, and a weak man ought to go into er less ae business.” a “You won’t many of the boys who'll agree with you. Morrison—you know him—takes ‘on an average a dozen mint juleps a day, and he’s barely thirty. He told me that he couldn’t do business unless he was primed up.” “He’s foolish. It’s a habit with him. [I'll bet he'll be a wreck, both financially and physically, one of these days.” “Well, to change the subject, are you buying anything?” “Yes open for offers in R. & P. shares. Got any?” “Yes. A customer left a couple of thousand with me this afternoon. I'll let you have them at 40 1-8.” _“How does 40 strike. you?” asked Nat. - “If you’ll take the bunch you can have the stock for 40.” __ “It’s a go, Mr. Gummett. I'll bring the cash around in the morning and relieve you of the certificates.” - “All right,” said the broker, as they exchanged memor- a; ‘andume, in a tone of satisfaction, for R. & Gas not a ees stock. “Do ons want any more of the same? 4 do I know where:I can get it. ar. if" you'll buy me 10,000 shares on margin I’ll make the » “said Na . Pas: said Gummett, with a whistle. “Try- e 2,000 were for himself, and the two di - ‘outrigh! did not hi: st ea San EEE nEE nnn ee NAT NOBLE, THE LITTLE BROKER. This was perfectly satisfactory to Broker Gummett, and the deal was put through. ; Next morning Nat appeared promptly on time at Mr. Gummett’s office, and paid him the money, receiving the certificates. for the 2,000 shares. - J Broker Gummett then went out to‘ get the 10,000 shares, which he anticipated getting as easy as rolling off a log. After picking up the first 3,000 from Keating, who he knew had the Shares, he found, much to his surprise, that R. & P. was rather scarce. forte ag: the balance, however, by one o’clock, and then notified Nat that he held the shares subject to his order. In the meantime, Nat was hunting for some more him- self, but the best he could do was 2,000, at 41. q That confirmed his confidence in the value of Eunice’s tip, for it was only a week before that R. & P. could be got- ten in any quantity, and its scarceness showed that unknown parties had been buying up the stock’ right and left. That afternoon after the Exchange closed he called on Miss Bond and told her he had put almost every cent he had in R. & P. é “Leaving out the 14,000 shares I now control, it looks as if the people wise to the consolidation of the O. & B. and & P. interests have bought up all the stock in sight. I stand to win a big boodle this trip or go pretty near broke.” . “Oh, you’ll win,” she said, confidently. “Well, if I win, Miss Eunice, you’ll come pretty near clearing $10,000 yourself.” : “Ten thousand dollars!” almost gasped the girl. “Why, that is a fortune!” “Not in Wall Street. But I guess it will put you on Easy Street if it comes your way, and it will give me great pleasure to hand it to you.” Eunice couldn’t realize that she stéod a chance of making so much money. : ene “You'll get it, all right, if the tip is a winner,” said Nat, wishing her. good-by. ~ CHAPTER VII. THE LITTLE BROKER CLEARS OVER A QUARTER OF A MILLION ON R. & P. As soon as Gummett had filled Nat’s order he decided that, from the scarceness of the stock, it was being cornered y some pool of traders with the view to a boom, conse- age he thought it would be good policy to get some imself. ae He had been compelled to hypothecate the 10,000 shares he got for Nat, as the deal involved a matter of $400,000, and he did not have that much money on tap. He spent the whole of the next day looking for R. & P., and only succeeded in securing 1,500 shares, for which he had to pay 41 5-8. ; Then he tried to get it on the Exchange, offering 42. He got 500 more at 423-8, and that seemed to be all there was in sight. : ‘ | The efforts of several other brokers to get some of it sent the price to 44 before the Exchange closed for the day. Next morning it opened at 44 3-8, and by noon offers of 46 brought very little of the stock to the surface. It was now generally known in the Street that the stock had been withdrawn from circulation, and considerable ex- citement ensued around the R. & P. standard. All sorts of rumors were afloat to acecount-for its scarce- ness, opinion being divided as to whether the long-talked-of consolidation had gone through, or a combine had been formed to boom the price by cornering the shares. At any rate, there was a larger demand for the stock than there had been in months, and it went up to 48 that day. Now that the price had gone up eight points, in a few days, the brokers began to scramble for it, and that sent i up still higher. . 3 2 Broker Green had several orders for it from his custom- ers, which he couldn’t fill, and he mentioned the fact to Gummett over at the Exchange. om “T can tell you who has some of the stock. At any rate, he had 2,000 shares a few days ago.” : “Who?” asked Green. = = . “Nat Noble, the little broker in your building.” “Huh!” snorted Green. ra “Better soe ioe a with kine? the stock yet you may be able to make terms with him.” : ea tet Green, : better 1
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broker to go to Nat’s office and see ‘The boy was in when he called. “Well, sor, what name shall’ I take in to Mr. Noble?” asked Andy. ' “Tell him Mr. Gunn.” ; “Take a sate, Mr. Gunn, and I'll tell him thot ye want to =, him.” \ ‘Broker Gunn was admitted. ~ “J understand that you have some shares of R. & P. stock,” said the trader, after he had introduced himself. “Who told you that I had some of it?” asked the little broker. ; ; __Mr. Gunn was puzzled how to answer this question, as Mr. Green had cautioned him not to mention his name. “I don’t remember who did tell me. Somebody over at the Exchange,” he replied, exasivelf. “Well, I’ve got a few shares,” said Nat. offering for it?” Pa ak do you want for it, and how much have you for >. sale?'¥ “Tl sell 2,000 shares at 60,” replied the boy. “At 60? Why, the market price a few minutes ago was a fraction above 48! Why do you ask 60? E “Because I expect to get that for it in a few days. “You do? I never remember seeing R. & P. much above 50, eyen in its best days, and that was years ago. “Well, you’re liable to see it up to 60, and even over, before many days.” S “What, do you base your idea seh | almost sneered Broker Gunn. are “The fact that the stock is very’ scarce, for one thing, replied Nat. . ’ “Humph! I guess we can’t trade at any such preposter- ous figure as you want.” “All right, Mr. Gunn. There is no harm done. ~ You might call on Mr. Gummett and see if he has any of the stock. I don’t know that he has any, but it is possible that he may have.” a as “Mr French would loike to say ye, sor,” said Andy, pok- ing his head into the room. he: French 4 oe red. him to come in,” sae hear you have some R. & P. stock, Noble,” he said. . “He han pone,” interjected Gunn, but he wants a pro- _hibitive price for it.” | “What are you asking, Noble?” asked Broker French. “«Qy ” : ixty. 4s, French whistled. : = ~““s¥ou're joking, aren’t you?” he said. «No, sir. / Sixty is my price.” - eo “You've got a pretty good nerve, I must say. “Nerve is a good thing to have. if he could get any of it. “What are you ~~ 5 g as e8 ne fy i g Ee. * * ea : s “A person can have too much of it sometimes.” “Think so, Mr. French? __ *f do. Permit me to say that you do not seem to be overburdened with modesty. Why in thunder are you asking more than a ten-point advance on the market price? ’ “Mr, Gunn, who wants to buy some of the same stock, asked me the same question just now. “What answer did you give him? ‘take my chances om it.” aie eam should, Noble,” laughed French. more than 50 for that stock.” get it at 50 you'll get a g I'd advise you to every share that comes your way at t s if you were a member of a pool that was ke DA resi “Has anybody been tipping you S 9” ‘ 3 - *¥ou don't expect me to answer that question, do you, French?” said Nat. : ‘e broker laughed and, locking arms with Mr. Gunn, the traders walked out of the boy’s office. hea time finding an Rat agate Sender the = 3 soak of the market people who have any of that stock to hold on to it. That’s what I’m going to do. go to 60, all, but I’ve a pretty shrewd notion t withi saucer of it, at any rate.” tes (tong J sos x th pe Boal ot will NAT NOBLE, THE LITTLE BROKER. reo 'S5). — = It was evident that the holders of nine-tenths of the stock were not eager to sell out. By noon 56 was being offered for the stock, without any great result. Nat dropped in to see his uncle that afternoon. “Well, Uncle Sylvester, what do you think of R. & P.?” “I think it’s being boomed by a clique.” “That’s where you’re wrong.” “How do you know I’m wrong?” asked his uncle, sharply. . “That tip I got on it indicated something different.” “What did it indicate?” asked the big broker, curiously. “The taking over of the road by the O. & B.”? “No such announcement has been made as yet.” “It will be before long.” “Did you buy any of the stock?” “I put all the money I had on it. I bought 2,000 shares . outright at 40; 10,000 more on margin at the same price, and 2,009 additional at 41. At the present market price I’m over $200,000 ahead of the game. I guess I’m doing pretty well for a new broker,” he said, complacently. _ Sylvester Noble regarded his nephew with surprise and interest. The boy was certainly making things hum. “You seem to be making a record for yourself, youn man; but you’ll not be out of the wood until you’ve ‘i your shares. How high do you expect the stock to go?” “I mean to hold on for 60.” “It’s 565-8 now,” said Sylvester Noble, looking at the tape at his elbow. “I suppose you wouldn’t let me have a couple of thousand of your shares for 57?” “You suppose wrong, uncle. If you want 2,000 shares you can have them at 56 5-8, the market price.” “No, I'll give you 57.” 5 “The s is yours. Tl send the certificates qyer by my boy.” Sylvester Noble wrote out and handed Nat his check for $114,000, which gave the little broker a profit on that bunch of $34,000. Nat stopped in at the Exchange on his way back just in time to hear the official announcement of the taking over of the R. & P. road by the O. & B. system. In five minutes the price was up to 60. At that figure Nat ordered his other block of 2,000 shares, which he was holding on margin, to be disposed of, which added $37,500 more to his profits. \ a oe hour before the Exchange closed R. & P. had reach As Nat saw that a whole lot of stock was coming out now which would have a tendency to depress the price, he hurried over to Mr. Gummett’s office and told that broker to get rid of his 10,000 shares in small lots at the market. Before the chairman’s gavel closed the Exchange at three o’clock, Nat was out of the race with a profit, all told, of $278,000 on the deal. — Five per cent. of this amount, or $13,900, he set aside for Eunice Bond, as her share of the transaction. “You're not half as much obliged to me as I am to ; ¥ a - Why, it is only five per cent. as you. At any rate, I’m satisfied, so I ~ be.” ; 5 me that -shouldn’t have been’ Ht yog bates Oe ioe adilica ae akan aes Jone. “And you have actually made. as as that te: <8 er eyes. A Wee ! Just consider that I have made nine- _ pe satisfied, and I am awfully obliged to
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ae , : _NAT NOBLE, THE | “After deducting your five per cent. and all commissions and interest charges, I have cleared just $264,000. That’s _ $14,000 more than a quarter of a million.” j “I’m awfully glad,” she replied, in a tone that showed she meant it. oD - “Well, I’d be more gies if I thought the time would ever come when you would have a half interest in all I made,” he _said/ boldly. ' Eunice blushed scarlet at what was equivalent almost to a@ proposal. “Is there any chance of that ever happening, Eunice?” he said, for the first time omitting the “Miss.” The girl turned away in evident embarrassment. 3 _“I beg your pardon,” said Nat, feeling as if he had put his foot in it. “I haven’t offended you, have I?” he added, _ earnestly. “No,” she replied, aetey’ after a moment’s pause. “May—may I hope?” he said, taking her ‘hand. F She did not answer, but at the same time she did not withdraw her hand, and that encouraged him. . He was about to press his advantage when the doot opened and the four typewriters, who had been out to lunch to- gether, came trooping into the office. Eunice hastily snatched her hand away from him and began arranging some work on her desk in a confused and aimless fashion. “May I call on you Sunday evening?” he asked her. “Yes,” she replied, with a glance which entranced him. He then bade her good-by and walked out. “Y’ll win her yet,” he said to himself, as he started for the elevator. “I wouldn’t lose her for a gold mine. not for all the gold mines of Nevada.” > = Nat was feeling pretty good when he entered his office. _He yas rather surprised, however, at the sight that met es eyes. ie _On the floor lay a big A. D. T. messenger, and on top of him roosted Andy, as mad as a March hare. “Now, thin, are ye goin’ to ate “If ye don’t I'll bate the Ould y’s tattoo on your face, so I will. AmIa red-headed Mick?” “No,” groaned the boy on the floor. “Am I a _ gintleman?” “Yes, yes.” - “Thin whot do ye mane by ecallin’\me out of me name?” A “It was only fun.” beer words?” roared Andy. : ane fun, is it? Will ye do it ag’in?” hi “No.” ; “Ye are sure of that?” “Yes. Let me up.” _“Ye are sure ye can’t lick me with one hand—nor two, aither, for thot matter—are ye?” “Yes.” “What’s the trouble, Andy?” asked Nat, repressing a smile. “Let the boy up.” _ : ~ “Yis, sor,” and Andy dismounted from the messenger’s chest. “He insulted me, sor, and I forgot mesilf and gave him a lambastin’.” apse ; The district messenger looked confused and sheepish. _ Andy picked iy os spHlow envelope that lay on the floor and handed it to Nat. waters et _“Thot’s for ye, sor. This b’y brought it, and if he’d be- haved himsilf, sor, there would have been no trouble. He ly a eet. : rge me, sor, for takin’ the law into me own " “Take your seat, Andy, and you ean explain later,” said "The little broker opened the envelope and read the mes- v4 es thus: et P pee kay id * : . “Dear H —The name of the stock that will be boomed _ by the syndica dicate is D. & H. Load up without delay, pool has brokers out buying it up on the quiet. once, as to-morrow may ee late. ' At gciyon A “Yours, t F. F.” was astonished at the contents of the note. it was not intended for him. the envelope over and looked at the super- No,, *| train. insulted me and the ould dart, and I forgot mesilf. I hope | yo LITTLE BROKER. “F, F.” had probably written two notes, one of which, Nat argued, was intended for him, and then after addressing the two envelopes had put each of the notes into the wrong one and sent them off. : Bar “This note isn’t intended for me, though it came in an envelope atidressed to me,” he said to the messenger. “Who gave it to you to bring here?”, : “A brokér by the name of French,” replied the hoy. “Frank French. I know him. Well, you'll have to take it back to him and tell him the note meant for me must have gone to the person for whom this note is intended, Understand ?” “Yes, sir.” Z “Wait a moment. I’ll enclose it in one of my envelopes with the explanation.” aie Nat wrote a few woérds on a pad and enclosed it with the envelope and contents in one of his envelopes and handed it to the boy, who went off with it. 5 “It seems I’ve accidentally got hold of a good tip not meant for my eyes. Of course, it wouldn’t be fair for me to take advantage of the circumstances, although I dare say there are people who would use it on the ] rinciple that all’s fair in Wall Street. However, I’m not built that way.” He then dismissed the matter from his mind. He expected to receive a hurried visit from Trader French, but the broker did not call. J In an hour or so he noticed that D. & H. was advancing slowly in price. P By two o’clock that dgy it had gone up three points. _ Nat made no attempt/to buy any of the stock, but sat in his office, reading the financial news in the latest Wall Street journals. At quarter past three a visitor was announced by Andy. He gave his name as Titus Waterbury, and was a stranger to the little broker. “What can I do for you, Mr. Waterbury?” asked Nat. “[’ve got 5,000 shares of stock I’d like to sell,” said the, caller. : “What is the name of the stock?” : : “Delaware & Hudson. It’s gone up three points, and I’d like to dispose of it. It was left to me a few months ago ~ by my uncle. I’m going out to Chicago by the seven o’clock If you would take it off my hands I’d sell it for 60, that’s one point below the market.” E nt “T don’t care to buy the stock outright. Ill sell it for you to-morrow, and remit the money to you. Or, if you'll leave it with me and return in an hour I'll see if I can dis- pose of it to some broker.” ed “Why can’t you buy it in yourself and make the one per : cent.? It’s good stock and may, go higher to-morrow.” “No,” replied Nat, “I’m not buying any stock outright at fern Kod i inted: . e man loo sappoin “gt “If you won’t take it,” he said, “Pl have to visit an- other broker.” ; “Well, you are the doctor,” replied the boy. , Accordingly, the visitor got up and said good day and left. Nat thought he’d go over and see his uncle on a little matter of business, so he put on his hat and went out.~ As he stepped out of the elevator and made for the en- trance of the building he saw his late visitor in the vestibule talking to Broker French. : “Wouldn’t he buy tie stock?” he heard French say, as he brushed past them. : = “No. He offered to sell it for me. * “Didn’t he show any eagerness at all about the matter? “Not a bit.” 3 ’s all Nat heard, and it set him to thinking. It began to look to as if French had sent Mr. Water- to his a5 for the purpose of selling him the 5,000 unless was some kind of a trap back — it? Then ought about the note that had come to him by an Proved ie gene) which contained a tip about D. H. ; job to unload the D. & _ 2 ‘Was the whole ~
