Fame And Fortune Weekly (no. 853) (1922 02 03)
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STORIES -OF- BOYS As Joe approached the desk with his baggage he found himself confronted by a hostile crowd, the, head and front of which was Nick Darcy, his rival. “You're a swindler!” cried Darcy, pointing his finger at him. The bunch hooted.
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23d Street, New York, Issued Weekiy—Subscription price, $3.50 est No. 853 NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 3, 1922. FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY ; Canada, $4.00; F . ‘ 3 a 2 ag ja, $4 oreign, $4.50. Harry E. Wolff, Publisher, 166 as Second-Class Matter, October 4, 1911, at the Post-Office at New York, N. Y., under the Act of March 3, 1879. Price 7 Cents A BORN OR, THE BOY WITH THE HUSTLER “GOODS” By A SELF-MADE MAN o ’ HAPTER I.—Which Introduces Our Hero and aaa =? Shows How He Made An Enemy. “Get out of my way!” : The words, rudely spoken, by a einer Pastng a FS young man, were leveled at a good-looking boy of eighteen, also well attired. e two had met nearly in the center of a single plank which : “spanned an excavation in the street. _* “Did you speak to me?” asked the boy, whose name was Joe Duncan, looking the young man y in the face. “Yes, I spoke to you,” replied the first speaker a roughly. “Who do you suppose I spoke to, you . lobster?” : : - _ “F thonght-maybe you were talking to your- ” said Joe, quite coolly. ae : he »" ai ina hurry. See : ~~ “¥£ you had made your request politely I might F244 given way to you, though I consider I have ae etter right to the plank than you; but since _ you have chosen to bullyrag me, I decline to make ae ? ~*T am making no bluff.” : r “Oh, you’'te not? Well, 17! call your bluff and se what it amounts to. If you don’t go back I'll a tg you off into the hole.” _. “You are at sheets -t0 ie it, hoe warn you 'I go over you'll go with me, and ina. way, th fs soil your clothes.” : ‘ou threaten me?” have merely pointed out what is likely to to.you if you lay your hands on me.” an ejaculation more forcible than polite ig man a a sudden blow at Dunean’s id it taken effect as he intended the boy ve toppled off the plank. ch de it didn’t. ably some such demonstra- up his ss caught the young man’s wrist in a vise-like grip. A swift turn of the arm brought a cry of pain from the other’s lips. He staggered, lurched and toppled over into the excavation, where he landed in a pool of mud and water, while Duncan, with- out a look, passed on his way. On reaching the next street Duncan looked at the lamppost. As ‘he went on he pulled an envelope out of his pock- et and consulted the printing in the left-hand cor- ner. Then he took note of the numbers as he pro- ceeded, Suddenly he stopped. “TJ must have passed the place, for these num- bers are higher. It’s back in the other block. I don’t often make a mistake like that. I'll have to go back,” he said to himself. So back he went. As he recrossed the plank where the difficulty had occurred he glanced down into the exeavation. If he expected to see the young man still there he was disappointed. That individual had crawled out, at the expense of his shoes and trousers, and went on his way in a very ugly frame of mind. One of the reasons why Joe had passed the number he was bound for was because he thought the establishment he was looking for had a store on the street floor, where- as the company was located upstairs on the sec- ond floor. The chief reason was that the boy ‘was thinking of something else while he was passing along the block, and dji not use his eyes as he should have done. Anyway, the city was new to him, and he had only got there two hours before. During that time he had gone to a hotel, registered for a . room and ate his dinner. Then he started out to find the street and the number where Bryant & Co. had their place of business. He was expected - there, for he had answered their advertisement for a hustling traveler in the hardware and tool line, in which he had already had some experi- ence as a store salesman, and had been request- - : ed to come on for a personal interview with the _ head of the house. * Joe found the number this time all right, and the name of the firm on a semi-cireular sign at the entrance leading upstairs. He walked up- stairs and entered a long store through a glass door lettered “Bryant & Co., Hardware Special-— ties.” Both of the walls were covered with shelv- ing filled with the s dealt in by the firm. There were many tables up and down the room, some with showcases containing specialties and some with inclined racks loaded with gi : a-dozen clerks were in evidence, | ie Spat
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‘A BORN waiting = customers, and one of them ap- proached oe. ~~ “What can I do for you?” he asked. *T called to see Mr. Bryant,” said Duncan. “He is out at present, but he is likely to re- turn at» any moment. Is your business impor- ae tant?” | “Yes. I have an appointment with Mr. Bry- ant relative to the position of traveler. I an- swered his advertisement, and he wrote me to call.” “All right. Go in the ante-room alongside of the counting-room in the rear and wait for him. You will find one of our regular travelers in there. He is waiting to see Mr. Bryant. You = ean talk to him about the business. I dare say Sx he’ll be willing to give you some pointers that - will help yow to understand our way of doing business,” said the clerk. Joe walked back and entered the ante-room. To his surprise he recognized the waiting indi- - yidual as the young man with whom he had had the trouble on the »plank at the corner. He was looking decidedly out of humor, for his shiny boots bore a liberal coating of dried mud, and ___ the bottoms of his trousers looked damp and be- ‘draggled, and he was thinking what he’d like to do to the chap who had been the cause of his-dis- - eomfiture.. Joe’s entrance was a disagreeable : surprise to him, and he looked at the boy with a most unfriendly stare. Duncan sat down with- out taking any particular notice of him, but the _ other could not contain himself. “You blamed lobster, what brought you here?” he said angrily. i “Business,” replied the boy chéerfully. - “Business! ell, you won’t do any business here if I can stop you.” #4 clerk outside told me I should find one of the firm’s travelers in here. As you’re the only person present, I must assume you are connected in that capacity with the house. If that is so, it 4s hardly your place to prevent me doing business with the establishment,” said Joe. _ “You have insulted me, and I’ve got to get '~ square with you somehow. I never let anybody S take a fall out of me and get away with it.” -. “Pm sorry that is the way you look at the lit- tle run-in we “You were to blame. If you had not struck at me, with the intention of knock- _ ing me off that plank, the matter would probably have ended “differently.” --- “Don’t you tell me I was to blame, you boob! You had no right to block my passage when you Saw me coming.” ; “But. you stepped on the other end of the plank after.I was already on it. It seems to-me that “you 6bught to have waited till I had passed over.” “T don’t want any advice from you. No matter “who stepped on the plank first, you should have _ tuyned cround and gone back when I ordered you : Ae 2 oh. dic : ing you in if HUSTLER that I am of more importance than you, you whippersnapper.” “That is a point that I do not care to argue. You may be smart in your line of business, but in other respects you appear to have a !ot to learn.” : “Confound you for an impertinent monkey. I shall hold no further conversation with -you.” With that the young man sprang from his chair and walked out of the ante-room. Some- thing white fluttered to the floor as he left the door, and Joe stepped over and picked it up. It was a double sheet. of cream laid writing paper, and it threw out a perfume that intimated it was a note from a lady, The writing was in a féemi- nine hand, and ran as follows: “Mr. Nick Darcey: After the spectacle you made of yourself last night I have no wish to have you continue your visits. I shall expect you to return the money I loaned you within a week from this writing. Should you fail to do so I shall feel it my duty to acquaint Bryant & Co. with your indebtedness to me, and request the firm to ask you to pay up. Don’t presume to call at my apartments with an explanation, for I shall not be at home to you. Respectfully yours, iS? Joe grinned and tossed the note back on the — floor. “So his name is Nick Darcey? I’m sorry he’s” : connected with this establishment, for I don’t | think from what I’ve seen of him that we shall — ever be on friendly terms. lows who have such a fine opinion of themselves — that they try to walk roughshod over every one He’s one of those fel- — they tispase upon. When they run against some- body w they accumulate a standing grouch against that — person. I have no use for men of that brand.” At that moment a stout, red-faced man entered the room, followed by Darcey. o won’t stand for their high-stepping, — . This was Mr. — Bryant. He glanced at Joe and went on to his — private room with the traveling man at his heels. In the course of fifteen minutes Darcey came out, — spied the note on the floor, and picked it oS When he saw what it was he crammed it hasti into his pocket, cast a look of malicious triumph — at the boy that boded no good for Joe, and left | the room. Presently a clerk came out and told — Duncan to walk into the private office. i ant received him with a curt nod. Zz is “You are Joseph Duncan, I believe?” he “Yes, sir,” answered Joe. “Here is the letter I # received from you.” 2a Bryant took it and tossed it on his desk. you had on the road?” — “What experience have said the merchant, ; : “None, sir. I told you that when I replied to ~ your advertisement.” See “Hum! I remember. I had some idea of break. have wrote you I = CR = Bir, Bry- — =
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A BORN with the people you would run against, and so -- our trade would suffer. Under these conditions I regret to say that it would not be to our interest to employ you,” said the head of the house. “T have the reputation of being a hustler, sir,” said Duncan. “I am thoroughly acquainted with the hardware specialty business, and I am sure I — eonld satisfaction.” ~>itr. shook his head. : \ “] have been in this business thirty years, and Ihave never saw a new man who could do justice to his employers at the start.” “But a man has got to get a start in order to __ show what he can do,” persisted Joe. _. “That is true enough,” admitted the merchant, “but the risk is on the firm that tries him out.” F “Zhen you have definitely decided not to hire “I regret to say such is the fact.” , “Then I will not take up any more of your time. I am rather disappointed, for the tenor of your letter encouraged me to look for a different ‘result. However, since you have changed your ~ mind, I will take my leave.” te —~ Duncan got up and, saying “good-day,” start- ~ ed for the door. > _ “Shem! One moment, young man,” said Mr. Bryant. : Ke paused and looked at him. a , YOU have been under some expense in com- ave ae Chester, and as my letter brought you _._ here, I feel that we ought to make good your ex- penses. If you will give me an idea of what you are out I will give you an order on my cashier _ for the sum.” : 4 Thank ou, sir, but I couldn’t think of taking aything from you. I consider the expense has hing to do with you at all. I had to assume it in order to get this interview. I understood there s no certainty that I would be taken on. So, -we will say no more about it.” i= ‘bowed and walked briskly out. ° Gentleman and Qn the way out Duncan encountered Darcey. “Got it in the neck, did you?” said the travel- man witha sneer, _— — that?” said the boy, a out that this house is not a kin- en ior s : ; do you know about my business with Mr. #% yee Joe. i ow all about it. You might have caught hadn’t been for me. I put a nail—several —in your coffin. I told you T’d get with you. Well, I have. That’s what you aia tha = it over me. Now get.” N ell, I might expect it of caliber. malevolentl we. HUSTLER a have been called in before you’d been on the road two weeks. You’d better get back to the counter where you belong.” Having handed out this piece of advice, Dar- cey turned on his heel and walked off down the store. Joe reached the sidewalk and started to find his way back to his hotel. He had gone two blocks when he heard a shout of “Look out!” Somebody had sung out the warning to a well- dressed gentleman who was crossing the street, for a rapidly driven express wagon had suddenly ‘swung around the corner and was bearing down on him. The wagon was almost on top of him when Joe’s attention was attracted. The boy saw the man stop confused right in the path of the vehicle. He seemed certain of being knocked down and run over by the wheels. is doubt- less would have been his fate had not Duncan acted on the spur of the moment. A score of pedestrians came to a startled hait, expecting to witness something akin to a tragedy. Instead of which they saw, much to their relief, the flash of a boy’s figure in the street, and a pair of staggering forms, struck a glancing blow by the forward wagon wheel, lurching toward the curb, across which they fell, with the boy under- | neath. Several eyewitnesses sprang forward and lifted them up. The boy and the man who-had been saved fell apart and were placed on their feet. _Somebody picked up the hats of the chief actors in the seene and restored them. “Upon my word, you’re quite a hero, young man,” said one of the spectators to Joe. Dunean took no notice of the compliment. “T hope you’r® not hurt, sir,” he said to the gentleman he had saved. : “No, I think not, thanks to your splendid as- sistance,” returned the gentleman. “My shoulder feels sore where the wheel struck it, otherwise I - guess I’m all right. I am under great obligations - to you, my young friend. Let us get out of the crowd. My place of business is close by. We will go there.” The crowd melted away as they walked off to- gether. nae Zs “What is your name, young man?” asked the gentleman. ; F “Joe Duncan,” replied the boy. og “Mine is Prescott. You showed great presence of mind by acting so quickly. You live in town, © I suppose?” aie “No, sir. I’m a stranger in the place. Only came here a few hours ago. I live in’Piqua.” - “Ah, indeed. Are you here on business?” “I came here after the position of traveling man, but-I was disappointed in not landing the. job. I expect to return home this evening.” line?” “Hardware specialties.” “Why, that is my business. It would give any return for the service You are welcome to the f 4 “So you are a commercial traveler? In what Maybe I can do
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4 A BORN in my line of business, and are looking for em- ployment, it is only right I should see what I can do for you. What firm did you call on?” “Bryant & Co., up the street.” “Were you recommended to them?” “T saw their advertisement in the Chester Times, a copy of which I got hold of in Piqua, - and I answered it, stating my qualifications and : giving reference. I got a reply requesting me to a come on here for a personal interview. I arrived this morning about eleven o’clock. From the let- ter I got from Mr. Bryant I think I would have been employed, but that I unfortunately had some <= “* trouble.on the street with one of their travelers, : and the man,-when he found I was seeking a position with his firm, used his influence against me, and so I was turned down.” - i What was the trouble you had with this a man?” 5 Joe explained the matter to Mr. Prescott. Sins “T don’t see that you were so much to blame. By attacking you in such a situation the man jeft himself open to ‘whatever consequences might happen to him. No, I don’t think you could be held responsible for taking the action you did. Here we are. This is our store. We have a larger establishment than Bryant & Co., as we occupy the entire building, and- carry a ~ much larger line of goods than that firm.” Joe entered the store, which bore the sign of “Prescott, Mason & Co., Hardware, Tools and Machinery.” The ground floor was devoted to a general run of hardware, tools, and so forth. An inside flight of stairs led to the second floor, where the counting-room and private office were. From the number of clerks, bookkeepers, ste- wes i i hers and other help he saw, Joe easily as that this house was several times as im- pe tas Bryant & Co. And he was not wrong. _ It was the largest house of its kind in Chester, and owned its own factory on the outskirts. _ Bryant & Co. sold many of the staple articles manufactured by Prescott, Mason & Co., carry- ~ ing them in their catalogues because they were in demand. Mr. Prescott took Joe into his private room and questioned him as to his experience as _ a commercial man, The boy had to admit that he had none, though he was considered a first-rate salesman, and his late employer had told him he would make a success if he went on the road for a firm. The gentleman asked him how he “The firm I was with went out of business _ owing to the death of the proprietor. The widow .- sold out to another man, and he put in most of ewn clerks and salesmen.” — lr. | _asked the name of the dealer, Joe told him. d : He = not one of our customers,” said the got most of our goods from a Chi- Vell,” said Mr. Prescott finally, “if you wait 0 ._take him quicker than if he went by the 7 ; re of the incident HUSTLER then returned with his partner, to whom he-in- - troduced Duncan. Mason questioned him on sev- eral points, and said he had no objection ‘to giy- ing the boy a trial, as they happened to have an opening just then that they had been figuring on fillmg from the store. “You owe the young mana good turn, Mr. Prescott, and I won’t stand in your way of can- celing your indebtedness. He strikes me as a person that has the general ability to make good ~ after a fair trial. He has a good presence, is gentlemanly and polite, and seems to be™a ‘ talker. We'll send him out over French’s route, make due allowance at first for his lack of prae- tical experience, and see how he pans out,” said Mason. So the matter was settled and Joe unexpect- edly found he had landed a much better job than if he had caught on with Bryant & Co. ; “Are you prepared to take hold right away?” asked Mr. Prescott. et “Tl have to return home first and pack my grips. as well as to bid my mother good-by for the time I’m away,” replied Joe. “Very well. You can report here on Saturday morning about nine.- Your trunk of samples will be ready, but it will be necessary to have you thoroughly coached in our goods. You will have the advantage of handling the P., M. & Co, trade- mark, which has the call among the best houses = in the trade in this section of the country. In some cases you should meet with little trouble in taking orders, but in others you will have your - work cut out for you, for you will find yourself in eompetition with Chicago men and others, in- cluding a representative of Bryant & Co. firm sells a number of our specialties and sev- era] imitations. Their travelers have h- ing the second on the strength of the first, and it will be your duty, when you come in competi-. tion with a Bryant man, to show up the bogus article.” Joe said he would be on hand Saturday ready for business, and with that assurance he was dismissed. He returned to his hotel and looked up the time-table of the route he would have to— take back to his home in Piqua. He found = 3 the express, which stopped at ten o’clock, w “ eae local. The hotel being on the European plan he could get his supper either at the restaurant at- _ tached to the house or elsewhere, As it was only. four o’clock, he decided to put in his time look- ing the business part of the city over. - er = spending a couple of hours in this occupation to much advantage, he went back to the hotel and ~ = patronized the restaurant. Then he went into the reading-room and secured one of the evening papers. In the course of time he heard a voice near him that sounded familiar. ; a . He looked around and saw Nick Darcey, seated with his back toward him, talking with a smart- __ looking man who Joe sized up as a drummer. Dareey was telling the stranger about his en- _ counter on the street with Duncan, but his iffered in many ¢ tures from the rea] facts. One of , s the si ;
