Fame And Fortune Weekly (no. 59) (1906 11 16)
The text was read from the page scans by machine (OCR), so it has mistakes and its columns may run together. See the pages · About this title · At the Internet Archive
Page 1
oe STORIES OF ind the boys. Glancing s hand. Pointing at the box, he exclaimed, harshly: “That ee’s'mine!”
Page 2
“eg % ey ca s ar f B 5 » a] ere meaies dA tie ‘ ‘ ai, oi"
Page 3
Entered accordin, Issued Weekly—By Subscription $2.50 per year. by Frank of Congress, Washington, D. C., ewe, No. 59. The Road CHAPTER I. THE MYSTERIOUS FRENCHMAN. “Look yonder, Sam,” cried Joe Page, suddenly clutch- _ing his companion by the arm and pointing at the wreck of an old stone house which loomed up grim and ghostly in the pale moonlight in the adjoining field; “there it is again—the same light I saw moving around there last beets from the window of my room when I was going to 2 ” “T see it,” replied his friend, Sam Parsons. “There’s | somebody nosing around that old building with a lantern. : Do you think it can be John, your hired man, looking for Something he’s lost ?” “No,” answered Joe, in a decided tone, “it isn’t John, for I noke to him this morning about the light T saw there | last night, and asked him if it was he that was poking around the old ruin, and he said no.” : “Then who can it be? No stranger has any right on your property. Then, what object could any stranger have in prying around an old, dilapidated building like that, especially at this hour of the night?” _ “Ask me something easier, Sam. Let’s go over anid see who it is, anyway.” _ “Pm with you. We'd tiatlien carry a club apiece to pro- tect ourselves in case the stranger should turn out to be some pugnacious tramp inclined to resent our interference.” The re pee were eng, over the side veranda rail of, y ' NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 16, 1906. amc and Fortune Weekly - STORIES OF BOYS WHO MAKE MONEY to Act of Congress, in the year 1906, in the es i of the Librarian ‘ousey, Publisher, 24 Union Square, New Yor yorenrent wenenca \ntanat, PRICE 5 CENTS. to Suecess | OR, THE CAREER OF A FORTUNATE BOY By A SELF-MADE MAN the Page farmhouse, which stood back some distance from ° the country road. Both were uncommonly bright-looking boys, about six- teen years of age, without a speck of hayseed‘in their make- up, although they had been raised on Ulster County farms. The Page farm was situated about a mile from Pem- brook village. It comprised about, ninety acres, of which sixty were suitable for tillage, the remainder being about equally ~ divided between woodland and pasture. Joe, with the assistance of a hired man named John Jones, ran the farm for his mother, who was a widow. He had three sisters—nice, industrious girls—who were a great help about the place, especially in the summer, when Mrs. Page took a few boarders from New York City. Sam Parsons, Joe’s particular crony, lived half a mile further out along the road. He had a father, mother and one sister, and his folks also took in boarders during the summer season, The Page property had once upon a time been two separ rate farms, divided by a rail fence. - Farmer Page, a year before his death, bought the ad joining farm, on which stood an old stone house, a relic at” of Revolutionary days, for fifty dollars an acre, or seven- — teen hundred and fifty dollars for the thirty-five acres, pay- ing five hundred and fifty dollars cash and giving a flat tae ‘mortgage on the combined property for twelve hundred, dollars to Squire Dalton, the village lawyer. The stone house in question, which stood near ae divi -—
Page 4
at ae | 2 a portion of it down.” _ They wanted the stone to build a substantial wall along the voad in front-of the farmhouse in place of the dilapi- _ dated, worm-eaten fence that had stood there for an in- definite number of years, and which, in Joe’s opinion, at least, was a disgrace to the property. On the previous evening Joe had seen a light moving - about in the old stone house, and he supposed at the time that John Jones was out there for some purpose. John, on being questioned in the morning, denied that he had been there at the hour mentioned, and so the boy _wondered who the night visitor was. The matter slipped from his mind until Sam and he | plish. ” were sitting together at the end of the front veranda that | evening, soon after dark, when he told his friend about the circumstance. He had scarcely finished his story when his sharp eye discovered the same light again, moving around the par- tially dismantled floor of the ancient edifice, and he called his companion’s attention to it with the words that. open this story. Having decided to investigate the matter, the two boys went to the barn, gota stout cudgel each, and started for ‘the stone house. They approached the building with due caution, though _ they failed to see the light any more, and finally reached z a window, bereft of sash, on the grourid floor. ” Looking ‘through this, they beheld a man of average ‘height kneeling i in one: corner of fhe room, busily engaged with a trowel ‘iu! detaching one of the flagstones that formed the floor. ' ‘The lantern stood between him and the wall, and con- sequently his body cut off the reflection of the light. » The intruder wore a wide-brimmed felt hat, had a short cape over his shoulders Pak ge his frock coat was buttoned + elose about him. = “What the dickéne” is he up to?” whispered Joe to his. » companion. “Trying to lift one of those stones out of the floor, I}. ' guess,” fesponded Sam. ' “What does he want to do that for?” “Search me,” replied his friend. “Mighty funny piece of business, don’t you think?” “Rather. He must be hunting for something.” “Why, what could he be hunting for in this old house?” You've got. me. Haén’t we better ask him?” “TY don’t like his appearance any more than I do his ac- tions,” said Joe. Just then the intruder dropped his trowel and straight- ened up to wipe his face with his handkerchief, when the x boys caught a fair view of his countenance. Tt wasn’t particularly reassuring. His features were dark = anne. their expression ye ae fierce, oi He hada Tong, stiff mace ad an imperil. THE ROAD* R . if 1 ing fence, was little better than an antique ruin, and within the last week or two Joe and oe Jones had been pulling’ TO SUCCESS. “He looks like a Frenchman,” said Sam, under hi breath. ; “He does, for fair, and a most mysterious-looking one at that,” replied Joe. “Dd give something to know wha his. game. is.” “Tt’s up to you to ask him why he’s trespassing on you | property.” “He might have a revolver, and he looks ugly enough to shoot without much provocation.” “Are you going to let him pull the building down 2?” grinned Sam. . “Tf that was all he was up to, I shouldn’t stop him. I would save John and me the trouble of doing it ourselves.) We "ll just watch him and see what he is tryi ing to accom The mysterious Frenchman continued to dig the tar! bling cement from around the stone with the most indus trious perseverance. Whatever he was, trying to get at, he was thoroughly in earnest about it. He paused now and again for a eee but on the whole he wasted very little time. At last he loosened the stone to such an extent that with the aid of a small bar of steel he pried it up and lifted it out of its receptacle. Then he bent eagerly down, and the boys heard him utter an imprecation in a foreign tongue. When he straightened up again his face was full of wrath and disappointment. , He took a paper from his pocket and consulted it by the aid of the lantern light. Apparently he was puzzled. He rose to his feet, muttering incoherent deptessions be- tween his teeth. “He looks as mad as a hornet,” chuckled Sam, nudging. his companion. “You mean a whole nest of hornets,” grinned Joe. “He expected to find something under that stone, and it isn’t there,” said Sam. “T don’t see what he could expect to find,” replied J ia somewhat puzzled. ° “That paper he’s got in his hand looks like a clue.” The Frenchman crumpled up 1 the pane and flung it on’ the floor in a rage. Then he kicked at it with great i The paper being light, flew up into the air; the man’s foot followed it so high that he overbalanced himself and came down on the floor with a thud that sent his hat flying from his head. . “Sacre bleu!” he scittat “4 The effect was so comical that Sam uttered a load guftaw and Joe snickered gleefully. _ The Frenchman heard the laugh and turned a arta face toward the. window, but Joe ducked his head and is pulled his companion vied ee in i to Sowa oboe er tion. A ee ae
Page 5
THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. ie “He heard you,” whispered Joe. “Come hide behind that pile of stone. ” They had hardly concealed themselves before the for- eigner’s face appeared at the window. He looked all around, but saw nobody. Presently he left the window, and ina few minutes the boys saw him leave the building, with the lantern, now out, in his hand, sn take his way across the flelds toward the road, — They waited till he was out of sight before leaving their, hiding-place. “Let’s go inside and see what we can see,” said Joe. “All right,” replied Sam, and inside the building they _went. Striking a match, they looked around and saw that a Stone, at a certain distance from each of the four corners, had been removed from the flooring. The earth beneath was pretty solid and had resisted the several attempts of the Frenchman to make much of an im- pression in it*with his trowel. : “T guess that fellow was crazy,” chuckled Joe. “The idea of digging up those two stones! What could he have been hunting for?” “Hunting for gold, maybe,” replied Sam, with a laugh. “Say, that was the funniest fall I ever saw a man get in my life, Wasn’t he mad at that piece of paper?” Sam roared again as he thought of the ludicrous picture the mysterious Frenchman had cut when his foot went above the level of his head. ; “There’s the piece of paper now,” said Joe, walking over and picking it up. “I wonder what is on it?? He smoothed it out, then lighted a match and proceeded to examine it, Sam, with some curiosity, looking over his shoulder, - There were several lines of writing on it, but the words were unintelligible to the boys. “That must be French,” remarked Sam. “Tt certainly isn’t English,” answered Joe. know what it means.” “T don’t see how you're going to find eat 24 “T know what I’ll do, I'll take it down to that professor _who’s stopping at the inn in the village. Maybe he'll be able to translate it.” “That isn’t a bad idea. what it means, connection with this old building, judging. from the Frenchman’s actions.” ““That’s right. 'There’s some mystery in this matter that I should like to unravel. No sane man would coine dig- ging and hunting around an old abandoned house like this “one unless he had some definite object in view.” “Whatever the object was, the Frenchman seems to have “T’d like to I’m curious myself to learn failed in his quest. I don’t suppose i Pil see or hear from him again.” <5 Magiioinot, but you ans tell, 2 fcigsenae J oe; an the his. It must amount to something, and have’ to be recovered seems to be under the third slab ina di They returned to the farmhouse, and soon afterward Sam Parsons started for his home. CHAPTER II. WHAT WAS WRITTHN ON THE PAPER. Joe Page was more interested in that bit of paper thrown away by the mysterious Frenchman than he cared to let on to his friend Sam Parsons. He believed there was something in it, even if it had fooled the foreigner. As he couldn’t translate it himself, he intended to get Professor Burgess, a learned gentleman who had come to the village for his health, to do it for him, provided, of course, that the Professor could read French. : So immediately after breakfast. he started for the yil- lage. - Professor Burgess was on the point of setting out for a walk when Joe reached the inn. He had a slight acquaintance with the Professor, having met him one day along the road, and got in conversation with him as they walked along together. On the strength of this ‘he took the liberty of addressing’ the learned gentleman, who shook hands with him and seemed quite pleased to see the lad again. “Do you understand French, Professor Burgess?” asked Joe, coming to the point as soon as possible. The Professor replied that he did. “Then you would do me a great favor by translating a few lines in that language for me,” said the boy, taking the paper discarded by the Frenchman out of his pocket — and handing it to the gentleman. “I am very anxious to learn the meaning of that writing.” } “J will turn it into English for you with pleasure,” said Professor Burgess, after glancing over the paper. “Come into the writing-room.” Joe followed him into the inn. The Professor seated himself at one of the tables, and, taking a sheet of note paper, wrote out the following words, : which: he handed to Joe: ‘ “Old stone house, near road, about one mile west ‘of oe Pembrook village, heer County, New York State, e U: Ss. A. 9? ro “Ground floor, ae northwest corner, third = di- oo agonally southwest.” Joe read the translation slowly, and was rather disap- pointed at the result. Soe “Ts that the whole thing, sir?’’ he asked. “Yes. That’s all ‘that’s on the paper. stand what it means now ?” i my “Not altogether, sir; but I may be able to get at the. meaning after I study it a while. for discovering something, doesn’t it, ‘sir ?” : “You might take it as such. In which ease the object a onal direction from thie! northw est corner of se ial Can you under- Seems like directions | ah
Page 6
nile west of this village. this vicinity ?” “Yes, sir. The only stone house that I know of in this county is on our property, which is just about a mile west of the village.” “Indeed? It must be the one indicated in this paper, then. All you will have to do is to follow these directions, lift the slab in question, and see if ate is anything under it. That ought to be easy for you.’ “Tt would, sir, if the house wasn’t a wreck, aah nothing to show which room was the kitchen. I’ve already pulled one side of the building to pieces to get stone to build a wall along the front of a portion of our property.” “Tow did you come in possession of this paper, and why do you imagine that it has any special significance?” Joe told him about the mysterious Frenchman’s two vis- its to the ruins of the old stone house, and how the man’s conduct had aroused his curiosity. “Tf this paper means anything, the Frenchman must have been hunting in the wrong room,” said Professor Bur- gess. “I presume you haye no idea what he was looking for??? “No, sir. “How much of the building is still standing?” “About two-thirds.” _ “Well, if you have the time, and. think it worth your Do you know of such a house in} Judging from his actions and persistency, 1|on toward home, with the snuffbox in his hand. should think it was something important,” replied the hoy. | ae THE ROAD TO. SUCCESS. “T didn’ “T beg your pardon,” apologized Joe, hastily. see your leg. I hope I didn’t hurt you, sir.” “Bah!” retorted the foreigner, turning his back on th boy and stalking off. “He’s a fierce rooster,”” muttered Joe, looking after him. “T wonder why he was lying around in these bushes? H must be half-cracked.” . As the farmer lad turned to go on he habiced something elivtenishs on the ground. He reached down and picked it up. It proved to-be a sterling silver box, gold lined, partly filled with a fine brown powder which proved to be snuff. On ihe cover was an engraved inscription in French, the only words of which Joe could understand were “Jules Glorienx” and “Bordeaux.” “This must be the property of that crazy Frenchman. Where has he gone to?” The boy looked around the field, but he could see no sign of the foreigner. “He disappeared mighty quick. chap, if I ever heard of one.” After hesitating a moment or two, Joe finally walked He is a mysterioug} He had hardly reached the fence facing the country road, i i across which was the gate leading to the Page farmhouse, when he heard hasty steps behind him. He turned around and gave a gasp—the mysterious ‘while, you might look ‘the ground floor of the house over Frenchman was approaching him at a rapid gait, and with) in connection with these directions and see what you can {eyes that seemed to flash fire. make of them. It is not improbable but you might come upon some hidden treasure-troye, as it were. Money as well as other valuables have occasionally been found hid- den away in old dwellings. These directions seem to point at some such conclusion with reference to the ancient build- ing on your mother’s property. At any rate, I think it worth an effort on your part. You have nothing to lose but your time, and possibly something ‘to gain, by looking into the matter. I advise you to do it. If you are fortu- nate in making a discovery, I should be glad to have you ‘let me know about it, so that I may congratulate you.” - “Thank you, sir. I will certainly do so, if I find any- thing; but I have not great hopes of any such luck.” “Then you will not be greatly disappointed if nothing comes of it,” laughed the Professor. “That will be some satisfaction, at any rate.” “That’s right, sir,” replied Joe, as he raised his hat and walked away, while Professor Burgess started off in the appear direction. As Joe drew near home he took a short cut across an adjacent field. Passing close to a clump of bushes, he suddenly ese _ oyer what he at first imagined to be a log, but instead of a log it proved to be a leg. -. Then, to the boy’s consternation, the mysterious French- "man sprang up with a fierce imprecation. _. €Ah,-eochon !” he- exclaimed, shaking a big wadicingastitlcl: = monacingly. “You Ameri ricans are clumsy peegs!” ee J i wo iy ae ae IAs “ye? fe Alea ha mencisa : Weber 35, : rv bagieh gti Same “C’est un brigand—ma chere tabatiere!’’ he roared, making a snatch at the snuffbox, which Joe held in his : hand. “By gar! You are von tief!” “What's the matter with you?” retorted the hoy. found it on the ground.” “You found him, eh? It ees mine, comprenez vous? You hand him ovair.” . - “Sure thing. J guess it’s yours, all right. is Jules Glorieux ?” “Oui,” and he snatched the box out of Joe’s hand. “Aha! C’est inestimable. I could not part wis dis for nossing. Allez!” waving his arm to the boy, at the same time turn- ing quickly around and returning in the direction he came. Joe didn’t understand what “allez” (go) meant, but, as) the Frenchman glared at him when he said it, he judged that it was a kind of curt dismissal. | John Jones, who was working on the stone wall, told him that Sam Parsons had just gone up to the house to wait for him, and so Joe hurried on to meet his friend. — “Well,” said Sam, “did you find out the meaning of that paper?” “T’ve got a translation of it,” his friend replied. “Have you?” eagerly. “What does it say?” “Read it for yourself,” replied Joe, taking the English. copy made by Professor Burgess from his pocket and peat ing it to Sam. “Ts that all it amounts to? tts asked Sam, i iba tone of dise OT Your name
Page 7
THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. “That’s all.” “Tt wasn’t worth the trouble of having it translated.” “How do you know it wasn’t?” “Well, I don’t see anything in it.” “T don’t say there’s anything in it now, so far as the paper directions go, but I’ve an idea, just the same, that there is something of value buried somewhere under the foundation of that building. As soon as I get it all pulled down I’m going to plough up the ground and see what | can find.” ia “That’s a good plan. Still, if we knew which room was originally used as the kitchen of the old house, we might make a search first.” “The voom where the Frenchman dug up the slabs doesn’t look as if it had ever been used as a kitchen, but, just the same, it is the only one that is paved with slabs. ‘That's why he tackled it, 1 guess. By the way, what do you think? I came across that mysterious Frenchman a little while ago and had a run-in with him,” said Joe, with & grin. “You did? Where did you meet him?” asked Sam, with 4 look of interest. “Tn that field down yonder.” “You don’t say? What was he doing there?” “He didn’t seem to be doing anything but lying in the bushes. Taking a rest or a snooze, maybe. TI fell over one of his legs, and the way he went at me in French was a caution,” chuckled Joe. “He called\me a clumsy peeg.” “Ha, ha, ha!” roared Sam. “What did you say to that?” “TY apologized for tripping over him. He said) ‘Bah!’ and skidooed.” “I wish ’d been there,” snickered Sam. “After he’d gone I found a silver snuffbox on the ground that he’d dropped. It had his name engraved on it, with the word ‘Bordeaux’ and something else in French that I couldn’t read.” “Tet me see it,” said Sam, holding out his hand. “Sorry, but he discovered his loss and chased after me. He called me a brigand and a thief and snatched the box out of my hand.” _ He did?” Joe nodded. “What is the chap’s name, if you know it?” “Jules Glorieux.” “That sounds Frenchy enough, at any rate, hails from Bordeaux.” “Very likely. He ought to go back and stay there.” “Looks as if he was still hanging around intending to Tevisit the old building to-night. Perhaps he means to do some more digging.” I s’pose he “TI shouldn’t be surprised. We must aoe a watch on him and see what he accomplishes. Now, Sam, if you’ve nothing on hand this morning you might give me a lift moving some of that stone down to the road where John is building the wall. It will be a great help to me.” Sok: nah Je oe. Tm bese to Les an mach. a | stopping to: wipe sis perpiring£ forehead. — The two boys then went to the barn to harness a horse to the drag. CHAPTER III. THE BRASS-BOUND BOX. Por the rest of the morning the boys worked like beavers loading stone taken from the demolished walls of the old house to to the drag and hauling it down to the road where John was working on the wew wall. At noon Joe called a halt when one of his sisters rang a big bell at the kitchen door announcing that. dinner was ready. After the meal ae boys returned to the work. —. It was about four o’clock that they were clearing away the last of the debris from a corner of the dismantled part of the stone house, when Joe noticed a slab sunk a little way in the ground. Ii had not formed part of the original flooring of the room, now almost completely demolished, but had evidently been. under it. Merely by accident had Joe observed it, for it was thickly coated with dirt and therefore teeeinnle? the hard ground all around. it. The boy looked’ at. it Pete some curiosity, ie aul: what it was doing there. Sam was just then returning with the drag, and Joe, picking up a crowbar and motioning to the other bar that lay on the ground, called his eee to help him dig the slab up. They set to work at once to pry it out of the ground, “Ts this slab part of the old floor?” asked Sam. “No,” replied Joe. “It’s ’way below the level of the old floor.” “Then why is it imbedded in the ground? Looks as if it had been there some time.” “T haven’t any idea why it’s there,” ‘opted Joe, “From -|the trouble we’re haying to loosen it, I should say y it was put there to stay. e “Do you think there’s anything under it?” asked Sam ~ suddenly, pausing in his work and regarding his friend with a look of interest. “Why, what should be under itt 2” “Tt just struck me that this might be the slab ae Frenchman was trying to find.” “By George! I plumb forgot all about that. Maybe it is,” added Joe, in some excitement. and see if there is anything under it.” Sam needed no further encouragement, but sinking his X “Let's get a hustle on crowbar under the edge of the slab began to bear down with tie all his might. Joe jammed his bar alongside of Sam’s and added his weight to try and overcome the resistance offered by the imbedded stone, Slowly it began to yield to their united efforts and moved : ae a oie of an inch at a time,