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shares to you by that man, thinking that the tip he had previously got to your notice would cause you to snap the Stock up. It was a shrewd game, but it seems it didn’t work out the way that French expected. You'll find D. & H. will be back to 58 in the morning. This is only a sample of What you may expect to be up against. The boys are ering for Sead bank account, and it’s up to you to protect yo ff ere are tricks worked down here that. would make the sleight-of-hand of Bret Harte’s ‘Heathen Chinee’ look like thirty cents.” ; ‘ Nat said he, guessed his uncle was right, and they had a quiet laugh over Broker French’s failure to make the riffle. ' CHAPTER IX. THE LITTLE BROKER TRIES HIS HAND AT A TRAP HIMSELF. Next morning, just as Sylvester Noble had said, D. & H. was back at about 58. ; — Nat chuckled when he saw the quotation on his ticker. — “It’s the wise child that real ans vee a at a mpting bait,” he said to himself. wonder what game will be played on me next? I must keep my brains about me all the time. It’s bad enough to lose in the ordinary way, po fellow feels cheap when he’s the victim of a put-up job. : ; on an hour later Broker Keating was announced by ndy. “Good morning, Mr. Keating,” said Nat, cheerfully. “What can I do for you?” AB ee “I called to let you in on a good thing,” said the trader, as he seated himself at the little broker’s desk. “Let me in. on a good thing? That’s an uncommonly liberal proposition, isn’t it, Mr. Keating?” “Well, you see, you’re kind of popular in the Street. At any rate, the baneh that’s in with me like you a whole lot, and when this pool was proposed Mr. Gummett suggested that we take you in with us. ~ “Myr, Gummett said that?” . pan th iti on” 's the proposition? 4 _ “A dozen of Pas have arranged to put in a quarter of a million apiece and corner a certain stock. We expect to make at least half a million each out of the rise.” “What is the stock?” ‘ “Oh, come, now, you don’t expect me to tell you that until u've. agreed to in.” - - ord like to eet what I’m up against before I commit myself. “That’s all right. You can take my word that it’s a winner. Thete’s big money in it, as I said.” _ “A quarter of a million is a whole lot of coin to put up ¢ on a game of chance.” = pe chan S am all in our favor. ow F ow they are?” “We've ‘figured the matter out before we decided to go on.” d “Who’s in thi ol?” mh ho thert’s Conmatt, for one.” : es. : ; -“Prench for another. You know Frank French?” _“Oh, yes, I know him.” Se a ; _ Then Archie Gunn is with us. And Fosdick, Bailey, _and—well, you’ll meet them ali at the meeting at my office this afternoon if you join us. They’re all good fellows; and all, like yourself, after the mighty dollar. Shall I put you down for a quarter of a million ? “No, I don’t think [’ll go in.” “Pm ie i of blind pools.” : Ta 0 ools. ¢ ~ “Nonsense! This is the chance of your life, Noble.” deers heavy onc, Like to handle my own mong." i a heavy one, I like andle my ‘. “Ina be jy ae ee one man is selected to Gis charge to know that. Y - of the money. You uncle must have rou given you @ one, P * ; 2 “He_ alwa $s advised me to keep out of them unless I NAT NOBLE, THE LITTLE BROKER. some eh sight into pools, for ‘he’s been in | That ce pe 11 “If you turn the boys down you may not get another chance like this in a hurry. You'll find this is just like picking up money.” Nat, however, would not fall in with Keating’s views, and the broker left, evidently much disappointed. ‘ “Keating seemed terribly anxious to put half a million in my pocket,” said Nat to himself, when alone. “I don’t fancy such liberality on his part. He’s got it in for me for doing him up on that option on A. & C. some time ago. I'll bet this proposition of his covers some nice little trap to make me part with some of my hard-earned fleece. I won- der what his game was?” A day or two later Nat discovered from the visitors’ gal- lery of the Exchange that Keating and Frank were busily engaged in buying from different traders on the floor. e watched them for some time, and then he made up his mind to find out just what stock they were after. He sent a young broker he was on good terms with to find out for him. The broker came back after a little while and told him that Keating and French were loading up with L. & M. “Thanks,” replied the little broker, “that’s all I wanted to know.” L. & M. was ruling around 63. : Nat went to his uncle and told him that he wanted to get 30,000 shares of L. & M. if he could on a ten per cent. me “Thirty thousand shares, eh?” ore _ “Yes. Keating and French are buying in whole blocks of it, and I want to get as much of it as I can to put a kink in their efforts to corner it, for that, in’ my opinion, is what they are trying to do.” : - His uncle took the order and sent a couple of his brokers out to get the shares, at the same time notifying the broker ee him on the Exchange to buy it in on the quiet. After Sylvester Noble had gotten 20,000 shares his brokers n to find it difficult to locate any more. ey finally succeeded in getting the other 10,000 inside of a couple of days. The first few thousand shares Nat got for about 63, but the rest he had to pay various prices for up to 67. aS Altogether, the stock averaged the little broker 65. ‘ As soon as Nat got his order filled he began to watch the stock’ Se On the following day it went to 68. : He soon heard rumors of a consolidation, of a rival road with L. & M. As soon as the news got circulated around the Street many brokers started to look for the stock. They couldn’t find any. They then began bidding for it above the market and that sent the price up to 70 in no fime at all. Attention now being attracted to the scarceness of the stock, the traders began to suspect that a syndicate had corn- ered it, and they made frantic efforts to find some of the stock that had not yet been secured by the insiders. : an little was to be had even when the price went up 0 75. When Nat dropped in to see his uncle that afternoon the old man asked him when he was going to sell. — “I’m in no hurry,” replied Nat, confidently. $ “You stand to win $300,000 now. Isn’t that enough for you?” : “It will be worth more to-morrow.” “How do you know that it will? out before then.” “T’m not afraid that it will.” Be afraid you’re ene reckless, young man,” said his uncle, severely. “If you’re calculating on holding on for the last dollar you’re liable to come out at the small end * Deer ee bout Uncle Sylvester, lied 5: you worry about me, Uncle Sylvester,” replie the little broker, coolly. : “Well, it’s up to you. Don’t say I haven’t warned you. zenort about a consolidation is a fake. As soon as it is officially denied the price will drop.” arte “Keating and French won’t let it drop, for they and | their crowd: are loaded up to their necks with the stock. They’ve got it cornered, in their opinion, but I’m going to make them take in my shares or go to the wall.” ptr deg is, but look out that you The bottom may drop 2s an old bird to rid of much e sefSa f Pgs
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wee Se ees . : “Well, you’re an old bird, aren’t you? rid of it for me when I give the word.” : “You’re mighty complimentary, you young dog,” chuckled Sylvester Noble. “However, I’ll take my revenge on you when we settle up commissions and interest charges. I'll . haye a bill again you that wili make your eyes bulge.” “Yes, I expect so,” laughed Nat. ao business closed that day L. & M..was ruling at a . On his way back to the office he met Keating and French coming out of the Exchange arm in arm, looking like men eenly satisfied with themselves and the world in gen- Tll Jet you get “Hello, Noble,” said Keating; “you missed the chance of your life, as I told you you would, by not going in with us.” “That so?” ‘ “Yes. You’re just half a million out because you were too cautious.” “T think it pays a person to be cautious when he’s asked to put a quarter of a million into a blind pool.” “That’s all right, but caution can be carried too far.” “Well, I’m not kicking.” ; “That’s because you don’t realize what you’ve lost. In a few days we’ll be cutting a nice, large and juicy melon.” “I may be cutting a small melon of my own about the same time,” returned Nat. ie at ae you in ooo asked French, Fen es x m not saying anything just now,” laughed the little broker, as he Talked off. hie see os CHAPTER X. THE LITTLE BROKER SPRINGS HIS TRAP AND CATCHES HIS GAME. Next morning Nat passed Keating and French outside _ the Exchange. “It will go to 85 to-day,” he heard Keating say. _Nat knew he meant L. & M. “T think it will do better than that,” said French. “There’s little offering now. I guess we’ve got about all there on the market.” =a little broker grinned and went on to the visitors’ The Exchange opened amid considerable excitement, for eve y was looking for a further rise in L. & M. They were not disappointed. Keating took the center of the stage and began bidding it up a point at a time. Searcely any shares were thrown at him. h and their lieutenants made many wash sales with Keating, and the price continued to advance. At noon he was roosting at 85. _ When it reached 86 Nat thought it was time for him to _take a hand in the game. He went to the telephone and told his unele to sell two blocks of 5,000 shares each one after the other. _ They were naturally offered to Keating first, as he was calling for the stock. + He gobbled up the first 5,000 as a matter of course, but - the second, coming right on top of it, rather staggered it, however, and no more coming, he felt eg or ai top,” the . yaa ie eee it. I’m ming pretty well myself. I sold two blocks of L. & M. just now, 10,000 shares in all. for - 86, which I boughi arvand 65.” i Feng staring at him. did!” cried ; as fast you can. Do-you 10,000 more if you want it, do that! I'l take it,” eried . do _—_ SS Pa _NAT NOBLE, THE LITTLE BROKER. Sphigresy = must have tipped you off to the rise. Td give $10,000 to know who it was,” said Keating, clearly angry and disturbed. Ba “Nobody tipped me off. I found out myself that you and French were buying all you could get hold of, so I thought I’d have a look-in on a good thing, too.” ~ Keating said something that didn’t sound exactly polite. At that moment French came up, and Keating turned to him and led him aside, ; : Nat walked down as far as Beaver Street in a leisurely way, feeling impor ge good, for he had cleared a profit of considerably over $400,000 so far, and he still had 10,000 shares to sell. When he got back to the Exchange Keating, French and their lieutenants had arranged to liquidate right away és cautiously as possible, for they were in a tight box, and ‘it required great skill on their part to unload without dis- turbing the market. The little broker sent a note to Keating telling him he had a few more shares of L. & M. left, and he could have them if he wanted them, otherwise it would be offered to anybody that wanted to buy. | : Keating rushed outside to see Nat, for he couldn’t afford to let any L. & M. be dumped on the market at that stage of the game. , “T thought you sold me all you had,” growled the trader as soon as he came up to Nat. “No. I have some more.” “How much more?” “Ten thousand shares.” “Ten thousand what!” roared Keating. Sh. eM.” “T don’t believe you!” scowled the trader. “Don’t you? Sorry you doubt my word. Do you want the shares, or don’t you?” é Keating fairly gasped and trembled like an aspen leaf. “My heaven! can’t take it in. If you throw it on . the market you’ll ruin the syndicate.” “That isn’t my fault,” replied Nat. oe f “Can’t I arrange with you to hold off. for a while till we unload enough to pay you?” . “Well, I don’t want to bring on a panic and force you to the wall. Take the stock and Ill give you time to pay for it.” “You haven’t any more up your sleeve?” asked Keating, i aig : ; ns “No. That’s all I’ve got. Ill let you have it at 87.” ~ “T’ll take it under your agreement.” . The deal was made and Keating, looking like a wretk, rushed back to consult with French. ; They were not feeling very grateful to Nat, though the aoe broker could have swamped them if he had chosen to do so. i < By careful management they i be able to save them- selves now, but the bulk of their anticipated profits had been gobbled up by the boy broker, and they were furious at the way he had outwitted them. Nat returned to the visitors’ gallery and wafched the ex- citement below. a Knowing the bad shape Keating and his crowd were in he was afraid a slump might set in any minute. No such thing happened, however, for the astute brokers played their cards so well that they succeeded in unloading their stock so quietly that the price held well. The Exchange finally closed without any trouble, and then Nat went fie his uncle’s office to tell him how he h and his bunch?” “Something over a million, uncle.” nia keep on at this rate you'll be — “To fit ee considerably.” “Don’t you . + ne ig it is
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NAT NOBLE, THE LITTLE BROKER. “Do you know who You're talking to,,young man?” said a r Noble, eres ; ‘- I’m ae bse my Uncle Sylvester, — vores ais appreciate what a smart nephew he has at his elbow,” siureied Nat. ‘ me it “Humph! Don’t imagine because fortune has made 2 millionaire so soon that you' will always be one. may get a jolt when you’re not looking for it that'll take all the conceit out of you. If you weren’t my brother’s son—— ; ; “Well, why don’t you go on, Uncle Sylvester?” I'd like to see you taught a lesson.” 4 anks. I guess I'll be going. Settle with Keating and his crowd on the terms t mite with them, and then send me your statement and check. Ta-ta, till I see you n _Nat walked out of the office as though he owned it, and his uncle looked after him disapprovingly. “Some fine day he’ll get into a bunch of trouble, and then I suppose I'll have to help him out. He thinks that he knows it all. That’s the effect of being too confound- edly fortunate all at once. Still, I must admit. he’s smart. Yes, he’s smart, and will in the end make his mark. * But} he’s got a lot to learn. He’ll find out by experience that even | the shrewdest men in Wall Street sometimes run against snags. So he’s a millionaire to-day. I never expected to see him that for years. Let us hope he may be lucky enough to keep it and add to it; but I’m afraid success will make him do something foolish. He’s in the humor for that now, L can see. A million is a lot of money,’ but it can be lost in an hour in Wall Street.” CHAPTER Xi. THE LITTLE BROKER FINDS THAT HE IS CAUGHT IN A TRAP HIM- SELF. : The Keating and French crowd carried their deal through to a fairly successful issue, but the roast Nat had given them cut so deep into their profits that they did not feel charitably disposed toward the little broker. 1% eating, who acted as cashier for the pool, settled with Sylvester Noble for the shares he had purchased from Nat, and then the members of the combine divided up what profit was left and closed their business relations. _ One and all, before they separated, after their final meet- ‘ee a vow to get square on Nat Noble. e must have collared several hundred thousand dol- ‘ats of our good money,” said Keating. “We must ret some of that away from him in the near future.” “T’'d give a good deal to get even with him,” said = Green, who was one of the late pool. ie Fags pe - any good scheme you can gamble on a put i through.” The day. t ived his uncle’s statement and check pe a Lé M. matter, he called on Eunice and told her about his good luck. . “Ym worth a full million and something over, Eunice,” he said. “Aren’t you glad?” _ 5 He called her Eunice now, because on the pero Sun- e had taken ¢ t “no doubt in th that he gp pos catch he his looks and in love with and while they were not aware . financially ray na they all im themselves. Eunice, Nat took his leave and , and were if mim bel You | h gage » yy Vi SS : 13° Glenn, whom he knew, came into his office one morning and ° had a chat with him. Among other things he casually mentioned that D. & L. was a good stock that would bear watching. “TI like it so well that I’m going to buy a few thousand shares on the chance that it will rise before many days,” e said. “The road is instituting improvements that will add to its earning capacity, and its securities are bound to rise in the market and stay up.” That afternoon a lady came into the office and asked Nat what he would charge to sell 1,000 shares of D. & L.. He told her. 4 “How long will it take you to sell it?” “Oh, not very long. It’s a very good stock and always commands a ready sale.” : “Very well, I'll brine it down to-morrow jor next day.” “She had been gone only a little while when a broker . whom Nat knew by sight called to ask him if he had any D. & L. shares. - : “No, I haven’t got a share, but a lady was in here a little while ago who has 1,000 shares that she’s going ‘to bring down for me to sell for her.” “Well, Il drop in again to-morrow afternoon about the stock, if I don’t pick up all I want between this time and then. I’ve already been to a score of brokers and can’t find a share. Seems to be getting scarce, for some reason.” Mr. Gummett called just as Nat was getting ready to go home and asked him if he had any of D. & L. “No, sir. You’re the second person who has been in here to-day looking for it.” , “It’s a stock to be long-in,” said Gummett, con- fidentially. “If I had the cash I’d load up with it at once, but it.takes about all my spare coin to handle my business these days.” Two brokers he met on the street next morning also spoke well of D. & L. The lady turned up about eleven in the morning with the 1,000 shares, and Nat bought it of her, paying her $52,000. He decided that he would hold on to the stock for a few oe to see how things panned out. . hen he went out he inquired in seveyal offices if they had any of it on hand, but couldn’t find any. : “He wondered if the stock was really getting scarce, and made additional inquiries for it. ’ _During the day he saw Broker Gummett and spoke to him about the stock. “Yes, it seems to be scarce,” replied Gummett. Breese, as if it was being bought up, doesn’t it?” said at. “Somewhat that way.” * : - “I should like to get 10,000 shares if I could,” said Nat. “Give me your order and I'll see if I can get them,” said Gummett. SI Ets Nat gave him the order, raising it to 15,000 shares, ‘or any part thereof. Half an hour afterward D. & L. suddenly got active on the Exchange and rose to 55. . He received word from Gummett soon after that ‘he couldn’t get the stock much under 56, and was asked for instructions. ? Nat sent him word to buy at 56. An hour later the stock was up to 58. ; Gummett met Nat on the street. Sear. :
