Strong and Steady
By HORATIO
CHAPTER XXIII. (Continued.)
Leaving Walter busily engaged in sell
ing books, we will glance at the Drum
mond household, and Inquire how the
members of that Interesting family fared
.fter Walter's departure.
Joshua's discontent Increased dally. He
was now eighteen, and his father abso
lutely refused to increase his allowance
of twenty-five cents a week, which was
certainly ridiculously small for a boy of
his age.
While he was thinking this matter over
a dangerous thought entered his mind.
His father, he knew, had a small brass
nailed trunk, in which he kept his money
and securities. He had seen him going
to it more than once.
"I wonder how much he's got in It,"
thought Joshua. "As it's all coming to
me some day there's no harm In my
Vnoadng."
There seemed little chance of finding
out, however. The trunk was always
locked, and Mr. Drummond carried the
key about with him in his pocket. If Jie
had been a careless man, there might
hove been some chance of his some day
leaving the trunk unlocked, or mislaying
the key ; but in money matters Mr. Drum
mond was never careless. Joshua would
lmie obiljiul to wait years, if h
had depended upon this contingency.
One day, however, Joshua found in the
road a bunch of keys of various sizes at
tached to a ring. He cared very little
to whom they belonged, but it flashed
upon him at once that one of these keys
might fit his father's strong box. He hur
ried home at once with his treasure and
ran upstairs breathless with excitement,
lie knew where the trunk was kept. Mr.
Drummond, relying on the security of the
lock, kept It In the closet of his bed
chamber.
Joshua made his way at once to the
closet, and, entering, 'began to try his
keys, one after the other. The very
last one was successful in opening the
trunk.
Joshua trembled with excitement as he
.w the contents of the trunk laid open
j his gaze. He turned over the papers
nervously, hoping to come upon some rolls
of bills. In one corner he found fifty
dollars in gold pieces. Besides these,
there were some mortgages, in which be
felt little Interest. But among the con
tents of the trunk were some folded pa
pers which he recognized at once as Unit
ed States bonds. Opening one of them,
he found it to be a Five-Twenty bond for
five hundred dollars.
Five hundred dollars ! What could he
not do with five hundred dollars! He
could go to the city and board and enjoy
bimself meanwhile, till he could find a
place. His galling dependence would be
over, and he would be his own master.
True, it would be a theft, but Joshua
had an excuse ready.
"It will all be mine some day," he said
to himself. "It's only taking a part of
my own in advance."
He seized the gold and the bond, hast
ily concealing both in his breast pocket,
went downstairs, first locking the trunk,
and putting it away where he found it.
He got out of the house without his
mother seeing him, and made his way to
a railway station four miles distant,
where he purchased a ticket for New
York.
He took a seat by a window, and, as
the car began to move, he said to himself,
in exultation, "Now I am going to see
life."
CHAPTER XXIV.
Three months later Walter arrived at
Columbus, the capital of the State, after
a business tour of considerable length,
during which he had visited from twenty
to thirty different towns and villages. He
had now got accustomed to the business,
and understood better what arguments to
employ to those whom he wished to pur
chase his book. The consequence was
that he had met with a degree of success
which had far exceeded his anticipations.
He had tested his powers, and found
that they were quite equal to the task
he had undertaken that of earning his
own living. He had paddled his own canoe
thus far without assistance, and he felt
confident that, if bis health continued
good, be should be able to do so here
after. After eating supper, and spending an
liour or two in the public room of the
liotel, Walter went up to his room. Here
tie took out a blank boot, in which he
kept an account of his sales and expendi
tures, and, taking a piece of paper, fig
ured up the grand result. He wished to
Vnow just how he stood.
After a brief computation, he said,
with satisfaction, "I have sold two hun
dred mid' eighty books, which gives a
gross profit of three hundred and fifty
dollars. My expenses have been exactly
two hundred and sixty three dollars. That
'eaves me eighty-seven dollars net profit."
This was a result which might well
yield Walter satisfaction. He was only
f ftcen, 'and this was his first business ex
perience. Moreover, he was nearly a
thousand miles away from home and
friends, surrounded by strangers. Yet, by
his energy and business ability, he had
been able to pay all his expenses, and
these, of course, were considerable, as he
was constantly moving, and yet had made
. dollar a day clear profit.
