Fame And Fortune Weekly (no. 802) (1921 02 11)

Page 1

11, 1921. No. 802. FEBRUARY 1 7 Cents ;PORTONE WEEMLY. sfTORIES OF BOYS THAT MAKE MONEY. SSS rea “No.” said Bert, “I want a point above the market for the stock” “I'll only pay the market rate,” replied Simmons. “The deal is off, then.” Angry at the boy's persistency. the broker grabbed Bert by the arm and throat

Page 2

mannan

Page 3

3 Weewveat 280 Street, New York, Ry. No. 802 titel Wear ~~ CHAPTER 1.—The Girl. “Hello, Bert! What are you doing up in this pert of the city?” asked Dick Brown, grasping _ the hand of an alert-looking, well-dressed boy of = gg his own age, as the two came together at _ ‘the corner of a street in the Kingsbridge section of New York City. “You'll never guess,” replied Bert Hawley, the ‘hero of this story. - *Then perhaps you'll tell me.” “A girl.” “A girl, eh? You don’t mean to say that you have a girl up here?” “I see nothing 8 Peed in that fact.” “What's her name?” ““T don’t know.” ~ = “You don’t w the name of the girl you’ve “come up here see?” cried Dick, in astonish- t. “No.” - “Oh, nonsense! don’t want to tell.” = “Honestly, I don’t,” replied Bert, so earnestly that his friend had to believe him. _ “Where does she live?” : “Somewhere around here.” “Somewhere! Don’t you know the house?” “No, I met her at a public masquerade dance _in Newark the other evening, and I had the pleas- ure of dancing with her several times. She was dressed as a flower girl, and wore a purple mask. “which concealed the loveliest eyes you ever gazed upon, until midnight, when she, in common with A iged to unmask.” pa: ou You must know it, but you ye rest, was obli mask ~*t see,” said Dick, looking interested. x with ay of course?” & ure] I did.” ‘But the fair unknown was shy and wouldn’t ‘Tet you have her name or address? I honor her ; * sag grinned Dick. ; “We became quite friendly during the evening. 2 even permitted me to take her in to supper, - she seemed to have no escort; but no amount pleading on my part could draw from her her me and address. She admitted this much, v, that she was visiting friends.in New- and would leave in a day or twoefor her i , New York City. She gave the Post-Office at New York, N. Y., under the Act of NEW YORK, FEBRUARY il, 1921. - FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY ear; Canada, $4.00; Foreign, $4.50. Entered as Second-Class Matter, Harry HB. Wolff, Publisher, 166 October 4, 1911, at 8, 1879. Price 7 Cents Beating the Market. OR, A BOY BROKER’S BIG DEAL. BY A SELF-MADE MAN and wanted to see to what extent she had cap- tivated you, so she gave you the job of iooking her. up. Tl bet she’s spent half her time at the window watching to see you go by her house.” “No; I am sure she’s not a flirt.” “lm afraid y@n’re badly hit by this unknown beauty. Give me her description. Bert was about to comply when a sudden scream up the block attracted their attention. “Hello, what’s up?” cried Dick. “A girl is running toward us, and hang me if a bunch of boys aren’t chasing her and throwing things after her,” exclaimed Bert. “I guess we are not going to stand for anything like that, no matter who the girl is.” Bert started toward the girl with the intention of intercepting her pursuers. He entertained a great respect for the weaker sex, and it went against his grain to see one ill-treated or imp2s- ed upon in any way. The girl rushed up to him and threw herself at his feet. “Save me, oh, save me!” she cried, in terrified accents. “T'll do it, miss,” said Bert, promptly assuming a belligerent attitude toward the boys. “Sheer off, you young hoodlums. What do you mean by attacking a defenceless girl?” “Hot Wot’s de matter wit’ youse?” snorted one tough, dirty-faced kid. “What do you want to stand up for her for? « She’s old Dawson’s daughter,” said another. “Suppose she is old Dawson’s daughter—is that any reason why you should attack her?” “We don’t like old Dawson. He wailoped some of us, so she’s got to take a taste of his medi- cine, . It’s the only way we can get square with him,” said a third. “Why are you down on him?” “Why? Don’t you know what Dawson is?” “No; I never heard of him before.” “You didn’t? Then you don’t live around here.” “No. And I’m not sorry, if you lads are speci- mens of the population.” “Dat’s an insult,” said the first kid. “Let's

Page 4

2 BEATING THE MARKET. “We'll see you home, miss.” Then he recog- nized in her his unknown charmer of the mas- querade dance, “Great Scott! Is it you?” he cried. The girl advanced in blushing confusion, and appeared much agitated. “What is the meaning of this, Miss—Dawson, if that is your name, which, under pleasanter conditions, you refused to tell me? hat has your father done that should call down on you this public attack?” “He has done nothing that he or I are ashamed of,” she replied half-defiantly. “I believe you, Miss Dawson,” said Bert, as once more he felt the power exercised by her eyes. “Thank you,” she said, flashing a grateful look at him. “Will you permit my friend and I to escort you home?” he said. “Those boys are still hovering around and might renew their attack if you con- tinued on alone.” She hesitated, with a look of embarrassment. “Do you wish to do that afger what you have seen?” she said, in a constrained tone. “What can you think of a girl who is pursued and at- tacked on the street because her father is unpop- ular in the neighborhood ?” “J entertain the same opinion of you that I did on the night we met for the first time. If your father is unpopular; you are not responsible for it. No one would pay any attention to the judg- a of boys, whose actions class them as row- es. “How came you to be here this afternoon—you who told me that you lived in Roseville, New Jersey ?” “J came here to try and find out your name and where you lived.” “Why?” she asked, dropping her eyes. “Can you ask me that question after what I said to you at the masquerade? I said I would try and learn your identity if it took me a year, and you dared me to do it. The effort might have been a vain one kad you not, at my earnest request, given me a clue—Kingsbridge. Well, as this is Saturday afternoon, and as business closes in Wall Street, where I work, at noon, I took ad- vantage of the chance to make an attempt to seek you out. I have been so fortunate as to succeed, and now I trust you will permit me to continue the acquaintance,” “If you knew more about me you would per- haps wish to recall your words.” “Why do you say that, Miss Dawson? The more I knew of you, the greater would be my respect and admiration.” *T might bd you to say that, for you are a gentleman, and one [ shall always remember with pleasure and gratitude. I wish to retain at least a@ small part of your good opinion, and for that reason it were better that—that we let this meet- ing be our last.” hin . you et Ne or you need feel ashamed of. I cannot see that he cuts any figure in the case, unless, perhaps, it is true that he objects to you cultivating the so- ciety of young men, in which case it is your duty to obey his wishes.” “Your words more than confirm the opinion I have formed of you, Mr. Hawley. I will not leave you under a false impression of my fa- ther. You shall know the truth and judge him as your feelings dictate. My father is a money- lender. He loans small sums to people who are in need of ready cash, and the only security he exacts is that they are steadily employed and promise to repay the loan in small weekly instal- ments. Under such an arrangement is it surpris- ing that many of these people default in their payments and seek to avoid settling? Do you then blame my father for proceeding against these ungrateful debtors in a way wu. zhall de- ter others from imitating their example? Be- cause he has done this, these people and their friends have denounced him. They call him a Shylock, a shark, a financial pirate, and have even threatened him with violence. Now you know why he is unpopular, and why that unpopu* larity is visited even on me, who have nothing to’ do whatever with his business methods.” The girl paused and looked Bert in the face. “IT understand,” Bert answered the girl, you have my sympathy. home?” } Miss Dawson made no reply, but walked along — with them. She lived two blocks down the stree in the three-story house which, though painted and spruced up, with a pretty and well-kept gar- den in front and a neat gravel walk leading up| to the door, bore all the earmarks of an ancient relic, built at some period prior to the War of the Rebellion. “I live here,” she said, stopping at the iron gate, set in a thick wall hedge. “Are we to see each other again?” Bert asked, taking her hand. - “I don’t know,” she said, with another wistful look, which the boy took as an encouraging indie cation that she was not indifferent to his prof- fered friendship. “Unless something prevents, I shall be on this spot next Saturday at three,” he said. “If you ~ are standing at the gate, or among the flowers, you will see me. Now, good-by.” 5 He pressed her hand and they exchanged an earnest look, then, with a bow and a slight smile ~— to Dick, she opened the gate, passed in and vans ished around the corner of the house. “and — Shall we seé you safely < —_—. CHAPTER II.—Held Up. a Bert Hawley and Dick Brown were Wall Street

Page 5

BEATING THE MARKET. 3 * 000 through lucky ventures, chiefly while a mes- senger, and now his opportunities of making a little extra money in that line were much better, though business restrictions prevented him from availing himself of his advantage to any erent extent. Bert lived in Roseville, a suburb of ‘Newark, New Jersey, with his mother and father, the latter being a factory bookkeeper and cashier, while Dick resided at Kingsbridge, with his folks. The boys were great friends, and fine specimens of the American boy, but as this story deals chiefly with Bert, Dick will naturally have to play second fiddle. After the two boys separated from the lovely daughter of the money-lender, Dick and Bert strolled around the neighborhood for an hour, and then the former took his friend home to supper. Bert had met Dick’s people several times before when the family lived in a. Harlem flat, and he received a royal welcome, particularly from Dick’s two sisters, who thought Bert was the finest boy on earth next to their brother, and sometimes even their brother suffered in comparison. They had not seen Bert for over six months, and had been at their brother time and again to bring him up to Kingsbridge. It wasn’t Dick’s fault that his friend failed to visit his home, for he invited him on the average of two or three times a month. The fact was the distance did not ap- - peal to Bert, for it was something of a trip be- ___ tween Kingsbridge and Roseville. This objection, however, vanished the moment he learned that his masquerade beauty lived at Kingsbridge, in con- ence of which fact the Browns had the honor is company that Saturday afternoon. Sadie and Nellie Brown were delighted when E he ap ed with their brother. They supposed 3 that Dick had at last managed to entice him up Sm there. The girls entertained Bert a while and then went to help their mother prepare supper. Bert remained until nine o’clock and then started * for home, his thoughts centered on Miss Dawson, and the following Sunday afternoon when he hoped to meet her again. Monday morning found - him at his office at his usual time. At half-past nine he went in to confer with Mr. Knightley, ' and get his buying and selling orders, together with other instructions. y 2 of “4 fairly busy up to ~ kent y LA 5 : i+ _ - done business oh al the same lines 7 “ faney there is some in’ good health, being troubled with an affection of the heart and other ailments, and his attend- ance at the office was rather irregular. He had formerly been the board member, but had been obli to give that. strenuous employment up, which accounted for Bert being called upon to take his place. Bert delivered Knightley’s mes- sage to Hunt and then went into the counting room. Before starting in to work, he put on his hat and told the cashier he was Fong out a few min- utes. He went around to the safe deposit vault where he kept his money, took $5,000 out of his box and went to the little bank on Nassau street’ where he left his order for the purchase of 500 shares of R. & C. at the market price, then 88. Going back to his office, he attended to such du- ties as fell to him until the office closed at five o’clock. Next morning Bert carried an order from his firm to the Exchange for the purchase ~ of 2,500 shares of R. & C. He had some diffi- culty in filling it, as there seemed to be a scare- ity of the shares among those members who were on the floor. It was nearly noon before he secured the last 200 shares, and then he notified Mr. Knightley by phone. He judged that the bank had filed his order, for he had seen the bank’s representative, whom he knew by sight, standing around the pole of the stock at the time the Exchange opened for business. The price went up a point, for one of the syndicate’s brokers was buying in all he could get hold of. Next morning it opened half a point higher, or 8 1-2, and during the day went to 91, when there was a reaction and it fell back to an eighth above the cpening figure. On Thurs- day it went to 91. All day Friday it was un- Steady, many brokers buying and selling it be- cause it was so active, clearing small margins of profit, which an outsider couldn’t have made because of the commissions involved in every deal. As Bert was not figuring on the stock in the same way as the brokers, who did not know, or were uncertain that a syndicate was at the back of it, the fluctuating movements of R. & C. did not bother him, though he kept an eye on it; when not otherwise engaged. So the Exchange closed that day with R. & C. at 911-4. So far, he was $1,500 ahead on the deal, including expenses. To Bert's great disgust, Saturday morning opened rainy, and he ~ was afraid that vould put a spoke in his antici- ted visit to the Dawson house at Kingsbridge. oe as at a quick-lunch counter, ou won to Kingsbridge to-day, I guess,” civreae go gsbridg y, I guess, “I don’t know. point,” returned Bert. “It looks like more rain,” said his friend. “Ag you can’t call on Miss Dawson in the re way, you can hardly expect to find her standing at the ga as Bert had to admit that-Dick’s reasoning waa so he said he guessed he would postpone y Saturda sound, his visit till the followin; y. S “She'll understand I stayed away,” ‘So after lunch he walked n t I haven’t decided upon that or around the garden, on such an afternoon Peet: (D0 Db sag 5 oh ae Broadway

Page 6

4 BEATING THE 3 lightened up and the sun began to shine at fitful intervals. Bert didn’t cross the ferry, but wait- ed a while to see if the weather was going to clear up. It looked that way and so he finally decided to go up to Kingsbridge anyhow, which showed that the Wall Street boy was tremendous- + ly interested in Miss Dawson. The subway had just been extended to Kingsbridge, which was of -great advantage to Bert, as well as to his friend Dick and others living up there who had to make sipily trips to the lower part of the city. e walked back to Broadway and got an ex- press. _When he got out at his destination the sky had clouded up again and threatened more rain. It was some walk to the Dawson house, and Bert wasn’t quite sure of his way, but he knew he would get there somehow. He was putting his best foot forward when it began to rain. The vain increased so fast that Bert looked around for a temporary shelter. A deserted building, which had done duty as a blacksmith shop, stood near by, and as the door stood ajar Bert made a dash for it and entered, just in time to avoid a heavy downpour. The interior of the place was dark, and the Wall Street boy supposed he was the only occu- pant. He was soon undeceived, He heard foot- steps behind him and, looking around, saw a pair of figures advancing toward him out of the back- und. “Good-afternoon, my friend,” said the foremost man, laying his hand on his shoulder. _ “Pine afternoon, friend,” said the other, laying _ his hand on Bert’s other shoulder. __ “Here, don’t be quite so familiar,” objected the mess é e men laughed. - “J see you carry a watch,” said the first man. “What time is it?” Bert’s suspicions were aroused. Instead of pull- ing out his watch, he said it was a little after three. “As I haven’t a watch, I’ll ask you for yours,” said the man. “What do you mean?” demanded the boy. “As I’m hard up for eash, I’ll trouble you to fork over what you’ve got in your clothes,” said the other chap. - “Do you intend to rob me?” “We intend to borrow your personal property,” said the first man. “As we need it more than you do, you'll have : to cough up,” said the other. oy Bert made a sudden effort to shake off their grip. a “Non’t get excited. Hand out, or I’ll blow your roof off!” said the first rascal, shoving a revolve against Bert’s head. : a “Produce, or -I’ll blow the other side of your * _ bean off!” said the second rascal, poking his re- volver in the boy’s face. Bert saw that he had not the ghost of a CHAPTER III.—Held Prisoner. He handed over his watch, pay envelope, which _ he had not opened, and his loose change, feeling : is humiliating ition was very humiliating. n back into that little room and we'll MARKET. Bert was forced into a kind of alcove and tied, to an iron. horizontal bar. The men left him there, closing the door on him. The door re- bounded a couple of inches, for it had no fasten- ing of any kind, and so when the men took out their pipes and began smoking outside in the main room, Bert heard all they said. He soon learned that they had a job on hand for the night, and this job was aimed at old Dawson’s house, which they intended to burglarize. “The old screw has robbed so many chumps, legally, that we’ll see how he likes being robbed himself,” said rascal one, whose name, by the way, was Jorgan. “He must be rollin’ in cash, so we ought to make a good haul, for he’s been afraid to go to the bank ever since that poor fool he squeezed dry committed suicide. That has set the people up here hopping mad, and they’re after his scalp,” said the other, whose name was Slosser. “Then he won’t get any sympathy when they hear what we’ve done to him.” The rascals then began talking on other sub- jects. The rain continued to pour down steadily, and it looked as if it would keep up for some time. Bert was disgusted with everything. He was mad over the loss of his watch and his mon- ey, though his total loss was not much over $25. The plan of the two rascals to rob the money- _lender’s house drove all other thoughts out of his head. Early dusk closed in about half-past five, and by six o’clock it was dark. The men occa- sionally went to the door and looked out. At half-past six the rain had wholly ceased, then the — rascals paid Bert a visit. * “How are you feelin’, young feller?” said Slos- € ser. ee “How do you suppose?” asked Bert shortly. ee “J ain’t supposin’ nothin’. If you don’t want to ~~ answer, you don’t need to, for I reckon it doesn’t interest us much.” Jorgan looked at the boy’s bonds, and satisfied that would hold the prisoner, he produced a rag and gagged him. ——- “Now you can yell out all you want to. We’re goin’ to supper, and we'll not forget you. We — owe you a feed in return for your watch and cash,” he said. toe The two rascals then walked out of the little ~— room, shut the door and left the building. Bert listened to their retreating footsteps until they ceased, and then feeling that the time for action __ had come he began an effort to free himself from the rope. He found that he had a difficult propo- _ sition on his hands. The line, being an old one, had no elasticity to it, consequently it wouldn't give the least bit. After working more or less steadily for half an hour he had to practically — admit that he was stumped. tee “Those rascals have got me dead to rights, so. I’m afraid I shall remain a fixture here till oo feel disposed to let me go, which won’t be till — they have burglarized the Dawson house. Should circumstances defeat them, cg’ they'll not come back here at all, in which case [ll be up against it bad, for it isn’t likely that an E will come here to-morrow. In fact, it is 2 ys ifa chance comer will come here for : ys. The b ssuibilit of being: against a condition of things made th oy fe i >

