Fame And Fortune Weekly (no. 858) (1922 03 10)

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okey Oy 858 MARCH 10, 1922 7 Cents ~ & “= "STORIES OF” Boys WHO MAKE MONEY. = ie ee In spite of the chauffeur’s best efforts, the car rolled over the prostrate boy and then stopped. A score of eye-witnesses rushed forward, expecting to find the boy crushed to death. But he wasn’t He crawled out unhurt. “ w

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- FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY ie ose ption price, : Senate. $4.00; Foreign, $4.50. Harry EB. Wolff, Telieber, 168 4 tat 28d Streets Rew York, RY. Ente Second-Class Matter, October 4, 1911, -Office at New York, ~~ Y., under the Act of March 3, 1879. No. 858 NEW YORK, MARCH 10, 1922 Price 7 Cents Bills Bond Syndicate OR, A FORTUNE FROM A TWO-CENT STAMP : By A SELF-MADE MAN > CHAPTER I,—Which Introducés Bill and 3 Others. | _ “That Iron Mountain deal is one on the.boss,” _ Said Bill Bunce, junior clerk in the counting room _ of George Jessup, stock broker, No. — Wall _ _ “How do you make that out, Bill? It wasn’t - his fault that the market slipped a cog before he could realize on his stock,” seid the second book- , Whose name was Jack Carter. “How do I make anything out? By keeping _ My brains at work, of course: What is the use P of. having brains if you don’t use them intelli- Say replied Bill. Do you mean to say that because Mr. Jessup - got caught in Iron Mountain that he didn’t use brains intelligently?” said Carter. _. “I do. If he had he wouldn’t have got stuck. Any fool would have known better than to have gone long in Iron Mountain under ‘the conditions it was boomed.” ~ *¥ou seem to know'a whole lot about it.” “T know that much.” 4 At that moment Simon Cobb, the red-headed 4 Sige who was no friend of Bill’s, and had listening to his criticism of the broker, — up and said: “Why. don’t you suggest to to Mr. Jessup that d if he’d raise your salary you'd be willing to act in an * Raid capacity to him?” ; y don’t you attend to your own business, Simon Cobb? ou were not asked to put in your * oar,” retorted Billy tartly. “You needn’t mad over it. It was only one = my jokes,” said Paes in a whining tone that ‘characteristic of him. “One of your. Jokes? You haven’t humor aaa in your whole body to get off a respect- able, joke. What were you lis for, any- way? M ks were. only intended for Car- -tter’s-ears; not for yours.” : sce need hearing what you said,” re- Gobb deprecatingly. “You spoke sathey 's mighty little said in the office that « es those tavern signs of yours.” ~ ©You’re ays making cracks at my ears,” + said Cobb, ashing an unpleasant eck wt the ju cle “What’s the matter with them?” ‘ much room when you move He Sane eee ; “If you don’t like that suggestion I'll offer you another, and I won’t charge you anything for the pointer. If I had your ears, I’d rent the backs of them out for advertising purposes. They’d bring in a nice little income.” “You a take pleasure in insulting me,” hissed Cobb. “I eouldn’t insult you. " “I haven’t forgotten that you called me brick- top a number of times. Red hair is a sign of smartness.” “Really? Is it hair-red-itary in your family?” chuckled Bill. Cobb did not appear to see the witticism. He was not a very ia oaaarti youth, “You want to know if it runs in our family? I ought not to satisfy your —— after your remarks about my ears. ible says we ‘should be charitable to aoe at — vi us, and speak all manner of evil against us, so I will say that my father had hair the same shade as mine. ““You’re always quoting the Bible. Does it tell you to go sneaking around to hear what other persons are talking about?” “I never sneak around. I attend stricily to my business.” “Why aren’t you attending to it now instead of butting in on Carter and me? “Tf you don’t care for my society, ll go back to my desk.” “Do so, and you'll obli Simon threw a look o returned to his work. “You made a mistake talking so frankly about the boss in Cobb’s hearing,” said Carter, in a low tone to Bill. “You get people in trouble. It’s dollars to doughnuts he’ll tell Mr. Jessup what you said about him at the first chanee, and then you are likely to get a call-down.” “If Cobb repeats my remarks to the boss I’ — his hec.d,” said Bill, with an aggressive’ us pana = Teacitaent at him and “That would only make matters worse. He ‘has a pull with the old man, and if you attacked him under the circumstances you’d be brought to book for it.” “Oh, I don’t know. such'a chap as him it wouldn't wpereate my re- spect for him.” “What do you want ft? speak so loudly for? ie aise, pines never hear any ‘eepd of themselves.” a a z Nines If the boss stood up for %

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of stecks, though that was a secondary 2 BILL’S BOND SYNDICATE “You’re pretty independent, Bill, which is well enough in its way, but a fellow can be too inde- pendent sometimes for his own good. I don’t want to see you get in trouble, old man, so I advise you to be more cautious in expressing your opinions when Cobb is around.” “Oh, hang Cobb! I hate the sneak! He’s a regular hypocrite. Always quoting the Bible and pretending to be a Christian. I’ve sized him up and I know he’s only trying to make capital out of religion.” “He’s a member of Mr. Jessup’s church and belongs to the pastor’s Bible class. That prob- ac patra for the standing he has with the ss.” “It’s a wonder Mr. Jessup don’t see through him when everybody else in the office can. Miss Watson says she can’t bear the fellow. He's somewhat soft. to her, and it makes her sick.” The cashier, who had been in the private room with the broker now came out, and the two clerks separated, Bill returning to his desk and getting busy over his work. Bill Bunce was ad- mittedly the smartest clerk in the office. He was a swift and accurate worker, and perform- ed his duties, while some of the others, notably Simon Cobb, were fiddling over theirs. What- ever time he lost talking with Carter he made up inside of the next twenty minutes, so the boss lost nothing by his brief loaf. Bill was coc eae Tr Nae Tag the subject of all kinds of gilt-edge ds. He was thoroughly jin touch with the market price of these securi- ties. The clerk who had charge of the bond business carried on by Jessup frequently con- sulted him to save time, having found by experi- ence that Bill’s information could always be re- lied upon. He also kept next to the market = consid- eration with him, for bonds were his hobby. He had made financial subjects a study ever since he began his career in Wall Street as office boy for Mr. Jessup, three years since, after leav- i school. The first thing he did when he bought his morning er his evening paper was to turn to the financial column—this had become a “habit with him. After he had studied the latest bond and stock reports, had noted the changes in the beac pian and had the financial situation at his fingers’ ends, he turned to the general news of the day. _ telligence as swiftly rtant, and gliding over the minor de- ich he read later, then he hurried to his CHAPTER II.—Bill’s, Services Are Dispensed parently, when fifteen Fier nen he threw sown his journals. Most of his friends confined their read- ing to the news of the day and light fiction, for financial matters did not greatly interest them. What they knew about the stock market and the price of bonds was what they picked up on the fly. They did not deal in bonds, and not a whole lot in stocks. Whatever their inclinations might be toward the latter, they had little opportunity and less money to get in on speculative deals. Bill made his opportunities without interfering with his duties, and the opportunities panned him out a nice little capital in the course of time. The secret of his growing independence was full confidence in his own powers and the cash he-had acquired. Jessup put him into the count- ing room as soon as an opening offered, moving Simon Cobb, who had formerly been his office boy, up a peg. As far as smartness was con- cerned, Bill was head and shoulders above Cobb, and Jessup was not ignorant of his superior at- tainments; but he leaned more toward Simon be- cause that youth went to church with unfailing regularity, and stood high in the pastor’s estima- tion as a most exemplary young Christian. Bill, however, could read human nature like a book. He was a natural physiognomist without knowing it. It afforded him: considerable recrea- tion when ‘seated in a public conveyance, with nothing else to engage his attention, to study the faces and forms of his fellow passengers, male and female. It didn’t take him many minutes to sum up a person’s character from his or her countenance. He was wont to say that every human being bore a more or less pronounced like- ness, in face and form, to some animal, and pos- sessed the characteristics of the animal to a cer- tain extent. He told Carter that Simon Cobb was a com- bination of a cur-dog and some kind of a snake which he could not place. He had some idea that mankind had developed from the animal and viper kingdom, and had lately taken’to reading books treating on the subject. His conception of Cobb was that he was a natural-born hypocrite, whose professed Christianity was a sham; who would take a blow without outwardly resenting a Bt would try: to get back at the giver in the ark. ' He had already proved himself a sneak and a coward, and would have been a bully under fa- vorable conditions. Bill lived in Flatbush with his parents and two sisters, one older and one younger than himself. What they didn’t think of him as a smart boy and a budding financier is hardlv worth considering. And he was deserv- ing of their high opinion, even though they were naturally prejudiced in his favér. : With

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BILL’S BOND SYNDICATE 3 into the private room. He was in there ten min- utes, and when he came out he went to lunch. At -.. half-past three that afternoon the office- boy “eame to Bill’s desk and told him that Mr. Jessup wanted to see him. He went in to see what the ~ “poss wanted. - ~ *Look here, Bruce, I understand that you have . been criticizing me in a disrespectful manner,” _“ “said the broker, in a severe tone. . : _. “Who told you that?” said Bill, who easily the identity of the tale-bearer. = “No matter. I was told that you used the following words, and Mr. Jessup picked up a piece of paper and looked.at it:, ‘Any fool would ie known better than to have gone into Iron - Mountain under the conditions it was boomed.’ - Also, you remarked that I didn’t use my brains os Aten , or 1 wouldn’t have got stuck. Do you deny t you made use of those expressions _ in reference to me?” : “No, sir; I never deny what is true. The ~~ Bil¥s 7 said ey she count of what I said in the countin then he asked you to let me off. That’s like hand- - img a person a rousing kick and then begging R ‘ig partion for the act.” , vised you should show such senti- _ ments to _e such a Christian lad as Simon. I ~ wish were more like him.” ~~ *I don’t. If I thought I were like him I’d go _ down to the Battery and jump off.” “How dare you spéak that way!” cried the ~ “Ber use T hate hypocrisy -_ is as) much real stianity re is about Simon Cob oe , therefore Ge on Saturday. is You can go.” rell, sir,” replied Bill, turning around Carter’s desk. =. - X n “There is no doubt that he made the trouble. I shall have something to say to him on the sub- ject at five o’clock.” Bill fully intended to read the riot act to Cobb after the office closed for the day, but he didn’t get the chance, for Simon, ring ae what he was up against, got permission from Mr. Jessup, before that gentleman left, to leave fifteen min- utes early in order to attend a special meeting of a committee of the Y. M. C. A. Cobb never had any trouble in working an excuse of that kind on his boss, but it is a question whether his excuses were genuine. Mr. Jessup, however, ad- mired the apparent zeal that Cobb displayed to- ward Christian matters, and thought the more highly of him in consequence. So Bill was disap- pointed in not having it out with Cobb that af- ternoon; but he guessed it would keep. He told Miss Watson, the stenographer, with whom he was a great favorite, that Mr. Jessup had re- quested him to hand in his resignation, owing to what Cobb had reported to him. The ears y expressed regret at the news, but told him he had acted foolishly in giving utterance to any senti- ments reflecting on Mr. Jessup, partoaiatte in the hearing of Cobb, who, she agreed, was no ornament to the office. “I’m sorry to have you go,” she said, “but a ought to have no trouble in placing yourself in another office.” : “I’m not sure I shall look for another posi- tion,” said Bill. “No?” she ejaculated, in surprise. “I think I can do better.” “In what way?” “Working for myself. I have some capital, and I fancy I can make it grow by devoting the whole 06 09, OO ESAT SOSA EO “Then you have an idea of going into some business?” ~ “Yes; right here in Wall Street. It is the greatest place to make neue 4 in America if you know the ropes and can work them right.” “Are you thinking of starting out as a broker and working up?” : “No; I have other views. I haven’t money enough to go into the brokerage business. There are more ways than one of making money: in Wall Street.” Miss Watson did not press the question fur- ther, and wa some more talk they separated outside the building. Next morning Bill wrote out his resignation and sent. it in to Mr. Jessup by the office boy, and on. = nage he told the cashier that-he wasn’t coming back on Monday. “Why not?” asked that gentleman. ; “Because Mr. Jessup thinks he can get on without me. I thought he had told you,” said “No, he said nothing to away. What was the e me about your going

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4 BILL’S BOND SYNDICATE * rashier. “You're a smart fellow, and, in my opin- ion, the office needs you.” “Oh, I guess Mr. Jessup won’t go into bank- ruptcy because ’m not on the job,” said Bill laughingly, as he turned away. arter followed him out, and they were stand- ing in the corridor near the elevator when Cobb came along. ; =) hope you are feeling happy now, Cobb,” Bill “T am enjoying my customary good spirits,” replied Simon, with a sickly grin. “Mr. Jessup told me that you reported to him what you heard me say to Carter the other morn- ing about the Iron Mountain deal.” “J am sorry, but my duty to Mr. Jessup com- pelled me to bring the matter up,” said Cobb meekly. “I told him I hoped he would not be hard on you.” “So he remarked at the interview I had with him on the subject. He seems to think a lot of ou. He said he wished I were more like you.” Cobb grinned. “And I told him if I thought I bore any re- * .semblance to you I’d go down to the Battery and jump into the bay.” Cebb stopped grinning and favored Bill with a nasty look. “Always insulting me,” he gritted. 'A cage came along at that moment, and Cobb stepped toward it to go down. a on't be in a hurry,” said Bill, seizing him by the collar and pullin ing- him back. “He doesn’t want to go down yet,” added ‘Bill to the elevator man, who hereeaee closed the gate and started the cage. “What are you trying to do?” snarled Cobb. “Just amusing myself that’s all. Are you to apologize for doing the sneak act and g me in trouble?” asked Bill. said ~ a8 =) 2. ° Ps :--) ie ~° gee z5 "38. 8 Ss 3° ° ey a — a for “tonthtel cee Ev- to you, and about you, is the ‘ou’re a sneak anda hypocrite. A sneak a you oy cary tales and do so many under- tricks that a decent chap would be asham- edt Rese of. A hypocrite because you pre- Christian when you’re not, and haves oe ei intentions in that direction. You're j _ working the church business with a selfish mo- s feather yovr own nest. Now that you toa heard what I think about you, you can go. don’t imagine it will have any effect on you, but ees. satisfaction to me to speak my mind to you. One of these days you'll be shown un in Es ted true colors, and it would afford me unlimit- r te he vresent’on the sd em But ‘pect no such luck.” [ tink = re pn don’t you?” sneered Cobh, another and he signaled it to stop. “The. bos rae tole told me he had given vou. the pees: Sal, insulting him. . Tm glad to hear it. is pent ewe I've heard in a month. You'll’ time getting another position without ce eee wish you luck.” parting g shot Cob spran into the “was whisked — ese of sight. = ~~ charge from the office. He knew it would upset her, and he would have to enter into a full ex- planation to account for the trouble he had got into with his late employer. . He handed her the amount usually turned in on Saturday, and then went over to the home of his particular friend, Dick Sanderson, to see if he was about. Dick held a position in one of the departments of the Borough of Brooklyn, and he | - generally reached his house some time before ill] got home. He found Dick waiting for him to show up. “Well, old man, where shall we go this after- noon?” said Dick. “Any place you say,” replied Bill. “Tll leave it to you,” said Dick. “T haven’t anything on the hooks.” At that moment a touring car came gliding down the street. It had but one occupant—a boy of about their age. His name was Bob Ridley, and he was a friend of Bill and Dick. “Hey, fellows, want to take a ride?” asked Bob, bringing the car to a stop néar them. pasurest thing you know, if Bill will go,” said ick. “I’m on,” said Bill. “Glad you turned up, Bo for we were just figuring how we should spen the afternoon.” “Pile in,” said Bob. ~ “Where did you pick up the car?” asked Dick, “Oh, this belongs to my boss.. I’m bound on an errand to one of his customers who lives in Jamaica.” “That’s some distance,” said Bill. : “Yes, if you had to walk it, but this car will take us there in express time.” “How fast will she go?” asked Dick. “A whole lot faster than the iehet limit. It’s a high-power machine. The boss says it is geared up to thirty-five miles an hour.” “When ive hit the road let her out and let us see if she'll make good.” “And get pulled in by some hayseed constable, if he happened along.” rt “Not one chance in a hundred of our meeting — one,” said Dick. “How do you know that? I’ve heard that the». jay cops are pretty wide awake when a ¢ar is stretching the speed limit.” > “Oh, if we were held up we could say that we — oad know °we- were running too fast,” said ek. = “Thot wouldn’t go down with those nee : They'd take me before the justice and I'd be fined $10 at least, and be-held with. the machine till the boss was communicated with and the Pie paid. . That's the. way the village authorities — pad the treasury.” s “Well, you’re running the machine. We don’t — care what speed you run her at,” said Dick. They had hit the road by this time, and- Bob let_her out as much as. he dared. =? ee is going some,” orig neg f ere’s no one in sig! out another” notch,” said Bill. ; ager ip Aagttewe Bate : fl ‘as they started off. +

