Horatio Alger Jr.

“ Entering, he saw the dude stretched out in his berth, with an expression of helpless terror in his weak face.
“Oh! Mr. Vane,” he said; “do you think we are going to the bottom?”
“I hope not, Mr. Clinton. Our officers are skillful men. They will do all they can for us.”
It was a terrible night. None of the passengers ventured upon deck. Indeed, such was the motion that it would have been dangerous, as even the sailors found it difficult to keep their footing. Harry was pale and quiet, unlike his friend from Brooklyn, whose moans were heard mingled with the noise of the tempest. ”

“ You need not deny it, for I saw you draw it from the bank and put it away.”
“Are you a thief, then?” demanded Herbert.
“No matter what I am, I must have that money,” said the stranger. “I came over with you exclusively to get it, and I mean business.”
He made a step towards Herbert, but the boy faced him unflinchingly, and answered resolutely: “I mean business, too. The money is not mine, and I shall not give it up.”
“Take care!” said the other, menacingly, “we are alone here. You are a boy and I am a man.” ”

“ Marmaduke sadly shook his head as he walked away.
“That man’s a walking drug store,” said the mate, looking after him. “I’d rather go to Davy’s locker, and be done with it, than to fill myself up with pills and potions.”
“You’re looking chipper, my boy,” said a newcomer, in a nasal voice. “Haven’t been seasick, I guess.”
Harry recognized the voice of the Yankee inventor, Jonathan Stubbs.
“No, sir; I have had very little trouble.”
“I’m goin’ to get up a cure for seasickness when I have time—a kind of a self-acting, automatic belt—I guess there’d be plenty of money in it.” ”

“ In the middle of the entertainment was a recess of ten minutes, which most of the audience spent in conversation.
Miss Carrie began again to speak of Philip.
“Oh,—uncle,” she said, “I’m so glad you know that lovely boy-player! He is earning lots of money.”
“Is he!” asked the squire, pricking up his ears. “Who told you so?”
“One of the young men that belongs to the club told me they were to pay him ten dollars for playing to-night.”
“Ten dollars!” ejaculated the squire, in amazement. “I don’t believe it! It’s ridiculous!”
“Oh, yes, it is true!” said Mrs. Cunningham. ”

“ Your aunt has been long a member of my family. I am glad to see a nephew of hers. I believe you are a salesman at Gilbert & Mack’s?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then you must know my young friend here?” pointing to Frank.
“How are you, Cash?” said Thomas, laughing, under the impression that he had said something smart.
“Very well, Mr. Bradley,” answered Frank, quietly.
“You see, that’s all the name we call ‘em in the store,” said Thomas.
Mr. Wharton could not help thinking:
“How poorly this young man compares with my young friend. Still, as he is Mrs. Bradley’s nephew, I must be polite to him.” ”

“ Now hand over the bonds, if you value your life.”
He spoke sternly and looked so fierce that the boy messenger became more and more alarmed. He saw that he must give up the package, but determined to hold out in his resistance as long as possible.
“The package is not mine, and I have no right to surrender it,” he said.
“I’ll take the responsibility, boy. You can’t be blamed, for you can’t help yourself.”
As he spoke he passed his hand over Ernest’s vest, which he saw projected more than was usual, and discovered the hiding place of the important package. ”

“ At my age a man prefers to linger by his own fireside. You are not afraid of rheumatism?" he added, in a jocular tone.
"No, sir."
After a pause Mr. Nugent resumed:
"Two days ago I received a letter from Montana, from a man I supposed to be dead.
"The contents took me very much by surprise. I will read you the letter, and this will prepare the way for the proposal I will make you."
The old gentleman drew from his desk a letter written on coarse paper, and addressed in a hand made tremulous by age or infirmity.
It was post-marked at Campville, Montana. ”

“ That was no young man’s face that met his gaze. The freshness of youth, had given place to the grave careworn look of later years. The once dark hair was threaded here and there with silver. The smooth brow was sown with premature wrinkles. The cheek had lost its bloom, and was now thin and sallow. In all this there was no deception. But even if this had not been sufficient, he had but to look towards the bed, to realize how time had passed. That thin, shrunken old man who lay there—was that his father? No, there was no mistaking all this; these years of estrangement were no vain imaginings ”