Page 7

BEATING THE MARKET. 5 and he renewed his efforts to free himself. He met with no better success than before, and finally had to give it up again. Then he heard footsteps and voices which heralded the return of the two rascals, who had had their supper. Jor- gan brought a small package back with him, containing a couple of ham sandwiches and a quarter of a pie. The men entered the small room and flashed a match on their prisoner. “How do you like solitary confinement?” grin- ned Slosser. Bert disdained to reply. Jorgan lit a small candle he had bought at a grocery store and placed it-on a dusty shelf. “Now, then, we'll loosen him up so he can take a bite,” he said. : He grabbed Bert and held him while Slosser " released the boy, and then tied one of his arms to the bar. Jorgan = ge the package and of: fered Bert a sandwich. ‘The Wall Street boy’s pride prevented him from accepting anything at the hands of the rascal. “Why don’t you take it?” growled the man im- patiently. “You must be hungry, for it’s goin’ on eight o’clock.” =o “If you don’t eat now, you won't get another = chance,” said Slosser. “Leastwise, not till we let ay you go, and that might not be in a hurry.” _ As the thought recurred to him that he might ____ be left in that house indefinitely, Bert decided to , put his pride behind him and eat the food. He 7° Rid so in silence and with feelings that may be better imagined than described. When he had eaten the last of it his right hand was rebound ete again, the rascals took the candle, and left him a lone once more. Jorgan blew the light out, lest it attract notice, and the rascally pair sat out- side in the dark talking together. Time passed __ drearily enough for Bert. After what seemed to be an age, he saw the flash of a light in the outer --yoom and heard Jorgan remark that it was ten ~~ e’elock. - Let’s go and get a drink,” said Slosser. 5 “All right,” replied his companion. ay Before they left the place Jorgan took a look im at Bert, and saw that he was in no danger of getting free. The pair then started for the near- est saloon, four blocks away. They did not return for nearly an hour, during which time Bert made another and equally futile attempt to get free. The rascals looked in on their prisoner, to make sure he was still there, and then they whiled __ @way another hour in conversation, by which time it was midnight. > . “What’s the use of waitin’ till two o’clock?” said Slosser. “Let’s get on the job now. The old _ man is in bed by this time, and the sooner we s. A work on this safe the sooner we’ll get “He might sit up late readin’, like some old ert heard of,” said Jorgan. 24 £8 Engg? omapes 4 the BL fe esac ae asleep, as t they are long ore this? e won't hear us gettin’ into the house, and we'll catch him off guard and chloroform him be- an a er up, en get-on e oS at “fT don pein’ in a rush,” ob- lon’t see any good of — over there slowly.” ney the use of bummin’ around here? We om “it ain’t more than five blocks from here, up the next street.” “Aw, get a move on!” | Much against his will, Jorgan got up and pre-- pared to go. He lighted the candle and ak a look at the prisoner. ~ “When we et back, in the course of a couple of hours, we'll fix you so you can work yourself a free,” he said. “Then you can find your way = home. We’re much obliged to you for the loan of your watch and cash. The watch seems to be a good one, but as I don’t think I’d get much on it from a pawnshop, I'll keep it to remember you > y- Then he blew out the light and he and his pal departed on their enterprise, after picking up a grip containing their tools, which had been hid- den under the floor. CHAPTER IV.—In the Nick of Time. Bert saw little use in iying to get free, but he made an attempt, nevertheless, which produced no results. Fifteen minutes passed and then he ee heard yoices. This time the tones sounded lik - boys. In a moment or two four rough-looking i lads entered the old blacksmith shop. $ “We'll hide the stuff under the fioor. There’s = a loose board in the corner. Nobody comes around here but us, and so it will be safe there till Monday, when we can take*it to Murphy’s junk shop and sel] it,” said one of the lads. F a The speaker lighted a piece of candle which he : took frok his pocket and the bag of lead pi _ and brass plumber’s fittings was consigned to the ~ spot lately occupied by the grip of burglar’s tools. The four youths were evidently bad boys. who raised the wind by engaging in petty thievery * whenever they got the chance. Bert heard all 2 they said and reached a pretty correct notion of “| their characters. It seemed doubtful, if he made = a noise and attracted their attention, whether 5 they would help him out of his scrape. While he — debated the question, the boys sat down on the ~s dirty floor and began a game of cards, Bert de- cided to try what he could do with the boys, so 3 he commenced to stamp on the floor of the little room. # ‘ “Great. Scott! Wilat’s that?” cried one of the : oys. . The gone came to an abrupt stop and the three - listened. : “Some one’s in there,” said one of them, “Why don’t he come out, then?” said the third. “Maybe it’s a ghost,” said the first speaker. “Aw, there ain’t no such thing. I’m goin’ to look,” said the second, again. . He snatched up the candle and started for the door, followed by the other two, who were curi- ous to find out the cause of the noise. -The boy with the candle pulled the door open, held up the light and looked in. His eyes rested on Bert, with the gag across his mouth. r “Great Scott!” he ejaculated. “A feller gagged — and tied up to the iron rod!” i The speaker advanced farther into the room and shoved the candle oe to Bert. He an unusual! well-dresse, manly- OOK Ng SNsPW be jlegered if this dow't beat th

Page 8

: E : é % E > _ the kitchen. ‘taken from him he struck - he continued. - explained how he ~-eut me free.” - the old the window was up, - geemed foolish to think of tackli _ pelves from a fix. 5 ~ to him to do something. So he entered the house “How did you get fixed up this way?” he said to Bert. ; Why don’t you take the rag from his mouth? How do you expect him to answer through it?” said one of the other boys. This reasonable suggestion was immediately acted upon by the boy with the candle, and as soon as Bert got the use of his tongue he briefly had been held up, robbed, and then bound and gagged by a couple of crooks when he took shelter in the building, ten hours before, from the rainstorm. : “Have you been here all that time 2” asked the boy. “T have. Now I’ll be obliged to you if you will Seg said the youth. “Here, Jack, hold the glim.” “Jack took the candle and in a few minutes Bert If I had a - was free.’ “Pm much obliged to you, boys. dollar bill about me, I’d give it to you, but those men cleaned me out of every cent I had.” “That’s all right. You’re welcome. You’ve had tough luck.” Bert then hurried out of the building, his arms feeling strange and numb from having been held in one position almost so many hours. “J# I knew where the police station is, I'd go there, but as I don’t, I'll have to go right on to Dawson’s house and see what I can do to save him from being robbed,” thought Bert, as he hurried along the street. : He turned up the next street, and after pro- eeeding for four blocks he found-himself in front _-of the money-lender’s house. All was quiet in the neighborhood at that witching hour. There was no sign of the two rascals, nor of a light in the second floor front room which, from what he thered from the talk of the crooks, was man’s office and chamber. assed in through the gate in the hedge ikea around to the back. The shutters of had been forced open, and which showed Bert that the Without a weapon it two rascals who he knew had revolvers, and which doubtless ‘they would not hesitate to use to extricate them- Still Bert felt that it was up Bert and wa one of the windows rascals were in the house. window and found himself in ‘match safe had not been a light and looked around. Standing in the corner near the stove e saw a club. Bert grabbed it. “Tf { could surprise those scoundrels, I might be able to lay them both out before they could get at their .” he thought. ‘With the club in his hand he proceeded up to the next floor, taking care not to make any noise. this respect his progress was assisted by the eavy hall and stair carpets, which deadened his } is. He was nearly up to the ie heard a sudden’ choked-off scream. e cry. ently came from the money-lender’s daugh- “if Bert needed any other incentive for ac- Casting further caution to the way.. through the open As his had it now. he fle _ the rest of the BEATING THE MARKET. when Bert stuck his head in he saw the girl, arrayed in a light kimono, in the grasp of the crooks. With a bound Bert dashed into the room. Whack! Jorgan went down on the rug under a blow from the club. Slosser uttered an impreca- tion, released the girl and drew his revoiver. Biff! Bert brought the club down on his hand, wringing a cry of pain from his lips and causing him to drop the weapon. Telling the girl to pick up the revolver and hand it to him, which she did, Dick said to the villain: “Put your hands behind you!” With another muttered oath Slosser grudgingly did so. Bert stepped behind him and secured his arms together. . “Is there a telephone in the house?” Bert asked. ; : The girl waved her left hand toward her fa- ther’s desk. Bert looked and saw a desk tele- phone standing on top of it. “Now keep that fellow covered while I tele- hone to the station hcuse,” said the boy, walk- ing over to the desk. Bert looked up the police call in the directory and communicated with the place. He reported that two crooks had effected an entrance into Dawson’s residence by way of one of the kitchen windows, and that they had been captured. He asked that officers be sent after them. Then he ung up the receiver and, going to the senseless organ, he bound his hands with a handkerchief . and relieved him of his revolver. He found his- watch in the rascal’s pocket and returned it, with the chain, to his own. He also found nearly half of his money in Jorgan’s pocket, and the rest he recovered from Slosser. During all this time the money-lender had not put in an appearance, though he was in bed in an alcove off the sitting room. As soon as Bert relieved the girl from standing guard over Slosser she rushed to her father’s bedside and found him unconscious from the ef- fects of chloroform, which had been administered - to him on a cloth while he slept. She was very much alarmed over his condition until Bert as- sured her that he would recover from its effects after a time, probably by morning. As soon as her mind was relieved about her father, she turn- ed to Bert and asked him to explain how it had happened that he came upon the scene at the - critical moment when she stood so much in need of ‘aid. ‘Sitting down where he could keep his eyes on Siosser, he told Miss Dawson about his strenuous adventure during the afternoon of the previous day, for it was now close on to two = — o’clock Sunday morning. any rate. one of th door drew = “Yi ye

Page 9

ae BEATING THE MARKET. 7 _ ™y watch and money, after which they tied me up in a little hole of a room not any larger than 5 -sized closet. They then retu#ffed to the ou! room and presently I heard them talking about their intention of breaking into your house and robbing your father’s safe.” Bert tcld ine he was compelled to remain a matter of ten hours in the little room, standing pp. with his arms tied behind him to a horizontal “My gracious! Is it possible!” she cried. z He assured her that it was a fact, and that the men left him there when they started to put the lary through. “And I’d have been there yet only that a bunch of boys came there to amuse themselves with _ ¢ard-playing,” continued Bert. “I attracted their attention by making a noise on the floor with _my feet, and when they discovered my condition they cut me loose and I came right on here to gee what I could do to upset the operations of those rascals. They broke in through one of your kitchen windows, and I took the liberty of enter- F ing by the same route, since it was the only one _ available. While creeping up the front stairs I _ heard you cry out. I knew that you were in = trouble somehow, too, and I rushed to your aid. _ The rest you know.” _— “I am very, very grateful to you, Mr. Hawley,” _ said Miss Dawson. “You have saved me from rough treatment at the hands of these men, and you have prevented my father from being rob- A Soa. He will appreciate your services when I explain everything to him, and will doubtless _ wish to see and thank you.” - At that momnet they heard the sound of wag- - on wheels on the street. They stopped in front of the house. t - Pun to the window and see if that is the po- lice,” said Bert. __ Miss Dawson did so, and announced that a pa- _ trol wagon had arrived with several policemen. - “Go down and let them in, then.” — In a few minutes the officers were in the room. ot explained the situation, though the two und rascals, the tools on the floor in front of the safe, as well as the marks on the safe itself, _ ‘Was evidence enough of what had happened there. _ The two men were carried down to the wagon, and after Bert was told to be at the magistrate’s court in the morning to appear against the men, he police took their prisoners away. The girl, ose first name Bert now found out was Ruby, ited her plucky visitor to remain all night, a spare room opposite her own at his vice, Bert accepted her offer, since it would re been decidedly inconvenient for him to go the way to Roseville at that hour of the morn- Thus it came to pass that our hero had the pected honor of passing a part of the night the same roof that sheltered his charmer. ’ going, and at eleven it was up to 95. -walked in with an envelope in what demoralized and a pane missing from the window. This indication that thieves must have been in the house during the night quite upset her, and she rushed up to Ruby’s room.to awaken her and tell her the news. The girl thereupon told her what had taken place, and informed her that the boy who had checkmated the burglars was occupying the spare room and’ would take breakfast with them. When the cook returned to her domain, much relieved in mind, Ruby went in to see how her father was. He was still under the influence of the drug, though its effect was passing off. When breakfast was ready to be served, Bert and Ruby went down to it, but the money-lender was still dead to the world. By the time they finished the meal the clock told Bert that it was time for him and Miss Dawson to start for the magistrate’s court. Leaving the * cook to look after her father, Ruby got ready, and she and Bert presently left the house to- aap 7 The result of the examination was that he two crooks were remanded to the Tombs City Prison, and were transferred there later in the day. Ruby wanted Bert to return to the house and meet her father, but he said he must hurry home as his parents were probably a bit worried over his unexplained absence, and he believed that it was his duty to relieve their anxiety. Then he shook hands with her and started for home. On the following morning R. & C. began to rise steadily, and the pole of the stock was surround- ed with a big crowd. Bert had only to glance at the big blackboard to see how the stock was At half- past two the price had advanced to 105. At that point Bert received orders from his firm to sell their 2,500 shares. He had no difficulty in doing it, and the rise continued up to 108. As Bert couldn’t leave the Exchange, he wrote a note to the little bank ordering the sale of his 500 shares. He sent it by a messenger, with the word “Rush!” on the envelope. Then he started to execute sev- eral small selling orders for R. & C. that came over by Jimmy, the office boy. At last three o’clock came and the excitement was over for the day, but many sales were made on the out- side between that and four o’clock. On his way to the office next morning he dropped in at the little bank-to find out if his order had been put through all right. He found his stock had been sold- at 108 3-8, which gave hina a profit of $10,- 000 on the deal. He was much elated at his suc- cess, and was not sorry he was out of it, though R. & C. opened that morning at 109. During the day the syndicate completed its liquidation, or, in other words, sold all its holdings at high-water mark, making for its members a pretty big haul, — and then the price began to sag. This indication of a slump in sight brought out a large lot of selling orders which further weak- ened the standing of the stock, and it began to drop rapidly down to par. Here it recovered for. | the day, but as its fortunes had no further inter- est for Bert, we will follow it no further. Before going to lunch next day at three, Bert visited — the little bank and collected his motiey, which he placed in his safe-deposit box. He was taking instructions from Mr. Knightley, before going . over to the Exchange later on, when Mr.

Page 10

8 BEATING “Hawley, I want you to deliver this note to Mr. Blumm, of Blumm & Einstein, before you go to the Exchange,” he said. “Get a definite answer from him. Understand?” “Yes, sir,” replied the boy. . Five minutes later he was on his —- to the office of the brokerage firm. Mr. Blumm had ist arrived and Bert was shown into his office. Bert handed him the note he had brought and said he would wait for a reply. At that moment the of- fice boy opened the door and said to Blumm that Harry Clark wanted to see him. Z “Tell him I’m engaged,” said the broker, with a sour look. “Send him to the cashier.” The office boy was withdrawing when Blumm called him back, scribbled something on a pad, and told him to take it to the head bookkeeper. A minute later the door was opened and a pleas-~ ant-featured young man walked in. He hesitated a moment, as he looked at Bert, and then ad- vanced toward Mr. Blumm’s desk. The broker frowned on seeing him. | “I sent out word to you that I was busy!” he snapped. “T know it; but the cashier said my account was closed, with a balance a: t me. I don’t under- stand how that can be,” said the young man, in a cultivated tone that marked good family and breeding. “Tf he told you so, it must be so. I have noth- ne to do with it. Get your statement and look t over.” _ “But my stock is 86 3-8 at this moment,” pro- - tested the young man. z “Can’t help that. We called for additional mar- in, and you did not respond. Your stock went 82 yesterday, and Mr. Einstein, fearing a fur- ther slump, very pti! sold you out, accord- ing to the terms of the contract.” “Then you know all about the matter?” said the young man, looking discouraged. - “Ahem! JI recall the matter now that you've brought it up. I have a memorandum here which shows that you are in our debt $250. Any time . this week will do to settle if you haven’t the money with you.” - : “But you have ruined me,.Mr. Blumm,” said _. the young man, with a flash of resentment in his “voice. “I! can’t pay that $250. I haven’t a cent ~.. in the world.” ~- : ae “Haven’t a cent, eh?” roared Blumm. “How » dare you do business with this office if you aren’t ey able to make good any deficiency you eur?” _ “That's a nice way to talk after I’ve dropped _ ten thousand dollars, every dollar of a legacy ~ “left me by sat aunt, ~ bead office.” = SS “Who as you ring your mon iere? a ert e € people who drums up business for you induced me to patronize pw “Name him.” Z “Gordan Presby.” __. **He brought you here, eh?” “You know he did. He introduced me to 7. “You, here of your own free will, didn’t : or idn’t force you to come and bring r money, did he? You came here you ucht-you coul ee Seg ate eae woess of persons ou. You thi gam : efit, and that THE MARKET. you ought to win every time. Because luck went against you, you come in here and set up a howl.” a “It isn’t that. I can take my medicine without saying a word.” : “Why don’t you, then?” “T don’t think I’ve been fairly treated.” “Eh? Do you mean to insinuate——” “Did you sell my stock to Baumgarten & Levy at 82, as reported here?” “You have the notice,” said the broker coldly. “Closed out at 82, with the balance as stated.” “I believe that’s a lie!” cried the young man ay “I don’t believe you have sold my steck at all.” “Get out of my office! hear!” shouted Blumm. : “You've pocketed every cent of my $10,000 and I’m ruined. I’ve lost my position because of my speculations in your office, and now,” his voice breaking, “I don’t know how to earn the bare necessities of life for my mother and sisters. I ask you to give me a chance. Carry that stock for me for a few days. I am sure it will go up within this week. It is already over three points above my marginal limit. The risk to you will be slight, if anything, and it means everything to me.” Broker Blumm was now furious with rage. He rang for his office boy and when .the lad ap-- peared he ordered him to show young Clari out. The visitor was about to make another scene when the head bookkeeper entered with a paper which he handed to Blumm. The broker glanced over it, signed it, put it in an envelope, address- ed it to Knightley & Co., and handed it to Bert, who had been a silent spectator of all that had just taken place in the room. The boy got up without a word and took his leave. Get out at once, do you CHAPTER VI.—Bert Gets in on Broker Blumm. When Bert reached the corridor, he found the young man walking up and down, looking the ~ picture of despair. The boy felt sorry for him, and something in his look caused the young man to stop and lay his hand on Bert’s shoulder. = “You heard what passed between me and that Shylock,” he said. “Is there any way by which — I can get justice? I am sure he has not sold my — stock, but has taken advantage of the fact that the price dropped to the point that wiped out my = margin. It went up immediately afterward, but the contemptible hunks reports me as sold out. Think of him doing that, after all the money he has got from me! It is shameful!” | “He has acted within his rights, and you have no legal redress. It was a mean thing to do, and it isn’t every broker who would act that way. I am truly sorry for you,” said Bert. : ~ “Are you a broker’ ‘3 messenger?” eres “No. I am _the board room representative of a Figg & Co.” ~ ar ou seem to be a pretty decent fellow,” said — H “T hope I am. I alwa ry to do the right thing. What stock were BE: on?” 1 _ “A. & B. Blumm_ himself advised into it. He said he believed

