NELSON THE NEWSBOY
_Or, Afloat in New York_
BY
HORATIO ALGER, JR.
AUTHOR OF "ADRIFT IN NEW YORK," "CHESTER RAND,"
"PAUL THE PEDDLER," ETC.
COMPLETED BY
ARTHUR M. WINFIELD
AUTHOR OF "THE ROVER BOYS AT SCHOOL," "THE
ROVER BOYS ON THE OCEAN," ETC.
[Illustration: Decoration]
NEW YORK
STITT PUBLISHING COMPANY
1905
[Illustration: "HE CAUGHT SIGHT OF THE BULLY NEWSBOY WHO HAD ROBBED
HIM."--_Frontispiece._]
BY THE SAME AUTHOR
THE YOUNG BOOK AGENT; Or, Frank Hardy's Road to Success.
FROM FARM TO FORTUNE; Or, Nat Nason's Strange Experience.
LOST AT SEA; Or, Robert Roscoe's Strange Cruise.
JERRY, THE BACKWOODS BOY; Or, The Parkhurst Treasure.
NELSON, THE NEWSBOY; Or, Afloat in New York.
YOUNG CAPTAIN JACK; Or, The Son of a Soldier.
OUT FOR BUSINESS; Or, Robert Frost's Strange Career.
FALLING IN WITH FORTUNE; Or, The Experiences of a Young Secretary.
_12mo, finely illustrated and bound. Price, per volume, 60 cents._
NEW YORK
STITT PUBLISHING COMPANY
1905
COPYRIGHT, 1901, BY
THE MERSHON COMPANY
_All rights reserved_
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. On the other hand, there are those who are well-to-do
and aristocratic who are interested in learning what has become of the
boy, and these furnish a view of life in the upper society of the
metropolis. How the youthful hero fares in the end is told in the pages
which follow.
In its original form Mr. Alger intended this story of New York life for
a semi-juvenile drama. But it was not used in that shape, and when the
gifted author of so many interesting stories for young people had laid
aside his pen forever, this manuscript, with others, was placed in the
hands of the present writer, to be made over into such a volume as might
have met with the noted author's approval. The other books having proved
successful, my one wish is that this may follow in their footsteps.
ARTHUR M. WINFIELD.
_June 15, 1901._
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER PAGE
I. INTRODUCING THE HERO, 1
II. A QUARREL OVER A DOLLAR, 9
III. SAM PEPPER'S RESORT, 17
IV. DOWN AT THE FERRY, 25
V. NELSON SPEAKS HIS MIND, 35
VI. A BOOK AGENT'S TRIALS, 43
VII. A HARSH ALTERNATIVE, 55
VIII. THE COMBINATION OF THE SAFE, 63
IX. A PAIR WELL MATCHED, 69
X. GERTRUDE LEAVES HER HOME, 77
XI. AFLOAT IN NEW YORK, 85
XII. NELSON RECOVERS SOME MONEY, 94
XIII. A QUESTION OF BUSINESS, 102
XIV. BULSON RECEIVES A SETBACK, 111
XV. BUYING OUT A NEWS STAND, 119
XVI. NELSON AND PEPPER PART, 127
XVII. A BOLD MOVE, 134
XVIII. IN THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY, 140
XIX. NELSON TO THE RESCUE, 147
XX. THE HOME IN THE TENEMENT, 155
XXI. NELSON MAKES A PRESENT, 162
XXII. A DISAPPOINTMENT, 170
XXIII. AN UNSUCCESSFUL QUEST, 176
XXIV. A DECOY LETTER, 183
XXV. MARK HORTON RELENTS, 190
XXVI. NELSON ON SHIPBOARD, 198
XXVII. DOWN THE JERSEY COAST, 206
XXVIII. GERTRUDE HAS AN ADVENTURE, 215
XXIX. A SURPRISE ON THE ROAD, 224
XXX. COMPARING NOTES, 233
XXXI. BULSON GROWS DESPERATE, 240
XXXII. SOMEBODY WAITS IN VAIN, 248
XXXIII. QUESTIONS OF IMPORTANCE, 257
XXXIV. FATHER AND SON--CONCLUSION, 266
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?" queried a stout gentleman, as he stopped short
in front of the newsboy.
"Yes, sir; a big one, too, sir. Which paper will you have?"
"Which has the most in about the fire?"
"All about the same, sir. Better take 'em all, sir. Then you'll be sure
to have all the news," added the newsboy shrewdly.
At this the stout gentleman laughed.
"I don't know but what you are right," he said. "Give me one of each."
The words were scarcely uttered when the newsboy had the papers ready
for him. Taking the several sheets, the stout man passed over a dime and
started to cross the crowded thoroughfare.
"Change, sir!" cried the boy, and dove into his pocket for a handful of
cents.
"Never mind the change, lad."
"Thank you, sir!" The newsboy wheeled quickly. "_Herald_, _Times_,
_Tribune_! Who'll have a paper? All the latest news! Extra!"