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A BORN ved his chances with Bryant & Co., by telling the head of the house a little fairy tale of his own manufacture. The listener laughed as though the matter was a good joke. 2 - “He might catch on with some other house in your line, meet you somewhere on the road, and ~~ eut your trade in half,” said the other jokingly. - .- “No fear of that, either way. He has never been out, to begin with, and that is sure to give _ _. him a black eye at the start with any other house. ~ Only a small firm would be likely to take him on at a cheap rate until he has learned the ropes. __ -—He had a lot of nerve, I think, to try forga job jn our place. I don’t see why Bryant offered him _ any encouragement to come on. Unless a man ' has had experience, what good is he?” said Dar- cey. ; “Tf he is a born hustler and well acquainted a ~ with his line, has a good appearance and a natu- val gift of gab, a new man ought to make a _ showing on his first trip. What did you accom- _- plish the first time you went out?” _ “Me? { pulled the business right off the reel,” said Darcey. “Then you must be a good one. I take water _ from nobody in the notions line, but when [I first went on the road I am willing to admit that I was pretty raw. It took time for me to get the hang of selling goods to some of the cranks I ran across. You have to drive things into some ‘ople’s head with a mallet. Lots of them don’t Ag a good thing when they seexit, and you’ve got to make them see it if you hope to do busi- ness with them.” z _ . “Qh, there’s mighty few dealers I can’t talk - into taking my line. For instance, on my last trip I ran across an old fellow in Johnsburg. His name is Jensen. I struck-his store the first ting Ww I started out. His stock was pretty we in down, and he was waiting for a salesman : a rival house to show up. Clearly Darcey hada high opinion, or pretend- to have, .of his own abilities as a drummer. So, ean pag merely grinned, but it is probable » thought a lot. As for Joe, he sized Darcey » for a bluff and braggart. He doubted if he od. as high with his firm as he said he did, ~ but his influence at any rate had proved strong enough to hinder Joe from getting the position he had hoped to land. cs AP es think you were a bit hard on that ¢ fellow doing him out. of a. job?’ said the e1 ‘traveler. Va Se ; 3. o, I don’t. He « ay leserved it,” said Darcey, ut you made him take water on the plank, ould say I did. He just crawled when he ‘ stuff T was made of,” said Darcey boast- mor pa tense ’ other twitch. from mé, you're a bag_ Shend tackbone than oe ae Joe let go of h: : HUSTLER 5 “Mr. Darcey, you are a liar and a sneak as well.” His tone attracted the attention of every one in the room. CHAPTER IIl.—Joe Starts Out on the Road. Darcey turned and recognized Duncan, and with not a little consternation. For a moment he sat in dazed silence, then he blustered: “How dare you address me. in that you——” Joe smiled contemptuously. “You are hardly worth wasting words. upon,” he said, “but for fear you did not understand me correctly I will repeat what I said—you are a liar and a sneak. You told this friend of yours z that you made me take water; in fact, crawl to you on that plank when we met for the first time to-day. To prove that you lied I’m going to make ‘you take it back right here or I’ll give you as good a whipping as you ever got in your life. I : may be arrested for it, but I’ll have the satisfac- ay tion of showing you up.” : Darcey sprang up, livid with rage. 2: “You'll whip me, you young——” es “Sit down!” cried Joe, shoving him back into as his chair. ‘Now, sir,” he went on, looking at the other drummer, who appeared much astonished at the turn of affairs, “I’m the party who met this chap on the plank at the street corner this after- noon. I heard him give you his version of the incident. There was hardly a word of truth in it, Instead of taking water from this bluff, I made pee? get off the plank into the excavation in quick order. % ; F “You're a liar!” shouted Darcey, white with ury. Joe seized his wrist as he had done on the plank and gave it a sharp twist. Darcey utter a cry of pain and slipped off the chair to his knees. ‘ ; aoerd “Am I a liar?” said Duncan, giving him an- way, “No, no; do you want to break my wrist?” . “Did 1 make you get off that plank or didn’t I?” said Joe. Ras \ «1 fell off.” “You fell off? Then when you told this friend — of yours that you made me get off the plank you were lying?” Darcéy glared at him sullenly- _, “Tell the truth, or P’l——” Sees ee Joe gave his wrist a twist. Darcey gave a ery and then said “Yes.” ‘ : “Did you make me take water and craw] to you?” said Duncan, squeezing his wrist. e “No,” answered Darcey as he tried in vain to release himself. a ts “The only true thing you told your friend here about me is Lena ond queered a eish Mr. Bry-_ ant. You ‘certainly did, in an underhand way, ~ which proves you are a sneak. Now that I have — shown you up to your friend, I am throuish with fire. but if I ever catch you lying about me again ll make you walk six ways for Sunday. ind, and you have ate < s
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6 A BORN bunch of persons surrounding them, and walked up to the desk to settle his bill. While he was thus engaged Darcey and his friend left the ho- tel. How Darcey squared the situation with the ; other commercial man we cannot say, but his : feelings toward Joe were pretty dark. Joe took 4 the express and duly reached home. He told his ae mother that he had failed to secure the position “ he went after, but was lucky enough to pick up a better one. He made his preparations for an absence of several weeks, and left Piqua to re- turn to Chester on Friday afternoon. He reached _ that city at seven in the evening and regis at the same hotel. Next morning at nine he pre- sented himself at the store ot Prescott, Mason & Co. and asked for the head of the house. “He has not reached the store yet,” said a clerk. ; “Well, I was directed to report here for in- structions at nine o’clock.” ; “See the manager. You’ll find him at his desk ; on the floor above.” ~~. So Joe marched upstairs and asked for the d manager. That gentleman was pointed out to him. Joe went over and introduced himself. “Yes, you are the new traveler who has been ~ put on French’s route. Sit down,” said the man- ager, pushing a button. A small boy appeered. “Take this young man to Mr. Dixon.” Joe followed the boy up to the’ next floor where Dixon had a desk. —.. “Are you Joseph Duncan?” asked Dixon. +> “Yes, sir,” replied the boy. _ *Sit down. I have instructions to coach you in - oa ~pecialties and give you sundry points con- ceiniig the route you are to go on,” . The instructions had not been finished by noon, + when Joe was summoned to Mr. Prescott’s office, _. where he was closeted with the head of the house for half 4 hour. When he was released Dixon . took him out to lunch, and on their return the coaching was completed. An expressman was _ ealled in to carry his sample outfit to the depot, - where Joe had it checked to his first stopping place. He had been provided with a mileage book _ over the C, & D. road. All side trips over other lines he was to pay for himself and charge in his expense account. His arrangement with the house was for a small salary and*a certain com- mission. ; The amount of his earnings would, therefore, depend on the Volume of business he sent in, If e held up his end he would do very well finan- cially. The best drummers-always prefer to work on the commission basis as far as they can _ arrange to do so. Where*a man’s earnings de- pends on his personal exertions he is pretty sure to do the best he can. Joe would have done his st, anyhow, had he been put wholly on wages, he wanted to make a showing on his first tri rove that he could do business on the send. -Preseott preferred to make his earnin -sentative of “ & Gow HUSTLER with a restaurant attached. After dinner he strolled out to familiarize himself a bit with the business section where he would have to make calls next day. Then he took a trolley car and rode out to the suburbs through the residential part of the town. He walked around, taking in the shady streets on the outskirts. He got back to his hotel in time for an early supper: After that he wrote a let- ter.to his mother and read the papers. Next morning he was up and ready for business. -His sample trunk was in his room. He opened it-and took out a pair of grips which contained the lightér part of his samples, With these he start- ed out to make his first call. Fifteen minates later he walked into the hardware store of Lowe & Co. He introduced -himself to the managing partner, whose name was Smith. As Lowe & Co. carried a full line of P. M. & Co.’s goods, ‘he did not anticipate much trouble in getting an order. The manager had been expecting mch, the traveler whose place Joe had taken, to eall, and had an order already made out to give him. ee went over it, made suggestions here and there, and showed samples of new specialties his firm was putting out. : As some of these were improvements, the util- ity of which the boy demonstrated, they were in most cases added to the order, so that in the end Duncan sold the store quite a bill, on the usual terms. He called Smith’s attention to certain samples he had at the hotel which he would like to show him, and which, he said, the store ought to keep in stock. Smith made an appointment with him, and Joe went on to his next place. He “did very welt up to dinner time. He struck one store, the pe ese of which dealt with a repre- ryant & Co. Joe told him that he thought his firm would do better by him. “You are carrying some of our regular stock which-you got from Bryant & Co. That firm has to purchase those goods of us, and I guess they are charging you a little more than we do for the ~ ‘ ~ same articles,” said Joe. The proprietor, by the name of Brown, who had at first refused to talk business, now looked over the samples and got the prices on them. On some he said Joe’s others they were higher. : “You say Bryant & Co. sells you this article cheaper than what I have quoted?” said Duncan. “Yes,” said the proprietor. 4 they sent you?” The proprietor him. two articles were apparently the same, but the one kept in stock at the store did not ra by bear the P. M. & Co. trade-mark. Jce pointed — that fact out to the proprietor. Tenis “Tt’s an inferior article that Bryant & Co. are pushing in connection with many other special-— you get it for.” — in: _ “How do you know it’s inferior? They war- pe? it as the best thing of its kind on the m Joe pulled out a memorandum book in was in the di jo hs the res were a little lower, while on — ties, or they couldn’t sell it at the price you say —— e ~ . 7 “ “Will ‘you let me see a sample of the goods got a sample and showed it ‘to kt
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: A BORN HUSTLER 4 own catalogue, and then was in a position to talk upon the matter. The proprietor listened to his argument, but seemed incredulous. _ “Are you willing to put it to a test?” said Joe. “What kind of a test?” asked the man. “The test of a shock. This article you are sell- ing is made of cast iron, while the brand I’m offering you is wrought iron. * Your experience must tell you that es all the difference in the world between the two articles. Your article is liable to break any time, while ours won’t break ae aE” “J have had no complaint on that score.” At that moment a clerk came in and showed the proprietor an article agp hares two days be- fore by a customer which had broken owing to a palpable flaw, now easy to be seen. “I suppose we will make this good?” said the Yes,” said the boss, laying the two pieces of - the broken articlé aside. : Joe, however, asked to see them. The pro- prietor reluctantly permitted him to examine the broken article. It was one of Bryant & Co.’s cast-iron imitations. Duncan used it as an object _ lesson, and succeeded in convincing the dealer that he was selling, in many instances, an inferior __ dine‘of goods, warranted to be first class. . “Of course you know your business, sir, but I should think that you are eoneing some risk with your trade,” he said. “Suppose, for instance, this icle you have made good should also have a flaw in it and break in a short time, that might cost you a customer. Lowe & Co. and other com- ‘petitors of yours handle our goods exclusively ee a ecause their worth has been tested, As the imi- ae sion article costs you less, it is possible you are 3 ling it a little lower than the other dealers who . Seale our line wholly in order to catch custom; | “but in the end I’m afraid you will find that this “Method does not pay.” The man said nothing. “T have put the matter squarely up to you, for __ your interest as well as ours: I would like to sell you a bill, and I know our terms would suit you as well as the undoubted quality of our ods, but I am not going to talk you to death the matter. A man-of your buSiness*sa- and intelligence is fully competent to de- hat he thinks. is best for his interests. er I sell you anything or not, I will. put “next to any point you want to know “about imitation articles. In any case, I have here rtment of improved goods that we are ng out now that you ought to have in stock uu expect to compete with your business ri- Lowe & Co. has ordered a full line of them, doubt if Bryant & Co.’s traveler will have samples of them, for we haven’t given them - yet.” ~ ; Joe spoke pleasantly and’ politely, and his in- tiating manner took with the man, who asked to call back that afternoon, He wanted time the matter over and take a look at his ne g CHAPTER IV.—Darcey’s Little Game. Joe went on his way. The next store carried a Chicago line of goods; and the boy wasted his eloquence trying to persuade the dealer that the P. M. & Co. brand was the best in the world at any price. The man was perfectly satisfied with the stock he kept in his store, and though he did not refuse to look over the new improvements Joe had to offer, and was favorably impressed by two” or three of them, he would not give any order. He took down the names of the articles that pleased him and said if the Chicago house had nothing to match them he would make that establishment supply him with the P., M. & Co. brand of the articles. 5 Joe had very fair success that morning, and had landed four orders by dinner time. He cap- tured another before he returned to see Mr. Brown, his only call back. Brown was out, and he waited till he came in. The dealer went over his samples again, and with real interest this time. — Joe, in the end, got a good order out of him. He regarded this as quite a feather in his cap, for ws Brown belonged to the Bryant & Co. man, so to > speak, and French, his predecessor, had not been # able to get him. He was marked down on Joe’s list as extremely doubtful. Joe knew that the capture of a new customer, especially a very ~_ doubtful one, would attract the favorable notice of his firm and give him a boost in their opinion. After getting Brown to sign the order he took his leave. As he was going out at the street me door to his surprise he ran against Darcey, with his cases of samples. Darcey gave him a black — look, and could not refrain from saying some- 3 thing, for he was greatly surprised to see that ~~ the boy he was down on had caught on with some = other house, and without the loss of much time. : He did not dream that Joe was woking for the important house of Prescott, Mason & Co., an establishment he would have given something to get in with himself, for he had some trouble with Bryant, & -Co.’s imitation goods. Had any: one told him that the boy had secured an opening |. with P., M. & Co: he would have laughed con- temptuously, for that house had the reputation of employing only the very best people in their line. “So you’ve got out on the road after all?” sneered Darcey. “What one-horse concern has — taken you on?” = “J don’t work for one-horse people, Mr. Dar- cey,” replied Joe, with some dignity. ee “It must be a pretty tart firnr that would hire you.” ; ao “T don’t care to discuss the subject with you. Good-day.” : : “Hold on! I see you’ye been hitting Brown here fer an order. Did he let you down easy or hard?” grinned Dareey. rs eee “You'd better ask him. You can have what I didn’t Ouse Win A. Pa ee “ag at so? You as it that he’s my 1 and that you were only wasting your > oe anything. He buys only from B 2
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8 A BORN has got wise to the fact that the imitation spe- cialties furni by Bryant & Co. are hurting ‘his trade, and after this he’s going to deal only in the genuine articles.” ; Joe walked away, leaving Darcey to rush into the store to learn if there was any truth in Dun- ¢an’s statement. He not only found there was, and that he had lost Brown as a customer, but he ascertained, to his astonishment, that Duncan was selling for Prescott, Mason & Co., in French’s ey He put up a big howl over Brown going on him, and declared that what had been represented to him as imitation articles were bit as good as the same things turned out by P., M. & Co. Unfortunately for his argument, Brown had had evidence of the unreliability of the ; imitation articles that day, and so Darcey had to leave without accomplishing anything. Tf he had hated Joe before, he was fiercely set against him now. Brown had been his best cus- tomer in Carden, and he set considerable store by him. When Bryant & Co. learned the man had taken into the P., M. & Co. fold he was bound to hear from the head of his house in a particu- when he found that Joe had done business with of his customers, which altogether ruined visit to Carden. Peis five o’clock Joe had - cleaned up the town was ready to go on to Glenport, his next stopping place. He onl his second town to stop at. Bo house, and he soon took their or- them. time his first letter to P., M. & Co., his Carden orders, reached the firm, attracted immediate notice. somewhat surpriséd that have caught Brown, and he i é Ed showed the order to the manager. Later, both Mason and Prescott learned of Joe’s success with Brown, and they commented favorably on the the boy had made, A letter of was dispatched to him, which at the town of Goshen, and, natu- ng hustler felt much encouraged to reciated. In the meantime, Dar- ing pretty near the same route, than a week they did not meet Darcey was aching to get square with He had a fertile brain for rascally schemes, he thought of several crooked tricks to play n his young rival. He knew that Joe would e z Pes ES i negaae coal 9 g Mason & HUSTLER Galena, and he took half a dozen of them into his confidence. One of these chaps was the brother-in-law of the editor of the Galena Evening News, and he secured the insertion of the following item in the paper: “AN INGENIOUS SWINDLER. “Hotelkeepers‘ are cautioned against a well- - dressed boy of about eighteen who is traveling about this part of the country representing him- self as a commercial] drummer. He carries two moderate sized suitcases, and enters hotels with a businesslike air. He registers under various aliases. Sometimes he spends two days and sometimes a week in a hotel, going out each day with his suitcases as though about to make a business round. Then he suddenly disappears without paying his bill, and many small articles belonging to the hotel are missed about the same time. The boy with the suitcases was last seen in Eden, not thirty miles from here, and as he seems to be working this way, hotelkeepers of this town are advised to be on the lookout for him. His arrest would be a public benefit.” Darcey grinned and rubbed his hands when he read it in print. He poi it out to the clerk of the Bates House where he was ing. “I met a drummer friend of mine who ran up against this chap. He described him as a good- looking chap, wearing an up-to-date soft hat and dressed in a blue serge suit. He told me that the young fellow wears a crescent-shaped pin, ornamented with small ris, in his searf, and that he represents himself as a traveler for a big hardware specialty house,” said Darcey. “That’s your line,” said the clerk. ‘ “Yes, and what I don’t know about it isn’t worth thinking of. They call me a hummer from Hummersville at the store,” continued Darcey, leaning one elbow on the counter and throwing back the other side of his jacket and sticking his thumb in the armhole of his vest. “I wonder if-that young swindler will honor this house with a visit?” said the clerk. “I wouldn’t be surprised. This hotel is pat- ronized by traveling men, and you may expect to see him if he comes to this town,” said Dar- oe that moment Darcey’s friends, who were in the conspiracy, entered the hotel and approached the desk. One of them said something to Darcey — in’ & low tone. The bunch looked expectantly at _ the doorway. Presently Duncan entered, carry- ing his pair of suitcases. “By George! This looks like the chap now,” said Darcey to the clerk. ‘ As Joe approached the desk with his he found himself confronted by a hostile wd, the head and front of which was Nick Darcey, his rival. > “You're a swindler!” cried Darcey, pointing his r at him. ; wri he bunch hooted. Duncan stopped in sur- vise, then, recognizing his business competitor continued up to the counter, 1 ing Dar- are cey with a look of contempt. He j this was —_ plan of the rival drummer to get back at — eee ee at ro vi ae aS : : 4 Serb BE wed 7 4 ‘ rin << te a