Page 11

- tom and would surely go up. I acted on nie fone _ ment and put the last of my money, $3,000, up 2 on it, hoping to recover my losses. And now Tm -__ eleaned ‘out, and in debt to Blumm & Einstein to the amount of $250. I have been a mad fool - to risk my money in Wall Street stocks. It has cost me the whole of my legacy and my situation as well. My mother and sisters are dependent on me for their support, and now we all face abso- lute destitution.” “It is too bad,” said Bert, in a sympathetic ‘tone. “Haven’t you any money left at all?” =. “Not a dollar.” : “Wili you accept a loan of ten dollars from me, to be repaid whenever you are able to spare it?” “Why should I? How can you make the offer to an utter stranger?” 2 _ “T’d like to help you a little. It might tide you over till you get another position. Here, take » Beye Are. Ses ‘ ) Ny ® Me a bin ae a) eee oe fi 5 Ty eee __ “What’s your name?” askéd the young man, as he ieee accepted the bill. “Mine is Harry “Bert Hawley.” _ “And you work for Knightley & Co. I shall " remember.” *“Here’s one of our cards. If luck doesn’t take a favorable turn with you in a few days, drop in and see me and perhaps I'll give you another _. Bert bade him good-by and hurried back to the _ office with the note which he sent in to Mr. Hunt by Jimmy, and then he lost no time in getting over to the Exchange. About eleven o'clock, while ag Siem doing —— in og he aumgarten, Baumgarten Levy, t him in mind of what at he did not believe Mr. “Have you got any A. & B.?_ I'd like to buy shares.” " “Haven't a share,” replied Baumgarten. “Somebody, I forget who, said you bought some it yesterday when it touched 82.” Baumgarten shook his head. Then Bert walk- eas, satisfied that Blumm had done a mean few hundred shares ; ed. him and asked him q sell. all I had.” tee Mme an option on 3,000 shares ?” I didn’t isiow tat Knightley & BEATING THE MARKET. 9 “So you want to do a little speculating on the side, eh?” said Blumm. “You're hardly respon- sible enough for me to do. business with. How do I know you can make up the shares when the option expires?” “Tf I fail to do so you will keep my deposit.” Blumm made a rapid calculation in his head. “Have you got $13,500 to put up?” he asked. “T have.” “Where is the money?” “Is it a deal?” “Yes, when the money is up.” “Yl call at your office at half-past three and bring the cash. Have the option ready.” “All right,” nodded Blumm, as he walked away. At the appointed time Bert appeared with the sum in question and Blumm handed him the op- tion which called for 92, though the stock was then selling for 90. Next morning Blumm start- ed in to buy 3,000 shares to cover his option. The - oa he struck for it laughed at his offer of “T want 94,” he said. “I hope you may get it,” said Blumm, turning away. He visited a number of brokers, but found they had none of the shares. finally he met a trader who had 1,000, but he asked 95 for the stock. “Ninety-five!” roared Blumm. “Are you erazy? The market price is 90.” : “Yes, I expect it is, but it will be worth 95 just 2s soon as the road gets a decision from the United States Supreme Court.” : “What decision are you talking about?” asked Blumm, who had not kept track of the case. ore 3 Mien expected day this k e decision is any day week, and favorable to the road,” said the trader. “I expect to see the price go to par.” Blumm was mad to think that he was in dan- ger of losing money, particularly to a boy. Af- ter some futile efforts te secure the stock at a figure he was wwling to pay; Blumm returned to his office and held a consultation with Einstein. “Well,” said Einstein, “what is the use of pet- ting rattled, Nathan? There is no certainty that the decision, understand me, will be in favor of the railroad mes ag i “Wall Street is ounting it in favor of the “ * = a aeht T k Mr. | 1 | when, mi ask you, . Blumm, is Wall Street infallible?” : “In my experience, Einstein, I’ve found that when Wall Street gets the tip about what is to “> that the news is wey | wrong.” “Oh, well, since you are disposed to believe that Wall Street knows it all, I am to take it from you that we are stuck by this boy?” = “Tt looks very much like it,” admitted Blumm. On the following morning the pers printed the news from Washington of de- co. cision of the United States Supreme Court. It : was in favor of the railroad company, as Wall | stock jumped at — tley about _ Street had surmised, and the once to par. Bert then told Mr. the eae deal he had with “I shall make over $20,000 of

Page 12

10 BEATING THE “T did it for one thing. Because I heard that the decision of the Supreme Court was likely to go in favor ofthe railroad company, but my real object was to get a fall out of Mr. Blumm.” “What for?” Bert narrated the scene he had witnessed be- tween the trader and Harry Clark, his young cus- tomer. ' “Clark was of the opinion that Blumm & Ein- stein had taken a mean advantage of him, and I think they did myself. Furthermore, though his statement reported that Blumm & Winstein had sold the 300 shares of A. & B. to Baumgarten & Levy, Clark didn’t believe that any sale had ta- ken. place, for the price had immediately jumped about four points Ep ner than the point it tempo- rarily slumped to. To find out whether Clark had any real ground for his belief, I asked Mr. Baum- garten, in an off-hand way, if he or Mr. Levy had . purchased 300 shares of A. & B. on the afternoon previous. He said they had not. I think that shows Mr. Blumm up in a bad light.” “Hm!” said Knightley. “How much deposit did you have to put up?” “Thirteen thousand five hundred.” “T wasn’t aware you were worth as much as that,” said the broker suspiciously. “Will you take Blumm’s option off my hands? I’ve got to call him to settle the deal, unless he is willing to pay the difference. If I ask him to do that, he’ll suspect at once that I’m unable to pay for the stock at 92, the price of which is $186,000, less the amount of my deposit, and he’ll try to get the best terms he can out of me. If you will buy the option, say at 99, which will five you a profit of $3,000, he’ll have to come up with the stock or settie for the full difference.” ; “T will talk to Mr. Hunt about it,” said Knight- ey. With that reply, Bert had to be satisfied. Mr. Hunt, however, did not come down that day, nor the next, and the time for the closing of the op- tion drew near, so Bert spoke to his employer again about it. Knightley hemmed and hawed and wouldn’t commit himself. Bert was disgust- ed with his attitude, and as it was Saturday morning he offered the option at par to a mem- ber of the Exchange he was friendly with, the stock having gone up to 101 1-8. The broker accepted his offer, and gave Bert his check for $37,500, which included Bert’s de- posit. He called on Mr. Blumm for the stock, and Blumm had to buy it at the market to settle with the broker, his firm losing $27,000 through the transaction, while Bert pocketed a profit of $24,000, making him worth $40,000. CHAPTER VII.—Bert Becomes a Broker, Hunt came down about half-past eleven on Sat- urday and was closeted with Mr. Knightley when Bert got back from the Exchange at a few min- utes after noon. The boy went in to make his a oe When he had finished, Knightley said: ell take that option at 99.” _ “Pm sorry, sir, but I sold it this morning to Mr. Gates, at par,” replied Bert. “That’s a pretty thing to do, after asking me to do you the favor to take it off your hands!” an angry tones — = | SSB este 5 MARKET. “I told you this morning that the option would be up next Wednesday, aad asked you to decide the matter. There was a strong possibility that the price might drop a couple of points in the meanwhile, and every point would meen the less of $3,000 to me. You wouldn’t give me a decided answer, even with a sure profit of $3,000 in sight, so I offered it to Mr. Gates, and he took me right up and gave me his check for the total sum, in- cluding my deposit,” said Bert. “Very well, Hawley,” said Knightley, “since you have chosen to leave us out in the cold after engaging in a transaction which you had no busi- ness to put through without first getting our per- mission, I think we’ll have to ae a change in our board room representative. You have con- fessed to me that while acting as our messenger you dabbled in the market right along; and that of itself is an offence we should not have over- looked "had we been aware of it. Mr. Hunt and ~ myself both think that you have acted rather discreditably toward the firm which employed you. Now that you have sold the option to an outsider instead of to us, as you should have done, we feel that we would prefer to have you — seek another position.” ] “Am I to understand that I am discharged, - sir?” said Bert. “We'll give you a month to look around and place yourself elsewhere.” 4 “I have no desire to take a month.” ° “Ah! you have been thinking of leaving us, then? Perhaps you have been making arrange- ments with Mr. Gates, or some other broker, ~ meaning to shake us when you got ready, eh?” “No, sir; when I walk out of here, which ] will do as soon as you get somebody to fill my shoes, _ I shall step into an office of my own.” 4 “Indeed!” exclaimed Knightley, with a sneer. “You mean to turn broker on your own hook?” = “Such is my intention.” “Humph! I fancy you will have your bumps.” “I shan’t squeal if I do.” “The money you’ve made out of that option deal seems to have turned your head.” a “T hope not. I have been with you nearly four years, and this is the first time you have ex- pressed dissatisfaction with my efforts. Whether I speculated as your messenger was a matter that had no bearing on your interests, for I alwa took care of your interests before I looked after my own. As your representative at the Ex- change I have done my full duty by you, so I have nothing to regret in parting from this es- tablishment. I trust you will find somebody who will do. as well or better by you. I accept your notice, and expect that you will fill my place be- tween this and next Saturday,” "Thus speaking, Bert walked out of the office 2 aT) Slt I x mu concerted both Knightley a found him to be a valuable employee, and Knightley, in a fit of pique, had dismissed hi —_ he intended to reconsider his words by Monday, — and call the notice off. Bert, however, by taking the bit between his teeth, and showing his inde- pendence, whieh the possession of a capital : $40,000, enabled him to do, placed Knig' : ae E: 7 oft a 4 x

Page 13

* his partner in a dilemma, for they didn’t really want to lose him. : They held a consultation over the matter; dur- ing which Hunt blamed his associate for being too precipitate, and it was determined to recall Bert and try to patch matters up. Bert had got his pay, and had his hat on when Jimmy told him that he was wanted in the senior partner’s private room. He went in and then Knightley told him that they had talked the matter over and feeling that the length of his service with the firm entitled him to another chance, recalled his notice. Bert, on his part, replied that he thought after Mr. Knightley’s first stand he would aa not to = with the firm longer than wing wee cpossibly I am too sensitive,” he said, “but what I am [ cannot help. I don’t like the way : talked to me, and I don’t consider I deserved ip’: so we will consider your notice still in force, and you will Blease find ee to look after : iness at the Exchange.” ; : 3 or etley tried to argue the matter with him, “and almost apologized for his words, in order to affect a reconciliation, but Bert was firm, and_in- sisted on quitting, and so the matter stood when he walked out into eeteazg room and found arry Clark standing there. Beto, Clark!” he caid. “Want to see me?” “J came to repay your loan on the instalment you will permit me to do so. [ have caught a position, and I feel I shall be able to get along in spite of the hard tuck I ran “up against through speculating in Blumm & Ein- i lad to hear you have secured employ- Tal sid you anal warty about that loan for the next six months, for I don’t need the money. - “Nevertheless, you are entitled to get it back . at the earliest moment,” said Clark. “J don’t want it back until you feel that you n’t miss it.” wenit's very kind of aye te say that, Hawley. I : eciate your generosity very much. oe PP ooh! ies wee a small matter that it’s hard- worth talking about.” ' Whe two boys left the office together and part- 3 ed company outside, Bert going to the subway to - take a train for Kingsbridge. Bert and Ruby - ok a walk about Kingsbridge that afternoon, “and the boy stopped to tea at her house, where received a cordial welcome from her father. After a talk with Ruby, he took his leave. Dur- the ensuing week Mr, Knightley tried again 0 get Bert to reconsider his determination to Jeave, but finding that the boy wouldn’t change his mind he picked out his margin clerk to suc- , and, advancing the clerk below him, new junior clerk. The clerks were all Gn. Sas thy GM mnoeke Fas 2 shook hands i i , and said they hoped Weipa, Urea Weg ie pases 20se from this office, so Monday, and te,” replied - cheerfully. 5 BEATING THE MARKET. es ll it fitted up, I'll invite you to drop in and see me. Give me your business address so I can drop you a line when I’m ready.” Clark gave it to him. At the door they met Dick Brown, who was waiting for Bert, accord- ing to previous arrangement. Bert introduced him to Clark, and the three went down to a Beay- er street restaurant. After the meal they parted from Clark, and then Bert and Dick went to Kingsbridge together. The weather not being very pleasant, Bert spent the afternoon with Ruby in the house and remained to tea as before. He told the money-lender that he was about to start out as a broker for himself, and he hoped to do well as soon as he got on his feet. “Are you well supplied with capital?” asked the old man, “Oh, yes. I’ve got all I need for the present.” “Well, should you get short at any time I will lend you any reasonable amount without secur- ity or interest.” “Thank you for your offer, but I hope I won’t get 49 a position where I’ll have to borrow,” said ‘e “J understand that it takes a good deal of money to carry on an office in Wall Street. Bro- kers are continually hypothecating stock to raise money, and you may yet find yourself obliged to follow their example. Under such circumstances I sepe you will make me your banker, in a way, for it will give me a great deal of pleasure to help you out should you be pressed for funds. It > is the only way I can repay you for the great service you rendered me and my daughter.” E. “Tll keep your offer in mind, Mr. Dawson, but at the same time I would not accept a loan from you without paying the banking rate of interest,” said Bert. The old man said he would rather not charge him any interest, but, of course, if Bert insisted on paying it, he would take it for the pleasure of making him a loan. When Bert reached Wail street Monday morning he started ont to look for an office, and after spending a couple of hours in the quest he found a fair-sized room that snited him, and he took it. It was on the fifth floor, > back, Room 551, in the Aries Building on Wall be street. Then he bought the furniture, safe and ~ other articles he needed and ordered them to ke delivered next morning. He also arranged to have a ticker put in, and hired a sign painter to put his name on the glass sash, with the words, “Stocks and Bonds.” By the following afternoon he was ready for business, and to start tht*ball rolling he puta standing advertisement in a couple of the Wall z Street dailies, and likewise in one evening paper that was considered an authority on finance and kindred matters. Then he advertised for an of- fice boy, not that he had any work for him to do, but in order to have some one in hig office while he was out. When he arrived on Wednesday © morning he found a small mob of eager appli- cants around his door. He opened the door and they rushed in after him. He found it a difficult — matter to make a selection fromthe helf doven who remained afier the weeding-ouvt process had _ been gone through with. aS The six see to be, equally capable, and oh equally well reco ed. Fi jbo tole in they would have to decide the

Page 14

12 by tossing a penny. This they did, and the choice fell to a neatly dressed youth named Clarence King. Bert dismissed the others and told King to take his seat in a chair near the door and wait till he was called on to do something. The young broker then took up a Wall Street: paper ' and began to read the news about stecks and finance. CHAPTER VIII.—Lady’s Suspicious Certificate. Bert’s first visitor was his friend Dick, who ealled on a flying visit about noon. — ; “This office is all to the mustard,” he said, looking around. “As far as it goes itis,” said Bert. “Well, you don’t want an expensive suite of rooms like well-established brokers, for you’ve got your business to make.” “Of course. A fellow has got to creep before he can hope to walk.” - “I suppose you will get business after a while, and in the meanwhile you'll speculate to keep busy.” “That’s about the idea. I’m speculating now as to who will be my first customer.” “J wish I could have that honor; but I haven’t any spare cash to play the market.” “It’s just as well, for as a margin clerk, you have no right to specuiate.” “I know it; but you did it, just the same, when you were a méssenger.” “J admit it, and that’s how I got my start. I took the chances of being found out and bounced. I also took the chances of losing my money. I happened to be lucky, and that made all the dif- ference in the world.” “You are certainly lucky. I’m a margin clerk and likely to remain so for some time, while you = are a full-fledged broker.” “Y'm a broker in name only, so don’t be jeal- ous.” “Ho! I ain’t jealous, bridge baseball trust.” “J didn’t know that there were clubs enough up there to make a combine,” said Bert, with a chuckle. “There’s only one club, and that’s the one I joined.” “Ah, then you called it a trust as a mere figure I've just joined the Kings- ad of speech. ir “T called it a trust because we'll have to trust ~~ to luck to find another team to play with when the season opens.” -“That’s pretty good.” _. “I’ve been elected one of the directors,” “What are your duties?” “J shall direct the envelopes when we send out challenges.” “That will do, Dick. I think it’s time you went back to work.” “T think so, too. So-long! I'll see you later,” _ and Dick took his leave. _ _ Shortly afterward Bert’s boy came back from _ lunch and then the young broker left him in charge of the office and took his way to the Em- re Cafe. There he met Broker Gates taking a Hawley! I thought you were sick. I seen you on the floor since Saturday im one place it was stated that an favor him with a pleasant look. Bert won -Next day he had his first customer, stoc! ‘bull ef ~— tenanee, dressed in a BEATING THE MARKET. “You won't see me there again soon,” replied » the boy. “How’s that? Have you been taken off?” “T’ve quit the firm.” “What! Given up Knightley & Co.?” “Yes. I’ve gone into business for myself.” “Ts that a fact? Where’s your office?” “Room 551, Aries Building.” “Well, well, this is a surprise. with somebody ?” “No.” “By yourself, eh? I’m afraid you'll find it up- hill work at first catching customers.” “Probably; but I’m not worrying about that. I shall do a little speculating to keep myself em- ployed.” “Tf you can catch another easy mark, like Blumm, you won’t feel the lack of customers.” “You’re the only man I ever heard call Mr. Blumm an easy mark. He is pot generally con- sidered as such.” ; “He was easy for you on that option matter. You soaked him good and proper on it.” r “He deserved it, but it was just a lucky acci- - ent.” Bert then told Gates how Blumm had treated young Clark. “Blumm has done that trick before,” said Gates. “His office is a poor place for lambs to gambol in—I should say gamble. He’s got a sharp pair of shears and he knows how to clip the fleece close. So the young man dropped his legacy there?” “Every cent of it. He told me that his $10,000 went so quick that it made his head swim, and he In partnership ‘lost his job because of speculating. However, he’s got a better position now, and has grown wiser.” “By the way, if you want to make a few dol- lars you couldn’t do better than to buy Eldorado Copper. It’s selling at $5, but I got the tip that it is about to be boomed. I bought a couple of thousand shares myself as a flyer. Try it. You can’t lose much if nothing happens. That’s the way I look at it. It’s always. good at $5.” “Thanks for the pointer. I may avail myself of it,” said Bert. > They walked out of the cafe and Bert proceeded toward the Curb market. He made inquiries about Eldorado Copper, and learned that it was active at $5 a share. He asked about the cop situation generally and was told that the vd = mand somewhat exceeded the supply. Returning to his office, he looked through his Wall Street papers and saw several references to copper, and ance in some of the copper stocks might be looked for at. any time. Bert decided to risk Broker Gates’ tip, so he went around among the Curb brokers’ offices and showing his business card, asked for Eldorado Copper. He left orders for 5,000 shares, the stock to be paid for when the certificates were to be delivered at*his office. In the icllowma = ternoon the stock began coming in and the w “a bunch cost him $25,000 cash. - Toward the end of the week he ran i Broker Blumm on the street. The trader did not — if he would sell any more options to anybody. : ilt man, with a Hebrew page » With a ik Cas ht?