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BILL’S BOND farm wagon in their path going slowly along in the same direction as themselves. Coming to- ward them on the other side were two autos, one behind the other. - It was fortunate Bob shut off the power, and he was now obliged to put on the brake, for otherwise he could not have avoided a collision with the wagon, for he could not have passed -around it owing to the position of the other cars. -When the other autos passed on, Bob got in front _of the wagon, and after that they kept to about twenty. miles an hour, and in due time reached Jamaica. - CHAPTER IIlI.—In the Village Lock-Up. Bob transacted his business, and then they started back for Flatbush by another road. Open. _ing up a clear stretch of road where there were no vehicles in sight, Dick and Bill persuaded Bob to give them a specimen of the car’s speed. Bob ; to do i: for a short distance, and he got ‘the car down to business. Suddenly a man sjeeeed out of the hedge and made a signal. The boys didn’t see him, as he appeared after the _machine had flashed past. Just as Bob shut off, having run as far at top speed as he dared to _Yrisk, a man. was seen ahead on a motor bicycle, running in the same direction they were. They overhauled him pretty fast, and when they came nearly abreast of him he shouted to them to stop, _ showing his star. _. “Gee! That’s a cop,” said Dick. - are we going, Bob?” -. “ve shut off power, but we’re going at a pretty hot clip, more than the speed limit, I om ” “How- fast “Then we stand a chance of being pulled in,” - said Bill. ; - The man on the motor, who was dressed-in plain clothes, kept pace with them till they : trying out the car.” - “You were running nearly forty miles an ir, and the limit on this road is sixteen.” xteen!” cried Bob. “For funerals, you is will be your funeral, I guess,” said the officer. “Go ahead now, slow. Don’t try 4 me, for I’ve got a gun, and this i ill run as fast as you can Ro." the use of being hard on us? e’re , and I don’t own the car. It belongs of the country cop they en- d. were taken to the law » of the peace, who was the in the » The, ; and SYNDICATE had been terrorized lately by several parties of “joy riders” who had escaped arrest, and it was determined to stop the practice on that road. Bob’s explanation was.not regarded with favor, and the justice levied a fine of twenty-five dollars on dpe and assessed Dick and Bill ten dollars each. “We haven’t any funds to pay such fines,” pro- tested Bob. “Lock them up and hold the car,” said the jus- tice to the constable. “Oh, I say, you’re laying it on pretty thick,” said Bob. “I'll double your fine if you say another word,” roared the justice. . Bob was mad as a hornet, but he deemed it prudent to make no more remarks, for he knew the magistrate of the village had the power to make matters exceedingly hot for him and his companions. The constable led them up a side street to the lock-up, a primitive kind of jail, which stood elose to his house. It was built of wood, had a small office on the ground floor, and three cells behind it. The cells were small and dirty, each having a barred window and a stout wooden door, with a small barred opening’ in it. Overhead was a loft. At the time of their ar- rival the place had no occupants, nor had there been a prisoner there for some time. The con- stable téok their names down in a_ book, with _— addresses, together with the name and ad- ress of Bob’s employer, from whom the: justice expected to collect the $25 fine. The boys were then locked up in separate cells and the con- stable went away to fetch the auto. He backed into an open shed on his premises and left it. The boys, being unable to communicate with one another, were in no cheerful frame of mind over the situation they found themselves in. The anly furniture in their cells was a cot with a couple of cheap blankets and a pillow, none of which smelt very sweet. Bill sat on his, and wondered how long they would be’ kept prisoners. He knew their fathers would come after them and pay the fines as soon as they learned of the predica- ment their sons were in, but this would take time. ‘ After a while Bill pulled his cot over under the window, through it. tree-lined street beyond, where there were sev- eral houses, with others farther on, The sun was setting in the distance, and its last rays ne full on ‘he back of the jail and on Bill’s young chaps to be in,” he thought. “We couldn’t worse off, in a way, if we had caught in the commission of a real crime, and brought here to face the music. These country magistrates seem to have little consideration for any one that 4 brought before them. Exceeding the spéed aw A fellow oughtn’t to be locked up like a common criminal for it. I think it’s a ahaaee Bill laid hold of one of the bars to steady him- imea’ -self, for the cot threatened to turn over under es _that one even looser. FN Cowl =) isn’t such a terrible offence that I can see. 5. on it and was able to look out | : It commanded the rear prospect of ~ the jail, overlooking a large vacant lot with a _ “This is a nice situation for three respectable — _at a speed .his weight. He fourid the bar very loose, both __ eather Naesty Soon: pyre as “He tried the second bat 7

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-these bars out,” he thought. 6 | BILL’S BOND SYNDICATE “T believe it wouldn’t be much of a job to get “They've either been loosened through time and poor cement, or some prisoner who was in here had worked on ’ them with the view of making his escape, and was unable to finish, the job. I’d like to break out of this place just to get the better of these jay constables. But if I did it would only benefit me. Dick and Bob would have to stay here. Still if I got away I could hasten their rescue by notifying their fathers, who would é¢ome af- ter them, settle the fines, and take them away.” Bill got out his stout pocket knife and com- menced operations on the lower part of one of the bars. The work proved so easy that in fif- teen minutes’ he was able to pull the bar out. He replaced it, for it was too early to attempt to escape by the window. He would surely be seen and recaptured. By the time he had removed and replaced the second bar it was dark. As he descended from the cot he heard sounds outside in the corridor. He hastily replaced the cot in its original position and lay down on it, The door was ed and a deputy constable ap- peared bearing a lamp. “The con le has sent supper in to you lads,” said the officer. “You can go out in the office and eat it.” n, the deputy unlocked Leaving the door o gave a similar invitation the other two cells ~ to Dick and Bob. In less than five minutes the three young prisoners were in the head con- stable’s office, where a large tray filled with dishes containing food stood on the desk. The deputy placed the lamp on the top of the desk, while a second deputy remained with his~ back against the street door. : . “Sorry we can’t accommodate all of you with chairs, young fellows, but we haven’t but two! One of you will havé to stand and use the desk as a table.” Motioning Dick and Bob to take the chairs, the deputy handed each of them a knife and fork, and a plate containing a piece of steak and a boiled potato, with a couple of slices of buttered bread. The three cups of tea, and three saucers . of rice pudding remained on the tray for the _ present. Bill took possession of the table. *“Don’t you think this is an outrage to treat three respectable young fellows like common criminals?” said Bill, as he started to eat. “You oughth’t to have broken the speed law,” returned the deputy constable. ; “We only broke it for the distance of a’ mile ~ -over a deserted straight road. We were simply experimenting with the car, to see how much : Es Z Sek it was capable of.” ~ “Did you in that to the justice?” “Yes, but the explanation didn’t do us any good. He’s a grouchy old man, and he handled us without gloves, just as if we were highway- men, 0% something of that kind.” “Well, Pll tell you. We've lately been having a“lot of trouble with people driving their cars at top speed over that paft of the road, and the village uthorities have determined to put a stop the first offenders to be caught, you have to suffer as an example.” 2 _. “The justi rd, i gor cam Ted ane Seats think _ drive into the constable’s yard, and running the car‘is the only one fined. In our ease the justice fined Ridley here $25, and threat- ened to double it when he protested, while San- derson and myself, who were merely passengers, were assessed $10 each. As none of us has mon- ey enough to settle we were sent here and locked up like common malefactors. Such a thing wouldn’t happen in New York, take it from me,” said Bill. q “It does seem kind of hard on you chaps,” ad- mitted the deputy: constabie; “but the justice is sore on the speed fiends, and it happened to be bee! luck to be the first brought before him for reaking the speed law.” “Has the boss ‘constable tried to communicate with my boss?” asked Bob, “I couldn’t say what he has done about that.. He may have sent a messenger to notify him that you lads have been arrested and fined and his car held as security for the money.” waren will be an extra charge, I suppose,” said lil. “Very likely, as it’s a matter of accommoda- tion,” said the deputy.- . While the boys were finishing their meal Bill took in the office. He observed that the deputy had hung the ring with the three cell keys on a nail beside the desk. He immediately concluded that Was where it always hung. It gave him a new idea. He laoked at the window, overlooking the street, and saw that it was secured by an ordinary fastening, which could easily-be forced by a wedge-shaped piece of wood driven between the sashes. : : When the boys had concluded their ‘supper they ‘were led back to their cells and locked in for the night, unless their fine was paid in the mean- while, when they would be released. The deputy constables, hoe out the lamp and taking the tray of empty dishes with them, went away. As soon as Bill heard the front door slammed to, he moved his cot back under the window and mount- ed it as before. It was too early yet to attempt his escape, but he wanted to keep his eye on the neighborhood. € ; “If I can only work my plans all right,” he — thought, “the three of us will give the villa; authorities the merry ha, ha! and we'll take car with us, too.” 2. 3 He chuckled at the thought of. the surprise that awaited the constables in the morning if things worked without a hitch. : “T’ll\bet Dick and Bob are feelin pretty blue in their cells,” said Bill to himself. “If, they only knew what was going to happen, their spir- ~ sible seas 4 might have a visit from the head con- stable. i people went to bed early in comparison with ‘olks. About this time he heard a light A bop a se 5 at a. ie an ~ =

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BILL’S BOND sound of men’s voices there for about fifteen minutes. ~ "Then a door was slammed and quiet reigned “again around the neighborhood. e took the bars out of their sockets, laid them on his cot and pulled himself partly out of the window to take a survey of the situation. He saw a light in an upper window of the constable’s house, and @ man’s shadow occasionally reflected on the blinds. A white picket fence ran between the lock-up and the constable’s yard, ending at the shed where the automobile was. Bill knew it was ‘ for he had heard the noise it made when the constable backed it in there. As it was his intention to run it out after he had rescued his two friends, he had some misgiving as to whether the noise it was sure to make in running out would awaken the constable. ~ Even if it did, that would not making their escape. Eleven o’clock came along on lea wings. “I guess it will be safe to venture now,” he He raised his right leg and pushed it through the window. Hanging out, he took a look around. The only light in sight was what came from the stars and made near-by objects quite _clear.. From his perch he saw a ladder stretched across the front of the shed, resting on a couple of barrels. ; “T wonder if the constable thinks that will keep the car from getting out,” he chuckled. Then he swung himself out of the window and _. landed on the ground—a free boy. revent them CHAPTER IV.—The Jail Breakers. - He looked up at the barred windows of the other two cells where his friends were confined, ’ - and_his first idea was to toss a small stone in «~~. through each of them to attract the attention of _.. Dick and Bob. On reflection he concluded not to - do so. He wa about to enter the constable’s “yard to look for a small piece of wood which he _ could fashion into a wedge to insert between the “sashes of the office window when his eye caught _ sight of an open window in the loft of the lock- ve eThat will be a more expeditious ig: Bes get into the fa than by way of the office win- h is likely to give me considerable trou- ree,” he thought. the ladder which the constable “T can easily get up Jeave it so handy for- me.” i cli rt the picket fence, put the lad- rer, again, and raised it under the o run up and enter the for but a few moments. Light- ‘ee, whe on kecks 53 ’ e as he start- in front of the shed. It was very kind of ~ TS that where it is?” SYNDICATE 7 “After I let Dick and Bob out, I’! relock the cells and return the keys to the nail. All we have to do will be to get out through the win- dow, remove the ladder, and leave the constable to solve the mystery of how we got away,” he said, quite tickled over the thought of the amaze- ment of the constable when he found everything all right, apparently, in the lock-up, and yet the three prisoners gone. “It will be one big joke on him, and I'll bet he won’t get over it in a coon’s ge. Relocking his cell door, he went to the next one, where Dick was confined and opened it. In- stead of his friend asking who was there, he heard deep breathing from the cot. “Dick is asleep. ow to surprise him. Here, wake up, old man,” he said, shaking his friend by the arm. Dick gave a snort and sat up. “Who's there?” he said. “Bill Bunce.” “What! Is that really you, Bill?” “Don’t you knew my voice?” “Sure I do. How came you in here? our folks come and paid our fine?” “No, not that I have heard.” “Then explain.” “I escaped from my cell, got the keys, and came to let you and Bob out.” “You don’t mean it!” cried Dick, jumping up _ with alacrity. f “Come on and don’t waste time. We've got to get away from this place as soon as we can.” “How are we going to get out of this jail. The place is locked up, isn’t it?” 3 “Don’t worry about getting out. That’s easy. Follow me.” ; As soon as Dick stood in the corridor, Bill locked the cell and then opened the third and last one. He found Bob also asleep. It didn’t take much exertion to awaken him. “Hello, is that you, constable?” asked Bob, rubbing his eyes in the dark. “No, it isn’t the constable, but your particu- lar friends, Bill and Dick.” “How did you two come here? leased?” ; “No; but we’re going. to make our escape.” - Pe “Make our escape! ow?” f “Come along and you'll see.” Bob didn’t waste any time in getting out of the cell, which Bill locked. Y “Follow after me,” said Bill, and he led them to the door of the office. “Wait here till I hang the keys up where they belong.” > “How do we get out?” asked Bob, when Bill returned to them. ~ s “We can easily get out through the office win- — dow, which is held by a common catch, but as I want to mystify the constable, I don’t care to leave the window unlocked as long as there is no need of it. Follow me up to the loft. There’sa indow there with a ladder standing under it. — e’ll be outside in a jiffy.” — Inside of five minutes they were standing on = und outside and Bill took hold of the lad- nd pushed it back into the constable’s yard.. _ Now, then, we must get the car cut of the shed,” he said. : beet said Ves. “Get over the fence and you'l see it.” Have Are we re- ie, f the = Pe

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8 BILL’S BOND SYNDICATE ee can’t start her without making some no Pe won’t take you more than half a minute, I d think, to crank her and start her. I'll eee tis otk oo tha way i oe See” With the gate open, and Bill and Dick in the back all was ready for the final move in the game. The coast was clear as far as could be seen. Before ee ng into the car, Bill and Dick placed one of barrels on which the ladder had rested in front of the back door and the other before the front door of the constable’s house. The ladder was b across the front one. Bob cranked the machine, sprang into his seat, released the brake, and started the car. It left oe shed with a kind of rush, sped through the pen gate and turned down the street toward the meee Tf the constable was aroused by the de- parture of the car, the 2 Brook ae a know it, and they were soon speeding “What time is it?” asked “Quarter of as a “Our folks must be wondering what has be- come of us,” said Di “Th have to wonder till we get back to offer an explanation,” said Bill. “Now tell us how you got out of your cell,” said Bob. “You had to do that before you could help us.” SSF Be roe I had to. Well, I got out through the “Through the window! How could you? It warn admit it nd but tose it was, ose ne le them looser, Pages Be wether, Then the way was ane for and T got out as soon as I judged to do 80.” were in window when we der. A penal saw them,” said Bob. back to puzzle the constable. When brings us our breakfast in the et find us non =F inventus, which and s looking as problem he'll have to aire out s iow did his : risoners escape?” Bane Witte know when he examines the bars of the ar window you tampered with,” said Dick. { . “He'll understan rstand how I got out, of course, but ~ that won't explain how you two got ow “The ladder. and the open loft window will , give him an idea, ” se | retuned yt 3 dock-u a that way, released I el that win- . uu chaps . Ww peters t ni lobed. 0 down the ladder, just If I could Have to make the puzzle a bit de nser. those bars in their sockets, I could have had him guessing for the rest of his life.” ae es sa a t joke on Ahe constable,” grinned 5 en it leaks out,. the eiten ns are bound sy oR “lm im thinking i$ justice will roast him first. astice and the constable said Bob. “The eo ee al ereeee 2 He didn’t leet Bee nee a question if the bas ok it is serious enough,” constable will be able to levy on the machine now that it is out of his jurisdiction.” “I don’t know just how we’ll stand in this mat- ter,” said Bill. “You see, we are escaped pris- oners and are probably liable to rearrest. "his might prove more serious than breaking the speed law, though I maintain that the justice had no legal right to fine Dick and me at all, as we were only passengers. If any attempt is made to rearrest me, I shall, fight the matter on the ground that my arrest in the first place, to- gether with the fine, was illegal. I advise you to do the same, Dick.” “I certainly will,” said Dick. “Tt looks as if I was to be the goat,” said Bob. “Tt strikes me you will have to stand for the fine, and your boss will have to pay if you don’t, as the car is his,” said Bill. It was close on to one when Bill entered his home. His folks had gone to bed and were asleep, for they never worried about Bill if he was out late, or even overnight, as he had more than one friend at whose house he often stop- ped. At breakfast next morning he told his folks about his auto ride to Jamaica, and how it ended for the time being in the village lock-up. Then he described how he escaped from his cell, and rescued his two companions in misfortune. Mr. Bunce looked serious. “You boys got yourselves into a bad sera and it is a question how it it will end,” he said. am not familiar with the law on the subject, bat it is my impression that you and youn friend Dick Sanderson, being merely passengers in the car, should not have been fined. As for young Ridley, I’m afraid he’ll have to stand for all the consequences. He was fined $25. The fine not being forthcoming, he was very properly sent to the lock-up. A few/hours later he broke jail with your help. It strikes me that he can be re- arrested and ary for that, in addition to the fine. The village igs he pa ean bring an- other charge against him, too. “Another charge! What other charge?” “Carrying passengers in a car of which he was not the owner.” “Ts that against the law?” “T think it is.” “Heavens! Bob will be up to his neck in trou- e. Pris ic Piensa es Aa my ap age baile. It was foolish for you \lads to break out jail, no matter how unjustly you were treated. I think the proper thing to do is for me to consult with the fathers of Bob and Dick. It may be protien us to gre a lawyer to arrange an easy settlement wit e authoriti of the village.” oy = ve “Who would have thought that an a ride would lead to such unpleasant results?” said - Bill. “You boys brought the trouble on yourselves by reese. the car. you had i over and killed somebody, see thet trouble it — have involved you and your 1 took his father aroun where a consultation was held with Mr. son. The two { — yr ‘