Page 8
“Tt is that. Just jab away some more of the dirt from that side while I do the same with this side. Maybe we'll be able to hoist it out then.” They dug the packed earth way until both side edges were exposed when they got busy once more with the crowbars. The slab now moved with more freedom and the boys, dropping the bars grabbed hold of the edge and began to pull it backward. “There’s a hole under it, I can see that,” said Sam. “Yes, and there’s something in the hole, too,” cried Joe, when they had lifted it up at a right angle with the surface of the ground. “Now then, once more, all together !” They exerted all their strength upon it when it suddenly gave way and over it went ker chunk, carrying both boys on their backs. “Oh, Lor’! J hit my head on one of those stones,””cried Sam, sitting up with a grimace and rubbing his skull with his hand. Joe picked himself up without a word and crawled to the edge of the hole to look into it. He uttered a loud shout. “There’s a brass-bound box down here, Sam. quick and help me pull it out,” he cried excitedly. “A brass-bound box!” repeated Sam, staring at his com- _panion. Get up Then he forgot all abowt his sore head and sprang to his feet, fully as excited as Joe Page. “May I be jiggered if it isn’t so,” he said as soon as he _ gazed into the hole. “Looks as if it was a money box, Ill _ bet that’s what the Frenchy was after.” “Tm sure it is. Well, this is where he gets left. At any rate it belongs to me as it was found on our farm.” “Jingo! I wish I was you,” said Sam, enviously. “Never mind, Sam, I sha’n’t forget to do what’s right if there’s anything valuable in the box, for you're helping at ~ the job.” “Tf that’s full of money there must be # small fortune in it,” said Sam. “Perhaps we’d better not crow till we’re out of the wood. Tt may be full of old papers and documents of no yalue, except to the man who hid them here.” “Oh, come now, don’t say that, Joe. I’ve made up my mind it’s money, and if it turns out to be nothing but pa- pers I’ll have a fit,” said Sam. “The quickest way to find out the truth is to get it up “where we can break it open and have a look. Come now, ~ lend a hand.” , . ‘They, bent im and neh seized one of the ‘heavy tar- nished brass handles. _ “Now, then, up with it,” cried Joe. ° ; "The order was easier uttered than executed, for the ‘box was decidedly heavy. “That doesn’t feel like papers, old man,” said a _ “THs full of gold, bet your life.” _ “How much will you bet on it?” laughed Joe. “Pill bet a dollar to a doughnut,” grinned Sam. ~ a! a sit oT) . Sab THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. “Bet your small change first, Sam. reckless.” “This is no fool of a job lifting this box out,” said Sam, after they had tugged at it awhile, raising it a few inches only to let it drop back again. Yow’re getting too “Tf it hasnt got gold in it it must have lead,” replied” Joe, as they paused to take a rest. “Lead! What would it be filled with lead for ?” “T was only joking. Of course such a strong box as this wouldn’t have lead in it. I’m inclined to think it may be filled with silver plate. while the Revolutionary War was in progress whenever the enemy was reported to be in the neighborhood.” “But they took good care to dig it up again when the danger was over.” “Sure they did; but this may be a case where the family was wiped out either by Indians or a band of villainous Tories.” “That’s right. There were lots of Indians up this way during the Revolutionary times, and later,” said Sam, who had heard something about the early history of the county. “Well, Sam, it’s getting late, and if we’re going to get the box out of this hole before sundown we want-to get a moye on.” ; “Well, lift your end and I'll jab the crowbar under it.” This plan was executed, and the other crowbar inserted under the box also. “Now weil both get hold of the same handle and pull it up the inclined plane. Maybe we can get it out that way,” said the resourceful Sam. Sam’s scheme was adopted with ultimate success, and ae brass-bound box landed on the ground. Joe first proposed to load the box on the drag and carry it over to the house just as it was, deferring the examina- tion of its contents till he and Sam got it up to his room; but their eagerness to see what was in the box, and the fact that the heavy hasp holding the cover was loose decided Joe to break it open at once. He grasped a crowbar and mnaaies’ the dsp off with a single blow, then he dropped on hig knees beside it and pro- ceeded to lift the cover while Sam, his tanned countenance flushed wth excitement, leaned forward to get a closer look at the contents. Just as Joe raised the lid of the box there sounded a quick footfall behind the boys. Glancing up, they saw the ec Frenchman, with a heayy cane in his hand. Pointing at the box, he said figletys “Dat ees mine!” CHAPTER IV. WHAT THE BOX CONTAINED. “The boys were rather staggered by the unwelcome and unexpected appearance of the Frenchman, and J. ee let the coyer of the box drop back again. Both stared at the’ ‘fiereetlooking donee rion bay fr ih Bibi at eas Lots of people buried their plate
Page 9
» quently everything on it and in it is ours. THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. reas 2 “By gar! What are you doing wiz dat box?” he de- manded, “Dat ees mine, comprenez vous? Het ees what T have hunt for dese one, two, t’ree nights. Parbleu, I take him wiz me dis minute.” “Hold on, monsoo,” spoke up Joe. “Don’t be so sure about it. This property belongs to.my mother, and conse- You haven’t the faintest claim to this box.” “Aha! Vat ees dat? Your muzair she own dees box?” “That’s what she does,” replied Joe. “By gar! You are fonee boy,” answered the mysterious Frenchman, in a sarcastic tone. “She has nossing to do wiz dees box. Ket ees mine. I come all ze way from la belle France to get eet. I had ze papier dat point out ze way. © “Perhaps you can tell us what’s in the box, you seem to know so much,” said Joe, with a grin. “Dat ees my beesness,” replied the Frenchman, im- patiently. “Well, it’s our business, too, monsoo.” “Non—non! Allez! Allez!” cried the excited foreigner. _ “What the dickens do you mean by Allay?” said Joe. “Go! Comprenez?” “T comprennay, but I’m not going just the same. When you say this box is yours you are talking through your hat.” < Clearly the Frenchman did not understand what J oe said, but one thing was certain he was growing more angry every moment. He was bent on getting possession of the box, while the boys were just as obstinate in their refusal to let se, have it. In fact, the idea of resigning the box was the last thing in their thoughts, “Sacre!” cried Jules Glorieux. feex you.” He put his hand in his pocket and drew a revolver. “Now we see whezair you give ze hox or not.” Sam had been standing aside leaning on his crowbar, an interested observer of the breezy proceedings. If Joe gave the word he was prepared to jump in and help hustle the Frenchman off the lot. When he safy the mysterious foreigner draw his gun, he gave a gasp of fear, then on the spur of the moment he lifted the crowbar and struck the man a blow on the arm, causing him to utter a roar of pain and to drop the weapon, which Sam quickly took possession of. Monsieur Glorieux immediately turned upon Parsons and lifted the cane he had in his left hand to strike the boy, but Sam jumped back and pointed the revolver at him. That stopped the infuriated Frenchman at once, and he stood glaring at Sam, “You play wiz’me, I At that exciting moment John, the hired man, appeared unexpectedly on the scene. “Hello,” he said, with a look = bewilderment on his ee “what's one trouble here?” ee) hired man, and Wiagiad Mrs. Pag ge, followed oy. Mi ; in these ruins and that Frenchman stepped up and claimed ~ it. Why it’s been buried here a hundred years I guess, so_ what right has he to it?” “Nevair mind,” put in Jules Glorieux at this point, per- ceiving that he was at a great disadvantage. “Het ees ze - long lane dat ees not turned. Comprenez vous? I see you’ some ozzaire time.” With those words he walked away. They watched him climb the fence and take his way down the road, and then Sam said: “You came just in time, John, to make the odds too get for the Frenchy.” “Where did you find the hoes Joe?” asked the hired man. “Tn that hole underneath yonder slab. Sam and I-had a deuce of a time getting it out. I had hardly broken the lock before that foreigner appeared and had the nerve to say the box was his.” “What's in the box?” “We haven’t had a chance to see yet. I’ll open it now.” Joe threw up the cover of the brass-bound chest and dis- closed a score or more of fat bellied bags, each tied at the . mouth with a bit of cord. “Gee whiz!” exclaimed Sam, with bulging eyes. of money or I’m a liar. Jumping grasshoppers! find!” John Jones gazed dumfounded at the ynusual sight, while Joe, although he had expected a revelation of some kind, either in plate or money, was too surprised to speak “Bags What a i for a moment or two. Sam dived his hand in and lifted out one of the bags. The impression of the coin upon the surface of the bag — could plainly be seen and left no room for the least doubt« as to the character of its contents. The only question was whether it was gold or silver. Sam, anxious to solve this query, loosened the throat of the bag he held, and a stream of old gold coin, all English sovereigns, rolled out on the palm of his hand. “Jimany! he cried, “I never saw so much gold in all my life before.” As a matter of fact Sam hadn’t seen a dozen gold pieces all told since he knew what money was. “Put it back, Sam,” said Joe, “and we'll carry the box to the house. Then we will count it and see how much the treasure amounts to.” fe _ Sam returned the coins to the bag and tied it up again reluctantly. It was sad to reflect that none of this money was his. He had never wished for money so bad in all his life Ses before. John helped the ee put the box on the drag, and then the party took up their line of march for the farmhouse. ~ When they reached their destination the treasure box was lifted on to the veranda and then dragged into the hall. “Pell mother and the girls to come here,” said Joe to
Page 10
_ her head. THE ROAD “See what Sam and I found in the foundation of the old stone house yonder,” said Joe, pointing at the box. “Oh, my,” exclaimed Mildred, box. What’s in it?” “Guess,” said her brother. “Books ?”” ““No, What do-you think is in it, Fanny?” Old clothes.” “Youre away off. Now it’s your turn, Winnie.” “Maybe it’s full of money,” laughed the youngest sister, though she didn’t really believe*it was. “That's a good guess, Winnie,” chuckled Joe. did you know ?” : “What is in it, Joe?” asked Winnie. “Why you guessed it—money, and chock full, too.” “Nonsense!” put in Mildred. if you know. “Then you don’t believe it’s full of bags of money?” “Of course I don’t. That would be too absurd.” “All right. Now I’m going to open it and show you how close Winnie came to the truth. Are you all looking?” “Yes, yes, yes,” cried the girls together. “There you are,” and Joe flung the cover back. “Qh-o-o!”? screamed the girls, in | great astonishment pie they saw the bags. ' That those bags were full of real money seemed too good to be true, and Mildred had her suspicions that Joe st Sam were playing a joke on them. “T don’t believe that’s money at all,” she said, tossing “You boys have made those bags and filled them full of something or another just to try and fool us.” _ Fanny, however, made a grab for one of the bags to test its weight probably, when the string that secured its neck came untied and a stream of coin flowed out like a water- - fall, and danced and jingled all over the floor. The girls shrieked in real amazement now. Joe and Sam hastened to recover the coins and return therm to the bag. “My gracious! It is money—real new gold,” cried Mil- “Why Joe Page, did you really find that in the old dred. _ stone house?” “That's exactly what Sam and I did. We dug it up - from under a big slab of stone, where it must have lain for the dickens knows how long—maybe a hundred years.” “There must be thousands of dollars im that aes ex- ~ claimed Fanny. “her brother. there is $5,000 in each bag that would make a hundred “Tf the contents of all the bags are gold, there’s quite a Let me see how many bags there are,” said | _ “eT { fortune here. “Twenty,” he said after counting them. thousand. ” A fresh chorus of astonishment arose at this rough cal- -. eulation. be Aa ORL not going to keep it yourself, are yon! ?? said. Mildred: “You're going to give it to mother.” 4] think I will divide it up after Sam and I count it. Sami is poe to a bag, at fee! f “what a funny looking “Tow “To tell us what's in it Can’t you see that our curiosity is aroused ?” TO SUCCESS. Then I might put a bag in the bank for each of you girls, which would make you heiresses in a small way.” “And how much are you going to give mother?” insisted Mildred, “As much as she wants. We'll be able to pay off that mortgage now, and get new carpets, and furniture, and we wont need to take any boarders this summer.” | “Won't that be a blessing,” exclaimed Fanny. “Come, Sam, help me upstairs with the box,” said Joe. “I’m anxious to count this treasure and find out what it foots up. The girls were quite crazy with delight as they followed ‘their mother back to the kitchen where preparations for supper were going on, and they couldn’t talk of anything but the nice things they expected to have now, the new clothes they were going to buy, and the splurge they in- tended to cut in the village. As for Joe and Sam, as soon as they got the box up in Joe's room. they barricaded the door against visitors and sat down to count the money. It was all in English sovereigns of a date. previous to 1780, and they looked as if they had come fresh from a _ y mint, Each bag contained exactly £1,000, or about $4,840, which being multiplied by twenty, the number ‘of ‘bags, made a grand total of $96,800. “You could buy the whole village up with that,” said Sam. “You folks will be the great moguls around here after this. Squire Dalton will have to take a back seat. I shall be glad to see him taken down a peg or two. He and \ his son put4n altogether too many frills to suit me.” “Well, Sam,” said Joe, “just help yourself to one of | these ba You've earned it, and $5,000 will be quite a little stake for you.” “Do “you mean that, Joe?” asked his friend, almost paralyzed at the idea, of possessing such a large sum of money which he ‘could call all his own. “Sure I do. Take your choice, though they’re all alike as far as their value goes.” “But it’s all English money. the bank won’t accept it.” “Take it down to New York and have it changed into U. S. notes at the current exchange rates. That’s what I’m going to do with these nineteen bags.” mee : “Pll go with you,” said Sam, and it was so arranged between them. - What shall I do with it, CHAPTER V. THE DREAM THAT WAS NOT ALL A DREAM. “Ninety-two thousand dollars!” exclaimed Mrs, Page that evening at the supper table, when Joe told in round numbers the result of the count, while his three sisters held =, their breath at the magnitude of the amount, rent rates of exchange,” replied the boy, waa a ul grind ie Oe a lot of money, igo bia eG “Yes, mother, or to be more exact, $91, 960, at the cur.
Page 11
THE ROAD TO SUCCHSS.. for a single night,” answered his mother. “I sha’n’t sleep a wink all night.” — “Neither will I,” eried Mildred, with an anxious look. “Nor 1,” exclaimed Fanny and Winifred with one breath. “Oh, nonsense!” laughed Joe. we've got it?” He had prudently refrained from mentioning the adven- ture with the mysterious Frenchman, as he knew the recital would only serve to make his mother and sisters extremely neryous. — : “Sam Parsons will be sure to tell his folks, and then the news will get all about the neighborhood,” said Mildred. “No he won’t. I cautioned him against it, and he prom- ised to be as mute as a mopstick.” “But his father and mother will want to know where he got the bag of sovereigns you gave him for helping you get the box out of the hole and up to the house.” “He isn’t gding to show it to them, at least not until we are ready to take the gold to New York to exchange it for bank notes.” “When are you going to do that?” asked Mildred, ear- nesily. . “Tomorrow forenoon.” “You must take John with you as a guard,” said lis “Who will know that ‘mother. “T should think you'd have a great deal of difficulty in}. making the exchange of such a big sum of English money,” said Mildred. ; “I may and I may not. I’m going to take the gold to a safe deposit company first for safekeeping, and consult with the president of that institution as to the best way to ex- change it for bills.” “That’s an excellent idea, Joe,” said his mother. “I was -going to suggest something of that kind. It seems to me the only proper and business-like ia to conduct the matter.” “That's right, mother. T have an idea that the safe de- ' posit people will attend to the whole thing for me for a _ cach of them. store in the village, and you can buy it by the yard, You've commission.” “How are you going to carry the money to New York?” asked Fanny. “In that box?” “Oh, no, F an; that would look too eonapieuons: T mean to box it wp in ‘those four small starch boxes we have in the cellar. It will look like ordinary merchandise then.” “Are they strong enough? It would be dreadful if they broke open in the handling.” “T’ll prevent that by nailing several iron ‘baths dedat They keep that stuff on a roll at the big seen it nailed around the edge of cases, haven’t you?” “T think T have,” answered Fanny. “TI hope you'll put plenty of it about them, for you can’t be too careful with that money.” | “Leave that to me, Fanny. I'm not taking any wore - chances than I can help.” : 1 Peet Sai iene Joe started for the “ee gen store * } ee ‘ re $n ee to purchase a liberal supply of the thin iron box binding, © 9° and while he was away John Jones was stationed in the — boy’s room to stand guard over the treasure chest, with the — Frenchman’s revolver within easy reach. As soon as Joe returned home the four starch boxes were _ got out of the cellar, and as fast as the boy packed a box with bags of money, filled up the vacant places with ex- celsior packing, of which they had a quantity in the house, and nailed on the cover securley, John put six iron bands around it. The boxes were as weighty as a person would care to lift, for three held each about $24,000, while the fourth footed up something over $19,000. “T guess they'll hold, all right, John,” said Joe, viewing the iron-bound boxes critically. “They’re pretty heavy. Would you carry one of those to the village on your shoul- der if I gave it to you?” “T’'l] bet. I would,” replied the hired man emphatically. “How many times would you have to ‘stop and rest,” ; grinned Joe, “A hundred times, I guess.” “T’ll bet it would take you all night to get there.” “Supposin’ it did, it would pay, wouldn’t it?” The boxes were piled up in a corner of the room and some old clothes thrown over them, while the brass-bound chest was shoved under Joe’s bed for the present. The house was more carefully locked up that night than usual, while Joe put the Frenchman’s revolver under his pillow. While he didn’t, exactly expect any trouble, it was the part of prudence to be prepared for it if it came. It was true that the mysterious foreigner had as pitts as handed him out a threat when he withdrew from the scene of action that afternoon, but Joe couldn’t see how the Frenchman would be able to do anything towards getting possession of the treasure of the old stone house, as he seemed to be alone in the scheme. “Why he couldn’t carry a single box of that stuff any dis- . tance eyen if he got a chance at it, that is unless he had a horse and wagon, and everything his own way. amount to nothing. He said he came from France to hunt for the box. That’s a long distance for a sane man to come on a wild goose chase. edge over there from some person acquainted with the facts of the case, who furnished him with the directions on that paper he had. The chest seems to have lain under that slab something like a hundred years. It’s a wonder no previous attempt was made to bring it to light. That stone house was tenantless for years before my ; father bought the prop- | When Squire Dalton hears that we found nearly $100, 000 on the property that — he sold my father for $1,750, he'll feel like tearing his hair He won’t get over his chagrin as long as erty. It was a fortunate deal for us. out by the roots. he lives. Joe chuckled as he pictured the effect af the news on the |pompous lawyer who considered himself the whole thing, not only in the village but the county as well. His threats He must have picked up ‘his knowl-