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i “Looks as if somebody was trying to corner the stock,” _said Gunn. __ “Tt will take a lot of money to corner D. & L. success- fully, as I understand there were over 100,000 shares sold to the public.” “You forget that it pays a dividend of four per cent. an- ' nually on the common stock. Its par value is 50, and its price is always a little above that. Therefore, a good deal . of it is held by trust companies and others, and will not 3 come on the market.” shy Shortly after Broker Gunn left, Gummett came in and told Nat that he had heard that Green, in that building, had some D. & L. “I haven’t been able to see him this morning and couldn’t - say for certain that he has any, but you might drop in and see him about the matter if you want any more.” ee ‘ Aa *T don’t care to do business with Mr. Green,” replied Nat, * shortly. “No?” lied Gummett, in apparent surprise. “Had a falling-out with him?” _ ’ “Well, we don’t speak as we pass by,” returned the little broker; grimly. Gummett laughed. “Have you got all the D. & L. you want, or shall I drop in on Green and get what he has, if he has any?” “You can do so. But I see the price has fallen off this morning.” es. Guess it will go up again.” “Don’t give Green more than 57 1-2.” “All right,” and Gummett retired. Gummett returned in fifteen minutes, saying that he had seen Green and that he had 10,000 shares which he was willing to let go at 57 1-2. “Take them,” replied Nat. The deal was made. When Nat next looked at the ticket he saw that 6,000 shares had been sold at the Exchange for 57 7-8. A “I guess it’s going up again. I’ve got 31,000 shares now and ought to make a good thing out of them.” On coming from lunch he saw with some consternation that D. & L. had suddenly gone done to 52 3-8. This meant a less of $150,000 to him, unless things im- proved.” ‘ i Nat rushed around ,to Gummett’s and put up additional mage en he got back to the office Andy walked into his private room. : : ; “T want to till ye somethin’ I heard, sor,” he said. “What is it, Andy?” asked Nat. “I wint into one of thim cafes in. Broad Strate, sor, and I saw Mister Gummett, and Mister Gunn, and Mister Grane, and Mister French, and Mister Keatin’ all laughin’ and talkin’ together, sor.” , “Well, what about it?” : “They was laughin’ and talkin’ about ye, sor,” said the boy, earnestly. **About me, eh?” : 5 - ®Yis, sor. I heard Mister Frinch say thot they had ye where the hai was short at last.” “Indeed!” replied Nat, greatly interested and somewhat | i SP Yig gor. Mister-Grane said ‘he had unloaded: tin théu- sand shares on ye at some figure thot I don’t remember.” eer. Green said that, did he?” <3 __ *Yis, sor. And Mister Keating said he was sorry thot he _ #hadn’t been able to sill ye more than 5,000 through Mister _ Gummett.” ° “Mr. Keati Glas 42 had nl. ed 5,000 » Eh had only 000 on ye. =i thet ‘George! ee interesting!” ejaculated Nat. _ Mister Gunn and Mister Gummett had re thimsilves. | rip some woman had =. rollin’ sellin’ ye 1,000 shares outright at ¥ thought Shs ye this, sor, for it looked sus- ; to me the way they were callin ye insultin’ names, on. said_ that?” ) _as lobster, and aisy mark, and so “mich obliged to you, Andy, for a Mister . Hin sid ie wet sorry; to, *tellingg-ane. what| think NAT NOBLE, THE LITTLE BROKER. Nee een a “Who said that?” “Mister Grane, sor.” 2 a “Is that all, Andy?” ; “Yis, sor.” “All right. You may go.” . . It was certainly startling news for Nat to find he was caught in a trap himself, and that Mr. Gummett, who was acting for him, was one of the conspirators. : F “No wonder D. & L. went back to its usual price, thought the little broker. “I’ve been hoodwinked into the idea that there was a pool behind the stock engaged in trying to corner it and send the price up. Those chaps have been rjnging in wash sales on me to make a fictitious” advance in order to lead me on. Well, they’ve done it, all right. Now it’s up to me to get out at the least loss I can. If those chaps knew I had over a million at my back when they started in they would no doubt have tried to unload twice as much stock on me in order to make sure of crippling me. I guess, as the case stands, I can meet any further call for margins made on me. No matter how low they may be able to force it down they won’t be able to keep it down ong enough to beat me. I wish I knew some way of turnin e tables on them. I could do it by_call- ing on Uncle aitcater, but I don’t want to let him know I’ve been caught in such a trap. He’d give mé the laugh, | for he’s as good as told me I was sure to get it in the neck before long.. No, he mustn’t know about the hole I’m in. I must get out of it without any assistance from him.” Nat began to figure the situation out. CHAPTER XI. ’ THE LITTLE BROKER SECURES UNEXPECTED BACKING. “Let me see,” said Nat to himself, “I’ve got something like $300,000 up on margin on’ those 30,000 shares. If the a crowd can force it as low as 40 I'll have to put up $300,000 more to save myself. That, with the $52,000 I paid that aay. who opened the scheme will stand me in $650,000. I will then have $450,000 to meet a further call for mar- gins, The price will haye to go below 25 to put me on the ragged edge, and the stock is too good to take any such tumble as that, so I am fairl e. However, I stand to lose the difference between 52 or so and 58 in the That will be $150,000. I don’t mind that half as much as the idea that those slick roosters have managed to P ae me in the hole. I wish I had a few millions at my 3 een You can gamble on it I’d make them sick ore I got through with them. In order to force the price down ~ they'll have to sell a whole lot of the stock short. Now, if I had the eash to meet their game by buying as fast as they offered the stock I could hold the price until I had frightened them into drawing off. Then I could keep right on and bull the market up so that they would have to cover their sales at a loss. That would be a fine revenge; but, unfortunately, I haven’t the coin to carry such a scheme through. I think I’ll go over and see Uncle Sylvester, out- line the plans of these foxy gentlemen, and that he get-up a bull pool to beat He needn’t know that I’m in a hole at all, It will be a good chance for him and his friends to make a big wad of money at the expense . of the Keating and French crowd.” ! as Accordingly, Nat put on his hat and ran over to his— uncle’s ’ office. ‘ pes “I’ve got a tip for you, Uncle Sylvester,” he said, as soon as he seated himself alongside his relative’s desk. Mas Meedetloteds tohd. biog aboish, thes plews ot Keating a mo yr abou plans e D and Fr pr ais § 1 ees * - “How did you find out they are going to sell D. & L. | oe gynulthen bade mcr rediapeline cage - all e caution an experienced 0 r. Da ae ae “Oh, I found it out,” nodded Nat, confidently. “And it’s. ; a sure pointer.” — ‘ : Samy Was tent -X'd dike. to tock eed of thine ae
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NAT NOBLE, THE LITTLE BROKER. ee ee = % \ ee 15) ee 7 elaim they are about to do. Bring me satisfactory evidence| “A million! How much capital did you have to start and then I'll look into the matter.” _ “I’m afraid I can’t make it any clearer than I have done,” replied Nat. “You will have some evidence, however, by to-morrow or next day, when these gentlemen begin opera- tions. Then it may be too late for you to make your ar- ort in time to head them off. They ought to be blocked at the start. If I wasn’t up to my neck in another _ matter I’d try to form a bull pool myself.” __ “You'd form a bull pool, would you? Say, young man, your nerve is simply inexhaustible! One of these days I suppose you expect to be king of the Street,” he concluded, sarcastically. - ; “T may be. Who knows?” replied Nat, coolly. “You’d better return to your own office. I’ve got a lot of work to attend to.” “Then you won’t do anything about my tip?” “Not unless I can have something more convincing than your word.” ; Z “All right, uncle. You are losirig half a million or so by ng my proposition down. Just watch the market for the next few days, and you will see what you will see.” “Humph! I expect to see you looking for that million of yours with a telescope before the year is out,” growled Sylvester Noble. ; _ _ “You needn’t worry about that million. It looks so lone- some that I’m hustling to get another to keep it company. Good-day,” and Nat walked out as chipper as a young colt. He ran upstairs to see Eunice for a few minutes, and then returned to. his own office. 2 As he was crossing Wall street a little, old, white-haired gentleman who was coming toward him suddenly slipped on a banana peel and came down in a heap in the street. Nat ran to his assistance, picked him up and helped him back on the sidewalk. ie : “IT hope you’re not hurt, sir,” he said, in a sympathetic e. “I don’t know,” quavered the old gentleman. He looked very winch the worse for the shoclt he had sus- tained, and Nat didn’t feel as if he ought to leave him in that condition. “You’d better come It is only a few doors to, I'll see you * you. tefu up to my office until you recover. Feoui sere. , Then, if you wish me ur destination. 1 do ag you say,” replied the old gen- Bo Net led the demoralized old taan to the Niobe Build man ~ , took fi tae in the: pe oe thon to the fourth floor and ~ ced him to his office. One of the appointments of the private room was a leather-covered ange, and Nat told the old gentleman to lie down on it till he felt better. : “I am very much obliged to you, young man. Will you tell me your name?” “Nat Noble, sir.” . +i “Thank you. You are employed here, I suppose? “No, sir. I am a broker, this is my office, _ The little old gentleman seemed astonished. “You are young to be a broker. You are not twenty-one, I should judge.” / you any Exchange Place?” He is my uncle.” ati. cane ee ee a was ve . Pte you have been connected with Wall Street?” said n at. A pauch so,” smiled the old gentleman. “My name relation to Sylvester Noble, broker, of “Very 8 ean Lombard!” cried Nat, to whom the name was . m eri be gd it possible that you ‘are that famous operator ?” “ “You roe the sagen’ of Jim Fisk, Jay Gould, and of that crowd?” . ,_—. ‘x Th all gone now. I-am the last of the av goat, ed y Siipose Finda follow them soon, for am nearly ni Be ; _ “One ‘J 1 ko so to look at you. You look anne a ths in business. man Ss Tell as \* I but ‘ with ?” “Twenty-five thousand dollars. : ere ; The little old gentleman looked at him with, interest. — “Will you tell me how you made a million in so short a time with so small a financial backing?” Nat recounted all the particulars of the three deals he had been in, and his visitor listened attentively. “You have certainly been very fortunate. I myself be- lieve in luck. I never care to have business dealings with unlucky people. I judge you are one of those oh whom Fortune delights to shower her favors. You will probably a very rich man in time.” : “It won’t be my fault # I’m not,” replied Nat, con- fidently. f Then he told the old gentleman abont the trap. he had walked into, and how he expected to extricate himself with a loss of not over $150,000. Bivat b “This my first set-back, but as it is a put-up job on me jit is not altogether my fault. If I had a few millions at my disposal I’d get back at those brokers in a way that would make their hair curl, and come out a million or more ahead of the \game.” “How would you do it?” asked the little gentleman, clearly much interested in his new friend. _. Nat outlined the plan he would follow, and showed how it was bound to prove’a winner with sufficient financial backing. “I tried to interest my uncle in the idea; but he couldn’t see it with my eyes, and so he has lost a good chance, and the probability is that the crowd who is ‘against me, while they will not succeed in hurting me as much as they cal- culate on, will be sure to make several hundred thousand dollars if their capital enables them to carry out their plan.” “Well, give me an outline of how you would carry the deal through from this point,” said the old gentleman, af- ter regarding him thoughtfully. Nat. started in and laid down his plan of operation, point by point, covering every emergency he could think~of. When he had finished the little old gentleman said: “Run down to the offices of the D. & L. road and find out how many shares of the stock is on the market. Find out in whose names the larger holdings are recorded on the books. I will wait till you return.” Nat put on his hat and was off like a shot. In less than an hour he was‘back with the information. The old gentleman studied the paper carefully. ” “Ve well,” he said. “I am going to back yon in this deal. will advance you money enough to pay for every, share sold to you. Come with me over to the Manhattan National. I will introduce you to the cashier, and instruct him to pay for all shares of D. & L. presented C. O. D. at the bank. My. securities in the vaults will be several times sufficient to meet all the payments. When you are, ready to sell, the bank ‘will make all deliveries for cash. You will be charged with the current rate of interest for the money I will furnish you to put the deal through. All over that will be paid to you by the bank when a final settlement is made. Is that satisfactory, Noble?” “Perfectly,” replied Nat, not a little excited and enthused by the prospect ahead. . _ “Then, if you please, we ‘will go,” said the old gentleman, rising. 1 Nat gave him his arm and they went out together te sess CHAPTER XIII. THE LITTUE BROKER BEGINS HIS BIG FIGHT L “one of the in the Stace, and Nat had out-
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J ae PED e, 7 Be es ms them so as to convey certain directions. and suggestions from the little broker to his active workers. At ten o’clock Nat was promptly on hand at his post, -and the broker who was to conduct the first part of the fight was on the floor with his lieutenants when the chair- man opened business. Neither Keating nor French appeared in the Exchange until eleyen o’clock, though Green and Gummett were there, and so nothing was done in D. & L. for the first hour. Keating walked to the D. & L. standard and offered 1,000 shares at 51 1-2. One of his lieutenast bought it in, thus establishing a basis for the trades that were to follow. Keating immediately offered 2,000 shares for 51. Some broker bought. ’ Keating then offered 5,000 for 50. j Nat waved his arm and his broker took the shares. For the next quarter of an hour there were exciting times around the D. & L. pole, as Keating sold the stock down to 46. Then there was a lull of ten minutes, which was used in comparing trades. : Keating had sold 50,000 shares of D. & L.,. and the bulk of it had been bought by Nat through his broker and aides. Nat had arranged with another broker on the outside to look after his marging on the 30,000 shares \ld sub- ject to his orders by Gummett. ; After the stock had gone to 46 Keating stepped out of the circle in order to wait for information from Gummett, who had returned to his office. : _ While Keating was away there was some desultory trad- jing done in D. & L., the price gradually advancing to 50. Nat’s broker took no part in this. When Keating learned that Nat had made good his mar- ms he returned to the fray and began to sell another 0,000 shares short, beating the price down to 45. All his offers were taken in by Nat’s broker or his as- sistants. : ahs After another lull Keating renewed his efforts and got the price to 43, A big erowd had by this time gathered around the D. & L. pole, which now occupied the chief attention of the Exchange. . There was excitement to burn as Keating continued his raid on the stock. He sold 40,000 shares more, and got the stock down to 40, when “he hauled off to await information from Gum-| k mett. Nat’s representative having met a further call for mar; gin, the news was sent to Keating, who resumed his bear yay and after selling 60,000 shares, got the price down This necessitated more as before. ; Keating and his bunch held a hurried consultation. They had sold 200,000 shares of D. & L. short, most of it to Nat unknowingly, and they saw that the little broker oS no nearer to being wiped out of his 30 shares than ore. They had taken a big risk in their efforts to ruin the boy, and were afraid to go any further. ; Accordingly, all of them except Keating buy the stock to cover. This fact was immediately telegraphed to Nat, who at once gave the + yo to rush the price up. _ y His broker and lieutenant then began bidding at a lively rate. ‘ In a few moments they pushed. the stock from 35 up to 50, amid a pandemonium of excitement, in which the fran- . tie efforts of French and his bunch to get the stock back cheap were snowed under. . ; . After - short lull, wa Fe broker resumed his bidding, carrying the price up to 55. 3 Ware little real stock had come out until after the price 52, and then Nat’s broker hauled off for a breath- * margin from Nat, and it was met j - 2 his crowd were now in a bad hole. re selves to deliver 200,000 shares began to try and going J ‘te whinge? ad en NAT NOBLE, THE LITTLE BROKER. higher, his 30,000 was not only out of danger but aceumu- lating a profit. . Already he was $80,000 ahead of the game, provided he could unload his shares, 5 At two o’clock the price was up to 65, and then he sig- naled his broker to draw off. 4 At the same time he sent a note to Gummett by mes- senger instructing him to sell his holdings in small lots. ~ Gummett was in duty bound to obey orders, though he saw that the little broker was slipping out of the net spread for him, and at a profit, too. ; All the 30,000 shares were disposed of at prices between 65 and 62, or on an average of 63 1-2) and Nat realized a profit of $180,000 at the expense of the Keating bunch. That, however, was but a minor issue compared with the 250,000 shares he had bought with Josiah Lombard’s money. Of that number 50,000 were certain to be delivered at the bank in the morning. As to the 200,000 which Keating had enga: to deliver at low prices, and the bylk of which he been unable to buy in, he and his bunch would be obliged to borrow it for delivery, if they could get it, at a tremendous loss, that in the end was bound to cripple them at the figure D. & L. closed at that afternoon, which was around 61. All the stock actually delivered at the bank would have to be resold at a profit by Nat before the big deal could be wart cantor completed, and that was a far harder job to put through than the part he had already engineered. He left the Exchange to consult with his brokers over next day’s campaign, and as he did so he felt that he car- ried a weight on his young shoulders that made him feel ten years older than when he got up that morning. CHAPTER XIV. ‘ THE LITTLE BROKER MAKES A FEW PERTINENT REMARKS. While Nat was in consultation with his brokers, the Keating. crowd was holding a confab in French’s office. Green and Keating were in a parrauers bad humor. “That boy has got clean out of the tangle with a profit, while we’re in'a tight box,” ‘snarled Green. “The question is, what are we going to do to extricate ourselves?” “We've got to deliver 200,000 shares at the Manhattan National at figures all the way from 35 to 50, mostly way below the latter,” said Keating. “I’d give considerable to now who the bank is act’~¢ for.” “It must be a moneyed crowd we’re up against,” French. “Garfield & Staley are the brokers, and it is > of the biggest firms in the Street. It was our ill-luck to handle a stock that some combine was engineering to cor- ner, from all appearances.” “Yes, we set this trap to catch the boy and have been caught in it ourselves,” said Gummett. “He’s met every call for margins like a little man. Either his resources are greater than we figured on, or his uncle came to his rescue.” “I guess his uncle must have lent him money to tide him over. How much was he called upon to put up altogether?” to- ? ne at the é t ket pric ro nearly 10,000. ay iraboad 6 getting revenge on him » we've only succeeeded in putting ourselves nearly $200,000 in his pocket, as well as getting ourselves into a nasty hole. The scheme acted rs : eee and I’m thoroughly dis- ted with the whole ng.” aera erry ow're not any, kg Puuduted 9 the rest of a rted Keating. “There is no use o over spilles milk. get :; us now to get out the fix ‘the best way we can.” : . d “pgrens “We have only been able to buy in 25, shares of stock at a price ~— we could stand. The ae wont an ’ aed ee that will enable us to return ‘it ing to the wall. At the at