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: A BORN across the book starin clerk, who was leani % any * the ergscent-shap at aime and rege pearl ornament in his SEs ¢c aggressively. “Yes; this is the house I’ve been recommended _ to,” replied Joe. : “What's your business?” “Commercial traveler.” Sore. te its fellow?” asked the Sime ae the Galena Hotel, a higher-priced house, up the “As I’m not in the habit of paying in advance, which I’m satisfied is not your regular custom, but simply directed at me for some reason, the author of which I can guess, I will not stop here, but go to another hotel,” he said. sab e { ease yourself,” grinned the clerk. _ Won't go into bankruptcy if we are deprived of at custom.” As Joe turned away, the Darcey bunch shouted in one voice: “Swindler!” Joe and wheeled around. ae ae ‘o you mean. by that, you loafers?” he > “Oh, you no? what we mean,” said Darcey. - “I’m on to you now. You're the chap who stops at hotels, calls himself a traveler for a hardware oh nenes, and ean before the week is aoe a A: re oe cried. "oa, {dropping his suit- i — =) = “a rush <a’ ‘cuarren V.—Daresy's T. Trick Puts Money in . Tage 2 ocket. he a ae ae er at him, rages 1 amid ena Hotel. “If I s ett be bsp een ‘Joe to read it. Oe 2 lhe said to him- HUSTLER 9 lena Hotel, he went to the telephone and called that place up “This is the Bates House,” he said. “Did you read that story in the News to-night about the ingenious hotel swindler?” “Yes,” said the clerk who answered him. “The fellow is im town.” “How do you know?” “He came in here a few minutes ago and want- ed to register. He was recognized by the cres- ent akaper pn in his scarf, and asked to pay in advance. wouldn’t do it and left, saying he was going to another hotel. I think it probable that he’ll go to your house. If he does, make him come down with the price.” Darcey hung up the receiver, and he and his bunch went on to the other hotel to see the rest of the fun. Joe entered the Galena Hotel and went to the desk to register. The clerk sized him up sharply, and took particular notice of the ‘crescent-shaped scarf pm. Joe registered. The clerk looked at his name and the place he wrote he was from—Chester. “I’m a commercial jal ere with Prescott, Ma- son & Co., . IL suppose you will accord me the med rebate?” , if you can show me evidence that you are really what you say you are.” Joe pulled out his letter of identification bear- ing the P., M. & Co. printed heading, and signed by the head of the house. “Want to see my samples, too?” he asked, lift- ing one of his grips on to the counter. “You might ee. me a look as a matter of form,” said the clerk. Joe unlocked the suitcase and displayed some of his samples. “The other case has the rest,” ‘he said. “You're all right,” said the clerk, satisfied that somebody at the Bates House had been stringing him. “You drummers usually put at the Bates House,” he added, as he assi Duncan a room. “So I believe, and I was recommended to go there; but : received such a peculiar reception, instigated, I udge, by a business rival of mine, that I to come here,” said Joe. The clerk smiled. = guess T can mew a little light on it,” he sa “You can! How?” « The clerk fished the — paper from under the counter, and, Po ea g toa i told y did so, and his eyes opened pretty ine He saw that it was aimed at him, and must have been the work of Darcey- “It describes you in a general way,” — the clerk; “but just before yon came in — a phone message, age from the oe ves House, saying that this alleged swindler was ine — _ town and had been at the Bates House, where, - — on being asked to pay in advance, he had’ re =. fused and left. The person on the wire describ- te ed you by that creseent pin in your scarf, and told me to leok out for you. Ren Sele deat A Oe trick that has been put up on you.” ae oy. a ee: it, and that_ ay em — Ss at back of i wonder how I pe man peel aE he paper ip responsible
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Ute dl) 10 A BORN % “The paper mentioned no name, but at the same time has described you pretty accurately. A lawyer might find ground in it to sustain an action against the proprietor of theNews. If b were in your shoes I think I’d see a lawyer about it. You can show that you were scurvily treat- ed at the Bates House, presumedly on account of the publication of the paragraph, and were in ronsequence compelled to patronize another hotel. Did the clerk at the Bates House insult you in any way?”. “No, I cannot say that he did, but he permit- ted my enemy and a bunch of his friends to in- sult me grossly,” replied Joe. “Then you might make trouble for him by calling on the proprietor and ner 3 him how you were . It looks to me like a pretty mean trick, and if you can turn it back on the author of it, it would be a matter of satisfaction, I should think,” said the clerk. : “If I can trace it to my business rival, Vl make things hot for him. I am certain he got = it up out of revenge, but the question will be to mia prove it.” : The clerk was a very pleasant young man, and he and Joe talked it over a while, and then the : went in to supper. After the meal Joe bought a copy of the evening paper and studied ' the paragraph closely. The only points he saw -. bout it that he could base any complaint on 3 - were the facts that it applied particularly to an = eighteen-year-old boy, representing himself as a sae commercial traveler, and carrying two suitcases. “If I put this thing in a lawyer’s hands he might be able to force the editor of the sa aa to tell how he hold of the piecé of alleged news, and in this way I might trace it direct to Darcey and compel him to furnish the paper with a signed confession that the item was a malicious joke intended to injure me. On top of that I nk I’d be hes to give him a sound thrashing _ in some public - He’s a mean , about as mean as walks on two legs,” thought Joe. He had another talk on the subject with the clerk, and the manager of the hotel was brought Into the conference. When that gentleman _un- derstood the case, he advised Joe to see a law- yer. : “But I can’t afford to lose any time here go- - Ing to law,” said Duncan. . “Call on a lawyer anyhow and see if some - quick actien cannot be taken that will reach the arty responsible for the rascally joke. You é in more than a suspicion of the fellow’s iden- tity... All you need is to connect him directly - with it. Here is a telephone'book. You will find the home addresses of several lawyers without much trouble. I can réfer you to a couple of ones. Call right away on one of th Exp that your time in town being very lim- itea, you thought it-advisable to visit the gentle- es se G3 7a to ays =~ a Sagat el hen you mig ‘too busy to call at his office. f Explain the ease and get his advice.” Joe decided to take the manager’s advice. Two es and addresses were furnished him, and ie manager sent a bellboy with him to show him . way to the first house. Lawyer Brown was Joe was admitted to his library. — why he ha he had been treated at the Bates House, and who he believed to be the author of the outrageous joke. o “If you wish me to act in this matter,” said the lawyer, “I will write a letter to the owners of the News, demanding how the paper came in possession of the information Bt pest in the ge agraph, and threatening legal proceedings a retraction is not printed at once. I shall also 3 make a demand that the paper reimburse you for i the expense you have been put to on account of the item. I will write a second letter to the pro- 4 prietor of the Bates House, explaining the treat- : ment you say you received at this house this evening, and demanding an investigation and an apology.” “All right,” said Joe, “go ahead. What shall I pay you?” “Well, I'll charge you ten dollars for this ac- tion, but I expect you will receive the money back from the newspaper, for the editor has, in my opinion, committed a serious blunder by printing the paragraph in question.” The lawyer told him to call at his office around noon on the following day, and promising that he would, Duncan returned to the hotel. Next morning he called on the house’s customer and sold him a bill of goods. He then went around to see the other wholesaler, but found he could do nothing with him, for he was bound to Dar- 7 cey. Leaving his grips at the hotel, he visited : the lawyer. The proprietor of the Bates House — was closeted with him. Joe was called in, and told the facts of the case, and cited his suspi- cions, which, he said, seemed to be pretty well established, ie The lawyer had put in a claim for $100 rep- 7 aration for Duncan’s injured feelings, and he told the hotel man that he thought his client had ; a ood case against him. The proprietor prom- ised to pay that amount if, on investigation, he found the facts to be as stated. He went away to look into the case. As the hotel man went out one of the owners of the paper came in with the managing editor. The case was gone into with them. he editor declared that the item had been printed in good faith, and did not aim at any one in particular. ve ‘That’s all right,” said the lawyer, “but we want to knew where you got your news. Either furnish the facts voluntarily or I'll apply to the — court for an order compelling you to do it. My client has been made to suffer certain indignities at the hands of one hotel, and narrowly missed — the same treatment at another. The story is a pure fake, and is so worded as to point in an in- _ direct way at my client. An enemy of his has managed in sore way to secure the insertion of. the item. We ask you to look up the original copy and produce it, with a statement as to the channel threugh which it reached you. As soon as its falseheod is shewn we shall request a de- nial of the stery in your columns.” Are ~ The editor promised to investigate it. Joe de- cided to remain in- Galena till the matter was settled. The hotel man got a statement from his clerk, and also frem the two beilboys. The clerk denied that he had permitted a prospective — to be insulted by outsiders in the hotel, my ped S HUSTLER 3 o-oo ale orated all that Joe - fended his own actien by producing the newspa- The account given by the bell-
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A BORN ~ They said that a commercial man named Dar- cey, who had left that morning, was the cause of the disturbance, and that the clerk had winked at his action. The result was the clerk was dis- ¢ red and the hotel man sent a $100 cheek to the lawyer. At the newspaper office the imvesti- gation showed that the city editor the infor- mation from his brother-in-law, lished it te oblige him.. He got a severe calling down, and was told if suit was brought against the pa- per he would be held responsible for the outcome of it. The lawyer, on receiving a statement. of _ the facts from the paper, demanded the address _ of the city editor’s brother-in-law. Getting it, he sent a clerk to call on him and demand the name of the person for whom he had acted. At first he refused to give it, when the clerk __ told him that he would at onte be arrested and __ poseeuted as the author of the item. He then _ admitted that he had received the item from _ Darcey, and had it inserted in the paper as a _ fayor to him. The clerk took him before a no- _ tary and got his sworn statement. The lawyer _ then made a demand on the managing editor for - $100 damages and a retraction that afternoon. “As it was the easiest way out of the difficulty, _ the paper granted both of the demands. = The lawyer then sent for Joe, told him how ‘the ease had been settled, charged him $50 for =e his ices, and handed him $150 as a balm to _ his feelings. Thus Joe made a nice little roll _ owt of Darcey’s piece of sharp practice, and he + only regretted that he was not able to give the _ drummer a good whipping on top of it. Several days later while on his way to a place named Groveton the engine of the train Joe was on broke down when near that place. Joe de- _ termined to foot it to Groveton, and started off. Before reaching his destination there came up a - thunder shower and Joe entered an old shack be- _ side the road which was not tenanted by any one _ as far as Joe could see.. But he soon heard voices in another room talking of a robbery they were = a oo off, and at once Joe was in : “was soon dark and. Joe determined to follow the crooks and try ‘to prevent the robbery of the farmer if possible. Joe kept perfectly still until he heard the thieves leave the building, and then he followea after them. They sto at a well- ‘kept farmhouse which had no light in the win- dows. Joe saw them force their way into the kitchen. Joe went around to the front and threw a aaa = Joe peered HUSTLER il CHAPTER VI—A Prisoner in the River. “Make a move, either of you, and Il put a ball into you!” said Joe, covering the man at the bureau and his companion near by, alternately. - Both men were afraid to run the risk of 2 shot. While Joe was holding them in subjec- tion, the hired man rushed at the other chap’ and dealt him a s ering blow as he turned to defend himself. second blow knocked the short chih out of his hand and almost broke his: wrist. The rascal then threw up the sponge. The hired man seized a tewel and bound his arms behind his back. _ “Now secure one of these chaps. If he re+ sists, ’'ll shoot him,” said Joe. ; The fellow with the pillow case full of plun-: der was tackled by the hired man, who threw! him on the floor and tied his wrists *tegether. That left only tlie biggest to be dealt with, and he had no chance to evade what was coming to! him. Thus in a short time the three rascals were made prisoners and were marched out of the bedroom and downstairs, where they were. more securely tied by a piece of clothes line. —; ope far is it te town from here?” Dunean; asked. , “Two miles and a half,” replied the hired man. “You'd better hitch up a wagon and we'll take them there and turn them over to the police. VIL watch them while you go and get the wagon; ready.” The hired man agreed that Joe’s suggestion; was the proper thing to carry out, so he started) to put it in practice. Before bundling the men into the wagon the hired man went up= stairs and told the farmer’s wife where he was: - - going, and advised her to come downstairs and bolt the kitchen door, though it was unlikely that the inmates of the house would be disturbed: again that night. The ride to town with the. prisoners was an advantage to the young cem- mercial traveler, for it saved him a walk over the country road. T reached Groveton inside of twenty minutes landed the prisoners at the station house, where the hired man made the ~ charge of burglary against them. When they were again outside he parted with the hired = man and went directly to the hotel and reg- é .istered. Next morning he visited his firm’s customer and. took his order. After dinner he went to the court where he made the int- 4 ance, and received the thanks, of Parmentvatiy! Sis The three thieves were held for trial, and then the farmer, learning that Joe had completed his business in town, insisted on taking him home with him. ‘ 4 Arriving at the farmer’s, he was introduced to x = ——- ae ier ec The latter had, slept a ro t and did not b that the hoes had been tere until her mother told h Eh
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12 A BORN = Janesville. As it was very doubtful if he could r= be present at the trial of the three hoboes, when : it took place, he left his sworn deposition in the hands of the police. . : From Janesville, Joe continued on down the : river to Fredrickton, where he again encoun- ei tered Darcey at the hotel. They met as stran- : gers, and Duncan hoped that he would have no urther trouble with his ‘enemy. But in that hope he was disappointed. He finished the week at Frederickton, holding up his end in’ good ‘Shape, and forwarding several big orders to his firm. He decided to remain over till Sunday -night in the place. On Saturday night he visited one of the theaters, and was on his way home from the show: when he was suddenly attacked on the street by a bunch of ruffians, forced down an alley leading to the river, and run into a low- grade house, the ground floor of which was used as 2 saloon.’ ' He was carried into a back room, drugged liquer poured down his throat, and then taken down into the cellar, where he speedily became unconscious. Two hours later he was put on = board a weather-beaten sloop ‘on the point of ee starting down the river. Daylight was well ad- = vanced when he recovered his senses, and found '_. himself tied up to the mast in the hold. At first he had no idea where he was, but the motion of the craft, and the indistinct outlines of the hold soon apprised him where he was. He remembered all that had happened to him the night before, and wondered why he had been _- placed in his present situation. He never sus- men and only worked because they needed the money. : The huckster was practically a gradvate from _ their ranks, endowed with energv and the ambi- tion to get ahead, and he was able to control his suberdinates and make them come to time, found it to their interest to stand in since he was the only source of steady >» they could count on. During the winter on him when they couldn’t. raise the igh petty thievery that often landed ; in the workhouse during cold weather. - Darcey had got acquainted with a member of companions were open to any piece of raseality for pay; he arranged with the ; to do up his business rival in the way we A described. Joe found his quarters far from pleasant in any sense. The hold smelt of de- z od refuse, with which it was littered. - wonder where I’m being carried off to,” he ed himself. “I suppose I’ve been cleaned out swatch and loose change. I don’t see why uld have been put aboard this craft. Maybe yas carried hereon the quiet bythe crowd. that me, and that these aboard don’t know of my , hol. There’s a fierce odor down n So made some nojse. HUSTLER Perhaps this boat is used for carrying Lord, it’s giving me a here. some kind of fertilizer. _ headache.” The hatch did not fit tight, and there were cracks in it,-too, where the weod had split, and these openings admitted gleams of daylight, and acquainted Duncan with the fact that it was Sunday morning and that he had been uncon- scious many hours. The sloop was sailing along easily under a light wind. He heard footsteps on the deck occasionally, and once in a while a voice. Joe tried his bonds and after some ef- fort freed one of his arms, This loosened up the rope so that he got the other arm out, and in a short time got free altogether. That was a t relief to him. He felt in his pocket and ound, as he had surmised, that his watch and money were gone. So also was his pocketknife and his silver-plated match safe. He missed the latter badly, for he was unable to strike a light and look around the hold as he would like to have done. What he couldn’t do with his eyes he» was obliged to accomplish through his sense of touch. He found the hold was empty except for the lit- ter of vegetable remains. There was a bulkhead forward and another one aft. The first shut off a. small compartment used for cooking purposes, the latter a small, ill-smelling cabin, where the huckster and the two companions who sailed with him slept. The huckster was not on board on this occasion, nor was he aware that his sloop had been taken possession of by his employees for the purpose of carrying their victim down the river a certain distance to carry their bar- gain with Darcey. The bunch expected to fetch the craft back to her moorings by dark, and hoped their escapade would not reach the huckster’s: ears, for they knew if it did they would get a calling down. In the event that he did find out they had taken the boat without his permission, they intended to tell him they had done it to enjoy a Sunday sail. Both bulkheads were warped and had cracks’ be- tween the timbers, and had Joe been able to strike a light it probably would have been no-~ ticed by the chaps who were in the cabin. Joe peered through a wide crack and saw four of them seated at a narrow table, playing cards. The fifth member of the party was outside steer- ing. The conversation the boy listened to was not ymrticularly edifying. He learned nothing from it as he was not the subject of their discourse. However, from the * looks of the crowd he judged they were not hon- est river sharps and he was satisfied he owed all his troubles to them. That mystified him still more as to why he was aboard of the craft. An hour passed away and the bunch cuit playing. They produced paper bags from one of the two lockers and began making their breakfast of sandwiches, cheese and:some bottled beer they had brought along. While they were eating, Joe crept forward to examine the forward bulkhead. “Here he found the boards loose and he won- dered what space was beyond them. It was dark — in the kitchen compartment so that he co imuke ovt anything in there, One of the boa . was breken in the center, and Joe taking hold of the lower half of it, et i Tape: me <