Page 12
Gx Ain t ‘ ~ 10 “Tt will be a huge take down for him,” thought the boy as he put out his light and jumped into bed. Then he began to think about next day’s journey to the metropolis with his treasure boxes in company with Sam Parsons, “After we get through with the business end of the trip Sam and I’ll have the time of our lives for a few days be- fore coming back home. We'll take in all the sights, go to the theater, and enjoy every five minutes to the utmost. I tell you money makes the mare go every time.” With these pleasant reflections on his mind Joe fell asleep. Joe’s slumbers were seldom intruded upon by dreams— he was too sound a sleeper, as a general thing, for that— but the present occasion was an exception. His brain was excited by the golden experiences of the afternoon, and though it was many hours before certain odd fancies took shape and reproduced themselves upon his sleeping thoughts, the fact that they did so at last was no great wonder under the circumstances. His first dream was a pleasant one, for in it he seemed to have evolved from a comparatively poor farm boy to a young Monte Cristo with money to burn, and he was burn- ing it at a great rate, and with intense satisfaction, when, the scene changed and he found himself walking along a dark and lonesome couniry road, which he seemed to rec- ognize, with all his pockets stuffed to overflowing with gold coin that he had just found somewhere. A sense of undefined terror now seemed to be upon him, for he felt sure that he was being followed by an enemy who. intended to get the money away from him. The journey seemed to be endless, and while he didn’t see the man who was dogging his steps he was confident his -pursuer knew where he was and was biding his time, the better to accomplish his dark design. _ Finally he came to a wood that stretched away for miles and miles in either direction so that he could not avoid en- tering it in order to reach his destination. As he progressed through this wood something whispered to him that his enemy was now closing in upon him—that their meeting could not long be postponed. At this thought his terror grew upon him till he could hardly drag one foot after ihe. other. At length he reached a clearing and felt dea to sit down here and rest. © 2 “Suddenly he was conscious that somebody was creeping upon him from behind. Until this moment he had had but a vague idea of who his enemy really was. Now, although something ene him from turning his head, or making any effort to escape, he instinctively under- stood that the person who was stealthily advancing upon him was a mysterious looking Frenchman, who- carried a heavy stick in one hand and a long, keen knife in the other. Strive as he would he could not break the spell that held ¢ him ‘powerless. Wot ‘a THE ROAD TO rem 5 iegtht BAS SUCCESS. that he had dropped his stick and put the knife between his teeth so that he could have his hands free to seize him by the throat. Now the man bent over him and glared into his eyes, '|with a look of such malignant satisfaction that the horror of it shot through his nerves and awoke him. Yes, Joe was now wide awake, but the horror of his dream was reproduced in dread reality, for bending above him, with a sinister looking knife in his teeth, and his bent fingers raised as if in the act of pouncing on the heretofore sleeping boy, was Jules Glorieux, the mysterious French- man. e CHAPTER VI. THE THEFT OF THE GOLD. “Aha! You awake, eh?” hissed the Frenchman, seeing the boy’s startled, wide-open eyes fixed upon his face. “You make one leetle sound by gar, you are a dead hoy!’ He pressed one hand on Joe’s windpipe and with the other removed the knife from his mouth and pressed its keen point against the tender skin of the lad’s throat. Joe was now conscious that Jules Glorieux was not the only intruder in the room. There was another whose form was thrown into relief by the pale moonshine that came through the open window. “Hcoutez!” exclaimed Glorieux fiercely. “Dat ees you . listen to me. Ze boot ees on ze ozzair leg. Ze lane which T speak about has come to ze turn, I have you, mon pettit homme, where ze hair ees short. You moye one leetle bit, poof! zis knife vill do ze beesness. I come for ze box dat ees mine. I get him dees time.” The Frenchman turned his head and said something in a peremptory tone to his companion. The man advanced softly, at the same time ee a strong cord from his pocket. With this he proceeded to bind Joe’s arms to his side. Then he tied a towel tightly around the boy’s mouth. “Now look for the box,” said Glorieux to the man in. French. The pair hunted about the room. They pulled the clothes from the four iron-bound starch boxes and G@lorieux was about to lift one when his com+ '|panion called him to the bed and pointed at the end of the treasure chest which lay underneath. “Tt is heavy, Gaston,” said Glorieux, in his native Paes “We must use care in removing it,” They both got hold of the handle and pulled with all _ their strength. As the entire contents of the chest had been: removed, ‘as the reader knows, the box naturally offered no resistance: In fact it shot out so quick from under the bed that both . Frenchmen lost their balance and tumbled over on the floor with a shock that could be felt through the frame house. Jules Glorieux swore roundly as he picked himself up, while his companion, who had barked one shin, ee {angrily in a subdued tone. ey last ae could fod) that the man was Tight behind him, : doe; who had been lying i in heiptess silence since Si was a be Lae ar WW we TE 34 Ae TRE TR 2 v- Leis
Page 13
THE ROAD- TO SUCCESS. gagged and bound, chuckled to himself, as he thought he saw the rascals’ finish. But he congratulated himself too soon. Jules Glorieux was a man not easily turned from his Z) purpose. While he was afraid some of the inmates of the house had been aroused from their sleep by the noise, he was pre- + pared to take the bull by the horns. He knew that if his present enterprise failed the chance of his ever getting his hands on the treasure from the old stone house would be very small. é He had already informed himself that with the exception of the boy and the hired man, he had no one to fear bu four females, and he did not anticipate that they would defeat his plan. ; The two rascals stood as silent as statues waiting to see the outcome of their mishap. Presently their alert ears caught the sound of some one ascending theestairs in slippers. =~" G@lorieux said something to Gaston in a whisper and the fellow glided to the door, ran his hand over the wood and shot the bolt he found there. Then came a knock on the door and the voice of Mrs. ~Page was heard outside. “Joe—Joe,” she said. “What is the matter?” Glorieux tore the gag from Joe’s mouth and placed the ~ knife at his throat. “Ansair. Say dat you had ze nightmare and take ze tumble out of ze bed.” There was a murderous look in the Frenchman’s eyes that intimidated the boy, and so he did as he was told. “Are you in bed now, Joe?” Mrs. Page asked as she tried the door and found it bolted, somewhat to her surprise, for her son was not in the habit of securing the door against _ Intrusion. “Did you bolt the door?” “Yes, mother, I am in bed and I bolted the door.” “Are you sure everything is all right, my son?” she asked anxiously. “Yes, mother,” answered Joe, with the alihiering knife pricking the skin of his throat and threatening instant ~~ death if he hesitated or equivocated in his replies. himself. Jules Glorieux evidently meant business, and the risk was too great for the Jad to venture to thwart him. _ In this manner the crisis was passed and the rascals be averted discovery, for Mrs. Page turned away as if satisfied, and her steps were soon heard descending the stairs. | “Tt is well,” said Glorieux to his companion, in French, “gag him again.” The towel was replaced about Joe’s sce and the knife: withdrawn from his throat. “The money has been removed from this om ” con- ms or @ hardly considered it mecesary to jift the het but ner. It was a trying situation for Joe, but he couldn’t help | not see him again I assure you.” sarcastic bow to the unfortunate Joe, walked softly to the | panion, who had already preceded him to the road, at 4 : ‘ tinued the i ch ia enter lifting one a of the oS box. he did so to fully convince himself that the chest. was empty. | “Now where is the money? Ah, those boxes in the cor- This boy is a shrewd one. He has lost no time. He intends to ship the money to New York it is likely, and — there change it into the script of the country. We will save him the trouble, Gaston,” with a wicked grin. His companion nodded intelligently. “Yon are sure these boxes contain the money?” he sid “Lift one of them, and its weight ought to satisfy you,” replied Glorieux. “They were concealed under these old clothes. I will take the risk that these boxes hold the money. We must carry them away at once.” “Tt will be a job,” answered his associate. “Tt shall not be so difficult. You get out on the ladder, then I will hand you one of the boxes on your shoulder. You will carry it down to the wagon in the road. When you come back you will take a second the same way. There are but four of them, so we will make the last trip together. A few hours of fast driving will carry us to the river where our sloop is moored. Once we have the boxes board we will hoist the anchor and sail for the city, where we can ship them on the La Burgandie for Marseilles. She sails the day after to-morrow, so we have plenty time to secure a stateroom.” This conversation was carried on in a low tone and, of course, in French, so it was impossible for Joe to either hear or understand a word that passed between the rascals. The plan as outlined by Glorieux was immediately put. into effect, and poor Joe was in despair when he saw the iron-bound boxes of gold, on which he had built such | glorious air castles, removed from the room one by one un- til the last one had vanished out of the window and the. mysterious Frenchman approached the bed for the last time. ] There was. a look of triumphant satisfaction in his eyes as he gazed down on the helpless youth. “Tn one leetle mioment I will say to’ you adieux.. Iti is necessaree that I feex you so dat you vill not fall out of ze bed and give ze new alarm. I vill tie your feet to ze post, den you vill be—what you call him?—ah, oui, all eS ze bon, I mean ze good.” The Frenchman uttered a wicked chuckle, and then pro- ceeded to tie Joe’s ankles securely to the bed post. .“Now you are like ze cochon—ze peeg—when we take him to the market.” — The rascal chuckled again. é , “You have said adieu to ze ses I hope, for you will The mysterious Frenchman then made an elathorsits he ‘Z window and disappeared. | He did not take the trouble to close the window, or re- move the ladder, but picking up the last- box of English a gold lifted it on his shoulder and started after his com Gasten was sage for him. ¥
Page 14
12 THE ROAD TO. SUCCESS. if - He dumped the box into the wagon up against the other | he finally heard the clock down stairs strike two, he got up three, and mounting to the seat alongside his associate, the rascally pair whipped up the horse and drove off down the county>road toward the Hudson River at a rapid pace. CHAPTER VII. WHICH THE MYSTERIOUS FRENCHMAN IS UP AGAINST IT HARD. "It was two o’clock in the morning and Sam Parsons was standing at the window of his room looking out into the bare and silent road which ran close by the house. Sam had gone to bed as usual at nine o’clock, but some- how or another he couldn’t get to sleep. That bag of English sovereigns which he had received from his chum Joe Page, and stowed away for safekeeping in an inside niche of the wide open fireplace in his room, kept dancing through his head, ares the drowsy god, Morpheus, at defiance. IN; Sam had never owned five whole dollars in his life, and | here he had suddenly become the possessor of the equivalent _ of $4,840, every ee of which was honestly his own prop- erty. Why he was now worth almost, if not quite as much; as his own father, which was truly an hereon state of affairs for him. What boy under the circumstances would not have felt as Sam did that night? and looked out of the window. He didn’t do that because he expected to see anything. There wasn’t much to be seen even in the daytime from his window, while at that hour of the morning the road and: the country side were absolutely dead. It was therefore with considerable surprise that Sam heard the rapid sound of wheels mingled with the chug, chug of a horse’s hoof on the still night air. He wondered if it was the village doctor on an emergency errand. The vehicle soon came into view in the distance and Sam saw that it was an ordinary road wagon, with two men on the seat. They seemed to be in a hurry for the driver frequently applied the whip to the horse. Before passing the Parsons’ farmhouse the wagon had — to cross a short bridge which spanned a narrow but rather deep creek. Just as the vehicle struck the bridge, after rushing down _ an incline, the rear right hand wheel came off and the - wagon dipped with a crash, as if heavily loaded at that end, and Sam heard a succession of heavy smashes, as of weighty articles striking the bridge, and then a-similar number of ° splashes, as if the said articles had continued their ight into the water. Sam could also hear loud exclamations from the men, There was one drawback, however, to his happiness, and and saw the driver pull in the horse. that was what course would his futher take with reference to that bag of money as soon as he learned it was abso- lutely the property of his son ? Wouldn’t his parent demand its custody, and then use _ half or more of it to put up a model farmhouse he had long had in mind, but the realization of which he had been obliged to defer for want of the necessary funds? Sam was of the opinion that the chances were as 99 to 1 that his $4,840 would go at once to his father’s credit in the village bank, and that he wouldn’t get a soumarkee to lay out on his own personal enjoyment. ‘So Sant made up his mind to say nothing to his folks at all about his windfall. He had managed to secure permission to go to the metropolis next morning with his friend Joe Page, and this was an extraordinary concession on his father’s part. . He had decided that after he got his money changed into bills he would open a savings bank account in Poughkeepsie | ~ across the river, with $4,800, and hide’ the book and the | remaining $40 in the chimney. He could have a swell time out of that 940; which would. | last him some time, and he would always have the satisfac- | 1 ‘tion of knowing there was more to be had where that came from. All this phoning and caleulation helped to keep sleep | Both men dismounted and walked rapidly back es the bridge, where they stood hy the rail and looked over into the stream. “Gee whiz!” exclaimed Sam. «Whatever they had in the wagon has been dumped into the water. They'll have a nice time recovering it, for the water is all of eight feet deep there. The stuff must be heavy from the noise it made. on the bridge, so the chances are they'll not be able to get it out of the stream without ropes and a stout windlass. | At any rate they’re e stuck for the balance of the night for | fair.” Sam saw one of the men pick up the wheel which had 'caused all the trouble and roll it up to the wagon, then the | pair held a consultation. One of them, whose personal appearance interested Sam greatly, for he put him in mind of the mysterious French- man, gesticulated violently. | “We've got stout ropes and a winch in fi barn,” said. i Sam to himselt! “T’ve a great mind to dress myself, go — down and see if I can’t arrange a deal with those fare I’d just as soon carn another dollar as not.” Ps As the boy never felt more wideawake in sat life he de- cided to carry out his idea. © He got into his clothes in ‘short order, but oe of t an from Sam’s eyes, and when he had settled everything to | leaving the house by the front door and walking down the — his own os meses = aes: he seaciaieyls Ber to oe any road, he lett it by the eS ange and - oe a bit ree
Page 15
THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. prevented the men from observing his approach, and, of course, he couldn’t see them any better. The loud and excited voice of one of the individual, how- ever, served to guide the boy right to the part of the fence _, outside of which they were standing. Although Sam was not afraid to show himself, still he concluded to take a sight at them first. : Nothing like being on the safe side any way. So Sam when he reached the bushes, pushed his head ~ through with as much caution as if he expected to find an enemy on the other side of the fence. The moment his eyes took in the man who was doing the talking he was glad he had not rushed things. - It was for a fact the mysterious Frenchman. And his companion was another, although not at all mys- terious looking. Monsieur Jules Glorieux was jabbering away to beat tha band, and gesticulating like a monkey on a hot stove. Sam at once lost all desire of proffering the services of the rope and wihch at the barn. Had he been able to understand French he would have learned something that must have opened his eyes; but as any other language than English was.as pure Greek to him, _their conversation was quite lost upon. him. He wondered where the man of mystery had picked up his companion, and why they were driving up the road at _race-horse speed at that hour in the morning. : He also wondered what was the character of the freight they had lost in the creek. “Tt seems to be important whatever it is,” he said to himself, “for Monsoo Glorieux, of Bordeaux, looks as if he wanted to tear his hair out by the roots.” _ In good truth the mysterious Frenchman was acting as if he was a candidate for a madhouse. And with good reason, as the reader will guess, for the fnur iron-bound boxes of English sovereigns they had taken such risk and trouble to abstract from Joe Page’s cham- ber, were now resting out of sight in the creek and Jules Glorienx could see no immediate chance of recovering them. CHAPTER VITI. SAM GETS JOE OUT OF A PICKLE. The two Frenchmen went down to the water’s edge and tried to make out where the boxes lay; but the water was too deep and dark, especially at that hour, for them to see anything in the depths of the creek. It was clear to the watchful Sam that they were at their wits end. ; _ Finally they gave the problem up and returned to the _ wagon, the rear axle of which they found to be fractured. They put the wheel into the forward part of the vehicle, and mounting to the seat drove over slowly toward the vil- lage of Highland, four miles distant. “They ll be back in a few hours, I dare say,” said Sam a to himself, as he watched them depart. “I’d give some- Me to Per, what those boxes contain. They wong sued heavy boxes without being detected in the act. I guess if all right. I wouldn’t be surprised if they had. stolen them from some place. That Jules Glorieux, of Bordeaux, seems a sort of suspicious character to me. At any rate he tried to do Joe out of that treasure chest yesterday afternoon. Had the nerve to draw a revolver on us. We could have him arrested and put in the lock-up for that. Well, P’m coming down here the first thing after I get up to see if I can get a glimpse of those boxes.” Thus speaking Sam started back for the house. Suddenly he stopped short as if a startling idea had struck him. “Good gracious!’ he exclaimed. “I wonder if those rascals paid a visit to the Page house, and got away with Foe’s money? He told mé he was going to box it up in four small starch boxes so it could be the more easily handled for shipment to New York this forenoon. The wagon came up the road from the direction of Joe’s place. They were driving at breakneck speed at a suspiciously early hour, and making for Highland. Gee whiz! It looks as if there was something wrong for a fact. I’ve a great mind to run. over to the Page farm, wake Joe up and tell him what I’ve seen.” Sam stood a few moments in an undecided way. There might be nothing in the idea after all, and Joe would give him the laugh for coming over at that hour in the morning. Yet the circumstances were sufficiently suspicions to de- mand notice. The mysterious Frenchman had clearly shown that his object in coming to that part of the county was to get pos- session of the treasure chest hidden in n. the foundation of the old stone house. ; When he discovered that the boys had found the chest, and they had naturally refused to let him have it, he had doubtless spotted the place they had taken it to and then made his plans to steal it that morning. That’s the way Sam argued and, as the reader sid da: he was right. “He brought that other chap to help him do the aay ness,” mused Sam, more and more convinced that he was on the right track. “They found that the money had been removed from the chest and nailed up in the starch boxes, so they carried off the boxes. No doubt they worked the game slick enough to avoid discovery. Well, I’m going over to. Joe’s anyway. If the money is safe there'll me no harm done.” Having decided the matter, he pushed his way through the bushes, jumped the fence and started down the road. toward the Page property. ies He walked fast and fifteen minutes later he was march- ing up the path that led to the front door. “Everything is quiet round here,” mused Sam, beginning | to think he was wrong in his surmises after all. “It seems | to me if those chaps had been here they must have awoke. ~ somebody in the house. It’s no fool job to carry off several. _ meals a dees of my self coming over here.”
