jj By HORATIO ALGER, JR.
CIIAPTEIt XIV.
Now that be was again in his native
village, Walter realized how unpleasant
had been his position at Mr. Drummond's
from the new elasticity and cheerfulness
which be felt. There bad been something
gloomy and oppressive in the atmosphere
of bis temporary home at Stapleton, and
he certainly had very little enjoyment in
Joshua's society. Mrs. Drummond wag
the only one for whom he felt the least
regard.
He passed a few days quietly, renewing
old acquaintances and friendships. Nancy
Forbes had gone to live with a brother,
who was an old bachelor, and very glad
to have her with bim. Her savings and
the legacy left her by. Mr. Conrad to
gether amounted to a thousand dollars, or
rather more sufficient to make Nancy
rich, in ber own opinion. But she was
not quite satisfied about the legacy.
"They say, Walter, that you'll be left
poor," she said. "You'll need this money."
"No, I shan't, Nuncy," answered Wal
ler. "Besides, there's a lot of mining
stock that'll come to something I don't
knov how much."
"But I don't feel right about taking
this money, Walter."
"1'uu iiccuu't In.! any si:rup!i.3, Naa
I can take care of myself. I can
laddle my own canoe."
"But you haven't got any canoe." said
Nancy, who did not comprehend the al
lusion. ' "Besides, I don't see how that
would help you to a living."
"I shall get a canoe, then, and I'll steer
It on to fortune."
"At any rule," said Nancy, "I will leave
jou my money when. 1 die.1'
So the conversation ended. Nancy
pureed. Ihougu reluctantly, to take Lhe
legacy, resolved some time or other to
.leave it to Wuller. If she hud known
iiow little he really bud left, she would
nut have consented to accept it at all.
Ube bume evening Walter sut in the law
yers couifortuoie sitting room, and togeth
er lliey discussed the lutuie.
"bo you waul to he u boon agent, Wal
ter?" kuiu Air. Shaw. "1 cuu. t say l tiimn
kciy highly of tuis pluu."
"I uou t lueau to spend my life at it.
I am mure unioiiiuus ihuu mat. But it
will give me u cnuiice to travel wuuout
expense, unci X ahvuys warned to sue some
thing ol the world, lou see, Mr. Snuw,
mat, as 1 am so young, eveu if 1 speua
a year at this business, 1 Khali not he
tou oid to undertake sumeiuiug else after
ttuiu. lu the uieuuuiiiu 1 snail see some
tning of the worid."
"ell, Walter, 1 won't oppose you. If
1 bad not so much cunlidence in you, 1
should warn you of the temptalious that
are likely to beset your youth, left, as
Jou will be, entirely to yourself. Of
course, you will be thrown among all
Jiiuus of associates."
"Yes, sir; but 1 think I shall be wise
enough to avoid what will do me no
00(L '
"So I hope and believe. Now, what is
the name of this publisher you were
speaking of'"
"1'usher. lie's of the firm of Flint &
1'usher."
"1 have beard of them. They are au
nterprising brm."
Un Mouuay morning Mr. Shaw handed
Walter a pocket book containing a roll of
bills, "lou will need some money to de
fray your expenses," he said, "until you
are able to earn something, lou will
find fifty dollars in this pocketbook. There
is no occasion to thank me, for I have
only advanced it from money realized
from your father's estate. If you need
any more, you cuu write me, and I can
eud you a check or money order."
-'"Ihis will be quite enough, Mr. Shaw,"
said Walter, confidently. "It won't be
long before I shall be paying my way ;
at least, 1 hope so. I don't mean t5 be
idle."
"I am sure you won't be, or you will
fcelie your reputation. Well, good-by,
Walter. Write me soon and often. You
know I look upon myself as in some sort
jour guardian.
"I will certainly write you. 'Mr. Shaw.
By the way, I never thought to ask you
about the furniture of my room at the
cssex classical institute. '
"It was purchased by the keeper of the
boarding house ; at a sacrifice, it is true,
but I thought it best to let it go, to save
trouble."
"I should like to see Lem," thought
Walter, with a little sigh as he called to
mind the pleasant hours he had passed
with his school-fellow. "I'll go back and
pay the old institute a visit some time,
after I've got back from my travels."
Walter reached New York by fen
o'clock. Though his acquaintance with
the city streets was Very limited, as he
had seldom visited it, he found his way
without much trouble to the place of
Imsiness of Messrs. Flint & Pusher. As
they did not undertake to do a retail busi
ness, but worked entirely through agents,
their rooms were not on the first floor,
but on the third. Opening the door of
the room, to which he was guided by a
directory in the entry beneath, Walter
found himself in a large apartment, the
tioor of which was heaped up with piles
of books, chiefly octavos. An elderly gen
tleninn, with a partially bald head, and
wearing spectacles, was talking with two
men, probably agents.