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BILL’S BOND SYNDICATE . 9 Bob’s boss, who was trouble, for he supposed before dark the afternoon before and re- the car to the garage, whereas it was one ’ jn the morning when Bob arrived in the car. The of the consultation at the home of Bob’s boss was that the four men went in the ear to the village and saw the justice. That of- ficial in very bad- humor, and was intent on : the case against the boys. When the ‘ lity of his action in fining Bill and Dick was »questioned, he reluctantly admitted that perhaps he said he would remit ignorant as yet of that Bob had re- chipped in $10 apiece and the whole case was settled. And so the boys got out of what might have proved a serious affair. On Monday morning Bill went down to the lit- - tle bank on Nassau street where he had put - through his various stock deals. He soon picked out L. & O. as a good proposition, and bought 100 shares. - Shortly afterward he saw that United . Traction was rising, and he bought 200 shares. _ On his way home he saw by the paper he was - ‘yeading about a bond issue to be made by the Secretary of the Treasury—$50,000,000 worth. - Of course they would go to the person or bank bidding the most for ; — This bond matter interested Bill very much, and he lay awake for some time that night plan- various ways and means of getting in on In fact, the matter ning var <=. the cae he sera b = - ‘was in his mind for ter part of a w _ en days after he bought the L. & O. shares be ss them, making $800. Then United Trac- CHAPTER V.—Bill Sends in His Bid for Five BehS illion ds. in the news- rnment’s call ned all the necessary particulars. deyoted his whole attention to the subject he was now thoroughly interested in. He had only _ to complete his calculations, based upon substan- tL —somees with which he had carefully fa- ~_It does not concern this story how he reached conclusions—while the modus operandi great- interested him it would hardly interest our tes or We course of for- s offer ° a bias: a se, if ca Pr. 'V at of | “4 fi tender, the combination would get all the. fevr’ eat 9 the a oer Widens. wows git: Hate If a dozen or more people or banks bid higher than the syndicate, and the combined bids of all of them only amounted to $15,000,000, the syndi- cate would be allotted.the balance, or $35,000,000. If enough offers were made at a higher rate than the syndicates to cover the whole intended issue of bonds, then the syndicate could get none at all. Finally, if the bonds met with such popular fa- vor as to be largely over-subscribed for, at bids that entitled almost all to a lock-in, they would be allotted pro rata as far as they would go. So when Bill had decided upon his exact bid, or, rather, bids, for he did not intend to make one bid for the whole $5,000,000, but five, each cov- ering one million, to increase his chances of getting something out of the operation, he sat down to the table in his room and wrote his let- ter to the Secretary of the Treasury. We will merely reproduce his bids for the $5,000,000, which were as follows: ; $1,000,000 at 104.125 1,000,000 at 103.990 1,000,000 at 103.976 1,000,000 at 103.925 1,000,000 at 103.867 The first of the above bids stood the best chance of winning because it was the highest, a little more than he wanted to offer, in fact, but he put it in because he was afraid the bids might run higher than they ought to in his judgment, and though he saw little profit in the event that a single million was awarded him, still he ar- gued that he could make something. He hoped to come in on a couple of the others to make things interesting. e last two were nearer his idea of what the bonds ought to net the Govern- ment, which he calculated would allow the bidder a handsome profit. He put his letter in an envelope, sealed it up, and addressed it to the Secretary of the Treas- ury, Washington, D. C. The paper and envelope he counted immaterial, so that his entire invest- ment cost him only the price of the postage stamp - —two cents. , To make sure that his bid would not go astray, he intended to mail it at the general post-office next morning on his way to Wall Street, regis- - tering it. He usually went down Nassau street, which led straight into Wall, but on the follow- ing morning when he left the Brooklyn Bridge he only went as far as the inning of Nassau street, at the corner of Spruce, and started across to the post office. Then the incident happened that some people would have considered as either a lucky or unlucky omen in connection with his bond venture, according as they viewed it. He was crossing Park Row direct from the post office building when an automobile hore down upon him at some speed. For once in his life his wits were not about him. — His thoughts were all centered on his bond The chauffeur saw him, tooted his h of the car, and nd knocked several —

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10 nesses rushed forward, expecting to find the lad crushed to death. But he wasn’t. He crawled out unhurt. And in his fingers he held the let- ter containing his bond bid, which had fallen from his hand, but which he had not failed to recover in spite of the dazed condition he was in from the shock. Two men hel him to his feet and asked him with some solicitude if he was much hurt. “Why, no, I’m not hurt,” replied Bill, a bit hazily. “What hit me? A street car?” “No—an automobile. There it is, and here is the chauffeur come to see how you have come out,” said one of the men. The chauffeur did not feel that he was to blame for the accident, but he knew he was likely to be arrested just the same. “T am glad to see that you do not appear to be much hurt, young man,” he said, feeling greatly relieved after looking Bil! over carefully. “So you ran me down, did you?” said Bill, now quite himself again. “You chaps appear to think you own the streets.” ~ “T am sorry, but I'll leave it to any eye-witness if it wasn’t wholly your own fault,” said the chauffeur. “My fault! How do you make that out? Did I get in your way?” “You certainly did. You were in my path when I first saw you. I blew my horn three times and turned out. Nothing would have happened had you remained where you were. Instead of that you suddenly darted forward and placed your- self directly in my way. That made it impos- ‘sible for me to avoid hitting you. I could not even stop in time to avoid running over you. The marvel of it all is how you escaped the wheel. Yours is one case in a thousand, and you ought to be mighty thankful that you are not a subject for either the hospital or the morgue,” said the chauffeur. “And Il am mighty thankful, too,” he added, “for theugh I could not have been held responsible for anything that happened to you under the circumstances, still I would have been involved in considerable trouble.” «== Quite a crowd had gathered by this time, and fresh accessions increased it every moment. This attracted the attention of a policeman, who came to see what the trouble was. The case was ex- plained to him, and he took down Bill’s name and address, and also the chauffeur’s, together with the name of the owner of the ear. As Bill was satisfied from what the eye-witnesses of the accident said, that the chauffeur was not to blame, he brought no charge against the man. So the esr started on its way, and Bill entered the post cfice with a lame shoulder, but otherwise all right, and the crowd melted away. BILL’S BOND et Dri = : to “YU admit that you SYNDICATE much of an advance for him to make something out of one million dollars’ worth of bonds. If he was successful in catching on to two or three million, his chance of a comfortable profit would _ be materially increased. And if, by good fortune, he secured the entire five million, he stood to make a mighty good thing out of his two-cent investment. When he re- turned from lunch he noticed that C. & D. was advancing and he decided to take a shy at it. He bought 100 shares at 85, and gave his atten- tion to it for the rest of the afternoon. When the Exchange closed at three o’clock the stock was half a point higher than he paid for it. When he left the little bank he walked leisure- ly down Broad street. He met a broker named Smith he was acquainted with. “How. do you) do, Mr. Smith!” he said. “Hello, Bunce. I heard you had left Jessup’s office,” said the broker, who had been so inform- ed by Jessup himself. “Yes, that’s correct.” “What are you doing?” “Speculating a little to keep busy.” “You are looking for another position, too, I suppose?” _ “No, I haven’t made any efforts in that direc- tion. I think I can do better on my own hook.” “Think you can, eh?” 2¥es, sir,* “You must have some money, if you can af- ford to speculate. What broker have you fa- vored with your custem?” ; “At present I’m dealing with the little bank on Nassau street.” ee As that establishment was regarded by bro- kers as a sort of bucket-shop because one could buy as low as five shares of any stock on the — list of a five per cent. margin, which method of doing business was looked upon with great dis- favor by the traders because it encouraged boys and persons of limited capital to speculate, Mr. Smith judged that Bill’s financial backing did not amount to a whole lot. 5 “You woh’t make much out of that shop,” said Smith. “I thought you were dealing with a reg- ular broker.” ; “Pve got capital enough to deal with any bro- ker if I wanted to, but the little bank is good — enough for me. I’ve made more than $6,000 there.” “You have!” ejaculated Smith, looking surpris- ed, for he did not believe anybody could pull that much money out of the place. The impression in Wall Street was that any establishment that savored of a bucket shop gave its customers the short end wherever that was 2 possible. “Yes, sir,” “Tf you’ve been as fortunate as that you ought — to quit the place before your luck changes.” “I think a person ought to stay where he igs ace to y com- ing out a _ run at such¢hops.” Do you call the little bank a bucket-shop?” __ “Its methods are known to be those of a buck- xe 3 ais nae ; “But a buecket-shop is a mighty poor hang on to. I’ve never heard of anybe ut ahead in the lon can do business there o! cease tae: tes pee “araleas af: p, but you know S

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BILL’S BOND the bank has a representative in the Exchange who executes its ordérs in a lar way.” y floubt if he executes any but the ince or- ders.” : “T have been assured by the cashier of the lit- _ tle bank that every order “its brokerage’ depart- ~ ment receives is put through in a legitimat: way. That if you buy or sell five shares of any stock, the Same is actually bought or sold at the Ex- If that is true, and I see no reason to doubt it, the little bank is not really a bucket- shop. Anyway, I know the cashier resents the im that it_is.” Vel, we won’t argue the matter. If you are in a position to buy or sell 100 shares or more of any stock, why don’t you call at my office and let me handle your business for you? To be known as a customer of the little bank won’t do you any good. A person is always judged by his _ associations.” vad § eS oad dro — in and give you an order.” treat you well.” ¥ Wah. a nod Smith walked away. As Bill con- tinued on his ‘way, he saw a white-haired old = ‘ eoming across Broad street. An ex- 3 es ecgner il ra out of Exchange Place and = Pore: down on him. The driver shouted at him to get out of the way. Instead of doing so, he stood still. The driver tried to turn out, but on Bills part.. He eet Se old gentleman, -and whirled fife _ The nearest horse.struck Billa mcing blow and sent him stagger- - ing toward iee-car curb, the forward wheel missing him by a hair. . ‘ CHAPTER VI—Bill Makes New Friends. ‘Bill lost his balance and fell with the little old. gentleman. Neither was hurt and the boy as Boe. in a moment and helped the dazed old to the cre gen = As several passers- the incident, Bill asked . he had saved fi he was hurt. ‘ ‘No, no; thanks to you, my young friend. Let . ‘away from here, as I see a crowd is be- inking to to gather,” said the old egies i: Ted him up sabebee — : Bo am very grateful to young —, “for the services you have rehataed me. I must have run over and haps killed but for you.” . ou are welcome, sir, I did the best I could “wader the circumstances. 2 eae one could have done better. I should be = SYNDICATE sBi see that you get one. I have a large circle of friends, any one of whom will be glad to do me a favor if they can. We willtalk the matter over when you cail on me.. We will go down New street, if you please. My son-in-law has an of- fice halfway down the block. He’ will take me home in his. car.” An automobile was standing in Eioad of the entrance te anvoffice building, with a chauffeur seated in front. The old gent n said that was his son-in-law’s car. The chauffeur touched his ‘hat to him with great respect. “Come up to my son-in-law’s office and :: will introduce you to him,” said the old gentleman, taking Bill by the arm. , They went up in the elevator to the fifth floor, and the old gentleman led the way to a snite of offices in the front of which bore the name of Edwin Stockbridge, with the words “Stocks and Bonds” following it. Mr. Trafton took Bill into the private office, where they found a, fine-looking man of perhaps eight-and-forty years seated at his desk... “Edwin,” said the old gentleman, “let me make you acquainted with my young friend, William Bunce. Bunce, this is Mr. Stockbridge.” Bill and the broker shook hands. Mr. Trafton then told his son-in-law about the service the boy had done for him, and Stéckbridge thanked Bill for saving, the old gentleman from being run down by the wagon, assuring him that he appre- ciated his-courage and presence of mind very much indeed, and would be giad to show that he. did in any way within his power. “T have invited him to eall on me, Edwin,” said Mr. Trafton. Stockbridge nodded approvingly. “Your daughter will be glad to have anoppor- tunity to express her gratitude to him,” he said. “Of covrse. Of course,” said the ‘old gentle- man. “When shall I expect to see.you?”she added to Bill; “Whenever it is convenient to you, sir,” replied the boy. “Where do you live?” Bill gave his address in Flatbush. “That is vane distance from my house,” said .Mr. Trafton. “I,guess you'd better call on Sun- day afternoon, Say about four. Will that suit you?” “Yes, sir,” said Bill. “Very well. Then I will look for you at that time.” / He handed the boy the number of his house, and in a few minutes Bill took his leave. ing through his paper that afternoon Bill saw a paragraph about his accident in front of the post office, The policeman had taken down the names’ and addresses of those concerned, together with ' the faets of the case, and reported it at. the pre- cinct station later. Tn that way it came ‘ ers. Next morning bank with his e ae he was nae ill was. on hand at the. point, The follo aS ‘the notice of the news-. a the Daring the of the - ,

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a2 his dinner next day he left home to call on old Mr. Trafton. = On reaching Manhattan he took a Sixth ave- nue train and got out at Ninety-sixth street. He walked over to the river and turned up River- side Drive. Mr. Trafton lived in a handsome residence, surrounded by well-kept grounds. A maid admitted him and he was shown upstairs into the private sitting room, where he found the old gentleman expecting him. He received a cordial greeting. Before long Mrs. Stockbridge, the old gentleman’s daughter, came in and Bill was introduced to her. Her daughter, Nellie, a pretty sixteen-year-old girl, becomingly attired in a house gown of the latest style, came in and Bill was presented to her. About five o’clock Mrs. Stockbridge and her daughter excused themselves as they were going out for a ride in the auto up the drive. That left Bill and the old gentleman by themselves. “You haven’t found a position yet, I suppose?” said Mr. Trafton. “T am not looking for one, sir,” replied Bill. _ “No?” said the old gentleman, in some sur- prise. “No, sir. I’ve made nearly $4,000 out of the _ stock market since I left Mr. Jessup about a month ago. That is a whole lot more than I could earn working for any man or firm.” “True, but don’t you think it a rather hazard- ous way to make money?” SF admit it is, particularly when one has only a limited capital. But I have something else in view that I take more interest in.” “What is that?” “T don’t know whether I ought to say anythin about it till I learn how I am coming out. Still IT don’t mind mentioning it to you in confidence. You know the Secretary of the Treasury has call- ed for bids on the first batch of Panama Canal two per cents?” ; “Yes.” _ “T have put in a graded bid for five million dollars’ “worth.” “Five million, you say? You amaze me.” “It was rather nervy of me to do it, but if all _ or a part of the bonds are awarded to me, I in- tend to sell my option at a price that will give me a profit. Of course I am banking on the prob- 7 ability that the value of the bonds will immedi- 2 ately advance higher than thé figure I have of- ie fered to pay for them. That has always hap- pened heretofore, and I believe it will happen Ei again, though the low rate of interest is goin a) te me | the advance down. It was because knew TI could only count on a small margin of profit that induced me to bid for such a lar amount of the bonds. Should I be allotted the entire five millions, a small margin of profit will amount to something.” — ¢ “Upon my word, a man, as a budding 1e limit,” the BILL’S BOND SYNDICATE “Tf the bonds secure a fair market advance at the start you:may have no great trouble in sell- ing your option to one of the other important bid- ders who failed through your bid to get as many of the bonds as he or the firm calculated on. But you must not forget that if your entire bid is suc- cessful it is going to make a stir in financial cir- cles. You are going to get into the newspapers from one end of the country to the other. When it becomes generally known that an. irrespon- sible bidder has secured the option on one-tenth of the whole bond offer, the financiers most in- terested in these bonds are going to bring pres- sure to bear on the Secretary of the Treasyry to have your bid thrown out.” . “T wouldn’t be surprised, but I count on having a fair deal. I am entitled to make something out of my bid if it should prove successful, for I don’t reach it by guesswork, but by the same method any financier would adopt to reach a similar result.” To make Mr. Trafton understand that what he said was so, he explained how he had long devot- ed his attention to the study of the bond prob- lem, and was as well grounded in genera! finance as the majority of persons in the same line in Wall Street. The little old gentleman was much interested in his statement, and said that he ought to prove a valuable asset to any bank or office in the financial district that carried on a large bond business. After that Mr. Trafton, who had at first view- ed Bill’s scheme to secure an option on $5,000,- 000 of the Panama Canal bonds, and try to sell it in Wall Street at a profit, as a visionary sj ulation, altered his opinion, and e rat interested in the result of the unusual venture, They were still talking over the matter when Mrs. Stockbridge and her daughter returned from their ride and joined them again. Bill stayed to tea with his new friends, and just be- fore it was announced Mr. Stockbridge came in and shook hands with the young visitor. After the evening meal everybody adjourned to the sit- ting room and Bill remained until nine o’clock. He was invited to repeat his visit at an early date, and the old gentleman told him to let him know how he came out on his bond bid, as he was quite interested in the outcome of Bill’s nervy speculation. : “T’ll let you know,” said Bill. “If I am success- ful, I may wish to consult you in reference to the disposal of the option.” “T shall be pleased to assist you in every way I can,” replied Mr. Trafton. “Remember I am under a deep obligation to you.” - Then Bill started for Flatbush. CHAPTER VII.—The Stolen Tiara. all the stocks showed a downward There was little business being done by the -