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Ne “ee a : g ___. The others realized the: truth of their associate’s remark, -and looked gloomily at once another. _ ..At-that moment the tinge of the atmosphere in French’s ‘private. ° , lag the corridor of “Good-afternoo E - . 7 office was decidedly blue. _ Keating made out a list of brokers from whom he ex- ected to get the needed shares and handed it around, each of, his associates selecting a certain number to call on to ‘Secure the number of shares allotted to them. _ At that moment a note was handed in to French. He opened it and read it with an exclamation of surprise. _ “What do you think of this?” he said.’ “It sounds. al- Most too incredible to believe, and yet the writer, who is a oe imam friend of mine, assures me that the facts are _ “What facts?” demanded Keating, impatiently, while the _ Yest were all attention. ~ “Listern,”. replied French. Then he read the note out loud. . - It stated that the bull movement of the day had been di- rected by Nat Noble, who seemed to be in charge of it. _ The writer had observed his presence in the visitors’ gallery of the Exchange and caught on to the signals which were exchanged between him and Brokers Garfield & Staley on the floor. : The statement acted like the explosion of a bomb in the office. . . Even - Keating’ looked amazed. It doesn’t seem possible that that boy can be at the of a big movement such as was inaugurated to-day,” | ! he said, incredulously. “Possible or not, I can assure you that the information is perfectly reliable whew it comes from Eldridge,” replied French. “Noble must have interested his uncle to get up dy clique in order to save his nephew from being wiped ‘“Pshaw! If Sylvester Noble did anything like that he wouldn’t leave the workings of it in the hands of that “boy. He’s too old a bird for tHat. He’d have looked after the deal himself, or had his most “Fa eg broker to attend to the matter. In any case he’d have hardly gone to Garfield & Stayel and employed them. Depend on it, if Nat Noble was interested in to-day’s battle, he’s backed by somebody other than his uncle,” said Keating, savagely. The meeting then broke up and the traders separated to meet again at five o’clock. ; _ It was close to five when Nat left the office of Garfield & Staley, after! fixing up a plan for the morrow. ; He chanel ran into Broker French, who was coming the building. | 5 : os S mn, Mr. French,” said Nat, with his cus- tomary politeness. “How is the world using you?” - *You’ve got a whole lot of nerve to ask me that ques- tion,” replied French. | “I suppose you think you’re the thing just now.” “Why do you say that?” A , “Because t understand that you haye been making things hum at the Exchange to-day.” ; 45) ores g? . Pose. “s 2 gies For coorek French. i ay innocent, are you? red French. “You’re fice a pekiich who, when ursued, buries his head the sand under the impression that he’s hiding himself. _ You’re a new thing yet, and have lots to learn. Probably | 4), _ you'll learn a few new kinks to-morrow. learning new kinks every day,” retorted Nat. “I’m| i “Tm ing who are trying to get my fleece away from me, _ for one thing. heey wa learning how to protect myself ‘from some apparently good friends who shake hands with me and tell me what a good fellow I am before my face; then they get together’ and lay plans to ruin me. Oh, yes, Tm aaromee selecting new/ every day, and expect to learn a lot more before I turn up my toes and go to the happ To hunting grounds, where there’s no, such thing as “ exchange. ‘ “What are you talking about?” snorted French. “Nothing in amen I Re relieving myself of a few ie remarks, ’s all.” A tee > you mean by people shaking hands with you do you mea before your, face, and then putting up a job on you behind _" “You ought to know, Mr.. French,” replied Nat, coolly. “Do you mean to insinuate——” . to be ~ 0 ry 5 brokers. A fellow has got to salt ot ote 1e time, or snip! a oa i ale NAT NOBLE, THE LITTLE BROKER. a eeeeeiennsieeneenesinens ee Merely stating a few) occurrence down here} _- shears, and he’s minus a bunch of fleece. - It isn’t always the early bird that gets the worm in this neighborh is it, Mr. French? but the bird that has eyes in the back o: his head, as well as in front.” ee “I'd like to know just what you’re getting at. I never, heard you talk this way before.” “That’s because I didn’t know as much as I do now.” “Indeed!” sneered French. “You may know more to- morrow about this time.” : Thus speaking, the trader walked off. “That sounds like a veiled threat,” muttered Nat, walk- ing out of the building. CHAPTER XV. THE LITTLE BROKER STARTS A PANIC, The sun rose on Wall Street next morning just as it had done ney? | day for a week past. : 3 When the » fa on Trinity Church pointed to nine, all the streets leading to the financial district were alive with clerks of all ages and importance, and lots of pretty, and some that were not around when beauty was given out, rewrites, wending their way in a brisk fashion toward their respective offices. : After them came the people who didn’t have to be at their places of business exactly on the minute, and inter- foe eae with them were the early “lambs” who had read in the morning editions that something would be on tap in Wall Street that day. ‘ Then came the brokers, and other bosses, all wearing a look of business. : 7 The brokers’ offices were crowded to overflowing before ten, for the un rise of D. & L. above 60 had at- tracted t attention and anticipation of what the day would bring forth. The market looked buoyant in eve pected that D. & L. might go to 70 before three o’clock. The outsiders had brought down fat pocketbooks with them, (4 put on the stock in expectation of reaping a golden pro: All signs pointed to a lively day on ’Change, and every- ~~. was out to make the nimble dollar. - ; at Noble came down early. : He i Aaa as soon almost as Andy had ogee up. Andy’s left eye was discolored with a bl morn, 5 ng. 3 “What’s the matter, Andy?” asked Nat.’ “Did you run against a door in the dark last night?” = Awite, “No, sor; I run ag’in a fist,” replied the boy, —. “It must have been a hard one,” laughed the little bro “Yis, sor. It was the fist of Michael Grady, one of thim district messengers, but he promised not to do it ag’in.” “What did you do to him?” { ‘ “Well, sor, I dunno exactly. ~ Me fists acted kind of reck- way, and it was ex- less like, do ye moind. A frend of his tould me this morn-’ in’ that he’d be in the hospital “You must be a terror, Andy. acy “Well, sor, I’m gettin’ tired of bein’ insulted widout cause, so I thought *d taich the b’y a lesson. Ma’ the rist of his gang will take warning and lave me alone in e future. “You ought to have had your eye painted. It looks bad ; 1 niver heard of thet rimedy for a . . *, ‘ sor?” - - this afternoon. Maybe $s I thought it was a sign painter I should go to.” “Not at all, Kody. It’s a different kind of painting al- her that your eye requires.” : ; “Yis, sor; if ye say so, sor. There’s two litters for ye on your disk, brought’ be 2. See Sc Nat went inside and the letters, which were from two new out-of-town customers. fae a of ten he went over to Garfield & a wake.” ” At office salt had. a final talk with Mr. Garfield, 2 Paras $1 he went over to the’ ring that ~
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"2. —— Little by little he forced the price up, while buying and selling went on around him, until he got it to 70. “Then Nat made a signal intended for Staley. mee broker and ‘his lieutenants started in selling on the iet. Garfield was doing his best, and successfully, to sustain the price, even force it higher. A messenger brought a note to Staley at that moment from-the bank, notifying him that the Keating people had Leyes * fee 200,000 shares of D. & L. sol es Keating e That let them out as far as their previous day’s en- gagements were concerned, but they had the bulk of that stock to buy in yet if they could get it at a price within the scope of their united capital. __ Nat saw Broker Green circulating around on the floor, but he did not suspect that that individual was watching him. Immediately after Nat signalled Staley to buy, Green hurried off the floor. A few minutes later he appeared with a policeman in the gallery. The pair made at once for the little broker. “There he is, officer! Arrest him!” cried Broker Green. Nat turned and looked at them in astonishment. “Hold on there!” he protested, indignantly. “What have I done?” s The policeman, however, reached for him as though he Were a common crook. “Come, now, young man,” he said, roughly. “Get out of here!” ; “What for? I have a right here,” objected Nat. “*You have no right here!” cried Green, angrily. “Well, I have the privilege, then, of staying here.” “You’ve forfeited that by trying to conduct operations on the floor when you’re not a member of the change. Throw him out, officer!” “Move on!” said the policeman, shoving the little broker toward the exit leading to the stairs. The officer wisely released him when he saw that the boy intended going of his own accord. “So that is your word, Mr. Green, is it?” said Nat, when they got to the head of the stairs. “Trying to get square with me because I taught you and your crowd a lesson yes- terday—a lesson you all deserve for springing a measly trap on me. I’m not through with you yet. I haven’t for- gotten the trick you played on me some weeks ago, wien you went back on your verbal agreement to make good that $50,000 you borrowed on Midland Central. I’ve got the stock in my safe yet. Some day it will be up again and TH get my money back anyway, without any thanks to you. You’re a gentleman—I don’t think!” “How dare you talk to me that way?” roared Green, furiously. : “I dare to because I have no respect for a man of your principles.” “Throw him downstairs, officer! Do you hear him in- sulting me?” “Move on, young man!” said the officer, threateningly. Nat walked downstairs as mad as a hatter. f He was now looking for revenge on the opposition bunch, and at the critical e of the game he lost his head. Five minutes later he sent directions in to his brokers em. 2s to Staley to throw stock on the market to break the price temporarily. gener could not disobey, though he thought it a crazy : ee offering the stock at the last quotation right an _ + Intense excitement ensued. f The brokers who had been buying as fast as they could for their customers stopped and stared aghast. Brokers who had been buying for themselves got fright- iit: aimee adapeuredth. oe: -sicw dean’ ghteck, aid aa. tened to unload. The whole Exchange was thrown into sudden confusion _ and a few moments later a wild panic set in. CHAPTER XVI. CONCLUSION. news flew thi h the Street like wildfire, and cus- in the office interested in D. & L. and other stock to act like crazy people in their eagerness to save | necessary. Get busy at once. NAT NOBLE, THE LITTLE BROKER. ign a alg as Oana et ne ee I ne The newspdper reporters wired their journals that the market had gone to pieces. The only persons who were hilariously happy were Keat- ing, French and the rest of the bunch. ; Nat suddenly woke ‘up to the fact that he had made a blunder, The panic must be stopped at all hazards. He sent word in to Garfield to buy right and left,and that he would have him sustained. Then he rushed to his uncle’s office. “Uncle, I want you to help me out. I want you to buy D. & L: for me. The panic in the Exchange has got to be stopped at all hazards. I’ve got a million and quarter dol- lars that I will put up as margin. Use every cent of it if Every moment counts.” _ Sylvester Noble readily saw that his nephew was heavily involved in the fate of D. & L., though he could not under- stand in what way it was, since Nat claimed to have a million and a quarter of cash at his back, and that was a quarter of a million more than the boy admitting possess- ing at their last interview. “If this panic goes on I’m ruined, uncle, so don’t ask for further explanation, but get to work, and get to work quicker than lightning.” _ In a brief space of time Sylvester Noble started his rep- representative and assistants buying D. & L. as fast as they could take it in. . Garfield and his lieutenants had already partially stemmed the tide, and as soon as he was joined by the Noble forces ~ slump stopped and the price began to advance once more. . As soon as the market had turned in earnest, Nat called off his uncle’s people. Pg had bought in 60,000 shares for him at an average 0 ‘ . Nat sent word to paral. te force the price as high as he could, and then instruc Staley to resume his original - programme of quiet selling at the market. e stock closed at 75 that day, and Nat had succeeded in getting rid of 90,000 shares held by the bank. : Next day, with the price up at 80, and the public wild over D. & L., he got rid of the balance of, the stock bought by Garfield. On the third day, with the price still being sustained by his brokers, he instructed his uncle to sell’ the 60,000 shares , in small lots. He got an avera on it of $700,000. z hes that time Keating and his crowd were hopelessly in e soup. Every man of them was forced to make an assignment, and each lost his t in the Exchange. Nat then called G&rfield & Staley off the job and left D. & L. to find its proper level. : The two brokers made a wad of money out of commis- sions, and Nat had a big interest bill to settle with the bank in Josiah Lombard’s behalf, but in spite of all that he cleared a million and a half over and above his outside profits on the deal, making him worth $3,500,000. When he later on explained the whole thing to his Uncle Sylvester, and showed him that he had made two and one- half millions out of that one deal, the seasoned old broker could hardly believe the evidence of his eyes. The newspapers got hold of the particulars of the bi deal that Ned Noble engineered, and gave considerable space - to the story. Then the Street took ‘its hat off to the little broker. The publicity that he got was the making of a prosper- ous business for Nat. Constant contact with brokers and customers also soft- ened down his brogue, but his hair continued as red as ever. If you don’t believe this story is strictly. true, just visit Wall Street any business day and ask any broker the name of the boy who started a panic in Wall Street once u a time, and he will tell you it was Nat Noble, the Little Broker. Next week’s issue will contain “A STRUGGLE FOR FAME; OR, THE GAMEST BOY IN THE WORLD.” OUR FREE CATALOGUE oe x é ge of 76 for the stock, netting a profit. ~_ SEND POSTAL FOR it a
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FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. CURRENT NEWS Italy is to send a commercial mission composed of trade experts to Russia. It will visit the most important cities of the Russian Empire and get. into direct touch with Russian commercial circles in or- der to increase commerce between Italy and Russia after the war. - The mackerel fishermen sailing out of Gloucester have had a very profitable season. A fleet of twenty- three schooners took 135,000 barrels of mackerel, valued at $777,250. A record catch for an Ameri- can schooner and the biggest of the year was that of the Arthur James, which made $67,250, each member of the crew getting $1,527. Next in line were the Monarch, $55,000; Marguerite Haskins, $53,000, and Lottie G. Merchant, $52,500. The smallest catch was that of the Céda M. MacKown, worth $14,000. _ The extermination of ground squirrels from about 209,000 acres of Government land was one of the achievements of the U. $: Biological Survey during the last fiscal year. Of this area about 36,400 acres . are on the Fort Totten Indian reservation in North Dakota, and the rest mainly on the Modoc, Califor nia, and Sequoia National forests. In North Dakota, where the work has been carried on in co-operation with the State experiment station, no less than five- eighths of a ton of strychnine has been used in the _northern part of the State, seven counties having been systematically covered with poison. Following the approval of the sale of the Danish West Indies to the United States by. both houses of the Danish Parliament, King Christian, in the Cabinet Council, ratified the treaty providing for the sale on December 22. The exchange of the rati- fication instruments will take place in Washington, probably toward the end of January. The Danish ‘ratification will be despatched on’the steamer Helig Olav, the first liner which leaves Copenhagen for New York, sailing on January 11. o® ————— Full eyesight was suddenly restored to Mr. Law- hon, of May, Texas, a few days ago, as he was walk- ing down the street. One eye had been blind for a number of years, and a short while ago he lost the sight of the other eye when a bit of wood struck him in it. On the recommendation of physicians, he had the injured eye removed and the one that had been blind for years operated upon. The operation Rpees “ought very little relief, as he could barely see at but while he was walking down the street a num- ber of da: afterward, the full sight of that eye him suddenly and he can now see a distance ds from him without difficulty. — - A horse becoming frightened recently in Talla- hassee, Alabama, ran amuck into the store of the Garrett Drug. Company, completely demolishing a large, circular cigar case in the front of the store; then, having become disentangled from the won, dashed headlong through a narrow aisle of tables into a large mirror which covered the front of the prescription case. The animal was thrown back- ward, falling on a small serving table. Doctor Gar- rett, the proprietor, who was directly behind the prescription case, was thrown ten feet by the im- pact. Mr. Bettes, the popular young soda dispenser, was near the entrance, and, seeing the horse com- ing, immediately retired through the rear exit. The horse sustained only a few bruises. Snakes have no eyelids, and therefore never close their eyes. Their eyeball is covered with transpar- ent scale much resembling glass. When the reptile casts its outer skin, the eye scales come off with the rest of the transparent envelope, out of which the snake slips. This glassy eye scale is so toug&that it effectually protects the true eye from the twigs, sharp grass, and other obstructions which the snake encounters in its travels, yet itis transparent enough to allow the most perfect vision. A similarly pro- tected or incased eye is to be found in fish. From the character of the element in which they live, and the subdued light that reaches them, fish have no heed of eyelids either to wash the eye or protect it from glare, and therefore eyslids are absent; but ' some of them need the protection of the transparent, horny, convex cases, which guard their eyes without obstructing the sight. “Scotch girls are buying frilly things,” remarked Captain David W. Bone, skipper of the Anchor Line steamer Cameronia, from (iatsaow. “On our last voyage home we were laid up for two weeks over- hauling and I had a chance to notice that the pre- verbially careful Scotch lassie is spending nioney like the proverbial Jack ashore. “This surprising condition is one of the results of the great war. Many of the girls in Scotch cities are working in munitions factories. They are making big wages and, for the first time you might say, they have more money than they know what to do with. in- stead of laying it by for a rainy day they are in- dulging their fancy for all sorts of frills and fur- belows. They are even buying furs. Scotch women | have seldom worn furs, as the weather is not cold enough. But nowadays the munition prosperity has cause fur boas and muffs to bloom in all directions. And the way they buy sweets is a caution. Sugar is almost like gold in Scotland, but the lassies al- ways have the money ts buy candies these : days.”