"Well, young man," said he, In rather
sharp voice, "what can I do for you?"
"Is Mr. Pusher in?" asked Walter.
H went out for a fsw minutes will
be back directly. ' Did you wish particu
larly to see him?"
"Yes, sir."
"Take a seat then, and wait till he
comes in.
Walter sat down and listened to the
conversation.
"You met with fuir success, then?" In
quired Mr. Flint.
"Yes, the book takes well. I sold ten
in one day, and six and eight in other
days."
Walte pricked up his ears. He won
dered whether the book was the one rec
ommended to him. If so, a sale of ten
copies would enable the agent to realize
twelve dollars and a half, which was cer
tainly doing very well.
Just as the agents were going out, Mr.
Pusher bustled in. Ills sharp eyes fell
upon Walter, whom he Immediately rec
ognized.
"Ila, my young friend, so you have
found us out," he said, offering his hand.
"Yes, sir."
"Come to talk on business, I hope?"
"Yes, sir, that is my object in coming."
"Mr. Flint," said Mr. Pusher, "this is
a young friend whose acquaintance I
made a short time since. I told him, if
ever he wauled euii.cymcr.t, to
here, -and we would give him something
to do." .
Mr. Flint, who was a slower and a
more cautious man than Mr. Pusher, re
garded Walter a little doubtfully.
"Do you mean as an agent I ue said.
"Certainly I do."
"lie seems very young."
"That's true, but age isn't always an
advantage. He looks smart, and I'll guar
antee that he is all he looks. I claim
to be something of a judge of human na
ture, too."
"No doubt you're right," said Mr. Flint,
who was accustomed to defer considerably
to his more impetuous partner. "What's
the young man's name?"
"My name is Walter Conrad," said our
hero.
"Very good. Well, Conrad," contin
ued Mr. Pusher, In an off-hand manner,
"what are your wishes? What book do
you want to take hold of?"
"You mentioned a book the other day
'Scenes in Bible Lands.' "
"Yes, our new book. That would be
as good as any to begin on. How's the
territory, Mr. Flint?"
"Most of the territory nearby Is taken
up," he said. "Hoes Mr. Conrad wish to
operate near home?"
"I would rather go to a distance," said
Walter. ,
"As far as Ohio?"
"Yes."
"In that case you could map out your
own route pretty much. We haven't got
the West portioned out as we have the
Middle and New Kngland States."
"In other words, we can give you a
kind of roving commission, Conrad," put
In Mr. Pusher.
"That would suit me, sir," said Walter.
"Still it would be best not to attempt
to cover too much territory. A rolling
stone gathers no moss, you know. There
is one important question 1 must ask you
to begin with. Have you got any money?"
"Yes, sir, I have fifty dollars."
"Good. Of course, you will need money
to get out to your field of labor, and will
have to pay your expenses till you begin
to earn something. Fifty dollars will an
swer very well."
"As I don't know very well how the
business is managed," Raid Walter, "I
must nsk for instructions."
"Of course. You're a green hand. Sit
down here, and I'll make it all plain1 to
yon."
So Mr. Pusher.x in bis brief, Incisive
way,- explained to Walter how be must
manage. His instructions were readily
comprehended, and Walter, as be listened,
felt eager to enter upon the adventurous
career which he had chosen. ,
CHAPTER XV.
Walter, by advice of Mr. Pusher,
bought a ticket to Cleveland. There was
a resident agent in this city, and a de
pository of books published by the firm
As Walter would be unable to carry with
him as large a supply of books as he
needed, he was authorized to send to the
Cleveland agency when he got out, and
the books would be sent bim by express.
"I will give you a letter to Mr. Greene,
our agent In Cleveland," said Mr. Pusher,
"and you can consult him as to your best
field of operations."
Walter went downstairs, and emerged
into the street. He had no particular
motive for remaining in New York, and
felt eager to commence work. So he
bought a through ticket to Cleveland, via
Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Though ho
had not much money to spare, he deter
mined not to neglect the opportunity he
would have of seeing this great natural
wonder, but to stop over a day In order
to visit the fulls. -
He selected a comfortable seat by a
window, and waited till the train was
ready to start. He realized that he had
engaged In quite a large enterprise for a
boy of fifteen who had hitherto had all
his wants supplied by others. He was
about to go a thousand miles from home,
to earn his own living in other words,
to paddle his own canoe. But he did not
feel In the least dismayed. He was am
bitious and enterprising, and he felt con
fident that be could earn his living as well
as other boys of his age. He had never
been far from home, but felt that ha
should enjoy visiting nsw and unfamiliar
ecenes. So he felt decidedly cheerful and
nopetul as the cars whirled ,jm out 0f
the depot, and he commence') his western
journey.