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BILL’S BOND SYNDICATE 13 in a rush to execute orders, because business was presence of mind to get over to the station house slack there, too. as soon as he did. He did the right thing with- Bill hung around for half an hour and then out loss of time for once in his life if the news- concluded that there was nothing in it for him. paper gives the story straight. I'll bet the driver _He then went to the Consolidated Exchange and of the taxi is entitled to as much credit for that took up his position in the gallery. There was as he, perhaps more. The police say the hold-up no rush of business there. He remained till after was a cut and dried affair. It certainly reads twelve and hied himself to lunch. He returned that way. I should say that one of the servants to the little bank at half-past one and remained in the house learned that the tiara was to be sent there till three. He collected what was coming down town in Cobb’s charge, and gave the tip to to him on the C. & D. deal and locked the money some crooked acquaintance with the view of pa Fe his safe deposit box: When he bought his sharing in the proceeds of the robbery. That’s ernoon paper he found a sensational piece of the way it looks to me.” news on the first page. To his surprise Simon ‘Bill turned to the financial page and forgot all Cobb figured prominently in it. The story was about the hold-up in which his enemy had suf- this: — fered. The market continued uncertain for the Through an arrangement made the previous whole week, and Bill made no attempt to get in evening Cobb had called that morning at “the on any new deal. On Saturday afternoon at one home of a wealthy member of the church he and_ o’clock he met Dick Sanderson by arrangement - Mr. Jessup attended and was intrusted by the and the two boys went down to Jamaica Bay and ~ gentleman’s wife with a diamond tiara, valued hired a boat to take a sail. This was an amuse- at about $10,000, to take down town to a Maiden ment they both enjoyed very much, as constant Lane damond firm, on his way to Wall Street, practice had made them pretty good boatmen. ~ with a letter of instructions relative to remodel- “Shall we run out as far as Rockaway Beach?” ing the shape of the tiara. This important mis- asked Dick, as soon as they got under way. sion was intrusted to Cobb rather than to a | “Yes: I guess we can easily make it in this servant because he was regarded as a model breeze, stay there a while and get back to the ~ young man, who could be thoroughly trusted. A wharf before dark,” nodded Bill. taxicab was placed at his service, and he left with Accordingly they shaped their course, which - the valuable article in his possession at half- would ny: them past the many islands in the past eight in the morning. : bay, and felt a keen enjoyment as the little craft At the northeast corner of Madison Square an ‘Slipped through the water at a spanking pace. automobile, which had followed the taxi down Im due time they reached a landing on the in- * Madison avenue, crossed its path so sharply as Mer Side of Rockaway, tied their boat and went ‘to cause the driver of the taxi to shut off power @Shore. The season was not yet opened at the and put on the brake to avoid a collision. The Beach, as it was too early, but preparations for auto stopped squarely in front of the other the opening were going on. New buildings were ‘yehicle and two of the three men in it sprang being erected here and there, and the lessees of out. While one held up the driver at the point several of the others were down there overhaul- . of a pistol the other opened the dooryof the taxi, ing things and making alterations and additions. shoved his revolver in Cobb's face and compelled |. gots . neues ene on to interest. the ~ him to give 2, package containing the dia- po x Age ae Bia agibht po t xt sr se pee — ee tiara. e*men then sprang back into ‘oi, pe Faded The tide wes. Pang a fact street ee agen esi eee th so ae they did not take notice of, and so the first thing Sage Se ira meg ee Fe — on a ee ae es anh = ween two islands. ey tried to __ Cobb yelled to the driver that he had been rast into deeper water witie the only. thing ‘hey robbed and told him to make his way as soon as had, a boat hook, but without result _ he could to the nearest precinct station house, “One of us will have to get out and shove her,” - which the man did. There Cobb and the driver said Bill. “The water is prett shallow h »? told their stories and detectives were sent out to “S’pose you do it as it’s your at. ston?” orf " 3 ic ee fatrusted feta Gien-telephonsd ‘the Indy ned Dick : ee who had intrusted him with her property, explain- CPt aate ay _ing what had happened, and assuring her that plied Bil’ Phat would lighios tit kear te wes __ he had done the best he could to save the pack- Gea! more, and give twice the shoving power.” 2 age, but that he had to give it up to save his life. “Suppose the es got away from us sth tie ce Gog img about the hold-up indicated that it jn a pretty pickle, wouldn’t we?” said Dick, who had been prearranged, and the mystery of the wasn’t anxious to get out. ne affair was how the rascals had learned that the “Rather. We'd have to do a little swimmine.” _ boy, on his way down town in the taxi, was the “This isn’t the time of niet I a hp aan 2 _ bearer of a valuable package. This was a puzzle swimming, especially with my clothes on,” said Pgs were trying to solve in connection with Dick. - x Pine “T'll match you to see Who gets out.” that revolver must have thrown him Seek Nhat, esha. the

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14 If I’d lost the “Some people are born lucky. 4 sai call that wouldn’t have happened to me,” Dick Bill laughed and pulled on his shoes and stock- ings again. He had hardly completed the opera- tion w they were aground in another place. “Why didn’t ycu watch where you were.go- ing?” said Bill. “How covld I tell there were more shallows around? You can’t see them.” *You ought to know, we’ve been out here often enough,” og were never caught here hefore at low tide.” . “We'll match again to see who gets out.” “No, we won't. It’s up to you to get out, for you lost the tess.”? Another gust shoved the boat farther on the shoal and she listed over. which showed how shallew the place was. Bill teok the boathook, went ferward and felt around to see if he couid determine where the shoal ended. He found the water very shallow! everywhere within his reach. “We're here to stay till the tide rises,” he said, when he came back to the stern. “How long will that be?” “Two or three hours, maybe.” *“That’s pleasant. Don’t you think we could shove her off if we both got out?” , “We mi vere she doesn’t draw much water.” “From the way she is lying over there doesn’t seem to be a foot of water under us,” said Dick. “There isn’t much more. The boat hook show- ed that.” “What shall we do?” big x go the halliards and drop the sail, for it etting decidedly gusty, and the next whiff . wind might throw the boat clear over on her side,” ‘Diek let go the halliards and the sail came down with a run. It was now getting dark fast. The sky to the southeast Was clouding over, and the wind was growing fresher. “I’m afraid we've got ourselves into a bad pickle,” said Dick, “The bay is much rougher and the wind’ stronger than when we left” the _ beach.” ; “That’s right, but it can’t be helped.” - Half an hour passed then it became so dark that only the outlines of the larger and nearest island to them‘could be discerned. By that time the wind had increased considerably, ¥aising white-capped waves all over the bay. diced bagi extended over the shallows, in a ‘hat lesser degree, and dashed against the caromed boat, ap. ap ee’g sousing the two boys | with water. The air had grown very chill, and the -wind,. -in from the Atlantic, made it Be the colder for the boys, who buttoned their s about them and exercised their arms to ae ged circulation. —. os one on that island over there,” Pe as seid Dick. ae saw a ge like a lantern, flash- ing a the trees. It’s gone now. I wish) Pty BS ae ae ee ee fore “ BILL’S BOND SYNDICATE water slapped harder against the stern of the boat, and the boys caught the spray oft®ner. Dick rolled up his jacket and shirt sleeves and rar his arm down into the water to test its depth. It seemed to be deeper, but he might have decided bythe action of the waves. “Mercy! I’m half frozen,’ growled Dick, as he rolled down his sleeves. “I felt the sand. so the tide hasn’t come in to any great extent. We must have hit this place at the lowest point of the tide and it’s been slack water evet since.” “Then the tide ought to be flowing by this time. . It won’t take long to float us of once it gets started.” “T's got so dark I can’t see the island any longer.” 2 “We know it’s over yonder,” said Bill. “Another half hour elapsed and the boat righted by degrees and was lifted at the stern by the waves and pushed about. Bill went forward with the boat hook and tried to shove her sternward, for the water was deeper in that direction. a time he failed to budge the bows, which had ploughed deep in the sand, but he finally suc- ceeded as the tide rose higher, and the little craft finally floated free. “Now, up with the sail, Dick, and we'll get out of here,” said Bill, dropping the boat hook and grabbing the tiller. For < As soon as the sail roge, the wind caught it — and Bill steered as he thought through the chan- nel between the islands.. Instead of that, he was ’ heading straight for the largest island, for the _ swinging’ around of the boat’s. stern had caused — him to lose his bearings in the dense blackness of the night. The first thing the boys knew the boat shot into.a narrow cove-like indentation and ran half_6f its length up on the shelving beach. “Holy smoke! hat’s this?” cried Dick, as the boat ca to a sudden stop, listed over and near- ly threw him out. “Down with the sail!” cried Bill, springing up when he saw thet the boat was ashore on one of the islands, though which one he didn’t know. “You’re a fine boat steerer, you are,” snorted _ Dick, as he seized the halliards and let the sail down. “We’ve run on one of the islands.” “That appears to be a fact,” admitted Bill. thought I was heading through the a The boat evidently got twisted around ands steering at random. Don’t blame me: dark that we can hardly see the island we’ me 4 upon. I’m going to look around the place and ~ see Pht the peg looks like.” « r not go far or you won’t be able to find your way back,” said Dick. “Don’t worry about that. gil yell out to you a if I get mixed up and you can shout back.” - Bill thought it. might be the island on. which -Dick had seen the light, and as he didn’t think it was safe for them to trust themselves on the bay among the islands on so’ dark and blowy a_ night, in such a small boat, he wanted to sea if — there was a house on the place where Abe. could - remain till morning, and perhaps ite to ~ eat. Ean im- He peat? straight ahead self among a lot of trees. many trees on the island where: the light_h 9

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BILL’S BOND SYNDICATE space and walked up against a story-and-a-half That satisfied him they had come ashore on the right island. He waiked around the house to find the door. He went the wrong way and came around at the back where there were two win- dows, through one of which shone a dim illumi- nation. Bill went up to the window and _flat- tened his face against the lower pane. There were four persons inside seated around a com- mon deal table, in the center of which stood a Inniteen that gave out a bright light. Three of the persons were men, and they were examining something which gave out scintillations of light. The fourth person was a boy, and as the light shone full in his mgs Bill wee not ity oa i to recognize him as Simon Cobb. i eae what had brought him and the three men to that island. He also wondered what the men were locking at. He was not long kept in the dark. The man holding the article laid it ~ upon the table znd Cobb reached for it. Before his fingers grasped it Bill saw what it was—a woman’s ‘diamond tiara. Then like a flash the truth hit Bill. It was the stolen tiara—the one the papers reported as taken from Cobb when he was held up at Madi Square. Presumedly these three men were the thieves. If they were, how came it that Cobb, who lost the tiara, was in their company, and apparently on the best of terms with them? - CHAPTER VIII.—How the Tiara Came in Bill’s Possession. “It didn’t take a sharp-witted lad like Bill many “moments, as he there taking in the scene, to connect Simon Cobb with the theft when he recalled the statement of the police that the job had been planned beforehand and was not a mere off-hand hold-up of a young man in a taxi ‘on the chance of what it might produce in the way of booty. The police suspected that a house Pie _ furnished the thieves with the tip y was going to send the tiara to a y denaker at a certain hour arranged and Cobb, and the crooks then plan- = sas to porate and rob him, - The presence of Cobb in that shanty with the — thieves convinced Bill, who, as the reader ~Simag had no great opinion of ‘the mar- that Cobb, and nota house servant, = Eee Foriched the information to the crooks, or _ perhaps had planned the scheme and taken the pe als in with him. At. any rate, it showed that x had associates that no one suspected. Bill owas not greatly » to find Simon in such company, for te believed that any one unscrupu-- 0 i. to the h ite hurch mat- “fers sens capable of any Facet, W While these tho ts ased across Frais Po aay ote your ook if; ‘Sissons BR going to pick the da cote out and melt up the set- — ~ ting,” said one of the men, the eg 5 who appear- ed to be the leading spirit | present. ee ae A onteeeaatel _ Some way, Simon; but remember ‘ cautious and not let any of your friends suspect 15 a regretful tone. “I should think it would fetch more in its present shape.” “It undoubtedly would,” said the other, “but it would supply a clue that would land us all in jail. We chaps never think of offering stolen jewelry, or silverware, in its original shape. Do we, Casey?” “Not by a jugful,” said the man opposite, with a grin. “We’re not such fools.” “Of course not. You'll learn a few useful kinks, Simon, if you hang out with us long enough. The diamonds in that tiara will lose their identity when removed from their setting, and can then be safely disposed of. The setting itself when reduced to a melted state can be worked off for its value in old gold, and no one not in the secret will ever guess what it stood for. The dealer we favor with our custom never asks any unpleasant questions about the material we bring him. He simply buys it for what it is worth to him, and what he does with it afterward is nothing to us. Is it, Casey?” “Nothing whatever,” replied Casey, with an- other grin. “How much do you thimk it’s worth as it stands?” said Simon Cobb. “I judge it cost around $12,000, though the papers said it was worth $10,000. _Probably it’s worth the latter sum, the difference between the two being the manufacturer’s and the dealer’s profits.” “How much do you expect to raise out of the diamonds and the melted setting?” “Maybe $6,000, which will give us $1,500 apiece. You ought to he able to make your share po you must that you have unexpectedly come into money. The police are supposed to be watching the madame’ Ss servants, but they may be watching you, too.” “All right,” said Cobb. “I guess you’re right. I don’t intend to blow my money in like some chumps. It isn’t got so Reon “Now, Barney, give me a hand with this job. Hold the setting steady while I get to work.” Bill, who had been thinking rapidly during the last few minutes, picked up a stone and sud- denly smashed in the window. . “Hold up -your hands!” he cried. “You are . pinched!” S= Then he made a rapid change of base. As may be imagined the smashing of the window and Bill’s words produced a startling effect on the parties inside the building. “The leader grabbed the lantern and sun # into a corner, seized the tiara and ran into the next gers while the oth- ers made for the door and tumbled out in a hurry, the two crooks ia aang mpeg else nt =a to be, grabbed by detecti' t ho iain from them in the. dark. Th caer fing fing <= n the window of the sext oom. and Fok bled out of it. He rushed for trees cal Ps -lided with Bill before the lad’ could get out of bs way. The leader took the Raed for a detec- ive in the dark and pening ae perate effort to escape. Bill smashed h the face in se ~ to” escape himself. Si A mix-up followed, eating, for but a few amine utes, and then the leader tore himself free, lea = < ing a section of his jacket in Bill’s hands: al made wore = =. base, toward the =i