Page 15

“Is Mr. Hawley in?” he asked. “I’m Mr. Hawley,” said Bert. The man raised his eyes a bit and asked him if he was doing a regular brokerage business. “I’m not oma much that way yet, for I’ve only just started out, but I’m fully competent to execute any commission you may wish to intrust to me. I was.the board room representative for Knightley & Co. up to last week,” said Bert. “Weil, I want to get some shares of the Eu- reka Cracker Co. It is pretty hard to get, though it isn’t a close corporation. It’s ruling at 116, at least that is the price offered for it. I’ve called on several brokers, but they haven’t been able to get me any. Perhaps you will have better luck. I'll leave you a ten per cent. deposit for a few days. I want 100 shares, but if you can get me fifty, I'll take them. One hundred shares at 116 is $11,600. Here is $1,160 on account. Please let me have a receipt for it. I will call next Wednesday. If you haven’t secured the stock by that time we'll call the deal off,” said the visitor. “What is your name?” asked Bert. “Mark Krause.” Bert took the order and the deposit, and told “s his customer he would try to find the stock for ; him. The man then went away. Bert put on ¥ his hat and called on Broker Gates. ae “ve caught my first customer a while ago. -__-He wants 100 shares of the Eureka Cracker Co. Know where I can get any?” ri “Tf do not. That stock pays.a big dividend and those who own the stock seem satisfied to retain it as an investment. Very little of it has oe hands in the last year,” said Broker Gates. “I’m afraid you’ve got your work cut out to find any of it. Still, the unexpected is always likely to happen.” “The gentleman said it was hard to get. He has tried several brokers without result, and he is now giving me a chance till next Wednesday.” “Tll ask for it at the Exchange if you wish me ”» nin CO. ie “Wait till Monday or Tuesday. I'll make a tour of the offices and see what I can do.” : Bert spent several hours going around, but no- .. body had any of the stock. Finally he returned to his office. He had been at his desk about fif- - teen minutes when a lady, veiled, walked in. “Can I see Mr. Hawley?” she asked. . “That is my name, madam. Take a seat and _ tell me what I can do for you.” “You are a stock broker?” : “Yes, ma’am.” : “I received from my a et at he a had a legal ation 100 shares o jure er Co. stock.” . _ *Bureka Cracker Company, ma’am?” said Bert, ~ pricking up his ears. --—- *¥Yes. ~He advised me not to sell it; as it was -_ @ good dividend-paying stock. I found it was, but as I have particular need for the money now, I wish you would dispose of it for me. e paper says it is worth $116 a share.” _ “Yes, ma’am. That price is being offered for it. will have no trouble in selling it. In fact, I a customer who wants just the number of shares you have.” ar: ; i) UO Peas BEATING THE MARKET. 13 “You have brought the certificate with you, I suppose?” “Yes, here it is,” and the lady produced it from her bag. Bert looked at it. Apparently it was all right, but he had never seen one of that company’s cer-" tificates before, and it behooved him to be cau- tious, as a matter of nearly $12,000 was involved. “When did your husband buy this certificate?” he asked, “Really I couldn’t say. arated.” “When did you separate, or, rather, when did your husband give this to you?” The lady appeared to think. Then she said she really couldn’t remember within a month-or two, but thought her husband gave it to her about six months ago. Bert looked at the date and saw that the certificate had been issued to Leonora Harris thirty days since. “It was made out in your name when your hus- band gave it to you, i suppose?” he said, as a feeler. “Why, yes, I believe so,” she said, in an uncer- tain tone. _“You have had the certificate in your posses- sion ever since your husband gave it to you about © six months ago?” “Yes,” she said, moving uneasily in her chair under his questioning. Bert wrote down the number and series of the certificate, with the date. “If. I buy this from you I will have to char you the regular commission the same as if I sold it for you on the outside.” “Oh, that is all right. I expect to pay the usual commission.” “It will be $12.50.” “Very well.” “That will leave the amount coming to you $11,587.50.” The lady nodded as if she was perfectly satis- fied. Bert made out a regular order for the sale of the certificate, specifying its number, etc., and asked the lady to sign it, which she did. “Will you wait here till I go to my safe-deposit box for the money, or will you come back in half — an hour?” “Tl wait,” she said. “Very well. I won’t be long... He placed the certificate in his safe and shut the door, then put on his hat and walked out. He walked up to Knightley & Co.’s office, a few doors away. . “Hello, Hawley!” said the cashier. f “How do you do, Mr. White? I want to use your telephone’ a minute.” * “You have my permission.” Bert received a chorus of welcome when he en- tered the counting room and, g to every- body, he went into the booth. Here he called up the secretary’s office of the Eureka Cracker Co. Getting into communication with the secretary, he told him who he was, and that a lady had just brought him a 100-share certificate of stock of the cracker company which she wanted to sell. _ He gave the secretary the name, number, series and date and asked him if it was all-right: The official told him to hold the wire and he would — look the matter up. In five or six minutes he in- formed Bert that it was not all right: That the certificate bearing that number of Series C had It was before we sep-

Page 16

14 : been issued to one of the directors of the com- Pr pany a year since and he had not sold it. The certificate offered by the lady was, therefore, a forgery, and he requested that the lady be de- tained on some pretext until a detective could be sent to the boy’s office, the address of which the secretary asked for. “You'd better telephene to the Wall Street De- tective Bureau, which is only two blocks from my office,” said Bert. “Tl do it,” said the secretary. That closed the interview over the wire. CHAPTER IX.—The Lady Is in a Bad Fix. Bert kept about $5,000 in his office safe, and on his way to his office he stopped in at the'safe deposit vault and got $7,000 more. The lady was impatiently awaiting his return. The young bro- ker apologized for being away so long, but said that a matter of business had detained him. He leisurely wrote out a receipt for the lady to sign, and then began counting out the money. He counted it twice, and the lady thought he was ' « very slow about it. “Now dount it yourself, madam,” he said. “I have deducted the $12.50 commission.” “I guess it’s all right. I haven’t time to count it now,” she said, hastily opening her bag. i “One moment, madam; please sign this re- | céipt.” 2 She wrote her name, Leonora Harris, with a rapid flourish and snatched up the money. At - that moment a shrewd-looking man in a business suit entered and Bert tres forward to meet him. The visitor handed him a card of a Wall ‘Street Detective Bureau and said, with a glance at the lady, in a low tone that he came to arrest _ @ lady who had offered a forged certificate of _ _Bureka Cracker Co. stock for sale. £5 _“That’s the lady,” whispered Bert, as Mrs. Har- _ fis got up and started for the door. ; “I beg your pardon, madam, is your name Leo- - nora Harris?” asked the sleuth. : - The woman started back and looked fright- ened. She took alarm at the question from a stranger because her name really wasn’t Harris at all, and only been assumed a couple of hours since, which naturally aroused a feeling trepidation in her. The sleuth looked at her in- ne auras. + - I don’t know you,” she said. “Please let. me pass.” — : 4 ; ; “I think you brought a certificate of stock of - the Eureka Cracker Company to this office and offered it for sale?” - : “She has sold it, and I have paid her the mon- _ ey for it. Here is her receipt,” said Bert, -*T am sorry, madam, but I'll have to place you under arrest,” said the sleuth. “Place me under arrest!” gasped the lady, a se pales vee can explain how you came May got it from my husband,” she replied, in an itated tone. + ‘am in a great hurry to get home,” she Ae State a seat, madam, and we will look into the -explanati : the charge of forgery, rime. if BEATING THE MARKET. “I’m afraid you'll have to delay your departure for this matter is very serious. I am acting un- der instructions from the secretary of the com- pany, ‘ho says the certificate is a forged one. My instruetions are to detain you here till he comes.” “Oh, dear, I’l] be ruined!” cried the lady, burst- ing into tears. 2 “Not at all, madam, if you can show how you came by it.” “My husband. st “Gave it to you, eh?” said the officer, as she “What is his name and business ad- must be the same. “What's his first name, madam?” asked the de- tective. The lady maintained a tearful silence. The de- tectiye sized her up reflectively. “Unless you supply the information necessary to fix the guilt of this transaction on somebody else, you will have to go to jail, madam,” said the officer. At the mention of the word jail the lady nearly had a fit. She declared that she would be dis- graced for life if she went to jail, and made quite a scene. “Well, madam, it’s my idea you are simply act- ing as the accomplice of some man who pre that certificate,” said the detective. “If you tell me his name, and where I can find him it will be all the better for you. Otherwise you'll be held as the principal until he can be smoked out, and you'll find that a very serious matter, I assure you.” . The woman was silent. It was clear she didn’t want to make any admissions. Such was the state of affairs when the secretary arrived. “fs this the lady?” he said, after introducing himself. He was told that it was. “Have you got the certificate?” he asked Bert. “T have, and the lady has the money, $11,000 ‘odd, which I paid her to make a clear case of it,” replied the young broker. “Let me see it, please.” Bert got the certificate from his safe. - “It’s one of our regular blank forms. How it got out of the office is a mystery ‘to me. The matter will be investigated, for it is. extremely serious. The president’s signature is genuine, but the other two are rank forgeries. My name is - not = gece correctly, nor is the treasurer’s. It ; would never pass the wif eg of any one who ever saw a genuine certificate. Now, madam, is this yeur name—Leonora Harris?” he said sternly — to the lady. . __ 5 ~ “No, it isn’t,” she said, in a trembling voice. “But you introduced yourself to me as Mrs, Harris. And here is your receipt for the money, — 3g signed Leonora Harris,” said Bert. ee “What is your name, madam?” asked the sec- “I don’t want to tell.” See “You'll have to tell. You'll have to make a full on of this matter. You are now facing and that is a very se vou are tried and ain

Page 17

: < you are sure to get a long sentence in the State ison.” 4 That sent the woman into a state bordering on _ hysterics. When she had somewhat recovered she said she would tell everything, and went on to state that a gentleman who called on them occa- sionally, whose name was Herman Winser, had brought the certificate to her the night before and asked her to call at the office of a young broker ~ named Bert Hawley, at a certain time that after- noon end ask him to buy it. He hgd instructed her what story to tell, and she had followed his directions. Winser had told her to meet him at the office of Blumm & Einstein as soon as she had transact- ed the business. As she had been detained in Mr. Hawley’s office more than an hour, it was quite probable he had got tired waiting for her and left the place. : “Give me a description of the man,” said the ve. The woman did. a “An hour before the lady called a man came dn here who answers to that description,” said _ Bert. “He told me his name was Mark Krause. _ He left an order with me, and a deposit of $1,160 for the purchase of 100 shares of Eureka Cracker Company stock.. He said it was scarce and that he would give me till next Wednesday to find it.” “When this man Winser gave you that com- mission didn’t you think it was odd that he did not attend to the matter himself?” said the sec- retary to the lady. “He told me he had other business to attend to and he wanted me to help him out.” o; “Precisely; but do you mean to say that you didn’t suspect it was a crooked piece of busi- ness when he directed you to represent yourself - as Leonora Harris in place of your right name?” ' The lady was silent. Bert told the secretary the ig d that the lady told him of being sep- arated from her husband and that she alleged she had received the-certificate from him at the _time of the separation about six months since. _- “Madam, you don’t look like a fool. You didn’t - undertake this matter without knowing a great _ deal more about it than you have admitted to us. You have not told all the facts, and unless _ you make a clean breast of it I shall order this ‘Officer to. take yr to the nearest station hdéuse and have you locked up, and to-morrow I will _ appear against you when you are brought before _@ magistrate,” said the secretary. The lady gave in completely and admitted that she knew that it was a scheme projected by in- terested parties to swindle Mr. Hawley out of ‘the money she had received for the stock. “Who are the interested parties?” asked Bert. ~ *J couldn’t tell you who they are.” . I had any enemies as bad as m I know who is sore on |" Phe lady admitted that, she, had done so, _ “Where 1 meet him?” : + the fice of Blumm & Binstein.” Mr. Blumm there?” that she did. __ ything to do with this matter?” = | BEATING THE ‘MARKET. 15 She declared that the business was not men- tioned in Mr. Blumm’s presence. “What reason had Winser for playing this trick on this young broker?” “T think he was acting for somebody else.” “You don’t know that he was?” “Y-e-s,” she admitted, in a hesitating tone. “And who was the party he was acting for?” “T don’t know,” she said. “According to your statement, Winser persuad- ed you to undertake this mission, which you knew was crooked,” said the secretary. “You will have to find this man Winser,” he said to the detective. “In the meantime this woman will have to be locked up as an accomplice. She can save her- self afterward by turning State’s evidence.” Having disposed of the case for the present, the secretary prepared to go. The lady begged not to be taken to jail, declaring she had told the truth, but the secretary said she was too impor- tant a witness to be allowed at liberty. Accord- ingly, she was marched off by the detective, who took her direct to the Tombs and had her locked up pending further developments in the case. It was after five by that time, and Bert locked up and went home, feeling a strong suspicion that hrm Blumm was at the bottom of the whole matter. : CHAPTER X.—In Court. While the strenuous proceedings, as detailed in the previous chapter, were going on in Bert Haw- ley’s office, Broker Blumm and the man who had called -on the young broker earlier in the day, representing himself as Mark Krause, and left the order for 100 shares of Eureka Cracker Co stock with a deposit of $1,160, were seated to- gether in the trader’s private rcom. Mr. Ein« stein had gone home some time before. “Four o’clock,” said the man, whom we may as well say was Herman Winser and not» Mark Krause, “I’m afraid things haven’t gone smooth- ly with Mrs. Solomon.” .“Why should they go otherwise?” said Blumm. “Hawley is only an inexperienced young fellow. The chances are he’s never seen a genuine cer- tificate of the Eureka Cracker Co. There is no yeason why he should suspect there is anything wrong with the certificate. FA ‘ Mr. Blumm cr wees ee despite his —_ dent assertion. anything me wrong wi the lady, the ultimate result maar have an un- pleasant bearing on himself, and the very thought of such a thing worried him a great deal. isn’t she here, then, with the money?” said Winser. “He might not have had eough money to pay her, and told her to call in the morning, perhaps.” “In that case she would call here and report, wouldn’t she?” “You know her better than me, Winser. She’s a friend of yours. It is possible she did not think it necessary. Women do business in a different way than men. At least, I have found it so.” she might have gone home ea ell, instead of coming back to tell us that she didn’t make the sale, but I-am not sure she would do so.” “Tf she doesn’t turn up soon, let us hope she . Jaas,” : Pac 4 - ee —" ate ps