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A BORN himself through the opening, and feeling around, encountered the small stove set in an iron pan full of sand. This discovery enlightened him as to the nature of the compartment, and further investigation, made in a cautious way, revealed the pots, pans and other articles used to prepare s by the huckster on his short river cruises. Joe’s fingers lighted on a box of matches. He ‘lighted one and put the rest in his pocket. He saw there was an opening above covered with a - scuttle. It was easy to reach and he tried it. To ~~ his t satisfaction he found it was not se- . Beercd on the outside. Lifting the cover a little ~ and i aft, he saw the bunch of toughs standing about the cockpit in lazy attitudes. The “sun was shining brightly and the sky was clear. -Joe caught a glimpse of both shores and saw an occasional aa Some distance ahead »a large schooner was traveling,in the same di- rection as the sloop, but the wind was so light ~. that her p was very sluggish. «Joe jud, that the craft he was on would - pass close to her, and. he determined when the two craft were abreast to spring overboard and Swim to the larger vessel. He was a good swirn- -™mer and knew he could easily* accomplish the slight feat. He closed the scuttle and sat on the Stove to pass the time. After a while he took __ - another look, but the distance between the two - ~eraft had not materially. decreased.. Half an hour passed and he heard the sound of steps on es _ the deck and the hatch was raised. Joe, looking | through the hole he had made in the bulkhead, saw a flood of light shining into the hold. Two ~ of the ayn eg jumped down. He knew they had come to eal at him, and when they found -. him missing from the mast they would start to _ hunt for him, and, of course, he would be found ' -in the cocking compartment if he didn’t make a of base to the deck, where he. would have to-encounter the others. . ; - His absence from the mast was speedily dis- covered, and with exclamations of surprise the -two rascals ran to the hatch and shouted the news to their pals on deck. Two more jumped ~ down into the hold, leaving only the chap at the wheel above. Joe decided now was the time to . Make a move. He opened the scuttle, sprang aut and shut it down. Unfortunately, there was no _- Way of fastening it on the outside. He rushed _ tothe main hatch and drew it over the hatchway, _ temporarily shutting the four toughs down. in __ the hold. The chances of keeping them under cover was not good, for he could. not watch Yoth _ Openings at the same time. Besides, the steers- - Man had tobe reckoned with. As the wind was light, he could easily leave his post to chip in,” id that is just what he did. us Joe found n lf between three fires, so to speak... ba pe, > are you up to?” demanded: the he jumped on the deck with his eaiaines Bigs to? ~ Trying to oe do yes _sninepe: Lin yp: Se Taying t you ellows doing me_up again,” returned sprang at him, aiming a blow at little clearing near HUSTLER 18 his head, and looking for an easy victory. -Joe sidestepped, shot out his fist, ae Ose 00h under the chin and sent him staggering back. At that moment the cookroom scuttle was thrown off and one of the chaps below stuck up his head. He was, in time to see the steersman lose his balance, clutch at the boom and _ roll overboard, hitting the water with a splash and a loud cry for help. Joe saw that the fellow couldn’t swim, and not wishing to be responsible for his drown ing, he picked up a coil of rope and flung it to- ward him as he disappeared beneath the surface ofthe river. When the rascal came up, he hit the rope with his hand and~ clutched it as a drowning man will a plank or anything at hand. All this gave one of the other chaps time to scramble on deck, and he started for Joe. Dun- can saw him coming, and, tossing him the rope, told him to save his friend. Instead of doin so, he sprang at-the boy traveler, and Joe had to defend himself. In the fight that took place the tough was presently assisted by his friends, as they reached the deck one by one, and. so Joe was overpowered and made prisoner again. The chap who went overboard was. pulled on deck in a half-drowned condition, and left to recover b himself while the others hustled Duncan bae into the hold and tied him to the mast again, taking extra precautions this time. The scrap had been observed from the schoon- er’s deck, and those there wondered what it was all about. Half an hour later when the two boats were near each other, the toughs. were eo and asked Ne an explanation. “It was. just a fight,” said one of them. “ rooster knocked one of us. overboard Ei jumped on him for it, and now we've got him tied up in the hold till he sobers up.” The people on the schooner accepted the state. ~ ment and asked no move questions. The sloop - gradually forged ahead, and in the course of ¢ time left the larger boat farther and farther be- hind. A turn in the river took them out of - sight of each other, and brought into view an- z other sloop coming. ve the stream. Shortly af. ae ter noon another bend in the river brought tHe. sloop close to a long, narrow island. “There it is,” said-one of the toughs. close to the bank.” 7 The speaker went forward, picked up the ~~ mooring line and stood. ready to jump ashore. The sloop closed in with the island by degrees and finally bumped against the bluff. The fellow at the bow sprang on shore and tied the rope to a tree. Then he returned on board. Four of the: buneh got down into the hold, released Joe from the mast, wound the line around his legs: and arms so that he was helpless and *handed him up on ie ; : “What are you fellows goin i Bs oa a asked: ey going to * with pile a “Hang yer if .you don’t keep ver trap shut,? _ said the leader. “Fetch him ans pies aS _ Ina few ntoments Joe was carried ashore and ans into the trees that covered that-end of the island. __ — “Run in old
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"pu 14 A BORN “We'll tie him so he can reach the knot and set himself free after a while. That will give us time to get away. It’s nothin’ to us how soon he gets away, for we’ve earned our money bring- ing him here.” ce wondered at the words. ‘ “Who paid you to bring me to this place?” he asked. “Oh, a chap who wanted to get you out of the way. Sit down in that chair or we'll make you.” , “You'll have to make me,” said Duncan, pulling ‘one arm free and hitting out at the speaker, and 1 on his jaw. The whole bunch seized - him and him bodily into the chair. The building under the shock, then the rot- ten floor gave way suddenly and everybody went ;down into a sort of low r, as dark as pitch. One of the toughs was knocked unconscious, an- ‘other had his arm broken, a third was severely -cut by a j plank, while the fourth floun- ,dered around quite dazed by the accident. _ ‘The only one who was not greatly upset by the fall, though in the midst of it, was Joe himself. He quickly extricated himself by ings Sr _one side. He unwound the long rope from about «his body in a twinkling and got on his feet. The “light that came down from the room above was tvery little as the door of the shack was at the -other end, and the building was enclosed by trees. Cries of pain, imprecations, and smothered groans reached his ears, and showed that his captors had suffered severely by the accident. He did not propose to stand idly by till they re- covered and thought of him. He understood their which was to maroon him on the island, and he more than suspected that the person who ‘had hired them to play such a rascally trick on him was Darcey, for he knew of nobobdy else who had os against him. He looked for some- a Se ve he could Imy hold of and pull himself “ae : set broken pene ae sae 7 yo on reach. e sprang u caught i gymnastic swing or two enabled him to raise himself up so that she got his arms around it. The rest was not difficult for an agile youth like him, and soon he was cautiously crawling across the dilapidated floor toward the door. Once outside, he knew what to do. He pushed through the trees to- ward the spot where the sloop was moored in charge of the helmsman., When he came in sight of the craft the chap in question was not in sight. He had e into the cabin te feast on a bit of cold grub, which he washed down with Joe reieased the mooring rope, jumped on the bow and pushed the sloop away from the, bluff with his leg. The motion he imparted to the attention of the fellow i the cabin, and he came out to see if his friends had returned. consternation, the prisoner. How their victim -could have escaped from his four contpanions was a. to him, but he had no time to his right and left closed with him Instead of which he saw, to his. He recovered his watch and HUSTLER lay there. Then he hauled him out of che cabin to the top. of the deck, pulled off the hatch and Eppa im down, feet first so as not to hurt im. “Stay there, and see how you like it,” said Joe, pulling the hatch two-thirds over the hole. Then he went to the tiller, and though not much of a boatman, he managed in that light breeze to wear the sloop around and head back up the river. How the four toughs were to get off the island did not greatly concern him. They had fallen into the pit they had dug for him, and he saw no reason to waste any sym- pathy over them, As long as the island remain- ed in sight they did not appear on top of the bluff looking for their craft, and when the sleop rounded the near-by bend the island ‘dropped ont of his line of vision. It was now hali-past one and the reader will not be surprised when we say that Joe was a mighty hungry boy, for he had had no break- fast nor dinner, nor even a bite, that day. He ” had eaten his last meal at six o’clock the eveni before, and he yearned to reach a restaurant an fill up. There was small chance of his : close to a resfaurant till he got back Peg 3 ‘erickton, and that town was many miles up the river. But for the sensation of h r that as- sailed him Joe would have enjoyed the sail, for the day was fine and he found no trouble in keeping the sloop on a straight course. Within half an hour he made out the lumbering schoon- er he had at one time expected to make his es- cape to. Now that was unnecessary. He had rescued himself, and did not stand in need of help. The men aboard of the schooner eyed him curiously when the beats ferent from the toughs they had seen on board before. The skipper hailed him. : “Where's the crew that was on that craft when she passed down?” he asked. : es went ashore on the island a mile be low here,” replied Duncan. “What did they land there for?” “You'd better put in there and ask them.” “How came you aboard the sloop? I didn’t see you before.” - “You might have if you had leokéd close enough.” The boats were now some ways apart and fur- ther conversation was discontinued. Joe saw two other craft coming down the river. The were large sailboats occupied by young men ou for pleasure. “How far is it to Frederickton?” said J hailing one party. i “Eight or nine miles,” was the reply. - Kise atverward pet sloop cag i the -other nd an oe saw a freight train coming sore the are track at the ‘ an hour. s time pas e grew itivel famished, and wondered how long lohere he — reach the =a = _ st. Ae: breeze was most exasperatingly light and the s seemed Pty Ph to do as best he could. pe eT oi Pate a ssed. He looked dif- - ee ecm ia ie al Ne . e rate of fifteen miles_ 4 ° ce : 1 ,
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A BORN money, something less than $2. The fellow made -a yehement protest. “Shut up!” cried Joe. “You fellows cleaned me - out, and I’m trying to get my things back. I suppose your friends have the rest of my prop- ; on = The tough made no aly. : -_-—- "Look here, who was the fellow who hired you ‘chaps to do me up?” ; _ *None of your business,” replied the other. “All right, then, I’ll have you arrested as soon as the sloop gets back to Frederickton, and see ae "Il tell in court.” . - You can’t make me tell nothin’.” “Very well. I guess I know the man. He’s an enemy of mine named Darcey, and I'll fix him eS for the trick if I catch him. He'll have to make _ good all I’ve lost.” : Joe left the fellow and returned to the tiller. - Two hours later he sighted Frederickton, and it was seven o’clock when he tied the sloop to the first wharf he came to. He left his pune in the hold and started up the street. A block away he met a policeman. To him he told his story and said he had captured one of the toughs. “What did you do with him?” “I left him tied in the hold of the sloop.” - “Will you prosecute him if I run him in?” “TJ expected to leave town to-night. I’m .a - commercial traveler for a firm in Chester, and I can’t spare the time to appear against him.” “You'd better remain over half a day and have is chap put through. You say the others are on the-island down the river? The captain of the station house might send a boat after them ind then you would have the chance to send the ole bunch to the workhouse for a year.” “Jf I thought I’d recover the rest of my prop , I'd stay over till to-morrow,” said Joe. ou may if the others are caught,” said the ty -Joe went to the wharf with him and the pris- oner was brought out of the hold. The police- ‘Man recognized him as one of the huckster’s d, and the boat as the huckster’s property. fellow was taken to the station house, and there Duncan entered a charge of assault, rob- _bery and abduction against him. He was locked up and Joe made tracks for the nearest restau- ippen t% the house, . - _resents Bryant & Co. This HUSTLER 15 had taken his boat without his permission or knowledge. The magistrate was inclined to doubt his state- ment, for he did not bear a good character; but as nothing was brought against him, he was al- lowed to have his boat. The five tougks were held for trial, and Duncan was told he would have to return to Frederickton when wanted, to eopeer against them. After dinner Joe froceed- ed on his way. During the two weeks that followed he did not encounter Darcey. His success on the road was better than ever, and Mr. Prescott remarked to his partner that Duncan was the boy with the “« ge “We made a ten-strike by giving kim an open- ing,” said Mason. “It is a case of *1@ unexpected coming to the front. From all itdi:ations he is likely to prove a star salesman.” The second Sunday after Joe lefi fredorickton he was in the town of Smithland. He expected to remain there two days, not counting Sunday. He had heard that Darcey was there, too, but -he was not stopping at the hotel where he put up. Darcey was well acquainted in Smithland, and he numbered over half of the wholesale houses among his customers. Only one firm han- dled P., M. & Co.’s goods direct. Joe understood all this, and he looked for a hard fight to get his work in with any of the others. He was seated in the reading room after sup- per figuring out his plan of action for the néxt day when a bellboy came to him and said a gen- tleman wanted to see him. As Joe was a com- plete stranger in town he wondered who the F visitor could be, and what he wanted with him. He followed the bellboy to the rotunda, where he found the party, whom he had never seen be- fore, waiting for him. He was a tall, thin man, ~ of a sandy complexion, and a pair of calculating eyes. He introduced himself as Hiram Handy, a ~ hardware man of the town. ° “T saw by the Hardware News, published yes- : terday, that you were expected to reach hereby =~ to-morrow, so I dropped in at this hotel, where the regular drummers put up, to see if you had arrived,” said Mr. Handy. sia a “I am glad to meet you, Mr. Handy,” said Joe. “What house are you connected with?” : “Knowlton & Co.” ‘ - Dunean Enew that Knowlton & Co. was sup-_ posed to be a dyed-in-the-wood customer of Bry- ‘ant & Co., and consequently was down on. his a list as a Darcey man. surprised that the terest in him. t “I am selling for Prescott, Mason & Co.,” Foe said, thinking Handy might have got his name twisted with Darcey’s. _ Ss Bt “Yes, so I understand. You have taken on — George French’s route.” : poe => mistake "= His answer proved that there was no in the case. ‘ “You see,” he continued, “we have been buying — right along from a man na Darcey who rep- “had a lot of trouble with their goodx They proved unacceptable to our trade, and a them have been turned back on showed that they we He wal, therefore, much gentleman should take any in- =
