Jr. Horatio Alger

“ Our hero was as good as his word, and not only did he clear the news stand, but some time later he purchased a better fruit-and-candy stand for Mrs. Kennedy, and also a first-class flower stand for Gladys Summers.
"You're a fine young gentleman," said Mrs. Kennedy. "A fine boy, Nelson—beggin' your pardon, Master David."
"I'm not used to the name yet," laughed our hero. "I guess I will be Nelson the Newsboy for a long time to come among my old friends." ”

“ Sam Pepper was hardly in the room when something happened to give him a temporary shock. He heard the scratch of a match, and then a gas jet was lit and turned low in the room.
"I've put my foot into it," he groaned. "Maybe I had better git out as fast as I came in."
Cautiously he peeped from behind the curtain, and to his astonishment saw Homer Bulson approach the safe and kneel down before it. He also saw that Bulson was alone, and that the doors to the other parts of the mansion were tightly closed.
"Something is up that's not on the level," he told himself. "This man don't live here." ”

“ The day's work had made Nelson tired, but he was in no humor for sleeping, and tumbled and tossed for a long while after lying down upon his hard couch. He thought of the stout gentleman, of the big newsboy who had robbed him, and of the kind young lady who had offered him assistance. For some reason he could not get the young lady out of his mind, and he half wished he might see her again.
Then his thoughts came back to himself. Who was he, and how had he come into Sam Pepper's care? Surely the man must know all about the past. ”

“ NELSON THE NEWSBOY.
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCING THE HERO.
"Herald, Times, Tribune! All the news of the day! Have a paper, sir? All about the terrible fire in Harlem! Two lives lost!"
High and clear above the din made by the cabs, trucks, and street cars a boyish voice could be heard. The speaker was but fifteen years of age, tall and thin, with a face that betokened a refinement unusual to such a station in life. But if the lad's look was above the average, his clothes were not, for they were in tatters, while the hat and shoes he wore had seen far better days.
"A fire in Harlem, eh?" ”

“ I know of no one I would like more for a cousin."
"David Horton!" came a hollow voice from the doorway, and Mr. Horton staggered in. "Can this be possible? It must be! See, I recognize his face now. Yes, yes; you are my son David! Come to me!" And he held out his arms.
Nelson came forward slowly, then of a sudden he reached forth, and grasped Mark Horton's hands tightly.
"I—I suppose it's true," he faltered. "But it will take me a long time to—to get used to it."
"My little David had just such eyes and hair as you have," went on Mark Horton, as he still held Nelson closely to him. ”

“ The cry of the truck-driver reached the ears of the quick-witted newsboy, and in a flash he saw the danger.
"Oh, the gentleman will be run over!" he muttered, and throwing his papers on the pavement, he made a leap into the street and grabbed the man by the arm. Just as he drew the stout individual back the truck horse plunged forward, grazing the man's side. Had it not been for the newsboy, the stout gentleman would have collapsed in the gutter. But as it was each, in a moment more, gained the pavement in safety. ”

“ At this Homer Bulson bit his lip in increased vexation.
"What rot all this is!" he cried. "I'm not going to eat her up."
"You're right there," grinned Nelson. "We won't let you. The best you can do is to leave her alone. If you don't somebody will get hurt." ”

“ When Nelson left the lunch-room he scarcely knew what he was doing. The conversation which had occurred had been an important one, but his head was in such a whirl that just now he could make little or nothing out of it.
He had no desire to sell papers,—indeed, he had no desire to do anything,—and all he did was to walk up the street and keep on walking until he was well uptown. Then he began to cross the city in the direction of Broadway. ”

“ It's all right, make yourself at home," went on Sarah Higgins soothingly. "Let me take your hat, that's a good young lady." And she started to take Gertrude's hat from her head.
She had been told that the girl would arrive that noon and would most likely inquire for an imaginary person named Broaderick. Homer Bulson had certainly laid his plans well.
"Don't! leave my hat be!" cried Gertrude, and shrank back in alarm. "You seem to know my first name, madam, but I do not know you."
"Never mind; make yourself at home," said Sarah Higgins soothingly. ”