Page 18

16 “Tt would be tough if the certificate was dis- covered to be awforgery and she was arre: Age 3) » such a case, she’d get rattled and might blow on me. Then I’d be arrested and it would be up to you to save: us both.” “Don’t let us cross a bridge before we come to it,” said the broker nervously. “jm thinking I was a fool to tackle the job.” “Don’t think that, Winser. In any event, TH see you through.” “You had better. Mrs. Solomon has a suspi- cion that you are behind me, and if she found things looking a ep she might say things that would get you in trouble as well as me.” anything if— She will come When half-past four came around and Mrs. Sol- Winser said there was no use of them waiting for her any longer. “Py] ge up e’s there. to your house. while, and if she fails to show up, an indication that something has happened in connection with the certificate, and I’ll telephone you.” 2 : With those words Winser went away, and then Blumm himself left his office for home. Winser rang the bell at the flat which was partly occu- pied by Mrs. Solomon at six o’clock, and inquired ‘or the lady. He was told that she was out. He went away in an uneasy frame of mind, and re- turned in half an hour. Mrs. Solomon had not returned. He waied around he entrance until = seven and then certain that the worst had hap- , he went to a neighboring drug store and telephoned Mr. Blumm at his home. The broker was at his supper, and what Winser said over the wire rather hurt his appetite when he returned to the table. Winsgr went to dinner and called again to see if Mrs.’ Solomon was in. She was not, and in a nervous state of mind he went over to his hunts along upper Broadway. He was drinking in a hotel cafe at eleven o’clock when Detective Do- lan, the sleuth who had visited Bert’s office, tap- med him on the shoulder and called him to one side. e _ You'll have to come with me,” said the officer. “What’s the charge against me?” “Forgery.” Winser almost fainted. : : “St must be a mistake,” he said. “Who ic press- ing the charge?” _ “The secretary of “pany.” ; -*]T suppose I’ve got to go with you, but I as- ‘sure you the charge is absurd.” ®t have nothing to do with your guilt or your i . [am merely carrying out my orders,” <tr - the Eureka Cracker Com- So Winser was taken to the nearest, police sta- he did was te to Mr.. Blumm and hire a police- yr i i xpected he ewes 2 . - * ete eee ago, while I was BEATING THE MARKET. “Mr. Blumm: “Pye been arrested in connection with that cer- tificate. Get me bailed out right away. it is clear that Mrs. S. has been pulled in on the same charge and has squealed to some extent. It is now up to you to square matters or something you won’t like is sure to happen. Yours, “WINSER.” “This note contains evidence, and I shall keep it,” said the sleuth. “But I have been paid to deliver it,” said the liceman. “J can’t help that. The man was a fool to com- mit himself on paper. Here, I'll write down the name and address of the party you were to take the note to. Call on him and say that Winser has been arrested on some charge and that he sent you to tell him (Blumm) to get bail for him at once. Understand?” “Ses policeman nodded and continued on his er- rand. “This note seems to point to the identity of the man behind the scheme,” said the detective to himself. “It is hardly probable that he had any hand in the actual forging of the certificate, but the crime was doubtless committed at his instiga- tion, which practically makes him one of the prin- cipals. This is a most valuable clue, and it is likely. to put Broker Blumm in a tight box.” The detective called on the secretary of the ; cracker company at eight o’clock next morning at his home and showed him the note written by Ne ae to Broker Blumm which he had intercept- e Meas is evidently the man behind,” said the sleuth. “Maybe so, but I can’t sée why a gentleman of his standing in Wall Street would go into such @ dangerous é in order to try to ruin a young man like Hawley, just starting out in his busi- ness career, unless he had some powerful mo- tive. The question is whether the firm of Blumm & Einstein is implicated, or just Blumm alone.” “That will come out under investigation,” sai the detective. “I suppose you will one -_ against this Winser, using the woman as a wit- ness? Or shall you prosecute both of them? Mrs. Solomon is clearly guilty.as Winser’s ac- complice.” : “Oh, I guess we'll go easy with the woman, as her testimony is what we have to rely on. on her and tell her if she will tell her story in court without reservation that the company will not press the case against her,” said the secre- The detective went away. About ten o'clock he called on Bert in his office. z = came to take you up to the police court,” he _ “AN right. I’m ready to go,” said the young —. broker. eee ‘ “You remarked yesterday that Broker Blumm was the bre Bs a you knew who was sore om you,” continued the sleuth. : “Yes.” ; : “What reason has he for having his knife ad 35 of eS

Page 19

Co. on the floor of the Exchange. His firm lost nearly $30,000 in consequence.” “So, Then I suppose Mr. Blumm’s partner is also sore on you?” “T don’t suppose he feels very friendly toward _ me, for he shares the loss equ ly with Blumm.” + “tum! I have evidence pointing at Blumm as the probable instigator of this scheme that was played by the woman to do you out of the value of the cracker company’s stock.” “Have you? I suspected he was behind it, for I never saw the woman before, nor have I any acquaintance with the man Winser, outside his visit to me yesterday, which was clearly part of the game. He gave me the order for 100 shares of the, cracker company’s stock, and paid me a ten per cent, deposit as evidence of good faith. Then he must have”sent. Mrs. Harris, or rather E Mrs. Solomon, with the bogus certificate, expect- . ine I would immediately eee it from her 4 and hold it for him to call for on Wednesday. = Of course, he wouldn’t call, and then I would find myself out a matter of $10,000 which somebody would pocket. On the whole, I think it was a risky game to play, even with the chance of it : tne, according to the programme, ~ eause both the cracker company and myself would have taken steps to discover the alleged Mrs. Harris, and unless’ she left the city immediately after the success of her mission the probabili- ties are that a detective would have got her, and - then what has already happened would have ta- : : the way, have you found any trace of Winser?” _ -*{ arrested him last night and had him locked up. Mr. Blumm got him out on bail a couple of hours later,” said the sleuth. _ “Blumm again. I guess Blumm is the man who will have to pay the. price in the end,” said Bert. “Tt looks that way, if we can bring the case home to him strong enough.” Pe Bert on his hat and accompanied the de- teetive to the Tombs Police Court. When the against Mrs. Solomon was called, she was = out of the i looking much the worse for her night in a cell. Winser was in court with 3 The lady pleaded guilty of the charge of 5 offering the forged certificate for sale to Bert Hawley. The istrate remanded ; of the ceaid fate fixing bail at her for the action The attorney for the cracker company got up and said that he had two responsible persons to At BEATING THE -visement until you have MARKET. 17 one, it was clear he was entitled to the first come sideration. : “Js that your lawyer, madam?” asked the mag- istrate. Mrs. Solomon was confused and did not know what to say. The magistrate repeated the ques- tion, and the lady said she did not know till that ne moment that the lawyer in question represented her. This led to further argument on the law- yer’s part, who in answer to the magistrate’s*- — as to who had retained him in behalf of ~ e prisoner, said that it was @ friend of thes lady’s. “Is the gentleman in court?” “He is not, your Honor.” “Will your Honor take the matter under ad- disposed of the case of Winser, whom we charge’as the principal in this matter?” said the other lawyer. The magistrate said he would, and Winser was * ealled to the bar. He pleaded not guilty. The cracker company’s lawyer then stated that the matter appeared to be an attempt of a certain » person, Or persons, to swindle ~Bert Hawley, 2 + young Wall Street broker, out of the value of 100 © shares of the Eureka Cracker Co.’s stock, the © market value of which was $11,600. He was pre- pared to show that the prisoner, Winser, called on Hawley about noon the day before, represent- ing himself as——” Here he was interrupted by Winser’s lawyer, who said that he waived examination, asked that ; the prisoner be committed, and suitabie bail fixed 5 by his Honor. That move choked off further pro- a ceedings and the magistrate did as he was asked, end made the bail $3,000. The cracker company’s si lawyer then said as Mrs. Solomon had yolunteered to act as a witness against Wimser, she be com- mitted as per previous motion. Winser’s lawyer objected, but the magistrate turned him down and the lady was committed as a witness. That clos- | ed the proceedings for the present, and Bert re~ <3 @ turned to his office. z “2 CHAPTER XJ—A Traction Deal. | i; When he went to lunch at one o’clock he stop- ped at the Curb and found that Eldorado Copper ad gone up a point. That was quite satisfactory Be to him, and he continued on to the restaurant. When he got back to the office he found Winser =~ waiting for him. =e “Look here, Mr. Hawley,” said the visitor, “can you explain how it is that I have been sus ected of crooked work in connection with that ogee ; certificate which was brought to you by. ot - ber yesterday? I don’t see what I have to do wi as - “Why do you call on me about it? I haven't — made any accusation against you in connection «— with the matter. The singular part of the affair © is that you came here yesterday, said your name was Mark and left an order for 100 shares of the Cracker Co. stock. I have bra deposit in the safe, which will be returned © you in due course.” - Nee I don’t want it back if you can get me

Page 20

18 “Of course, or I wouldn’t have given you the order.” : “Under the circumstances, I don’t think I care tto try to fill your order.” “Why not? “Because you gave me the order under a false mame.” . “What difference does the name make? [ use that name when I La! Poi in Wall Street. I have a reason for it. e money I put up is evi- dence that my offer was a bona-fide one.” “As the cracker stock is so hard to find, don’t you think it was singular that Mrs. Solomon should call on me soon afterward with just the number of shares you asked for? If the whole thing wasn’t a put-up job on me, I’m a bad esser.” Sa “If it was, I had nothing to do with it.” “No? Mrs. Solomon confessed that you are the person who sent her to sell me the stock.” “I’m not responsible for what she says.” “But you’re a friend of hers?” “Tt kmow her in a general way, that’s all. We are not exactly friends.” “All right. a not going to argue the matter with you. I am practically out of the case, ex- cept as a witness. The certificate being a forged one, the cracker company has taken the case in : hhand and intends to push it. Unless you can he moe that you had no connection with it, you are ¢ ely to have hard sledding.” “TI hope you won’t throw your testimony against me.” “T have nothing to say against you except that ou gave me that order under a false name. at’s all I know about you.” “There’s nothing in it, but it might produce a false impression in court.” Bert shrugged his shoulders. Winser tried to : find ovt just what points the cracker company : claimed to have against him, but the young bro- ker wasn’t giving away any information he knew | connected with the case, so Winser finally went ; away, disappointed. Eldorado Copper closed at ~~ 6.50 that qiiernoot: Next day was Saturday, and during the short morning session it went to 7. 54 It was cold and snowy, but that fact did not keep Bert from paying his usual weekly visit to the money-lender’s daughter. He and Ruby were now on the most confidential terms, and his com- = ine was the one bright spot in the week for her. He met the old man at the tea table and received his usual cordial greeting. He appeared to have . taken quite a fancy to the young broker. He inquired how Bert was getting on in his ‘business, and the boy said he had no complaint ‘to make. He had no customers, it was true, but he had a deal on that promised to land him a big profit. At any rate, he was $10,000 ahead on it so far, He had told the story of the bogus certificate that had been sprung upon him with- out result to Ruby, and he repeated it to her father. “I guess you’re a pretty smart boy,” said the money-lerder. “Some boys would have been caught, for it looks to me like a clever scheme.” “Tt was clever enough in its way, but the : net implicated in it are likely to find it any- ng Fs Zier = . 7%, nt funny in the end.” “Such peyple deserve to be punished.” * beatin BEATING THE MARKET. “That’s right; but lots of people in this world don’t get what they deserve.” Bert remained until nine o’clock on this ocea- sion and then went home. Eldorado Copper con- tinued to advance during the following week, reaching 10 when Saturday came around again. Next week it went to 15 under heavy buying, for there was a great demand for it. Bert decided he would take no more chances on it since by sell- ing he would more than double his capital, so he took the certificates to a well-known Curb broker and told him to sell them for him. The trader easily got rid of them, and could have sold twice as many at the prevailing market price. So Bert cleared a profit of $50,000 on the deal, the market again. When he next visited Ruby he told her how much he had cleared off his copper deal, and she declared that it was quite a fortune. The old man congratulated him when he heard about it, and remarked that he was bound to grow rich if his good fortune continued. The trial of the two burglars came on next week and Bert was subpoenaed to testify against them. Ruby and her father also appeared in court, and the former corroborated a part of the young broker’s testimony. The rascals were duly convicted and given a long sentence. They had also been indicted for holding Bert up in the de- serted blacksmith shop and robbing him of his watch and money. This was pigeon-holed, to be brought against them when their terms expired. During the following few weeks Bert secured a few out-of-town customers, and also engaged in several deals that netted him small but quick profits, raising his capital to something over $100,000. Then it was he got into a deal that assumed larger proportions before he got out of it than he had any idea of when he started in. It came about in this way: Bert got the tip to buy Newark & Clear Lake Traction stock if he could get hold of it, for a syndicate was picking it up with the view of se- curing a controlling interest in the road, which was an independent line running between Newark and a town called Stanton, on the borders of a big —— of water called Clear Lake. The road had a heavy traffic during six months in the year, for Clear Lake was a kind of little Coney Island, under the control of an amusement com- pany. This company was back of the syndicate which was trying to get hold of the traction line. All this was explained to Bert by the party who ~ told him to buy the stock. The person was not~ taking advantage of his own inner knowledge because his capital was tied up in other. active enterprises. Bert began looking around, but he couldn’t find any of the stock for a week and then he got hold of 200 shares. The par value of - the stock was $50, and as the price had latel been advancing, he had to pay $45 for it, thou it had been eating exon’ $40 for a long time. He bought the res outright, paying $9,000 cash. Three days later he found 100 more, which he bought at the same price. Then he unexpectedly came upon 200 additional shares and he cantarnx them. The advantage of having a good capital was of some moment in transactions of this kind, for he did not have to assume any marginal riske. During the nextten days he found 500 more shares in small lots, but had to give an average of one point more for it, : oe eo => * Sh é

Page 21

‘He had now captured 1,000 shares, which had cost him about $45,000, or cyan! half of his capital. In case of need he knew he could raise $30,000 on it at the prevailing money rates on call _ loans. Although he continued to look around he could find no more, so he lay back on his oars to await results. The price gradually went up to par. At that point his profit in sight was $4,500 not nearly as much as he had made on several previous occasions out of marginal deals. Of course, in this case he was paying no interest, as the stock was paid for and in his possession. This made quite a difference when a deal is drag- - ging along. One pleasant Saturday afternoon, instead of going to Kingsbridge he went home and shortly afterward took a car on the Newark _ & Clear Lake traction line for the end of the - route. As it. was yet early in the x, Nay none of the amusement places were open. The big sa- ‘leon adjoining the dancing pavilion was the only building open to the public, and only the front - part of this, with a single bartender, was in com- - mission. __ There was no fence around the ground, as the _ Stanton authorities would not permit the amuse- ment company to cut off the public from free ac- _ cess to any part of the lake at any time, so dur- _ ing the season the visitors walked anywhere they ak ‘chose without cost, but if they wanted to see any * of the shows in the buildings they had to pay an entrance fee of from five to ten cents. ere were a number of the local inhabitants strolling around when Bert arrived at the company’s grounds, but they did not scatter much, and so as the young broker kept along the lake he final- ly found himself alone. He went all over the ‘property and at length sat down on an overturn- ed wheelbarrow against the wall of a small pa- vilion. ze presently heard voices talking inside the building. peo “The annual meeting will take place next Fri- yy afternoon, and we are still shy 5,601 shares,” nid a yoice. “The question is where are we go- ing to get hold of the deficiency?” “] know where we can secure 5,000. They will ost us $50 a share,” said another voice. “What d will the 5,000 do us if we can’t et the other 6017 It will cost us a quarter of oe and not give us the control.” “We can secure a thirty-day option on them r $100,000, and perhaps we will be able to find trol, and during the year we ought to be able. get them. We can stand the r manage- ent of the road for one year ene “I’m afraid we'll have to from t indica- ' ae who is the party who has the 5,000 m Knox, of Winthrop Terrace, No. 16, BEATING THE MARKET. 19 tinued to talk the matter over, and the first speak- er said he would bring the matter up at a meet- ing of the syndicate on Monday. speakers then walked off and Bert heard no more, CHAPTER XIi—Bert’s Big Deal. Bert mapped out his line of action on his way back to Newark, and before going home he in- quired his way to Winthrop Terrace, for he de- termined to strike while the iron was hot. Redch- ‘ing No. 16, he rang the bell and asked if Mr. Knox lived there. e servant who answered his ring said he did. “Take my card to him and say I would like to see him on business.” . Bert was asked into the parlor and the servant went mpetairs, In a few minutes the gentleman of -the house came down. Bert lost no time in stating the object of his visit. He had learned” that Mr. Knox owned 5,000 shares of N. & C. L. Traction, he said, was he rightly informed. The gentleman nodded. “Very good,” said Bert. “I hold 1,000 shares myself. The syndicate which is seeking to se- cure the control of the road is short just 5,601 shares. It will do the combine no good to pur- chase your holdings, or mine, separately, unless it can get them both. Now, my idea is that we pool our holdings on the basis of five to one, and offer the whole block to the syndicate at a figure above the market. I think in that case we can make a ready sale, as the annual meeting of the road takes place next Friday afternoon. What do you say?” aes “I have been approached by a representative of the syndicate and offered 49 1-2 for my stock, but I re to take less than 50, which I believe is the present market price.” “Yes, sir; 50 is what it closed at to-day noon.” “Well, I am still willing to sell at 50. As for your proposition, I do not care to entertain it. It may be a good one, or it may not. If you think you can make a sure sale that way, vou can buy me out and make a profit if your idea works out.” “Tl accept your offer if you will give me till Monday night to raise the money,” said Bert. “Very well; I'll hold my proposition open till Monday night at eight o’clock,” said the gentle- man. That closed the interview and Bert took his leave. After supper he sat down to figure out how he was going to raise $125,000. He had sould raise $90,000 bs perhaps $85,000" on his co raise , or . on his 1,000 shares of traction om a That still left him =g about $35,000. Where was he going to _ get it? He thought of Ruby’s father and the offer the old man had made him. But did the money-lender have $35,000 ready cash, and if he did would he lend it to him for a week, without security, to help him put through his big deal? It aay. sheet robable. However, he deter- mined to call on old Dawson and tell him how the and see what he had to say on the _ By aly