Page 16
14 and gagged as he was, mh : oe Well, you've my sympathy. hello! what the dickens have you around your arms and | a) 7 ee side and fire pebbles at Joe’s window. ‘open window. - He stopped at the foot of the porch steps and seratched. his head, : To pound on the door and arouse the Page family only to find out that nothing had happened would make him - look foolish, and Sam dreaded holding himself up to ridi- cule. “JT won't knock,”.he decided. “Vl go around on the It won’t do any harm to wake him up. If he chooses to give me the merry ha, ha, why I guess I can stand it.” So he marched around to the ell, in the second story of which was Joe’s room. As he turned the corner the first thing he saw was the ladder standing under Joe’s window, which was open to its widest extent. _ “Hopping toads! That doesn’t look right,” he cried, coming to a pause and staring hard at the ladder and the “Joe wouldn’t do anything like that—a clear invitation to any tramp in the neighborhood to walk into the house—even if he didn’t have a dollar in the house. He would certainly be crazy to stand a ladder under his window in this fashion with nearly $100,000 in his room, or at least somewhere in the house. I ani sure there has been something doing here all nee, and I’m going to climb | ; is 1t you came over here at this early hour? It is just three that ladder and wake Joe up.” Sam didn’t lose a moment making his way up the rungs, and inside of a minute he had his head inside of the| window. ~ “Joe, Joe,” he cried, “wake up.” THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 4 = Sam stepped into the room and walked up to Joe. “Why, youre bound up and gagged,. and you're tied to the bed. My gracious! what’s happened?” as he tore the towel from Joe’s face. “Has that mysterious Frenchman been here and got away with your money?” ; “Yes, yes!” gasped Joe. “He-has been here with an- other man, and they’ve taken the four boxes with every coin. Did you ever hear of such fierce luck?” added Joe, the tears coming into his. eyes. “Robbed by that villain! . Help me get free, will you?” “Sure I will,” replied Sam. about it.” And while Sam labored to untie the knots Joe told him the whole story of the visit paid him by Jules Glorieux-and his companion, and how they had stolen the four boxes containing the English sovereigns. Sam had him free before the story was finished, and Joe wound up his mournful tale whilé hurriedly dressing him-' self. “We must wake up John, get a horse put to the wagon — and chase those rascals. It’s the only thing I can do. T’ve no doubt they went toward the river. We may find them at’ Highland waiting for an early train,” said Joe, fever- ishly. “But tell me,” he added, almost wonderingly, “how “Qo on and tell me all 'o’elock.” “T came over here because I got an idea ao my head ~ that something was wrong.” “How could you get such an idea as that?” asked Joe. There was a movement on the bed, and Joe Page, bound | in some astonishment. “Had a had dream?” sat up. He could not get ay of bed as his ankles w ere tied tight to the bedpost.. As it was rather dark in the room, the moon having swung round, Sam did ney at first notice his chum’s pre- dicament. He saw that he was aw bps however, and that was capaak for him. “Say, old man,” he per “what. is this ladder doing under your window at this hour? Looks as if thieves had been around. Is your money all right?” Joe couldn’t reply on account.of the towel about his mouth, but he tried to attract Sam’s attention to his help- less condition. “What's the matter with you?” continued Sam, rather astonished at the dumbness. of his friend. woke up enough to use your tongue?” =“ Still no answer from Joe—only a succession of odd jerks of the head and body. — 4 . “Oh, come now, you know it’s me. What are you giving me that dumb show: for? What have you got. around your face, anyway? A towel?” as he looked more keenly. Got “Hayen’t you | “No. The fact is, I haven’t been asleep to-night, and that’s the luckiest thing for you that ever happened.” “You haven’t been to sleep! ?” cried Joe. “Nary a wink.” “Why, how was that! ” “Oh, I was too excited over that five thou. you gave me. I went to bed at nine, but when the clock struck two I was still awake. I got up and looked out of my window, gs what do you think I saw 2” “How could I guess what you saw?” “T saw a horse and wagon coming at a red-hot ace down the road from this direction. ‘There were two men on the seat.” “That must havé been the wagon that was ces off the boxes, and the two Frenchmen.” _ “That’s right, it was,” nodded Sam. “Did you recognize Jules Glorieux?” => “Of Bordeaux?” grinned Sam. “Bet your life I did. is “They were going toward the Hudson, as I thought.” “Ag hard as they could put.” “They must be there by this time,” said Joe, délefully. “Perhaps they are; but the boxes of sovereigns aren’t a toothache, eh. That’s why you don’t open your mouth. with them.” “Why, what-do you mean ?” “I mean the wagon met with an accident. at the p ide hear 6 our ean et . eS A toothache is about the worst | =|
Page 17
THE ROAD TO + SUCCESS. 15 > gh “An accident ?” “Hxactly. One of the hind wheels came off suddenly, and those boxes of money, every one of them, tumbled over into the creek.” “What!” almost shouted Joe. “Tumbled into the creek ?” “That's what they did, and they're there at this mo- . ment. All we've got to do is to go down there and fish them out.” “Sam Parsons, are you telling me the truth, or ig this one of your jokes?” “Nary joke. It’s the solemn truth. That’s what caused me to come over here. Those boxes having been in the hands of the mysterious Frenchman, who left us yesterday afternoon with a threat on his lips, raised my suspicions, and I came here to see if he and his companion had paid you a night visit for the purpose of getting possession of that money. I was right, and I’m glad I came over.” “If the boxes are in the creek, as you say, we'll get them out somehow, you may depend on that,” returned Joe, en- thusiastically “We myst look out for those Frenchmen. They are sure to return as soon as they can with ropes and other means to try and recover the boxes. It’s up to us to get ahead of them.” “Tf I was you, Pd send for the constable and have those “chaps arrested on the charge of burglary as soon as they showed up at the creek.” “'That’s just what I mean to do.” “T'll go for him if you want me to,” volunteered his chum, “No. I’m going to wake John up now and send him.” “The four of us ought to be able to capture those mon- soos. After we have them safe in the lock-up we can take our time fishing up the boxes.” “We'll need to rig a lift of some kind to raise them out . of the bed of the creek.” «« “We've got a good winch at our place and plenty of rope. All we'll have to do is to rig up a stout pole with a block at the end of it, through which we'll pass a rope. Then we can take turns diving down to attach a sling around the boxes, one at a time.” “You've got it down fine, Sam. That’s the way we'll do. Now for John.” apo 3S Joe left the room to arouse the hired man, leaving Sam to complete in his mind his plans for getting the boxes of money out of the creek. CHAPTER 1X. CAPTURE OF THE MYSTERIOUS FRENCHMAN AND HIS COMPANION. At sunrise Joe Page, Sam Parsons, John Jones and Con- stable Snodgrass were concealed in the shrubbery near the creek bridge waiting for the two Frenchmen to show up. They had not been there more than fifteen minutes be- fore they heard the sound of inet come frorn ths direc- tion of Highland. bi i. oe TH ie that’s ea 8 said Sai, in some samen ‘before the justice. The others said nothing, but waited, Jones drawing out . the Frenchman’s revolver to intimidate the rascals when they came up. “This is a dandy ambuscade, grinned Sam. those chaps the surprise of their lives.” Pretiy soon the vebicle hove in sight, and sure enough the two foreigners were on the seat. Joe, who was peeping down the road, announced the fact. The wagon drew up nearly opposite to them; 8s the Frenchmen got out, and the first thing they aid was to seramble down the bank of the creek to look into the water for some sign of the boxes. < As the water was clear, they could now see them quite plainly eight feet below the surface. Returning to the wagon, they busied iticciasiocs getting out ropes, with a pole and hoisting tackle which they had brought from their sloop anchored in the Hudson. They intended to rush things, for they couldn’t tell when, as they figured it, Joe would be discovered bound and gagged in bed, and a pursuit started. While they were thus occupied, the constable and John Jones, followed by the two boys, quietly made their . ap- pearance from the shrubbery. “Throw up your hands,” ordered Constable Snodgrass, producing his revolver. “Sacre |” exclaimed Jules Glorieux, starting hack. in surprise. “We'll give His companion started to draw a revolver, but Jones stepped up and shoved his, at full cock, into his face. — , “Surrender, you rascal. . I’ve got the ae on you,” thun- dered the hired man. “By gar! Dees is yon outrage,” cried the mysterious Frenchman, glaring at the constable: “I demand dat you ‘| give an explanasheeon.” “T place you both under arrest,” said Constable Snod- grass. “Comment!” (what!) exclaimed Glorieux. rest us?” “JF do—on the charge of burglary.” aS “Burglaree! Sare, you make one grand mistake. ine “Well, I shall take you before the Squire, and if I have made a mistake he will discharge yen from custody,” re- plied the village officer. “But, sare, I have no desire to go before ze—what you call him—Squire.” “Sorry, monsoo, but I shall have to take you, whether you like it or not. Hold out your. hands,” and the con- stable took a pair of handcuffs from his pocket. : Jules Glorieux put up a big, wick against the steel wrist- — lets, but he had to give in, for the officer was inexorable, His companion’s hands were bound with a rope. “You ar- } They were forced to get into the wagon, all hands fol- . ~ ‘lowed, and John Jones drove the rig into the village, where. ri the Frenchmen were locked up pending ee exarnination
Page 18
16 . THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. ~ “Well, we've got them, all right,” grinned Sam. “There’s evidence enough against them to send them to the county- seat for trial, so they won’t bother us any more.” “We might as well go home for breakfast now,” said Joe. “We'll have to walk, for Mr. Snodgrass has taken charge of the Frenchmen’s outfit. That tackle in the wagon would be just the thing to haul those boxes up with.” “Then we must persuade Snodgrass to let us have the use of it,” sa®l Sam. . “Well, we won’t be able to make a move aati after Squire Dalton has had these chaps before him, for you and I will be obliged to give our testimony at the examination,” replied Joe, “T guess thesboxes won’t walk off, and the water won’t hurt the gold,” said Sam. “It’s a good thing you put plenty of iron bands around them, otherwise they’d have broken open and spilled some of their valuable contents.” “They'd have got smashed more or less, anyway, only each landed in a separate spot in the sand,” answered Joe. “That saved them,’ Joe had a stirring story to tell his mother and sisters - when he got home for breakfast, and they were greatly startled. He had to Se all the particulars about the move- ments of the mysterious Frenchman from the time he had - first seen the light in the stone house. “Were you not dreadfully frightened when that man held the knife at your throat, Joe?” asked Mildred, with a shudder. “Well, I didn’t feel very asd: de he replied. “T am so thankful I came right downstairs without mak- ing a fuss because the door was locked,” said his mother. -“Tt’s a great mercy that he did not kill you, my son.” “T don’t think he had any intention of going as far as that, mother; but he’s a desperate kind of chap, just the same.” “Would you like to go to the village and be present at the examination?” asked Joe. court at ten o'clock.” Mildred was the only one who seas to go; she was cu- rious to look at the ‘mysterious Frenchman and his asso- ‘ciate. News of the arrest of the two desperate Frenchmen we had broken into the Page farmhouse during the night cir- culated with great rapidity throughout the village of Pem- brook, and as a consequence a big crowd of the villagers, both male and female, gathered outside Squire Dalton’s office some time before the sgt set for the examination of the prisoners. When John Jones and the two boys appeared they were bombarded with questions, but they declined to say a word on the subject till they went on the stand to give their sworn’ testimony. At length the Squire appeared and took his seat, the wit- Bie Dalton will hold nesses were admitted and took chairs provided for them,’ and then as many of the outsiders. crowded into the small jp oon as could find space to sige “ vaca The prisoners were led in by the constable and the pro- ceedings began. The Frenchmen were charged with housebreaking, and both pleaded not guilty. Joe was the star witness against them. He was duly sworn, and then told his story in a cool, « straightforward manner. ; “What was in these boxes that you accuse the prisoners of stealing?” asked the justice. 5 “Valuable property belonging to me,” replied Joe, not caring to confess the exact nature of their contents as long as the boxes were at the bottom of the creck. “Were these boxes found in the prisoners’ possession ?” “No, sir.” “Then I’m afraid the charge of robbery won’t hold un- less your statement can be corroborated,” said the Squire. “Sam Parsons is ready to testify that he saw the boxes in possession of these Frenchmen at two o’clock this morn- ing, shortly after the robbery took place.” : “Where are the boxes now?” “ At the bottom of Goose Creek, alongside of the bridge.” “How came they to be there?” . _ “These men were carrying them toward the Hudson in a light wagon, which broke down at the bridge, and the boxes fell out into the creek.” “Constable Snodgrass, if I find that the evidence is suf- ficient to warrant me in remanding the prisoners, you Will. see that these boxes are produced at their trial,” said Jus- tice Dalton. Joe looked rather blue at those words. The custody of the boxes would be taken out of his hands entirely for some little time, and he could not tell what might happen to them during that interval. The constable would be responsible for them, of course, and Joe knew that he was a thoroughly conscientious man; but if even one of them should be accidentally lost, Mr. Snodgrass would never be able to make its value good. The boy therefore decided, while Sam was giving his evidence, that he would take the constable into his eonfi- dence in respect to the actual nature of the contents of the boxes, and get him to send them to the village bank for safekeeping until it should be necessary to produce them at the trial, when no doubt he would he obliged, anyway, to swear to the value of the boxes. At the close of the testimony against them the prisoners were asked if they had anything to say, but both declined to make any other defense than a general denial of the charge. ( Justice Dalton decided to hold the isl for trial, and a commitment was made out. Constable Snodgrass took them that afternoon ‘to the county seat and turned them over to the warden of the jail. ‘The constable allowed the boys to take the Frenchmen’s rig, just as it stood, for the purpose of recovering the boxes from the creek ~ bringing them to his house i in the eee
Page 19
“THIS ROAD LO SUCCESS. 1% a : ee | otra en A A After dinner the boys, assisted by: John Jones, started in idly built chimneys of our granddaddies. That house you to raise the money boxes. Inside of an hour they had them out of the creek and in the wagon. “It’s tough,” remarked Sam, “that we've got to turn these over to Snodgrass, isn’t it? Are you going to tell him they’re full of money?” “T’ll have to.” “He'll want to know how you on all that gold.” “We'll give him the whole story about our finding the treasure under the old stone house, pledge him to secrecy, and then get him to deposit the boxes in the village bank. That’s the only way out.of the difficulty that I can see.” And so that plan was duly and successfully carried out. CHAPTER X. JOE'S BUSINESS SCHEME. “Well,” said Sam Parsons, as he and Joe Page sat on the veranda of the Page farmhouse on the following night, “T. suppose our trip to New York is indefinitely post- poned.” xx “Oh, I don’t know,” replied Joe. ‘You've got a matter of five thousand dollars worth of English gold to change into United States bank bills, and the sooner you do it the sooner you'll feel like an American capitalist. ‘iy “That’s right,” admitted Sam, “You haven’t told your folks about that money?” “No. I don’t feel like giving it up, for that is what I'd } my money boxes, and so ‘that’s what you’ll get. have to do if my father knew TI had it.” live in must be one of the old guard.” “Tt was built over eighty years ago.” “Why don’t your father tear it down and put up a new one?” “He would if he got his fingéis on my five dhidieee dollars.” “He could put up a good house for half that money.” “T suppose when your boxes of sovereigns are released you will make a model farm of your place here. easily build a place that would make Squire Dalton’s look like thirty cents. That’s what I would do if I was in your shoes.” ; “The first thing ’m going to do with that money, Sam, is to give you another bag of it for what you did for me. yesterday morning.” “Another five thousand dollars!” gasped Sam. “Yes. I might never have recovered those boxes but for you. I want you to understand that I am grateful to you. I certainly would have remained bound and gagged at least’ three hours longer if you hadn’t come over here and re- leased me.” “Ho! I didn’t expect any pay for that. We’re chums, aren't we? Well, I’d expect you to do the same thing for ‘me if you thought anything was wrong in my direction.” “And [’d do it, Sam,” replied Joe, promptly. “Five thousand is little enough by way of a present for saving You can hand your father over half of it, if you want to, to build “He'd only take charge of it as your natural guardian|a new house.” to prevent you from making a bad use of it.” “That’s right,” grinned Sam; “but I’d never see it again, just the same.” “Why not? You'd get it when you “reached twenty-one, with the advantage of five years’ interest.” “Don’t you believe it. That money would go into the family pocketbook and would sey there. I know my old “man better than you do.” “Well, what are you going to ig with the money when you get it changed into bills?” “T’m going to put it into a savings honk in Poughkeepsie myself. Then I'll be able to keep a line on it. I’m sick of farming. If I should see a chance to go into some kind of business that would suit me better, I’d have the money |. to back myself—see ?”? “T see; but I’m afraid the possession of so much money would foe a temptation for you to embark in schemes that might in the end land you on your uppers.” “Do you take, me for a chump?” “No, I hope not, Sam. I’m only giving you a slight warning. Where did you hide that bag of rice alah - your trunk 2” “No. I put it in a niche inside that wide chesney in my room. If the house was to take fire and burn down, the chimney would stand and the ase would be as secure as if in a safe.” “Well, bas one of: the seen of those aes sol-{ “ ein seis : Het ed eae a) Pate th “i ae ‘ Oho ‘ + by e 7} Noe mete AS eee 2) dale) 2 . .. “ +? ~ ie . I lt emt 1 aa ae * oe “Pd fe it, if he wouldn’t insist on getting the other money.” “Well, Joe, I'll tell you how you can find use for that money in a way that I think would suit you.” “Tow ? 97 “By going into a business partnership with me.” “A business partnership with you!” exclaimed Sam, in surprise. “Yes. T’ve been talking the. matter over with my mother and she approves of the project.’ “Does she? Then it must be a good one.” “T think it is. year.” “What is it?” “The produce commission busiriess in New York.” ? “Gee! that isn’t bad. We both know something about — that.” “We only know it from'the producer’s point of view in a practical sense; but I picked up the whole theory of the commission aia from a smart young chap who boarded — As he saw that ~ I was interested in the business, he gave me points to burn, and I haven’t forgotten a single one. Now that I shall be — with us a couple of weeks last simmer. able to handle a good bit-of money, I’m going into it. Why, with the capital I'll have I'll be able to make the fur fly.” “Any business you were in would suit me to the queen’s taste,” said Sam, enthusiastically. “Td like you \for » You could I’ve had the idea in my mind for nearly © a pas er
Page 20
18 a. THE ROAD, TO SUCCESS. ak ANCE RE a aT RRR Ta ea a ra cag TT RB a ET | PSE Tg ES TERE Bt SES = 7 Saya T) partner first rate. I wouldn’t be afraid of getting skinned out of my cash. Come, now, tell me pees about the commission end.” Joe at once explained to him how the eee was con- ducted in New York. The farmers of New Jersey and certain counties of New York sent their produce consigned to different commission houses located in the wholesale provision district west of Hudson street and below Fourteenth street, New York City. These selling agents in turn disposed of the consign- ments to wholesale dealers in lots to suit at the best’ prices they could get, an¢ > - dered statements of the trans- actions to the farm. The men who managed the New York end of the business in the interest of the country producers were supposed to be content with a straight commission for their services. ‘That was.a simple and straightforward method of doing the business. . The young man who had boarded at the Page farmhouse during the early half of the préceding September assured Joe that he knew, from personal experience, that the farm- ers, who were compelled to trust the commission people, were the victims of a systemat’: sinco game. “He told me that the producers got it in the neek all the time,” said Joe. “How do they?” asked Sam, much interested. “He says the commission men figure up all kinds of _ charges against the consignments, in addition to their reg- ular commission, and that the balance rendered in favor of their customers looks very dizzy after the head book- keeper has footed it up.” “Ts that a fact?” “Tt is, if Dickson—that was the name of our boarder told the truth.” — “Why, that’s a swindle,” cried Sam, indignantly. “That's what it looks like. I think there is some truth in what he told me, for I have heard a number of farmers up this way complain of the way they had been treated by the ecmmission houses of New York. I know of farmers who let lots of fruit and vegetables go to waste because they said it didn’t pay to ship it to the city for sale.” “Gee! that’s fierce, But I should think a farmer would shake a commission man after getting one or two hard deals from him and try another.” “Fe does, naturally, but it doesn’t help him any.” “Why not?” _ “Because houses are banded together and every one worked, along the same lines. The producer is up against the same scale of charges, no matter what house he favors with his stuff, ‘ and, in addition, i is kept out of his money for an indefinite time.” ! “No wonder so many farmers ery poverty,” said Sam. e Sen ve heard my father squeal about the little profit there Zs mi whe at when he sends it to market.” Dickson told me that the chief commission: Highland for Weehawken, re . 1%, “Now, Sam, I propose to start in the commission busi- ness on strictly an honest basis. Dickson said. there was a good profit on a flat commission of ten per cent. Of course, there are sometimes charges, but these are the ex- ception, not the rule when the country products are shipped in proper shape. If a farmer is careless in this respect, he is bounded to be a sufferer, and nobody is then to blame but himself.” “That's right,” nodded Sam, “We'll open. an office in the right location, or as near it’ as we can find a suitable place. Then we'll take turns drumming up the farmers in different sections, assuring them of fair treatment. As soon as business begins to come our way we'll canvass the retail dealers in the city, the larger ones personally and the small fry by circulars. Then, when things get fairly started, we’ll try for the hotels—the smaller ones first, and so on up the ladder. In fact, I don’t mean to stop at the ordinary produce busi- ness. I’m going into the canned industry as well. With my capital I'll be able to handle large consignments of goods—outbid many houses in our line whose capital is . either limited or tied up. Cash talks every day in the week, If you’ve got the money to pay down on the nail the stuff comes your way eyery time. I shall be able to |make contracts with steamship companies and other large interests and do a swell business. In fact, that is what I’m out for. The country produce will be the opening wedge. If through honest dealing and quick returns we can get control of a large part of the farmers’ business we'll be able to establish a fine trade, and once we have secured the confidence of the producers we'll be able to hold it against all comers.. What do you think of it, Sam?” “Fine!” cried ‘his chum, exithuaiieticelly, “When are you going to start in?” ates “Right away, if you don’t mind letting me use your five thousand ‘dollars to set the ball rolling until I can get con- trol of my own funds.” “Let you use it? Well, say, just freeze on to every cent of it. I’m with you in this thing from the ground floor up.” “You'll never regret it, Sam. It will be a start in life for you as well as for myself. But, remember, it will be a case of hustle from the beginning. You can’t expect to sit in an office and look for things to come your way. We'll have to get out and work like beavers early and late. One of these days, when we’ve built up the business, we'll be able to take things easier. But that won’t be for a long time.” “Tl hustle, bet your life. Anything is better than every- day farming in New York State. I’ve had all I want of it, and I guess you know as well as I that there is no future — in it.” 5 ' “Well, it’s after nine o’clock, Sam. Time you were go- ing home. Fetch over that bag of sovereigns by eight i in the morning. We'll take the 9.10 West Shore train at nine ee t