"That Is rather better than working for
my board In Mr. Drummond'i store," he
reflected. ."I am afraid it would have
taken me a long time to make my for
tune if I had stayed there. I wonder
ALGER, JR.
how my amiable cousin Joshua is getting
along."
This thought led to the sudden recol
lection that he had written to Mr. Shaw,
asking him to write to the hotel at Co
lumbus, where he was now stopping, giv
ing him any news that he might consider
interesting. Such a letter might be await
ing him.
He went downstairs, and approached
the clerk.
"Have any letters been received here
for me?" he Inquired.
"What name?" asked the clerk.
"Walter Conrad."
"There is a letter for that address. It
was received a week since." '
"Give it to me," said Walter, eagerly.
Ho took the letter, and recognized at
once In the address Clement Shaw's Ir
regular handwriting. Cut off, as he had
been for over a month, from all com
munication with former friends, he grasp
ed the letter with a sensation of joy, and
hurried back to his room to read it quiet
ly, and without risk of Interruption.
The letter ran as follows:
"My Dear Young Friend I have just
received your letter asking me to write
you at Columbus. I am glad to obtain
your address, as I have a matter of im
frtiinw to nonV of. First, however, let
me congratulate you on the success you
have met with as a book agent. It is not
a business to which I should advise you
to devote yourself permanently ; but I
have no doubt that the experience which
you acquire, and the necessary contact
into which it brings you with different
classes of people.-will do you good, while
the new scenes which it brings before
your eyes will gratify the natural love
of adventure which you share in common
with those of your age. When you sot
out, I had misgivings as to your success,
I admit. It was certainly an arduous
undertaking for a boy of fifteen ; but
you have already demonstrated that you
are able to paddle your own canoe, and
I shall hereafter feel confident of your
success in life, so far at least as relates
to earning your living. That you may
also be successful in building up a good
character, and taking an honorable posi
tion among your fellow-men, I earnestly
hope. i
"I now come to the business upon which
I wish to speak to you.
"You will remember that a man named
James Wall was prominently identified
with the Great Metropolitan Mining Com
pany, by which your poor father lost his
fortune. Indeed, this Wall, who la a
plausible sort of fellow, was the one who
Induced him to embark in this disastrous
speculation. I suspect he has feathered
hid own nest pretty well already, and
that he intends to do so still more. I
was surprised to hear from him some
ten days since. I will not copy the let
ter, but send you the substance of it He
reports that In winding up the affairs of
the company there is a prospect of real
izing two per cent for the stockholders,
which, as your father owned a thousand
shares, would yield two thousand dollars.
It may be some time, he adds, before the
dividend will be declared and paid. He
professes a willingness, however to pay
two thousand dollars cash for a transfer
of your father's claims upon the com
pany. "Now, two thousand dollars are not
to be despised ; but my impression is that
such a man as James Wall would never
have made such an offer if he had not
expected the assets would amount to
considerably more than two per cent. I
am unwilling to close with the offer until
I know more about the affairs of the
company. Here it has struck me that
you can be of assistance. This Wall lives
in a town named I'ortville, in Wiscon
sin, on the shore of Lake Superior. I
would suggest that you change your name,
go at once to I'ortville, and find out
what you can. I can give you no in
structions, but must trust to your own
native shrewdness, in which I feel sure
you are not deficient. If it. should be
necessary to give up your present busi
ness, do so without hesitation, since the
other business is of more importance. I
will write Mr. Wall that I have his offer
under consideration. If you need money,
draw upon me.
"I hear that Joshua Drummond has
run away from home, carrying away con
siderable money belonging to his father.
The latter appears to lament the loss of
bis money more than of his son.
"I remain your sincere friend,
"CLEMENT SHAW."
This letter gave Walter much food for
reflection. He determined to give up his
book agency, and leave as soon as pos
sible for I'ortville. It was encouraging
to think that, in any event, he was likely
to realize two thousand dollars from the
mining shares, which he had looked upon
as valueless. Besides, he felt there was
every reason to hope they would prove
even more valuable.
Three days later, having closed his ac
counts as agent, he started for Portvllle.
He had made a new start in life, and
this unexpected money would prove a
stepping stone to new ambitions. His
future proved his courage and integrity,
with his motto always, "Strong and
Steady."
Walter found a cheap boarding house
and gave his name as Carl Walters. He
at once made inquiries about James Wall,
lie found out that Wall was regarded as
a shrewd speculator and was associated
with several men of dubious business rep
utation in various copper and Iron min
ing enterprises.