Walter put his strip of railway ticVets
into his vest pocket, and his pocketbook,
containing the balance of his money, lHto
the pocket of his pantaloons. He wished
to have the tickets at hand when the con
ductor came round. He sat alone at first,
but after a while a lady gut in who rode
thirty miles or more, and then got out
A little later a young man passed through
the cars, looking about him on either side.
He paused at Walter's seat, and inquired,
"Is this seat taken?"
"No, sir," said Walter.
"Then, with your permission, I will
take it," said the stranger. "Tiresome
work traveling, isn't it?"
"I don',t know," said Walter; "I rather
like it ; but then" I never traveled much."
"I have to travel a great deal on busi
ness," said the other, "and I've got tired
of it. How many times do you think I
have been over this road?"
"Couldn't guess."
"This is the fifteenth time. I know it
like a book. How far are you going?"
"To Cleveland."
"Got relations there, I suppose?"
"No," said Walter; "I am going on
business."
He was rather glad to let his compan
ion know that he, too, was in business.
"You're young to be in Imsiness," said
his companion. "What sort of business
is it?"
"I am agent for Flint & Pusher, a -New
York firm."
"Publishers, ain't they?"
"Yes, sir."
Walter's compnnion was a young mnn
of twenty-five, or possibly a year or two
cldr. lie v.-as rather !!a:;!ii!y attired,
with a cutaway coal and a low-cut vest,
double-breasted, across which glittered a
massive chain, which might have been
gold, or miglit only have been gilt, since
all that glitters is uot gold. At any rate,
It answered the purpose of making a
show. His cravat was showy, and his
whole appearance indicated absence of
good taste. A cautious employer would
scarcely have selected him from a crowd
of applicants for a confidential position.
Walter was vaguely conscious of this.
Still be bad seen but little of the world,
and felt incompetent to judge others.
"Are you going right through to Cleve
land?" inquired the stranger.
"No; I think I shall stop at Buffalo. I
want to see Ningara Falls." .
"That's right. Better see them. They're
stunning."
"I suppose you have been there?" said
Walter, with some curiosity.
"Oh, yes, several times. I've a great
mind to go again and show you around,
but I don't know if I can spare so long
a time from business."
"I should like your company," said
Walter, politely ; "but I don't want to
interfere with your engagements."
"I'll think of it, and see how I can
arrange matters," said the other.
Walter was not particularly anxious
for the continued society of his present
companion. He was willing enough to
talk with him, but there was something
in his appearance and manner which pre
vented his being attracted to bim. He
turned away and begun to view the aeon
cry through which they were passing. The
stranger took out a newspaper, and ap
peared to be reading attentively. Half
an hour passed thus without a word being
spoken on either side. At length his com
panion folded up the paper.
"Do you smoke?" he asked.
"No," said Walter.
"I think I'll go into the smoking car
and smoke a cigar. I should like to offer
you one if you will take one."
"No, thank you," said Walter ; "I don't
smoke, and I am afraid my first cigar
wouldu't give me much pleasure."
"I'll be back in a few minutes. Per
haps you'd like to look over this paper
while I am gone."
"Thank you," said Walter.
lie took the paper an illustrated week
ly and looked over the pictures with con
siderable interest. He bad just com
menced reading a story when a boy pass
ed through lhe car with a basket of
oranges and apples depending from bis
arm.
"Oranges apples !" he called out, look
ing to the right and left in quest of cus
tomcrs.
The day was warm, and through the
open window dust had blown Into the
car. Walter's throat felt parched, and
the oranges looked tempting.
"How much are your oranges?" ha in
quired.
"Five cents apiece, or three for a dime,"
answered the boy.
"I'll take three," said Walter, reflect
ing that he could easily dispose of two
himself, and considering that it would
only be polite to offer one to his compan
ion, whose paper he was reading, when
he should return.
"Here are three nice ones," said the
boy, picking them out and placing (hem
In our hero's hands.
Walter felt in his vest pocket, thinking
he had a little change there. He proved
to be mistaken. There was nothing in
that pocket except his railway tickets.
Next, of course, be felt for bis pocket
book, but he felt for it in vain. Hf
Btarted In surprise.
"I thought my pocketbook was In that
pocket," be reflected. "Can it ibe in tht
other?"