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ve among the trees, and it woul 16 BILL’S BOND SYNDICATE of the house, before he realized that he was car- rying something more than a piece of cloth in his ae His intention of startling the rascals was to prevent the destruction of the tiara in its ‘original shape for one thing, and in case they were frightened enough to leave the building in a body he meant to run in and see if they had left the ornament on the table in their haste. Of course in that case ke would take posses- sion of it and return to Dick and the boat. The feel of the object he held in his hand with a sec- tion of the leader’s jacket pocket caused him to stop and run his other hand over it. “By George! It’s the tiara!” he breathed ex- ultantly. And so it was. There was no further need of entering the building. He had obtained in a rath- er remarkable way the very thing he had aimed to secure through a nervy coup. Luck certainly attended him, and there was no further need to remain on the scene, so he started to retrace his way to the boat. He was feeling his way, as it were, through the deep gloom when he heard a ery of “Help! Help! Oh, Bill!” in Dick’s voice. The ery showed him that he was a bit off the right course. Satisfied that one or more of the crooks had come upon his companion, and were assaulting him, he rushed in the direction of the “Bill! Oh, Bill!” came floating toward him again. erHere I am. What’s the trouble?” cried Bill, rushing from the trees, : “A rascal pulled me out of the boat and made off with it,” said Dick, who was standing on the beach all mussed up from the struggle he had been through. “It’s one of the crooks “Too bad,” said Bill. who has made his escape. “One of the crooks! What are you talking about?” asked Dick, to whom Bill’s words were - not very intelligible. “Tl tell you later. Keep quiet now, for I don’t want the rest of the bunch to come down on us. As the boat is gone we’ll have to stay here till we can signal somebody in the morning to take us off. | Let’s get up among the trees and ay there,” said Bill, grabbing Dick by the arm and pulling him along. “No one_can hear us here,” said Dick, when they reached a bunch of trees and stopped. “Tell me what you know about the crooks you men- “No, I don’t want to talk yet a while. There are two more of the rascals, and a boy, who’s as big a rascal in his way as va are, around here : ’t be healthy for us to run foul of them. . _- The boys stood listening but heard nothin save. the wind sweeping through the nake branches above their heads, and the occasional dash of the water on_the rocks. Fifteen minutes passed away, and as nothing napiened Bill b& to think that perhaps and the two fy baa had made their escape from the island in © their own boat. , At any rate, he ventured to talk in a low tone and put Dick wise to all that had transpired at the house. Dick naturally was a eS ea at ee n Jat his recital. nd is that the tiara the newspapers report- - ed was taken from Simon Cobb when he was held up in the taxi on Madison Square?” he asked. “That’s the article,” said Bill. ““And it’s in my pocket at this moment.” “In your pocket!” “Put your hand down and you’ll feel it bulg- ing out.” Dick did so and was convinced. “How did you get it away from the crooks?” Bi]l explained his encounter with the leader, and said he guessed he was the man who had thrown Dick out of the sailboat and made off in it. “And you say Cobb was with these men at the house?” “Yes; but you must say nothing about it. I am the chap who is going to expose him and see that he gets what’s coming to him. He was the cause of my discharge from Jessup’s office. It will open Mr. Jessup’s eyes when he’s shown up in his true colors, and the pastor and members of the church he attends will learn they had a wolf in sheep’s clothing. in their midst without knowing it.” ; “He'll get the bounce from his job and go to jail,” said Dick. ; “I fancy he will; and from jail to State prison when he has been convicted.” After hanging around the spot for more than an hour Bill ame curious to learn if Cobb and the other two crooks had really left the island. at go over to the house and investigate,” he said. \ Dick was willing, and they moved that way. When they reached the edge of the clearing they moved around it, but there was no light in the building, which stood before them like a dark blot in the night. Bill ventured to the open door- way and listened. All was silent inside. He entered softly and struck a match. The back room was just as the rascals had left it. The broken lantern lay in the corner, arid the fire in the portable furnace had died down to a few glowing pieces of charcoal. The chairs lay on e floor where they had been overturned by the rascals in their haste to get away. Bill picked up the lantern, lighted it and placed it on the table. Then he went to the door and called Dick. “We'll make ourselves as comfortable here as we can till morning,” he said. “It’s a whole lot warmer than outside,” said Dick, warming his hands at the furnace, which still fave out quite a bit of heat. f _ Bill picked up the chairs and also a small ob- ject he saw on the floor. ket bearing it to Dick. the initials, “Ss. On “Here’s a find,” he said, showing “It is just the proof I need to conyince the that Cobb was really here with those a It was a He opened it and found inside a small picture of Cobb taken within the last three months. “This locket must have caught in somehow when Cobb jumped up with the others. ~ It was torn off when he made a break for the door,” said Bill. ~ , j ; The boys thought it prudent to barricade the door with the ‘table, and .then each taking two eet et SO Soe ae Pee Ry Oe ee 0 They talked until they grew sleepy and then they dod otdn the tae Both were sound

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eyes: BILL’S BOND SYNDICATE ‘asleep when daylight began to make objects vis- ible outside. Both boys finally awoke. Then they set out to see what the prospects were for getting off the island. Going down to the shore, they espied two boys fishing near shore. Shouting to them, Bill succeeded in getting them to pull up anchor and eome over to our*friends, when Bill told them their boat had been stolen and offered them two dollars to take them to Rockaway, which the two boys took up and landed them on the peninsula. The boys now made their way to Brooklyn, where they entered a police station and Bill explained to the officer in charge their experiences and left the tiara and Cobb’s locket in his charge. Then the boys gave their names and went home. Simon Cobb was arrested next day and the afternoon papers had a full account of the previous day’s doings of our two friends. Two more of the crooks were tried and sent up the river. But Mrs. Risdon, the owner of the tiara, interceded on be- half of Cobb, and he was given a suspended sen¥ tence of two years. CHAPTER gree” Secures the Five Million ption Some weeks passed a then came the an- nouncement of the lucky bidders for the Panama ~ Canal bonds, Bill received an official notifica- tion from the Treasu artment that his five bids had been acce and that he would be al- lotted the bonds if he deposited the premium on a specified date. If he defaulted in the payment, * the bonds would be divided among the next high- est bidders. He found the important letter awaiting him at his home when he returned there at his usual hour one day, and his mother, who had noticed the Treasury Department imprint in the left-hand corner, and the usual notice on the other corner in the place of the stamp, was very curious to learn what was in it. “Are you looking for a position in the Treasury Department?” she asked, with a smile. “No, mother,” replied Bill, opening the letter - and reading its contents with a thrill of satis- _ faction, mingled with some excitement, for now he was ‘ely up against’ the real thing. He had secured an option on the whole five million, but unless he could sell that option at a profit within a limited time, or raise the five millions, plus the premium, to pay for the bonds, on the _ date mentioned, his nervy scheme, to which he ~ had devoted much time and thought, would go for nought, and his failure would furnish Wa Street the newspapers with a good joke. “What is it all about, William?” asked his r r, -“Read it,” said Bill, handing her the letter. =x “iWWhat does this mean?” she asked. see Isn’t it ae! The Secretary of the r ry has acce -my bids for five. ss 17 have made these bids in the interest of Mr. Jes- sup?” “You suppose wrong, mother. I made those bids in my own interest.” “Why, how could you buy $5,000,000 worth of bonds?” “T couldn’t pay for that amount of bonds, or anything else, I’ll admit, but that fact did not prevent me from bidding on them.” “You’ve got some purpose up your sleeve, then?” This letter practically gives me an option on those $5,600,000 bonds for a short time. Now that the bonds wiil shortly be issued, they will be put on the market, in advance, like any other bonds, and people wanting them, who either did not bid, or were not successful in securing an option, will try to buy them before the price goes up. That will create a market for the bonds. Those holding options will ask a fair advance on the price they have engaged to pay for the bonds when they are ready for delivery. If the demand for the Lands is lively, the price will go up, and the higher it goes the more profit there will be in sight for those in a position to sell what they have the call on. Understand?” Mrs. Bunce thought she understood, ‘ce Mr. Jessup know you-have gone into this ing?” “He does not. Mr. Jessup and myself are not on speaking terms.” “What do you mean by that?” “I’m not working for Mr. Jessup at present,” said Bill, making admission at last. “When did you leave him, and why?” Bill told her. 5 “And you never said a word about it to your father or me.” “T thought I had better keep the matter quiet.” “You must haye got another ‘position right - gap “Why do you think so?” ss pe pase’ you = been going to work every ay and coming home at your regular time, and = say ogg you handed me pour beard money as “I have been working for a person you think good deal of.” “Who is that?” “Myself.” “Yourself?” “Yes; and I’ve made a whole lot more than if I had remained with Mr. Jessup.” ; “What have you been doing?” “Speculating.” . \ “In what?” . “Stocks, I haye made nearly $5,000 since I left Jessup’s office.” : a “You never told us about it. What have you — done with it?” “I've got it stowed away in a Wall Street safe. deposit vault box.” - I don’t see how you so’short a time.” — : “That’s because you don’t understand the portunities there are in Wall Street to ninke matter. Say so still. ena 4 " f ee r ve BS =| ze made so much money in a oe ee a very uncertain and” _ ae ‘ A - Me elie 5

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‘He 18 as a rule. At any rate, I’m ahead of the game at this moment.” “{ don’t know what your father will say when he hears all this.” : Bill walked upstairs to his room to consider the situation. At that moment it looked exceedingly doubtful if he would be able to come out at the top of the heap. Everything depended on wheth- er the bonds would have a rising market in a few days, in which event he expected to be able to dispose of his option to some bank willing to pay the price that would give him a fair profit. f he had the money to make the first pay- ment, then his chances would be practically sure; but as he didn’t, why, the issue was in doubt. It looked more doubtful now than when he put in his bids. Nevertheless, he was full of hope and expectation. There was high jinks at the sup- per table when the facts. came out before his fa- ther and sisters. The matter of his severed re- lations with Broker Jessup, after having been commented on, faded into insignificance beside his *-ad venture. His father whistled when Bill handed him the letter to read. His sisters fairly “J don’t expect to pay for them. I intend to sell my option, and let the buyer pay for them.” “Oh, that’s your little game?” said his father. _. “Do you think you'll be able to find a purchaser for such a bunch of securities?” -*T hope so. Or maybe I’ll be able to sell one million to five different parties.” : “What bid did you put in?” “JT submitted five bids at varying figures. Here they are on that paper. You see what the highest one is. I may make nothing on that, but T ought to do something with the last three, at any rate.” Mr. Bunce was not a financier in any sense of the word, so he could form no idea of the pos- ‘sible profit his son might possibly pull out-of his scheme; but he imagined that five millions’ worth of bonds, on a small margin, ought to pay a hand- some sum. An average profit all around of one eent would amount to $50,000, and he said so. _ “Pll be satisfied if I make half of that,” said Bill. “I don’t count on making an average of a cent. The advance market would have to go over 105 to make that possible, and that seems too much to look for on two per cent. securi- Mr. Bunce, being hazy on the subject, accepted his son’s statement. He knew Bill was an expert ‘on bonds, and for that reason his son’s scheme us, ng ey HRS him as much as it otherwise Bagge one. He believed Bill knew what -. he was about. At any rate, he was willing to ee chance.on it. He regarded “d as a smart Mt and on the whole he was-rather “ig apaeale age id over Bill’s nervy speculation. He hoped __ he would succeed in pushing it through, and was _. rath optimistic over the result. evening — -a letter to old Mr. Trafton informing at he had inet the option on the entire lion of bonds, and that he hoped to = 3 es yt his only boy - BILL’S BOND SYNDICATE out all right on his venture. He asked the little old gentleman when he could call to talk the matter over with him. The letter did not reach Mr. Trafton as soon as Bill expected it would, for the reason that the old gentleman was out of town on a visit. His daughter did not suppose it was of vital importance as her father was no longer in busi- ness, so she placed it on his dressing case to await his return. Owing to Mr. Trafton’s large acquaintance among financiers, and the great re- spect in which he was held, Bill had counted on his help as a considerable factor in helping him place the option in the event that the market was satisfactory, and so he was much disappointed when his letter remained unanswered. Thrown entirely on his own resources, Bill kept on the alert to see how the bonds would go on the market, for he could do little toward work- ing off his option till he could get figures to base ‘a deal upon. 5 CHAPTER X.—The Mysterious William Bunee, All Wall Street learned right away the names of those who had secured the biggest provisional allotment of the Panama Canal bonds, and with the exception of one, they were all recognized fac- tors in the financial world. The single exception was, of course, Bill Bunce. Every financier in Wall Street began to wonder who William Bunce was. He must be some unknown capitalist of the great West, for that was where all such in- dividuals appeared to come from. _The wires were kept hot. making inquiries all over the coun- try of banks who might be expected to be hon- ored by this Bunce as a depositor. Nothing came of these inquiries because no bank carried William Bunce on its books. Clear- ly William Bunce was a mystery, but there was no mystery about his having captured a tenth of the entire bond issue at figures which showed that Bunce was no slouch at the bond business. Bankers and capitalists who had been nosed out of the contest by this Bunce were exceedingly anxious to get a line on his identity, but they were not more eager than Wall Street and other financial centers, always on the qui vive to get on terms of business intimacy with men possess- ing large “dough bags.” . So a week passed away and William Bunce remained an elusive quantity. He heard his name mentioned a hundred times on the street by brokers and financiers when they stopped to talk.. One morning he met Broker Smith. “Hello, Bunce, how are you coming on?” said Smith. “l’ve no kick coming.” “Still speculating?” “Yes. ” “Why havén’t you called to see me? I ex- pected to get some of your custom.” : “T haven't put through much since I met you last. es Got other irons in the fire, I suppose?” “Yes. “That reminds me a namesake of yours is an object of considerable interest in Wall Street just moves?” es He eg ep ee ae

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aN. BILL’S BOND SYNDICATE . “Yes—William Bunce. He captured five mil- ‘lion of the new Panama bonds that are to be issued as soon as they can be printed.” : “T suppose you know that my first name is William? “No. Is.it?” “Yes, sir. Maybe I’m the party you are re- ferring to.” “T haven’t the least idea what you are worth, but it’s a safe bet you are not worth $1,000,000 let alone five or six.” “J am not giving out my financial status. ‘you traders w that I was worth a lot of money, ’d all sit up nights figuring how you could relieve me of a part of it.” ; _ “Oh, come now, you seem to have a hard opin- ion of us brokers.” “No, I have a very good opinion of you, but T think it is good policy to keep my business to “myself, for I know every one of you chaps are watching for a good thing to come along so that you can -pad up your bank accounts at my ex- ” _ “Do you call that good opinion?” “It’s the way you do business. I don’t mean to say that you would actually rob a man, but if you could get hold of his money legally, why it would be regarded as perfectly fair m the game. You know what the newspapers sometimes say about Wall Street, and the Stock Exchange, and other ‘pet institutions down here, so don’t blame *me for sizing up things in my own way.” ~ “The sat ae pag ei pe a matinee anythi to stir public up with, they take a cick at Wall Street.. You don’t want to be- lieve any of those ory 3 aes The impression that brokers are alot of bloated spiders sitting in their offices waiting for lambs to come in to be sheared is getting out of date. That bit of al- leged humor has grown»whiskers on it.” ' On Monday of the following week Bill ven- tured to call on. Broker Stockbridge. “Hello, Bunce, glad to see you,” said the bro- ker: shaking hands with him. “Sit down.” _. “How is addressed it to his house.” - — ' “Maybe it’s there awaiting his return. Is it important?” - ‘Yes, to me.” “T'll ask my wife abowt it when I and if it’s there I'll mail it to him.” *Thank you. I wanted his advice about the disposal of my option on the. Panama Canal bonds. I secured the entire five million.” “What’s that! You secured five million?” ex- claimed the broker, who was ignorant of Bill’s bidding on the eae _ “Yes, sir. Didn’t Mr. Trafton tell you I put in amount of the issue?” get home, five bids covering that “No; he said nothing to me about it. Are you the William Bunce that Wall Street is puzzling = ig sou expect to sell your option” If- 19 “Yes.” “Well, you have good nerve. the venture cost you so far?” “Two cents.” “Well, you won’t lose much if you slip up on your scheme,” “I hope I won’t slip up, for I’ve put a good deal of my gray matter into those bids. It would be a shame after hitting the nail on the head to lose my anticipated profit.” They talked a while longer and then Bill left. That afternoon Wall Street learned the identity of William Bunce and his purpose in bidding for the bonds, and a prolonged whistle went through the Street as the news circulated. How much has CHAPTER XI—Bill’s Syndicate. The secret being out, of course the newspapers got hold of it. ne of them got hold of Bill's address and sent a reporter to interview him. “So you’re the mysterious William Bunce?” said the reporter, when Bill received him. “I’ve ‘made no mystery of my identity,” replied the boy. “I’m more often called Bill than Wil liam. Whatever mystery has surrounded my con- nection in the bond matter has been created by others.” : ; The reporter then prerr anes Bill about his bids, asking him how he came to put them in, and had! be jcupiedl 05 de with Wis geiet om and what he pro: to do wi is option. Bi gave him perfectly answers, and furnish- ed him enough copy for half a column without the heading. Next morning it was all in’ the paper, headed, “The omg William Bunce Revealed At Last.” ill read it with interest, and so did a million or more other people. On the financial page Bill read something of greater interest. It was the market quotation of the Panama Canal bonds. The price offered for them on the pre- vious day was 104.10. At that figure he was be- hind one-quarter of a cent on 1,000,000 of the bonds, but ahead a small fraction on the other four million, being well to the or lowest, bid. During the wee tinued to advance an As time was getting short, Bill got a move on and began visiting financiers who had bid on the bonds but had been cut out of the larger part of their application by his bids. He met with a cool reception, and found no one who would pa more than the maximum amount of their own id, which was below the market price and would give Bill no profit. It soon oceurred to him that the financiers had combined against him. Bill hadn’t thought of this kind of waiting game be- ing played against. him. 2 He saw he was beaten unless. he could around the problem another way. .The only o ier way was to form a syndicate of persons willi to pay, say, 104.50 for the bon probably be the: market price by the time the the bonds con- option expired. Next morning he got a letter from Mr. Trafton. He was coming hor afternoon and would see Bill on the f wing ds, which would > don his fifth, — on Friday stood 104.40. afternoon, which was Sunday. Bill found threa_ brokers on Saturday whe. were willing to e me cs his. syndicate to the tune of $50,000 ; Sunday afternoon at three he went to Mr. Traf-