The man had an office employing sev
eral clerks, who' sent out considerable
advertising matter offering shares of stock
to investors at a distance. Walter man
aged to get employment In the office.
Within five days he had learned all the
Ins and outs of the business; In ten he
was ready to make a move in his own in
terests. The stock for which Shaw had been
offered two thousand dollars he discov
ered was really worth ten thousand dol
lars. .
Walter hired a lawyer. When he left
Portville he carried with him a check for
a small fortune.
Stapleton was his destination. Walter
decided to Invest some of his money in
a general store there. Joshua Drummond
was surprised and indignant when he
learned of this new business rival, but
Walter went steadily on his way. He
made a complete success of the enterprise.
New ambitions arose as time went on,
and his future proved his courage and
integrity with his motto always "Strong
and Steady."
(TmbEnb.)
THE ART OP JUGGLIUQ.
It Demand Much Hard Work and
Unlimited Patience.
"To be a successful Juggler It Is nec
essary to possess Infinite patience.
Some tricks require Btich long and con
tinuous practice thnt unless a mnn pos
sessed great patience and unlimited
powers of perseverance lie would de
spair of ever being able to perform
them," says Paul Cinquevnlll, In the
St. Louis Post-Dispatch. ''Take a trick,
for example, like balancing a tnll glass
on four straws placed on the forehead.
Tt looks enoy enousrli. but It took me
years of practice before I could do It.
While I am balancing the glass I also
Juggle with five lints at the same time.
I never, as a matter of fact, see the
hats. They are handed to me by my
assistant, and I then set them going,
but the whole time my eyes are fixed
on the straws upon which the glass Is
balanced. If I took my eyes from the
straws for a hundredth part of a eec-,
ond their balance would lie upset I
know instinctively where the hats are
all the time and know exactly where
each hat is when I put out my baud to
catch it
"It took me close on eight years
practice before I was nble to balance
two billiard bnlls ou top of each other
and then balance the two on a billiard
cue. I started practicing It nu hour a
day, as a rule. After a couple of years'
practice one night I woke up, having
dreamed that I bad performed It. I
got up, rushed downstairs and began to
practice with my cue and two billiard
balls, and at the first attempt I bal
anced them. About five years later I
performed the feat in wHAe.
"For the cannon ball trick I first
used a wooden ball weighing Just one
pound. I caught It on the wrong place
and was knocked senseless, but I kept
on practicing until I found out how to
do It. Now I use an iron ball weighing
sixty pounds. If I didn't catch the
ball on the right place on the back of
my neck it would kill me, but there Is
no chance of my making a mistake."
Billboards aa Nuisances.
California reports an lnspir'ntr ad
vance In the campaign against offensive
posters, ' billboards and advertising
boardings In the Judicial decision that
such objects are nuisances, subject to
abatement by the police authorities un
der the common law, says the New
York Tribune. It was nrgued that any
thing needlessly offensive to the senses
was a nuisance. A soap factory or a
pigsty would not lie tolerated In close
proximity to residences because of the
vile odors which would outrage the
sense of smell. A stone crusher or a
boiler factory would be similarly for
bidden because of the outrage upon the
sense of hearing. But the eyes are as
precious as the nose or enrs, and the
sense of sight, the most useful and val
uable of all the senses, Is as much en
titled to protection ngalnst outrage as
any other. So It was contended, and
It was decided by the Judge that post
ers or billboards which grossly offended
the eye were for that reason nuisances
and might be suppressed as such.
Surfacing Natural Wood.
White pine, birch, cherry, whltewood,
maple, sycamore, gum and hemlock
need no filling nt all. They are classed
as the close grained woods, and their
surface presents no pores or cellular tis
sue to be filled. Still the surface needs
to be sealed up so the wood will not
suck the oil out of the vnrnlsh. This
Is called surfacing. It consists of coat
ing the surface with shellac and then
sandpapering down to a smooth finish.
When thus treated the wood la ready
for the varnish.
night Kind for lllm.
"Boss," said the waiter, "there Is a
copper outside and he wants me to
make him a snndwlch. What kind
should I make him?" ,
"A copper?" laughed the restaurant
proprietor. "Oh, make him a clubsauuV
wlch."
His One Bpech.
"Did you ever nrnke a speech?"
"Yes."
"Was It well received?"
"No."
"What did you say?"
"Not guilty." The Tatler.