“ Nelson had scarcely spoken when Billy Darnley made a sudden clutch for the pocket of his vest.
Much dilapidated, the pocket gave way easily; and in a twinkle the bully was running up the street with five dollars in bills and a bit of cloth clutched tightly in his dirty fist.
"Hi! stop!" cried Nelson, but instead of heeding the demand, the bully only ran the faster. Soon he passed around a corner and down a side street leading to the East River.
Nelson was an excellent runner, and, papers under his arm, he lost no time in making after the thief. ”

“ But Wall Street aint any better than the East Side, for all that."
"Some nice gentlemen in Wall Street, though," said Nelson reflectively.
"A high hat don't make an honest man, Nelson; you ought to know that by this time. They are all thieves and swindlers, and an honest man has no show against 'em. If you want to be rich, you've got to be like 'em!" went on Sam Pepper, bringing his fist down on the table at which he sat. "You can't make anything bein' honest."
To this the newsboy remained silent. ”

“ PREFACE.
"Nelson the Newsboy" relates the adventures of a wide-awake lad in the great metropolis. The youth is of unknown parentage and is thrown out upon his own resources at a tender age. He becomes at first a newsboy, and from that gradually works up to something better. He is often tempted to do wrong—the temptation becoming particularly hard on account of his extreme poverty—but there is that in his make-up which keeps him in the right path, and in the end he becomes a victor in more ways than one.
So much for the seamy side of life in New York, which, alas! is by far the greater side. ”

“ Don't you know that Gertrude Horton and Nelson the Newsboy are friends?"
"I've heard they knew each other."
"They are friends."
"What do you know of it?"
"I met her on Broadway one day, and he came up and wouldn't give me a chance to talk to her. Do you know where she is now?"
"No."
"Nelson must know. Question him when he comes in, will you?"
"I will—when he comes. He doesn't live with me any longer, you must remember."
"He doesn't? When did he leave?"
"Yesterday. He and a man have bought out a news stand, and he's going to live near by." ”

“ But Nelson would not listen to it, and so she had to place the piece in her purse again. Then she entered the coach standing near and was driven rapidly away. The newsboy gazed after the coach curiously.
"What a lot of money it must take to keep up such style!" he thought. "Those folks spend more in a week, I guess, than some folks on the East Side spend in a year. I don't wonder Sam is always growling about not being rich—after he's been out among the wealthy people he knows. I must say I'd like to be rich myself, just for once, to see how it feels." ”

“ In his ill humor he served a customer with a steak that was both tough and half burnt. The customer refused to pay for the meat, and a quarrel ensued which ended in a fight. Two tables were overturned and the crockery smashed before the troublesome customer was ejected, and, in the meantime, several other customers slipped out without paying.
"It's no use, Nelson; I'm going to give it up," growled Sam Pepper, when it was after two o'clock, and the run of midday trade had come to an end. "There are easier ways to make a living than by running a lunch-room." ”

“ When Homer Bulson went below he paused in the hallway and glanced through the doorway into the library.
He saw that Gertrude had left the apartment and that it was empty.
None of the servants were about, and the housekeeper, an elderly lady, was also nowhere to be seen.
"I wonder if I dare do it so soon?" he muttered to himself. Then he shut his teeth hard. "I must do something! I have used up my last dollar, and I can't go around empty-handed. Uncle Mark will never grow strong enough to know." ”

“ The matter was talked over for several minutes, and it was finally agreed that Nelson should visit the homes of the two boys while George Van Pelt returned to the news stand to relieve Paul.
Billy Darnley lived on the fourth floor of a large rear tenement on one of the dirtiest streets of the East Side. To get to the place our hero had to pass through an alleyway filled with rubbish and teeming with neglected children. Hardened as he was to the rougher side of city life he could not help but shudder at the sight.
"Poor things! they are a heap worse off than myself," was his thought. ”