Page 21
a The boys parted for the night, Sam departing with his head full of visions of the future, and feeling as if he had] to go over the door, Bees suddenly become a full-grown man. a CHAPTER XI. PAGE & PARSONS, COMMISSION MERCHANTS. When the boys reached lower Broadway next morning after eleven o’clock Joe led the way to a well-known trust and safe deposit company, to which he had been recom- mended by the president of the village bank. He sent in his letter of introduction to the president and was admitted to that gentleman’s private office. To him Joe told his story of the finding of the twenty thousand pounds of old English sovereigns under the foun- dation of the old stone house on his mother’s property. He recited the adventures he had had with the mys- _terious Frenchman, who had come all the way from France, by his own account, with a clue to the buried treasure, but had failed to locate it. The president was very much interested in his story. “Now,” said Joe, “I have here a sample of the treasure, one of the bags which I gave my chum before I boxed the _ Test up. It contains one thousand pounds. I want to ex- change that for American money. Then, as soon as the authorities release the four boxes after the trial of the two Frenchmen, I want to sell the other nineteen thousand pounds. Now will you undertake to do this for me for a suitable compensation ?” THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. - & 19 a He then gave an order to a sign painter for a board sign “Page & Parsons, Commission Merchants, will look ‘ine, you bet your life,” said Sam, enthusiastically, as they left: the painter’s shop. Rata “It is the first step we are taking on our road to suc- cess,” replied Joe, as they started across town toward Broadway. ‘Before we make our next move we might as well register at the Sinclair House, for we shan’t leave th city for two or three days.” “That'll suit me all right,” replied his companion, with * a pleased: chuckle. . Pan So they went straight to that hotel and engaged a room. Now, Sam,” said Joe, as they started uptown along Broadway to take in a few of the sights of the metropolis, “the next thing we'll have to do—and it is a matter re- quiring considerable judgment, is to secure a competent and trustworthy man to help us launch this business of . ours properly. We want a man with practical experience in the produce commission line—a man who can run the city end of the concern while we are-out in the country drumming up trade.” “That's right,” nodded Sam. get him?” | “T’m going to put an advertisement in one of the big dailies stating just what we want, and then it will be up to us to pick out the right man. We've got to be very care- ul in making our selection, for a whole lot depends on our “How dre you going to "The president said the company would do that for him | Choice: We can’t rely altogether on references, for nearly ‘if the gold was genuine. “This bag is an exact sample of the others, for my chum and myself have handled every coin when count- ing it.” The president examined the money closely and was satis- fied it was the real thing. _“Wasn’t there any papers to give a clue to the original owners of this gold?” asked the gentleman. “No,” answered Joe. “There was not a thing in the chest but the twenty bags, each one carefully tied at the mouth just as this one is.” “And it was found on your mother’s property ?” “Yes, sir. I have brought a note to. that effect from her,” and the boy showed it to,the president. of the trust company. The gentleman sent the bag outsidé to the cashier to count it and compute its exact value in American money. When this formality had been completed, Joe was paid about forty-eight hundred dollars in bills, and took his de- parture, promising to call later with the rest of the Eng- lish money. After a.good lunch the two boys started for the whole- sale provision district of the city to look the ground of their every applicant for the position will be prepared to furnish a bunch of apparently gilt-edged ones. We must size our man up from his shoes to his hat, take’ particular note of his manner in dealing with us, and try to form a correct opinion of his honesty and business ability. You see, a great many sharp persons will be inclined to take advantage of the fact that we are boys and fair ¢ame for them. If we — make the mistake of employing one of these kind of chaps. . we'll be apt to suffer for it.” ae Sam agreed with his chum that the problem was a serious one. : Joe put his advertisement in the Herald, then they walked up Sixth avenue to Central Park and spent an hour there. ' They took a Broadway car. back to their hotel, had din ner, and afterward went to the theater. They* got a number of answers next morning to their advertisement, one of them from a man who said he had been in the produce commission business several years, but had been forced out of it because, as the boys learned at. 4 the interview Joe arranged with him, he had tried to run ~ the business on the very lines the two boys contemplated themselves. proposed business venture well over. “I did very well at the start,” he went on to say, “for. 3 They found a store for rent in the heart of the district, : the farmers were looking for a square man to do: business: _ with the office partition standing, and Joe hired it at once with; but when the other commission men saw how things » for a year, with the privilege of renéwal at the same rent. ‘were going they combined to drive me out of the district. f A 4 i i ead
Page 22
, 20 Twas a thorn in their sides, because I was steadily making inroads on their trade. They sent out representatives. to try and cut off my customers; they cut down their com- mission to the farmers and made all kinds of temporary concessions in order to wipe me out, Finally they resorted to many underhand devices that hurt me greatly. In the end they won out and I had to retire from business.” His name was William Black, and his manner and con- versation made a favorable impression on both boys. — .. Joe had a long talk with him, and was convinced he was in every respect a desirable person to engage. He promised to give the lads the full benefit of his ex- erience in the business and to take as much interest in its development as though it were his own. » When he found the hoys proposed to run matters on the same lines as hé had tried to do himself he expressed a strong doubt of their success; but Joe told him they would have capital to burn, and that they intended to burn a good bit of it, if necessary, to force themselves to the front and fight the opposition. “We're going to win out, too, Mr. Black,” said Joe, in a decided tone. “Sam and I are hustlers and fighters from the basement ur / We're young, it is true, but the pppoe sition will find themselves hadly fooled if they fancy we're going to be easy marks. We will have to depend on your experience to a considerable extent at the outset, and we hope you will do the best you can in our interests.” », “TL certainly shall,” replied Mr. Black. : “At any rate, this will give you the chance to get back at the men who did you up. That ought to be some satis- faction, at any rate. With our capital and energy. backed up with your experience, we propose to make things hum in the produce district. If you prove satisfactory, as we think you will, you'll find that Sam and I will do the right thing by you.” Mr. Black was engaged, and he started at once to. get things under way. He looked after all the necessary details, made sigiges: tions that the young firm adopted without question, and soon proved they had made no mistake in hiring him. _ “He’s all to the mustard,” said Sam, as they were pre- paring to return to Pembrook to make their final arrange- ~ ments for an indefinite absence from their homes, ' “He’s a good, conscientious man, thoroughly up in the i business, and will handle all the stuff we can drum up in first-class shape. We couldn’t have landed a better man if we'd tried for a month.” “That’s right,” replied Sam. get him.” - The boys spent only a day or two at their homes, daa then started out to hustle among the farmers, ‘Tt was arranged between ern, that Sam should work up agreements among the produce and fruit growers of Ulster, Orange and Bockiand counties of New York State, while _ Joe devoted his ener gies io the farmers of New Jersey. Bb os a new sipelete for the two lads, but Der had £ “We were dead lucky to se «4 ae At tee te Apt iy THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. i pluck, energy and ambition to burn, and both felt confi- dent that they had started upon the road to success. CHAPTER XII. THE RESCUE ON THE LAKE. Before he started to work up the New Jersey trade, Joe crossed the river and took a car down to his place of busi- ness, on Fourteenth street, west. Mr: Black was in the office, reading a newspaper. He was all ready to attend to business, but there was nothing doing ds yet. But, of course, this state of inaction was not expected to last very long. He confidently looked to see consignments of produce and fruits arrive in a few days, just as soon as the young pro- prietors of the business secured a few patrons, . Joe only stopped a short time, just long enough to have a talk with his manager-bookkeeper, and then he started for the Desbrosses street ferry and was soon in Jersey City, where he took a train for the point he intended to hegin operations. Both of the young partners of the firm of Page & Par- sons met with success from the very start. Joe’s proposition of a flat ten per cent. commission, with no bogus charges tacked on to reduce the farmer’s profits, and a ten-day settlement, captured the producer off-hand, and he readily agreed to sign an agreement to send all his stuff to the new firm. Most of the farmers that the boys first talked into sen,I- ing introductory consignments to Page & Parsons were inclined to think this new deal they were promised was too good to be true. They soon discovered that the house which promised them a “square deal” was keeping its word to the letter, and naturally they were so pleased that they made the fact . public, and many producers that the boys had been unable to call on in their neighborhood tried the experiment also of sending their stuff to the new commission house. The result was that the old commission men began to. notice a steady drop off in their business, and, looking around to discover the cause of this, they saw that the firm of Page & Parsons, which had hut lately invaded the dis- trict, was getting business that by right, they argued, should come to them. As this state of things got worse instead of better as the boys covered more ground, the opposition people came to- gether to see what could be done to remedy the evil. The first thing they did was to send agents ito the country to head off Joe and Sam, as well as to counteract the suecess they had already achieved. The boys were prepared for some such demonstration, and they began to tell the farmers that they might expect to hear from the representatives of their late commission men, and advised them to pay no attention to wily promises of reform on the part of the old houses as long as they _ | were getting thelr full ninety per cent, ac das on a ten- abe basis. ae persian ae ahs ¥ by wis 2 > Shey ‘wat. SAS Te
Page 23
THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. | a1 a The farmers who had already done business with Page & Parsons were satisfied with the treatment they were now receiving, and the agents of the other commission houses found it a difficult job to make any of them return to the old fold. The fruit season was now commencing, and the very best of the early products found their way to the new house, so that the wholesalers and stewards of the big hotels had to come and see Mr. Black if they wanted any of this stuff, which, as a matter of course, they did. There was one big and influential fruit grower in New Jersey that Joe tried to reach, but it was some little time before he was able to secure an interview. On account of his trade the old commission men had been in the habit of treating him pretty decent—each and every one of them that enjoyed the privilege of handling consignments from his great farm and orchards were only too eager to try and retain his good will. As soon as their early fruit business began to suffer from the encroachments made by Sam and Joe, the commigsion men who handled Mr, Walton’s fruit got together and: dis- patched one of their brightest agents to fill his head full J of distrust: for any proposition submitted to him by Page & | Parsons. Unfortunately this man reached his ear before Joe was _ able to make his acquaintance, and the result was that the bright boy got a cool reception and a flat refusal of business when he did appear with a blank agreement to which he. had hoped to secure Walton’s signature. This was Joe’s first important setback, and ie roared feeling much disappointed. He recognized that the opposition had got in ahead of : him and that their representative had lied about him; but he couldn’t do anything, and had to accept his first signal defeat with the best grace possible. That, however, was not the worst of it. Mr. Walton’s neighbors, having great respect for his judgment, followed . . Py * fark his lead in the matter of commission houses as in other | matters, and Joe found his work cut out for him in-that section of New Jersey. Tt was a big card for the other houses to be able to con- trol the Walton fruit, for it had a standing among the wholesale trade that put all similar fruit more or less in the shade with the higher class of customers. Walton fruit fetched the highest, prices and sold right ~ off the reel on its arrival in New York. The opposition therefore scored an important point against Page & Parsons when they cut the new firm out ¥ of the Walton business, Joe was a bit discouraged to find that he could not seeure even a single customer in the Walton locality, where the best fruit would come from as the season advanced. “T hate to give the fight up here,” he said to .himself, “hut lve done the very best I could in this loop lity and a can’t make the least headway.” | Jessie Walton had gone down for the second time ‘just as | she ged ce ee ina semi-imeonscious state on the surface ee e was s just sone anny from the last fruit farm on. his list in that neighborhood, after receiving the usual turn-down. He started down the road on his bieycle toward the vil- ° lage where he was stopping while he canvassed the district. He had to pass the Walton farm at the point where a lake of some size bordered the road. As he drew near this body of water, which was rufiled by a stiff afternoon wind, he noticed a pretty little sail- boat, in which was a lovely miss of perhaps fifteen and a well-dressed boy a year older. The boy was steering the boat, and from the actions of the small craft it struck Joe, who knew something about boat sailing, that the lad was a novice in the art of hendlvas a sailboat. He kept his eye on the craft as he rode along. “That chap knows as muck about sailing a boat as a donkey does about dancing. [Even if he did know some-— thing, it was rash in him to put out on the lake in this wind, especially with that girl fora passenger. I shouldn't be at all surprised to see him capsize any moment.” The words were scarcely out of his mouth before a sud- den flaw struck the sail. Not being a skillful boatman, the boy was eta unpre- ‘| pared for it, and the boat upset. Struggling in terror and confusion, the lad struck ont for the nearest shore, leaving the screaming girl to her fate. She could not swim, and the suddenness of the catas- trophe had unnerved her. . With a cry of dismay Joe sprang from his wheel and rushed down to the shore of the lake. By this time the girl had sunk out of view, her natty straw hat alone floating upon the surface of the pone water, . “By George!” breathed Joe, “I must save her if T can, but I’m afraid it’s a case of touch and go.” He was an excellent swimmer, fortunately. He kicked off his shoes, cast aside his jacket, and aptang into the lake. With strong, sturdy strokes, hand-over-hand fashion, he worked his way out to the drowning girl. “She’s come up,” he said. “If I can only reach her be- fore she goes down again.” The distance he had to cover was too far, however, and her struggling form went under for the second time before he got within a dozen yards of her. ~ In the meantime the boy had reached shore and was running frantically toward.a fine-looking mansion not far away to get help. This mansion was the residence of Mr, Walton, and, as it happened, the girl who was now in such desperate perl was his only daughter, the pet of the household. Joe put on an extra spurt and reached the spot where
Page 24
22 THE ROAD TO. SUCCESS. above the water-line, while he swam out with one hand for the keel of the overturned boat. He reached it after a great effort, and, getting a good hold on it, held the pallid and motionless girl as far out of the water as he could, while he rested himself. As the moments passed he found his situation growing more and more uncomfortable, for he could only use one arm to hang on, while the other was employed in supporting the girl, who was gradually regaining her senses. This brought a heavy and awkward strain on his left arm, and he was afraid he would soon have to let go and swim with his burden for the shore. At this point, however, Mr. Walton and his gardener came toward the lake at a run, the father nearly frantic with anxiety at the thought that his beloved child might _ now be lying stark and dead at the bottom. “The gardener’s sharp eyes made out Joe clinging to the bottom of the sailboat with Jessie in his arm, and he called ‘Mr. Walton’s attention to the fact. There was a rowboat tied to the shore a short distance away, and to this both men repaired as fast as they could get there. - ‘They pushed off and the gardener pulled at the oars with all his energy. The overturned craft with its living freight was being blown further and further away from the shore, a fact that Joe soon woke up to. “I'm afraid it’s too long a Supiaes to swim with this girl,” he said to himself. “T’ll have to try and mahage to get astride of the keel and haul her up alongside of it. Somebody will he sure to come out after us before long.” He was about to put this scheme into practice when he heard the sound of oars, and looking back across’ the water saw the approaching boat. OHAPTER XIII. JOB CAPTURES A BIG CONTRACT. ‘Shouting words .of encouragement to Joe, and urging his gardencr to his best efforts with the oars, Mr. Walton stood up in the boat with his anxious eyes fastened upon his slowly reviving daughter. At last, after what seemed an age to the distressed father, the boat shot within reach of the capsized sailboat, and Mr, Walton bent down and grasped his child under the arms. “Thank Heaven!” he breathed, as he drew her into the ~ rowboat, “you are safe, my Jessie.” “She murmured, “Father,” and feebly tried to throw her arms around his neck. _ In the meantime the gardener assisted Joe into the boat and then pulled out for the shore. Mr. Walton thought of nothing but his daughter until 4 they were within reach of the solid ground, when she was so far recovered as to be able to walk ashore on his arm. er “Young man,” said the big fruit grower, “I am under &5 the deepest of obligations to you for going to the assistance of my Baa whims that ee ee I feel i aaye that! told the boy to idee. SR SEIS PERN BLE SRR RE Sa Re EE RE AE RES ENCES SUEY RES BAT hele eee AT St but for your promptness and courage my child would prob- ably have been drowned. You must come to my home at once, for you are drenched, and your clothes will have to be dried. Besides, I could not think of letting you depart in an off-hand way after what you have done for us.” “Very well, sir,” replied Joe. “It will, of course, be necessary for me to have my clothes dried, as this is the only suit I have with me. I will get my coat and shoes and my bicycle, which are only a short distance away, and fellow you to the house.” “No, no,” replied Mr. Walton; “my gardener will get your things. William, go for this young man’s wheel and other articles.” “T hope you are feeling better, Miss Walton,” said Joe to the pretty but water-soaked miss, as the three walked up toward the mansion. “Yes, thank you,” with a blush and a smile, as she stole a shy glance into the face of the boy to whom she knew she owed her life. “I am very grateful to you,” she added in a low voice. ; “Don’t mention it, Miss Walton. I am very happy I was © able to reach you in time to prevent you from sinking the third time.” — “Great heaven !” exclaimed Mr. Walton, “was — so near death as that?” “I’m afraid she was, sit. I was fully twenty feet away from her when she sank the second time. I barely got to her as she rose once more'to the surface. However, as long as she is safe it doesn’t matter how close she came to drowning,” said the boy, with a light laugh. “A miss, you know, is as good as a mile.” “My young friend, if you could realize how very dear my motherless child is to me you would understand how words fail to express the gratitude I feel toward you for saving her precious life, and I shall not allow you to leave my place until I have testified my appreciation in some fit- ting thanner.” “J hope you are not thinking of offering me any reward, sir,” said Joe, hastily, “for if you are I must decline to receive it.” “No, my lad, I am not thinking of doing that. It would be utterly out of my power to pay you for a service that is beyond price. But I shall insist that you accept some little token as evidence of my esteem and friendship for rou.” “You have already thanked me in a way that shows your gratitude, and I think that covers the matter,” replied Joe. “T don’t see that I have done more than my duty under . the circumstances. As long as I am a good swimmer, it was up to me to do the best I could for the young lady. { am sure anybody equal to the emergency would have ‘done just as I did.” hey had now reached the house, and Mr. Walton turned his daughter over to the anxious-looking housekeeper, who "hurried the girl to her room. aie The grateful father led Joe ae to ee phanihep and