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' biuweatd reached the outskirts, and am 16 A BORN wrote to Bryant & Co., asking them to take back the goods, but they refused to do so, or make us any allowance. So we have decided to cut out their goods altogether and put in a full line of the P., M. & Co.’s stock. That is the reason I called to make your acquaintance.” “T intended to call at your house, though I knew my firm had done no business with you, and try to convince you that the genuine brand was better than the cheaper and imitation ones,” Joe said. “I have picked up many new customers in this way since I started out. An imitation ‘article cannot stand the test of competition with the uine. Sooner or later those who handle the former wake up, as you seem to have done, and throw the poor article out.” ' Although Joe never attempted to sell anything on Sunday he saw no reason why he shouldn’t pave the way to the capture of Knowlton & Co., on whom he intended to make an early call next morning, 4 tells up his line. Handy listened, smiled, and nodded as he went on. “You have a good line of argument,” he said, Sc aa Anat acor Reigate dpea peta ig: Soi name to a large order when you see Mr. Knowl- ton in the morning. And now, as I auprere you have nothing on hand for the evening, I shall be = * take you out to my club, the Meadow- Polo Association. We have a fine club- house on the county road, about a mile outside the town limits. My car is outside. We have a musical entertainment this evening, and I think will enjoy yourself. I will see that you get on here around eleven o'clock.” Of course Joe accepted the invitation. He considered it ing of an honor to be invited ‘to such a place. It was seldom that he had the chance to take an auto ride, and he was not go- ing to miss this one. He was Shes tickled at the prospect of putting it over Darcey by getting another customer away from him. And accord- ing to his advice, Knowlton & Co. was his best customer in that place. country road, which was a splendid macad- -amized route. A mile was reeled off quickly and then a second mile. Joe was wondering how -much farther they had to go when a large, - walled-in building hove in sight around a turn and the auto drove up to the big iron gate. Dun- can saw a large plate attached to one of the stone ay posts, and he came to the conclusion that this was the club house of the polo organi- zation, though he was rather surprised that things were so quiet about it, particularly if there was a musical entertainment on the books , for that evening. The chauffeur, who was a negro, got down and ‘i — the bell, A man came to the gate from a close by, held a short conversation with him, and then started to open the big gate. The _ -megro got into the car, backed around and ran into the grounds. ‘Is this the Meadowbrook Clubhouse?” Joe asked Handy. : “This is the place,” replied his companiop. _ to be rather quiet for a clubhouse.” _ always is. lt is a very select ore. HUSTLER } ganization. As it is Sunday evening, few lights are displayed in sight of the road. When you get inside you'll find things different.” The car rolled up to the veranda, and Handy and Joe alighted. The former rang the bell and in a few minutes the door was opened by a man in a sort of undress uniform. hey. were ush- ered into a small ante-room lighted by an elegant Jamp dependent from the ceiling. The attendant went away and in a short time a small, slightly built man, with piercing black eyes and a pro- fessional look, made his appearance. He shook hands with Handy and then the latter said: “Let ‘me make you acquainted with Joseph Duncan.” “Glad to make your acquaintance, Mr. Dun- can. Are you a commercial traveler?” “Yes, how did you guess my business?” said Joe, in some surprise. “Y’m an excellent hand at guessing. What house do you represent?” “Prescott, Mason & Co., of Chester; hardware specialties.” “Has the entertainment begun yet?” asked Handy. : “Not yet. It is about to tommence. We had bee oe tage = the hall.” e -eyed man led the way, and they fol- lowed through a long, Seli-tazeinied hall. “I didn’t catch the gentleman’s name,” said Joe to Handy. " ‘ “Pardon me. I remember now that I failed to mention it. club,” replied Handy. Before anything more could be said, the doetor opened a door and they eritered a large room where. about thirty men were seated, Facing a small stage. Three or four attendants standing around with long rattans in their hands and Joe was surprised to see one of them shake his implement at a man occupying an inside seat. - At one side of the stage was a sae at which a ~ young man was seated, with his head covered. with wavy raven hair, supported by one hand, his elbow restin _ Boas the music rest of the in- strument, while his eyes surveyed the audience. The doctor walked down the center aisle after pointing out a couple of rear chairs, apart from the crowd, for Handy and his companion to take possession of, Although the audience was very orderly at that moment, there was something odd in the general ensemble that attracted Joe’s at- tention. Dr. Linx stepped to the platform and surveyed the crowd in front of him. The hum in the room snbsided, and the attention of the per- sons present concentrated itself on the little black-eyed man. He walked to a chair close to the piano and sat down, making a signal to the musician. That person immediately struck up an artistic selection. Two men in the front row sprang up and. started to dance in a grotesque way, and a number of others began to clap in an excited way. To Joe’s amazement an attend- ant rushed forward and swung his rattan across the shoulders of the dancers. They slunk back into their chairs dike dogs who feared a ; “Say, what’s all this?” said Joe to his panion. <3 a “Are you surprised?” asked Handy, with y chuckle. Re om = “What. kind of club.is this, anyway?” = Stats + a This is Dr. Linx, the head of the ~
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t A BORN _._ “Pardon me for the joke I have played on you. This isn’t a club.” “What is it, then?” _ “A private bughouse, and the people you see in the seats are the patients.” CHAPTER IX.—The Woman in the Cellar. Before the boy could ask further questions the - Tnusician stopped, then changed to a ragtime air and two men, dressed as German comedians, ap- ' peared from behind the narrow stage. The mu- Sie stopped and they started in to entertain the audience with the customary vaudeville funny business of their line. Joe saw that they were ‘professional talent, hired for the occasion. The audience went into spasms of delight over their eccentricities, and two or three of the more res- tive ones had to be suppressed by an attendant, who handled them without gloves. ; The Dutch act wound up with a comic duet and a dance, which produced more excitement and more applications of the attendants’ rattans. The next number on the programme was a mu- sical act by three performers, who found the narrow stage cramped their efforts to a consid- erable extent. Things went pretty smoothly, all art considered, until the last number was - ed—-a pair of Irish sidewalk conversational- ' ists. Their patter was seemingly appreciated and vociferously applauded. Im fact, the demented audience insisted on a t recall, and one of them came out and be a recitation. This was only a bluff, for hardly had ‘it got started when the other came out, Sipe him on the shoulder and pointed off.. The first _ kept on as if he didn’t hear. Then the second = aongtt out a short step-ladder, placed it against _ his- shoulder, climbed up and shouted through a _ trumpet in his ear. is produced no result €ither. The second then pulled out a hatchet,. landed the edge of it in his prepared wig, where » — it stuck, and walked off. As the first chap turn- ed and the whole audience saw the hatchet stick- -. ing apparently in his head, with one accord the Ore people rose, like a flock of birds startled ___ by the report of a gun. They began yelling and running about in great confusion. The four at- _ tendants attacked them and Dr. Linx sprang on his feet. Instead of quelling the trouble, a-reg- ular riot ensued. etor Linx rushed away by a back entrance, ing the two Irish comedians to make tracks ‘as they were for their lives, and called more help to the scene. Joe and his companion were cut off f the door, and got separated in the confu- ; <4 s - now beyond all atte being drawn over {o- under the on-° n- ward the stage, made a leap for it, but was pulled back by somebody in the darkness) A crash followed and the piano tumbled off the stage, knocking a hole in the fioor. Through this hole Joe fell in his efforts to escape, and he land- ed down in the cellar and lay there some minutes half dazed. The uproar continued above, dead- ened somewhat by the intervening floor. At length he pulled himself together and started to find his way out. He struck a match and examined his sure roundings. He was in a storeroom, the door of which was locked. “I must get out of here sorhehow,” he thought. He saw a box of tools, and, pulling out a ham- mer and a broad chisel he soon made short work . of the wood around the lock and got the door open. The cellar was a large one, extending un- derneath the entire building, and was divided into rooms and compartments used for different purposes, There were many passages, crossing one another, and proved to be a regular laby- rinth to Joe, who could not find the stairs. There were two sets of stairs, affording ingress and egress, but both were closed from sight by doors, and these doors the boy supposed connected with rooms. Finally he came to three .iron-barred cells in one corner, where refractory patients were put at times. When Duncan came to them he was surprised to see a woman’s face behind <« ~ the bars of one. She looked at him in the dim light of a gas jet in a piteous way. “Will you not take pity on me and release me from this cell?” she said, in a pathetic tone. “I am not mad. I never have been mad. I am confined here by a relative who wishes me out of the way. Unless somebedy comes to my relief, I shall never get free again.” “Who are you?” asked Joe, “My name is Lillian Wrenn, and my husband is dead. It is his brother who put me here in a “ living death to secure my property. Doubtless - I have been reported to my brother, George Prescott, of Chester, as having gone travelin;? . for my health to the Pacific Coast.” . “George Prescott, of Chester!” exclaimed. Jom a -in surprise. “Is he in the hardware business?* . ae he is head of the firm of Prescott, Mason ~ 0.” sey “Why, I am one of their traveling salesmen.” . “You are!” cried the woman, with a ring of Ae hope in her tones. “Then you will aid me, will zh you not?” “T will if I can; but if you have been properly committed to this R mya it would be a seriou matter for me to help you get away.” “But I am the victim of a conspiracy.” 3 “As it is probable I would not be able to get you away without discovery, the best thing I can do is to communicate with your brother, tell » — him where. you are, and ask him to come en and rescue you himself.” Sa The lady explained that’ when -her husband died he had left his property with his brother in — trust for her, una that the man was the rascal he soon proved himself to be. . s “How long have you in this house?” dwe | asked her. . We 58 “Nearly six months.” HUSTLER - ~ “Why are you down here in a cell in ihe ua 19 ee a 2 ee Se te oe ee = : wae
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ee A BORN . “Because sometimes I nearly wild over the : thought that I am buried alive, as it were, and. then, I dare say, I act so unruly that I am brought here and kept until I quiet down.” Joe took down her. brother-in-law’s name and address, and all the facts he believed necessary to forward to Mr. Prescott. “J shall bless you all my_life if I escape from this tomb through your help,” she said. *“T will see that your brother learns all the particulars. I will mail the letter early in the morning and he should get it by Tuesday. He ; will, of course, come on at once, and probably you will be released Tuesday afternoon or Wed- ~ nesday morning. Now tell me where the stairs are so I ae ea out.” : “You will find a door at the end of this pas- sage that opens on a flight of stairs leading to the main floor above. But vou have not told me how you came to be in this cellar, at night, too,” she said. . * _ Joe told her the cause of the disturbance, and --. how he came to be present in the sanitarium that - evening. Then telling her to keep up her cour- age, he left her and sought the stairs. When he reached the main floor he found that the pa- tients had been overpowered and taken to their rooms. “Where have you been all this time?” asked _ an_attendant. ; : : - “After being pulled about.in the room, I fell _ through a hole in the floor near the stage into _ the cellar, and there I’ve been ever since. I had _ to break a locked door open .to get out of the room I dropped into, and then I found my way up here.” _“The hole was made by the heavy piano fall- ding from the stage. It was lucky no one was hurt by it.” . Joe was taken-to the doctor’s ante-room, where ‘he was found talking with Mr. Handy, who ap- ‘peared puzzled over his companion’s disappear- ~~ “Oh, here you aré!” said the doctor, when Joe ared. “Where have you been?” — : 3 een his story, giving the impression that had been badly stunned by his fall, and that satisfied both men as to the cause of his failure to turn up before. . , “lm pate Bene think I brought you into a Serape,” said Handy. 3 : “Well, the way things turned out. was not your a fault,” replied the boy. “Tt was that confounded encore with the chet business that did the damage,” said the doctor. “I shouldn’t have permitted it had I wn what was coming. Anything startling or : has a bad effect on people whose minds in the state some of my cry Eig It touching off a gunpowder fuse—the ex- ent spread like magic and for the time be- we lost control of of them. Such a con- _is always dangerous. It’s the first time a thins happened in my sanitarium, ‘see it shall be the last.” — ee for good with his line, HUSTLER On the way back Handy explained that Doctor Linx was a great friend of his, and had invited - him out that evening to his sanitarium to see how his patients behaved at the show, to which they were occasionally treated. “I decided to take you with me for company,” - he went on. “For fear you might object to go- ing to a madhouse, I told you I was going to take you to the Meadowbrook Club. You will pardon the deception. The truth of the matter is, I wanted to see what you would say when you saw the kind of audience that was assem- bled to see the show. I deeply regret that you were so roughly handled, and were hurt by fall- ing into the cellar; but that was entirely unex- “That’s all right. You can make it up by see- ing that your firm gives me a good order to-mor- row,” said Joe, willing to forgive anything that helped him to new business. “You'll get a good order, for we have arranged to throw the Bryant & Co.’s goods out entirely. As soon as we receive our new stock we shall send our old stock of inferior stuff to an auc- — tion house to be disposed of at what they will ~ fetch.” : “It will be a surprise to Darcey, Bryant & Co.’s man, for your house has been his largest custo- mer in this place.” . “We can’t help that. We are looking after our own interests and not his.” “T heard Darcey was in town. seen him yet, I suppose?” “No. We know he’s here, at the Baxter House, and we look for him to call in the morning. We won’t lose much time over him on this occasion. + What time shall I look for you to call at the store?” tr “TI can make it convenient to call atsany hour,” said Joe. : : You haven’t 3 “Make it eleven o’clock, then. Ask for me.” — * Ten minutes later Duncan was put down at his hotel. Before going to his room he wrote a long letter to Mr. Prescott about the woman he nud met in-the sanitarium, and who claimed to be — his sister. He mailed it in the hotel letter box, — the contents’ of which would be collected in time — to go out by the early mail. Then he went to bed, thinking of the jolt Darcey wéuld get when he found he had lost his best Smithland custe- mer, and that he (Joe): had captured the fittie yo CHAPTER X.—Conclusion. Joe left the hotel early next morning and made his first call on the regular customer of his firm. He found the manager preparing a long order _ .to mail to his employers, so he was just in time to save his commission. He showed his line | improved tools, and the manager made many — changes in his order in consequence. Altogether both parties were benefited by the visit. A eleven o'clock he walked into Knowlton & Co. and asked for Mr. Handy. He was shown into the gentleman’s office, 2 Lae Mr, a Ha 0 good. We _ “Darcey is “here talking to : i$ Sey aS all his ment will do hi is argumen mo the’ stare looking abe a abt ™
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get all th S74 se “French never had but one customer. - er this my burg.” A BORN HUSTLER low could. Handy then took Joe in and intro- he carried an order that he was satisfi would make his firm sit up.and take notice. “When Mr. Mason sees this order,” said Joe to’ himself, “he’ll feel inclined to raise my wages. Of course I’ve caught the house more through the trouble the firm had with their last consign- ment of B it & Co.’s goods, than the result of my own ; but that doesn’t matter. I'll the credit. it’s no small thing to catch a a% Knowlton & Co., no matter how you ess this is the biggest success I’ve e trip so far.” After pate he continued his rounds. In places he found Darcey had’ got His work in ahead of him, and he could do nothing, but he Fed an order out of the fourth place that car- ried Darcey’s line, though the order was not a “What have you = in ‘this place?” he said. I consid- “T called on four of oar eustomers this af- ternoon and Rac Boy only a small order out of one of them,” sai “Just so. No use of you staying here on the better.” chance of doing “I'm satisfied with results. I caught the big- t house in town—Knowlton & Co.—this morn- The dickens you did! Why, that’s: ‘my——” “You mean it was your customer; but the se- nior member of the firm told me that he had no Stathers use for your goods—they don’t measure . up to his wants. I knew your imitations would an ee i room when him on the pe ees» ergy Looking . Prescott. OWh who, — i do, Mr. Prescott!” he said, I shall ¢ en proceed against her onspiracy.” id's brother for inal ¢ a . ip m Can yo fo is after five o’clock now, sir. to-day?” 19 can had gone over the particulars again, the two gentlemen went away. Mr. Prescott succeeded in convincing the judge he called upon that a wrong had been done to his sister, and he se- cured an order for her release. He hired a car and with his lawyer proceeded to the sanitarium and asked for Dr. Linx. When they were ad- mitted to that gentleman's office, the lawyer pre- sented the order for the release of Mrs. Lillian Wrenn. The doctor was taken by surprise, and protested that the lady was of unsound mind and had been placed in his care by her brother- in-law, Henry Wrenn. “I am her brother,” said Mr. Prescott, “and I will assume all the responsibility in the matter. In any case, you have to obey the order and =~ her up to me.” So Mr. Porescott’s sister was turned over to him and the overjoyed woman went back to town aoe bg a hotel with her brother, and she was rie 9 grateful to the young commercial traveler for the part he had taken in securing her free dom. Joe had the pleasure of meeting her next morning before he continued on his route, and he assured her that he was delighted at having been the means of bringing her sad condition to her brother’s notice. The order from Knowlton & Co. was duly re- ‘ceived with other business from Smithland at the office of Prescott, Mason & Co., and served to hoist the young hustler still higher in the es- timation of the firm. He received a commenda- tory letter from Mr. Mason, and an assurance that the house fully appreciated his splendid ef- forts, and would see that he was suitably taken eare of. Three weeks later Joe was in Riverton, from which place he was to work his way back to Chester. Darcey was also at Riverton, and at the same hotel. with each other, and. as far as appearances —_ one would have eneent they were cleanest 3? each other. tance back from the road. Here he and left in the cellar. “When it gets dark we'll ret -him over" railroad and ship him westward on a car,” said, Darcey. - The rivals held no converse F ~*~ ™ -