“ At this the cripple began to cry.
"Stop that!" called out Nelson. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself. This little girl can't help being a cripple. Perhaps some day you'll be a cripple yourself, and then you won't want anybody to make fun of you." And at this the big girl fell back abashed.
"She always does that," said the cripple. "She's awful mean."
Nelson asked the girl where Billy Darnley lived, and the girl pointed out the rooms. Soon the newsboy was knocking on one of the doors to the apartment. ”

“ The books were passed over, and Homer Bulson drew from his vest pocket a small roll of bills. He handed over a five to George Van Pelt.
"Now begone with you," he said sourly. "And don't ever come near me again for another order."
"Don't worry, I won't come," answered the book agent. "You are too hard a customer to suit."
He pocketed the money and rejoined Nelson on the sidewalk. Then both started to walk away.
As they did so our hero glanced across the way and saw, in a window of the house opposite, the young lady who had offered her assistance after Billy Darnley had robbed him. ”

“ See, I've got a lot of money now. I collared that thief and made him give up what he had left, over three dollars—and I've earned the rest selling papers. That's why I didn't come before. I've fixed it up with Mrs. Kennedy, and you can stay just as long as you please."
"And you are going to pay her?" cried the girl warmly. "Oh, Nelson! you are indeed good-hearted. But, no; I must support myself."
"Well, you needn't hurry about it. I can earn enough for both of us just now—and that's what I am going to do. Why shouldn't I? It was my fault that your uncle put you out." ”

“ I know you. You are Homer Bulson, the fashionable nephew of Mark Horton, and the man who expects to come into a good share of his property when he dies."
"And who are you?"
"I am a man who used to be up in the world, but one who is now down on his luck. I want you to help me. If you will, I'll help you."
At this Homer Bulson was a good deal bewildered.
"I don't understand you. I am not of your kind, my man."
At this Sam Pepper gave a contemptuous sniff.
"If you aint, you aint any better," he growled. "Let me tell you I know a thing or two. I didn't [Pg 76] come here blindly. ”

“ He was not allowed to go near Darnley, and the bully was wise enough to keep his distance.
Slowly the afternoon wore along. The breeze remained good, and having passed Sandy Hook, the Victory stood straight down the New Jersey coast.
"Might as well learn the ropes, sooner or later," said one of the sailors to Nelson, as he lounged up.
"I don't want to learn," was the ready answer. "I wasn't cut out for a sailor. City life is good enough for me."
[Pg 211]
"And I can't stand shore life at all. Queer, aint it? The minit I'm ashore I'm in trouble and wanting to go to sea again." ”

“ Go away, and if you bother me again I shall call a policeman."
"My friend hasn't done anything wrong," put in Nelson boldly. "You ordered some books from him, and you ought to pay for 'em."
"What have you to do with this matter?" demanded the rich young man, staring harshly at our hero.
"This man is my friend, and I don't want to see him swindled," said our hero.
"Swindled!"
"That's it. You ordered some books on poisons from him, and now you don't want to pay for 'em. It's a swindle and an outrage. He's a poor man, and you haven't any right to treat him so." ”

“ The whole place was so uninviting it is a wonder that Sam Pepper had any trade at all. But his prices were low, and this was a large attraction to those whose purses were slim. Besides this Sam never interfered with those who came to patronize him, and it may as well be stated here that many a crime was concocted at those tables, without the police of the metropolis being the wiser. To Sam it made no difference if his customer was the worst criminal on the East Side so long as he paid his way.
"We've all got to live," he would say. ”

“ Business continued good with our hero, and by eleven o'clock he had sold out. Anxious to look the stand over, he hurried off in that direction.
He found old Maxwell sitting on a soap-box, reading a sporting paper. The stand was full of dust and the stock much disarranged. Evidently the owner had lost interest in it.
"I understand you want to sell out," said Nelson.
"I do," answered Maxwell. "Want to buy?"
"I might buy if you sell out cheap enough."
"I want a hundred dollars." ”