CHAPTER II.--Dick Escapes.
CHAPTER III.--Dick Meets the Mason Family.
CHAPTER IV.--The Missing Diamond.
CHAPTER V.--Dick Carries His Point.
CHAPTER VI.--Knocked Out.
CHAPTER VII.--Dick and His Eldest Sister.
CHAPTER VIII.--Dick Has His Fortune Told.
CHAPTER IX.--In the Mirror.
CHAPTER X.--Dick's Strenuous Experience.
CHAPTER XI.--Guilt Sees Its Finish.
CHAPTER XII.--The Man in the Tree.
CHAPTER XIII.--The Hidden Treasure.
Current News
A Lawyer At Nineteen; or, Fighting Against a Fraud
CHAPTER I.--(continued)
CHAPTER II.--The Result of the Young Lawyer's Keen Management of the
Smollett Case.
The News in Short Articles
The Renegade's Fate
Items of Interest
Laughs
Items of General Interest
FAME AND FORTUNE WEEKLY
Issued Weekly--Subscription price, $3.50 per year; Canada, $4.00;
Foreign, $4.50. Harry E. Wolff, Publisher, 166 West 23d Street,
New York, N. Y. Entered as Second-Class Matter, October 4, 1911, at
the Post-Office at New York, N. Y., under the Act of March 3, 1879.
No. 801 NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 4, 1921. Price 7 Cents
Dick Darling's Money
OR, THE RISE OF AN OFFICE BOY
BY A SELF-MADE MAN
CHAPTER I.--The Office Boy's Peril.
"Dick, come into my office," said Mr. Roger Bacon, a well-known
wholesale dealer in watches, jewelry and silverware, on John street,
New York City.
"Yes, sir," replied Dick Darling, his fifteen-year-old office
boy--a bright, good-looking lad, who had not yet graduated out of
knickerbockers, though most boys of his age would have dispensed with
them for trousers. Somehow or another Dick looked to unusual advantage
in knickerbockers, and he made a pretty figure in the store, which
naturally made his employer partial to that kind of attire in him. That
was one reason why he continued to wear them at his age.
Another reason was because being the youngest of a family of four,
the older members being all girls, he was regarded by his mother and
sisters as the baby of the family, and they wouldn't hear to his making
any change in his attire. He was only a baby in name, however, for
there wasn't a pluckier young chap of his years in his neighborhood, or
in the city for that matter. The boys in his block, who knew him well,
and those employed in the vicinity of Mr. Bacon's store, downtown,
often made his knickerbockers the butt of their witticism, but Dick
was a self-reliant, independent youth, and he didn't care a rap for
the fun and criticism that was directed at his apparel. He surprised
the downtown lads by polishing off a couple of them who got too gay on
the subject, which made the rest rather shy about tackling him, since
it was apparent that he knew how to use his fists if forced to call
upon them. When Dick followed his employer into his private office the
merchant pointed at the chair beside the desk, so the office boy sat
down and awaited developments.
"Dick," said Mr. Bacon, "I'm going to send you on an unusual mission. I
want you to take this package," laying his hand on a square one which
stood on his desk, "to Springville, New Jersey. The village is about
an hour's ride from Jersey City, on the line of the Central Railroad
of New Jersey. A train that will stop there leaves Jersey City at
four-thirty, and you have thirty minutes to catch it. You will deliver
the package at the home of Mr. Goodrich--his name and address are
written on the outside. As he is well known in the place, the station
agent or anybody in the village will direct you to his house, which I
believe is not over ten minutes' walk from the station. Under ordinary
circumstances this package would be sent by express, but the order
came only a short time ago, and the article must reach the gentleman
early this evening. I may as well tell you that it is a wedding
present, and is worth about $330. You ought to be able to deliver the
package and get back to the station in time to take the train for
Jersey City which stops at Springville at six-fifteen. That is all.
Go to the cashier and he will hand you money enough to cover all your
expenses."
Dick took the package and carried it with him into the counting room,
where the cashier handed him a five-dollar bill and told him to turn
in the change in the morning. Then he put on his hat and started for
the Cortlandt street ferry. He landed in Jersey City in ample time to
catch the accommodation train which stopped at all points north of its
destination. Dick enjoyed the ride to Springville, where he arrived
about half-past five.
He found no trouble in reaching the Goodrich house, where he asked for
Mr. Goodrich and delivered the package to him. The gentleman presented
him with a dollar, treated him to some cake and lemonade, after which
Dick started back for the station. He arrived there five minutes before
train time and went to the window to buy a return ticket. The agent was
busy at the telegraph key and Dick had to wait for him to get through.
"I want a ticket for Jersey City," said the office boy.
"Sorry, but there's just been an accident down the road. The train you
expect to take, due here in five minutes, ran into a number of freight
cars on a siding, owing to a switch having been imperfectly locked, and
it stuck there. It may be hours before the tangle is straightened out.
You will have to wait for the nine-ten, which is the next train that
stops here."
"Nine-ten!" exclaimed Dick. "That's three hours from now."
The agent nodded.
