Work and Win No. 1288

# Fred Fearnot and the Figure Four

This Work and Win serial by Hal Standish, set in a Pennsylvania mining town, follows young investor Fred Fearnot as he investigates mysterious deaths plaguing his coal mine. Workers refuse employment after previous laborers die within four days, each bearing a painted black figure four on the chest. Fearnot's agent Merrill suspects someone deliberately creating the superstition to force a cheap sale. After witnessing a mountain feud shooting, Fearnot encounters a dying fugitive who cryptically attributes the phenomenon to supernatural forces. Fearnot begins hiring miners at increased wages despite widespread terror, determined to uncover the criminal scheme behind the murders. His absent friend Terry theorizes speculators orchestrated the haunting to acquire the land cheaply. The narrative combines detective mystery with action-adventure elements typical of the period's dime novel tradition.