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20 on this trip,” he said to himself. “This appears to have teen a hold-up, and I have doubtless been robbed again. The rascals have tied me up and put me down here so they could make off in safety. If this is the old building near the road I noticed as I came along } am not likely to get free except through my own efforts. The chance of anybody dropping in here is not very good.” Feeling that his release from his unenviable predicament depended on himself, Joe set. to work to free himself from his bonds. An hour passed and the sun was sinking beneath the distant ho- rizon when Joe got one arm free. He put his hand in his pocket on the chance that his knife might still be there, and found it. It didn’t take him long after that to free himself entirely. Then he found out that neither his watch nor his money has been disturbed. Then it occurred to him that this might have been a job put up Darcey to delay his business arrangements in iverton. As he had finished up his calls in that town, Darcey was not likely to make much by the trick if he was at the bottom of it. ~ “J suppose I'll have to walk to town, for it’s likely whoever held me up has gone off in the rig,” thought Duncan. He lighted a match and looked to see where the exit from the cellar was. He found that he -was under the stairway. The light of the match flashed upon something bright on the ground un- ‘der the lower steps. e struck a second match and looked to see what it was. The object proved to be a- stout japanned box. He reached ander the step and drew it out. It was fairly weighty, as though quite full of something. As it was locked and the key was missing, the young traveler could not find out what the box con- tained. As the house was a vacant and deserted A BORN * The door was ajar and so he walked out that way instead of going through to the front of the It was now dusk, and Joe judged he had lost a, ceuple of hours by the hold-up. He walked - glong the side of the house, his feet making no ' “noise on the soft earth. He was about to turn ‘the corner when he heard voices not far away. was a couple of companions. e talk of the men and soon discovered purpose to put him imto a freight car him traveling westward until his pres- was discovered and he was released. I could only prove this trick on Darcey I’d him sweat for it,” said Joe; “but my word won’t conviet him, and he is bound to get uld have him arrested.” ~~ at their prisoner. i when he finds I am oe, as he hurried to the —s as HUSTLER There he found his rig tied to the fence. Two minutes later he was on his way back to River- ton. After eating his supper at a restaurant he took the japanned box to his room in the hotel. With the help of a chisel he had borrowed from the porter he snapped the lock and opened the box. Underneath a layer of newspaper he found packages of new bills, all bearing the name of the-Riverton National Bank. Counting the mon- ey, he found that it amounted to $30,000. “This is considerable of a find,” he thought. “I wonder who it belongs to?” It struck him that the bank might have been robbed. He went downstairs and spoke to the night. clerk, “Say, has there been a robbery in this town lately?” he asked. “Not that I know of,” answered the clerk. “The Riverton National Bank was robbed of a bunch of money six or seven months ago, but the thieves were not caught and the money was never recovered.” “Any reward offered for the return of the money?” “Five thousand dollars, afterward increased to $10,000, was offered for the capture of the thieves and information leading to the recovery of the money. No one ever got it.” : “Thanks,” said Joe. Instead of leaving town by an early train, as he intended, Duncan called on the president of the Riverton National Bank and secured an in- terview. He inquired if the bank had got back its stolen money. “No,” replied the president; “we never did,” Then Joe told him about the japanned box he found in the old house, and that it contained just the amount the bank lost. “The money is made up of new biils, with the bank’s name on it,” he said. : . “It must be the money we lost,” said the pres- — ident. Joe unwrapped the box, which he had brought with him, and handed it to the president. president identified’ the money by the numbers on the bills. He counted the money, found it correct and told .Joe that he was entitled to the reward of $10,000. : ; The money was paid to the boy and he took the next train along his route with a $10,000 draft on the First National Bank of Chester in his pocket. On his way back to that town he did — a good business, and when he finished his trip — he was received in great shape by the firm. His salary was raised.to nearly double, and his com- missions amounted to a handsome sum. He re- turned to his home in Piqua for a short vaca- — tion,-about $11,000 better off than he left it, © — When he went back to Chester he was sent .out on short trips over different routes, and al-- ways ‘proved that he was the boy with the- “goods.” ; Cog eee MR wera, See Mere) wv 08 TTR wy eo oe _ h eee) Sere oN ~S oa rE ?
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COLLAR EXPLODES _ A bearded passenger on a Berlin street car J a Ww by accidentally touched his celluloid collar with -@ lighted cigar. His beard, mustache, eyebrows * and hair were burned off and his clothing set : Several other passengers suffered slight — AN INGENIOUS CISTERN : In- Central Africa the gigantic baebab tree, _ Whose trunk sometimes attains a diameter of ; forty feet, often serves as a natural cistern, re- = taining rainwater in large quantities in a cavity "formed at the top of the broad trunk. be Taking the hint thus afforded by nature, the & Yabs artificially hollow out the trunks of large baebabs and fill them with water during the wevalence of rains as a provision against the dry Seasons, ; These cisterns are in some cases twenty feet in height and eight or ten feet in diameter. _~ -—s SPEED OF JACKRABBITS ~ Jackrabbits fleeing from pursuit attain a speed fifty miles an hour for the first mile, Colorado rings motorcycle club officails reported at the ynclusion of a cross-country chase in which the _ Astrology, Palmistry, : re) Fe heen ert ae ST ie z=. FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY CURRENT NEWS as severely burned recently when a man near-- were no casualties, or accidents. mond Voorhees, an expert on psychology and metaphysics. ir next number and caver such subjects as Chirognomy, Physiognomy, Phrenology, Numer, logy and other good features. . Se en in simple language which all can understand, these articles clearly- ex-. the meaning of each subject so you can see how psychologists cast horo- apes, read the lines of the palm, tell the nature of people by their faces, leam — at one is best qualified for by the bumps on the skul srybody who reads these articles will find them both instructive and amusing. rabbit was run down at the end of five miles. In the second mile the rabbit made a forty-mile speed, and in the last three miles slowed down to- thirty-five miles an hour. Im their headlong dash over the prairie after the rabbit, the eleven motorcyclists in the party hurdled ditches and other obstructions at breakneck speed. There When the rab- bit fell exhausted he was picked up, and when he had rested was set free and scampered away. “RATTLESNAKE FEAST” A score of students and laboratory instructors at. West Virginia University were treated to a rattlesnake feast one day recently while P. A. M. Reese, head of the Department cf Zoology, inci- dentally attempted to prove that a great deal of meat goes to waste every year owing to common scruples, The rattler from the West Virginia hills was presented to the niversity several weeks ago. When it declined to eat, Dr. Reese killed it and — prepared it much in the. same way that other meats are prepared. : Those who partook of the meat said it was not ‘unlike the breast of a chicken and had the same » appearance in color, oe <2 “ : SOMETHING NEW COMING! : _ Watch for “Mystery Magazine No. 103, Out Feb. 15 We have just secured a series of intensely interesting articles from Russell Ray- 3 They will begin in- . 1, judge people by their — - =
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~ Daring Dan Dobson 5 Sess af THE BOY WHO BEAT THE Es MOONSHINERS By GASTON GARNE Sg (A Serial Story.) CHAPTER VIII.—(Continued.) 7 Zachary brought his own steed to the same Sei safer position, for he did not care to be without x a horse in such a country of the enemy. ee “If we can get down the valley to Jefferson - Cable’s farm, Dan, we will be in a better posi- _- tion, That is about three miles further along. He is one of your father’s tenants, an’ he kin be depended on fer anything.” “Would he take a message?” asked Dan,” sud- denly. “Aye ye goin’ to send for help?” : “Me? Not so you could notice! I am going to send for old Andy Adams, who is visiting in .- Hilldale. He offered my father a big sum of “money for this land, and I am confident that we ean wiggle out of our present trouble and pit this Barton against Adams. Then, with two good people bidding it would mean some fun. Adams Sess a a@ millionaire himself, and he is always backed _ by a big crowd of St. Louis and Chicago lumber men. It would be the West against the Bast. _ Adams hasn’t been down here in years, and I be- Jieve that we could get him pretty enthusiastic _.. when he once saw the lay of the property. Don’t you, Zach?” _ The old guide nodded. . = _ here’s more things than timber on this land, Dan,” said he. oa ae Wwhat?”. The old fellow ‘pointed along the hillsides. . “There’s as much around us, within a rad- a dus of ten miles, as in some of the biggest min- Fe ek = districts in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. reese millions of dollars’ worth here, when it _-is once developed.” - Dan looked at Zachary with startled eyes. “You don’t mean it?” _ »-“No one knows the perticklers but me and one ge = _ that long road, there are several riders coming. -he would doubtless have been woun FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY I don’t want very much money for me an’ my old woman. We’re just mountain people, an’ we_ wouldn’t know how to spend a big fortune if we had it. We ain’t got chick nor child—not a kin- — folk in the world.” : “Well, we will,make a go of it now. Where is the coal, Zachary? Along the hills?” “Yes, on the sides of the steep rocky. slopes. ~ The natives here have never realized it, for this would have been one of the biggest minin’ sec- tions in the world. Down there—see that dark ground, where a washout has carried the grass * away, by the creek-bed?” “Yes.” “Well, that is coal—that dark, slate-colored patch. It looks like rocks, but I know this ground. I know a good deal more about it than any one around here thinks, Dan. There is a cave about - two miles to the east of this very hill. One that is big enough for fifty men ter hide in.” “Oh, ho’ said Dan. “I'll bet that is used by the moonshiners.” Zachary nodded. : “Tt’s where they would go if there was a big raid,” he said. “Some day they’ll have ter go thar, too.” “Well, Zach, I have heard about lots of the moonshiners doing that work because their grand- — fathers did it before them. They believed that it — was their right to make what they wanted with- — out paying the government a tax on it, and that - is often given as an excuse for them. But with this fine wooded country, the mineral deposits, - and the fertile ground, which will be of use when the trees are cleared away, they ought to be as prosperous as anywhere in the country.” “There ain’t much excuse for any locality be- in’ criminal, or poor ef the people is forced ter work and be honest.” : “That is right,” answered Dan. “Look down These men have us surrounded here, and now f suppose that they have reinforcements.” ere Dan started toward one side of the hill, and ‘was met by a shot from the thicket. ; Had he exposed more than the to of his hat _ or killed, ~ yet it was a narrow escape for a bullet-hole pierced the fabric not more than an inch from his skull. ae But Dan swiftly brought his gun up, and sent gules toward the spet where the puff of smoke __ ted. ‘ap oe
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FAME AND FORTUNE WEPKLY FROM ALL POINTS BACTERIA THRIVE ON ICE It has long been known that no degree of cold yet attained will kill bacteria. Yet is might be supposed that they must at least be dormant when embedded in eternal ice. Yet Dr. A. L. McLane found them alive and active in the ice many feet below the surface in the Antarctic ex- _ pedition conducted by Sir Douglas Mawson in 1911-3914. os OIL ON INDIAN LANDS ; Enter the Montana Indian oil magnate. The -. Crows, on their reservation already have begun “to receive payment for their oil lands or wells, or both. Oil tracts on the reserve: give great promise, it is said, and-several Indian millionaires may soon be created. The Crows long since abandoned Indian habits and customs“and to a large extent Indian speech. The only difference _ wealth will make will lie in luxury and display. << HUNTING FOR QUIPE : -- Professor W. W. Rowlee and George W. Mixter have sailed for South America for an explora- tion trip into Ecquador. Professor Rowlee, who — js an authority on woods, goes in quest of quipe ste , great-quantities of which he believes grow - in Eequador. Quipe is a very light, buoyant ~~ which is used extensively as a substitute 7 ‘and similar articles. = SAW BUCKS BATTLE Game Warden Theodore Wegmann had an in- terestine experience while making his rounds on ne north border of Itasca Park, Minn., one day recently, witnessing a battle between two bucks "and cheating-a wolf of its prey. ‘Wegmann noticed a wolf skulking along the trail he was following, but before he could get shot the wolf disappeared in the brush. -erashing nearby attracted Wegmann’s at- tion, and he found two bucks engaged in com- ‘Vat, with horns locked. After matching the strug- ‘gle until satisfied the deer could not break apart with Superintendent C. M. Roberta, who _ brought a rope, a hatchet and a saw. = "TRAPPERS USE HIGH EXPLOSIVES T advantage of the short open season on aver, protected by the Department of _. Taking Alaskan bea att e for axe years, spec yes mnie sa i mite, giant powder an mae a Gece in rail lakes and - for cork in the manufacture of life-preservers - of their own accord he went for assistance, and - war on the fiends, and game wardens everywhere in Alaska are on the lookout for game law vio- lators. The trapping laws provide that beaver must be trapped in such a manner that once caught the animal is carried to the bottom of the stream or lake and drowned. Otherwise beaver will am- putate their own legs to secure liberty. The open season for bears was declared be- cause of the hundreds of white men out of reg- ular employment in Alaska. Indians faced star- vation because of the failure of salmon to invade Alaskan waters last summer, Beaver skins bring trappers from $15 to $20,-and it is estimated thousands of skins will be secured this winter up to March 1, when the season again closes. The Alaskan beaver is large, dark brown, with an elegant coat of thick, fine haired fur. Some of them after being stretched for drying are four - feet long. The average is three fect long and two feet wide. It is the most handsome and durable of fur-bearing animals, and is found only in North America. It is very intelligent, and dis- plays great skill in its home building and provi- dence of food. The strictest laws are necessary to protect it, because it is the most conspicuous of all wild creatures. “Mystery Magazine” _ SEMI-MONTHLY 10 CENTS A COPY LATEST ISSUES A CLUE OF FLAME, by Jack Bechdoit. THE FACE IN THE CROWD, ‘by Mare E. Jones. THE MAN IN ROOM No. 7, by Chas. F. Oursler. FOUR TEN-DOLLAR BILLS, by Henry G. Howland. S2RUER CE ath HOUSE NEXT-DOOR, by Police Capt. How- ara. THE TRANCE DETECTIVE, by Chas. F. Oursier. FRIDAY AT TWHLVE, by Katherine Stagg. Bb LEET HAND. by Hamilton Craigie: THE MELODY OF DEATH, by Jack Bechdolt. _ THE TRICK OF THE GREAT YEN HOW, by W. orm. AT MORIARITY’S, by Fred EF. Shuey. THE LOST STAR OF THE FILMS, by Jack Bech- doit. 98 COUNTERFEIT CLUFS. by Chas. F. Oursler. 9 THE CROSS. by W. S. Ing 100. A SECRET SERVICE Craigio and Euiot Balestier. 101 A CRIMSON PRICE, by Elliott Lester. The Famous Detective Story Out To-day In Ne. 1a % ; THE INSPECTOR’S STRANGE CASE By GOTTLIEB JACOBS — SS RF882 FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher. 163 W. 28d St, New York ram. a F MYSTERY. ‘vy Hamilton A CUALLENGE TO POWER, by Dr. Harry Entou. —~
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Sang Loo, The Chinaman By COL. RALPH FENTON “Were you ever in a Chinese opium-den?” asked a friend of mine, a prominent Chicago de- tective, the other day. “No, were you?” was my reply. “Ves, and I came very near never getting out alive.” - “Indeed! Tell me about it.” “Just in your line, eh?” : “Precisely, and it will be the more interest- ing to my readers as a story because it is the th. ” “Well, sit down here a moment in the District- ttorney’s office. It’s half an hour before I go ore the Grand Jury on that sensational mur- der case of ours, and you shall have the story ae of my experience in a Chinese ‘opium-joint,’ as ee we call the opium smoking-den of the festive — *washee-washee,’ ” 3 ms I became seated, and the old detective heaved “You may or may not remembér that about two years ago the attention of the police and the public in general was called to the fact that an unusually large number of cases of ‘unknown persons ea drowned’ were reported. “The suspicions of the authorities were aroused, and our agency took the matter in hand. “In a city like Chicago or New York, it is dif- ficult to trace even a single man who mysteriously disappears, and while in more than one of the eases of ‘found drowned’ the victim was fully - jdentified, in mo one of these cases could it be positively decided whether there had been foul ' play or suicide at the bottom of the matter. “As fate decided it in each case where identi- - fieation was accomplished, there was no evidence ~ of foul play upon the remains of the deceased, bd S ceaiected a good deal upon.the case, and it - gecurred to me that if, as I suspected, the per- _son, found dead had met with foul play before __ they were cast into the water, they might have been drugged. eat | gon So pene le connected with - one of the colleges here, and it was agreed upon - between us that when the next body was found in the water without any evidence of violence - on it, he would make a critical post-mortem ex- amination, such as the authorities had not yet made, as it required great skill. and considerable expense, involving chemical analysis and many devoid of interest to the general reader, and therefore I will not weary you by stating them - 0 within a week after my consultation with the 1 expert a body was found in the river. ts, an enumeration of which would be a eine as Py Soe See ade , and i can give you nothing now. — FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY lished, and the body exposed, as usual, in the morgue for identification. “Meanwhile my friend, the medical expert, be- gan his investigation, without destroying the face of the deceased. : ‘Day by day he continued his work. An an- alysis of the stomach failed to reveal any trace of poison; but although he kept the secret from me until he had-exhausted his skill and was sure he was right, the very first day of his examination :~ solved the mystery of the dead man’s taking off. “When all was done he called at my office. . “‘The unknown found drowned was killed by opium,’ he said. “He then went on to give me a description of the appearance of an opium slave. So vivid was his picture of the appearance of the complexion of a victim of the terrible ‘opium habit’ that I felt sure I could recognize it if I met a case. “That very day as I was on my way to dinner, I was accosted by a pale-faced young woman, whose appearance at once riveted my atiention, for the opium case was in my mind. “She was selling flowers, and as she presented her basket, and my eyes dwelt upon her face, I was certain that in her I beheld a victim of the deadly drug. “IT purchased a button-hole bouquet, and when she turned away I watched her. Indeed, I fol- lowed her in the stealthy way of a shadow, and she did not evade my secret espionage until I saw her enter a Chinese laundry on Clark street. “T at once made up my mind that before the sun of another day arose I would see the inside of an opium den, and I had heard it whispered in police circles that the very Chinese laundry in which the flower-girl disappeared was suspected of being an ‘opium joint.’ “When I reached my office I found a young lady waiting for me, “At a glance I saw she was undoubtedly from the country} as there was a certain air of rustic simplicity about her that could scarcely be mis- taken. “My name is Jenny James, sir, and I am from Michigan. I came to this city in search of my father, who was a’ small country merchant, and who came to this city with a considerable sum of money, with which to purchase goods, in his pos- session. He overstayed his time and we became alarmed. Yesterday I read the description of an unknown man found drowned, in a Chicago daily paper, and the description was that of my - poor father,’ said the girl. ; “Upon my arrival here I proceeded to the morgue, and there my worst fears were fully ; realized. The man described in the newspapers really was my poor father. Oh, sir, he has been murdered and robbed, and mother and I are left alone and almost penniless! I have come to ask you to find my father’s murderer, and recover yhis money. You are a great detective, and I beg: of ee to do this; and Heaven will reward you. I gladly pay you if you find my father’s — father had all our money with — power to do all Se