Page 22

ter they had been together for a while Bert told her about the deal he had in view, but said he was short $85,000. Could her father help him out, and, if he could, would he? “Go upstairs and talk to him,” she said. “He thinks a aoe deal of you, and if he can see his cs He help you out, he will,” she said. Bert sought th his case. “The only thing that stands in my way of mak- ing a good thing is $35,000. I can raise $90,000 of the $125,000. Can you help me out?” “J can and will,” said the money-lender prompt- ly. “When do you want it?” “To-morrow afternoon.” “Very well. I will bring the money to your office at: four o’clock.” Bert was delighted and thanked the old man for his generosity. At four o’clock next day old Dawson appeared at Bert’s office with $35,000 and turned it over to the young broker, who, in the meanwhile, had hypothecated his traction stock, through Broker Gates, for $380,000. At half-past seven that evening he rang the bell at No. 6 Winthrop Terrace asked for Mr. Knox. “You are on hand, I see,” said that gentleman, shaking hands with him. “Did you come to se- cure the option?” “Yes, sir. I have brought $125,000 in a certi- fied check signed by George Gates, a stock bro- ker. I gave him the cash for it, as I didn’t think it safe to — so much money around with me, nor did I thi ou would care to have so much Money in your house overnight.” “All right,” said Mr, Knox, after he had exam- ined the certification stamp of a Wall Street bank and assured himself that the check was good. He immediately wrote out the option, in which he agreed to turn over the stock to Bert Hawley, or his order, any time within thirty days from the date of the paper. Bert took the option and said good night. Next day he started to make inquiries about the headquarters of the syndicate. He learned that the combine’s bro- ker was a man named Simmons, whose office was in the Mills Building. He called there and asked for Simmons and was shown into his room. “I understand you are buying N. & C. L. Trac- tion stock,” said Bert. “Tam. Got any for sale?” “Six thousand. “What are you asking for the block?” “What are you offering?” “The market price.” “The deal is off, then.” Thus speaking, he rapidly left the office. Bert immediately started to go over to Newark to try and maake a deal with the party that was.in pow- er in the road. Before he reached Broadway he was overtaken by Broker Simmons, who offered him his price. “No, sir,” replied the young broker. “The price has advanced. I want two points above the mar- ket now.” : “Will you give me time to communicate with the head of the syndicate?” “Yes. I'll be at my office in an hour and a e money-lender and stated half from now.” Bert went straight back to his office and wrote ® note to the president of the traction company, felling him that he had 6,000 shares of the com- - BEATING THE MARKET. pany’s stock for sale, and was cénsidering an of- fer of two points above the market from the syn- dicate, which was between five and six thousand shares short of a majority. This note he dis- patched to Newark. At five minutes of twelve the president of the road appeared and introduc- ed himself to Bert. “I can offer you two points and a half above the market,” he said. At.that juncture the door opened and Simmons appeared with the head of the syndicate, whom he introduced to Bert. “We will take your offer for 5,601 shares,” said Simmons, “I have just received an offer of two points and a half above the market for the whole block, — is the only way I will sell the stock,” said ert. “T’ll give three points and take it all,” said the head of the syndicate. ; “J will give four and a quarter,” said the pres- ident of the road. The bidding continued till the president of- - fered 60. “That settles it. I’m out of it,” said the head of the syndicate, in disgust. “You have our goat, but maybe next year there will be a different story to tell.” The speaker and Simmons then took their leave. Six thousand shares at $60 make $360,000. “You have the stock ready for delivery, I sup- pose?” said the president. “Conditionally,” said Bert. “What do you mean?” “One thousand shares is hypothecated for $30,- 000 at the Wall Street Bank; the other five thou- sand I hold on an option on which I owe $125,000. I will transfer the option for $175,000, you to pay the balance when you take up the stock.” The president agreed to this arrangement, and it was consummated that afternoon. The- boy broker cleared $65,000 through the deal, and that =e he went to Kingsbridge and returned the money-lender his loan. A short time afterward Herman Winser was tried on the charge of for- gery. Mrs. Solomon testified against him. Her testimony locked corroboration, but the jury be- lieved it, particularly when Exhibit B, Wisner’s note to Broker Blumm, was produced by the de- tective. Winser was convicted. With the State prison staring him in the face, he denounced Blumm as the man who had hired him to put the job through in order to get square with Bert Hawley. Although Blumm escaped his just deserts, he lest prestige in the Street, and also with his partner, Einstein, who soon afterwards parted company from him and went in with Baumgarten & Levy, leaving Blumm to go it alone. Bert gradually accumulated customers, and in the ‘fall took a suite of two offices in the same_ building, on the fourth floor. Two years later he married Ruby Dawson, by which time the old man had retired from the loan business, and settled down at his son-in- law’s home to enjoy the remaining yearseof his life in peace and quietness. Next week’s issue will contain “LOST IN THE JUNGLE; OR, THE SECRET OF THE HINDOO TEMPLE.” <= = [wa eS < , = » + a <a ¢

Page 23

THIS FLY WHEEL DID FLY. = A large fiy wheel on a bailing outfit in Roches- ter, N. Y.,-used by the Pavilion Natural Gas Com- pany in that place, broke loose from the machine and flew over three houses and crashed through Miss Helen Elwell’s dining-room window. Miss Elwell was in the kitchen at the time and suf- fered no injury. : SWALLOWED BOOZE EVIDENCE. z A police plot to capture an alleged bootlegger “i “failed « hen 3s. Mollie Richardson of Richmond, _ WVa., chewed up and swallowed the evidence, a marked $5 bill. The three officers on the job sent a “spotter” in with the bill to purchase a pint of Tiquor, but reported later that they had only suc- ceeded in losing the money. q VODKA SEIZED IN RAID. __ _ Vodka, manufactured by Andrew Fischt, a Rus- sian, at Haddonfield, N. J., was seized and de- stroyed the other day after police carried Fischt’s farmhouse by storm. : _ ‘Fischt, armed with a shotgun, had barricaded himself in his house and threatened the officers. He held the police at bay half an hour, but finally was captured without injury to any one. He had driven his wife and children out of the =" house, the police say, and they were found walk- ¢ ing along the road, half frozen. Two large stills were found on the place and forty gallons of ~ whi and vodka. Fischt’s.wife reported that Ne aa liquor to Russians in Philadelphia. \- INFANT PRODIGY. — recently published story of Ralph Edgar 2 aloes of Little Rock, Ark., who at the age of ed months is able to read, has brought forward -a rival for infar* educational honors in ‘ames William Stroh, thirty-eight months old son ‘Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Stroh of Stuttgart. A resi- dent of Stuttgart vouches for the fact that at the of eighteen months little James William rec- zed and pronounced the entire alphabet, and en only two years old could spell words of three and four letters and recite nursery rhymes. » is able at the present time to read sentnces, either written or printed, and is said to be very fond of his books. oY se ‘SKIRT TRAPS” ENTANGLE BOOTLEGGERS ge x ON BORDER. ‘omen spies to catch bootleggers, known mg the rum runners as “skirt traps,” are the test government device to check importation of sky across the Canadian border. The women employed are those who have been more or known for some-time in the night life of the their duty to become acquainted with men e suspected of booze running and win their ie women that are in a position to towns and cities. There are, of course, ex- FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. 21 CURRENT NEWS acquire information of the movements of the smugglers prove of great value to the revenue agents. So far even the smugglers themselves have been unaware of the workings of these latest government agents. An elaborate spy system of women has been built up and is in working opera- tion. Scraps of information, obtained in many in- stances only after long and patient endeavor, are transferred to Federal men agents. In several cases, it is reported, information given by these ~ women has resulted in arrest of men which other- wise would never have been made. The women operatives are said to receive high pay. THE THRIFTY ELF. By Roland Coles Treadwell. Once a tiny elfin hunter on a sultry su : er day Set a trap to catch a minute as it sped ong its way; He took a little needle and a tiny bit of thread, es them neatly out of sight away up over- ead; Then when the hapless minute came a-gliding on toward night Down dropped the little needle and the hunter had . him tight! . But the eager elfin hunter kept on trapping near his bower Till with sixty minutes captured he exchanged them for an hour; $ And he trapned them and exchanged them in his enterprising way, Till _ had a dozen hours—these he traded for a ay. But altho’ he swapped and traded days for months and months for years, Yet he ne’er forgot the minutes that had made them, it appears, For in Fairyland, far distant, he is minute-hunt- ing still— Yes, he’s hunting and exchanging, and he’s at it with a will! Now this clever littie hunter let a secret out to me: ; You can all be minute-hunters, girls and boys, as well as he; Catch the little fleeting minutes with your needle and your thread, »* Or with pencil, book or-shovel you can make a - - trap instead; And you each can do still better than the thrifty little elf— Trade your captured time for money, then buy -Thrift Stamps for yourself. These in turn you'll soon be trading for a Savings _ Stamp, and then When a “Gov’ment Bond" vou’ve purchased—start to hent and tars e=-int Ny fo BUS WS, Qe ee _ = ms sd 5 nee PS eee ne et ee ee ;

Page 24

wee wwe 22 against us,” about him.” A lawyer At Nineteen FIGHTING AGAINST A FRAUD By GASTON GARNE (A Serial Story). CHAPTER Ii. (Continued.) The witness grew redder than ever, shifted ground in his seat as though sitting on needles, _and finally stammered out: “T forgot that.” “Tien you admit it?” The witness glanced at the document in Lew’s hand, hesitated for a moment and then nodded. “Speak out,” thundered the young lawyer. “Yes, faltered Smollett, “I did work for them one a but it had passed out of my mind.” “Oh,” said Lew, with withering scorn in his voice, “you could remember all the places in which you had lived for three years, moving fre- quently, but you couldn’t remember that you had worked one week for the Continental Iron Works when your lawyer asked you what work you had » done since, the accident, nor did your memory serve vou any better when I asked the same aues- tion. That is quite enough from you, Mr. Smol- lett.” : Lew sat down and another buzz ran around the courtroom, for the. young lawyer had scored a most important point, and everybody recognized the fact. At the rear of the room two men were Seated who had listened intently to the case, ae one of them now turned to the other and said: “Well, Morgan Drake, I’ve been practicing law for twenty years, and I’ve never seen a cleaner bit of work than that.” : “T suppose it smashes Smollett’s case,” ob- served the other, “No, for he really was injured,” said the law- yer, “and the jury must find for him in some amount, but he’s damaged the case so that he’s likely to get hundreds instead of thousands.” “T see. Who is the young fellow, Sniffen?” “He’s a clerk in the office of John Scribner.” “Oh, the man our case will be fought by shortly,” ; “That’s the man, and I want to Say to you, _ Drake, that I’d rather try it against John-Scrib.- ner, experienced as he is, than against this young lawyer, for he has an eve like an eagle, and seems to see straight into things.” “Oh, well, he’s not going to try the case : said Drake, “so we will not worry _“That’s probably true,” said Sniffen, “but if I ht an i i FR portant t this : eff graye age pwd Unt,“ Te FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. “Well,” reflectively said Drake, “it may wel! ba that he will assist John Scribner in our case. If he shows up in it we can play some little trick on him to get rid of him.” “That would be my idea,” said Sniffen, and then they both turned to listen to the case on trial. : Smollett’s lawyer now asked for the time-book and carefully examined it, and as it was a prop- erly attested document he had to admit it in evi- dence. The case went on, but Lew’s shrewd point had apparently disconcerted the rest of the wit- nesses, and they testified in a half-hearted man- ner that plainly showed that they were in fear of the clever young lawyer who had brought the blush of confusion to the plaintiff’s face. Eyen the doctor who testified for the plaintiff hesi- tated when asked if Smollett’s injuries were per- manent, and: finally said that he was not sure, but that he thought they were. That was enough for Lew, who fixed him with his great eyes, fired questions at him rapidly, — and soon had him so confused that he did not know what he was testifying to, and then he let him go. * It had been expected that the case would take all day, but in less than an hour from the time when the plaintiff took the stand, Lew was ad- ~ dressing the jury. “Gentlemen,” he said, “jury duty is unpleasant work, and you look to me like a number of busi- _ ness men who would like to return to your occu- _ pations just as soon as possible, so I will not attempt any long speech, nor indulge in any at- tempts at eloquence. Tt is true that we injured — this man, but it is also true that we did not injure him to the extent that he would have you =. believe we did, for you have heard from his own lips that he was an iron worker, that all the labor of an iron worker is hard and requires — great muscular strength, and after swearing that _ he had done nothing more laborious than to sweep a room since he was injured, he was compelled to admit that shortly after the accident which he swore in his complaint had permanently disabled _ him, he worked for one full week for the Conti- $e nental Iron Works. Gentlemen, he had a good Ee case, but he has ruined it as many another plain- tiff has done by trying to prove too much, and he — has only himself to blame. He had only to tell - the truth in most matters, and in regard to his week’s work he could have won your sympathy — to some extent by admitting that he tried to work to support his family, and that after laboring in _ oe ety ns ie pain and suffering for one week he was com- — pelled to throw up his job and be supported by his wife. I proved to you, gentlemen, by poate cuestions in regard to the various houses he had “ lived in for three years that he had an ; y retentive memory, recalling without a - hesitation the addresses of the thirteen houses had lived in and the length of time he had - sided in each and then I showed you how veniently he could forget the week he worked.” Lew paused for a moment to make his final

Page 25

FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. THE NEWS IN SHORT ARTICLES. q COST OF AMERICAN FORCES IN GERMANY. The total cost of the American forces in Ger- 5 many from the beginning of the occupation to June 30, 1920, amounted to $257,065,084.35. This sum includes maintenance (officers, men, ani- mals), charges: peculiar to the army (civilian la- bor, rentals and billets, claims) and a net debit (surveys, salvage sales, etc.). Under the terms of the armistice, Germany is obliged to reimburse the United States for the cost of the American forces in Germany. To June 30, 1920, Germany had paid on this account $34,724,658.78, includ- ing credits for sales, leaving a net balance due the United States of $222,340,425.57. p GET HUGE MOOSE. Louis W. Hill of Minneapolis, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Great Northern Rail- way, has returned with six friends from a hunt- ing trip in the Alberta mountains. The party killed seven bull moose, which is the legal rate of one per man. There were some fine heads in the lot. The moose that fell to Mr. Hill’s rifle had a spread of 59 inches across the horns, each of which had 14 points. The party went to Jasper Park by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway and struck north from that scenic wonderland into the Rockies domi- nated by Mount Robson. Mr. Hill makes an an- “ nual hunting trip to this part of Canada, which is considered one of the best game regions on the continent. — TO ATTEMPT TRANSCONTIENTAL FLIGHT. = An attempt to fly from Florida to California in twenty-four hours is to be made on Feb. 22, 1921, : by Lieut. Alexander Pearson, jr., Air Ser., U. S. _. A., now on duty at Douglas, Ariz., according to a statement made by Major Henry C. Pratt, Air _ Ser., U. S. A., as announced in a press dispatch from Fort Sam Houston. Lieutenant Pearson _~ fiew in the army transcontinental flight from __~ Roosevelt Field, N. Y., to San Francisco and re- turn in October, 1919. The proposed flight is to rack made in three hops. The starting point is to be Pablo Beach, near Jacksonville, Fla. The first stop is to be at Ellington Field, Fort Sam Hous- _ ton, a distance of 804 miles; the second at Fort Bliss, 660 miles, and the third at Rockwell Field, San Diego, 615 miles, a total of 2,079 miles. The flight will be the first attempt for a continuous are to occupy only forty-five minutes each.. : GREAT FIRE RAGING. Residents of Lower West Scranton are living over a raging furnace, while officials of the Dela. ‘ware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Com- pany, together with members of the local police and fire departments, are making an effort to de- _ termine the exact location of a fire.in what is be- ved to be old mine workings about 500 feet be- = -across-the-continent speed record. The two stops The fire was discovered the other day when huge clouds of smoke began pouring through the airshaft of the Continental mine, of the D., L.. and W. Company. At that time it was believed that the fire might have extended from the blaze that has been raging for years in the Continental mine, The other night, however, fire broke out anew in the old central airshaft of the same com- pany and also in West Scranton, and set fire to the wooden framework running through the open- ings. It is now believed that there are two mammoth mine fires instead of one, and that the flames are spreading over an underground area of approx- imately fifty acres. The new blaze spread rap- idly to-day east and west, reaching a considerable area on either side of Garfield avenue, along Washburn street. The presence of gas and black damp prevented firemen from going down the shaft in the attempt to find just where the blaze is located. While there appears to be no immediate dan- ger to the thousands of people living over thig particular area, officials fear that if any surface settling should occur while the blaze is raging the fumes of gas, sulphur and black damp would creep up through the crevices and possibly enter the homes of the residents, with results that might in some cases prove fatal, “MYSTERY MAGAZINE” SEMI-MONTHLY 10 CENTS A COPY aie as LATEST ISSUES E CLUE OF THE RED L. ° Fule — Carsten AMP, by Charles Ful 2 SCHEME OF SOLOMON SNARE, Filits ns ofiaiullton, Osborne. E, by William JICKER THAN THE EYE, by Ralph Cum le 66 i= IN THE DARK oom by Hiamitoe gie. 67 THE TONGUE OF OSIRIS, by Mare Edimu DETECTIVE WADE'S BIG CASE, by Denes te 68 69 THE 6 THE SPIRIT BELL, by Ckarles Fult 5 70 THE HOUSE BEHIND THE WALL. op oelan arrow. 71 THE ADMIRAL’S SPOONS, by William Hamilton Osborne. 72 THE CANINE CLUE, by Thos. J. Lally. i3 THE PSYCHIC ENEMY, by Arthur Wim, Andreon, 74 THE WONDER GIRL. by Ralph Cummins. 7% ON THE WRONG TRAIL, by Ethel Rosemon, 76 THE SPIRIT WITNESS, by Chas. F. Oursler. 7 THE LITTLE WHITE ROOM, by Mare Edmund Jones. The Famous Detective Story Out To-day In No, 73 Ie THE STOLEN YEAR By EDMUND ELLIOT FRANK TOUSEY, Pub., 168 W. 23d st. N. Y. a ERE 5, | arene Ee Sai re ee “MOVING PICTURE STORIES” A Weekiy Magazine Devoted te Photoplays and Players PRICE SEVEN CENTS PER Copy Each b yy &§ on the "Screens—Elegunt Halt-tone’ Secee, pest F Hime the Films—Doings of A Studios and Lessons in Scenario Writige =? ‘HARRY &. WOLFF, Pub., 166 W. 23d St. Ny Xe * . 3 a tees ey Playe—Interesting Articles About Prominent Feepie ie =a ‘

