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[Illustration: KATY O'GRADY'S VICTORY.]
FRANK HUNTER'S PERIL
BY
HORATIO ALGER, JR.
AUTHOR OF "RAGGED DICK SERIES," "LUCK AND PLUCK
SERIES," "TATTERED TOM SERIES," ETC.
PHILADELPHIA
HENRY T. COATES & CO.
COPYRIGHT, 1896,
BY
HENRY T. COATES & CO.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER PAGE
I. FRANK AND BEN, 5
II. MR. CRAVEN'S COURTSHIP, 15
III. UNWELCOME NEWS, 21
IV. MR. CRAVEN'S FOUR-LEGGED ENEMY, 30
V. MR. CRAVEN'S RETURN, 40
VI. THE DIFFICULTY OF KILLING A DOG, 50
VII. MISS O'GRADY'S VICTORY, 59
VIII. FRANK IS OBSTINATE, 69
IX. A STRANGER APPEARS ON THE SCENE, 79
X. A CONSPIRACY AGAINST FRANK, 84
XI. TRAPPED, 96
XII. TWO BOY FRIENDS, 105
XIII. JONATHAN TARBOX, OF SQUASHBORO', 114
XIV. THE LONDON CLERK, 123
XV. MR. TARBOX IS OBSTINATE, 133
XVI. AN ADVENTURE IN LONDON, 142
XVII. COLONEL SHARPLEY'S RUSE, 152
XVIII. MR. TARBOX AT THE PARIS EXPOSITION, 162
XIX. FRANK ASSERTS HIS RIGHTS, 172
XX. FRANK LEAVES PARIS, 182
XXI. THE HOTEL DU GLACIER, 192
XXII. OVER THE BRINK, 202
XXIII. GIVING THE ALARM, 208
XXIV. SHARPLEY DISSEMBLES, 212
XXV. A USELESS SEARCH, 217
XXVI. MR. TARBOX ON THE TRAIL, 222
XXVII. TARBOX TO THE RESCUE, 232
XXVIII. SAVED AS BY A MIRACLE, 237
XXIX. FRANK'S PEDESTRIAN TOUR, 242
XXX. NEW FRIENDS, 252
XXXI. HOW THE NEWS WENT HOME, 261
XXXII. BEN BRINGS GOOD NEWS, 269
XXXIII. ALPINE EXPLORATIONS OF MR. TARBOX, 279
XXXIV. THE PLOW IS A SUCCESS, 287
XXXV. MR. CRAVEN MEETS WITH UNEXPECTED
DIFFICULTIES, 296
XXXVI. SHARPLEY'S RETURN, 306
XXXVII. MRS. CRAVEN'S FIXED IDEA, 315
XXXVIII. RETRIBUTION, 325
FRANK HUNTER'S PERIL.
CHAPTER I.
FRANK AND BEN.
"Is your mother at home, Frank?" asked a soft voice.
Frank Hunter was stretched on the lawn in a careless posture, but
looked up quickly as the question fell upon his ear. A man of middle
height and middle age was looking at him from the other side of the
gate.
Frank rose from his grassy couch and answered coldly:
"Yes, sir; I believe so. I will go in and see."
"Oh, don't trouble yourself, my young friend," said Mr. Craven, opening
the gate and advancing toward the door with a brisk step. "I will ring
the bell; I want to see your mother on a little business."
"Seems to me he has a good deal of business with mother," Frank said
to himself. "There's something about the man I don't like, though he
always treats me well enough. Perhaps it's his looks."
"How are you, Frank?"
Frank looked around, and saw his particular friend, Ben Cameron, just
entering the gate.
"Tip-top, Ben," he answered, cordially. "I'm glad you've come."
"I'm glad to hear it; I thought you might be engaged."
"Engaged? What do you mean, Ben?" asked Frank, with a puzzled
expression.
"Engaged in entertaining your future step-father," said Ben, laughing.
"My future step-father!" returned Frank, quickly; "you are speaking in
riddles, Ben."
"Oh! well, if I must speak out, I saw Mr. Craven ahead of me."
"Mr. Craven! Well, what if you did?"
"Why, Frank, you must know the cause of his attentions to your mother."
"Ben," said Frank, his face flushing with anger, "you are my friend,
but I don't want even you to hint at such a thing as that."
"Have I displeased you, Frank?"
"No, no; I won't think of it any more."
"I am afraid, Frank, you will have to think of it more," said his
companion, gravely.
"You surely don't mean, Ben, that you have the least idea that my
mother would marry such a man as that?" exclaimed Frank, pronouncing
the last words contemptuously.
"It's what all the village is talking about," said Ben, significantly.
"Then I wish all the village would mind its own business," said Frank,
hotly.
"I hope they are wrong, I am sure. Craven's a mean, sneaking sort of
man, in my opinion. I should be sorry to have him your step-father."
"It's a hateful idea that such a man should take the place of my dear,
noble father," exclaimed Frank, with excitement. "My mother wouldn't
think of it."
But even as he spoke, there was a fear in his heart that there might
be something in the rumor after all. He could not be blind to the
frequent visits which Mr. Craven had made at the house of late. He
knew that his mother had come to depend on him greatly in matters
of business. He had heard her even consult him about her plans for
himself, and this had annoyed him. Once he had intimated his dislike of
Mr. Craven, but his mother had reproved him, saying that she considered
him a true friend, and did not know how to do without him. But he
stifled this apprehension, and assured Ben, in the most positive terms,
that there was nothing whatever in the report. Whether there was or
not, we shall be able to judge better by entering the house and being
present at the interview.