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
New Canning Process Preserves Nat
ural Color and Flavor.
Prcparsd by James Dryden, Oregxm Agricultural
Colics. Corvallia.
Certain fruits and vegetables ma)
be preserved in such a way that they
will retain indefinitely their original
flavor, color and structure. This is in
the nature of a discovery, made by
Prof. F. F. Pernot, of the Oregon Ag
ricultural college. A report of Prof.
Pernot's investigations is given in
Bulletin No. 87 of the Experiment sta
tion, Corvallis, and for the benefit of
the housekeeper who is wrestling with
the canning problem we give the sa
'ient points of the bulletin.
Successful canning is a question ot
sterilizing. If a can of fruit spoils it
means that it was not properly steril
ized to start with, or there was a leak
age in the can. Spoiling of the fruit
is due to germs which were in the
fruit when it was canned or entered
the can later. Sterilization kills the
germs, and the fruit may be sterilized
by cooking or heating. We quote the
following paragraph from the bulletin :
"Micro-organisms, not unlike all
other plants, possess the power of self
preservation and of perpetuating their
kinds ; one is by means of producing
spores, or seeds, which are very resist
ant; while others which do not produce
spores have a resisting power nearly
I equal to that of spores."
Heating the fruit to 160 degrees foi
ten minutes will kill the germs with
out injuring the good qualities of the
j fruit, but the spores, which are "un
incubated" germs will not be injured
at that temperature and will become
' "germs" in another day, when the heat
should again be applied. A few spores
may escape the second heating, making
third steaming necessary.
How It Should Be Done.
First Clean the fruit jars or cans
by means of a brush, using hot water
to which washing powder has been
j added. After washing thoroughly
steam me jars u remove any airi mat
may remain.
Second After washing the vegeta
bles or fruit place them in jars, com
pletely filling them. Then add water
to fill the interstices, and put on lid.
Don't screw it on tight or the jar will
burst when heat is applied.
Third Procure a wooden steam
chest, the wash boiler will do, and put
some water in the bottom of it Put
slats in the bottom on which to set the
jars.
Fourth To get the proper tempera
ture, put a thermometer in the center
of an extra jar of fruit or water and
steam the fruit at a temperature of
160 to 165 for ten minutes. Do not let
temperature get above 166. Then
remove jars and screw lids on tight
immediately. Repeat the steaming a
second and a third time at intervals of
24 to 48 hours. The jars are then
sterile. Cans may be used instead of
jars. If the latter are used the vent
in the top of the can will have to be
soldered after the first steaming.
! Boiled but not boiling water should be
used for filling the jars, or a syrup
may be used instead of water. Un
sterilized water or syrup may eontain
about ten million germs in a quart jar,
and it is just as well to "nip them in
the bud" by sterilizing the water. It
is important that the fruit or vegeta
bles be neither under-ripe nor over
ripe. The same good jundgment
used in selecting material for the table
should be exercised in the matter of
canning.
It was found in the tests made ax
j the experiment station that a temper
ature of 165 degrees was sufficient to
sterilize the fruit when treated as
above, and this temperature did not
impair the flavor or structure of the
fruit. Where only one heating is
given, as is the case at the canneries,
it is necessary to heat the fruit as
high as 240 ' degrees in order to kill
both spores and germs.
It should be stated that this method
of canning 'was not successful with
sweet peas and corn, as they have a
germ normally that is not killed at a
temperature of 165.
This method would probably not bt
practicable at canneries, where fruit
is sold at low prices, owing to the ad
ditional expense of treating the cans
three times ; but for first class high
priced goods the additional expense
would be warranted. In the case of
home canning, however, it is a more
desirable method of - putting up fruit
and vegetables than the methods usu
ally in vogue.
A farmer residing near Almira,
Washington, inquires concerning the
milk weed pest which is infesting that
locality. Professor R. Kent Beattie,
of the department of botany, answered
as follows :
"The perennial milk weed, which I
believe you have, is very difficult to
destroy. The only principal upon
which you can work is to keep the tops
of it closely cut down, so that the plant
cannot make food, until you have
starved out the roots. This, of course,
is a difficult task, especially if they
cover a large field. I would put the
patches into clean cultivation, either
as graden, or potato plots; then it
would pay you to work very hard to
exterminate these weeds, for they are
difficult to kill once they take posses
sion of the land." From the Wash
ington State College, Pullman.
For Oven Management.