Page 25
be ‘ y b “6 i f ie xe 7 4 THE ROAD He brought him a suit of his own underclothes and a pair of trousers. “Put these on for the present,” he said. “TI will have your own clothes dried and pressed ; but of course it will take a little while. - You must consider yourself my guest for the day, at least.” After he had carried Joe’s wet things downstairs to the laundry-room, where a servant was instructed to attend to them, Mr. Walton returned to the boy and took him to his library. “T think we have met before, have we not?” asked the fruit grower. “Yes, sir,” replied the young commission merchant. “I called on you two days ago to secure your fruit trade, but,” with a smile, “I had very poor luck. I could not induce you to eyen consider my proposition.” “Ah, yes, I remember. Your name is——” “Page, Joe Page, of the produce commission firm of Page & Parsons, No. — West Fourteenth street, New York. My partner and I haye only been in business a short time, ‘but long enough to let the trade know that we’re alive and hustling for our share of the fruit and produce that comes to the metropolis.” . Mr. Walton smiled good-naturedly. ‘He now regarded Joe in an altogether. different light than préviously when the boy had addressed himself to him »_in the guise of a canvasser for his trade. “T am afraid I treated you rather churlishly at our last interview,” said the fruit grower. “Tf you will permit ~ me T shall be glad now to make amends for it.” “Well, sir,” said the bright boy, taking advantage of the circumstances, with an eye to business, “I shall be happy to repeat my proposition if you care to hear me.” “T will listen to you with pleasure.” Joe at once launched into the object which had brought him into that part of New Jersey, and he talked earnestly find right to the point. . Mr. Walton listened attentively, and when his gnest had finished he told him the*reasons for his refusal to nego- uiate with the new firm. He had been dealing with his present commission people for years and had no fault to find with them. Besides, one of their representatives had lately called on him and made statements regarding Page & Parsons that |1 did not appear to be to their credit. - “Those statements were all lies,” replied Joe, a hit hotly. “We are stepping on the toes of the old commission men, and they have evidently combined to freeze us out. But it won’t do them any good’ in the long run to run us down. __. We have the capital at our back and have come to stay. _ Tf they go too far I am going to make things so hot for them that they’ll be glad to haul in their horns. ‘They ran one man out by crooked methods because he cut into their trade. That man is now our bookkeeper and man- 3 ager. If they try the same game—as I expect they will— i on Mes, there’ s. going to be sd patito doing they. won't hank Hs, TO SUCCESS. 83 charge. We may be boys, but we’re out for our rights, and we're going to get them, in spite of every produce commis- sion. man in New York.” ~ Joe looked fight all over, and Mr. Walton rather admired his pluck. “Well, my young friend,” he said, “you have won ‘my lifelong gratitude, and I am going to take advantage of this opportunity to repay you in part for your invaluable services this day. I will sign an agreement with you to send you all my consignments hereafter, and take the risk of you doing as well by me as the other commission people.” “You'll take no risk whatever, sir,” replied Joe, prompt- ly. “If we can’t show as good results as the others, Pll tear up your contract and release you from any further obligation to patronize us.” “Well, that is certainly very fair on your part,” smiled the fruit grower. “Now, have you done any business with my neighbors?” “No, sir. I haven’t caught one. They all seem to fol- low your lead, and what is good enough for you seems to suit them, I hope to have better luck with them when I take your agreement around with me and show them.” “T think there is a better way than ae e “What is it, sir?” “Tf you will remain all night with us here, Pll take you around in my auto to-morrow morning and personally urge my neighbors to sign agreements with you. I think I will be able to\secure you the entire output of the district.” “T shall be glad to accept your generous invitation, Mr. Walton,” replied Joe; overjoyed at the brilliant prospect. “Tt will be the biggest kind of victory for the firm of Page & Parsons.” “Your partner is not as young as you are, is he?” asked the fruit grower. “Yes, sir. There is not more than two months’ differ- ence in our ages.” “Well, I must say you are a pair of enterprising young fellows and deserve all the encouragement you can receive. You have interested me greatly, and, apart from the obli- gation I feel under to you, I shall be glad to give your business a boost. My fruit is the most sought after in New York, and consequently commands top-notch prices. It will be something of a card for you to handle it, for it will compel the wholesalers to patronize you, and will bring your firm prominently before the trade.” “That's right, sir. I had that in view when I came out here to make a try for you, though eyery one T spoke to told me T hadn’t a ghost.of a show to catch you.” “Then everybody will find they miscalculated your per-— suasive powers,” laughed Mr. Walton. oa “Ym afraid it is more luck than anything else, sir, If — I hadn’t been so fortunate as to be on hand to rescue your daughter I am satisfied I would have taken the train to-day back to New York empty-handed.” Joe’s clothes were dried and pressed in time for him to go. to dinner looking as he usually did, : He was then formally introduced by Tessie Walt
Page 26
4 ty | i 4 prise. Davis. _ [sce him. her father, and he was quite impressed by the girl’s good looks and vivaciousness. She ‘had ‘not suffered in any way from her involuntary bath, and he voted her the most charming young lady he had ever met. CHAPTER XIV. PAGE & PARSONS ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. Joe found Jessie Walton very entertaining both at din- ner and in the parlor afterward. She played quite brilliantly on the piano, and sang with _ bewitching effect one of the latest musical novelties. Then she sat alongside cf him on a lounge and talked about the fine fruit farm her father owned, how he must go oyer it in the morning, and how very glad she was that he was in the commission business and able to handle the Walton’brand, which she had no hesitation in Sar tee 3 the best on the market, as it undoubtedly was. “Your father’s trade will give me a big boost,” said Toe. “T ought to thank you for putting me in the way of secur- ing it.” “Thank me!” she exclaimed, opening her eyes with sur- “Why, I had nothing to do with it. I didn’t’ even know you were in the commission business until father told “me he had signed an agreement to send you all of his fruit.” “But if you hadn’t fallen into the water, and given me the opportunity to’ pull you out, I should never have got . the contract,” he said, smilingly. “Oh!” she exclaimed archly, “Then I didn’t get a duck- _ ing in vain, did 1?” “Tt was. a mighty risky ducking, Miss Tessie: ane I -wouldn’t advise you to repeat it.” ~ «J won't go out again in that boat on the lake,” she said, with a positive nod of her head; ‘at least, not with Archie He told me he could sail the boat all right.” “{ am afraid he has an exaggerated opinion of his abili- _ties in that direction,” replied Joe. “I was watching the hoat for some minutes before she upset, and I am bound to say he doesn’t know the first thing about it. It was very foolish for him to try such a dangerous experiment on so windy an afternoon.” _ “Well, I just dote on the water ; that’s why T allowed him to persuade me to go out. He insisted that it wasn’t blow- I shall give Him a piece of my mind when He ought to have been ashamed to leaye me to drown, when he can swim. He might have helped me get as far as the overturned boat. Then we both could have held on till some one saw our predicament. Tf it hadn’t been for you”—and she looked gratefully into Joe’s faco— ing too hard. “Tam sure T would never have come ashore alive.” “Well, ‘you did’ get ashore alive, so we'll let the matter he go at that.” | — “And you believe T am truly. grateful to you, don't you! #7 “Sure, T do. co THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. your way. You may be sure you have his custom for good as long as you are in. the commission business.”’ “T am glad to hear that, of course; but we expect to de- serve it by handling it right up to the mark. If we couldn't do that we would have no right to expect to hold it, for business is business, and your father would suffer in pocket — and reputation if his fruit was not properly marketed.” “Father hasn’t any fears of that. He told me you were the smartest boy he ever talked to,” “T am much obliged to your father for his good opinion. ‘I hope‘ to deserve it.” “T think you deserve it,” she replied, demurely. “You are yery kind to say so, Miss Jessie. I also hope to hold your friendship indefinitely, too.” “There’s no fear of that, either. I shall never forget what you did for me as long as I live.” Mr. Walton now came into the parlor and the conversa- tion became general. _ Next morning after breakfast Joe was shown over the . big fruit farm, and he was willing to believe that it was the finest in the State of New Jersey. Mr. Walton then took him around to his neighbors: in . his automobile, and Joe soon had half a dozen signed agree- ments in his possession. They returned to the mansion in time for lunch, after which Joe said he must return to New York to make ar- rangements for the reception of the big consignments that. would be coming his way in a day or two. He found Sam at the office when he got back. j “You didn’t do so bad in Jersey, Joe,” said his partner, with a grin. “You don’t know yet how well I did,” replied Joe. “T know’ there’s a lot of produce coming in every day from that State, and if wouldn’t have come to us unless you had been handing the farmers out a pretty stiff game of talk.” “JT did the best I know how in that direction. I find I’m not a bad talker when I get down to business. You didn’t do so bad yourself up-State.” “T had to talk some of the people deaf, dumb and blind before I could make any impression on-them. Some folks are awfully thick,” remarked Sam. “Well, as long as you got them in the end, it didn’t coe . They'll stick all the closer ter how much trouble you had. to us for it.” “T hope they will. ; Well, how about the Sunbury sec- | tion? Mr. Black said you made a break for the Walton Fruit Farm and neighboring places. out?” How did vey make “What chance did Mr. Black seem to hick TI had?” asked Joe. “Very slim. Jackson & Cornish, Bailey & Co. and Cooke & Denning have a mortgage on the whole of that eeaees 2 “Who said they have?” “Why, Mr. Black, of course.” ~ “T won’t deny that he had good reason for hee opinion. : Hoe am so > sis my ather was able to nope something in’ sap was oe hardest pranoatree Te been me against. ‘Ye
Page 27
THE ROAD. TO SUCCESS, : / BB terday noon, after having talked to every grower in that section, I was ready to throw up my hands in disgust. The other commission houses got a man down there before me, ~ and what he didn’t say to queer us isn’t worth mentioning.” “Is that a fact?” asked Sam, indignantly. “Yes, that’s a fact. I had it from Mr. Walton’s own lips.” “Then your trip was a failure?” said Sam, glumly. “No, it wasn’t. Something happened that changed the whole complexion of matters.” “What happened ?” asked Sam, with a look of interest. “Well, a very pretty girl tumbled into the lake adjoining the Walton Farm just as I was passing by on my wheel. I jumped into the water and saved her life.” “The deuce you did!” “T did for a fact.” “Gee! you are quite a hero,” with a chuckle. “A pretty girl, too. I wouldn’t mind saving the life of a pretty girl myself. Is it a case of spoons?” “Nonsense !” “Well, what did that have to do with your business? a “A great deal.” “Oh, come, now, don’t keep a fellow on tne rack. How did the fact that you saved the girl help your business ?”” “She happened to be the daughter of Mr. Walton.” You don’t say !” whistled Sam. “Mr. Walton had turned our proposition down hard two days before. He would hardly listen to me. After I saved his daughter he couldn’t do enough for me.” “T should think not.” “Well, he signed an agreement to send every crate of fruit and produce he ships hereafter direct to us.” »-“That’s fine. He's a big shipper.” “And that wasn’t all he did for me.” “What else did he do?” _ “Took me around in his auto to all the neighboring farms and talked the proprietors into signing similar -agreements,”” “You don’t mean it!” gasped Sam. “T wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it.” “Holy smoke! There'll be war in the provision district over this. Why, Jackson & Cornish, Bailey & Co., and Cooke & Denning will be wild. It won’t be healthy for us | ditional customers. { to walk by their stores.” Mr. Black had proved to be invaluable to them, and “Don’t you worry about them. They tried to do us athe firm raised his salary half as much again as had been mean trick in that district, and I’m glad they have got it| originally agreed upon between them. in the neck. Some other firms I might mention will get] Joe hadn’t made any mistake in his early statement that “You bet,” said Sam, emphatically. “And we’re going to stay at the front, too.” ; CHAPTER XV. PAGE & PARSONS BREAK INTO THE CANNED GOODS TRADD, If an earthquake shock had struck the wholesale pro- vision district south of Fourteenth street it couldn’t have created greater consternation among the produce commis- sion houses than when the fact became generally known to the trade that Page & Parsons, the new firm of commis- sion merchants, had actually captured not only the Walton Fruit Farm, but every other fruit grower in the Lsbapats Se district. What Jackson & Cornish had to say on the subject would — hardly bear repetition in print. Bailey & Co. and Cooke & Denning were also heard to use language that was more forcible than polite. Then the trade made another discovery—that Page & Parsons were only boys not yet seventeen. Before they found that fact out they had imagined that their old rival, William Black, who had been observed in charge of the new concern, was ‘ie eas myer a new name, How two boys could start in the commission business and skirmish up such a good trade inside of a month was a marvel to the men who had been in the trade for years. It was gall and wormwood to the regular houses to see the wholesalers rushing into Page & Parsons’ in order to | fill their orders for stuff that the old-timers could not supply. The clique of commission men realized that they were _ going to lose a whole lot of money during the coming sea- son, now almost upon them, if something wasn’t done to choke off Page & Parsons, So a conference was called to discuss the subject, and ways and means were proposed looking to the doing-up of the ‘boy firm. The young firm was now handling a remarkable amount. of business, considering the short time Joe and Sam were — in the trade. After this Joe Page remained at the office, while Sam | took short trips throughout New Jersey drumming up ad- tid get it in the neck, too, if they aren’t careful.” they intended to make things hum in aoe wholesale pro- — “Tl call Mr. Black in and you can tell him the good | duce district. ~~ news,” said Sam. The only trouble was they had made a host of enemies Mr. Black could hardly fa his ears when Joe told} of their business rivals, and whenever the boys passed the him that hereafter they had a steady customer in the Wal-|offices of the other commission men they were treated to f ton Fruit Farm, and also that the six other Sunbury farm-|black looks, and muttered threats followed their footsteps. % ers had jgned regular season agreements. But neither Sam nor Joe cared a snap for that; they Bk “Young gentlemen,” said their manager, “you have made|were on the road to success, and that Was ‘satisfaction - ~ greatest, ae in the pene of the commission basngss. cae for them. Cia Pag is | ike was about this time that the ta receive rom
Page 28
26 - vieux and his companion, - two days later at Dexter, the county seat. So Joe telegraphed his mother to send John,-the hired j THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. Constable Snodgrass, of Pembrook, notifying them that their presence would be required at the trial of Jules Glo- raston, which was to take place man, with a rig to meet Sam and himself at. Highland on the arrival of a certain train over the West Shore Railroad. » Hyerybody in Pembrook knew that Joe Page and Sam Parsons had gone into the produce commission business in New York City, and had heard they were doing well. Therefore when the boys appeared in the village, in com- pany with John, on their way to Dexter, the day after their return home, they were objects of much interest. The trial of the Frenchmen did not take long. They were defended by a town lawyer, but the evidence. against them was sufficient to secure their conviction, and they were sentenced to five years in the Auburn Peniten- tiary. Joe then secured an order from the judge for the return to him of the four boxes of English sovereigns which had _ formed a sensational feature of the trial. Joe’s confession on the witness stand of the character of the contents of the boxes, as well as his story, corroborated - by Sam and John, of the finding of the treasure chest under the foundation of the old stone house on his mother’s. prop- aroused a good deal of excitement in court. The news reached Pembrook ahead of them, and the vil- lagers almost mobbed the boys in an effort to find out addi- final particulars about the remarkable discovery. In fact, Page & Parsons proclaimed the fact broadcast that they made a specialty of rush orders, and this an- nouncement brought a flood of orders for canned goods to the young firm when the first hot wave caused the hotel proprietors to clamor for instant delivery of extra supplies, which the wholesalers were unable to obtain in time from the commission people they were accustomed to patronize. “T tell you, Joe, we’re doing a bang-up trade now, aren’t we?” said Sam one morning, as he watched his partner going through the early mail. ? “T don’t know as we have any cause to complain,” iepticd Joe, “but I hope to see it grow still hetter. In fact, I have already got my hooks out Fes some big contracts to supply cannéd goods. ‘There’s no reason why we shouldn’t work up a very large business, for I have fifty thousand dollars in bank to loan the firm at any moment.” “Well, we can’t do too much business to suit me,” an- swered Sam. “The more the merrier. We've got several of the old prodtice houses skinned to death already. private detective we employed kind of discouraged the crooked work our rivals’ expected to practice to put us out of business. JT guess they are satisfied now that we are too smart for them.” “T hear some of them have adopted our square method of doing business in an effort to coax some of their old customers back.” “I’m not surprised to hear that,” replied Sam. turned the tide pretty strong against the old method.” “Want to see the plans for our new home up country, © For days after that the village was agog over the event, | Sam,” said Joe, taking down a roll of blue print that lay and it seemed as if*half of the residents visited the old |on the top of his desk. stone house to look at the hole, which still remained uncoy- ered, where so large an amount of English gold had re- mained for so long a time hidden and unthorght of. Everybody who had the slightest acquaintance with Mrs. Page and her daughters, as well as many who did not know them at all, visited the Page home to congratulate them on their accession to wealth, and to try to find out what their plans were for the future. Joe and Sam hurried the English money to New York, where they turned it over to the trust company, and the former received a check for something over ninety-one thousand dollars. Sam received the additional five thousand dollars his chum had promised him for his services the night the boxes were stolen from the Page home, and he immediately turned it into the business. Joe put in ten thousand dollars pina which put the boys on an equal footing, with a capital of twenty thousand dollars. Joe now turned his attention to the handling of canned goods and laid in-a big stock of Western goods, The firm then notified the wholesalers who supplied the numerous summer hotels, just opening up for the season, ce that it was in a position to supply them with canned g goods Bs at the davies. market sou ae without ae \ sicesion d girl oe i the sae fi Us : ; i ene ey te are eer eae ie ie fad “We're going to build it on the 35-acre plot.” “Sure I do,” replied-his chum, eagerly. “The one where the old stone house is, eh?” “Yes, Mother is going to have a fine lawn all apdvind the house. It will be one of the swellest residences in the county. i “Well, you’ve got the stuff to make it so.” “Mother is going to put it wp herself with a part of the $20,000 I gave her.” “How much did you give your sisters?” “Two thousand a-piece. That leaves me $50,000 in ati to meet any call for spot cash in our business. Some of That. “We these big contracts I am angling for now will require &— large temporary outlay at first if T sueceed in landing them. That’s the advantage of having money at one’s back. Lots of businesses to-day are being run at a disadvantage on account of the lack of capital or credit.” At that moment Mr. Black opened the glass door. “There is a young lady in the store wishes to see you, be Pagé,” he said. “Wishes to see me, eh?” said Joe, jumping up from his desk and wondering who it could he. “ Pll be back in a minute, Sam.” When he walked into the store he saw a get 5) ene) ae 9
Page 29