Mrs. Hunter was sitting in a rocking-chair, with a piece of needle-work
in her hand. She was a small, delicate-looking woman, still pretty,
though nearer forty than thirty, and with the look of one who would
never depend on herself, if she could find some one to lean upon for
counsel and guidance. Frank, who was strong and resolute, had inherited
these characteristics not from her but from his father, who had died
two years previous, his strong and vigorous constitution succumbing to
a sudden fever, which in his sturdy frame found plenty to prey upon.
And who was Mr. Craven?
He was, or professed to be, a lawyer, who six months before had come
to the town of Shelby. He had learned that Mrs. Hunter was possessed
of a handsome competence, and had managed an early introduction. He
succeeded in getting her to employ him in some business matters, and
under cover of this had called very often at her house. From the first
he meant to marry her if he could, as his professional income was next
to nothing, and with the money of the late Mr. Hunter he knew that he
would be comfortably provided for for life. This very afternoon he had
selected to make his proposal, and he knew so well the character and
the weakness of the lady that he felt a tolerable assurance of success.
He knew very well that Frank did not like him, and he in turn liked
our young hero no better, but he always treated him with the utmost
graciousness and suavity from motives of policy.
The room in which they were seated was very neatly and tastefully
furnished. He looked, to employ a common phrase, "as if butter wouldn't
melt in his mouth," and his voice was soft and full of suavity.
They had evidently been talking on business, for he is saying, "Now
that our business interview is over, there is another subject, my dear
Mrs. Hunter, on which I wish to speak to you."
She looked up, not suspecting what was coming, and said, "What is it,
Mr. Craven?"
"It's a very delicate matter. I hardly know how to introduce it."
Something in his look led her to suspect now, and she said, a little
nervously, "Go on, Mr. Craven."
"My dear Mrs. Hunter, the frequent visits I have made here have given
me such a view of your many amiable qualities, that almost without
knowing it, I have come to love you."
Mrs. Hunter dropped her work nervously, and seemed agitated.
"I esteem you, Mr. Craven," she said, in a low voice, "but I have never
thought of marrying again."
"Then think of it now, I entreat you. My happiness depends upon
it--think of that. When I first discovered that I loved you, I tried
hard to bury the secret in my own breast, but--but it became too strong
for me, and now I place my fate in your hands."
By this time he had edged round to her side, and lifted her hand gently
in his, and pressed it to his lips.
"Do not drive me to despair," he murmured softly.
"I--I never thought you loved me so much, Mr. Craven," said Mrs.
Hunter, in agitation.
"Because I tried to hide it."
"Can you not still be my friend and give up such thoughts?"
"Never, never!" he answered, shaking his head. "If you deny my suit, I
shall at once leave this village, and bury my sorrow and desolation of
heart in some wild prairie scene, far from the haunts of men, where I
shall linger out the remnant of my wretched life."
"Don't--pray don't, Mr. Craven," she said, in a tone of distress.
But, feeling that surrender was at hand, he determined to carry the
fortress at once. He sank down on his knees, and, lifting his eyes,
said:
"Say yes, I entreat you, dear Mrs. Hunter, or I shall be miserable for
life."
"Pray get up, Mr. Craven."
"Never, till I hear the sweet word, 'yes.'"
"Yes, then," she answered, hastily, scarcely knowing what she said.
At this moment, while Mr. Craven was yet on his knees, the door opened
suddenly, and Katy, the Irish maid-of-all-work, entered:
"Holy St. Pathrick!" she exclaimed, as she witnessed the tableau.
Mrs. Hunter blushed crimson, but Mr. Craven was master of the
situation. Cleverly taking advantage of it to fix the hasty consent he
had obtained, he turned to Katy with his habitual smirk.
"Katy, my good girl," he said, "you must not be too much startled.
Shall I explain to her, dear Mrs. Hunter?"
The widow, with scarlet face, was about to utter a feeble remonstrance,
but he did not wait for it.
"Your mistress and I are engaged, Katy," he said, briskly. "You shall
be the first to congratulate us."
"Indade, sir!" exclaimed Katy. "Is it goin' to be married, ye are?"
"Yes, Katy."
"I congratulate you, sir," she said, significantly.
"Plague take her!" thought Mr. Craven; "so she has the impudence to
object, has she? I'll soon set her packing when I come into possession."
But he only said, with his usual suavity:
"You are quite right, Katy. I feel that I am indeed fortunate."
"Indade, mum, I didn't think you wud marry ag'in," said Katy, bluntly.
"I--I didn't intend to, Katy, but--"
"I couldn't be happy without her," said Mr. Craven, playfully. "But,
Katy, you had something to say to Mrs. Hunter."
"What will I get for supper, mum?"
"Anything you like, Katy," said Mrs. Hunter, who felt too much
flustered to give orders. "Will you stay to supper, Mr. Craven?"
"Not to-night, dear Mrs. Hunter. I am sure you will want to think over
the new plans of happiness we have formed. I will stay a few minutes
yet, and then bid you farewell till to-morrow."
"That's the worst news Katy O'Grady's heard yet," said Katy, as she
left the room and returned to her own department. "How can my mistress,
that's a rale lady, if ever there was one, take up wid such a mane
apology for a man. Shure I wouldn't take him meself, not if he'd go
down on forty knees to me--no, I wouldn't," and Katy tossed her head.