The safest guide for the novice with
regard to the heat of an oven Is that
provided by M. Gouffe, once the royal
ehef :
Tear up a sheet of, kitchen paper Into
not too small pieces, and try the oven
by placing In It one of these every eight
or ten minutes, till you obtain the de
sired teuiperuture. If on being put Into
the oven the paper blazes up or bums
at once, the oveu Is manifestly too hot
If ufter a stay of two or three minutes
the pajier turns' a dark, almost choco
late, brown, the oven Is a "hot" one,
fit for patties and small pastry. If
after the same time the paper becomes
a Havana or cigar brown, the oven Is
"quick," and ready for tarts, vol-au-
vent, nnd such like. If the paper In the
same tlmo only turns a yellowish brown
(the color of a good deal plunk), the
oven Is "moderately quick" or "soak
ing" oven, ready for bnd, large meat
or game pies, pound cakes, etc. If,
lastly, when left In for this time, the
paper Is barely tinged with a yellowish
shade, sponge cakes, meringues and
such like may be safely put Into It.
Potato Pudding.
l'nre and slice four uiediuui-blzed po
tatoes and cook in six cups of boiling
water. Put one level tablespoon each of
sugar and salt and one rounding table
spoon of butter Into a mixing bowl, and
onto these press the potato through a
rlcer. Add the potato water, stir and
let stand one-quarter of an hour. Stir
In two cups of flour, and when luke
warm add one yenst cake dissolved In
one cup of lukewarm water and sifted
flour enough to make a drop batter.
Cover and let stand four hours, or until
light. Now add more flour to make a
dough that can be kneaded, keeping
well covered, then mold Into four
loaves ; let rise nearly twice In size and
bake. v,
Gooseberry Preserves. '
A North country recipe of unusual ex
cellence: Weigh equnl quantities of
fruit and sugar; put the former into a
preserving kettle, boll nnd break It, stir
constantly, and let It boll very quickly.
When most of the Juice is wasted add
the sugar and simmer one hour. The
gooseberries should be very ripe ; if not
add to the fruit in putting over the fire
a fourth of a cup of water. Use loaf
sugar which has been pounded, or, If
available, shaved mnple sugar. The
maple sugar makes a delicious preserve
for serving with game In the winter.
The recipe has been In use fully 100
years In the maple sugar country.
Spice Cakes.
For little spice cakes, cream one-half
cup of butter with one cup of sugar,
add one beaten egg, one-half cup of sour
milk' nnd one-half level teaspoon eaca
of soda, baking powder and cinnamon
and n few gratings of nutmeg, sifted
with two and one-half cups of pastry
flour. Stir In one-half cup J each of
chopped walnut meats and seeded and
cropped raisins. Roll out thin and cut
In shape or put small spoonfuls some
distance apart on a buttered pan and
press out with the end of a baking
IKiwder can until ns thin ns needed ; de
not add more flour. Bake slowly.
To Corn a 8 mull Piece ol lleof.
Sometimes It Is difficult, to get good
corned beef, or It Is desirable to save
n piece of fresh beef In this way. Tho
' easiest method Is to stir coarse flue salt
! Into cold water until a brine is niude
strong enough to float an egg and ex
pose a spot as large as a 10-cent piece.
Put In the beef, lay a plate on it, and
a stone to hold It clown. After two days,
or four at the most for five or six
pounds, the beef will be ready to use,
and Is often relished better with early
vegetables than fresh meat
White Patty Cakes.
Cream one-third cup of butter with
one cup of sugar, add one-half cup of
milk, one and three-quarter cups of
Hour sifted twice with two and one-half
level teaspoons of baking powder, and
flavor with a mixture of one-third tea
upoon of lemon flavoring and two-thirds
i teaspoon of vnnilln flavoring. Bake In
little plain patty pans and cover the
I top of each with white Icing. Garnish
with two little leaves cut from angelica
and a bit of red candled cherry.
Corn Dainty.
Open a can of corn, run the coru
through a meat chopper to grim! fine
' all the whole and coarse grains. Place
a baking dish on the stove, put In two
spoonfuls of butter"; when hot add the
. corn, a tablospoonful of sugar, salt and
' pepper, cook and stir fur a few minutes,
. add and stir In well three beaten eggs
; and place In the oven until slightly
browned ; remove, fold a napkin around
I the dish, set In a pretty plate aud nliut
' uniiti the table