“ Of one thing I am resolved—Gertrude shall do as she pleases if only she remains with me, and she shall have half of my fortune when I die."
At last it was nine o'clock, and then the sick man became more nervous than ever. Every time a woman appeared on the dimly lit street he would watch her eagerly until she went past the mansion.
"She will not come!" he groaned. "She will not come!"
At ten o'clock Mrs. Conroy tried to get him to bed, but he was stubborn and would not go. Another hour went by, and then another. As the clock struck twelve Mark Horton fell forward in his chair. ”

“ Such was his determination.
“I am going out this morning,” said the housekeeper. “I will make it in my way to call at Gilbert & Mack’s. My nephew is a salesman there, as I have told you. I will drop a word in his ear, and that will be enough to settle that boy’s hash.”
“Your language is professional, Mrs. Bradley,” said John Wade, laughing, “but you shouldn’t allude to hash in an aristocratic household. I shall be glad to have you carry out your plan.”
“I hope you’ll speak to your uncle about my nephew, Mr. John. He gets very poor pay where he is.” ”

“ If she is planning to entrap me, she won't make as much as she anticipates."
Mark had the rings, each in a little morocco case, carefully laid away in the inside pocket of his coat.
When they reached Canal Street, to Mark's surprise, his cousin Edgar entered the car. He did not recognize Mark at first, the latter no longer wearing the messenger's uniform.
"How do you do, Cousin Edgar?" said Mark.
Edgar turned sharply around.
"Oh, it's you, is it?" he said. "Please don't call me cousin."
"I am just as much ashamed of the relationship as you are," responded Mark with a comical smile. ”

“ Mebbe you've been at his store."
"Mebbe I have."
"I ginerally call to see my darter—her name is Nancy—once a week; but it's rather hard for me to walk, now I'm getting' on in years."
"You're most eighty, ain't you?" appeared to proceed from Harry's mouth. Our hero's face twitched and he had hard work to keep from laughing.
"Indeed, I'm not!" said the old lady, indignantly.
"I'm only sixty-seven and folks say I don't look more'n sixty," and the old lady looked angrily at Harry.
"You must excuse him, ma'am," said the professor, soothingly. "He is no judge of a lady's age." ”

“ At half-past six the door opened, and a slender, dark-haired boy entered the room.
"How do you feel, father?" asked the boy, with a glance of sympathy toward his suffering parent.
"No better, Harold. It is very trying to be tied hand and foot by pain when I ought to be at work."
"If your father would worry less," said Mrs. Kent, a pleasant-looking woman, somewhat younger than her husband, "he would be more likely to get well."
"How can I help worrying, Clara? We are barely able to live when I can work. Now, with only Harold's wages coming in, it is difficult to tell how we shall come out. ”

“ I've never had an invitation to call upon her. I guess she was too much set up by her marriage to a rich man to notice a workin'-man. You see, I ain't one of your 'ristocrats—I'm only a blacksmith, and have to work hard for a living."
"You are none the worse for that, Mr.——" here Gerald hesitated, for he had not yet learned the name of his new acquaintance.
"Crane—Alonzo Crane—that's my name, young man. I'm glad you don't put on no airs, even if your father was a rich man. Do you know anything of my sister's son, Abel?"
"Yes, sir; he is in Portville, living with his mother." ”

“ The man is found, and he can doubtless produce the boy.”
“Wait!” she said, in an imperious tone, to the servant, who was about to withdraw. “There is an answer.”
She hastily penciled the following note:
“I am very glad you have found Rudolph Rugg. I wish to speak to him at once. Send him here directly.”
“Short and not sweet!” commented the lawyer, when it was placed in his hands. “She says nothing about the compensation.”
“Is it about me?” asked the tramp.
Yes; it is from Mrs. Middleton. She wants you to come to the hotel at once. ”

“ Hartley gave the proper address. Fifteen minutes afterward the cab drew up before Mrs. Brown's door, and Hartley, springing from it, rang the bell. It so happened that Mrs. Brown was out, and a servant answered the bell. She looked inquiringly at the visitor.
"A lady lives here with a little girl," he said, quickly.
"Yes, sir; Mrs. Mordaunt."
"Precisely; and the little girl is named Althea."
"You are right, sir."
"Mrs. Mordaunt has been run over by a street-car, and been carried into my house. She wishes the little girl to come at once to her."
"Is she much hurt?" asked Nancy, anxiously. ”