Page 26

THE MYSTERY OF THE LIGHTHOUSE By Horace Appleton. There had always been extant a tradition in Southport of buried gold. The legend had it that old Captain Fisher, an old-time pirate capta:n, had at one time made his rendezvous upon the storm- bound cape. : There, it was said, he had buried a vast treas- Just where it was buried, of course, was the mystery. Somehow, there was a popular belief that the gold would be found under the old lighthouse on the point. : This had long been in disuse since the new light _ had been constructed on the other side of the ca = é At the base of the cliff, snug against the wall there was built a homely fisher hut, the abode of old Jerry Proctor, and Ann, his wife. : ~ Old Jerry was a fisherman, and had at one time been the master of the light in its palmy days. _ “If anybody knows the location of old Captain 2 Fisher’s buried treasure, it ought to be Jerry $ Proctor,” averred Sam Woods, an enterprising young lawyer of the town. “As for myself, I ~ doubt if it ever existed, except in somebody’s A very fertile imagination.” Hiram Goodhue, the magnate of the town, and _* a grasping speculator, overheard this remark, “That may be,” said old Goodhue, in a rasping way, “but I don’t believe he knows anything at all about it. If he does, would he not long since Have brought out the wealth and spent it?” * “Not necessarily,” replied the young lawyer coolly. “Jerry is somewhat of a miser himself. -~ Yhave no doubt that he has a small fortune of his own stored away somewhere.” sy “Humph!” exclaimed Goodhue, “It is time that z he devoted some of it to the purchase of a cleanly suit of clothes and made an appearance at church. He has not been out of oilskins since I can re- ~ member.” " Sam’s face flushed a little. ‘ “Indeed, Mr. Goodhue,” he said, in an acrid tone, “I hardly see how you can afford to criticise old Jerry so severely. e has earned his money by honest work, not by defrauding widows and orphans. As for his attending church, I know -_ personally that in his own heart he is a good Sr: ristian.” =e “T can understand your interest in him, sir, and why you should defend him. I believe Miss Olive ~. Martin is his niece.” : H were at the moment upon the steps of the ee Bird Inn, the resort hotel of the place. Near _ them stood several men who were listening with - idle interest. One of these was a tall young man with a swarthy complexion. He seemed to listen eagerly, ere was a curious gleam in his eyes. He away and went quic’ gh be street. a young girl, slight and. petite ers FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. Sam’s face brightened at sight of her, and he managed to get away from the knot of men upon the piazza, and a short while later overtook her in the path which led out to the point. Jt happened that Hiram Goodhue, who was riding leisurely homeward in his phaeton, saw the meeting. a “Tew suspect it,” he muttered, “but I am pos- sessed of facts to prove that Olive Martin is heiress to a fortune of half a million left by an uncle intestate in California. She is the nearest of kin. She would make my boy Jack a good wife, and the half million would fill my coffers to overflowing. Ah! I will see that she does not fall into the clutches of that pauper lawyer. “As for that buried treasure,” he continued, “I _ think’ I have at last the clue to the hiding-place of the treasure. I have discovered an ancient man-_ useript plan of the interior, and if I am not much mistaken there is a erypt reached by secret stairs under the cellar. I will circumvent them all. f can buy the point and the lighthouse of the Goy- ernment, and that I will do at once.” Meanwhile, the two lovers, Sam Woods and Olive Martin, were strolling along the cliff path. “Has anything happened, my love?” Sam asked solicitously. “You seem depressed.” “Sam, I must tell you all,” she burst forth. “I — had such an experience in my life’as to- ay. Sam was astonished. Be Lan what was it, my darling?” he asked ten- rly. “You know Jack Goodhue?” “That scamp?” ; “Well, he insulted me to-day by actually ask- : ing me to marry him. I was never so disgusted in my life. When I refused, he became abusive “and swore that he would ruin you!” : Sam Woods towered aloft like a young giant. His eyes blazed with righteous wrath. Ses ; “That consummate scoundrel!” he cried. “Did he dare to say-all that to you? Upon my word, a I see him I'll call him richly to account for i ” 2 BY a fae they oar aie ge Proctor cot- ge. The subject was dropped, but by no means __ a from Sam’s mind. ; . at y were entertained in a simple fashion_by the old people. Before they left, b Sam’s ‘é = guest, he and Jerry walked out to the old light- a ouse. _= They entered, and Sam looked the old place over, ee “Jerry,” he said sharply, “they d ete _Fisher’s treasure was ge x y do say that old ried somewhere on point, Do you believe it?” er “It may be so, lad. I doubt me much, f * one has ever found st” a + er Sam was thoughtful a moment. “Who owns the point, Jerry?” he asked. “The Government, lad. If the treasure was 4

Page 27

t will be remembered that at the opening of - our story, while Sam and Hiram Goodhue were haying their argument, a young man of flashy ‘appearance stood near and heard it all. - He had left the group suddenly, and a short _ distance down the street met a rough, coarse- _ Visaged man of the ruffian type. - Well, Robin Dane!” he said eagerly, “I have struck lead at last.” ~ *“¥ou don’t mean it, Bill Preston!” "You know we were talking about old Jerry Proctor and his miserly habits. Well, I have a clue that his hoardings are secreted in the old lighthouse.” ‘They then wandered into a sailors’ drinking re- vt near, and there we will leave them for a while. - + Meanwhile, the sharp old speculator, Hiram oodhue, had opened negotiations for the pur- _thase of the point. : He met with such success that in a few days he papers were in his hands, the transfer was made, and the was the owner of the lighthouse. _ The Proctors were dumbfounded when the mag- _ Mate rolled up to their door and demanded the ‘e don’t mean to say that ye’ve bought it, _. Sir?” exclaimed the old man ina stupor. -“That’s what I mean to say!” cried Goodhue asiy, “and you have just twenty-four hours “which to get off my property.” __ “An’ ye don’t mean to tear the old light down, friend?” asked coe anxiously. “What do you think I am here for?” cried Good- re rily. “Certainly not to answer questions. to explore the lighthouse from top to bot- ~The lower rooms are dark, eh? Well, get e a lantern.” r ‘Old Jerry tremblingly obeyed. ‘He knows the hiding-place of the treasure,” auttered the money-lender with a chuckle. “I'll ‘it out cf him.” ~ “T want _ and your wife to accompany me!” @ said authoritatively. .“And I want you to an- truthfully every question I ask you about place,” The upper chambers were all examined, Good- keeping his eyes out for a crevice or a niche, was not until the lower vaults were reached Bias ne of a thrilling nature happened. s they entered the cellar chamber and ern’s light was flashed across the sto e vens! w= are lost, Ann!” he cried. “Who gone—gone!” wailed Amn. wildly and tri- e is mine because a tle agonized ery broke from Old- af - e e. == : ing the buried gold. _ “Olive re —_ ; FAME AND FORTUNE WEFELY. 25 “Tet go!” roared the moncy-lender angrily, try- ing to break their hold, which he finally succeeded in doing. Grasping the lantern, he plunged down into the place. ; Instead of heaps of gold and silver, he saw— horrors! blood—biood everywhere, upon the stone floor and walls of the vault, and there in a pool ~ of it lay the frightfully mutilated body of a man. Hiram Goodhue stopped to see no more. He came out of the vault as if pursued by a fiend. “Murder!” he yelied wildly. “Police! help! It is murder!” Out into the open air he rushed. Back to the town he was madly driven. What followed was a swift, jumbled, awful series of events. - The fearful report. spread all over the little fisher town that old Jerry Proctor and his wife had decoyéd a stranger into the lighthouse and murdered him. In less time than it takes to tell it they were behind prison bars. Poor Olive Martin was in a whirl! of horror and despair. But through all Sam Woods, the young lawyer, stood up, and said: ; “These old-people are innocent. I know it, and by my right hand they shall have justice.” Sam listened to old Jerry’s story. This revealed the fact that the buried treasure of the pirate was as much a myth as ever. The whole secret was that for years Jerry and his wife had been misers. Their savings, a matter of a few thousand dol- lars, they had hoarded up and secreted in the se- eret vault of the lighthouse. Their amazement had been preater than any- body’s to find the dead body of the unknown man in the vault and every cent of their savings gone. Old Jerry and his wife were held for murder. The day of the trial drew near. Prejudice against the old cowple had been very strong. Bet the plucky young lawyer had been busy at work. : “T will clear them,” he said. “They are inno- cent.” ae A smart detective at work on the case un- a earthed the fact that a man had been caughtina neighboring town covered with blood and wounded. y - Upon his person was found the exact amount — of money lost by the Proctors. He was at the point of death. At once Sam hastened to his side. The result was that he secured a confession in He gave his name as Robin Dane, and he was ‘the accomplice of Bill Preston, the man who had overheard Goodhue’s conversation with Sam. Dane died with the confession ee his ips, The Proctors ce rege recovered, and, ting by th they aban- doned their ‘sniserly--waya and liv oo - eo on Goodhue was disappointed in not find- mo de oS , te 2

Page 28

26 FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY oo NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 11, 1921. TERMS TO SUBSCRIBERS Bingle Copies............... Posiage Free.... 07 Cents One Copy Three Months... re ogee -90 Cents $1.75 3.50 HOW TO SEND MONEY—At our risk send P. O. Money Order, Check er Kegistered Letter; remittances in apy otler way are at your risk. We accept Postage Btamps the same as cash. When sending silver wrap the Cein in a separate piece of paper to avoid cutting the envelope. Write your name and address plainly. Ad- dress letters to HARRY E. WOLFF, Publisher 166 West 23d St., New York ITEMS OF INTEREST WATCHES PET TERRAPIN. William Stewart, a night watchman at. the Capitol, Frankfort, Ky., whiles away the tedium of the long hours before day observing the move- ments of a pet terrapin which he turns loose to wander at will along the corridors of the build- ing. One Copy Six Months...,.. 2 Re ae One Copy One Year....... “¢ St Feds CHAINED TO COW. When Frank Bob of Youngstown, Ohio, remon- strated with Anthony Dunnevitch for pasturing his cow on Bob’s land, Dunnevitch knocked Bob down with the cow chain, tied the chain around his neck and chased the cow, according to infor- mation lodged with the police recently by Bob, who said he was dragged 200 feet. Donnevitch was arrested on a charge of assault. RECORD PRICE OF $1,000 FOR FARM IN CUTCHOGUE. Records in the County Clerk’s office indicate the recent sale of the twelve-acre farm of Dr. Frank D. Peterson at Cutchogue, L. I., for a price of $1,000 an acre, said to be the high point in farm values in this section. The land is on the west side of Depot lane and was purchased by Con Smith, a Polander, whose countrymen have been busy gobbling up farms in Smithtown and Riverhead, paying fancy prices, eo so high as Dr. Peterson received for his and. THIEVES WERE FOOLED IN ANCIENT : ROYAL “GEMS.” French bandits are not always as clever as they seem, as a recent robbery in the National Museum at Saint-German-en-Laye proves. Guards found a ladder against one of the castle indows last week and on making an investiga- tion discovered that a glass case containing jew- crowns and bracelets of old Kings of Gaul had been broken open and rifled. Great was the hullaballoo until the news reached Solomon Rein- _ach, the director of the museum, who announced a “with a broad grin that the stolen “jewels” were _ only paste replicas and that the real jewels were asiely reposing in the castle vaults. a> = re ee Ee a » FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. BANDITS HAVE POOR LUCK. Chicago’s bandits had poor luck Jan, 15. At almost every turn they were frustrated or cap- tured. ~ } Albert C. Clark, State Senator, nearly lost $10,000 worth of liquor. -Four thieves, one of them disguised as a maid servant, gained en- trance to the home and locked the occpants in their rooms. Before the robbers could complete loading their motor truck the imprisoned family’s cries had aroused the neighbors. The police ar- rived and captured the quartet. A private banker threw up a pistol instead of his hands and routed four bandits who later were arrested when they attempted a payroll robbery. Two robbers were outwitted by a butcher who was locked in an ice box. Previously he had hidden his money in the ice box and cut a slit in the door by means of which he released himself after the pair had left. LAUGHS He—This collection of stuffed birds is said to be worth hundreds of dollars. She—Is it possible? What are they stuffed with? Castleton—I want to call on Miss Redbud, and I came away and forgot my cards. Tutteér—Why not use one of mine? Castleton—No, old man, I want to see her. ; Mrs. Passy—Everybody says my daughter got her beauty from me. What do you say to that. Mr. Witts—Well, I think it was very unkind of her to take it from you. Mr. Bjones—Don’t you think Johnnie is getting too big to be a messenger boy? Mrs, Bjones—No; I’d rather keep him there, because there is no danger of his getting into fast company. Teacher (to new pupil)—Why did Hannibal cross the Alps, my little man? My Little Man— For the same reason as the ’en crossed th’ road. Yer don’t catch me with no puzzles. _Bill—They tell me that a goat eats twelve times its weight in a year. Jill—Does that rep- resent much food, do you suppose? “Well, it all depends whether what the goat eats happens to be paper-covered novels or lead pipe!” ea The Suitor (bitterly)—You reject me? Why, if a fellow has a chance to marry a poor, hand- some girl or a rich, plain girl, which do you think he ought to do? “It looks to me as if the proper course is a plain one in that case.” ns Customer—Will these pants bag at the knees? Dealer—Mein frient, no pants will bag at de knees if you treat dem right. I tell you how be- fore you go. money. down, It ees my own invention. Customer — 2 (delighted)—-Then T’ll take them. Here is the ~ What is your plan? Dealer—Never sit

Page 29

SIAMOND DIGGERS STARVE IN SOUTH aS AFRICAN CAMPS. Unemployment in many parts of the Union of Africa is causing- grave anxiety there, ac- ding to a Johannesburg dispatch to the Central condition of the diggers in the diamond elds at Bloemhof and other places is described itiable. Entire families are reported to be in condition. Many of them are living 3 CHICAGO HAS 85,000 CATS. _ Ghicago’s dogs top the 55,000 mark, horses number 30,000, and the feline census equals both, ding to the annual report to-day of H. L. ts, secretary of the Anti-Cruelty Society. d: e placed more than 600 dogs in homes. We in 4,249 cats, but a lot of them we ‘put to 7” 3 " eoyo tired and hungry, was rescued on lake rrents an ailing lion cub was nursed back Ith, and a carrier pigeon’s broken wing was ed and the bird returned to the government. SIX FOUND STARVING. family of six persons near death from starva- was Sanaht to the attention of the Brooklyn the other day. ee family consists of Peter Aran, his wife, a ‘Charles, seven years old, and three daughters, mine, Lola and aa eneniy, pee . — years old, respectively. ey live a 0. -2 Third avenue, Brooklyn, N. Y. ; en the police arrived they found all six lying ttresses on the floor, in 5 _—_ i meng s no furniture in the room, no fire no is 8 hbor, Morris Engelbardt, made a fire and fruit. ambulance surgeon from the Norwegian | pronounced all six suffering from star- The family are proud Spaniards and jolice say they do not appear to care whether die. or _ Men of the Fourth avenue police station took np a collection and sent food to the family. Cap- flames Gilbert will try to find employment oe ather and the two elder girls, Carmine a 2 : » family arrived from Porto Rico about a ago. The father had heard of prosperity a and wanted to share in it. US OF WOMEN IN AUSTRIA. ustrian census of population taken Jan. shows that the aeiber of females has "increased, both absolutely and rela- in all age Srouie anys the Journal of. te are 1,087 females for évery for a FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY. ITEMS OF GENERAL INTEREST from. Vienna alone the figures are 1,163 to 1,000, an in- es of seventy-seven males as compared to 10. But if we take into consideration only those persons classed as of a marriageable age—all un- married fentfales or males over nineteen years— Wwe get quite a different aspect. In Vienna we find 1,413 females to 1,000 males at present, whereas ten years ago it was 1,227 to 1,000. In the rural districts the picture is not so appalling, but even there the ratio is never under 1,100 to 1,000, meaning that fully one-tenth of the females can- not hope to marry. Very striking is the change in the industrial and mining districts of our coun- try. While in-1910 there was in these places a distinct surplus of males, now the females out- number their mates by from 42 to 117 per thou- sand. In the purely agricultural districts the dif- ference is not so pronounced. Even in peace times there was an excess of females, 1,153 to 1,000, which has risen to 1,262 to 1,000. HAS A KICK BUT NO ALCOHOL A chance reference by Robert Louis Stevenson to a bowl of kava sent a New York promoter to the South Sea Islands. He returns with a mon- opoly of the kava market and high hopes of put- ting something over on Mr. Voistead. For kava is a drink that contains no alechol—but my, what a kick! A little shrub, likened to a pepper plant, and variously known for certain medicinal properties as kawa-kawa, kava-kava, kaava, cava and ava, is the basis of the beverage. From the upper part of the root is exuded a resin which is a pure chemical compound called kawine. When this is dissolved from the crushed roots and subjected to certain chemical action it becomes kava. When Stevenson cruised the Pacific he found that young boys and girls, selected for perfect teeth, were employed to chew the roots to a pulp. This was allowed to stand several days in deep jars of water. The resulting liquid was a brown- ish green, sweet at first taste, but quickly turn- ing acrid. — The effect, while intoxicating, was more like that of a narcotic than of alcohol. Although some good effects are ascribed to the drink, ex- cessive consumption is said to cause eruptions of the skin. In fact, the natives who overindulge in kava acquire a whitish slough over the skin, which has become a mark of distinction, as only the wealthy or otherwise influential can afford to get drunk frequently. All the natives, however, drink some kava, especially during ceremonies for ; the removal of a taboo. Recently an English resident of Polynesia has found a great source of profit in growing kava on a commercial scale. The substitution. of chemicals for saliva and of machinery for teeth makes the beverage exceed- ingly cheap. In Just what form the intoxicant F will be introduced into the United =< it has. not been decided. But it is here and will be heard =