THH ROAD: ‘TO SUCCESS. et As he approached her she turned around and J oe, to his $100,000 worth of the goods to be held for a certain time surprise, recognized Jessie Walton. “Why, Miss Walton!” he exclaimed, “this is an unex- pected pleasure.” “Am I welcome?” she asked, laughingly. “As welcome as the flowers in May and the roses in _ June,” he exclaimed. “Come right into the office and I'll introduce you to my partner. He’s been crazy to see the young lady I pulled owt of the water.” Joe led the way inside. “Miss Walton, this is my chum and partner, Sam Par- sons. Sam, this is Mr. Waltonjs daughter.” Sam bowed and motioned Jessie to take the chair beside ’ the desk he had just vacated. ge Jessie stayed half an hour and then declared she must take the Desbrosses Street ferry in order to catch a certain train for Sunbury. “She’s a peach for fair,” remarked Sam after she had taken her departure. “I would like to have the inside “track with such a girl. I guéss you're pretty solid with “her. At any raté, you ought to be, after saving her life.” “Oh, I dare say, she likes me well enough,” replied Joe, in an off-hand way. “And how do you like her?” grinned his partner. “Come now, Sam, you want to know too much,” replied Joe, flushing up. Sam chuckled gleefully, for he saw he had touched on a tender spot. CHAPTER XVI. ° CONCLUSION. As the summer advanced, Page & Parsons had all they could do to handle the fruit and produce that came their way. On a conservative estimate about half of the New Jersey product that came to the city was'consigned to them. Under such circumstances it goes without saying that the _ two boys were coining all kinds of money. | Jee had an inborn knatk of doing business just right. With his ambition, tact, energy and capital, there seemed ” to be no limit to the success the firm might in the course of time attain. “Say, Joe,” said Sattiy bursting into the office one morn- ing at the end of the summer, “it looks like a sure thing that the United States is going to interfere in this Cuban _ mix-up. The paper is full of it this morning. Now, if the Government sends troops to the island there’ll be a sudden - eall for canned meats and vegetables. How do we stand —“to fill a rush order in that direction if some contractor should happen to interview us on the subject ?” “Well, Sam,” replied his partner, “we can deliver $100,- 000 worth of such’ stuff inside of twenty-four hours, and _ $50,000 worth more right on top of that. » _ Whew!” whistled Sam. “Do you mean to say you have ab 2 ied t ‘ing in that direction.” bought that much stock? You couldn’t have paid for it.” “Dve bought it ates a fashion, That i iy Tve porteted. subject to our order. This cost us $5,000, I’ve also spoken for the $50,000 worth provisionally.” “How did you come to do that?” “Soon after the first suggestion appeared in the papers that President. Roosevelt might consider it necessary to shake the ‘big stick’ over our sister Republic I found out that a certain contractor had received a tip from a big official that bids for commissary stores would soon be called for. On the strength of that I negotiated for the stuff I have mentioned and then put in an offer to the said con- tractor to supply him with $100,000 worth of goods at a figure that would give us a fair margin of profit. I received a non-committal reply from him, but:I concluded to risk $5,000 on the chance of getting the order. The goods are ready to be shipped from the Middle West on a telegraphic notice, and arrangements can be made to send them on by fast freight if necessary. If the Government should make a quick demand for supplies I think we can meet the emer- gency in shorter time than any one else in our line.” “Joe, you’ve got a long head, upon my word, you have,” said Sam, admiringly. “The times are so swift, Sam, a, fellow sg “aes to see some distance ahead or he isn’t in the 1 running.” “That isn’t any lie. By the way, a see, you’ye got your grip here this morning. Where are you going over Sun- day? Home?” “No. Got an invitation out to Sunbury.” “That's the third,” snickered Sam. “Things are rush- “What do you mean by that?” said Joe, with a rather red face, “Nothing much. traction, that’s all.” i “Oh, you get out. This invitation is from Mr. Walton.” “Sure it is,” laughed Sam. “Miss Walton hasn’t the least idea you’re coming. No, of course not.. Won’t be at the station to meet you in her pony phaeton, like she did on the other occasions. pard,” and Sam walked chuckling out of the office. Miss Walton seems to be a strong at- Joe took an early afternoon train for Sunbury and found — | Jessie Walton waiting for him at the station with her dogeart. She drove him to her home herself, as she was quite a whip in her way. He enjoyed himself immensely during his short stay, and Ho, ho, Joe, you can’t fool your old | was decidedly sorry when Monday morning eame and he had to leave for New York. “What do you think, Joe?” said gi coming into the private office that afternoon ; “Jackson & Cornish have pe into the canned goods business.” “Who told you they had? It’s the first I’ve heard of ah z “Johnson, bookkeeper for Tibbetts & Co. He and Tare | kind of friendly. He told me Jackson had nailed a big ni ames nile contract this morning, but he bisuils a me copie of the :
Page 30
28 “Where did Johnson get his information from? Do you think it’s reliable?” “He got a hint from one of Jackson’s employees.” “Well, I suppose we shall find them trying to cut into our trade. They’re pretty sore over the way Mr. Walton shook them for us. If they could turn the trick on us once and awhile it would make them feel good.” Half an. hour later Joe was walking down the street and he almost ran into Jackson. That gentleman favored him with a half sareastic, half triumphant smile. “Did you get that Government order you re after yet 2” he asked sneeringly. Then he passed on, leaving Joe in a state of eee aston- ishment, for this was the first time Jackson had ever ad- dressed him. “here's something in the wind,” mused the young com- mission merchant. “How did he know I was after the Government contract? There’s been a leak somewhere, and I’d give something to know what he meant by that remark.” . Next morning: the papers had the news that certain _ troops of the Department of the Hast had been ordered to. hold themselves iiv’readiness for a sudden geaetiES for Cuba. * WH ake That meant,if, true, that supplies would be needed at once, so Joe called up the contractor to whom he had sub- mitted a bid and asked for information. The reply came back that a contract had been’ made already with Jackson & Cornish to furnish all se pore be required. . This was a severe disappointment to the boy. “Well, Sam, Jackson & Cornish have managed to get back at us at last,” he said when his partner came into the’ office later on. “They have?” cried Sam, in some astonishment: . is that ?” fe “How ‘Joe gave him the particulars and his ehum was- dis-} gusted. “That's fierce. Shall we lose that $5,000?” “Tt looks like it'just now. But don’t worry, we can stand it. I took chances on a long shot, and a screw worked lose somehow. That’s thé whole story.” About two o’clock a newsboy brought an. afternoon pape into the office. Joe picked it up and the first thing he noticed in big type was a railroad accident on the Lake Shore Railroad. A fast freight had been derailed east of Cleveland, and about-twenty cars had gone down an embankment and. been smashed into kindling wood. — The accident had been caused by a defective switch. The story had no particular significance for Joe, and he soon tossed the paper aside. It was getting on to five o’clock when a man he had never seen. before was admitted to his room. “You have the reputation for being able to fill rush i: orders. for canned d goods, Mr. Page,” said his Hoist com- ee order % Aus mail THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. —$$— $a eae ae aaa ing directly to the point. “Now, can you deliver in Jersey City a pretty big order—say $100,000 worth of prime pre- served meats and vegetables—in twenty hours? If so, let me have your price.” “Who do you represent, Mr. Pratt?” asked Joe, curi-- ously. “That isn’t material,” replied his caller. spot cash figure. Money talks, doesn’t it?” “Tt usually does,” replied Joe, who then quoted the man a price which his visitor accepted conditional on the de- livery of the goods within twenty four hours at the outside, but twenty if possible. “Here is a certified check for $10,000 on account,” said the man, “as a guarantee the goods will be taken on arrival within the specified time. Send your representative with the documents to my office to-morrow the moment you re- ceive word the cars are in the freight yard, and the balance will be paid in bills.” The man took his departure, after laying his oon on Joe’s desk, and then the young commission merchant rang up the Dundee concern on the long distance wire, and com-” pleted his purchase of the $100,000 order, conditional on arrival of the goods at Jersey City within 22 hours. Next morning Joe learned that the canned goods Ji ackson & Cornish had ordered from Chicago to fill their Govern-_ ment contract had gone to smash in the Lake Shore freight wreck, and then he smelt a mouse. Jackson & Cornish in a roundabout way had placed the same order with him to fill, sacrificing their profit in order to be able to fill their contract, The goods arrived in time and Page & Parsons got their money for them, and then the two young partners had a quiet laugh at the expense of their rivals. As this event happened only the other day, we must close. our story at this point, leaving Joe Page and his friend, Sam Parsons, in full swing on their road to suc- cess, two of the smartest boys in the city of New York. We need only mention one more fact which Joe confided to the author the other day, and that is Jessie Walton had, with her father’s consent,.promised fo marry him when she reaches her eighteenth birthday. With those words we close the career of ‘y fortunate bap, “T want -your (‘THE END.) Read “CHASING POINTERS; OR, THE LUCKI-- EST BOY IN WALL STREET,” which will be the next number (60) of “Fame and Fortune Weekly.” | i SPECIAL NOTICE: All back numbers of this weekly are always in print. If you cannot obtain them from any — newsdealer, send the price in money or postage stamps by — mail to FRANK TOUSEY, PUBLISHER, 24 UNION SQUARE, NEW YORK, and ey will receive the Tete
Page 31
re Fo. . 891 o Eel ‘ike Pxrew eo & AND tO mm CONTAINS ALL SORTS OF STORIES. EVERY STORY COMPLETE. 32 PAGES. LATEST ISSUES: From Gutter to Governor; or, The Luck of a Waif. By H. K. Shackleford. Davy Croke, Jr.; or, “Be Sure You're Right, Then Go Ahead,” By An Old Scout. The Young Diamond Hunters; or, Two Runaway Boys in Treasure Land. A Story of the South African Mines. By Allan Arnold. The Phantom erie, oe The Chase of ‘the Flying: Clipper. By Capt. Thos, H {lso’ Special Bob; or, The Pride of the Road. By Jas. C. Merritt. Three Chums; or, The Bosses of the School. By Allyn Draper. The Drummer Boy’s Secret; or, Oath-Bound on the Battiofeld. By Gen’l. Jas. A. Gordon. 378 Jack. Bradford; or, The Struggles of a Working Boy. By Howard Austin. 879 The Unknown Renegade; or, The Three Great Scouts. By An Old Scout. 880 gdb ba North; or, Two Years On The Arctic Circle. By Ber- on Bertrew. 881 Running Rob; or, Mad Anthony's Rollicking Scout. A Tale of The American Revolution. By Gen. Jas. A. Gordon. 882 Down the Shaft; or, The Hidden Fortune of a Boy Miner. By Howard Austin. 3888 The Beg. Bb abs, So Tnepetores or, Across the Continent on a Hand y Jas, C. Merrit 884 oe te or, Lost Among the Head-Hunters. By Richard R, Montgomery. 885 From Newsboy to President; or, Fighting for Fame and Fortune. By H. K. Shackleford. 886 Jack Harold, The Cabin Bars or, Ten Years on an Unlucky Ship. By Capt. Thos. H. Wilson 887 Gold Gulch; or, Pand Bllis's Last Trail. By. An Old Scout. 888 Dick Darlton, the ERG. ouse Boy; or, The Struggles of a Friend- less Waif. By H. Shackleford. 889 The Haunted Light- Houses or, The Black Band of the Coast. By Howard Austin. 890 The Rose Boy, Boo cig ea oe New York; or, Climbing the Ladder of rtune d (The Young American Actor), ane BS The Adventures of a Young American in ‘India. llan. Arnold. 892 General gitiaw’ s Boy Spy; or, The March to the Sea. By Gen'l. Jas. A. Gordon. 308 7 ree Be You ae a tea or, The Pluckiest Boy on the Jas. erri 894 Little Sobert Emmet; or, The White Boys of Tipperary. By, nm Draper. od Kit’ pert: Pit : or, The Young Army Scout. By An Old Scout. 96 Be cae the Aurora; or, The Search for the Magnet Mountain. erton Bertrew. 397 Sern Diamond Skulls; or, The Secret City of Siam. .By Allan nold. 3898 over “the f suing: or, The Rich and Poor Boys of Riverdale Schools. nm Draper. 899 The? aienty Silent wioltens or, The Wild Riders of the Moun- tains. y Richard R Mont; tgomery. 400 A New | York Working Boy; or, A Fight for a Fortune. By How- 401 bs 5 ae ue juggler ; or, A Boy’s Search for His Sister. By H. K. 402 ceed “Paul Jers or, The Scourge of the British Coast. Capt. T Wilson 408 Maseps Noe on ‘the Eas Fire com ompany Ox-1 By “of Carlton; or, Plucky ork on Ladder and Line. ire Chief Warden. 404 The Blue Mask or, Fighting againat the Czar. By Allan Arnold, 405 Dick, the Apprentice Boy; wag ound to be an Engineer. (A Story of allroad Life.) By Jas. C. Merritt. 406 Kit nny ag m2 an, f eyes egestas or, The Search for a n cou! ost 407 The Rivets at Round Top Academy; or, Missiug from School. . By Allyn Draper. BEAUTIFULLY COLORED COVERS. PRICE 5 CENTS. ; 1408 es pe ee Million; or, A Boy Broker's Luek in Wall Street. H. Shackleford. 409 rhe Lost Noty of the Andes; or, The Treasure of the Volcano. (A Story of Adventures in a Strange Land.) By Richard R. Mont- gomery. 410 The Rapidan Rangers; or, General Washington’s Boy Guard. (A ay of the American Revolution.) By Gen’l James A. Gor- 411 “O18 Put”; or, The Fire Boys of Brandon. By Wx-Fire Chief*War- en. 412 Dead Game; or, Davy Crockett’s Double. By An Old Scout. (413 Barnum’s Young Sandow; or, The Strongest Boy in the World. By Berton Bertrew. 414 Halsey & Co.; or, The Young Bankers and Speculators. By H. K. Shackleford. 418 Alow and Aloft; or, The Dashing Boy Harpooner. By Capt. Thos, H. Wilson. 416 The Meteor ed aoa or, The Perilous Run of a Boy Engineer. By Jas. C. Merritt. 417 Buttons; or, Climbing to the Top. (A Story of a Boothblack’s Luck and Pluck.) By Allyn Draper. 418 The Jron Grays; or, The Boy Riders of the Rapidan. By Gen'l. Jas. A. Gordon," 419 Money and Mystery; or, Hal Flallerton’s Tips in Wall Street. By H. K. Shackleford 420 The Boy Sultan; or, Searching for a Lost Diamond Mine, By 421 Bago a Nee The Only Boy in th eWwoo o. 2; or, The Only Boy in the Fire Compan B ai Fire-Chief Warden. i's ph a 422 Lost on a Raft; or, Driven from Sea to Sea. By Captain: Thos. H. Wilson. 423 St 2 oe or, Ben Bright, the Boy Hngineer. By Jas. C. err 424 Ed, the Errand Boy; or, Working His Way in the World. By Howard Austin. 425 Pawnee Bill in Oklahoma; or, Fighting with the White Chief. _ By An Old Scout. 426 Percy Greville, the Scout of Valley Forge, By Gen’l. Jas, A. Gor- don. (A Story of the American Revolution, )) 427 Bulls and Bears; or, A Bright Boy's Fight With the Brokers of Wall Street. By H. K. Shackleford. 428 The Dead Shot Rangers; or, The Boy Captain of the Home De- fenders. (A Story of the American Revolution.) By Gen'l, Jas, A. Gordon. 429 Lost in the Grassy Sea; or, Three Years in the Sargasso. By Capt. Thos H. Wilson. 430 Tom Porter's Search; or, The Treasure of ‘the Mountains. By Richard R. Montgomery. 431. Throw zh Smoke and Flame; or, The Rival Firemen of Irvington. By Ex-Fire-Chief Warden, 432 Exile No. 707; or, The Boys of the Forgotten Mine. (A Story of Russia and Siberia.) By Allan Arnold. 438 Steel Blade, The Boy Scout of Fort Ridgely; or, The War Trail of the Sioux. By An Old Scout. 434 From Engineer to ‘President ; or, Ww orking His Way Up. By Jas. C. Merritt. ; 435 AMERY, Bea or, A Bright Boy's Career in Wall Street. By H, K. ackleford 436 se eae of the Prairie; or, The Boy Who Owned It All, By An ou! 437 Herman, the Boy Magician; or, On the Road With a Variety Show. By Berton Bertrew. 438 " Pipe of Barrington; or, The Hero of No. 4. By Ex-Fire-Chiet Varden, 439 ti Spy_of Spuyten Duyvil; or, The Boy With a Charmed Life. By Gen, Jas, A. Gordon. 440 Two Yankee Boys Among the Kaftirs; or, The Search for King Solo- mon’s Mines, By Allyn Draper. 441 The Arctic Crusoes; or, Lost at the World's End. By Howlrd Austin. 442 ag 4 Meigs hee 8 one or, The Perilous Career of'a Boy Engineer. By as, C, Merrit For sale by all newsdealers, or will be sent to any address on receipt of price, 5 oath per copy, in money or postage stamps, by FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, 24 Union Square, New York. IF YOU WANT ANY BACK NUMBERS of our Libraries and cannot procure them from newsdealers, they can be obtained from tNis office direct. Cut out and fll in the following Order Blank and send it to us with the price of the books you want and we will send them to you by te turn mail. Breen A; Shestaia nese ti * eRe eee mised eunem mma ebe, epeene case (x OURS“ BLE ACCU WW ee Meera ah fe hoi a liye coe cue “FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, 24 Union Square, New i Drar Smr—Enclosed ABD cides ....copies of WORK AND WIN, Nos...... ee “; WIDE AWAKE WEEKLY, Nos....... reese caer Jac eng WELL: WV Aa b= WOR ella Vig IN Bia Lab eae hie a ips 4 al soc ode ed eben nef epee LIBERTE BOY SOW VG NOS6e r55c ce as one's Eiger he eC CAND: BRUOK, | Meaiie sm, (2 cereal boa ue wore adeidy “ “ eens } SECRET SERVICE, Nos... ... Cee ee FAME AND FORTUNE bassinet, AG War re Te -Ten-Cent ae Book Rts sai 9) Pee eae iar ana ca eg) POSTAGE STAMPS TAKEN THE SAME AS MONEY. Sewer eee eee rarer sees eee re ee reo} , York. ey steer -cents for which please send me: reas a tS oe ek Pe ee ie ee a ee ey ee a ey o hibits Si be we job) a ean BOOM le: ¥- 280508 8 O48 018 Sie, oreo ee bee ee ee ee a ae ess Y see ee wwe ee eee ew eee 6 hae 2 Ge Diets BUG ele Jee ane 16 fe ~ ¥ ee eee a a rd { tele ween reine ea re ed ee 2 a oe POO NW) ad 2 50 09 9 70 816 6 (al 96. Bgl % Pons Bae,
Page 32
gleight-of-han These Books Tell You Everything! A COMPLETE SET IS A REGULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA! Bach book consists of sixty-four pages, printed on good paper, in clear type and neatly bound in an attractive, illustrated cover. Wost of the books are also profusely illustrated, and all of the subjects treated upon are explained in such a simple manner that any child can thoroughly undecstand them. Look over the list as classified and see if you want to know anything about the subjects mentioned. THESE BOOKS ARE FOR SALE BY ALL NEWSDHALERS OR WILL PH SENT BY MAIL TO ANY ADDRESS FROM THIS OFFICH ON RECEIPT OF PRICH, THN CENTS EACH, OR ANY THRE BOOKS FOR TWENTY-FIVE GENTS. POSTAGE STAMPS TAKEN THE SAME AS MONEY. Address FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, 24 Union Square, N.Y. MESMERISM. N-, 81. HOW TO MESMERIZH.—Containing the most ap- vroved methods of mesmerism; also how to cure all kinds of uiseases by animal magnetism, or, magnetic healing. By Prot. Leo Hugo Koch, A. C. §., author of “How to Hypnotize,” ete. PALMISTRY. No. 8&2. HOW TO DO PALMISTRY.—Containing the most ap- roved methods of reading the lines on the hand, together with z full explanation of their meaning. Also explaining phrenology, and the key for telling character by the bumps on the head. By fico Hugo Koch, A. C. 8. Fully illustrated. s HYPNOTISM. . No. 88. HOW TO HYPNOTIZH.—Containing valuable and in- structive information regarding the science of hypnotism. Also explaining the most approved methods which are employed by the leading hypnotists of the world. By Leo Hugo Koch, A.C.S. SPORTING. -No. 21. HOW TO HUNT AND FISH.—The most complete hunting and fishing guide ever published. It contains full in- structions about’ guns, hunting dogs, traps, trapping and fishing, together with descriptions of game and fish. No. 26. HOW TO ROW, SAIL AND BUILD A BOAT.—Fully illustrated. Every boy should know how to row and sail a boat. Full instructions are giyen in this little book, together with in- structions on swimming’ and riding, companion sports to boating. 0. 47. HOW.7O0 BREAK, RIDE AND DRIVE A HORSHE,.— A complete treatise on the horse. Describing the most useful horses for business, the best horses for the road; also valuable recipes for diseases peculiar to the horse. — No. 48. HOW TO BUILD AND SAIL CANOES.—A handy book for boys, containing full directions for constructing canoes and the most popular manner of sailing them. Fully illustrated. By C. Stansfield Hicks. O25) FORTUNE TELLING. No. 1. NAPOLHON’S ORACULUM AND DREAM BOOK.— Containing the great oracle of human destiny; also the true mean- ing of almost any kind of dreams, together with charms, ceremonies, and curious games of cards. A complete book, ; 1S Nos. 23. W TO EXPLAIN DREAMS.—Everybody dreams, from the little child to the aged man and woman. ‘This little book gives the explanation to all kinds of dreams, together with lucky and eee days, and “Napoleon’s Oraculum,” the book of fate. No. 28. HOW TO TELL FORTUNES.—Everyone is desirous of knowing what his future life will bring forth, whether happiness or misery, yealth or poverty. You can tell by a glance at this little book. Hey oné and be convinced. Tell your own fortune. Tell the fortune of your friends. No. 76. HOW TO TELL FORTUNES BY THE HAND.— Containing rules for telling fortunes by the aid of lines of the hand, or the secret of palmistry. Also the secret of telling future events by aid of moles, marks, scars, etc. Illustrated. By A, Anderson. : ATHLETIC. ' No. 6 HOW TO BHCOME AN ATHLNETE.—Giving full in- struction for the use of dumb bells, Indian clubs, parallel bars, horizontal bars and various other methods of developing a good, healthy muscle; containing over sixty illustrations, HWyery boy can become strong and healthy by following the instructions contained in this little book. No. 10. HOW TO BOX.—The art of self-defense made easy. Containing over thirty illustrations of guards, blows, and the ditfer- ent positions of a good boxer. Every boy should obtain one of these useful and instructive books, as it will teach you how to box without an instructor. No. 25. HOW TO BECOME A GYMNAST.—Containing full instructions for all kinds of gymnastic sports and athletic exercises: Hmbracing thirty-five illustrations. By Professor W. Macdonald. ‘A handy and useful book. No. 34. HOW TO FENCH:—Containing full instruction for fencing and the use of the broadsword; also instruction in archery. Described with twenty-one practical illustrations, giving the best positions in fencing. A complete book. ; : ee TRICKS WITH CARDS. : _ No. 51. HOW TO DO TRICKS WITH CARDS.—Containing explanations of the general principles of sleight-of-hand applicable ‘te card tricks; of card tricks with ordinary cards, and not requiring d; of tricks involving sleight-of-hand, or the use of specially prepared cards. By Professor Haffner. Illustrated. — a ‘taining full instructions for writing letters on almost any subject; also rules for punctuation and composition, with specimen letters, No. 72. HOW TO DO SIXTY TRICKS WITH CARDS.—Enm- bracing all of the latest and most deceptive card tricks, with il- lustrations. By A. Anderson. = No. 77. HOW TO DO FORTY TRICKS WITH CARDS.— Uontaining deceptive Card Tricks as performed by leading conjurors and magicians. Arranged for home amusement. Fully illustrated. MAGIC. No. 2. HOW TO DO TRICKS.—The great book of magic an card tricks, containing full instruction on alt the leading card tricks of the day, also the most popular magical illusions as performed by our leading magicians ; every boy should obtain a copy of this book, as it will both amuse and instruct. No, 22. HOW TO DO SECOND SIGHT.—Heller’s second sight explained by his former assistant, Fred Hunt, Jr. Explaining how the secret dialogues were carried on between the magician and the boy on the stage; also giving all the codes and signals. The only authentic explanation of second sight. No. 48. HOW TO BECOME A MAGICIAN.—Containing the grandest assortment of magical illusions ever placed before the public. Also tricks with cards, incantations, ete. No. 68. HOW TO DO CHEMICAL TRICKS.—Containing over one hundred highly amusing and instructive tricks with chemicals, By A. Anderson. Handsomely illustrated. No. 69, HOW TO DO SLEIGHT OF HAND.—Containing oyer fifty of the latest and best tricks used by magicians. Also contain- ing the Secret of second sight. Fully illustrated, By A. Anderson. _No. 70. HOW TO MAKE MAGIC TOYS.—Containing full directions for making Magie Toys and devices of many kinds. By A. Anderson. Fully illustrated. ; No. 73, HOW TO DO TRICKS WITH NUMBERS.—Showing many curious tricks with figures and the magic of numbers. By A. Anderson. Fully illustrated. No. 15. HOW TO BHCOME A CONJUROR. — Containing tricks with Dominos, Dice, Cups and Balls, Hats, ete. Hmbracing thirty-six illustrations. By A. Anderson. ° } No. 78. HOW TO DO THE BLACK ART.—Containing a com- plete description of the mysteries of Magic and Sleight of Hand, together with many wonderful experiments. By A. Anderson, filustrated, MECHANICAL. No. 29. HOW TO BECOME AN. INVENTOR.—Hvery boy should know how inyentions originated. This book explains them all, giving examples in electricity, hydraulics, magnetism, optics, pneumatics, mechanics, etc. The most instructive book published. _ No. 56. HOW TO BECOME AN ENGINEDR.—Containing full instructions how to proceed in order to become a locomotive en- gineer; also directions for building a model locomotive; together with a fuil description of everything an engineer should know. _No. 57. HOW TO MAKH MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.—Full directions how to make a Banjo, Violin, Zither, Molian Harp, Xylo- phene and other musical instruments; together with a brief de- seription of nearly every musical instrument used in ancient or modern times. Profusely illustrated. By Algernon S. Fitzgerald, for twenty years bandmaster of the Royal Bengal Marines, 3 No. 59. HOW TO MAKE A MAGIC LANTERN.—Containing | a description of the lantern, together with its history and invention, Also full directions for its use and for painting slides. Handsomely illustrated. By John Allen. ‘ ar No. 71. HOW TO DO MECHANICAL: TRICKS.—Containing complete instructions for performing over sixty Mechanical Tricks. By A. Anderson, Fully illustrated. 3 LETTER WRITING. : s No." 11. HOW TO WRITE LOVE-LETTERS.—A most com- plete little book, containing full directions for writing love-letters, and when to use them, giving specimen letters for young and old, No. 12. HOW TO WRITE LETTERS TO LADIES.—Giving complete instructions for writing letters to ladies on all subjects; _ also letters of introduction, notes and eet eae No. 24. HOW. TO WRITE LETTERS TO GENTLEMEN.— | Containing full directions for writing to gentlemen on all subjects; also giving sample letters for instruction. ce No. 53. HOW TO WRITE LETTERS.—A_ wonderful little hook, telling you how to write to your sweetheart, your father, mother, sister, brother, employer; and, in fact, everybody and any- body you wish to write to, Every young man and every young lady in the land should have this book. ; é No. 74. HOW TO WRITE LETTERS CORRECTLY.—Con- is > a ea ieee 4H as