“ Shut up the box, I say."
"You are an old man. You can't live long. This money won't do you any good. You won't live to enjoy it. Give me half." And as he spoke he deposited in his pocket the handful of coins he had already taken.
This was too much for the old man. With an effort he rose to his feet and staggered to where the intruder was kneeling.
"Go away; go away at once!" he cried out, in agitation. "You are a thief. I don't believe you are a Nixon at all."
He tried to seize Ralph by the shoulder, but only fell over him. ”

“ The muslin curtains of the front windows were in a blaze, and the flames had spread to the neighboring woodwork.
"Tear down the curtains, Gerald," said Mr. Crane. "You will soon have help. I hear the engine outside. I will attend to the old gentleman."
With the strength which might naturally be expected from a blacksmith, he took up the old man in his arms, and carried him down-stairs. It was none too soon. Mr. Nugent was in a faint, and was half-suffocated by the smoke. On his way Alonzo met some of the Portville firemen, whom he directed to the room. ”

“ Abner was pleased with this compliment to his prowess, and wouldn’t have minded another tussle with the tramp.
Where do you think that chap you call Rudolph is?” he asked.
He’s searching for me, I expect,” said Tony. “If I’m not careful he’ll get hold of me.”
Just then a neighbor’s boy, named Joe, came to the house on an errand. He was almost Tony’s size. He waited about, not seeming in any hurry to be gone.
Abner,” said the farmer, “if you’ve got nothing else to do, you may load up the wagon with hay and carry it to Castleton. We shall have more than we want.” ”

“ Getting behind several other people, he drew close to the youth and saw him send the message and pay a good round price for it.
"That message is going to Chicago, and I know it," he told himself, after following Robert to the road once more. "Now what did it contain? Has my aunt got wind of that forged check already? If so, I must act quickly, or my cake will be dough. Whatever comes, she must never live to alter her will."
All that night he brooded over the way matters had turned. He felt that he would be made a beggar did his aunt discover the forgery. ”

“ The niggers are getting so they are not worth their keep."
"But you told me yesterday that we had less than a thousand dollars left in the bank."
"It's true, too."
"What do you propose doing when that is gone?"
"Oh! our credit is still good," was the lofty answer.
"But that won't last forever, St. John."
"Something may turn up."
"Everything seems to prosper at Alice's place," went on Mrs. Mary Ruthven, referring to the home of Marion and Jack.
"I know that."
"And we are continually running behind. St. John, you ought to get after the niggers and other help." ”

“ The young man's face brightened, but then it fell again.
"A thousand dollars isn't much," he ventured.
"It is enough."
"Make it five thousand, aunt, and I'll agree never to bother you again."
"No, I will not give you a cent more than the thousand dollars, and Robert shall buy your passage ticket."
"Always that boy!" howled the young man. "Cannot you trust me even to buy my own ticket?"
"I am sorry to say I cannot."
"You won't make it two thousand?" pleaded the wayward nephew.
"Well, I will give you fifteen hundred dollars," replied Mrs. Vernon, weakening a little. ”

“ The career of "The Errand Boy" embraces the city adventures of a smart country lad. Philip was brought up by a kind-hearted innkeeper named Brent. The death of Mrs. Brent paved the way for the hero's subsequent troubles. A retired merchant in New York secures him the situation of errand boy, and thereafter stands as his friend.
Tom Temple's Career. By Horatio Alger, Jr. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00.
Tom Temple is a bright, self-reliant lad. He leaves Plympton village to seek work in New York, whence he undertakes an important mission to California. ”

“ You speak as if I were a nursery maid.”
“I beg your pardon, ma’am. No offense was meant.”
“Then none is taken. But remember my caution.”
She stepped into the hansom which was waiting for her, and Rudolph remained standing on the sidewalk.
She’s puttin’ on airs,” said the tramp, frowning. “She forgets all about her bein’ a governess once without five pounds in the world. She acts as if she was a lady born. I don’t like it. She may try her airs on others, but not on Rudolph Rugg. He knows a little too much about you, Mrs. Harvey Middleton. ”