The stout man stepped from the curb into the gutter, and there halted to
let a truck go by. As he waited he began to scan one of the newspapers
he had purchased. Suddenly he gave a violent start.
"Fire in the Starmore apartment house!" he muttered. "The building I
purchased only last month! What bad luck is this?"
Still staring at the newspaper, he passed onward behind the heavy truck.
Another truck and a street car were coming from the opposite direction,
and both traveling at a good rate of speed.
"Hi! look out!" yelled the truck-driver, and the street-car bell clanged
violently. But the stout man was too absorbed in the newspaper to heed
the warnings.
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.
"Phew! that was a narrow escape," puffed the stout gentleman, as soon as
he could get back some of the wind he had lost in his consternation.
"So it was," answered the newsboy, as he stepped about to pick up his
scattering stock in trade.
The stout gentleman brought out a large handkerchief and began to mop
his face, for the excitement had put him into a perspiration.
"My lad, you've done me a great service," he went on, after the boy had
collected his papers.
"That's all right, sir," was the ready reply. "Sorry you lost your
papers. The truck cut 'em up, and they are all muddy, besides."
"Never mind the papers--you can sell me another set. But I want to thank
you for what you did for me."
"You're welcome, sir. Here's the other set of papers."
"If it hadn't been for you, I might have fallen under that horse and
truck!" The stout man shuddered. "Here is pay for the papers and for
your services to me."
As he finished he held out a two-dollar bill.
"Why, it's two dollars!" cried the newsboy in astonishment. Then he
added quickly, "I can't change it."
"I don't want you to change it. I want you to keep it."
"What for?"
"For what you did for me."
"What I did aint worth two dollars."
"Let me be the judge of that, my lad. What is your name?"
"I'm Nelson, sir."
"What is your full name?"
At this question the boy's face fell, and his mouth trembled a little as
he gave his answer.
"I don't know, sir."
"What, you don't know what your name is?" cried the stout gentleman in
astonishment.
"No, sir."
"But--but--you must have some name. Where do you live?"
"I live over on the East Side with an old sailor named Samuel Pepper. He
keeps a lunch room."
"Is he a relative?"
"He calls himself my father--not my real father, you know; only he says
he adopted me when I was a little kid. Everybody around there calls me
Nelson, or Sam Pepper's boy."
"I see. And he sends you out to sell papers?"
"No, sir; I go out on my own hook."
"But you ought to go to school."
"I go to night school sometimes, when Sam lets me."
"Didn't he ever send you to day school?"
At this Nelson, for so we will call him for the present, shook his head.
"Sam don't like the schools. He says if I go I'll get too smart for him.
He says I am almost too smart already."
"Too bad!" The stout gentleman was going to say something more, but
suddenly remembered about the fire in Harlem. "Perhaps I'll see you
again, Nelson. I can't stop now. Do you know why I forgot myself in the
street? It was because that fire proved to be in an apartment house that
I purchased only a month ago."
"Your house! That's a big loss, sir."
"The place was insured, so I shall not expect to lose much. I must get
up there at once and see see how it was those lives were lost."
In a moment more the stout gentleman was crossing the street again, but
this time taking very good care that he should not be taken unawares.
Nelson started to sell more papers, when another boy, who had been
selling papers further down the block, came hurrying toward him.
"Wot did de old gent give yer, Nelse?" he asked.
"Gave me two dollars."
"Two dollars! Jest fer hauling him back out of de gutter?"
"I kept him from being run over by a truck."
"Den he oughter give yer ten or twenty."
"Two was more than enough, Billy."
At this Billy Darnley drew down his mouth.
"I would have struck him fer a twenty, sure," he went on.
"You always were greedy, Billy," answered Nelson.
"Do you mean dat fer an insult, Nelse?"
"I mean it for the truth."
"You're gittin' too high-toned fer dis business, Nelse."
"I don't think I am."
"Lend me a dollar of dat money, will yer? I'll pay yer back ter-morrow."
At this Nelson shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Billy, but I'd rather keep my money."
"Are you afraid to trust me?"
"I don't see why I should trust you. You earn as much money as I do."
"You didn't earn dat two dollars."
"The gentleman thought I did."
"He was a soft one."
"He was a very nice man," retorted Nelson promptly.
"O' course you'd stick up fer him. Let me have de dollar."
"What do you want to do with it?"
Now in truth Billy thought of nothing but to have a good time with the
money, but he did not deem it prudent to tell Nelson so.
"I--I want to buy myself a new pair of pants," he stammered.
"Your pants are better than mine."
"No, da aint--d'are full o' holes."
"Why don't you sew them up, as I do?"
"I aint no woman, to use a needle. Come, hand over de dollar!" And Billy
held out his dirty fingers.
"I shan't let you have it, and that ends it," said Nelson firmly.
He started to move on, but in a moment more Billy Darnley was beside him
and had him clutched firmly by the arm.