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FAME ; ey and I was interested by her simple faith and deep distress. “J will do all in my power, my girl, to find your father’s money, and also his assassins. But wwe detectives are only mortals, and Heaven has not given the most skilful of us the power of rending the dark veils that hide all crimes,’ I said “J know you will succeed, and for myself and my wid mother I thank you,’ replied the young girl, fervently. “J sincerely hope so,’ was my answer, and then I said: ; ‘Pardon the question, but was your father | addicted to the use of opium?’ *” “The girl blushed, as she replied: “He was. It was his one vice, and he could not live without the awful drug. He contracted the habit while suffering from malarial neuralgia. "The opium was prescribed by a physician.’ Wy felt I held the clue to Mr. James’ murder. “That night, in disguise, I visited. the den of Sang Loo—such was the name of the Chinaman who ostensibly ran a“laundry in the South Clark street basement which I had seen the flower-girl enter. When I entered the place I found a hide- ous old Chinaman who was, as I soon found out, Sang Loo himself, and who may be justly called “the Chinese opium fiend,’ and two other Celes- tials present. ‘ a “There was no evidence of the ‘fatal pipe ’ about, but when I displayed some money and said -- *] wanted to “hit the pipe,”’ as the Chinamen say, I was conducted to an interior room. — “There all the paraphernalia of the opium den “Was seen. he pipe, the lamp, the divan upon which the smoker reclines, and a jar of Chinese , " a ss iY Piet took my place upon a divan, and while one of the hideous Chinamen “fed the pipe,’ as he aes keeping the opium in it on fire, the others 2 ee red together. - ‘“Jyst before I entered the den I had taken an enormous dose of a preparation furnished by - my medical friend, which he said would counter- act the effect of the drug that I might smoke with i ity as much as was necessary in order to te all the hidden mysteries of the ‘joint. ~ *T plaved my part well, and when I was pretty ‘well gone, to all appearances, I saw the old fiend : take a dark Lang ows in aer S had the divan and apply 1 e pipe. under whe na = 1 t myself by a shudder. seemed smoke, aleones the stuff erie *Pinall “8 ey 2 felt. myself dragged from the bunk ther apa m “y all valuables, and everything that ae eee I AND FORTUNE WEEKLY . the awful drug! _ jail, and his two companions were sent to Sing 25 fiend had not discovered it, so that, if it came to the worst, I could fight for my life; but it was my purpose to play the game out, and find out if the victims of the fiend were consigned to the water, as we supposed. “A moment later I heard a light footstep, and I sank back upon the fioor. Directly the flower- girl entered, and closed the door... “Another victim! Oh, if I only dared leave this accursed den! But I am the slave of opium, and then I am friendless, and the Chinamen would find me out, and murder me. As long as I decoy strangers who have acquired the terrible opium habit here, I am given food and clothing. My heaven, if I could but shake off the bondage of When I am myself, nothing could tempt me to lure men to this den of death, but when the drug is in my brain I am reckless. Would that I could save this poor man, but I . cannot. They will carry him away, and throw him into the lake, where he will be drowned.’ “Thus muttered the girl. A moment later she glided away. . “Not long after that Sang Loo crept into the room. . “In his hand he held a large knife. “Did he mean to make sure of my death by plunging it into me? Had his suspicions been aroused that all was not right? “These thoughts flashed through my brain. “But the Chinaman passed by me, and prying up a board in the floor with his knife, he took money from a bag concealed there, and with- drew. “Half an hour later he came in again, ac- companied by two Chinamen. I was placed in a large basket, and a mass of rags thrown over me. Then I was carried into the street, the bas- ket was deposited into a hand-cart, and Sang Loo and one of his companions trundled me away to- - ward the lake. . “We had reached the waterside, and the China- men came to a halt. They were about to throw me into the water, when I suddenly leaped up, and with two quick blows from the butt of my pistol, I downed the opium fiends. : “To handcuff them was the work of a mo- _ ment, and then I marched them to the-station. ~ “That night we raided Sang Leo’s den and — captured the other Chinamen. A considerable sum of money, and a pocketbook containing the money Mr. James had in his possession when he left home, minus a few dollars, was found. Jennie James identified it and it was restored to her. - “As for the Chinamen, Sang Loo suicided in “The girl’s evidence served to convict them, and she was allowed to turn State’s evidence, but _ she was sent to the House of Correction, in the hope that she might be sured of the terrible — habit that had wrecked her life. % ~ agai : that she) “From the was a irl’s statement it seemed whom Sang’ Loo had LRT be af
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26 FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 3, 1922, TERMS TO SUBSCRIBERS Bingte Caplan... 2. cic cs ons Postage Free.... One Copy Three Months... e Be va One Cupy S's Menths...... %! o Seey., S135 One Copy One Year....... 3 2 POE, BOW T® sEND MONEY—At our risk send P. O. Money Order, Cheek or Registered Letter; remittances in apy other way are at your risk. We accept Pos » Stumps Uie same as cash. When sending silver wrap the Coin in a separate piece of paper to avoid cutting suvelope. Write your uame and address plainly. dress tetters to - HARRY E. WOLFF, Publisher » suo West 23d St.. New York INTERESTING ARTICLES KILLS LARGE HORNED OWL ; Bert Walker, of Burnham, Pa., the other day = shot ard killed a great horned owl that meas- ~ -nred forty-two inches from tip to tip, near Gib- money Park. He will have it mounted. CHICKENS WORTH MORE THAN CORN Anton Kiimisch, Yankton County, S. D.,-a ~ farmer, Came to town with a wagon load-of corn ‘and two crates of chickens. The corn, of which there were about thirty bushels, brought him a little more than $6. The chickens netted him $32 on the local market. the Ad: eas: OF INSECTS -,. Ata meeting of the American Scientists it was announced that airplanes.are now used to spread _ eases or insects. ; __- A six-acre catalpa grove at Troy, Ohio, which contained 4,815 trees, ranging in height from 20 to 20 feet, was being destroyed by the catalpa __spinx, which was stripping the trees of their foliage. An airplane carrying the poison was - only fifty-four seconds in spreading it, doing the work so effectively that ninety-nine per cent. of the caterpillars were destroyed. CHAMP WEIGHT LIFTER CANNOT ENTER aot) UNITED STATES Marijan Matijevic, self-styled champion weight - juggling of a 2,000-pound anchor doesn’t even give him an appetite for breakfast. But he wasn’t strong enough to break through the cor- on of immigration inspectors at Ellis Island the ‘other day when he arrived from Havre on the ich liner Lorraine. - Z -was informed that the from his AIRPLANE USED TO WIPE OUT PLAGUE © * the poison of death on areas devastated by dis- ter of Czecho-Slovakia, is so strong that the. ae FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY DRIFTING SODA WATER BOTTLES During the last year the Fishery Board” of Scotland has been carrying out an interesting scheme of research to determine the currents of the North Sea. : ~The method employed was the setting adrift of ordinary soda water botties, some to float and determine the surface currents, and_ others E weighted so as to drift along the ocean bed and determine the bottom currents, These were fitted with wire tails to keep them off the bottom. Each bottle contained directions to the finder, printed in ‘five languages, to return it with par- ticulars of the time and place of discovery. Eleven hundred surface and 1,300 undersea bot- tles were set adrift during the year, and of these 140 surface and 150 undersea bottles have been recovered. : It has been found that most of the sur- face bottles drifted northward, many of them be- ing found on the coast of Norway. LAUGHS Madge—Do you think I should give up Charlie during Lent? Marjorie—Such a sacrifice isn’t | necessary in your case, my dear. Charlie is a : lobster. : oe “My son, remember this: Marrying on a sal- ary has been the salvation of many a young man.” “I know, dad. . But suppose my wife should lose her salary?” PSs Sunday School Teacher—Now, Willie, why don’t _ you try to conquer yourself? Willie—Ain’t no — glory in conquerin’ a feller what’s been licked by every kid in town, is there? ; : “Why did you leave the swell boarding house?” “Because the swellness was at the expense of the —_~ food supply.” “What do you mean?” “Four kinds ~ of forks and two kinds of vegetables.” oA po Mrs. Gramercy—When you-look in your hus- band’s pockets, do you ever find letters that he ; has forgotten to mail? Mrs. Park—No, but I sometimes find ones that he has forgotten to burn. ~ me First Digger—We’ll need another piece of pipe — to finish this drain. Second Digger—Don’t say anything about it till to-morrow morning, and then we kin sit around till it gets here. ee : Seok Sette tar =s “Here’s an account of a fellow who took two years to make a toothpick.” “Some overdrawn, eh?” “Oh, I don’t know.- I know of a mother who took five-years to make a match.” “How well behaved = children are,” the minister’s wife. “They are perfectly lovel children,” added the minister. The parents sm proudly, and up spoke little Agnes: “Pa said we didn't behave he'd knock our blocks off
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GIRLS IN LONG WALK A 10,000-mile $10 hike to draw a life sketch ident Harding. ‘ : : Sun Eos. Angeles girls, the Misses Mary Milsk - and Geraldine “Gypsy” Somers, both of No. 100 South Olive street, started on the long walk to Washington the other day with but $10 between ~~ them, : ae they return one year hence with a z pietes of President Harding in their portfolio and ean show they have actually walked 10,000 i i tie, . . . : oo eg le A réles in motion pictures. - They must not ride public conveyances and they och’ aig-eag” North and South to get in the ex- ¢¥a mileage, Christie has stipulated. Miss Milsk, who is a professional free-hand artist and a hiker of much experience on long “distance trips, says the terms of the bargain are -- “ She will draw pictures of persons along the youte of their journey and charge enough for this work to-meet board and room bills. "The first lap of the journey will be along the Santa Fe trail as far as Kansas City. Then the _‘-zig-zagging” is to commence. On the return trip ™" they will walk in circles until they have negoti- hae pat the required 10,000 miles. A TREASURE-FILLED LAKE Ter ousand feet above the sea level, in the Ce Colurtbia, not far from Bogota, lies ‘the Sacred Lake of Guatavita, in a huge cup sur- rounded by hills. An English engineer, with the assistance of a body of natives, has in the last few years succeeded in dragning off all the water, bare a deposit of mud about thirty feet ‘in depth. It is in this mud that the valuable of- ferings of the ancient natives to their deity are SU and the beginning of the already brought “finds” t to prove that the old tales treasure are not mythical: There have red up to now a gold bowl, numbers two gold snakes, a gold band, golden dusly carved stones and several arti- y. According to the stories of the ans, these are parts of the gifts which the ants of Columbia were accustomed for cen- to make in propitiation of their gods. FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY A FEW GOOD ITEMS according to his promise, will- ~ when completed the company officials hope the * how the fire started: 4 dé Yr : ‘ . -guniee hei oa: ( te 3 After the Spaniards invaded the country the natives are said to have thrown countless treas- ures into the lake to prevent them from being seized by their conquerors. The latter made some attempt to recover the gold, but met with little success. OLD MINE FIRE UNDER CONTROL The Summit Hill fire, the king of all mine fires, is still burning, but it is well under con- trol, according to a recent announcement by the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company on whose property flames have been eating up millions of tons of anthracite coal for the last 62 years. While this one has been brought under control. another mine fire, which has been burning 19 years near Mount Carmel, Pa., in the heart of the lower anthracite fields, is still trying to ‘spread. A third fire, which has been raging for three years, in the Red Ash vein of the Red Ash Coal made it necessary to close the old Giant’s De- spair road known to many automobilists because of the hill climbing contests that have been held upon it. The Summit Hill fire in the Panther Creek Val- ley between Lansford and Coaldale, was discov- ered in February, 1869, in an abandoned gang- way. The hard coal dips from 20 degrees io about 70 degrees and is about ‘fifty feet thick. The area involved is about one mile long by 1,- 500 feet wide. How many millions of tons of coal have begn consumed has never been accurately ascertained, but it has cost the company more |. than $3,000,000 to fight the long burning fire. In the early sixties an open cut was made in . the involved area, which seemed to isolate the fiames for many years, but eventually the fire J travelled past this cut into the coal areas be- - yond. Many efforts were made to check the flames, but to no avail, until about 1910, when - a concrete and clay barrier about twelve feet thick, 170 feet deep and 700 feet long, was built. The fire travelled so rapidly that it pressed close- ly upon the location of the new barrier before the work was completed and the heat became so intense that men could work only in twenty- minute ‘relays. The barrier eventually checked the progress of the fire. In order to insure against a further) spread the coal company has been stripping the over- burden from the eval west of the barrier. This ~ operation has been in progress nine: years, and. - fire will be certain to be under control. The cost . of the stripping operation, involving the removal __ of 3,500,000 cubic yards of material, it is esti- mated, will approximate $2,700,000. known to the present 0 It is not generation of mining men _ The rineteen-years-old fire is in the abandoned . workings of the Sioux mine of the Lehigh Val- ley Loreal eee Soy cry It origin where hot ashes were dumped in a mine t in of ‘coal. Every effort to s
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et. THE NEWSCIN e CAVEMAN ARRESTED For eighteen years Joseph Shapski, forty years iid, has been living like primitive man, A cave iad been his home, and had not the fires he built -mdangered coal property he might have lived to he end of his time in seclusion. ; When food and money became scarce Shepski ybtained employment in the mines. When he got jome money ahead he quit work. : Special policemen of the Lehigh and Wilkes- Barre Coal Company crawled through a small 10le into the cave. There they found Shepski and - ragged him out into the daylight. His hair was ong, his beard untouched for years and his cloth- ng scant. é In the cave was found $50 in. money. His abode was near a vein of coal. It was feared the fires he made would ignite the coal. He was sent to the County Poor farm, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. HENS ON FARM PROVE PROFITABLE i - Although South Dakota is classed as one of the = sold producing States of the Union, owing to a he fact that the famous Homestake Mine in the ---:3lack Hills is one of the great gold producers of the world—it will be a surprise to many to know chat the hens of South Dakota each year produce many times the value of the Black Hiils gold product. roduction of the Homestake Mine is es- timated at $6,000,000 per year. The hens on the farms of South Dakota, figures show, produce 630,000,000 per year. For every dollar of South _ Dakota gold the South Dakota hens lay down $5. The record made by the hens of the State is be- lieved to have a record for States with no greater . population than South Dakota, and in view of the * a that South Dakota has no great poultry . farms. . There are now about 9,000,000 chickens in - South Dakota: It is believed that with the ex- _ perience of the last two or three months the num- per of hens in the State will be materially in- - zreased, as the farmers have found them a sure. - source of revenue. HEARS HE IS DEAD -. _ Mrs. H. E. Kuhl, Denver, Colo., has been noti- - fied by the Goyernment’s War Risk Insurance Bureau that she will receive the $4,500 due her as a result of her husband’s death in the service_ $s soon as she makes application ip the regular As soon as Mrs. Kuhl got the notice*she asked her husband what she ought to do about it. “Tt seems. you are dead,” said Mrs. Kuhl. “Odd,” said Kuhl . He felt himself speculatively. “Mark Twain was right,” he ‘Here I’ve been drawing my declared. retirement pay 7 my Also- FAME AND FORTUNE _ bits. ts” WIEKLY SHORT ARTICLES for physical or total disability allotment. it seems that I am dead.” Kuhl said that when he had read the letter announceing his death, he returned it to the War Department. with a notation to the effect that - the account of his demise was slightly overdrawn. Now “98,050 RABBITS SLAIN IN DRIVES. Farmers and business men alike are trying to free eastern Washington of rabbits. For several years they have been increasing at an alarming rate. Since January twenty-five rabbit drives have been held in Grant county, with a total of 98,050,000 killed. The record for the most killed is held by Wilson Creek, when on April 1 twenty- five persons shot 8,500. In other counties regu- lar bimonthly drives are made over vacant lands and thousands are slain. Records of destruction by rabbits show from one to eighty acres of wheat destroyed upon sin- gle> ranches. Over 4,000 acres of grain were | eaten up at. Moses Lake by rabbits this summer. Rabbits have a preference for grain, not both- ering alfalfa until they can no longer find wheat. At Wapato. 800 acres of farms are fenced with rabbitproof netting. | There is a diversity of opinion why rabbits ——- should increase so amazingly. The most reason- able explanation is that the fostering game laws reduced hunting,-and this has tended to encour- age the increase of wild life generally. Others hold-that pioneer days have passed and the hunt _ for game is not nearly so fierce or determined as when men depended upon it for food. : = The Department of Agriculture is assisting to destroy rabbits, and in- six months distributed free 700 ounces of strychnine. A record kept by Charles Mitchell, of Wheeler, shows that one —— ounce of poison killéd 1,329 in a single field. Many. quail were also victims of the poisoned —— wheat. - , Jiete There are millions of rabbits in the North- west, spreading over-big areas and in sections hitherto unknown. Brush patches, sage clumps, ~~ rock piles and burrows hold families of the pest of every age and size. It is claimed by authori- ties that rabbits breed every six weeks. Birds of prey frequent the wilder places to eat the rab- Coyotes have ceased to bother flocks be- cause. rabbits are so easily procured. Foxes and smaller animals often troublesome to” farmers are no rabbit.diet. f =a ee e service in 1919. On the — ized.
