Produced by David Edwards, Paul Stephen, Alicia Williams
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
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[Illustration: "The man was thrown overboard by the accident." See page
17.]
THE YOUNG BRIDGE-TENDER
OR
Ralph Nelson's Upward Struggle
BY
ARTHUR M. WINFIELD
AUTHOR OF
"The Young Bank Clerk," "Mark Dale's Stage Venture,"
"Rover Boys Series," etc.
NEW YORK AND LONDON
STREET & SMITH, PUBLISHERS
Copyright, 1902
By STREET & SMITH
The Young Bridge-Tender
CONTENTS.
I A Question of Property 9
II The Smash at the Bridge 14
III Ralph Makes a Friend 20
IV The Quarrel on the Bridge 26
V A Hunt for the Missing Bill 32
VI Mrs. Nelson's Story 37
VII Percy's Home 43
VIII Squire Paget Makes a Move 49
IX At the General Store 55
X Ralph is Given Notice 62
XI The Runaway 68
XII Ralph's Reward 74
XIII On Big Silver Lake 81
XIV A Stormy Time 88
XV Looking for Work 94
XVI Percy Hears Something 101
XVII A Midnight Crime 107
XVIII About a Pocket-knife 114
XIX About the Robbery 120
XX Out on Bail 126
XXI Squire Paget's Visit 133
XXII Ralph's New Situation 140
XXIII Strange Passengers 146
XXIV Ralph's Rough Experience 153
XXV Squire Paget's News 160
XXVI On the Island 166
XXVII The Meeting in the Woods 172
XXVIII Ralph in the City 179
XXIX Penniless 185
XXX The Sharper is Outwitted 191
XXXI On the Bowery 198
XXXII New Employment 205
XXXIII Squire Paget's Move 211
XXXIV The Squire in Hot Water 218
XXXV Ralph a Prisoner 225
XXXVI Mickety to the Rescue 231
XXXVII Martin is Trapped 237
XXXVIII Beginning of the End 242
XXXIX A Surprise at Chambersburgh 246
XL The Exposure--Conclusion 251
THE YOUNG BRIDGE TENDER.
CHAPTER I.
A QUESTION OF PROPERTY.
"It's a shame, mother! The property belonged to father and the village has
no right to its use without paying for it."
"I agree with you, Ralph," replied Mrs. Nelson. "But what are we to do in
the matter?"
"Why don't you speak to Squire Paget? He is the president of the village
board."
"I have spoken to him, but he will give me no satisfaction. He claims that
the village has the right to nearly all the water front within its limits,"
replied Mrs. Nelson, with a sigh.
"It hasn't a right to the land father bought and paid for."
"That is what I said."
"And what did he answer to that?" questioned Ralph Nelson, with increasing
interest.
"He said he doubted if your father had really bought the land. He asked me
to show him the papers in the case."
"And those you haven't got."
"No, I cannot find them. Your father placed them away, and when he died so
suddenly, he said nothing about where they had been placed. I have an idea
he gave them to somebody for safe keeping."
"It's a pity we haven't the papers, mother. The property on which this end
of the swinging bridge rests, and the land right around it, is going to be
very valuable some day; I heard Mr. Hooker say so at the post office only
yesterday."
"I have no doubt of it, Ralph, when Westville becomes a city instead of a
village. But that is many years off, I imagine."
"I suppose it is--the village folks are so slow to make improvements. It's
a wonder they ever put up the bridge across to Eastport."
"They wouldn't have done it had it not been for Eastport capitalists, who
furnished nearly all of the money."
"And now, that the bridge has been up several years, and the tolls are
coming in daily, I suppose they are glad they let the structure go up."
"To be sure. Folks like to see a paying improvement."
"Well, about this property business, mother; do you think we can find those
missing papers?" went on Ralph, after a pause.
"I am sure I hope so, my son. But where to start to look for them, I
haven't the least idea."
"We might advertise for them."
"Yes, we might, but I doubt if it would do any good. If any one around here
had them they would give them to us without the advertising."
"They would unless they hoped to make something out of it," replied Ralph,
suddenly, struck with a new idea.
"Make something, Ralph? What do you mean."
"Perhaps the one holding the papers intends to keep them and some day claim
the land as his own."
"Oh, I do not believe any one would be so dishonest," cried Mrs. Nelson.
"I do, mother. There are just as mean folks in Westville as anywhere else."
"But they would not dare to defraud us openly."
"Some folks would dare do anything for money," replied Ralph Nelson, with a
decided nod of his curly head.
Ralph was the only son of his widowed mother. His father, Randolph Nelson,
had been in former years a boatman on Keniscot Lake. When the swinging
bridge had been built between Westville and Eastport, Mr. Nelson had been
appointed bridge tender.
The old boatman had occupied his position at the bridge, taking tolls and
opening the structure for passing vessels for exactly two years. Then, one
blustery and rainy day he had slipped into the water, and before he could
manage to save himself, had been struck by the bow of a steamboat and
seriously hurt.
Mr. Nelson had been taken from the water almost immediately after being
wounded, and all that could be done was done for him, but without avail.
He was unconscious, and only came to himself long enough to bid his weeping
wife and only child a tender farewell. Thirty-six hours after the accident
he was dead, and his funeral occurred three days later.
For a time Mrs. Nelson and Ralph were nearly prostrated by the calamity
that had taken place. But stern necessity soon compelled them to put aside
their grief. Although Mr. Nelson owned a small cottage close to the bridge,
he had left but a small amount--less than a hundred dollars--in cash behind
him. They must work to support themselves.
Ralph's father had been appointed bridge tender for a period of three
years, and the son applied for the balance of his parent's term. His
application was objected to by Squire Paget, who wished to put Dan Pickley,
a village idler, in the place, but the bridge board overruled him, and Mrs.
Nelson was appointed to fill her husband's situation--every one knowing
that Ralph was to do the work.
The pay was not large--only six dollars per week--but, as the Nelsons had
no rent to pay, they managed to get along quite comfortably. There was a
vegetable garden attached to the cottage, and during his spare time Ralph
worked in this. His mother also took in sewing, and they had now saved
sixty dollars for a rainy day.
Westville and Eastport were situated on the two sides of a narrow channel
which united Big Silver Lake, sometimes called Keniscot Lake, on the north
with Silver Lake on the south. The upper lake was several miles long, while
the lower sheet of water, which emptied into the Ramapo River at
Chambersburgh, was less than half the size.
Westville had always been a backward town, due mostly to the
short-sightedness of Squire Paget, Mr. Hooker, the postmaster, and other
narrow-minded leading men, who never saw fit to offer any inducements to
manufacturers and others to locate there. The village consisted of
half-a-dozen stores, a blacksmith shop, a tavern, and less than
seventy-five houses. There was one hat factory there, but this was closed
more than half the time.
Eastport, on the other hand, was booming. It had two hat factories, three
planing mills, a furniture works and a foundry. There were several blocks
of stores, lit up at night by electric lights, and several hundred houses.
Real estate, too, was advancing rapidly.
The Nelsons had owned their cottage and the land upon which it stood for
many years, but a year previous to the building of the bridge Mr. Nelson
had added nearly half an acre to his ground, purchasing it very cheaply
from a fellow-boatman, who had left Westville and struck out for some place
in the West. This was the ground which was now in dispute. The papers in
reference to it were missing, and as the sale had never been recorded, it
was likely that Mrs. Nelson and Ralph would have much trouble in obtaining
their rights.