Page 33
a THE STAGE. : No. 41, THH BOYS OF NEW YORK END MEN’S JOKE BOOK.—Containing a great variety of the latést 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 SPHAKER.— Containing a varied assortment of stump speeches, Negro, Dutch and Irish. Also end men’s jokes. Just the thing for home amuse- vment and amateur shows. No. 45. THH BOYS OF NEW YORK MINSTREL GUIDE AND JOKW BOOK.—Something new and very instructive. Hyvery boy should obtain this book, as it contains full instructions for or- ganizing an amateur minstrel troupe. _ No. 65. MULDOON’S JOKES.—This is one of the most original joke books ever published, and it is brimful of wit and humor, It contains a large collection of songs, jokes, conundrums, ete. of Terrence Muldoon, the great wit, humorist, and practical joker of the day. Hyery boy who can enjoy a good substantial joke should obtain a copy immediately. No. 79. HOW TO BECOME AN ACTOR.—Containing com- plete instructions how to make up for various characters on the stage; together with the duties of the Stage Manager, Prompter, Scenic Artist and Property Man. By a prominent Stage Manager, No. 80. GUS WILLIAMS’ JOKE BOOK.—Containing the lat- est jokes, anecdotes and funny stories of this world-renowned and ever popular German comedian. Sixty-four pages; handsome colored cover containing a half-tone photo of the author, HOUSEKEEPING. No. 16. HOW TO KEEP A WINDOW GARDEN.—Containing full instructions for constructing a window garden either in town or country, and the most approved methods for raising beautiful “Pali at home, e most complete book of the kind ever pub- ished, No. 30. HOW TO COOK.—One of the most instructive books on cooking ever published. It contains recipes for cooking meats, fish, game, and oysters; also pies, puddings, cakes and all kinds of pastry, and a grand collection of recipes by one of our most popular - cooks. No. 37. HOW TO KHEP HOUSH.—It contains information for everybody, boys, girls, men and women; it will teach you how to make almost anything around the house, such as parlor ornaments, brackets, cements, Aeolian harps, and bird lime for catching birds. : ELECTRICAL. “No. 46. HOW TO MAKH AND USB ELECTRICITY.—A de- scription of the wonderful uses of electricity and electro magnetism ; together with full instructions for making Blectric Toys, Batteries, ian By George Trebel, A. M., M. D. Containing over fifty il- ustrations. Z No. 64. HOW TO MAKE ELECTRICAL MACHINES.—Con- taining full directions for making electrical machines, induction _ coils, dynamos, and many novel toys to be worked by electricity. y R. A. R. Bennett. Fully illustrated. atl No. 67. HOW TO DO ELECTRICAL TRICKS.—Containing a _ large collection of instructive and highly amusing electrical tricks, together with illustrations. By A. Anderson. ENTERTAINMENT. No. 9. HOW TO BECOME, A VENTRILOQUIST.—By Harry Kennedy. The secret given away. Hvery intelligent boy reading this book of instructions, by a practical professor (delighting multi- tudes every night with his wonderful imitations), can master the art, and create any amount of fun for himself and friends. It is the greatest book ever published, and there’s millions (of fun) in it, - No. 20. HOW TO PNTURTAIN AN EVENING PARTY.—A very valuable little hook just published. A complete compendium e Yames, sports, card diversions, comic recitations, etc., suitable for parlor or drawing-room entertainment. It contains more for the Money than any book published, : + 35. HOW TO PLAY GAMES.—A complete and useful little ) 4 bo containing the rules and regulations of billiards, bagatelle, backgammon, croquet, dominoes, etc. ib v No. 36. HOW TO SOLVE. CONUNDRUMS.—Containing all the leading conundrums of the day, amusing riddles, curious catches and witty sayings. ; i No, 52. HOW TO PLAY MARDS.—A complete and handy little book, giving the rules and fe, “ireetions for playing Wuchre, Orib- age, Casino, Forty-Five, ce, Pedro Sancho, Draw Poker, Auction Pitch, All Fours, and trany: other popular games of cards. ‘No. 66. HOW TO DO PUZZLES:—Containing over three hun- dred interesting puzzles and conundrums, with key to same. A _ Complete book. Fully illustrated. By A. Anderson. ETIQUETTE. *No, 13. HOW TO DO IT; OR, BOOK OF BTIQUETTH—1t | is a great life secret, and one that every young man desires to know all about. There’s happiness in it. ea. No. 33. HOW TO BEHAVE.—Containing the rules and etiquette ‘of good society and the easiest and most approved methods of ap- on ‘i “Pearing to good advantage at parties, balls, the theatre, church, and _the drawing-room, 4 est DECLAMATION. - No. 27. HOW TO RHCITE AND,BOOK OF RECITATIONS. Containing the’ most popular selections in use, comprising Dutch dialect, French dialect, Yankee and Irish dialect pieces,’ together “With many standard readings. , -Hiland, a "PRICE 10 CENTS: EACH, OR 3 FOR 25 CENTS. _ Address FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, 24 Union Square, New Vor. — No, 31. HOW TO BECOME A SPHAKHR.—Containing fout> teen illustrations, giving the different positions requisite to become a good speaker, reader and elocutionist. Also containing gems from all the popular authors of prose and poetry, arranged in the most simple and concis2 manner possible. No. 49. HOW TO DEBATH.—Giying rules for conducting de- bates, outlines for debates, questions for discussion, and the best sources for procuring infomation on the questions given. SOCIETY. No. 8. HOW TO FLIRYT.—The arts and wiles of flirtation are fully explained by this little book. Besides the various methods handkerchief, fan, glove, parasol, window and hat flirtation, it con- tains a full list of the language and sentiment of flowers, which is interesting to everybody, both old and young. You cannot be happy . without one. No. 4. HOW TO DANCH is the title of a new and handsome littie book just issued by Frank Tousey. It contains full instruc tions in the art of dancing, etiquette in the ball-room and at parties, Roy to dress, and full directions for calling off in all popular square ances. No. 5. HOW TO MAKE LOVE.—A complete guide to love, cowrtship and martiage, giving sensible advicc, rules and etiquette to BS gheennets with many curious and interesting things not gen- erally known. No. 17. HOW TO DRESS.—Contaiuing full instruction in the art of dressing and appearing well at home aud abroad, giving the selections of colors, material, and how to have them made up. No. 18. HOW TO BECOME BHAUTIFUL.—One of the brightest and most valuable little books ever given to the world. lWverybody wishes to know how to become beautiful, both male and female, The secret is simple, and almost costless. Read this book and be conyinced how to become beautiful. ‘ BIRDS AND ANIMALS. No. 7. HOW TO KEEP BIRDS.—Handsomely illustrated and containing full instructions for the management, and training of the canary, pie a alae bobolink, blackbird, paroquet, parrot, ete. No. 39. HOW TO RAISE DOGS, POULTRY, PIGHONS AND RABBITS.—A useful and instructive book.. Handsomely illus- trated. By Ira Drofraw. Mago 3 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. By J. Harrington eene, ? No. 50. HOW TO STUFF BIRDS AND ANIMALS.—A valuable book, giving instructions in collecting, preparing, mounting and preserving birds, animals and insects. i ; No. 54. HOW TO KEEP AND MANAGE PETS.—Giving com- plete information as to the manner and method of xaising, eaae taming, breeding, and managing all kinds of pets; also giving full ; instructions for making cages, etc. Fully explained by twenty-eight illustrations, making it the most complete book of the kind ever published. mn ee MISCELLANEOUS. _ No. 8. HOW TO BECOME A SCIENTIST.—A useful and in- structive book, giving a complete treatise on chemistry; also ex- periments in acoustics, mechanics, mathematics, chemistry, and di- rections for making fireworks, colored fires, and gas balloons. This book cannot be equaled. No. 14. HOW TO MAKH CANDY.—A complete hand-book for moring st kinds of candy, ice-cream prape essences, ete., ete, No. 84. HOW TO BECOME AN AUTHOR.—Containing full information regarding choice of subjects, the use of words'and the manner of preparing and submitting manuscript. Also containing valuable information as to the neatness, legibility and general com- osition of manuscript, essential to a successful author. By Prince ~ No. 38. HOW TO BECOME YOUR OWN DOCTOR.—A worte derful book, containing useful and practical information in th@, , treatment of ordinary diseases and ailments common to every), family. Abounding in useful and effective recipes for general com- laints. : a No. 55. HOW TO COLLECT STAMPS AND COINS.—Con- taining valuable information regarding the collecting and arranging of stamps and coins. Handsoniely illustrated. *e No. 58. HOW 'TO BE A DETECTIVE.—By Old King Hees the world-known detective. In which he lays down some valuable — sensible akg’ phil: cpctchage ant also relates some adventures and experiences of well-known detectives. No. 60. HOW TO BECOMB A PHOTOGRAPHER.—Contain- ing useful information regarding the Camera and how to work it; also how to make Photographic Magic Lantern Slides and other Transparencies. .Handsomely illustrated. By Captain W. De W. Abney. a 62. HOW TO BECOME A WEST POINT MILITARY CADET.—Containing full explanations how to gain pasties course of Study, Examinations, Duties, Staff of Officers, P Guard, Police Regulations, Fire Department, and all a boy should know to be a Cadet. poe a written by Lu Senarens, author of “How to, Become a_Nayal Catlet. rags No. 63. HOW TO BECOMB A NAVAL CADDT.—Complete in- | structions of bow to gain admission to the Annapolis’ Naval | Academy. Also containing the course of instruction, description of grounds and buildings, historival sketch, and everything a_boy should know to become an officer in the United States Navy. Com-— piled and written by In Senarens, author of “How ior Heoeibe ee West Point Military Cadet.” Dee We ae
Page 34
“WIDE AWAKE WEEKLY A COMPLETE STORY EVERY WEEK Price 5 Cents — BY THE BEST AUTHORS Price 5 Cents MF HANDSOME ILLUSTRATED COVERS 32-PAGES OF READING MATTER ISSUED EVERY FRIDAY “3m Interesting Stories of Adventure in All Parts of the World gar TAKE NOTICE! Bg This handsome weekly contains intensely interesting stories of adventure on a great variety of . subjects. Each number is replete with rousing situations and lively incidents. The heroes are bright, manly fellows, who overcome all obstacles by sheer force of brains and grit and win well- merited success. We have secured a staff of new authors, who write these stories in a manner which will be a source of pleasure and profit to the reader. Hach number has a handsome col- ‘ “a ored illustration made by the most expert artists. Large sums of money are being spent to make this one of the best weeklies ever published. : : : : ; : Here is a List of Some of the Titles..... 1 Salaphing the Auto Record; or, Bart Wilson at the Speed Lever.|17 The Keg of Diamonds; or, After the Treasure of the Caliphs. By , es Edward N, Fox.) ~ Tom Dawson. 2 Off the Ticker; or, Fate at a Moment’s Notice. By Tom Dawson.|18 Sandow, Junior; or, The Boy Who Looked Puny. By Prof. Oliver 3 aoe beted o Captain or, Dick Danford’s West Point Nerve. By Owens. eu ArT. 19 Won by Bluff; or, Jack Mason’s Marble Face. By Frank Irvin; 4 The Get-Thexe Boys or, Making Things Hum in Honduras. By} 29 On ithe Lobster Sh Sg or, The Herald’s Star Reporter. By ans owar ° Wp me pners Bai et ery 0k Bees revere. BY Ere 21 Une oe Vegeta Steel; or, A Yankee Boy in Corsica. By eu arry. § piss Stay Boye 7.08; Downing A Tough: Naive: «By Aa Howard 22 Too Green to Burn; or, The Luck of Being a Boy. By Rob Roy. 7 saa Pe off the Harth; or, Ted Trim's Hard Luck Cure. By Rob} 23 In pa as or, The Boy Who Had Things Basy. By Fred 8 Doing “it Quick 0 or, ike Brown's Hustle at Panama, By Captain | 24 One Bah in a Million; or, The Trick That Paid. By Edward N. awthorn, U, 8. : 9 In the ’Frisco Warthquake; or, Bob Brag’s Day of Terror. By | 25 In spite Mee eee or, Serving the Russian Police. By Prof. Prof. Oliver Owens. Yoo .| 26 Kicked into Luck; or, The Way Nate Got There. By Rob Roy. er Way ee Seeing Life with a Vaudeville Show. By Hd-| 39 ike ince of Opale? or, ‘The Man-Trap of Death Valicge Be’ A. 11 Cut Ont for an Officer; or, Corporal Ted in the Philippines. By Howard De Witt. ¢ Lieut. J. J. Barry. 28 Living in His Hat; or, The Wide World His Home. By Hdward 12 A Fool for Luck; or, The Boy Who Turned Boss. By Fred War- . Fox, burton. . 29 All or nus dd Diaz; or, A Hot Time in Mexico. By Lieut. J. J. 18 The Great Gaul Giaad At Pg Phil Winston's Start in Reporting. By A, Howard De W 30 The Raglest Ever; or, How Tom Filled a Money Barrel. By Capt. 14 Out for Gold; or, 'The Soy Who Knew the Difference. By Tom Hawthorn, U. "8. N. Dawson. ; é 31 In the Sultan's Eye; or, Beating the Porte’s Game. By fom 15 The Boy Who Balked; or, Bob Brisbane’s Big Kick. By Frank og q 32 The Crater of Gold; or, Dick Hope’s Find in the Philippines. By 16 Slicker than Silk; or, The Smoothest Boy Alive. By Rob Roy. Fred Warburton. For sale by all newsdealers, or will be sent to any address on receipt of price, 5 cents per copy, in money or postage stamps, by ° FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, 24 Union Square, New York. IF YOU WANT ANY BACK NUMBERS } of our libraries, and cannot procure them from newsdealers, they can be obtained from this office direct. Cut out and fill in the following Order Blank and send it to us with the price of the books you want and we will send them to you by re- turn mail. POSTAGE STAMPS TAKEN THE SAME AS MONEY. pests * FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, 24 Union Square, New York. ined ee SRR A a eo Dear Sir— Enclosed find...... cents for whieh please send me: .... copies of FAME AND FORTUNE WBNS INDE F404 claatec ere teenies wie dia grains ee teeeeeeeerens covey oS WIDE AWAKE. WEEKLY, Wi cag Cente ME OE Tc o 3 bic eal: eae re eae Was NID WN TGS 98k, 4 5 ou fealaaie nde ade Waah aunts ch «is sew howaies Lista fhaeas teat “ WILD WEST WEEKLY, Mae i 2 wi tyei ALi eis oiea GE ae afi PLUCK AND LUCK, Ree SS Bs Be RN be aang camiaiuniccen Hamedierh ieeses coe oe RENEE i SECHIT. RERVICEY Wolk 6.5 000 oie sinsad Fas ea wd hy obo d clgn an ba Fig ea SU eke eeNee « THE LIBERTY BOYS OF 7%6, Leute ga er foe eer ene Meg ae eh a a _‘Ten-Cent Hand. Books, Pee eel a + serene
Page 35
f Fame and Fortune Weekly ¢ Hs ot 4 ‘i FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, 24 Union Square, New York. _ STORIES OF BOYS WHO MAKE MONEY By AYSELFSMADE MAN 32 Pages of Reading Matter a Handsome Colored Covers A new one issued every Friday Price 5 cents a copy This Weekly contains interesting stories of smart boys, who win fame and fortune by their ability to take advantage of passing opportunities. Some of these stories are founded on true incidents in the lives of our most successful self-made men, and show how a boy of pluck, perseverance and brains can become famous and wealthy. Every one of this series contains a good moral tone which makes “Fame and Fortune Weekly” a magazine for the home, although each number is replete with exciting adventures. The stories are the very best obtainable, the illustrations are by expert artists. and every effort is constantly being made to make it the best weekly on the news stands. ‘Tell your friends about it. ALREADY 1UBLISHED. 1 A Lucky Deal; or, The Cutest Boy in Wall Street. {33 Playing to Win; or, The Foxiest Boy in Wall Street. 2 Born to Good Luck; or, The Boy Who- Succeeded. | 84 Tatters; or, A Boy from the Slums. 8 A Corner in Corn; or, How a Chicago Boy Did the Trick. , 385 A Young Monte Cristo; or, The Richest Boy in the World. 4 A Game of Chance; or, The Boy Who Won Out. 36 Won by Pluck; or, The Boys Who Ran a Railroad. 5 Hard to Beat; or, The Cleverest Boy in Wall Street. 87 Beating the Brokers; or, The Boy Who ‘Couldn't be Done.” 6 Building a Railroad; or, The Young Contractors of Lakevi2w. 3x A Rolling Stone; or, The Brightest Boy on Record. . 7 Winning His Way; or, The Youngest Editor in Green River. 39 Never Say Die; or, The Young Surveyor of Happy Valley. * j 8 The Wheel of Fortune; or, The Record of a_ Self-Made Boy. | 40 Almost a Man; or, Winning His Way to the Top. 9 Nip and Tuck; or, The Young Brokers of Wall Street. 4 |41 Boss of the Market; or, The Greatest Boy in Wall Street. a) 10 A Copper Harvest; or, The Boys Who Worked a Deserted Mine. | 42 The Chance of His Life; or, The Young Vilot of Crystal Lake. ” 11 A Lucky Penny; or, The Fortunes of a Boston Loy. 43 Striving for Fortune; or, From Bell-Boy to Millionaire. 12 A Diamond in the Rough; or, A Brave Boy's Start in Life. 44 Out fer Business; or, The Smartest Boy in Town. rial 13 Baiting the Bears; or, The Nerviest Boy in Wall Street. 45 A Favorite of Fortune; or, Striking It Rich in Wai! Street. . . 14 A Gold Brick; or, The Boy Who Could Not be Downed. 46 Through Thick and Thin: or, The Adventures of a Smart Boy, 15 A Streak of Luck; or, The Boy Who Feathered His Nest. 47 Doing His Level Best: or, Working His Way Up. 16 A Good Thing; or, The Boy Who Made a I ortune. 48 Always von Deck; or, The Boy Who Made His Mark, 17 Kivg of the Market; or, The Young Trader in Wall Street. 49 A Mint of Money; or, The Young Wall Street Broker. 18 Pure Grit; or, One Boy in a Thousand. 50 The Ladder of Fame: or, From Office Boy to Senator. 19 A Rise in Life: or,eThe Career of a Factory Boy. 51 On the Square; or, The Success of an Honest Toy. % 20 A Barrel of Mone; yr, A Bright Boy in Wall Street. 52 After a Fortune; or, The Pluckiest Boy in the West. 21 All to the Good; or, From Call Boy to Manager. 58 Winning the Dollars: or, The Young Wonder of Wall Street. 22 How He Got There; or, The Pluckiest Boy of Them All. 54 Making His Mark; or, The Boy Who Became President. 23 Bound to Win; or, The Boy Who Got Rich. 55 Heir to a Million; or, The Boy Who Was Born Lucky. 24 Vushing It Through; or, The late of a Lucky Boy. 56 Lost in the Andes: or, The Treasure of the Buried City. 25 A Born Speculator; or, The Young Sphinx of Wall Street. 7 On His Mettle; or, A Plucky Boy in Wall Street. 36 ‘The Way to Success; or, The Boy Who Got There. 8 A Lucky Chance; or, Taking Fortune on the Wing. 7 Struck Oil: or. ‘The Boy Who Made a Million. 9 The Road to Suecess; or, The Career of n Fortunate Boy. 98 A Golden Risk; or, The Young Miners of Della Cruz. | 0 Chasing Pointers; or, The Luckiest Boy in Wall Street, 29 A Sure Winner: or. The Boy Who Went Out With a Circus. 30 Golden Fleece: or. The Boy Brokers cf Wall Street. | 31 A Mad’Cap Scheme: or, The Boy Treasure Hunters of Cocos Island. ! 82 Adrift’on the World; or, Working His Way to Fortune. f ¢ 33 t For sale by all newsdealers, or will ue sent to uuy address on receipt of price, 5 cents per copy, in money or postage stamps, by IF YOU WANT ANY BACK NUMBERS of our Libraries and cannot procure them from newsdealers, they can be obtained from this office direct. Cut out and fil in the following Order Blank and send it to us with the price of the books you want and we will send them to you by re turn mail. POSTAGE STAMPS TAKEN THE SAME AS MONEY. FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, 24 Union Square, New York. Pea ae l/l) Dear Str—Enclosed find......cents for which please send me: / “i f ....copies of WORK AND WIN. Nos........ ese cece eee e teen erence tenn eens eee e eee e eater eneneeeced eo) WIDE AWAKE WHER DY, © Not... .dessale asin cdc s caane Ce hwlclegires ovis dase Mmmm sletmmcel a hie SB anes WILD WESTUWEERLY, ‘Now. o. ia case csccell 5 o's S504 bales ocak: +066 t + ue cageeme <hike + cee ‘ THE LIBERTY BOYS OF °76y Noavisdas.cs i cdeathics aiecqapaametecs): . af. «ogden sy gan ieee cand & = PLUCK AND LUCK. No8......csseee erence eee e ee eeee teen eee eeeene eset teen tee e eee ese on | PPSMORET SERVICE. Nosis ir. -2 cos on cee tm deeb eale reds oat Sle 8 eee ee oie adiem te alee ns oiaiovele o(alibuad “ FAME,AND FORTUNE WEERLY, Nos. .......sse esse ee ee ete eee eee eee e nee eee eiaaene ; ~ a n~ x a ~ eee 3 “« « Ten-Cent Hand Books. cf CT a eee et ame! PSR Ae tees AN ATACS Gills bo te Larsen v's sls 0ks vlob Street, and NO... eee eee ee ee eee TOWN... 2... +. Btate.. 0.0... cee eee é Pd Me om ( : | : ;