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This has been erroneously ascribed, though somewhat vague- ly, to the effects of electricity, magnetism, and of the noise from the thunder, but an analysis of the explanations at- tempted fails to develop any rea- sonable relation in accord with these ideas. This matter has recently been made the subject of a_ scientific study. It was finally found to arise from the fact that at this time of the year the air was both warm and moist, and that both of these conditions facilitated rust- starts on the spring or in a erack, and the spring soon weakens and lets go. The trouble is therefore not due to any mys- terious effects of magnetism or electricity. It can - largely pre- vented by a layer of oil on the sur-— eee of ee i 1
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EMERALD MINING IN COLUMBIA The emerald mining industry dates back to long before the Con- quistadores of Spain turned their attention to the New World. When Bogota was first settled in 1584 the Span- iards made every effort to discover the location of the emerald de- posits which were known to exist not many miles from the settle- ment. Their en- deavors were long frustrated by the opposition of powerful tribes of the district. Finally, however, in 1594, mining operations were begun, the work being carried on wholly by Indian slaves. Great treasures were taken from the district during the Colonial peri- od,-a very large portion of the revenue going to the Spanish Crown. Columbia is the chief emer- ald producing country, the out- put in a normal year amounting to about 800,000 carats. That the industry is likely to’ iong continue as a source of wealth to the re- public is indicat- ed by the fact that, -in addition to the already de- veloped field, two new deposits have ed. However, those deposits (at Cosquez and Som- ‘ondoc) are at resent Maccessi- le ~ owing ~to transportation Ities, BLUE WHITE’ :S GENUINE DIAMOND PERFECT CUT SEND NO EXACT REPROOU TION OF RINC 74 This blue white perfect. cut gen- uine diamond mounted in a 14-K solid white or green gold hand pierced mountlng—a re- production of platinum. only $12.95 on Pay postman arrival and the ring is yours. NO MORE PAYMENTS TO MAKE $12.95 PAYS FOR THIS BLUE WHITE DIAMOND IN A 14-K SOLID WHITE OR GREEN. GOLD RING. 14-K SOLID WHITE GOLD. WEARS LIKE PLATINUM, LOOKS AND If any jeweler can sell you a 14-K SOLID GOLD ring like this for less than $30.00, return this one in 30 days and get your money back, DON’T HESITATE—YOUR MONEY BACK IN 30 DAYS IF YOU WANT IT. You TAKE NO CHANCE. SEND NO MONEY— rush your name and address for the MOST SENSATIONAL DIAMOND RING OFFER EVER MADE ANYWHERE—ANY TIME. Send for Your Ring to Department A-10 a Rich Bachelor; how to manage your beau temake him Feeior, tomake r fellow or girl love you; what todo fore and after the wedding: Tells a other things necessary for Lovers to Ke ee know, ay ig 4 by matl 10 cents. BOYAL COOK CO., Box 229, So. Norwalk, Coom QUICK HAIR GROWTH? Box Free To Youl Would You Like Such a Result as This? Do you want, free, a trial box of Kos« Mott, by wth bas been reported whea Se wh yourself? Koskott is Women; itis tarts bair 7 men fectly barmless and in a few days. OH BOYS-CIRLS sir | THROW 0 42 $———_ OLD MONEY WANTED - Fin CLAXOPHONE Which Sets On your Tongue Unseen, it NEVER FAILS Anybod: last.Birds ete. the GLAMOPHONE, with Full Instructions, ‘a Bet Of SECRET-WRITING TRICK, (beats Invs., Ink) a MAGIC-DI. k,(a Great Money maker) ALSO, This Marvelers Novelty- NEW SCIENTIFIC WONDER & WE SEND ALL ABOVE Novelties by pre-paid Mail for 10, 8 Vor 25cts. Anice Souvenier Free wih os 25 ct.order- CLAXO TRICK CO.DEP.xs NEW HAVEN,CT. WE GIVE The BEST and MOST for The MONEY. be quickly cleared of Pim- ples, Blackheads, Acne Eruptions on the face or body, Enlarged BB skin of the above blemishes. are WRITE TODAY for my FREE Ei ane bee ton myself after being afflicted ‘for fifteen ord &. S. GIVENS, 186, Chemical Bidg., Kansas City, Mo. $2 to $500 EACH paid for hundreds of old coins dated before 1898. Keep ALL odd or old money. Send 10 cents for New Tilus- Get Posted. trated Coin Value Book, 4 x 6, You may Clarke Coin Co., Ave, have valuable coins. 13, Le Roy, N. Y. Yes, stop it, you know Pozen own experience only a make-shilt, a falze prop against a a] and means esome, torturous trusses can be thrown away forever, and it’s all because Stuart's PLAPAO-PADS areditferont, being medicine applicators made seli-adhesive pur- posety to pegrent slip- ping and to afford an arrangementio hold the parts securely in place. fj RUPTURE § oe Exposition. Reme: prove it by sending d Plapac Co, 2185 Stuart Bldg, St.Louis, Mo.
Page 34
; | This book contains all the most recent changes in the Fame and Fortune Weekly — LATEST ISSUES — $12 Sam, the Speculator; or, Playing the Wall] Strect Market 813 A Kern Showman; or, The Boy Who Ran a Circus. Si4 After a Golden Stake; er, Breaking a ‘‘Bucket-Shop” Bowed to" Be: a -Ma Making Mone: s to a nager; or, g Money in Baseball. , s 816 A Boy Freee’ Doliars; or, The Mystery of the ault. 817 Tom, the Apprentice; or, The Young Mechanic Who Made His Mark. 818 A Banker at 17; or, A Wall Street Boy's Syndicate. tie ae Mystic Chart; or, The Treasure of the «Big ves. on the bw ged Market; or, The Deals of a & reet x S21 The Bag Gold Kung: or, The Greatest Mine in the orl 822 A Young Brokér’s Money; or, Trapping the Sharpers of Wall St. 823 Dollars and Cents; vr, From Cash Boy to Partner. 824 Jimmy the Otfice Boy: or, A Plucky Wall Street Plunger. © Always on Time; 9r, The Perils of a Young Mail Contractor. 826 The Missing Bonds; or, A Lucky Boy in Wall St. 827 Hunting For Treasure; or, The Pirate’s Chest of Gold. 4 E 825 $16,000 Reward; or, The Fortune of a Bank Clerk. 829 Bonght at Auction; or, The Bid that Led to Riches. 830 ‘he Young Copper King; or, The Boy Who Went the Limit. < 831 Ralph, the Reporter; or, The Mystery of Assign- trent No. 10. - 832 A Foes Sepa or, The Nerve of a Wall Street ¥ Otte ) 833 "Phe Race for Gold; or, ter an Aztee Treasure. age To Win; or, The Wall Street Messeuger ho Made a Fortune. 885 The Roy Salesman; or, Out On the Road For Suc- cess. S36 tah tog Money Broker; or, Striking Luck In Wall treet. S37 The tac: ie Fame; or, The Success of a Young tist. Drama < 838 In tlie Money Game; or, The Luck of Two Wall Street Chums. 839 “ <A Golden Treasure; or, The Mystery of an Old Trunk. 840 “ Hal's Business Venture; or, Making a Success of Himself. $£1 Among the Man-eaters; or, The Secret of the Golden Ledge. 842 The Little Wall Street Speculator; or, The Boy Who Became a Stock Broker. ~ $43 Old Hazard’s Errand Boy; or, The Nerve That Won sourt. S47 The Odds Against Him; or, A Boy With Grit. = Ly sae Brains; “of Re og tig ee ee 849 His nm Business; or, From Erran ¥ To Boss. 850 The Banker’s Plot; or, The Mysterious Boy From Cripple Creek. 831 ate a Missing Million; or, The Treasure of the reck. 852 A Boy From the Streets; or, The Old Broker's Protege. Por sale by all newsdeelers, or will be sent to any ad- dress on receipt of price, Te. per copy, in money or pos- tage stamps, by HARRY E. WOLFF. Pub.. 166 West 23d St., New York, HOW TO WRITE THEM Price 35 Cents Per Copy of construction and par wees of ‘SENARENS, 219 Seventh tve, New oe OUR TEN-CENT HAND BOOKS Useiul, Instructive, and Amusing. They Contain Valuable Information on Almost Every Subject No. 35, How £0 PLAY GAMES.—A complete und useful ttle book, co the rules and regulations of billiards, bagatelle, back-gammon, croquet, dominoes, ete. No. 36. HOW TO SOLVE CONUNDRUMS.—Contain- ing all the leading conundrums of the day, amusing riddles, curious catches and witty sayings. No, 40. HOW YO MAKE AND SET % KAPS.—Includ- poh Fase meg -_ — to — moles, weasels, otter, ruts, squirrels an irds. Aliso how to cure sKins. C on ee o. 41. THE BOYS OF NEW YORK END M N’ JOKE BOOK.—Containing a great variety of the enix jokes used by the most famous end menu. Ne amateur minstrels is complete without this wonderful little book. No. 42. THY BOYS OF NEW YORK STUMP SFEAKER.—Containing a varied assertment of stump speeches, Negro, Dutch and Irish. Also end men’s jokes. Just the thing for home amusement and amateur shows. No. 45. THE BOYS OF NEW YORK MINSTREL GUIDE AND JOKE BOOK.—Something new and very instructive. Every boy sheuld oltain this book, as it contains full instructions “= troupe. ‘oO. . HOW TO MAKE AND USE ELECTRI 7 —A deseription of the wonderful uses of cloukuicleg aaa electro magnetism; together with full instructions for making Electric Toys, Batteries, ete. By George Trebel, A. M., M. D. Containing over fifty illustrations: No, 48. HOW TO BUILD AND SAiL CANOES.—a ts book for boys, as Sur erections for con- structing canoes and inest popular manner - ing. them, Fully illustrated. pe += No. 4% HOW TO DEBATE.Giring rules for con- duciing debates, outlines for debates, questions for dis- cussion and the best sources for procuring information ou the questions given. No. 50. HOW TO STUFF BIRDS AND ANIMALS, A valuable book, giving instructions in collecting, pre- ane mounting and preserving birds, avimals and; ny S. No. 51. HOW TO DO TRICKS WITH CARDS taining explanations of the general principles eeerrtin 3 of-hand applicable to card tricks; of card tricks with pid amet cad nish ot books sieight-of hand ; of cks involving s -ot- or the use of spec . Ee ey cas °. ITE LETTERS.—A wonde little book, telling you how to write to your SWeetheart, your father, mother, sister, brother, employer; gud in fact, everybody and anybody you wish to write to. No. 54. HOW TO KEEP AND MANAGE PETs.— Giving complete information as to the manner and method of raising, keeping, taming, breeding and man- aging all kinds of pets; also giving ful! instructions for making cages, etc. Fully explained by twenty-eight illustrations. SEs ves ee SE ning fu nstructions to come a locom qeareners mone A gpa wane . model Seesodne ive; toge w a escription of everythin, engineer should know. <3 = Ne. 58, HOW TO BE A DETECTIVE.—By Old King Brady, the well-known detective. In which he lays down some valuable rules for beginners, and also relates some adventures of well-known detectives. Ne. 60. HOW TO BECOME A PHOTOGRAPHER— Containing useful information regarding the Camera and ne yh $55 sneer as make Toomer hie Magic ntern es and other Transparencies. ands : ittustrated. Bic : . yy —Containing full directions for makin Jeet ri _— chines, induction coils, A ~ to be worked by electricity. By B. A. R. Bente Digetested. . for organizing an amateur conundrums, etc., of M humorist and practical joker of the day. - No, 66. HOW TO DO PUZZLES.—Containing over three hundred interesting puzzles and conundrums. with key to same. A complete book. Fully illustrated. - = For sale by all newsdealers, or will be sent to any | address on receipt of price, 10c. per copy, in < money or stamps, by — —* FRANK Publisher New York ENGINEER.—Con- | _