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—_ FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. ON TOP | THE BOY WHO GOT THERE By ED KING (A SERIAL STORY.) CHAPTER XV (Continued). There was great excitement. Every man looked at his neighbor suspiciously. It needed but a breath! to fasten the charge upon some one, perhaps an in- nocent man. But the days passed and still the mystery re- mained unsolved. One evening the stage rolled into Wild Creek—for a stage road had just been com- pleted over the old trail. From it there alighted half a dozen men, all dressed in the garments of civilization. Three of them wore shining silk hats, Tiff was naturally interested, and by inquiry learned that these were the directors of the Old Sledge Mining Company, which had a large mining grant across the creek. Of course, Tiff was inter- The gilded capitalists from the far and effete East proceeded to make themselves at home in Wild Creek settlement. They quartered at the little Miners’ Home, a small hotel which had been erected within the month. “T say, Tiff,” said Tug Scehtalansivey “those rich nobs over at the Miners’ Home are looking for a ser to speculate. Why don’t you sell them your _ “Humph!” exclaimed Tiff. I can’t sell it?” “Oh, yes, I forgot that! I hear, though, that they are going to sink a shaft on the claim next to yours. And, by the way, that makes me think that I saw Horner strolling around with them yester- Tift was interested. “You did?” he asked eagerly. “Don’t you know that Do you know, I think Horner has some deep game.” Events moved rapidly. The next day a mule train arrived, bringing kits of tools, pieces of machinery, _ and supplies. Then a gang of men followed. These _ were employees of the Old Sledge Mining Company. It now was no longer a secret that they intended 5 to sink a shaft on the high land beyond the creek. course, the Wild Creek people were greatly in- ested. Perhaps Tiff Clark was more interested an any one else, “T wonder if he) had anything to do with their coming here? dollar.’ Suet eet began at once. It was asta Tiff blushed and stammered: _ ‘ ct carried forward. Engineers and surveyors were on hand, and as samples of the ledge were taken from the shaft experts were ready to pass judgment upon Tiff now had ceased to wonder. meant that quartz mining was to be added to the industries of Wild Creek, and contribute to the building up of th® town. But one thing puzzled him greatly. Horner, the gambler and ‘shyster, was the con- fidant and companion of the directors of Old Sledge. In fact, the work seemed altogether under his direction. It puzzled Tiff greatly. But an explanation was near at hand. from the stage one morning there alighted a man of aristocratic stamp and commanding bear- ing. It chanced that Tiff stood near by when the stage as the stranger alighted. “Colonel Pulsifer!” he cried. “Is it you?” The Chicago millionaire turned and his face lighted up. “Ah! How are you, Tiff!” he cried: “I am glad to see you! Come with me, my boy. I have got lots to tell you. Much has happened since I saw you last. I am in deep trouble, Tiff. Come with me.” And Tiff, wondering greatly, accompanied his millionaire friend irito the tap-room of the Miners’ Home. CHAPTER XVI. THE TRAIL OF VILLAINY. The manner more than the words of Col. Pulsifer excited Tiff’s curiosity. He saw that the million- aire was not himself. There were heavy lines of anxiety and care in his face. His eyes showed a loss of sleep. He was plainly the victim of mental worriment. The colonel closed the door, and then, with a deen To him it only ~ The Old Sledge shaft was still under way when - drew up. Fhe boy miner gave a sharp cry of Joy reath, sank into a chair. He gazed at Tiff pene- a tratingly. “Tiff Clark,” is said, “you are honest as a spi’ :
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“What do you mean, sir?” “I want to tell you that in these distracted times honesty is a pearl beyond price, so rare has it be- ‘come. I am nominally a millionaire. At least I was ‘Such. What I am to-day no man knows. Tiff, I am in deep trouble. I'am the victim of a gang of rogues ‘and villains. They have led me into a deep trap. Whether I pull out or not remains to be seen.” _ Tiff was startled as well as surprised. But his Sympathy was with Col. Pulsifer. ; “T am sorry, sir,” he said. “I hope you will win.” “Tf it was a question of finding a driver for Sadie Mack I should feel sure of winning out,” said the colonel, with a smile, “I want to tell you, Tiff, that I ‘trust you to stick by me. You'll never be sorry.” “Indeed, Colonel Pulsifer, I shall be glad to serve you in any way,” said Tiff. “But I don’t really know how it is in my power.” “It is,” asserted the colonel. “Now, let me ask you a question.’ Is that scoundrel Horner in this town?” “He is.” “Ah! What is he doing?” _ “T believe he is in the employ of the Old Sledge Mining Company.” ek se Have they put down their shaft yet?” ao ace!” Bey! _ “Do you know what their returns are 4 4 OF, - . The colonel pulled his long mustache. “T have been swindled,” he said bitterly. “It was all a vile plot to rifin me. Let me tell you something, Tiff. This Old Sledge grant belonged to me. A month ago I believed that I was the sole possessor _of a million. A man named Caleb Lowe, whom I had given a start in life, and whom I believed I could trust, came to me with inside information ‘about a certain great move in the stock market. Foolishly I listened to him, and embarked in the ‘speculative deal. “In less than a week I became entangled to the extent of six hundred thousand lollars. In two days ‘more I was a ruined man. At this moment, boy I é have very little of my fortune. The sheriff has pos- “session of my Chicago home. I am a fugitive from the debtor’s law. I have been hounded from Chi- ‘cago, and have come here—a miserable wreck upon the financial sea—lost irretrievably—oh, Heaven! I ean never get back!” i The grief of the stricken man was overwhelming. ‘It stunned Tiff, who could only sit like one in a dream : d listen: : ‘ v. ¢ Colonel Pulsifer gave way to his emotions for a time, but presently roused himself. ¥ “Of course this is nothing to-you, my boy,” he id, striving to regain his self-command. You see, ve no chick nor child. No one to sympathize ‘my troubles.” : ‘sympathize with you, Colonel Pulsifer,” cried earnestly. “It, was a cowardly game to throw . Iam sorry for you, sir, and I only il ae ‘you.” Red rey ? aa Ot co OOOO am 5 Se FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. A great. light broke over the colonel’s face. He reached, forward and took Tiff’s hand. “Thank you, Tiff,” he said. “I don’t care for what is lost. I am still glad to know that there is one in the world who will not go back on me in my ad- versity.” “T’ll never go back on you, Colonei Pulsifer,” cried Tiff. “You are a true man, and I like you. I hope you will not lose courage, but come out all right and beat them yet.” “You give me courage, my boy. But they have got everything away from me. Even this last min- ing grant, which I know is rich and sure to pay a fortune. See how quickly they begin to develop it.” “But—can you not reclaim it?” “There is no way,” said Colonel Pulsifer, shaking his head. “I have been holding this Wild Creek grant. Two years ago I had it surveyed, and a prom- inent engineer assured me of a great vein of gold- bearing quartz, which extended across my claim to an unknown depth. No doubt it is worth millions. And they have robbed me of it, for I was com- pelled to put up the title as collateral in my Wall street deal.’ “T am very sorry, Colonel Pulsifer.” The colonel opened his traveling bag and showed some packages of greenbacks. “Fifty thousand dollars,” he said. “It is all I have left of my fortune, Tiff. With it I must begin life over again. Perhaps I may hit it lucky here in Wild creek. It is my one aspiration to beat Lowe and the Old Sledge Company.” , “T hope you may, Colonel Pulsifer.” “But enough of my troubles. What have you been doing, my boy?” ra eat 4 “T have been washing gold from the river sands,” said Tiff. “My partner and I have been at work all the while.” —- 1 ae “And your land—the legacy——” pe “T have it yet.” = “Let me see; that adjoins the Old Sledge grant if I am right.” “T think it does.” : “They probably will try to buy it of you.” .y “Horner has tried to buy it,” said Tiff. “But the terms of the legacy forbid my selling, else I might have yielded.” “Don’t sell,” said the colonel. “It is just as well to keep it.” ee “But Jack Hope says it is worthless.” . _ “On the surface, perhaps. I will hire an engineer to assay the veins. He may find something the com-' mon miner would not see. Well, my boy, I am here in Wild Creek to begin life all over again. To- morrow we will have another talk. You will come here to see me f ee “If you wish?” “TI do! Now I am going to seek a much-needed rest. Perhaps all will rate, we are friends.” x (To be continued) come out fight yet. At any - ‘
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~ gialee MOONSHINE WHISKY HIGHER. Moonshiners of the Piedmont in Georgia, Ala- bama, Tennessee and the Carolinas are not so slow. They have taken advantage of the high cost of living arguments put forth by the city manufac- | turers and as a result moonshine liquor that used to eee for 75 cents a gallon now commands $4 a gallon. START WAR ON COYOTES. Game wardens of twenty eastern Washington counties have been instructed by L. H. Darwin, State Game Warden, to direct a general slaughter of coyotes, following reports of a widespread epi- demic of rabies among the roving bands. According to information received by Darwin the hydrophobic attack is becoming a menace, many domestic animals, including dogs, horses and cat- tle, having been bitten. . ' $o serious has the situation become that the State| Department of Agriculture has been appealed to, and orders have been issued calling for the muzzling of all dogs in the counties affected and in adjoin- ing districts. ~ HANS WAGNER MARRIED. John Henry (Honus) Wagner, well known Pitts- burg National infielder, and Miss Bessie Smith, ; daughter of John G. Smith, a former county detec- tive, were married in Carnegie, Pa., Dec. 30., at the parsonage of the St. John’s Lutheran Church. Following the ceremony Mr. and Mrs. Wagner left oa "Sasa trip. Hans is 42 and his bride 26. Strenuous efforts had been made by the great bali ayer to avoid publicity, owing to his natural aver- ‘sion to being in the limelight, and he had the news- paper boyS guessing until the ceremony was per- formed. He brought his bride to the marriage li- cense office in his touring car, invited Clerk Walter Niven, a personal friend, to take a ride over the Bigelow boulevard, when the necessary questions were answered and the right to marry granted. . William E. Smith, a brother of the bride, and Alice Downey, a companion of Miss Smith, were the only spectators. A late train was taken at Carnegie for the West, southern California being : he objective point of the honeymooners. — 4 ss WIELDCAT NOT SO WILD. _ From the earliest settlement of America the bob- - ture. What the frontier people think of these ani- ‘mals is shown by the expression that a brave man} is one who can “whip his weight in\wildcats.” Al- _the wildcat usually weighed less than 20] s ids, if its reputed ae Pin a be sustained ” eat, or bay lynx, has figured largely in hunting litera-| FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. ARTICLES OF ALL KINDS is concerned, says the National Geographic Maga-. zine, unless it is cornered and forced to defend itself, it is extremely timid. Like all cats, it is very muscular and active, and to the rabbits, squirrels, mice, grouse and other small game upon which it feeds it is a persistent and pitiless enemy. As in the case of most small cats, the stealthy hunting habits of the bay lynx render it very de- structive to ground-frequenting birds, especially to: quail, grouse and other game birds. For this rea- son, like many of its kind, it is outlawed in all settled parts of the country. CHINA’S COURIERS RUN 90 MILES A DAY, Travelers who return from the remote interior of vast countries where telegraphs and railways are | Practically unknown will tell you of the astounding t swiftness with which news travels, despite the seem- ing absence of facilities. — Away in the wilds of the Tibetan border, or in the Mongolian deserts, two months’ journey’ from ‘civilization and’ hundreds of miles from the nearest telegraph wire, the traveler will perchance hear of some momentous event in the outside world within an ineredibly short while of its happening. seen is it done? . ‘There is really no mystery about it. \This véagia transmission of news is due to human, not super- human, agency. It is the work of natives employed in courier services of higher organization than we- have ever dreamed. , China, that spacious land where distance is meas- ured by days, not miles, affords the best example. For although the means of communication by rail and telegraph. have greatly developed there of late, the bulk of the interior is still virgin to these in- ventions of the “foreign devil,” and China still maintains what has been from time immemorial the — most wonderful courier service in the world. It is now mainly controlled by the Chinese post- office, and the mileage of the courier lines has re- cently reached the stupendous figure of 136,000, or about five and a half times the circumferen¢e of the © globe. By road, river and track, radiating from the capital of Pekin, or other important centers, legions of couriers are speeding, without ceasing, by night and by day, to almost every corner of the 6,000,000 “square miles of country which form the Chinese Empire. The couriers are all stalwart men, especially cho- sen for their physique, powers of endurance ae ‘knowledge of routes, says the Philadelphia Inquirer. ey work in relays, eat as they go aa supposed not to stop until they have h: : br gad to the ni relay. _ _An average speed 0: ) /
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: : FAME AND FORTUNE me . - 23 GOOD AS WHEAT | ; OR : THE BOY WHO WAS ALL RIGHT : By GASTON GARNE (A SERIAL STORY.) CHAPTER VIII (Continued). ~ “I hope not! Poor old man!” from Lucy. The injured man was old. He had snow-white ir and beard, and was roughly dressed, like a hunter or scout. He had been struck over the head With a club or some such weapon, and Bob did not believe that he would recover. ‘Tll go for a‘ doctor,” the youth said. be gone long.” He hastened out and down the street to where he remembered to have seen a doctor’s sign. . The doctor was in and went right back with Bob, who paused an instant at the patch of weeds to get his violin case. They were soon at the house, and the doctor made a careful examination of-the old man’s injuries. “Well?” queried Bob, when the doctor had fin- ished. . The physician shook his head and looked sober. “T don’t think he will recover,” he said. “He is Dadly injured, and, he is old and feeble. He may live two or three ‘days, and he he may not live twenty-fours hours.” ~~ “Do what you can for him, sir,” said the youth. “I will.” K : He dressed the wound, and then left some medi- eine to be administered internally and took his de- -parture.- as “I wonder who he is?” remarked Kittie, _ Mrs. Wilson shook her head. - “I have never seen him before,” she said. : _ “There may be something in bs ne that will a identify him,” said Bob. _ ‘ns He eae in ‘all the pockets, but did not find any- “T won’t “Bob sat up part of the’ night and gave the in- ees Si eneiichne regularly, and then Mrs. Wilson took his place and watched beside the old man till morning. ; ; When erate came the injured man was in a irium, and talked and mumbled incoherently. : doctor came, examined the patient, shook head, left some more medicine and took his de- “eS ‘ | } ‘ . a ‘middle of the afternoon the old man pair angel He looked around him oo 8 3 “Sn ES, ‘and then fixed his gaze on Bob’s face.' “I wonder who the scoundrel was, and why “I’m goin’ ter—die,” he said, faintly. “I—hev-- on’y er—leetle—w’ile ter—stay.” “Oh, you'll get well and live a long time,” said Bob, gently. “No; I’m—goin’—quick. Ye look—like—er— hones’ boy—an’—I’m goin’—ter—do—sumthin’ fur ye. In—ther—linin’ uv—my coat—ye’ll fin’—er map. Foller ther—direckshuns—an’—ye’'ll fin’— ther richest—gol’ mine in—Arizony-——” He stopped from sheer weakness and then sud- denly rallied again and went on: “Et’s in—ther heart—uv ther—Mogollon range. "Way up—ther’s a—leetle lake—an’ in ther— middle uv—ther lake is—a_ leetle—islan’-—not much— more’n er—peak, an’ thar ye’ll—_—” That was all. He never spoke another word, but suddenly gasped and was dead. ; Mrs. Wilson and the girls were greatly shocked, but Bob did his best and finally got them to feeling calmer and more philosophical. hve “You heard what he said about the mine?” quer- ied Bob. The three nodded assent. “Well, I’m going to see if there is anything in his story.” : He ripped the lining of the dead man’s coat loose and out dropped a folded paper. Bob opened this and found a rude map, just as the old man said he would. Although roughly drawn, the youth doubted not that it would be a sufficient guide for any one fam- iliar with the country, and that the lake and island could be found—if they were there. . “And somehow I believe they are there,” he said; “and I think, too, that a chap about my size will - make an effort to find them.” ; He placed the paper carefully away in his pocket, and as he did so he happened to glance up at the window and saw a dark, fierce-eyed man glaring at him. ee ae ai. Leaping’ up, Bob ran to the door, opened it and ran out of doors. : No one was in sight, and he ran around the house, and was in time to see a man disappearing amid the _ pinon trees on the slope one hundred yards distant. _ bean He did not go in pursuit. ~ - Were