Page 30

1 =

Page 31

ODD CLOVER Even in Druidic worship, in pre- Christian times, the trefoil leaves of the clover pient were sym- ols of religion, setting forth the three grades of Druids, Bards and Neophites. In Christian _ myth- ology its leaf is frequently held. > ae > New Hair Growth wy INDIAN’S SECRET OF HAIR GROWTH to symbolize the **At a time when T had become discouraged Trinity, and some &t trying various hair lotions, tonics, specialists’ + y; as treatments, etc., I camo across, in my travels, a Trish “Soeertgrr 5 peg Indian a man’ who Eek en ee a insi r: it is at he asseverated would growmy hair. Although + , ~sa ay aie : 9 had but little faith, I save it's trial. To my “dtr hair growth e€ true gir \ amazement a light fuzz soon appeared. It developed, day by day, into shamrock which 4 a healthy growth, and ere long my hair was proliic as in my St. Patrick used youthful days, il te how That I was astonished and happyis expressing my state of mind mildly, to illustrate 4 Obviously, the hair roots had not been dead, but wero dormant in three separate eae the scalp, awaiting the fertilizing potency of the mysterious pomade, objects such as 4 35 er , fot die even when the hair fell out through dandruff, fever, — causes that pro- alopecia areata or certain other hair or scalp disorders. Misg duce it are hered- iA, D. Otto reports: ‘*‘About 8 years ago my hair began to fall ity % iti out until my scalp in spots was tea moist almost enticely' bald. "I used K @) TA 5. K @) everything that was recommends season _ clover ed but was always disappointed 2 until at last I Ko- pat eel — FOR FALLING HAIR talko, My bald spots are being ur BALDNESS, DANDRUFF — mens a prowih is * leaves, and some ready about three es.” G, having only two For Sale at ail W. ds cores tchell eee “I had lea found BusyDragS Mich Deir fe now growing okies ves, are found. us tores whic since I used Kotalko,’* Mrs, Matild: Some plants are y: Maxwell reports: ‘‘The whole nel ty he- : = — ——. front of By head me as bald if ity,and repro- | Ai Regr of my hand for abou years, ince usin, = , hair is wing al. over the placg that was bald,’* talk erful duce themselves Many more amtiendias convincing yeporta from Satisfied users, ee BL aris contains GENUINH BEAR OTD and other potent in- 4 ; gredients, No alcohol, no shampoo; but a hair elixir of x R or wonderful efficacy. All ingredients are safe and harmless, SR ee ae ate . even for a child’s scalp and hair, Positively KOTALKO ia one delightfully reliable hair preparation that suc with the same characteristics in Successive years when their en- vironment re- Bpon genuine merit, Buy a box of KOT. at the drug store. Or ask for Kotalke mains the same et the toilet goods or drug counter of any large department store, Remember the ; z mame, Accept nothing else ag ‘‘just as good.’’ $800.00 GUARANTEE, Orif Em send 16 external influ- cents (silver or stamps), you will receive a PROOF BOX of Kotalko with BROCHURE ences merely ostpaid. Determine NOW to eliminate DANDRUFF, to treat BALDNESS, to STOP modifying the IR FROM FALLING, Get a box of guaranteed KOTALKO, apply once or twice 3 watch in your mirror, For PROOF BOX (10 cents, none otherwise) write to size of the leaves In Germany it KOTALKO_OFFICES, BA-375, Station X, New York WARNING four-leaf clover will - overcome ge eit as BIG VALUE for 10 Cis. love, 6 Songs, words and music; 25 Pie In keop! bowel lar do not ag a pe n gy 2 tures Pretty Girls:40 Waysto Make come addicted to wenteniag pergatives ot when raveing & Money; 1 Joke Book; t Book on mineral laxatives; just try KOROLAX; safe, and secure a safe Love;1 Magic Book; 1 Book Letter Setateehin ot tegin acompeme” aomaiert * | ie Writing; 1 Dream Book and For- Kaselex it mmiiutian foo omananaiien enaamel return, and if - tune Teller; 1 Cook Book; 1 Base ai ents, i sodine he roe dt - lweked on St. Bi : Zali Book, gives rules for games; 1 spelis letting 3 cae, heartburn, torpid liver, hn’s E ill ee. Toy Maker Book; Language of nervousness, indigestion. mental'and physical 2 s ve Wl Spe: L? . dullness. ble the find Flowers; 1 Morse Telegraph A aS tg ca Se OME ee ee eee enabie € finaer bet; 12 Chemical riments; s re) to work wonders Magic A fe Table; Great orth Pole RENESS HEALED ic. ame; 10) Conundrums; 8 Puzgjes;| fore or open legs, ulcers, enlarged ¥ in magic +7 ; 90 Verses for Autograph Albums, - All| eczema healed while you work. ie toe Bova sat oe bitren Sesh Moreelh tans, free book and describe your own case. » Bowth A.C. Liepe, 1457 Green Bay Av.,Milwaukee, Wis,

Page 32

The letters of the alphabet are numbered: Ais1; B2; C8; D4, and so on. The figures in the little squares to the left represent tour words. (20 is the ietter “T”’). What are the four words? Can you work it ont? If so, send your answer quick. Surely you want this fine, new Ford auto. Send no money with solution. SEND ANSWER TO-DAY We not only give away this Ford auto, but hundreds of dollars fn cach and scores of po ae bef prizes. Bicycles, Guns, Watches, Talking Machines, AUTO STEVENS, can use it. 5 5 NEVER FAILg, ie Gk BOO : bie VENTRILOQUISH, v3 Ventrile = rio. of Tricks all Catal ROY. NOV. CO., Dept. 200 00 80, », Norwalk, Coan. LARGEST and OLD House in Coauscticat. § ; HEADQUARTERS for ail the Intent Joken, Trcbe Novelties, etc. TOBA CO| Cred or NOPAY No matter whether used in pipe, cigarettes, cigars, chewed, or used in the form of snuff. Superba Tobacco Remedy contains nothing injurious, no dope, pelvene. or aga form, ing drugs. Guaranteed. nt © it cures costs you one dollar. If t fails, or if you are not perfectly satisfied, costs you nothing. Write for full remedy today. SUPERBA COMPANY, M21, Baltimere, Md. Dann Those little flecks from your head that fall a ‘cle your D areidandralt er it ma oe under Amazingly quick. last i a ee aaa ant busy drug store, send 10 cents for proof box Kotalke Office, BG-375, Station X, New York City. 25 ea Bp, HOW TO MAKE LOVE opose; fellow or love what todo Before and orga wedding, © Tells other things Lovers to peony ws meee mare aren 19 conta. Jewelry at 10 cents each. Celumbia Nevolty Co. > Dep 3g2East Boston, Mass seer APOC WS 8 rae aE Ch. RO new DOUBLE ri 10H BABY HAMMERLESS REVOLYER Smallest, Nestest. Practi- _.. tal impos- eal Revolver made, De- aoe wis quick- signed Chiefly ; a ol for Geentsand ‘~ need te nes ook Automobillsts-g irs end couue Aloo ldsel home eapared, aps -22eal- ¥ 7] eit bao Bost steel, Nickel pated. createt isda” Bvrery cue tested at fact . Privahis taderonecidl $3.00 Big Cateicg Free. Bates Gun Company, Dept. 2 Moirose, Maage WONDERFUZ WIRELES can Telegraph from house tc ESS ¢ i house without wires, 10 OTS. UNIVERSAL CO., DEPT. P Stamford, Conn Cured His RUPTURE I was badly ruptured while lifting a trunk several years ago. Doctors said my only hope of cure was an operation. Trusses did me no good. Finally, I got hold of some- thing that quickly and completely cured me. Years have passed and the rupture has never returned, alihough I am doing hard workas a carpenter. There was no “epera- tion, no lost time, no trouble. I have noth- ing to sell, but will give full information about how you may find a complete cure without operation, if you write to me, Hu- gene M. Pullen, iad a ee 301G Marcellus Avenue, Manasquan, N. J. Better cut out this notice and show it to any. others who are ruptured—you may save a life or at . Twe Instruments & 2 Codes, with which you _ least stop the misery of rupture and the “worry and danger of RS: operation. 7 - E : we 9 ’ eg AS ; i aS _ 2 | SE Ss ER SSS US REIN EERIE BP 5 SASS CLEP ETN S ROL Mer Pue tn eer ee er LEe TEBE SERIE | t of Fisheries de- clares that sea inussels are in a high degree both palatable and nu- tritious. The bu- reau goes fur~ ther, and says that in view of the abundance of the mussels and the ease with which they can © be obtained, the — neglect of them — for table use is — wasteful. it points out that sea mussels are found along the ~ coasts of nearly all the northern — half of the North- ern Hemisphere, — and that there are beds on the ~ New England — coast so exten- — sive that the — mussels. could be collected daily by the ton. It adds that many per- sons consider the flavor of the mus- sel superior to that of the oys-\— ter; that, more- over, mussels are in season when the oyster is out of season, and that they are ~ more easily culti- vated than the oyster. It admits — that fresh mus- — sels are difficult to market, for | they spoil if kept more than twen- — ty-four hours, | but asserts that ~ if canned or pickled they re- — ante ag bite avor for The bureau 4 ommends such cheap a nutritious £ oss’ : be placed on: market, ; SEA = MUSSELS ARE GOOD In a recent bul- letin the Bureau

Page 33

THE HUDSON | Te BAY RAILWAY Agitation is be- ing renewed in western Canada for the resump- tion of work on the Hudson Bay Railway, now needing only 92 miles of construc- tion to complete a short cut across the narrow end of the globe, re- ducing the dis- tance from Cal- gary to Liverpool by about 1,350 miles. The deep-water development of the harbor at Port Nelson, con- sisting of an ar- tificially con- structed island, situated near the outer edge of the tidal flats, about two-thirds of a mile from shore, connected with the mainland by a bridge of sev- enteen spans, has created some op- position to those who favored Port Churchill for the railway terminus. The island, as built is now one- half mile in length and en- closed on all but the deep-water face by timber works, and the interior has been partly filled with material dredged from the site of the deep-water wharves and _ channel. The work was greatly interfer- ed with on ac- count of the war. Labor was hard to get in order to _ finish’ the work. OH.BOYS-CIRLS sr5t7 222, THROW - ey] oy CLAX z ander the table, back of a shone into a | jms desk fF in School, any old place. Big FUN fooling Peddlers. Policeman, Friends, anybody Several boys write: * “ty want more Claxophones, | had so much fun 1 exn’t | de without them.’ Claxophone lays on your tongue. unseen, always ready for use by anyone. Imt. Birds,ac. | Claxophone with full instructions end set of Secret . Writing Tricks, also Megie Dial Trick, all for Cc $ for 25c. (no stamps). =f CLAXO TRICK CO.,Dept. S | NewHaven, Conn.& NEW SCIENTIFIC WON A magic trick oa Duan woth onal x Ray. MARVEL MP6. CO., Dept.13. NEW HAVEN. CONN. OLD COINS WANTED $2 to $500 EACH paid for Hundreds of Coins dated before 1895. Keep ALL old Money. You may have Coins worth a Large Premium. Send 10c. for new Illustrated Coim Value Book, size 4x6. Get Posted at. Once. CLARKE COIN CO., Box 35, Le Rey, N. Y. BUSHGarFREE eo Rifle free f Sonera at 0c cache wate Nae 2 EAGLE WATOH Co,, > EAn« BOSTON. iL. MASS. Stop top Using a Truss Yes, stop it, you know by your own experience it is Saly ~ = ce- — a false pi against wail, and that tinue to wear it? is a better way, which means that tiresome, torturous trusses can be thrown away forever, and it’s all because pen epee ore eran paris securely in place, N® STRAPS, BUCKLES CR SPRINGS ATTACHED, cannot slip, so cannot chafe cr press against the pubic bone. Thousonts havo trested thomseivos in the privacy of the home, and report most obstinate cascs cured—no deiay from work, Soft ss volvet—easy to apply—inex- pensive. ess of peered, is natu so afterwards no use fortrnsses. Awarded Gold Medal ir international e; Grand Prix. Paris, Write us today to PLAPAO, Address, prove it b; c Fiavae Co. 2155 Stuart Bldg, St.Louls, Mo. VENTRILOQUISM Taught Almost Anyone at Home. Small cost. Send today 3-cent stamp for particulars and proof. G. W. Smith, Room R-739, 125 N, Jeff Ave., Peoria, Tl. ORE Finger Print Experts are needed. M Men who are masters of this profession are scarce. The demand for Finger Print Experts is great. As a special induce~ ment we will give you! free of charge our new easy reading course in Secret Service In- telligence if you enroll at once, Be a Finger Print Expert Build up a business on the basis of a trained brain. You can do it as a master of the Finger Print profession. There is crying need for Finger Print Experts right now and the demand for these trained men is grow- ing every day. A profession that offers won- derful opportunities for advancement. Gov- ernments, corporations, police departments, institutions and individuals have constant use for these specially trained men. The work is fascinating and The Pay Is Big! No special education is necessary, You can become a master of this profession by study- ing at home in your spare time. Expert Finger Print men travel all over the coun- try solving mysteries that baffle all others, They are important men and highly regard- ed and envied by every one. Mail the Coupon Get full information about this great profession and our big offer of a free course in Secret Service Intelligence. The mastery of these two closely al- lied professions places a brilliant career withiy yourgrasp. Achievements that will immediately place the stamp of success upon you, are now pos- sible. Send this coupon for full information NOW. waawe University of Applied Science Desk 1562 1920 Sunnyside Avo., Chicago Gentlemen: Without any obligations whatever, send me honed new FREE book on Finger Prints and your ‘offer of = course in Secret Service intelligence. MAMe ...ccccceccccccccsccceececeseveteccesscuscecevese >. Address ......0000--scccsccccesecccccscscesccsvesescece AZO... cccccces. OCCUBATION,. ...00cecccvccccesccccccsess

Page 34

ees a - NT HAND BOOKS aud Amusing. ‘They Contain m on Almost Every Subject Xo. LEO NAPOLEON’S OBACULUM AND DREAM g the great o¥acle of human des- tiny ;: also. the true meaning, of almost any kind of ie ds be dreams, -toget f£ car = flirtation are fully explained by this little book. Be- sides the various methods’ of. bandkerchief, fan, gtoye, pavasol, window and-hat flirtation, it contains a full list of the Jangua, and sentiment of flowers. ho. & o TO DANOE is the title of this little book. It contains full imstructions in the art of dancing, etijuette In the ballroom and at parties, how to dress, aud full directions for calling off in all popular square : dances, > No. 5, HOW TO MAKE LOVE—A complete guide to love, courtship and marriage, giving sensible advice, reles and etiquette to be observed, with many curious and interesting things not generally known. No. 6. HOW TO BECOME AN ATHLETE.—Giving ful: instructions fer the use of dumbbells, Indian clubs, parallel HOW TO KEEP BIRDS.—Handsomely illus- g fall instructions for the manage- mockingbird, bebolink, No. 9. HOW TO BECOME A VENTRILOQUIST.— By Ha Kennedy. Every intelligent boy reading this book of instructions ean master the art, and create any No. 10. skates easy. Containing over thirty illustrations of guards, biows, and the erent positions of a peser. Every instructive books, out an instructer. So. 11. HOW TO WRITE LOVE-LETTERS,—A most complete ttle book, containing full directions for writing love-letters, and when to use them, giving speci- menu letters for young and old. No. 12. HOW TO WRITE LETTERS TO LADIES.— Giving complete instruction for writing letters to -Jadies on all subjects; also letters of introduction, notes gu requests. No. 13. HOW TO DO IT; OR, BOOK OF ETI- - QUBTYTE—Iit is a great life secret, and one that every young man desires to know all about. There’s happi- ness in it. Bor sale by all newsdealers, or will be sent to any address on receipt of price, 10c. per copy, ia ~ money or stamps, by FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, 168 West 23d Street, New York. Be Slender Want to become slender, agile, healthy 7 See the pictures; the shadows are to give you _ idea of size before reduction of weight. Eat eagle Safe, tell no salts or calomel, ne no loss of time. Just use KOREIN tabules and follow the sim- ple, easy direc-@ tions as aid to reduce 10 to 60 pounds (whatever you need to) under money-refund guar- antee. Amaze all. Become * Fame and Fortune Weekly — ——- LATEST ISSUES — 25 760 Brave Billy Bland; or, Hustiing Up a Busiaess. a 761 iris: a Big Risk; or, The Dime That Led to 2 ches. ; 762 Clear Grit; or, The Office Boy Who. Made Good. p 763 Dealing in Stocks; or, Saved by a Wall St. Ticker. 3 764 — Sailor’s Secret; or, The Treasure of Dead Man's 7 ock. 765 Capturing the Coin; or, The Deals of a Boy Broker. ~ 766 On His Own Hook; or, Making a Losing Business - Pay. 767 Lucky Jim; or, $100,000 From Stocks, 768 “Millions In It”; or, A Boy Witn Ideas, 769 The Mystery of a Mining Chart; and, The Wall &t. ‘ Boy Who Solved it. 770 Grasping His Chance; or, The Boy Merchant of Mel- rose. 771 Winning by Pluck; or, The Deals that Made the ‘ 772 The Crimson Mask The T e Crimson sk; or, The Treasure of San Pedro. a 773 Frank Fisk, the Boy Broker; or, Working the Wail St. Stock Market. Ta A a Lone Hand; or, The Boy Who Got the 775 Will Fox of Wall St.; or, The Success of a Boy roker. 776 A Lad of Iron Nerve; or, Little Joe's Big Bonanza. — TT Too a to Lose; or, A Boy With a Winning — reak. 778 The Stolen Chart; or, The Treasure of the Cataract. 179 = need moan Speculator; or, Taking a Chance on e “Ket. - s 780 Charlie Crawford’s Claim; or, From High School to — Mining Camp. 781 pe tg Boy’s Luck; or, The Lad Who Lost the ps. : 782 es for His Rights; or, Starting a Business on His erve. 783 After the Last Dollar; or, The Wall St. Saved His Boss. Bor WE ae 784 Fresh From the West; or, The Lad Who Made Good 785 Boss of Wall St Taking Ch 4% OSS © a +; or, Taking ances on the Curb. = 786 Dick, the Runaway; or, The Treasure of the isle ot > Fog. , the Game to Win; or, Beating the Wall St. 787 In “Bulls.” x 738 are Salesman; or, A Young Money-Maker on the ~ oad. : 789 Dick Dalton, the Young Banker; or, Li 700 A $50,000 Dealt or; Hal ae is Wien mea for Shaty and. Smart, the Young Brokers: sah’ Hew aa 793 iciees Fron neebate oe The Pirate's male Gold. = 794 A Rent Bey Broker; or, Shearing the Wall ‘Street 795 Telegraph Tom; or, The Message That Made Him 796 Dick and the Mad B - ck an e Ma roker; or, The Sec ; Es -. Wall Street. c asd Bande 797 A Sharp Boy; or, Making His Mark in Business, 798 Tom Swift of Wall Street; or, Th Taw on the Fes - © Bor Wheels 799 Andy the Auctioneer; or, Bidding in a F. oar 800 Dennme Their Dollars; or, Schoolbetes in wee treet. 801 Dick Darling’s Money; or, The Rise of an O%%ce — oy. ee * For sale by all newsdealers, or will be sent to any aq. dress on receipt of price, 7c. per copy, in mo: “Bos- tage stamps, by i oe 2 HARRY E, WOLF, Pub., 166 West 23d St., New York, By JAMES P. COGAN Price 35 Cents Per © This book contains all the mvuSt recent changes in method of construction and submission of scen Sixty Lessons, covering every phase of scenario w _ing, from the most elemental to the most a principles. This treatise covers everything a 1 must know in order to make mo as a Ssucce seenario writer. For sale by all News-d Book-Stores If you cannot procure a copy, the price, 35 » im money or 8 we. will mail you one, postage free. L, SENARENS, 218 Seventh Ave., a x