He felt in the other pocket, but search
here was equally fruitless. He next felt
nervously In the pocket of bis coat,
though he was sure he couldn't have put
his pocketbook there. Then It flashed'
upon him, with a feeling of dismay, that
he had lost his pocketbook and all his
remaining money. How or where, he
could -not possibly, imagine, for the sudden
ness of the discovery quite bewildered
him.
"I won't take the oranges," he said t
the boy. "I can't find my money,"
(To be continued.)
y Comfort.
One cup sugar and two eggs beaten
together, one-hnlf teaspoon salt, one
cup sweet milk, three cups flour, one
tennnoon baking powder. Have ready
a deep pun of hot lard and dip in a
tublespoonful tit a time, as If frying
doughnuts. Dip your spoon In hot lard
first nnd the mixture will not stick to
the spoon. When brown on one side
they will turn over. Fry brown and
lay on paper to drnln. Do not put
too ninny In nt mice, as they must have
room to turn over.
Almond Meal.
Oatmenl merely softens the water;
almond meal is a substitute for soap.
Jt Is made of 4 ounces of best almond
meal, an ounce of powdered orris root,
2 ounces of caustic sonp ground to it
powder, half a dram of oil of berga-
inot nnd four drops of oil of bitter al
monds. Mix well, and keep on the
dressing stnnd In tightly covered glass
jnr. When washing pour n little of the
meal into the hands nnd use as sonp,
treating the face with It.
- Maple anil Prune Padding.
Sank two cups of well-washed prunes
In water to cover overnight. In the
, morning simmer until prefectly tender,
j then remove seeds nnd stir in one cup
. ful of chopped maple sugar, cut In
small pieces. The prunes should be
I nearly dry. Cover with a good biscuit
uougn, ronea turn with a linir cupful
of shaved maple sngnr rolled over it.
Bake In a quick oven nnd serve with
Team.
Oatmenl Water.
A simple but ellicacious spring medi
cine is oatmeal water. To make a
tablespoonful of any steam-cooked va
riety Is put nt night into a glassful of
I water and let stand until morning. The
' liquid Is then thoroughly stirred and
strained off, the water being drunk as
soon as one gets out of bed. This
decoction may be taken every morning
'of the year, nnd undoubtedly has vir
tues. Lemon Sherbet.
Squeeze all the Juice from six lemons
and on large orange. Put Into this
j the grated rind of the orange and of
three of the lemons and let It steep
I for an hour. Strain In a bag, squeez
ing 'this hard, add two cups granulated
sugar and one pint water. Mix well
nnd put Into a freezer. Turn until
frozen, pack and let It stnnd for an
hour before serving.
How to Save Pie Jolcea.
In bnklng any kind of Juloy pies,
after getting the pie ready for the
oven, take a strip of muslin cloth
about an Inch and a half wide, wring
out of cold water, nnd put it around
ff'ge of pie, one-half on pie tin, and
none of the Juice will run out In the
oven. When done lift the cloth right
off the pie.
Lemon Costard PnddlnK.
Ivjiitit.il iiuu ll 11 Ll jmic ivi luiiiiiiin,
one largo cup sugar, four heaping
tablespoons corn starch. Stir together
and add two large cups boiling wuter
anil a tablespoon butter and let boil
' until It looks clear.' Add yolks of three
eggs, lastly the well-bejilen whites
stirred In well. When cold serve with
whipped cream.
Apple Snuee Cake.
Stir Into one cupful sweetened apple
sauce one teaspoonful soda. Cream half
' cup butter with one cup sugar and half
j tenspoonful salt. Bent this well Into
the apple sauce, adding one cup raisins
j or currants, or both, mixed, and spices
to taste. Last of all stir In one pint
flour. Buke in a loaf In slow oven,
Brown Bettr.
Slice apples fine, crumble your bread
nnd put a layer of crumps in pudding
! dish, then a layer of apples. Sprinkle
with cinnamon and currants. Continue
1 -until you have amount required, then
drop bits of butter here and there on
j top. Add a little water and cook In
slow oven until brown.
How to Jo line EirST.
Boiled eggs which adhere to the shell
are fresh. A good egg will sink In
water. Stale eggs nre glassy and
smooth of shell. The shell of a fresh
egg has a lline-llko surface. A boiled
egg which is done pud dries qtilckly
an the shell when taken from the sauce
pan Is fresh.
Maple Parfalt.
Beat four eggs slightly In a double
boiler, pour In one cup of hot maplo
sirup, stirring nil the time. Cook until
thick, cool, and ndd one pint of thick
cream beaten stiff. Pour Into a mold
and pnek In equal parts of Ice and salt
Let stand three hours.