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peering in at me?” thought Bob. Then a thought struck him, and he went on: “Can it be that he knows the old man and has knowledge of the map?” That was not impossible, and the thougnt caused an uneasy feeling to come over the boy. “No matter,” he muttered; “the old man made me his heir, and if there is any gold mine up there in the Mogollon Mountains, I’m going to have it!” Mrs. Wilson and the girls questioned him eagerly regarding his sudden dash from the house—they had not seen the face—and he explained to them. “Oh, Bob, it means danger to you; I know it!” breathed Lucy, turning pale. “TI don’t think so, Lucy; and, anyway, I am not afraid.” * “Pyomise me that you won’t try to go off up ihre to hunt for that mine alone,” the girl said, plead- ingly. “T promise, ae, I would not think of doing 30, anyway. I will have a guide who is familiar with the country.” ‘Say, Bob, take Sam Sager with you,” said Kittie. “Who is Sam Sager?” Bob queried. Lucy placed her lips close to Bob’s ear and whis- pered: “He’s Kittie’s sweetheart.” “Oh!” said Bob; “all right, I’J] take him along if he’ll go. But why haven’t I seen him?” “He is out of town,” said Kittie, blushing; “but he will be back this evening.” - “Ts he brave?” queried Bob. “Yes,” said Kittie; “he isn’t afraid of anything.” _ “Not even of you?” with a smile, - “No,” blushing even deeper. “All right; he is the partner for me, and we'll go and find that gold mine if it is in existence—and then we'll come back mud marry you girls. How _ will that do?” - “We'll wait and see if, ea find the gold mine be- fore we answer your question,” said Lucy, demurely. CHAPTER IX. . ee DANGER AHEAD AND BEHIND. ape _ Two days had passed. The old miner, whose name even was not known, had been buried, and things were again about as _ they had been at the Wilson home. It was evening, and the little family was gathered in the sitting-room, talking of the trip that Bob was ¥. figuring on making over into the Mogollon Moun- _ tains in Arizona in search of the gold mine. ‘Sager had been there several mes and had that he would go with Bob. pap FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. them all a cheery good evening, which was returned in kind. : Sam was a bright, manly-looking youth of about © Bob’s age, nineteen or twenty years. His parents lived only a couple of blocks ‘from the Wilson home. “Well,” smiled dag. “are you talking about the gold mine that Bob and I are going to find?” “That is just what we were talking about,” said Bob. “And you are surely going?” “Yes; and you'll go with me?” “You know I will, Bob, You couldn’t hold me back with a team of oxen.’ “Good! But we must have a guide.” . “Yes; it won’t do for us to venture up in that © country alone. We might get lost and never find — our way back again.” | The girls looked decidedly sober at this statement. “Who could you get?” remarked Mrs. Wilson. Bob shook his head. “TI don’t know,” he said, slowly; “you see, I’m almost a stranger in this part of the— Hold on! I have it!” He started up, all excitement. “Have you thought of some: one?” es Sam, eagerly, “Yes; there are a couple of men in the ees who would, I am sure, be just the fellows for us, if they are familiar with the country we are intending to visit—and somehow I believe that they are.” “Who are they?” “Their names are Hank Billock and Bill Bog- gett. ” Sam shook his head. “T don’t know them,” he said. Bob explained how he had made their acquaint” . ance, and his hearers laughed when he told them the story of his encounter with the two worthies. - “They're big, rough fellows,” said Bob; “put I am sure that they are honest, and I’ll wager that they would be terrors in a fight with ruffians or In- dians—I guess there are Indians up in that region?” Sam nodded his head and looked sober. - See “Apaches,” he said, seriously; “the most danger- ous Indians in the world.” “Well, if we can get Billock and Boggett to £0. with us, I shall feel comparatively safe.” ; “See them*at once, Bob.” “T will. I’ll go right out and look for them; and if I find them Til bring them here, and we'll talk = the matter over.’ Pe “That’s a good idea,” said Mrs. Wilson. # Bob left the house at once and hastened up the ry street. ~ When he reached the United States Hotel he ae tered the bar-room, and to his satisfaction he the two men whom he was in search of a bok” table, playing cards. They saw him at once and nodded in a frie! lesa and grinned. — a ae be contin) fet
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have demonstrated they are better corn raisers than their fathers. The average yield of corn per acre ‘in the county is 21.5 bushels. The 165 boys of the “clubs have an average of 55 bushels to the acre, and one of them succeeded in producing 89.67 bush- _éls on one acre. _ Every automobile rider has experienced the dis- comfort of dust in the eyes, and also from the effects of cold winds. A suggestion has been made “that these discomforts may be greatly alleviated by ‘applying castor oil along the eyelashes. This, it is claimed, will catch most of the dust before it can enter the eye, and also it protects the eyes from “the chilling effects of the wind. _ Two convicts of the Washington State peniten- tiary claim the invention of a process by which brass, copper and practically all similar metals can be welded together by simple forge work and with- out the use of any chemicals or present day methods. It is likely that their invention will be inspected in the near future by experts and, if found worthy _ of encouragement, assistance may be given them. The Sakais, or tree dwellers, of the Malay penin- -sula build their houses in forked trees a dozen feet _above ground and reach them by means of bamboo ladders, which they draw up when safely housed out of harm’s way. The house itself is a rude kind _ of shack made of bamboo, and the flooring is lashed together piece by piece and bound securely to the tree limbs by rattan, These curious people are rather small and lighter in complexion than the ‘Malays, though much uglier. They have no form of religion at all—not even idols—no written lan- guage and speak a corrupt form of Malay. A new deep-sea diving record was set recently a resident of Toledo, Ohio, who descended to a pth of 361 feet in Grand Traverse Bay in a newly- nted diving armor of his own invention. The or is rigid and designed especially for salvage k at great depths, says Popular Mechanics. Un- the usual diving dress, it requires no air tube; seen tank attached to the armor supplies the ‘needs. - The helmet, body and feet are con- 4 of manganese aie while the ncgirs and arms are flexible and provision is made nor ng objects beneath the surface. A tele- > apparatus in the helmet keeps the diver in nunication with the surface. Deseret Uenecae eea ‘of British shipping by Ger- the present war, Sir Nor- FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. 25 TIMELY TOPICS es Boys of six corn clubs of Shelby County, Tenn.,|man Hill, ee of the Liverpool Steamship Own- ers’ Association, has recently made calculations that the effect of the German campaign on British ship- ping has been as follows: In the twenty-seven months of war from August, 1914, to October, 1916, 433 steam vessels of more than 1,600 tons,. repre- senting 1,744,000 tons gross: register, were lost through war perils. Great Britain started the war | with 3,600 steamships, of 16,000,000 tons gross, so that the losses represent twelve per cent. in num- bers, or eleven per cent. in tonnage, being less than one-half of one per ent. a month. The value of the cargoes lost is calculated at 0.49 per cent. of the total by Sir Norman, who adds: “A ten shillings in one hundred pounds blockade will never starve us.” The attempt of an enterprising New York firm of importers to enter Japanese paper hats for men at the Custom House as “manufactures of straw’ has been checked by Collector Malone. The collector is understood to hold that while there is nothing to prevent dealers in this country from selling hats made of paper as “straw” hats, such goods, for dutiable purposes, will have to be classified accord- ing to the component material of chief value, which in this case is paper. The colléctor has accordingly demanded duty at 30 per cent. under the tariff pro- vision for “manufactures of. tissue paper.” The importer, whose invoiced description of the mer- chandise was “Okinawa paper Panama hats,” has filed an appeal with the Board of General Apprais- ers asking classification at 25 per cent., either as “manufacturers of straw” or “straw hats.” Sharkskin as a substitute for leather is receiving attention from the Bureau of Fisheries of the De- partment of Commerce of the United States. It has been in limited demand for some years past in this country as a covering for various articles, but not yntil the present shortage of leather grew acute has it been brought forward as a regular leather substitute. Acceptable leather from sharkskins has been made in several foreign countries, and there is apparently no reason why it should not be con- verted inte serviceable leather by American tanners. The skin of sharks is very tough and durable, and some of them have a beautiful surface pattern, which remains after tanning. Arrangements have already been made for securing from Florida fisher- men a large supply of large sharkskins, and fi \ vy “ . a 4 * i
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Fame and Fortune Weekly NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 9, 1917. TERMS TO SUBSCRIBERS Single Copies One Copy Three Months One Copy Six Months | One Copy One Year POSTAGE FREE HOW TO SEND MONEY—At our risk send P. O. Money Order. Check or Registered Letter: remittances in any other way are at your risk. We accept Postage Stamps the same as ‘ ih. When sending silver wrap the Coin in a separate piece of paper to avoid cutting the envelope. Write your name and ress plainly. Address letters to Harry E. Wolff, Pres, N. Hastings Wolff, Treas. Charies E, Nylander, See. Good Current News Articles E. J. Galek of Moquah, Wis., captured two deer in his barn. He was chopping wood in his field when he saw a large buck and doe approaching. They, jumped over his fence and ran into the open door of the barn, seeking to escape. He closed the door and captured them. FRANK ‘TOUSEY, Publisher 168 West 23d St. N. Y. With the production of a ton and a half of honey on his-farm in the summer of 1916, R. C. Murray,, living five miles west of Lawrence, Kan., has com- pleted twenty-five years of successful bee culture. To produce this amount Mr. Murray’s bees were busy from early in the summer. Some swarms produced as much as 160 pounds of marketable money, most of which sold at 1214 cents a pound. A few years ago elaborate plans were laid in Germany to explore the hitherto inaccessible inte- rior of New Guinea by means of balloons, which were expected to drift over the island in the pre- ‘ vailing winds. The project was much discussed in the magazines and subscriptions were solicited in its , behalf, but it was never carried out. It is now reported in the newspapers that Dr. Eric Mjorberg, a Swede, is planning to make use of an aeroplane to explore the interior of New Guinea, and is in the United States investigating the latest improve- » ments in aviation. Men blushed, women walked out and young peo- + ple giggled in Grace Methodist Church, Sioux City, ‘Iowa, when in the course of a concert number pre- _ sented by Morningside College, a Hawaiian girl, __ elad in picturesque seaweed, sidled out upon the “stage,” really the pulpit rostrum, and began an energetic “hula-hula.” The Concert Committee ex- plait later that it was all a mistake; that the mm Bureau had “slipped one over” on them by tu ean quartet of ag Sea dancers for was scheduled as an * ae awk § ‘of Hawaiian musical trends.” = FAME AND: FORTUNE WEEKLY. | hy Wee, 7 James Brown, wHo lives in the suburban district near Atchison, Kansas, has a number of pet squir-* rels. Aaron Davis, who lives directly across the street, has a few choice walnut trees in his back yard. The squirrels became to be such a pest that ||he purchased a couple of dogs to guard his crop of walnuts. The dog performed this duty so well that Davis’ hopes ran high for a good, full crop. But the squirrels were not cheated out of their us- usal winter’s supply of nuts. The local telephone company has a large wire cable crossing the street at this point. The cable intersperses the boughs of the walnut trees and also the boughs of a tree in | Brown's yard, and the squirrels utilize this as a highway, over which they transport the nuts, far above the reach of the dogs. Grins and Chuckles “Is your business on a running basis yet?” “I should-say so; I always run when I see a creditor coming.’ Kind Lady—Poor man! Wouldn’t you like a nice chop? The man (suspiciously)—What kind of a chop, lady—meat or wood? “Please, sir,” said the office boy, “me gran’mud- der——” “Is dead, is she?’ snorted the boss, testily. “No, sir. She wants me to take her to de ball game.” He got off. Colorado Man—Yes, sir, we’re going to have great doings out here this fall. This is the centennial year of Pike’s Peak. Stranger—Gosh! Ain’t Pike’s Peak no older’n that? Mistress—Jane, I saw the milkman kiss you this © morning. In the future I will take the milk in. Jane —’Twouldn’t be no use, mum. He’s promised never to kiss anybody but me. Burke—Yes, Kirke and I had a terrible quarrel. — He called me a liar and I called him another, and—— — Turke—That’s funny; it’s the first time I ever knew either of you to tell the truth. a \ Newlywed (proudly) —I always make it a point to tell my wife everything that happens. Old Sport —Pooh! that’s nothing. I tell my wife lots of thing that never happen at all, ~ 3 : Mrs. Serages (viciously )—It seems like a hu a years since we were married. I can’t even ee ber when we first met. Scraggs (wearily)—I can. — It was at a dinner party, and there were thi at table. : Wife—You 1 were talking in | your sleep again la night, dear. Why do you persist in doing it? band—Good heavens, a mari ought to is allow ancheactnnacie ‘sev | gee aa :
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TREACHERY ON AN ENGINE. 4 By Paul Braddon __ When I was employed on the Great Centra! Road Tran the night express between Kalpa and Queen- grove: 2 I went to Queengrove in the afternoon with the day express, and returned at 2:13 in the morning “Wi a fast train. re ” was my fireman. A - us father had been a rich man; but in one of those seasons of financial trial which have so often Come to the business men of our country he had ‘Pst all his property, ,and had become very poor— 80 poor that he had to take a position as a clerk “after he had passed the meridian of life. _ The son had been well educated, and when he came on the engine with me he knew more about the theory of the steam engine than I did. * He was verséd in chemistry and other sciences, of which I knew very little. . He obtained his place on the line by the influence of his father’s friends, when everything else had failed him. j Folger told me, as a sort of apology for being on the locomotive at all, that he only took the place} so that he could get in as an engineer. He said he did not intend to “fire” more than a month or two. nm __ We had been two months in the same cab with- out any improvement in the situation. _ __ He continued to find fault with me, and to demand “why I did not do this and that in his way, and I “made no reply to him. ; The master mechanic had asked me several times how Folger got along, but thus far I had hoped for better things, and said nothing to his injury. “Boyd, why don’t you pull out that throttle, and let her slide along a little faster?” he asked, one e uy, in his offensive way. -TI-made no -reply to him. “ee f He was Ioaddling with what not tea ws him. _ The’train was approaching a sharp y it was not prudent to run at the highest speed. If he had asked me the question in a proper way, nd not as a critic, I should have answered him. “We are three minutes late,” added Folger, look- , at his gold watch, which he often sported in 2 faces of his fellow employees. till I made no answer. cept silent for fear that ch if I said anything. Sta! : ae you a eee, in your head, Boyd?” de- d he, angrily. “When I speak to a man, I ex- ‘to answer me.” bio-enid sirthe sepher mended,” was all the ishment and indignation, Folger sud- o the throttle, unloosened the thumb- Eg tee Pr : ‘ See ? I might make a rude — FAME’ AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. where | Te. 27 screw, and, before I could prevent him, had pulled the valve out as far as it would go. I crowded it back as soon as I could get hold of it, though I had to take him by the collar and pitch him, over backwards on the coal in the tender before I had the space to get at it. The train was on a down grade, and the effect of a full head of steam was to make the engine leap ahead like a fiery steed goaded by the sharp spur. The coupling between the tender and the baggage- car gave way under the sudden jerk; and off darted the locomotive at a furious speed, which was not ‘checked when I crowded in the throttle. I whistled for “down brakes,” and was careful to keep the machine out of the way of the cars in | order to avoid a collision. After going a mile the train was stopped, and 1 ran back. I supposed Folger would’see that he had made a mistake, and I hoped that he would accept the les- son of his own folly. He picked himself up, and then, even before the train had been again attached to the engine, he be- gan to bluster at me for throwing him over upon the coal. He was mad enough to attack me with his fists, but he was rather a puny fellow, and I was big enough to handle him as a child. “IT never had a man lay hands on me before,” said he, as I started the train again. “And I never had a fireman before put his hand ‘on that throttle; and if you do it again I will pitch you out of the cab,” I replied, with vigor enough to make myself understood. { “When I.speak to a man I expect him to answer me,” added Folger, spitefully. “T won’t answer you when you are impudent— when you meddle with what is none of your busi- ness.” : “T calculate to have something to say about the running of the machine,” said he, as though he was my equal in the cab. I took this occasion to express my mind very freely, and’ I told him if he meddled with my busi- \ ness, either by word or deed, he and I could n longer run on the same engine. ; When I had said all I had to say I was silent. But I saw that Folger had no idea of discipline, and that he intended to make a row about the af- ° fair I have described. - I was willing he should do so, and I was confident that the master mechanic would discharge him as soon as he comprehended the case. We arrived at Kalpa about ten minutes late, for I had done by best to make up the time lost by the breaking of the eoupling. . When we left the engine in the round-house I followed Folger on our way home. nye A A fy I turned down a street that led to my house, while the fireman continued on his way to his boarding- place in the town. ee rites SEMA a but a few steps down the t I had gone cross stree +