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BILL’S BOND ton’s, where he received a warm welcome from all hands, and particularly from the old gentle- 20 man. “Well, Bunce, I received your letter, and I congratulate you on your success in securing our coveted option on the whole number of bends you applied for. What have you done to- ward selling your option?” “Very little. I had to wait till the bonds got a market price, and then I started out to inter- view the people most likely to take them off my hands. I soon found I was making little head- way. I got no encouragement from the partic- ular parties I counted on. They were not willing to relieve me of the option at any figure_that would make it worth my while to sell. I have finally reached the conclusion that the financiers do not care to see me win anything by my fore- sight. They know I cannot make good myself, and that I am certain to lose the allotments with- out their help. I have no doubt they figure that ‘as soon as I default in the first payment the bonds will fall to them pro rata, at least the bulk of them. So you see how the case stands, ~ sir,” said Bill. “Then a failure “My only chance is to form a syndicate to take over my option at the best price I can get that will permit of a profit. In accordance with that idea, I have approached a number of bro- you think your venture is going to prove ” kers, with whom I am slightly acquainted, and « have so far found three who are willing to go in at $50,000 each.” - - “Well, Bunce, as I am. under a great obliga- - this thing. Perhaps I can. . dicai _ think you ought to get the rest of the money ' tion to you for the service you rendered me, it would afford me great pleasure to assist you in I will give you a list of friends of mine who 1 think might take a hand in this syndicate of yours. general letter of introduction which you can take around and show them. million toward the capital required by the syn- to take up the bonds at a price to be upon that will give you a handsome profit if the market warrants it. You can use my name and my written subscription offer freely. romised in three or four days. Should any litch occur, I will personally make an effort to ~ help you out,” said Mr. Trafton. “This is very kind of you, sir,” said Bill, with a thrill of hope. “It is a favor I shall always remember.” Bill remained until-some time after tea and when he left he carried away with him the magic documents that he believed would lead the way to success. Next morning he started out to call on the first gentleman on his list, a well-known operator, with offices in Exchange place. The _ gentleman was in and received him when the ‘office boy told him that the visitor bore a letter - from Mr. Trafton. Bill opened up his syndicate roposition at once, showing the gentleman Mr, -Trafton’s letter and paper representing his sub- _ seription for half a million. — Sar stand in with you on the same basis as the. ‘aftor hs Seg toe for half a million,” fot you kindly put your offer in writing so ee I will give you a- I will subscribe half a. t SYNDICATE I can use it with Mr. Trafton’s as a potent argu- ment with the next man I call upon,” said Bill, “Let me see your list.” Bill showed it to him and he signed. Thank- ing the gentleman for his co-operation, Bill start- ed to call on the next one on the list. We will not follow him on his rounds that day. Some of the gentlemen he was unable to see; but he met with no refusals from those he interviewed and he raised a second million among four men. —~ Next day he continued his rounds and picked up another million. On Wednesday he captured a million and a half. With but one million more to round up he felt confident of success, and was. | Se Sed erat elated. His list running out, Mr. ‘rafton supplied him with additional names, and at two o’clock on Friday his syndicate, embracing thirty-one members, was complete. Bill then called on the old gentleman, and a meeting was at once arranged for the following day at one o’elock.. At that time the price of the Panama Canal bonds had advanced. to 104.60. Bill per- sonally carried notices around to each of the members of his syndicate, and they all promised to attend the meeting, which was to be held in Mr. Stockbridge’s office. Bill was on hand at " half-past twelve, and soon afterward Mr. Traf- ton arrived. The other gentlemen began arriving soon af- terward. At a quarter past one Bill called the meeting to order, all being present. He stated that the amount needed to purchase his options had been fully subscribed, and he hoped that the combine would not object to his price of 104.50, as the market price then stood 104.60. If they agreed to take his options at his figure the syn- dicate would pay him the sum of $62,009 odd, when he would transfer his five options over to the combine, and the chairman chosen to conduct their affairs would. then call for the amount nec- essary to secure the allotments from the Treas- ury Department. In the meantime he would notify the Secre- lary of the Treasury that he had made over the options to the syndicate, and would furnish him with the chairman’s name and address. The chairman could also notify the Treasury Depart- I ment of the transfer, and the purpose of the syn- dicate to pay for the bonds on official notification. The paper was passed around for inspection, and Bill’s price diseussed with relation to the future value of the bonds. | As it was the general opinion that the price of the bonds would continue to go up, and that the syndicate would be able to make a fair profit out of the transaction, which they understood had been put forward by Mr. Trafton for the express object of helping his young friend out of a finan- cial predicament, it was unanimously voted to pay Bill the price he asked. That closed the proceedings and the meeting broke up. : Three days afterward Bill received a certified check for his money, and was the happiest person that day in all Wall Street. He had succeeded in putting his bond venture aby F in spite of the opposing financiers, and had cleared a fortune from a two-cent stamp. Next week’s issue will contain “THE BOY WHO VANISHED; OR, THE TREASURE OF THE INCAS.”

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FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY 21° CURRENT NEWS SKIN FROM CHEEK MAKES NEW EYELID Grafting on a new eyelid was one of the many delicate operations watched at clinics by hun- dreds of surgeons attending the American Col- lege of Surgeons’ annual meeting recently. Dr. K. C. Wold took skin from the cheek of a patient and replaced an injured eyelid. LATHES 210 FEET LONG It is not generally known that the largest gun lathes of the United States are at the Navy Yard, Washington, D. C., and at the armor plant, Charleston, S. C.. The huge lathes, 210 feet in length, can turn steel castings as large as 8 feet in diameter and 90 feet long. These lathes, which were intended to turn guns surpassing even mammoth German Big Berthas, are driven by motors manufactured by the Westinghouse Elec- tric and Manufacturing Company. WILLOWS HOLD BACK THE MISSISSIPPI Green willows—the ordinary willow that grows alongside rivers and brooks—made into huge mats 200 feet long and 100 feet wide are doing more toward holding’the Mississippi River in its course than thousands of tons of stone and closely packed earth. In making the mats, says Popular Science, tim- ber ffames are constructed around the entire area of the mats, with cross pieces dividing the inside into small sections. Within these are placed the willow trees and bushes that are later bound with heavy cables and towed to their des- tination. On arriving there they are anchored over the spot to be protected and then covered “with earth and broken stones until they sink. YEAR OF 13 MONTHS IS URGED A movement -directed at “our antiquated time calendar” is getting under way. The “Liberty Calendar Association of America” is behind it. It is proposed that there be thirteen months fifty-two weeks and 364 days, with the odd day called “New Year’s Day,’ to come between Dec. 31 and Jan..1. In Leap Year the odd day would be called “Leap Year Day,” and would come be- tween June 80 and July 1. The extra month is to be called “Vera,” because it takes in “Varnal Equinox” and would begin spring. By the arrangement outlined in a bill intro- duced in the House by Representative Schall of Minnesota, each day of the month would always come.on a certain day. Easter would fall on March 14, corresponding with the present April 9, and would always be the ninety-ninth day of the year. The proponents declare that “this simplifica- tion will dispense with need for printed calendars, saving about $25,000,000 a year from this alone.” TIMELY WARNING! In the next number of this publication we are going to print a sample chapter of a most remarkable detective story, to be issued in— MYSTERY MAGAZINE, No. 105 * Out March 15 3 ‘You can then judge for yourself what truly splendid stories are being published in "that snappy little semi-monthly. The title will be - = 4 Se “A MAN FROM SIAM” ; By CHARLES FULTON OURSLER ‘ . ’ Tf you like this story, you will find every one of the feature stories to be equally “as good. Moreover each number of “Mystery” contains from four to seven short stories - by. the best authors, besides a series of articles on Palmistry, etc., and a large number ef articles on various subjects. ‘ eh THE PRICE IS 10 CENTS A COPY _SEND FORA FREE SAMPLE COPY = = OUSEY, Publisher, 168 W. 23d St., New York acu 2 ate i ai . = = = . te Ae Seton - FRANK ™ mI RTE ae ae LS 8 Rn ¢ Ae el ; ee," ns

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2 Daring Dan Dobson —OR— THE BOY WHO BEAT THE MOONSHINERS By GASTON GARNE (A Serial Story.) _ CHAPTER XI.—(Continued.) The young mountaineer hurried his prisoner, unwilling but helpless to resist, over the rough ground at the side of the road, into the timber at the south of the thoroughfare. This would keep him out of sight, and Dingle intended that the tyrant should be out of sound, if a handker- chief-gag would do the work. “T’ll have you strung up on a sour apple tree for this!” growled Newcastle. “It’s the saddest day’s work you’ve ever done. Mark that, you hound!” Re. ' The exasperated Dingle could resist his incli- nations no longer, and he retorted, sharply: “Ye’ve cussed me enough. I’m going to teach you manners!” And with that he gave Newcastle such a switch- ing with the leader’s own riding-whip that he —_— with pain. ee vigorous ° aap weapae t it holding the prisoner with a rope en with his lett hand as he swung the terrible right. Neweastle’s arms were so entangled that he could not defend himself. It might have been unfair ~ in most cases, but in this particular one it served him right, for he had never shown mercy to any one in his power. When a man used to abso- lutely tyrannize others is finally given proof that he has a master, it is a memory which lasts him for the rest of his life. And Newcastle had been learning many pages of this lesson during the last few hours, with more to come. Dingle finally tied his prisoner to a tree, gagged him as intended, and then hurried back to New- castle’s horse. . “I think it will do him good to stay there a few hours,” laughed the youth. “I’ll have to get Dan Dobson loose on some excuse,” It was a fast ride which he made to Newcastle’s headquarters, but Dingle rode the saddle skill- fully, and he was unfatigued when he arrived. at the house. This was a good thing. “The men were around the place, as he knew, so he went down the side road and hitched the _ riding horse in a covert place where it would be unseen-from the house. | ay “Now for my little game.” : He entered the house, and he was greeted tea ingly by the others, who twitted him about his” drubbing at the ; hands of Jake Newcastle a littl ~ while before. pe ot take Ten etery Ne oo fetid oat FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY “Ye’d better git some linyment fer yer black eyes,” said one of the men. “T know it,” answered Tom; “I’ll go out in the stable and git some of that goose grease liny- ment they use on horses.” “Ha, ha!” laughed the other. “That’s good, I eale’late, fer a jackass ter use, better even than a hoss!” But the taunt passed unheeded, for Dingle slipped on out of the building to the barn, There he knew that Dan Dobson’s fine horse, Starlight, was kept by confiscation of the leader New- castle. “A man kin get away a lot better with a hoss which knows his soul,” muttered Dingle, as he bound some rags about the beautiful animal’s hoofs, and led him thus muffled through a rear door of the barn and tied him there with saddle and bridle ready. He went back and brought out a pair of re- volver holsters, which he swung over the saddle- horn, and stuck two weapons of his own into the receptacles. i “He’s apt ter need these before he gits out of gunshot from this house,” chuckled Dingle, “and from what I ecalc’late of him, he kin use them good enough fer all purposes.” This was a good guess, and it was fo for the unfortunate lad that his unknown was so thoughtful in advance. Dingle having put Dan’s horse in a convenient position, the young mountaineer hastened to do the most important part of the job. ; He did not run the risk of suspicion insidt.. He heard the members of Newcastle’s gang laughing and roystering on some of the forbidden moon- shine on the lower floor of the house. An old woman, who had charge of the cooking, + ang to the back poreh and looked sharply at ‘om. : “Mis’ Dodward,‘ain’t I been square with ye?” he asked, in a low voice, realizing that he would need a little help for his daring scheme of res- cue. s The woman looked at him with suspicion on her face for an instant, and then she smiled. “Yes, Tom, ye’re the only one of these men that’s ever helped me at all, ~ They’re too import- ant to ever bother with an old fool like me. What is it; do ye want somethin’ ter eat?” “No. I’ve been nearly murdered by this yere Jake Newcastle, and I’m goin’ ter leave the mountain side, and stay away fer good, and earn a hones’ living.” : : The woman patted him on the shoulder. “Good fer ye. If my husband had had sense enough ter do that he wouldn’t a-been shot in a fight with the revenue officers. I’li help ye go; Tom. Some day they'll nab all these fellers.”. But Dingle stopped her. fs ; “Sssh!. Mis’ Dodward, ye’d better be keerful and not let any of ’em hear ye, ’cause they’d drive ye out an’ maybe harm ye worse than that. You jest look eg | when ye hear some scufflin’ down the side of the house, an} ye’ll do me the greatest favor of my life.” __ ; Se et a ee ee eT Sy ee Se ogo? “No be-continued, p= 5 > ir ne. Arey “ia 6 * Fa : ¥ unate riend hah eee ee ge eae pee gh ae Pe

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FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY FROM ALL POINTS FACE POWDER FATAL Coroner Edward Ee etsy of Westchester county was called to Yonkers, N. Y., recently to investigate the death of an eight-months-old girl which, the Coroner was informed, was ascribed to the accidental inhaling of face powder. The child was the daughter of Mrs. H.-A. Henderley of McMahon avenue, Yonkers. The child inhaled __ the-powder, which caused an internal irritation that developed into pneumonia. SERVANT ARRAYS SELF IN $1,000 OF = MISTRESS’ FINERY. ¢ Chriatiana Daniels, seventeen, a negress of Elmhurst, L. L, was hired as a domestic the other morning by Mrs. Charles Lipschitz, of No. 35 _ ~ Nicholas Terrace, New York. Chriatiana was on the job a few hours when Mrs. Lipschitz went out to do some shopping. When she got back home this is what she says she saw: ; The negress was all dressed up_in Mrs. Lip- schitz’s $350 fur coat and $250 silk gown, and with about $400 worth of her jewelry, ready to make a quick exit from the apartment. Patrolman Rodgers of the West One Hundred and Fifty-second street station arrested the girl. WHITE AND COLORED FARMERS IN THE - THE UNITED STATES According to a report of the Fourteenth (1920) —_ in the United States in 1920 5,498,359 were white and 950,007 were colored, while in 1910 out of a total of 6,361,502 farmers, 5,440,619 were white and 920,883 were colored. White farmers thus - represents 85.3 per cent. of all farmers in 1920, as compared with 85.5 per cent., or practically the same proportion, in 1910.. » - Between 1910 and 1920 the number of white _ farmers increased 57,740, or 1.1 per cent., and the number of colored farmers, 29,124, or 3.2 per ~~ cent. ~ _ The 950,007 colored farmers in 1920 comprised _ 926,257 negroes, 16,213 Indians, 6,899 Japanese and 638 Chinese. The corresponding figures for 1910 were 893,370 negroes, 24,251 Indians, 4,502 Japanese and 760 Chinese. BUFFALO HERD MAY OUTGROW PARK See ~ LIMITS _. With the buffalo in the Government park at Wainwright, Canada, numbering more than 5,000 and with prospects of the herd, now the largest in the world, eventually outgrowing the 100,000- acre park, the Canada Government is seeking ‘ays to commercialize the surplus animals. : is an excellent market for buffalo meat. _ be sold at fine prices in both Canada and the amet ‘States. Some of the surplus bulls, it is id, will be killed this winter for the market. — Buffalo robes, the Dominion Park Commission -command a price of $100 apiece. They are ly durable and even wit recently issued, of the 6,448,366 farmers” the buffalo the Government cares to kill can | Plays—Interesting A About Prominent People in he Fil D " : s 1e | Z «ri ieee = : pa flags of Aciogs and Actrenses in the Buin A robes were in HARRY E. WOLFF, 166 W. 23d St., common use fifty years ago when the remnants cf the once great herds were still in existence. Now, with the source cut off by the almost com- plete extermination of the bison, they are ‘rarely seen. Mounted heads sell for $125 to $250. The latter price was obtained for several recently in Mon- treal. If several hundred buffalo are killed an- nually, however, the head market will soon be- come overstocked. Experiments have been made in tanning buffalo hides. This may be developed, it is thought, into an important industry, as the leather is tough, pliable and, it is claimed, practically waterproof. The wool which the animals shed every spring has been manufactured into a strong cloth fabric which has industial possibilities, though of a re- structed kind. The wool is gathered up from about the park, but it is believed it may be prac- ticable to shear the buffalo annually like sheep. Wainwright Park is in the heart of a region once roamed by trappers of the Hudson Bay Com- pany, now selling the last remaining lands of its old empire to farm settlers. The park was stocked twelve years ago with 740 animals pur- chased in Montana-from Michael Pablo, a Flat- head Indian, “Mystery Magazine” SEMI-MONTHLY 10 CENTS A Copy LATEST ISSUES 82 A CHALLENGE TO POWER, by Dr. Harry Enton. 90 THE HOUSE NEXT-DOOR, by Police Capt. How- ard. 91 THE TRANCE DETECTIVE, by as. F. Oursier. 92 FRIDAY AT TWELVE, by Kathe 8 A * $3 BY THE LEFT HAND, by Hamilton Cunigiet $4 THE MELODY OF DEA » by Jack Bechdolt. $5 THE TRICK OF- THE GREAT YEN BOW, by W. 96 97 H. Osborne. AT MORIARITY’'S, by Fred E. Shuey. i eed STAR OF THE FILMS, by Jack Bech- olt. $8 COUNTERFEIT CLUES. by Chas. F. Oursler. 99 THE CROSS, by W. 8S. Ingram. ; 100 A_ SECRET SERVICE MYSTERY, by Hamilton Craigie and Eliot Balestier. - 3 sae 191 A CRIMSON PRICE, by Elliott Lester. 102 — SNeeECTORS STRANGE CASE. By GottHebd Tacobs. ; 103 A MUSEUM MYSTERY, by Jack Bechdolt. The Famou Detertive Story Ont To-day In No. 104 Is _ THE LITTLE RED BOOK By ALEXANDER YOUNG FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher. 163 W. 23d st., New Yors “Moving Picture Stories” = ie Sgr ae