"This is only a small place, and but few of the trains stop here," he
said.
"If I have to wait for that train I won't get home till after eleven
o'clock, and my folks will be worried to death about me, for they don't
know that I was sent down here."
The agent looked at the clock.
"Well, I'll tell you what you can do if you are a spry walker. The
express which passes here at seven-thirty stops at Carlin, six miles
north of this station. There's a good road running straight to
that town. If you think you can cover the distance between now and
seven-thirty-eight, why, you will be able to get that train, which will
land you in Jersey City about eight-ten."
"I'll try it. Where's the road?"
The agent came out of his office, took Dick to the rear door of the
station, and showed him the road.
"It goes right to Carlin, you say?" said Dick.
"Yes."
"Will it land me near the station?"
"Within a short distance of it. You ought to make the train, for you
have an hour and twenty-five minutes to do it in. You ought to be able
to walk five miles in an hour if you do your best. It's a good hard
road on which a person can make good time."
Dick started at a brisk walk for Carlin. He came to a fork in the
road after going about a mile. After due deliberation he took what he
thought was the right road, but which turned out to be the wrong one.
After he had walked what he thought at least six miles and no town
in sight, he felt he had taken the wrong road. An old and apparently
deserted house stood near where Dick halted and a storm coming up, he
decided to seek shelter there. It was now nearly dark. Dick sought
shelter in the old house. The door was nearly off its hinges. Soon the
storm came on, and by a flash of lightning he saw a couple of men each
with a bag over his shoulder, putting for the house. He drew back into
what had apparently been a bedroom, as he did not wish to be seen by
the strangers.
As soon as the two men entered, they started to talk of dividing the
contents of the bags as soon as they reached the house of one of the
men, who was called Parker by the other, whose name was Bulger. Dick
soon learned the bag contained the contents of a burglary which the
two men had committed on a large house in the vicinity, and that they
had had an exciting encounter with one of the servants. Dick felt that
he was in bad company. In leaning a little too heavily on one foot a
board creaked, which sound the two thieves heard, and they started
to investigate. Dick retreated into a corner of the room. One of the
thieves heard him and made a dive for the spot. As Dick could not see
the crook any better than that individual could see him, he was taken
by surprise when the muscular arms of the man suddenly encountered him
and he was immediately seized and dragged out of the corner. The crook
saw that it was a boy he had hold of.
"Now, you young imp, I've got you!" he cried triumphantly. "What are
you hidin' up in this place for?"
"What's that to you?" replied Dick pluckily.
"Sassy, are you? I reckon I'll take some of the sass out'r you before
I'm through with you. Come along."
He dragged the boy into the next room.
"Open the winder and let's take a squint at this chap," said Bulger.
Parker threw up the dirty window overlooking the road, but the amount
of light that came in did not greatly help matters out.
"How came you in this house?" said Bulger.
"I came here to get out of the storm," replied Dick.
"Oh, you did; then why didn't you show yourself when we came in?"
"Why should I?"
"You heard us come in, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"And you didn't let on you were here. You've been listenin' to our
talk."
Dick made no reply.
"You heard all we said, didn't you?" said Bulger, giving the boy a
rough shake.
"You say I did."
"I know you did."
"Then what's the use of asking me, if you know so much?"
"Because I want you to admit it."
"I'll admit nothing."
"I'll choke the life out of you if you don't!" said the crook savagely.
"I haven't done you any harm, what do you want to treat me this way
for?"
"But you intend to squeal on us as soon as you get away."
"What will I squeal about?"
"About what you heard."
"I haven't said that I heard anything."
"Who are you, anyway?" said Bulger, suddenly changing his line of
questioning.
"My name is Dick Darling."
"Where do you live around here?"
"I don't live around here at all."
"You don't? Know anybody named Darling about here, Parker?"
"No. He looks like a stranger to me as well as I can see him," said
Parker.
"Where do you live, then?" demanded Bulger.
"In New York."
"New York!" roared the crook. "What are you givin' me?"
"That's the truth."
"What are you doin' 'way down here in Jersey, then? Who are you
visitin'?"
"Nobody. I was sent to Springville on an errand by my boss."
"Where's Springville, Parker?"
"It's a village on the railroad about eight miles from here."
"If you were sent to Springville, how is it that you are over here?"
"An accident happened to the train I was going to take for Jersey City,
and the agent told me that I could catch an express if I walked to
Carlin. That's what brought me over here."
"Did you start to walk to Carlin from Springville?" asked Parker.
"Yes," replied Dick.
"And instead of keepin' to your left, you turned into the road to the
right and came over here, eh?"
"Yes, I did that. And I walked away from the town instead of toward it?"
"That's what you've been doin'."
"That's tough. I'll have to go back to the Carlin road, then, before
I'm on the right track again."
"I reckon you won't go nowheres at present," said Bulger. "You've heard
too much for some people's good. We'll take him over to your place,
Parker, and hold on to him till I'm ready to dig out, and then I'll
take him with me."
Having decided that point, the crook took a firm hold of the boy by the
arm, and led him outside, followed by his pal, who shouldered the two
bags.