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a _ © FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. during the run I saw him take a pull at a bottle when he went back into the tender for coal. ‘ ‘When we were within ten miles of Kalpa he be- — came very drunk and ugly. He began to pick upon me, and ¢ swore he was to have an engine the next day. “ I let him alone till he insisted on running the ma-— chine. He laid his hand on the throttle, and I collared him. The rum he had drank made him crazy, and be- fore I could disengage him from the handle of the | valve he had pulled it out. The machine. began to leap at a furious speed, — though none of the couplings gave way, as on the & day before. Folger was a maniac under the influence of the quantity of liquor he had taken, and it was all I could do to handle him. : We were descending the grade which brought us to the river, on the other side of which was Kalpa. During my struggle with the cr azy fireman I e¢al- culate that the machine phere 4:1 a speed of over © sixty miles an-hour. I choked Folger, hoping to take ‘away some of his strength ; but he had seized a wrench, with which he hit me several hard blows. I became desperaté myself when I realized what a fiend I had to deal with; and finally.I succeeded in © hurling him from me upon the coal in the tender. - I expected him to spring upon me again, and I dared not take my eye off him for an instant = at- tend to the machine. Instead of rushing upon me, as I anticipabads he . leaped upon the tank above the brake. Bien He stood with his arms outspread, and gave % 4 wild, inarticulate yell. > aes At the same instant, he topped over backwards, : and disappeared from my sight. When we found him, his body was cut to pieces. by the wheels ofthe cars. ¥ The next day the master mechanic said he was — ordered to discharge me, and my place was to have — been given to young Folger. I made no reply, but I called on Squire Perry befor I went to my own house. Re before I heard voices in the direction Folger had gone, It was three o’clock in the morning, and I was aia to know who was out at the unseasonable our. I stopped and listened. Folger. was one of the speakers, ‘and the other -was a drunken man. Thinking that my assistance might be needed, 1 ran across the lot till I came within a few feet of the parties. 3 To my surprise, I found the tipsy reveler was Squire Perry, one of the directors of the road. He was a man of influence, and I was not aware that he ever drank anything, an less ever went on a spree. ‘Listeners never hear any good of ‘eeativs and I heard a very bad story about Boyd, who ran the night express. ~* The squire was too drunk to go home; he said he had been to a champagne supper; he did not want to see his wife in his present condition. f He seated himself on a rock to recover his equilib- ‘He begged Folger not to say anything to any- sbihiy : he was never tipsy before in his life; and Sage story would: ruin him. ~-» The fireman promised never to lisp a sound. _ “The squire promised to have Boyd discharged the next day and Folger appointed in his place as soon as he could see the master mechanic, gnd I considered my fate as sealed. It was hard times; I had sickness in my family, and I dreaded the loss of my siuation. I went home, but I did not sleep that night very well. + “Was my enemy to triumph over me whee he was sey in the wrong? a RR oA had the squire’s secret as well as Folger. : “ But would my statement to save myself from be- ing “discharged stand against those of the ‘director and the fireman? ; felt that the chance of having justice done was . small in the face of such odds. In the afternoon I went to the round-house; but I ‘expected to have the master mechanic tell me ‘that I a eR __ Was no ionger required. I told him what had happened, calli inal | -__. But he did not; and I started with my train at the! his bed for the purpose. eer kee a) , f ‘usual hour. Never in my life have I seen a man so tervif -. .I concluded that Squire Perry. had not yet seen} not only by the thrilling story of Folger’s death, but — the master mechanic; and that I had only one more} by the tear of having his ee jodieneaien ce : a sie x fe gi Nome a Res I went home and. went to bed. ba ‘ ‘olger said: no ut the affair of. the y| When I got u the master mechanie w. =e efors, but he behaved as though he was conscious! see me. . . =a = his advantage; as though he expected bi see me| My discharge had been revoked, ey Ii whelmed in a short time. . trips as usual that day. ‘i ore we had gone @.mileon the sehirn trip, I| It has always seemed to me that a merciful tisfied that Folger aati been drinking. idence interposed to prevent Folger from b not known him to shinee aahaed thotore pointed an engineer, as he would have ‘hee _ . | had not got scans pee saab ss a but: acm TORR ; 7 8 ’
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FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. FROM ALL POINTS RICH GIRL A NURSE. _ Miss Letitia Curtis, owner of valtable oil lands, descendant of a United States Osage chieftain and relative of Senator Charles Curtis of Kansas, has given up a life of luxury to help the poor. She is a nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital, Kansas City, Mo. _ Instead of a luxurious ‘apartment. to which she had been used, Miss Curtis rooms with another nurse, both sleeping in one bed. No more dances nor social affairs for her. i “I haven’t seen my motor car for a week,” said ‘Miss Curtis. “I don’t care. I love this new life. It is fine to be doing something. It is better than just spending money and hunting fun.” ' : ELECTRIC STEVEDORES. _. Even the lumber dealer has now learned what is already well known in many modern industries, ‘Namely, that manual labor is the most expensive form of work; and so he expresses himself by em- ploying electric motors for loading lumber onto mo- tor trucks and wagons. ; Out in Newark, N. J., a large lumber dealer finds “it economical and expeditious to employ a number -of electrically-operated cranes of simple design for loading purposes. The cranes are operated by an electric motor housed in a water-proof casing just ‘below the boom. Standing below the motor box, the. operator controls the loading operations by “means of two ropes hanging down from the box and terminating in suitable handles. Thus it is possible for one man to handle a ‘number of pieces of lumber at ortce and in far less time than would be required by several men. COAL MINES 700 MILES FROM NORTH POLE. Wa John M. Longyear and Frederick Ayer, of Boston, have sold their seven-eighths stock interest in of Arctic Coal Company to a syndicate headed by the Central Bank of Norway, and including the princi- pal banking and business interests of Norway. ~The deal included some minor properties, includ- x ships, but the major properties are the famous bergen mines, located on the Spitzbergen Isl- is in the Arctic that lie north vs gt and nee bout 700 miles from the North Pole. new * u ou A been formed with a capital of 10,000,000 ° i agate property covered about uare miles. Most of the work completed has of a development nature and the output has ounted to much more _ ee tons. — n ‘any valuable and extensive ccabachaagrert one alone disclosing 100,- NEW GIANT PITCHER A STAR. Middleton, the Louisville pitcher who will be a member of the Giants next season, had one of the best records in the American Association, according \to the official averages which were announced by that league recently. Middleton won 21 and lost 9 games. An average of only 2.01 earned runs per game were made off his delivery. He struck out 137 batsmen and gave 66 bases on balls. Carter of Indianapolis was the real leader among the pitchers, and he won 15 and lost 4 games. He gave only 1.65 earned runs per game. Palmero, who will be with the Giants again next season, was also with Louis- ville, and he won 11 and lost 6 games. Old Roger Bresnahan, manager of the Toledo club, had a perfect catching record for the twelve games in which he played. Beck of Kansas City . led the first basemen in fielding and Lewis of Mil- waukee and Kansas City led the second basemen, Walsh of Louisville and Milwaukee was the best fielding third baseman and Roach of Louisville led the shortstops. Barney of Louisville, who was for- merly with the Yankess, was the first of outfielders in fielding, and James of Louisville led the pitchers in fielding. : Louisville, winner of the American Association pennant, was first in team fielding, with Toledo second and Columbus third. 28,000 PEOPLE KILLED BY WILD ANIMALS. More than 28,000 people were killed by snakes and wild animals in British India last year, says a report from Simla, India. The government reports show that 1,923 persons were slain by tigers and '| other beasts, and 26,385 perished through being bit- ten by reptiles, an increase over the previous year of 3,700 deaths met in this manner. No figures are available for the native states, with their popu- lation of some 90,000,000. During the past five years elephants, tigers and other animals have killed 9,192 people in British India, and of these tigers have claimed a toll of 3,682. In the same period 116,828 persons have died as the result of snake bites. , Last year the highest total of deaths due to ani- mals in any one province was in Bihar and Orissa, where 684 people lost their lives, tigers alone ac- counting for 376. In the United Provinces one mar- . eating tiger in the Almore district killed ten persons out of the provincial total of twenty. iy In order to effect the destruction of as many wild animals and snakes as possible, the government pays bounties. The number of animals destroyed in 1915 was 25,036, including 1,582 tigers, 6,623 leop- ards, 2,775 bears and 2,191 wolves. The total num. | ber of snakes killed was 184,663. 1 Pk Sareea
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po ee ey eel aes Eee moray We” FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. INTERESTING ARTICLES = PIGS’ FEET GAVE THE CLUE. Fondness for pickled pigs’ feet led to the arrest in Kansas City, Kan., of T. Foster, alias Joe Clarke, a negro, who the police say is wanted in McLemores- ville, Tenn., in connection with the killing of another negro. Clarke had just left a restaurant when two de- tectives entered. “That boy can eat more pigs’ feet than any one I ever saw,” said the proprietor. The detectives remembered receiving a report from McLemoresville saying that Foster’s chief pe- culiarity was his fdéndness for pickled pigs’ feet, and that he boasted of his ability to eat more of them at one. meal than any negro in Tennessee. Foster’s arrest immediately followed and, accord- ing to the detéctives, he admitted the killing, plead- ing self-defense. BURNED MUCH OF SHIP TO KEEP GOING. Showing every indication of her battle with At- lantic weather coming from the Great Lakes, where she was built, the Norwegian freighter Thorjerd got to port through Long Island Sound the other day. Her pilof-house was about the only wood con- ‘struction left, all else that would burn having been used as fuel. She left Quebec December 7. Fr om the time she passed out of the Gulf of St. Lawrence she battled with storms and no word of her was received until she got under the lee of Gay Head. There Captain Olsen set signals for a tow. The freighter’s coal supply had ive out. Her crew stripped out all wooden partitions, and burned the furniture. She reached Gay Head on the tide, her boilers being cold. Tugs of the T. A. Scott Company took her to New London, where she coaled. > NEW SWEDISH CANAL OPENED TO TRAFFIC. The Trolhatta Canal, which was opened recently, forms part of the Gota canal system of Sweden, con- necting the Skagerrrak at Goteborg with the Baltic’ at Soderkoping. The value of canals was perceived in Sweden earlier than in any other European coun- try, but, unfortunately, their construction for the > most part took place before the introduction of sea- Boom iron freight steamers, and, according to The nomist, they can se yi coud only vessels of {other experts, and were greatly impressed wit pe topenton pomeiblitgh of this new w dover sen which Trolhatta stands first, so that improved access from the ocean to its interior ports is becoming more important than ever. For some seven years therefore, work has been in progress on the Gota © canal system, and it is to be deepened to 16 feet and correspondingly widened, so that it will take ~ barges, and even sea-going freighters of some size. Factories are expected to spring up along its course ~ and to utilize the electric power of its feeders. oa pe Aare MOVING PICTURES AS TARGETS. A new device for indoor target practise, a practi- cal and interesting system which makes use of mo- — tion pictures as targets, is being exhibited by the Animated Target Company of New York city. In this system the shooter faces moving targets photo- graphed from real life, at various distances, shown in true perspective. A shooter aiming at a 300- — yard object, for example, sees the picture as it was actually photographed at 300 yards. The pictures show birds, animals, troops, an individual horse- man, or a large number of mounted or dismounted men, and move as if alive. By a simple and in- genious arrangement of electric control between the machinery that projects the moving target And the bullet stop back of it, as soon as the shooter hits the moving object aimed at, the picture stops and the bullet-hole, shown by a light flashing behind _ it, is seen distinctly. It appears at once exactly Fe where the shot hit and stopped the bird, animal or man in motion. The picture remains at rest long © enough for the shot to berecorded, and the shooter - to survey it, and realize the value of his shots, — The picture then starts moving again, and all the old shot holes instantly disappear; the targets are ready for the next shot. No marking at the butts — is required, as all the shots are automatically shown _ by the holes, and then disappear. The screen on which the pictures appear is of paper, and moves se on rollers, there being a second screen of paper, g in the rear of the first, which moves and covers the — shot holes at the proper time. The bullet stop <7 steel is divided from top to bottom by horizontal — strips, and when hit by a bullet at any point ares) matically stops the target. These moving targets are expected to work a revolution in indoor target practise, and arouse the most observing interest not only in the iz shooter, but in the onlooker. It is safe to say ee if they were introduced in armories and elsew < no effort would be required. to get men present | attend target practise. The teat might be to kee them away. Several marksmen from the and Navy Journal office tried these targets ers vie Ae
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FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. 3 ACC ae Ka Wn) Bi ies as = 14.) 2: F Easily Cond Picture No 1—Shows how tobacco has nearly wrecked a man’s career. He has become nervous, duspe, he cannot sleep well, has lost his energy and ambition, No.2—The doctor says: i’mgreing you this me very little gooc t , unless you sto, ment of Mr.Woods. kill el. 4 Fite § yours courage and backed by good health. No. 9—Beginnin temptation of tobacco m any form. No. 12—By clear- uered in 3 Days 2 to $500 EACH paid for hundreds ot old Coins. Keep ALL money dated be- fore 1895 and send TEN cents for New Illustrated Coin Value Book, size 4x7, It may mean your Fortune. CLARKE ; COIN Co., Box 95, Le Roy, N. Y, 7 Get our proposition. Easy to earn Boys money, watch, air rifle, camera, Indian suit, Baseball outfit, printing press, knife, electric or steam engine and many other premiums. Write at once. Address DENTON CO., Box 224, Hartselle, Ala. ee thay ; ae Colors and Sizes ic and irritable; | in the famous line cine but tt will do om ? H 4 +1 4 4 eg i 5 z 3 5 5 8 5 & i with tobacco.” No. 3—Stul a slave; another collapse. No. 4—Wye reads rites for Woods’ FREE BOOK. No. 6—Betng convinced by multitude of proofs, he at factory from $14.75, $15.75, $17.75, © has ordered remedy which is tn box postman ts now delivering. No. T—Has begun to overcome tobacco craring, Already | Thereisa Bicycle for every rider, ata price Cane ts feeitng much better; vigor and ambition returning. No. 8—Surprising improvement; all craving gone, filled with new ble only by our F Direct-to-Rider saies plan. anew. No, 10—Succeeding tn business. No. 11—No trouble to resist ND HO MONEY ut write Sodew for our big adedness, good health and energu, he has now become prosperous, | Bie eee of Bicycles, Pires wi z, | and Sundries at prices 80 wi ‘astonish you, ould You Like to Quit Tobacco Quickly and Easily and Enjoy | particulars afecemeast new offer to deliver you express } co! a Ranger Bicycle on one month's free trial without a cent expense to Yourself a Thousand Times Better While in Robust Health? Why continue to commit slow suicide when you can live a | really contented Life, it you only get your body and nerves right? it is unsafeand STOP RUINING rturing to attempt to rid oneself of tobacco | by suddenly stopping with “will-power”’—don’t doit. The correct way | rma YOUR LIFE = Praha SiGiate Rice Soa tie'Gatin, A fyrvaniony bale Sesion Bettie genuinely overcome the craving. a offer such values and such Tobacco is poisonous and seriously injures health in several Fr 69 CR Deing pach ates ae | terms. You cannotafford to buy abi tiresor sundries stomach ; nervous @ psia, 5 wing, or other uncomfortab: patho sieeplessness, gas belching. = RS retin throne invitation. catarrhy asthma, id liver, | i | consti m, headache, weak eyes, loss 0 r bronchitis, heart failure, m¢lancholy, lung troubh loss of appetite, bad teeth, foul breath, lassitude, ening and falling out of hair and many other disorders. ar nervousness and craving for ti bi re vgs EE cigars, pipe, chewing tobacco, or snuff. i» CIE: » Pipes, eee gs . compiled tise on the subject, containing interesting and valuable inform- ation that you should be glad to learn abont. This book tel renowned THREE DAYS’ METHOD by which thousands and thousands saved themselves from the life-wreckin Robacco habit. Fail rrientars, including the book. she 360 an snail it, wi ™: FREE TO YOU, in plain wra Te A dareae ition, we vercome that pec ere is an opportunity to receive F trea ~All yoa need do is merely EDWARD J. REQUEST IT. A post OoDs, ettes, cwars, pipe, snuff or chewing tobacco :—here ts You NAIL PUZZLE. Tee Nail Made of 2 metal nails ou linked together. Keeps folks guessing; easy to take them apart when you know how. Direc- tions with every one. Price, 6c., postpaid. Wolff Novelty Co., 168 W. 23d St. N. ¥. THE INK BLOT JOKER. Fool Your Frien@® —The greatest novel ty ef the age! Have a joke which makes everybody laugh. More fun than any other novelty that has been shown in years. Place it on a desk, tablecloth, o: any piece ef furniture, as shown fm the above cut, near some valuable paper® or on fine wear’ig apparel. Watch the re- guilt! Oh, Gee! Price, 15c. each, postpaid. H. F. LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’klyn, N. ¥- THE eards heli in the hand anyone is asked to _ mental select one. All : 27 @ hat and the performer removes a o that the audience did not select and bay the hat to them their card has vanished. A great pighly recommended. Pri ” ERANK SMITH, 383 Lenox Ave. N. ¥. a carefull: 1g all about the 228 W wi _— ; ing themselves nervous, dyspeptic, etc., by excesswe use of ct 'OTE.—To those who are injuring their health, making ae Sian toadiclin cna cali belomns your Gon oar without sirst learn you. Write now. ing what wecan MEAD CYGLE GO.,_Dept.C18s,__. CHICAGO, ILL. impure (poisoned) blood, heartburn, to lack of am- The 1917 Station E, New York, N. Y. HAPPY HOOLIGAN JOKER. With this joker in the lapel of your coat, you can make a dead shot every Great Bicycle Offer! time. Complete with rub- ber ball and tubing. Price, Write for catalog. Wonderful 1917 Arrow—new motorcycle 15c. by mail ostpaid type—ahi; down, Pay smal! amount each 2 HF. haa, . month while you ride, Write for our special, rock-bottom offer. . Zz. 7 1815 Centre St., B’klyn, N.Y NEW SURPRISE NOVELTY. : Foxy Grandpa, Mr. Peewee | THE BUCULO CIGAR. and other comical faces ar- | tistically. colored, to which ig attached a long rubber , tube, connected with a rub- pei ber ball, which can be filled most remarkable trick-cigar in tne being carried in the pocket, | world. It smokes without tobacce, and never a slight pressure on the bulb gets smaller. Anyone can have a world of causes @ long stream, the re- fun with it, especially if you smoke it in the sult can easily be seen. | presence of a person who dislikes the odor with water, the rubbe} bal! | The Price, 15¢., | of tobacco. It looks exactly like a fine per- : | fecte, and the smoke is so real that it is Tastpes.- * | Deund te deceive the closest observer. Wolff Novelty Co., 168 W. 23d St, N. ¥. | Price, 12c. each, pestpaid. ~ LAUGHABLE EGG TRICK, “S| FRANK SMITH, 383 Lenox Ave. N. ¥. This is the funniest trick ever exhibited and always produces roars of laughter. The per- former says to the au- dience that he requires oO some eggs for one of! his experiments. As no | spectator carries any. he a ue ropegge taps him on tor. va the head, he gs, and an egg comes out o his mouth. his is Tepentor until six eggs are produced. It is an easy trick to per- form, once you know how, and always) makes a hit. Directions given for working | it. Price, 25 cents by maf}, Bhipn H. F. Lang, 1815 Centre St., B’klyn, N.Y. ‘BLACK-EVE JORE. New and omvsin Oicer. victin Reis he wii re- ok-eye you ever @ small box of & preparation with cach tibe, so the joke can be used in- aw. be ger a the trick 3 every thme. A harmless. Price by ‘mall ie, for 25c. Cc. BEHR, 150 W. 62d St., New York City.