Insimlloni,
A sponging with a solution of one
part ammonia to ten parts of water Is
, said to brighten the colors of a faded
(carpet
SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY
Boats of 2 "0 to 3,(X;0 tonnage now
ply between Japan and Formosa on
regular three mid live-day schedules.
A discovery of large dtioslts of tin
ore Is reported as having been made
recently In the Brooks mountains In
Alaska. The details of the strike are
not given.
In the public schools of Strassburg,
Germany, men teachers get $342.72 to
$037.72 per annum, according to tha
years of service, and women teachers
get from $333.20 to $0(511.40. :
In consequence of a Lahore literary
society announcing a lecture, "Man, tho
Index of Creation," the city authorities
sent twenty-five armed constables down
to the lecture hall, which only held
tifty people. Labor Tribune.
Au Incandescent lamp in its green
shade will, when ttisned upward to
ward the celling, sprend a soft and
pleasantly diffused light, plenty strong
enough for a room where no one Is
reading. When the lamp Is so used no
shadows nre cast
Science so far hns failed to furnish
any explanation of the mystery of seed
less fruits. They nre not the outcome
of the work of man. Man perpetuates
them ; he does no more. The seedlesH
orange was found In a state of seed
lessuess. Vegetarian.
A Boston woman who has Just cele
brated her golden anniversary as a
cook boasts of having mnde and cooked
81)4,000 pies, 2,000,000 doughnuts nnd
something more than 1,500,000 pud
dings, besides a multitude of other
dainties and no end of baked beans.
Her receipts nre all her own nnd sho
refuses to write a cook book.
The clubwomen of Massachusetts are
fighting against the movement to lower
the milk standard In that State. This
fight is snld to be winning more re
cruits to the cause of woman suffrage
than nnythlng that has come up In the
last ten yeurs. Mothers hnve como to
ngree with Mrs. Chnrlotte Perkins Gil
man In asserting that politics which af
fects the purity of milk and water Is
"not outside tho home, but inside the
baby."
During the year ending Inst month
there were 485 new electric plants put
Into ojieratlon in the United States,
Canada nnd Mexico, which mnkes the
total 5,408. The activity in the electri
cal industry from the most recent fig
ures shows a decided inclination to re
cover from the fluanclnl stress which
has been affecting all business during
the Inst year. The gain Is equally pro
nounced when the Item of cnpttnliza
tlon Is considered.
"Bushranger," once a respectable
term, has now sunk to the lowest
depths. In the early Australian news
papers such advertisements ns "Want
ed, a good bushranger," were quite
common. The word then was synony
mous with "bushman," one skilled -n
knowledge and experience of bush Mfi
But now a "good bushranger" would be
as ridiculous as an honest burger, for
n bushranger Is the superlative bad
man of the antipodes a bank robber, a
despoller of gold escorts and mall
coaches und the terror of the country
side. "Alligator" Is merely another form of
tho Spanish "el lagarto," the lizard.
Slniksiienre classed the nlllgator its n,
fish, to Judgo from Komeo's description
of the contents of the apothecary's
simp: "An nlllgator stuff'd, and other
skins of ill-shaped fishes." Somewhat
like "alligator," the lizard is the "hy
ena," which merely means sow, and
"ostrlcih," which conies from the Latin
word for bird and a Greek word that
meant either a sparrow or an ostrich,
ns the case might be any bird, In fact.
The ostrich is Just the "bird-bird," ac
cording to etymology.
So great have been the ravages
caused by the dodder a leafless, twin
ing, pnrlslflc plant that a decree has
been Issued by the French president
prohibiting Its Importation into th
country. It Is a veritable agricultural
scourge, attacking and destroying hops,
vines, clover, peus, tomatoes and many
other kinds of agricultural produce.
Onco having found Its wny Into nny
district, it is most dlfllcult to get rid
of, nnd constitutes a permanent source
of nnxlety to tho farmer. Cutting
down, burning and poison hnve all been
tried with unsatisfactory results.-
London Globe.
Massage, as a remedy for Insomnia
and other Ills, is most ancient. Tho
very word "massage" comes from the
Arublc word "mass." It was stolen
from the Arabian doctors by the
French doctors. In the "Odyssey" tho
heroes arc tuassnged after a battle. The
word "shampoo" Is from tho Indian
word "tshanipun." Masseurs were em
ployed In India by Alexauder the.
Great. Mnssnge is one of the things
they discovered ln anclwit China. Cap
tain Cook was massaged for a quarter
of an hour by twelve natives of Tahiti.
They cured his rheumatism. Paracel
sus tells how the Egyptians practiced
massage.