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24 Who Stole Mr: Williams’ Money By COL. RALPH FENTON One of the hardest things in detective life is for the officer to be obliged to report on family inatters. No matter how long he has been in the business, or how fire-proof he has become, the de- tective who will make a report which he knows will break up a family and bring wretchedness to half a dozen persons, is a scarce article. That is, he will report to his chief verbally or by let- ter, and thus let the information get to those who hunger for it and yet dread to hear the truth. To face a husband when the horror of dishonor is upon him—to report to a wife that her husband long since ceased to love her, and that her only remedy is the scandal of a divorce suit, is a position no one in the service wants to fill a second time. _ A fair share of the detective business of every city in the land hinges upon family matters, and - the work done seldom appears in print, or if the “newspaper reporters get hold. of the circum- stances, the particulars are kept away from them. For a long term of years my assignments as a detective connected with the force of one of our large cities were entirely of this character, and some of the incidents can be.related without in- jury to anyone’s feelings. _ I did not associate with the criminal detectives at all, and the majority of them did not know me by name. : One morning I was sent for by the chief to take up a new case, and when I entered his office : found a lady present. She was a woman not over twenty-five years ife of a merchant whom I will call They had been married about a year and a half, and it was said that it was a love match. She had come to headquarters in her own car- riage in broad daylight to tell her story to the chief and seck the services of a detective. ' I may tell you that I was prejudiced in her fa- vor from the very first glance. She was one of those women whose every word is of interest, and whose every gesture has a touch of artlessness in it. And she could shed ss and eatch little sobs, and put such a look into her brown ,eyes as would make even an old detective almost want to die for her. When her story had been simmered down it amounted to this: For some time past she had been missing jewelry and sums of méney.. A je private detective had been employed, but had met » with no success in discovering the thief. One _ robbery included a valuable diamond ring; an- FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY aiinuel he had thus far been unable to secure a clue. : : It was not only natural that Mrs. Williams should be interested in the recovery of the prop- erty, but that her great interest should lead her to call at headquarters to consult with the chief. In fact, her husband was confined to his room by an attack of gout, and, for all we knew to the contrary, it was by his advice that she came. It would appear sharper in,me to say that I suspected something wrong from the very start, but honesty compels me to say that I didn’t. When she had departed the chief said to me: “This looks like a very simple case, and I can’t see why Taylor has not picked up some clue. The robberies have been perpetrated by some of the servants, and I'll give you a fortnight to trap the guilty party.” I was at liberty to consult Taylor. The only servants who had access to the bed- room were the chambermaid and the butler. This last personage had no right there, of course, but having the run of the house he could slip into the room. Taylor had sus ed him, rather than the cham id, and had devoted his whole time to watching the man. Nothing but disappcintments had turned up. The butler had the best of recommendations, was without yices of any sort, and a search of his effects had brought nothing to light which could implicate him. : , It was agreed that I should look out for the chambermaid, and I put in a week on the case to find out that she also had the best of recommen- dations, and that the probabilities were all in her favor. If it was true that either of the servants had committed the robberies, it was likewise true that they had covered their tracks so well that we had no hopes of making an arrest. I worked on the case three weeks, and then abandoned it. Mrs. Williams seemed much more disappointed than her husband over the failure, and she shed tears of vexation when informed that I was to drop the case, or at least cease ac- tive work, { I meant to keep the butler and chambermaid under surveillance for a time longer, but I could /not promise that anything would come of it. — - The third day after this Fate played me a curious trick, I had dropped into a family restaurant for a plate of oysters and not earing to have comers and goers study my face I went upstairs to be served in one of the little rooms or stalls. I had. devoured my oysters and drank my cof- fee when a lady and gentleman entered the next stall on the right, and it wasn’t ten seconds be- fore I recognized Mrs. Williams’ voice. _The man’s identity I alse soon established by his tones. He was a handsome, dissipated chap named Raynor, known in all the clubs as a great #pend- ts Poses reported to the police as a reckless The pair were scarcely seated in the stall when the lady said: “Will, ean do no more for you. Ihave robbed

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ay a oe ~ * 4 FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY myself, stolen from my husband, and perjured myself to the officers to help you out of your trou- bles. You are no sooner out of one trouble than you bring another upon yourself.” “Softly, Sister Nell, softly!” chided the man. “TI have always been kind to you. I have always been the best brother in the world. Give me a chance. I was horribly in debt. You have come to my aid in a grand way, and heaven will bless you for it.” “Hush! Heaven cannot bless me for stealing from my husband to pay your gambling debts. Do you know the value of that package I gave you the night you came and threatened to commit suicide?” “About $12,000, I believe, and it helped me out of three or four bad scrapes. “And I thought it was only $2001 Oh, brother, I am afraid you are down to ruin.’ “Pooh! pooh! Nell, I am no worse than hun- dreds of others who are sowing their wild oats. Make a raise of a couple of thousand for me this _. til I can steady i week and I’ll go to Europe and remain away un- With that rd walked in on the pair. A few words had made the case as plain as day. While it was “all in the family, as the saying is, and while there was no pro! ability that the dissolute brother would be punished, I did not rest until he had been taken into Williams’ presence and made to confess all. _ T left the house in company with the brother, and as we gained the walk he asked “Do you think the old man would shell out a couple of thousand for me?” “You must be crazy!” I replied. “Then the is up, and here’s good-by to ths he ex and before I could lift a ~~ es seins 6 otek ti wad c eotict ton 20+ ao 0 o RATTAN wags nah: MADE HERE Rattans Maley Sin ae ie that have waved in ; heré head hunters ee bi and on witches hax their invocations black mage come to New York by ton loads _to solve one of the minor but very pressing prob- dems of city life. And that problem is the trans- tion of the steaks and chops and legs of we devour. You’ve seen the frenzied cE boys lugging the big, heavily laden bas- _ kets on wheeled runners along the sidewalks - where marketing is heaviest, and you may have wondered howslong that apparently flimsy con- __“ tainer could survive such riotous handling. But the humble rattan survives longer than any other container. An old New York basket manufac- turer vouched for that as’ he discussed the sub-_ ject the other day in his factory on Great Jones - Street. 25 This fiber is shipped to Néw York through the port of Singapore, said one of the men. The strands vary in thickness from the size of a woman’s little finger to the thickness of a man’s thumb, and are about twelve feet long. The heaviest strands are used for weaving meat baskets, said the man, who had been making and selling rattan baskets in the same spot for more than thirty years. “Meat baskets are used to take daily meat or- ders to hotels and restaurants,” he said. “With one exception I should say that they get the heaviest work and the hardest handling. We make. them about the size and shape usually of ordinary clothes baskets, but at least ten times as strong and reenforced with metal straps and iron handles that run under the bottom, which is shod with wooden runners. Made in this way a meat basket can stand the wear and tear of Manhattan every day for about a year—and that is more than any other type of container not in itself to heavy to handle will do. “We make them by hand because there is no satisfactory machine that we know of able to make all different shapes and sizes of baskets wanted for lugging meat, bread, laundry and dozens of other things. “The heaviest and largest made is the coaling basket.. Many of the ships in the harbor are coaled from the barges with these baskets, which generally are woven square and large enough to hold a thousand pounds of coal at a time. The bottom of these is of heavy timber, and they are strongly reenforced. About a dozen, I believe, are used at a time, being swung up and down by cranes. “We let the rattan lie for twenty-four hours, as a rule, in the soaking vat. It is soaked in cold water and becomes flexible enough to work. “The best basket makers on this heavy service basket work, at any rate, are English. My ex- perience with baskets goes back nearly forty years and I guess I have hired almost every type of basket weaver. Perhaps my best man now is that English boy just starting a new basket. His father worked here for me. nearly thirty years -ago. Then he went back to England, and now his son has come to New York and is making baskets in the same place and in the same way’ his father did.” -t +--+ —e6- a = ie 0 DEER RACE RAILROAD TRAIN ~. The spectacle of three deer racing with a Dela- ware Valley train near Stroudsburg, Pa., caused a lot of interest among the passengers. Three does on the tracks ran ahead of the train for some distance, but the train gained on them steadily. Finally two of the does jumped a high wire fence and ran through — © as while the third Saree nec! to sincey | ahs A sped th running some distance this doe the fenat, - the trio finally taking the aoe moa Most of the distance traversed was. very icy and all the witnesses marvelled at the surefoot-— edness of the animals. There are apparently large numbers of the deer in that section, and in some instances they are very tame. Autoists have been surprised to Teese nee eee : Se ‘= : : —— Rod

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25 FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY NEW YORK, MARCH 10, 1922 TERMS TO SUBSCRIBERS Single Copies............... ous Copy Three ry age oh green ro cone Gue Copy Six Months...... ‘et ted SEB Que Copy One Year....... = © Cee? Se HOW TO SEND MONEY—At our risk send P. O. Money Order, Check or Registered Letter; remittances in any other way are at your risk. We accept Pos Stamps the same as cash. When sending silver wrap the Cola iu a separate piece of paper to avoid cutting the envelope. Write your uname and address plainly. Ad- uress letters to HARRY E. WOLFF, Publisher iso West 23d St.. New York INTERESTING ARTICLES OYSTERS’ GREATEST ENEMY The starfish clings with its five fleshy fingers to the shells of oysters while its five centrally _ situated sharp teeth eat a hole through which it can suck the living flesh. It has an insatiable appetite. CATALINA’S GREEN SHEEP On the first working day after Christmas John E. Maurer, President of the Maurer Cattle Com- pany, which owns thousands of sheep on Catalina Island; Cal., was making an inspection. of the animals with a number of associates. Sharp dis- agreement arose as to the grouping of the sheep, some maintaining that there was only one large block, while others were positive that there were two. Still others vehemently insisted that there were three, or even four. — ; However, they agreed on one startling fact, that all of the sheep were green—so green that as they moved off it-seemed that whole meadows were smoothly slipping along over the hills and down the valleys. Finally overtaking the animals, the inspecting party found that grass and weed seeds, imbed- ded in the wool on the backs of the animals had been stimulated by recent rains to germinate. The result was that as the sheep crowded together they appeared to have almost as attractive pas- turage on their backs as under their feet. BY TRAPPING GETS MONEY FOR LESSONS Enthusiasts for thrift among young women will find few more interesting stories than that of Miss Ethel Taylor, a musically inclined nine- teen-year-old girl of Woodinville, Wash., who took ~ to trapping last November to make money to pay her music lessons. - Miss Taylor made a reputation for herself as one of the most talented singers in Seattle during the winter of 1920, but her father found it neces- sary to abandon his city business for a small ranch in the country, ~ "Miss Taylor was determined to help herself in the training and improvement of her voice. She _ had always known several men who had trapped FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY fur-bearing animals years age. From them she got some pointers and tried out the scheme. During November she caught several mink, some muskrat and an otter along the sloughs bor- dering Lake Washington. The old trappers showed her how to take off the pelts and dry them for the trade. A Seattle fur dealer paid her a good price for the catch, amounting to over $50. In December she was bolder and doubled her earnings, and she related recently with great glee that during January she will have first grade pelts enough to bring her in more than $200. Several farmers who had learned of her industry gave her pelts from predatory animals they had caught or shot about their buildings. Among her own catch is a cross fox, one of the first caught in recent years. Every Wednesday and Saturday she goes to -Seattle, twenty miles away, for her music lesson, Each lesson costs $3. : LAUGHS “All arrivals are washed,” exclaimed the war- den of the Pittsburg prison. “And if they kick up a fuss?” “Then they are ironed.” “T don’t think your portrait is much like the original, old man.” “Only once have I painted a portrait that was really like my sitter, and she sued me for libel afterward.” “You'll be a man like one of us some day,” said the patronizing sportsman to a tad, who was throwing his line into the same stream. “Yes, sir,” he answered, “I s’pose I will some day, but I Ae I’d rather stay small and ketch a few Sh. “Do you know,” he said, “that every time I look at you I have thoughts of revenge?” “Why?” she gasped. Then he answered: “Because re- venge is sweet,” and she told him she thought to- morrow would be a good time to see papa. ~~ Here is a remarkable excuse. A Wichita child, who had been absent from school, brought back the following excuse when she returned: “Dear Teacher: Please excuse Jennie. She was sick and had to stay home to do the washing and ironing.” Mother (in a very low voice)—Tommy, your grandfather is very sick. Can’t you say some-* thing to cheer him up a bit? Tommy (in an ~ earnest voice)—Grandfather, wouldn’t you like — to have soldiers at your funeral? <— Little Boy—They won’t ever get me to give another ten cents toward a present of a book for the teacher. Mother—What went wrong? Lit- | tle Boy—We got the principal to select one for her, and he picked out one that was just crowded full. of information, and she’s been teachin’ it to us ever since. ; Mrmr ay ee

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’ FAME AND KILLED IN A QUEER ACCIDENT ___ Mose Desmond, an American Negro, pianist at _~ Mrurray’s Club, London, was killed recently in a Strange accident on the Northwestern Railway. injured. - Desmond was sitting in a third class compart- _- Ment beside Sir Arthur’ Steel Maitland, M. P., _ when the accident happened, The surgeon who was called said he believed a fiying piece of glass had penetrated Desmond’s side. It was believed the steel step of a tender fell off, was caught up .. by one of the trains and flung from side to side. SAVED BY SNOWBANK IN .AN 80-FOOT Be : TUMBLE Postmaster Joseph Liebeskind of Pine Brook near Caldwell, N. J., had a remarkable escape _ from death the other day. He fell from a cliff at the summit of Hook Mountain, landing in a _ fifteen-foot snow drift, a drop of nearly eighty _ feet. A neighbor passing along the road at the _ _ foot of the mountain saw the Postmaster fall and _ 4 Summoned others to aid in digging him out, for _ the man was in danger of being smothered. - .. The postmaster was on his way to visit a rela- _ tive and took a short cut over the mountain. The wind had swept the summit clear of snow but left the surface slippery. He was making his way coutiously when he missed his footing. _. There is a gradual slope of about 100 feet to the edge of the cliff. The postmaster tried to _, theck his descent, but missed. He gained mo- _- ™entum as he neared the edge, and shot forward with such speed that he cleared the jagged rocks, _ which otherwise he must have struck. _ ~. Wilbur Colyer, the man who saw the incident, _ Said Liebeskind disappeared from” sight in the _ snowbank. Colyer and those he called to aid him pest shovels vigorously to get the yictim out _ of his predicament: te ays skind was badly frightened, but after he _ got his “sea legs” was able to walk to the nearest ; use. There he was examined by a physician: It ~ arte that he had not been severely in- = ’ oe TRIED HIS BEST TO COMMIT SUICIDE -_ James L. Smith, twenty-eight years of age, of x Charlestown, W. Va., short order cook, was “cer- tain” he would shuffle off this mortal coil. But he no work and was des- clothing with gasoline and. one of the steel supports other end he tied around his on a na 4 FORTUNE WEEKLY A FEW GOOD ITEMS leted minute. With one hand he swallowed a small por- tion of antimony, a dangerous poison. With the other he held a 45-ealibre automatic revolver. As the poison trickled down his throat, he shud- dered. The gun exploded. Instead of penetrat- ing his brain, the bullet went wild and severed the rope around his neck. Meanwhile his clothing caught fire. The suc- cessive Shocks caused him to lose his balance and he tumbled into Elk River, a human terch. The sudden immersion in the water acted as an antidote to the peison and extinguished the burn- ing clothes. As Smith came to the surface he was seized with violent convulsions of the stomach. He ejected the poison. Being a good swimmer, he succeeded in reach- ing the shore. ; The-burns and the poison will not prove fatal, physicians of St. Francis Hospital said. The pa- tient will be able to leave the hospital within a week, they added. HIGH POWER GLASSES. DETECT STAMP FRAUDS The bulk of the stamps which the non-collec- tor sees have no intrinsic value, says the Scienti- fic American. They retail for a cent or two apiece, but this merely covers the cost of handling them. There are perhaps 25,000 varieties from all over the world that have a true market value based on rarity and demand. Those costing less than a dollar are apt to be neglected as trash, as as we approach the $100 class the market is of course limited. Nevertheless the real rarities, of: which the known copies are numbered, come as high as $5,000 and $10,000, with plenty of buyers to absorb the limited offerings. z With such values and a free market fraud is bound to be attempted. Most counterfeits are made of whole cloth. But whether the design be reproduced with the aid of a camera or by hand engraving is will not correspond exactly with the original. With hand engraved counterfeits the expert examines the details of the stamp for points of divergence from the known genuine de- sign. The photographic reproduction is more faithful in these matters, but usually differs from its original in the general effect of tone and shad- ing, and often in size. ; The expert has seen a number of counterfeits of any given stamp and often has a reference collection containing many of these. If the spec- imen under examination fails to identify itself with any familiar counterfeit it must either iden- tify itself with the genuine stamp or display di- ~ vergence that marks it as a “new” counterfeti. ma s two or three diameters. The expert p atelist knows what sort of mistake the counter- feiter most easily makes and what sort he can himself best see, so he knows just about what to look for and what parts of the specimen to amine most carefull y: : ly The examination is conducted under a glass — : -