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pole * FUNNY KISSING GAME. * These cards, from No. 1 to No. 16, run - in rotation, but- must-be mixed and’ dealt, - a white one for a boy and a red one for a girl. They are then read alternately, and + the questions and’ answers make funny combinations. The right lady is rewarded with a kiss. A very funny game. Price, five cents a pack by mail. H. F, LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’klyn, N. Y. THE PRIZE FORD JOKE. Looks likea story-book, but it contains a cap and a_ trigger. The moment our innocent driend opens the book to read the interesting story he expects— Pop! Bang! The explosion is harmless, but will make him think the Ger- mans are after him. Price 25 cents each by mail, postpaid. * Wolff Novelty Co 168 W. 23d St. . ¥. MAGIC PENCILS. , - Hf i RED: WHITE BLUE The working of this trick is very easy, most startling and mystifying. Give the Case and three nelis to any one in your audience with instructions to place any penci] in the case point upward and to close case and put the remaining two pen- ceils in his pocket. You now take the se with the pencil in it and can tell what color itis. Directions how to work the trick with each set. 25 cts. each by mail, ce postpaid. Wolff Novelty Co., 168 W. 23d S t.. N. ¥. SECOR SPARKLER. Fees a in each pend and iyeigs the strings swinging the toy around an aro vaheat i times. Then move the bh apart, pulling on the discs and the strings to, untwist. This will To! the wheel and cause the sparks to fly. The continued rotatipn of the wheel again twist the strings. When this mences slacken the strings they ahe full twisted, then ; com vail tly until thee 25 cts. each by mail, postpaid. | €. BEHR, 150 W. 62d St. N. ¥. . HALF MASKS. SOUVENIR SHOE THERMOMETER, This is tne prettiest and daintiest little article that we have ever seen. It con- sists of a miniature French shoe only 1% inches in length, to which is attached a ‘ perfect and thoughly reliable thermome- ter. They are made in Paris by skilled workmen, and.the workmanship in every detail is simply perfect. Ladies sometimes use them to attac) to embroidery work, and nothing could be more suitable to recount to a lady friend as a momento. Besides being a practical ther- mometer it is a perfect work of art. Price, Se,; 4 for 25¢. postpaid. H. FE. LANG, 1815 Centre St.. B’klyn, N. Y. RUBBER SUCKER. Rubber Vacuum Suckers The latest novelty out!° Dishes and plates will stick to the table, cups to the saucers like glue. Put one under a glass and then try to lift it. You can’t. Lots of fun. Always put it on a smooth surface and wet the rubber. oy 4 other tricks can be accomplished with this novelty. Price 12 cts. each by mail, postpaid. FRANK SMITH, 383 Lenox Ave., N. Y¥. THE CANADIAN WONDER CARD TRICK. Astonishing, wonderful, and perplexing! Have you seen them? Any child can work them, and yet, what they do is so amusing that the sharpest people on earth are fooled. We cannot tell you what they do, or others * would get next and spoil the mn. Just get a set and read the directions, ihe results will startle your friends ana rly mystify them. A genuine good thing you wish to have no end of amusement. — Price by mail, 10c, H. F. Lang, 1815 Centre St., B’klyn, N.Y. MINIATURE COMPASS CHARM. A veuuutul clurm, to be worn on the watch chain. It consists of a true and per- t compass, to which is 4 tached, by a _ pivot, a powerful magnifying glass. When not in use the magnifying giass fits closesy inside the compass and is not seen. Phe compass is protected by a glass crystal, and is handsomely silver-nicke] plated and barniene’: prerenns a very attractive ap- pearance. ere you have a reliable compass, a powerful magnifying glass, and a hand- some charm, all in one. It is a Parisian nareltay. entirely new. Price 25¢c. by mail, postpaid. FRANK SMITH, 283 Wenox Ave., N. Y. A PECK OF TROUBLE. « 7 MAGIC PUZZLE KEYS ro keys mes sn in. such a man- ner it seems impossible to oy 9 them, but when learned it is easily done. Price, 6c., postpaid. © a . FRANK SMITH, 383 Lenox Ave.. N. ¥.: LITTLE RIP’s TEN-PINS In each set there are ven pins and two bowling balls, packed in a beautifully or hnamented box. With one of these minla ture sets you can play ten-pins on yout dining-room. table just as well as game can be played in a regular alley. Every game kuown to professional bowl- ers can be worked with these pins. Price, 10c, per box by mail, postpaid. H. F. LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’kiyn, N. ¥. a cok Se eee ee THE CREEPING MOUSE. This is the latest novelty out. The mouse is of a very natural appearance. W. placed upon a mirror, wall, window or apy other smooth surface, it will creep slowly downward without leaving the perpendicu- lar surface. It is furnished with an ad- hesive gum-roll underneath which makes’ it stick. Very amusing to both young and old. Price,-ten cents by mail. oct Wolff Novelty Co., 168 W. 23d St., N. ¥. — er! ee ie TRICK CIGARETTE BOX. This one is a corker! Get a box righ away, if you want to have a barrel of joy. Here’s the secret: It looks like an ordi- nary red box of Turkish cigarettes. But it contains a trigger, under which you place a paper cap. Offer your friend a smoke and he raises the lid of tke box. That explodes the cap, and if you are wise you will get out of sight with the box before he gets over thinking he was shot. Price 15e., postpaid. Wolff Novelty Co., 168 W. 23d St., N. ¥. IMITATION BED BUGS, This toy is an exact imitation of the friendly little fellow who shares your bed, eats.out of your hand or leg and who ac- | cepts your humble hospitality even with- out an invitation. The fact that he also insists on introducing all his friends and family circle, sometimes makes him most- unpopular with the ladies; most every ~ woman you know would have seven kinds. of fits if she saw two, or even one, of these imitations on her bedspread. Six are contained in“a transparent envelope. Price, 0c. by mail. H. F. LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’klyn, N. ¥. . BINGO. : It is a little meta® box. -It looks very” + innocent, but is supplied with an ingenious” — mechanism which shoots ,off a harmless cap When it is opened. You can have more fun than a cireus with this new trick. . Place the BINGO in or under any o .. article and it with go off when the article is opened or removed. It can be used as a funny joke by being placed In. a purse, cigarette box, or between the leaves of a magazine; also, under any movable article, such as a book, tray, dish, etc. The BINGO can also be used as a, burglar alarm, 2s a theft preventer by being placed .Im.a drawer, money till, or under a door or window or undér any article that would be inoved or disturbed should a theft be™ attempted. Price, 15¢e. each by mail, postpaid. FRANK SMITH, 383 Lenox Ave., N. Yo KNITTER Every boy who wants a whip-lash, pale of rems, or avy other. knitueu article of — similiar kind sliould: bave & Knitter. Any- body can work i. Che most beautiful de-* signs can be wade by uSing colored _ Worsteds with this handy little object. It ~ FE faces beaten a_ mile! are 7 in a set and repre- seut an Indian, a Jupauese girl, a tay as Spe ape gree | is nanudsumely lacquered, strongly aiade, — x bilist. Beautifully lithographed | and tha wires are very durabie. Price, — me colors on a durable } 1c. each, by wall, postpaid. oP 4 of cardboard. They bave Wolff Noveity Co., 168 W. 23d St. N. oa G and string perforations. 6c. each, or the full set of postpaid. eS . WHO DROPPED THE EGG? ~ The most screaming comic catch of erh times. Drop it apywhere on the t or the oor and await resul = The sheli is a real egg 5 white and yolk of the e Ca a magn pee ° most tin g puzzles on the market. The stu separ the ations tan ate One of the hardest puzzles ever invented. Mix blocks well; then move squares with- out removing the box, so that every line of figures, up and down and-~across, the two diagonals, will each add up 23. The Bilal pace may be left in either of — rT hilos (ab, cts aaah. doy .anall, Jponibald ce 10 cts. each by mail, pos es Wolt Novelty Con 168 W- St. Ne ¥- ee ene ee ee ep ey Sate Earp fe aches cr ‘4 i+ As FS carelessiy dropped ceivi
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; — LATEST ISSUES—— 557 A Freak of Fortune; or, The Boy Who Struck Luck. 558 The Prince of Wall Street; or, A Big Deal for Big Money. 559 Starting His Own Business; or, The Boy Who Caucht On. 560 A Corner in Stock; or, The Wall Street Boy Who Won. 561 First in the Field; or,.Doing Business for Himselt. 562 A Broker at Eighteen; or. Roy Gilbert’s Wall Street Career. From Errand Boy to Owner. 564 Price & Co., Boy Brokers; or, The Young Traders of Wall |}- 563 Only @ Dollar; ,or. Street. 565 4. Winhing Risk; or, The Boy Who Made Good. 566 From a Dime to a Million; or, A Wide-Awake Wall Street Boy. 567 The Path to Good Luck: or, The Boy Miner of Death Valley. 568 Mart Morton’s Money: or, A Corner in Wall Street Stocks. to Fortune: or, A Tiieky Wall Street Deal. erils of a Boy Engineer. Boy’s 569 Ti 570 StHikin 571 From Street. His Gait; or, The essenger to Millionaire; or, A 72 The Boy Gold Hunters; or, After a Pirate’s Treasure. Street Boy’s Game of AT 573 Tricking the Traders; or, A Wall ance. 574 Jack Merry’s Grit: or, Making a Man of Himself. Rroke the Market. The Treasure of the Secret Caves. gg Pests Made Money. Weazel of Wall Street. Street. Captain. IF YOU WANT ANY BACK+ NUMBERS of our weeklies and cannot procure them from newsdealers, they can be obtained from this office direct. Write out and fill rice of the weeklies you want and we will send them to you by return mail. POSTAGE STAMPS TAKEN THE SAME AS MONEY. in your Order and send it to us with the FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher - 168 West 23d St.. N. Y. OUR TEN No. 1. NAPOLEON'S ORACULUM AND DREAM BOOK,.—Containing the great oracle of human destiny; also the true meaning of almost any kind of dreams, together with charms, ceremonies, and curious games of rag HOW TO DO TRICKS.—The great book of ¢ and card tricks, containing full instraction on all the leading card tricks of the day, also the most popular magical fllusions as performed by our leading magi- cians; every boy should obtain a copy of hi: K. 3 hes HOW TO FLIRT.—The arts and wiles of flirtation are fully explained by this little book. Besides the various methods of handkerchief, fan, glove, parasol, window and hat flirtation, it contains a full list of the language and sentiment of flowers. No. 4. HOW TO DANCE is the title of this little book. It contains full instructions in the art of dancing, etiquette in the ball- room and at parties, how to dress, and full ereseae for calling off in all popular uare dances. aol 5. HOW TO MAKE LOVE.—A comi- plete guide to love, courtship and marriage, giving sensible advice, rules and uette to be observed, with many,curious and interest- ing things not generally known. No. 6. HOW TO BECOME AN ATHLETE. + —Giving full instruction for the use of dumbbells, Indian clubs, parallel bars, hori- zontal bars and various other methods of developing a good, healthy muscle; contain- ing over sixty illustrations. Ni . HOW TO KEEP BIRDS.—Hand- Senet : illustrated and containing full in- structions for tha management and training of the canary, mockingbird, bobolink, black- bird, paroquet, parrot, etc. i No. 3» HOW TO BECOME A VENTRILO- QUIST.—By Harry Kennedy. Every intelli- gent ‘boy reading this book of instructions cam master the art, and create any amount of fon for himself and friends. It is the greatest book- ever published. No 10. my TO vcr art goes defense made easy. ‘ontaining over ions of guards, blows, and_the differ- ent a good boxer. Every boy 8 d obtain one of these and in- structive books, as it will teach you how to box without an instructor. +. Neo. uM, HOW TO WRITE LOVE-LET- TERS.—A most complete little book, contain- tug full directions for writing love-letters, and ings to use gen specimen let- ters. for young an 5 No, 12 HOW TO WRITE LETTERS TO Sh polg td complete f for o instructions ete. lett Jadies on all subjects; also No. 30. HOW TO COOK.—One of the most letters of notes and requests. instructive books on ever pub ‘ No. 13. HOW TO DO IT; OR, BOOK OF | It contains recipes for : = wipe coat abnor, tot | ee at ee ea m2 D all oT There's ~ a in it. collection of recipes. -CENT Por sale by all newsdealers, or will be sent to any address on receipt of price, 10c. per “ No, 14. HOW TO MAKE CANDY.—A com- plete hand-book for making all kinds of eandy, ice-cream, syrups, essences, etc,, ete. No, 18. HOW TO BECOME BEAUTIFUL, —One of the brightest and most valuable litgle books ever given to the world. RBvery- body wishes to know how to become beauti- ful, both male and female. ‘The secret is simple, and almost costless. No. 20. HOW TO ENTERTAIN AN EVE- NING PARTY.—A complete compendium of games, sports, card diversions, comic recita- tions, ete., suitable for parlor, or drawing- room entertainment. It contains more for the money than any book published: No. 21. HOW TO HUNT AND FISH.—The most complete hunting and fishing guide ever published. It contains full instructions about gene, hunting dogs, traps, trapping and fis ing. together with description of game and fish. No, 22. HOW TO DO SECOND SIGHT.— Heller's second sight explained by his for- mer assistant, Fred Hunt, Jr. Explaining how the secret dialogues were carried on be- tween the magician and the boy on the stage; also giving all the codes.and signals. No, 23. HOW TO EXPLAIN DREAMS.— This little book gives the explanation to all kinds of dreams, tegether with lucky. and unlucky days, . No. 24. HOW TO WRITE LETTERS TO GENTLEMEN.—Containing full instructions for writing to gentlemen on all subjects. No, 25. HOW TO BECOME A GYMNAST. —Containing full instructions for all kinds of gymnastic sports and athletic exercises. Embracing thirty-five illustrations. By Pro- fessor ‘W. Macdonald, No. 26. HOW TO ROW, SAIL AND BUILD A BOAT.—Fully -illustrated.. Full instructions are given in this little book, to- gether with instructions on swimming and riding, companion sports to boating. No. 27. HOW TO RECITE AND BOOK OF RECITATIONS.—Containing the most bo he selections in use, comprising Dutch ia French dialect, Yankee and Irish dia- lect pieces,’ together with many standard readings. No. 28. HOW TO TELL FORTUNES — Everyone is desirous of knowing what his future life will bring forth, whether happi- ness or misery, wealth or eae Bs You can tell by a glance at this little book, Buy one and be convinced. No. 29. HOW TO BECOME AN INVEN- TOR.Every boy should know how inven- tions originated... This book explains them all, giving examples in electricity, hydraulics, magnetism, optics, pneumatics, mechanics, eet HAND No. 31. HOW TO BECOME A SPEAK- ER.—Containing fourteen illustrations, giv- ing the different positions requisite te be- come a & speaker, reader and elocutionisf. Also containing gems from all the popular authors of prose and poetry. No, 32. HOW TO RIDE A BICYCLE— Containing instructions for beginners, choice of. a. machine,. hints on training, ete <A naire book. Full, of practicai illustra- tions. é No, 33. HOW TO PLAY GAMES.—A com- plete amd useful little book, containing the rules and regulations of billiards, bagateile, backgammon, croquet, dominoes,! etc. No. 36. HOW TO SOLVE CONUNDRUMS —Containing all the leading conundrums of the day, amusing riddles, curious catches and witty sayings. ‘ No, 38. HOW TO BECOME YOUR OWN DOCTOR.—A wonderful book, contaibing useful and Pay cei? information in the treat- ment‘ of ordinary diseases and ailmentgcom- mon to every family. Abounding’in hsefst and effective recipes for general complaints. No. 39. HOW TO RAISE DOGS, POUL TRY, PIGEONS AND RABBITS.—A usefo! ans instructive book. Handsomely illustrat- No. 40. HOW TO MAKE AND SET TRAPS.—Including hints on how to catch moles, weasels, otter, rats, squirrels and birds. Also how to cure skins. Copiously illustrated, . No, 41, THE BOYS OF NEW YORK END MEN’S JOKE BOOK.—Containing a great yariéty of the latest Jokes used by the most famous end men. No amateur minstrels is complete without this wonderful little book. No. 42. THE: BOYS OF NEW YORK STUMP SPEAKER.—optaining a varied as- sortment of stump spe. Bro. Dutch and Irish. Also end, men’s jokes. Just the shine for home amusement and amateur shows, a No. 43. HOW TO BECOME A MAGICIAN. assortment of — —Containing the grandest 1 ifusions ever placed before the Also tricks with cards, incantations, \* 44, A magica public. ete: No. BUM. 168 West 23d St. Ne¥. BOOKS |