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FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY INTERESTING ARTICLES A PILOTLESS WARSHIP A boat built by the French Navy during the war was controlled from an airplane. The con- struction of the control mechanism is described in a note appearing in a recent issure of Electri- cal World. This boat was patterned after a Ger- man piletless boat which attacked a French pier. The German boat was driven by a gasoline motor and electrically controlled by means of a 30-mile one-conductoreable.. The boat contained two gas- oline motors such as are used on Zeppelins, ope- rating twin-screw propellers capable of giving the boat a top speed of 40 knots per hour. Seven distinct operations of the engine and the rudder could be performed by means of the remote elec- tric control. The control was essentially by means of a rachet mechanism, a different number of rachet impulses corresponding to certain ac- tions of the boat. A smail gasoline-electric gen- erator set and a storage battery furnished the energy for the operation of the different motions. A special time relay was in series with each af the seven distinct positions, so that every one of the different operations was executed only after the contact-making rachet mechanism stopped for a.certain minimum time on a given position. In case of imminent danger to the boat an eighth “position of the contact apparatus was provided for the self-destruction of the boat by ignition of its own charge. MAROONED ON ISLAND SIX WEEKS Marooned six weeks on an island within thirty- eight miles of Detroit, Mich., in the Detroit River, without food, fuel or adequate protection from the worst winter Michigan has known in twenty years is the experience of Isaac White, a-former policeman. White had two weeks’ vacation and, as he told it, not. having enough funds to go to Chicago or New York and enjoy the “sights,” he decided to visit Sears Island and fish and hunt. He took a little more than a week’s supply of food and fuel, as well as kerosene for lighting purposes with him. He figured, he said, that. he could eas- ily walk across the ice or hail a passing boat for a ride to the mainland and get supplies. ©. Seven days after he visited the island the » worst cold spell of the winter set in and below zero weather so froze the river ice that the cur- rent broke it into huge chunks which became such a menace that all river navigation ceased, and that made it impossible for White to get to shore. After two weeks his food and fuel gave out and for six more weeks he was obliged to live on fish he could spear through the ice and what game he could shoot. He was without light of any kind, and most of the time he had no fire, as matches scarce and he did not dare to “waste” any. six weeks a boat ventured to the’ island provisions to last until spring. White asserts he can make more money trapping and hunting than he can in the city. Six years ago he lost his left leg while, as a policeman, he attempted to stop a speeding au- toist and the machine ran over him. UNEARTH THE TOMB OF AZTEC WARRIOR Two burial chambers in the large prehistoric community dwelling near Aztec, N. M., are re- ported by Earl H. Movris, in a letter given out recently at the Museum of Natural History, as the most interesting of numerous recent discove- ries by museum workers engaged in the Archer M. Huntington archaeological survey of the Southwest. Mr. Morris has charge of the ex- cavations. “Beneath the debris adjacent to the famous Painted Room opened in 1920,” he writes, “there has been found a second chamber, perfectly pre- served in every detail, The pine and cedar beams in the smoke-browned ceiling are as sound as when the trees were felled, and on the wall- stones the marks of the quartzite pebbles with which they were faced are as bright and fresh as if the artisan who shaped the blocks, though — dead these thousand years, had but yesterday gathered up his primitive tools and stepped out of the finished chamber. “This room was the tomb of a warrior, who lay in solitary state against one wall immediately back of the recessed altar in the Painted Room. The body was that of a veritable giant over 6 feet 1 inch in height, who thus towered head and shoulders above the average men of his tribe of the viilage when he was in the prime of life, and in the height of his giory as well, if one may in- fer the esteem in which he was held by the excel- lence of his tomb and the number of his burial accompaniments. : “The wighty frame had been buried in a man- tle of feather cloth and enshrouded with a mat of woven rush stems. Back of the body there were four magnificent pottery bowls, a cup and a bas- ‘ket. Upon the skull rested a large spherical vase with a neatly-fitting cover, both of them ex- quisitely wrought and ornamented. Within easy - grasp of the right hand-were the wooden handies of two stone battle axes, and by them a hafted knife of quartzite, as well as chips of flint and prongs of antler, the latter materials and imple- ments for arrow making. _ ‘ “A circular shield, three feet in diameter, un- like anything previously found in Pueblo ruins, covered the warrior from thighs to temples. . It is an example of coiled basketry technique, but peels er wen strong. ae outer surfa: 2 n coated wi m and thickly spang : hen held in the sunlight,

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HORSES SLEEP STANDING UP Horses seldom lie down to sleep. Throughout their entire lives most of them _ sleep while standing on their feet. The reason for this is believed to be that the horses are afraid that an in- sect might crawl ~ into their nostrils. This a very likely explanation _ when we consider ~_ thata horse’s nos- _ trils are the most | “sensitive part of “its body, says * Popular Science Monthly. If the - %msect could not be removed it could easily irri- tate a horse to - death. Many horses will not lie = ~ down because they have once = been “foundered,” that is, unable to get up unassisted. ‘Another = curi- ous fact about a sleeping horse is that it seems al- 3 ways to keep its faculties working. ‘Its ears, for in- stance, keep con- stantly twitching and the animal ‘seems to hear the slightest noise. _ Because of this it would probably be impossible for -Man to enter a ‘stable quietly eno ere prevent is 7 a 4 | OH | pie Bs peg ROW BRO VenE” 4 AA Into a Barrel, under the Table, Rack of a Door, into a TRUNK, Z DESK in SCHOOL, Any Olid Places BB Great FUN fooling the TEACHER, 2 * Friends, EVE YBODY with Our Be eg Sona Ink) a MAGIC This Marvelous Novelty- ror 250. BIG FUN peg WH SEND ALL ABOVE Novelties b; id. Mail for 8 For 25cts. 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Even if your rupture doesn't bother you, what is the use of wear- ing supports all your life? Why suffer this nuisance? Why run the rick of gangrene and such dangers from a small and innocent little rupture, the kind that has thrown thousands on the operating table? A host of men and women are daily running such risk just because their ruptures do not hurt nor prevent them from gcfhoe around. Write at once for this free trial, as it is certainly a wonderful thing and has aided in the cure of ruptures that were as big as a man’s two fists. Try and write at once, using the carpon bhelow. Free for Kupture. W. 8. Rice, In+., 444A Main St., Adams, N. Y. You May send me entirely free Sample Treatment of your stimula application for Rupture. tine DOBO. lvnare veces chs tadatucenectc cdevesuse

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Fame and Fortune Weekly OUR TEN-CENT HAND ed — LATEST ISSUES —— 817 Tom, the Apprentice; or, The Young Mechanic Who Made His Mark. 818 A Banker at 17; or, A Wall Street Boy’s Syndicate. $19 bs Mystic Chart; or, The Treasure of the Big saves. 820 Working the Money Market; or, The Deais of a Wall Street Boy. 821 The a Gold King; or, The Greatest Mine in the Worl 822 A Young Peekets Money; or, Trapping the Sharpers : o a St: 828 Dollars and Cents; or, From Cash Boy to Partner. $24 Jimmy the Office Boy; or, A Plucky Wall Street Plunger. 825 hee on Time; or, The Perils of a Young Mail Contractor. 826 The Missing Bonds; or, A Lucky Boy in Wall St. #27 Hunting For Treasure; or, The Pirate's Chest: of : Gold. 828 $10,000 Reward: or, The Fortune of a Bank Clerk. 829 Bought at Auction; or, The Bid that Led to Riches. 830 The er I Copper King; or, The Boy Who Went the Limit. 3 831 Ralph, 7 SeemOeSOE } or, The Mystery of Assign- ment No. 10. 832 A Lucky Risk; or, The Nerve of a Wall Street Otfice Ny 88 The Race for Gold; or, After an Aztec Treasure. 834 Tipped Te Win; or, The Wall Street Messenger Who Made a Fortune. 835 The Boy Salesman; or, Out On the Road For Suc- cess. 8386 A Young Money Broker; or, Striking Luck In Wall reet. 837 The Way To Fame; or, The Success of a Young Dramatist. 838 In the Money Game; or, The Luck of Two Wall Street Chums. 839 “ A Golden Treasure; or, The Mystery of an Old Trunk. S10 “ Hal’s Business Venture; or, Making a Success of Himself. S41 Among the Man-eaters; or, The Secret of the Golden Ledge. € S42 The Little Wall Street Speculator; or, The Boy Who BReeame a Stock Broker. 843 Old Hazard’s Errand Boy; or, The Nerve That Won the Money. 844 Check 765; or, The Strangest Tip In Wall Street. Me A phe To Fortune and the Smart Boy Who Found It. S46 x per Brown's Boy; or, A Tough Lad From Mis- souri. 847 The Odds Against Him; or. A Boy With Grit. #48 A Boy With Brains; or, A Fortune From a Dime. £19 His Own Business; or, From Errand Boy To Boss. 850 The Banker’s Plot; or. The Mysterious Boy From Cripple Creek. S51 atid 4 Missing Million; or, The Treasure of the rec *i2 A Boy From the Streets; or, The Old Broker's Protege. E S53 A Born Hustler; or, The Boy With tle “Goods. 84 Matt, the Money-Maker; or, A Strange Ladin Wall Street. 855 Out = Everything; or, The Boy Who Was Willed a Circus. : 6 In Wall Street to Win; or, The Boy Who Got the 1 Money. 857 A Young Sinbad; or, Wrecked on a Treasure Island. For sale by all newsdealers, 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.. 16¢ West 23d St,, New York, HOW TO SCENARIOS Write THEM _ ‘Price 85 Cents Per Copy fis book contains all the most recent in the ' of conutruction and. subirission of eeqnurion ering phase of scenario writ- By all Newalcalors: and ing. For sele If yor not & i Satan mobey or piaisey site, tnt et SENARENS, 219 Seventh tve.,, New York, N. a * parasol, window and hat flirtation, it contains a full Hst / Useful, Instructive, and Amusing. They Contain — Valuable Information on Almost Every Subject No. 1.. 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HOW TO KEEP BIRDS.—Handsomely {tillus- — — eS Pe instructions for the manaze and training o: e canary, mockingbird, link blackbird, paroquet, parrot, ete. : goa No. 10. HOW Tu BOX.—The art of self-defen di easy. Containing over thirty illustrations of a cura blows and the different positions of a good boxer. Every — boy should obtain one of these useful and instructive” books. as it will teach you how to box without an in-— or. No. ll, HOW TO WRITE LOVE-LETTE — ‘ Se ee fora rock ae watt directans fan beh rae re-letters, and when to use the specimen letiers for young and old. Meistrad ‘ No, 13. HOW TO bO IT; Or, BOOK OF ETIQU —It is a great life secret, and one chat eves saan man desires to know ali about. ‘There's happinéss in it.- boot’ for making si Hide’ of candy. ine a ng a nds andy, ice- 5 essences, etc. 7 seis a ie ——a No. 18. 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Full ‘ustruefions pgs ong in tl little book, together with instructions on swimming riding, companion sports to boatine. ‘ No. 28, HOW TO TELL FORTUNES.—E one desirous of Knowing what his future Tite 1 forth, whether happ' or misery, wealth or Fs You can tell by a glance at this littl and be convinred. aig co No. 29. HOW TO BECOME AN R.—EI boy should know how inventions o Ht bby Or his explains them all, giving examples in electricity. draulies, magnetism, optics, pneumatics, mechanics, @ No, 30. HOW TO COOK.—One of t : books on cooking ever published. genet = est Ps for cooking meats, fish, game and oysters; also Pa pastry, and a £t®" i puddings, cakes and all kinds collection of recipes. “ ¥ 168 Wost 284 Streets

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ou Can DoltTZoo § lf “Ray” and “Beck” and “Cy” and “Virg” and “Tim” and “Red” and “ Bill’ ean learn Electricity and can make more money than a lot of grown-up men and go to school on top of it—why can’t you? You can! These boys are no older, no smarter than you.—They'’ve got to get up early in the morning to “get the Jump” on you. Now listen to me—I know enough boys to fill several high schools, and I have shown everyone of them how to make pocketfuls of money in spare, time Electrical work. But on top of that I’m training these boys for a wonderful profession —i’m training them as Electrical Experts, and when they finish school they'll be able to step into Big Electrical Jobs—Chief Engineers, Superintendents, Managers, Electrical Construction Experts, ete. They’ll hold down jobs that pay $12 to $30 a Day, If you are over fifteen years old, you too can qualify as an E!-ctrical Expert in your spare time, even while attending High ySchool. You can pick up a lot of spending money doing spare-time Electrical Work while you are fitting yourself for a BIG- *PAY job, and in a few months you will be ready to step into a real job at real pay. “Electrical Experts’ Earn $12 to $30 a Day men into the Big-P4y class. I can do the same for you. Be a Big-Pay Man < So sure am I of this that I will guarantee under bond to The short-cut to ““Big Pay’ is training. and the big field of return every cent paid me if you are not fully satisfied that a eee ts — men is cmap hac $ ee =a! ri my mann 5 ote aoe investment you ever made. There’s no yourse ‘or a real jo n this fascinating. g-pay Heid. chance for failure with me! With a few short months of training under me through my easily-learned, quickly-grasped, right-up-to-the-second, spare- My Course Pays Its Own Way time, Home-Study Course in Practical Eleotricity, you too I want you to earn while you learn, to more than make the will be ready to step into a big-pay job, the kind that pays amount of the small monthly payments on my course, and $12.00 to $30.00 a day. you 7 do it Nearly arerrene of my pos ghar yee than paid for his course through spare-time work. ‘o help you in I Will Train You at Home this work. and to make your studies more practical and As ete cind rr the Sasen gD anineering Works, I know interesting, I give you a splendid Electrical Outfit exact be kind of training you nee o qualify as an Electrical Expert. and I give you that trafning, without any Free—Electrical Working Outfit—Free fuss or frills, with no big words. no useless theory, no higher I give each of my students, absolutely free of charge, a mathematics—just plain, everyday, straight-from-the-shoulder splendid Electrical Outfit of tools, measuring instruments, Engiish—the kind you and 1 use every day. bd eres enreites etc. ry in all, es most wonderful and practical outfit ever given away. yith it you can start ml PR Stand Sucoces Sanrantses | practical work, ‘can start making money right on the jump. ‘undre: lents now earnin: 2 to $30 a day prove edge ie wn . y Save $45.50 By Enrolling NOW the success of my system of putting ambitious boys and young ct Byrery reader of this magazine who enrolls now can save : $45.50 on the regular low price of my course. But you must L. L. COOKE, Chief Engineer, 69 3) aa Rgeariond, Warne, act at once. Write me today for full particulars on my Free Dept. 203, 2154 Lawrence Ave., Chicago, ill. x Outfit, my easy Home-Study Course in Practical Electricity Dass secede ea ele ai tol pace: | aedal Enees™” Ai ree tng Mtoe BODE. an E . a! jectrica t? 1 - Free— th ODAY. lars of your Free Outfit and Home Study C all fully 7 Saas ter success! Chee “ ee Senee Y ee L. L, COOKE, Chlef Engineer Name.......0.+-- eonges pose rccccceeveceeoess CHICAGO ENGINEERING WORKS Address...... os ° MY sd fh ti Incorporated Se a ee oe ea Dept. 203, 2154 Lawrence Ave., Chicago, III.