Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 118 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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lied, futshing a little. ‘‘ At least you can see <6 they are in Miss Lorne’s case,” and he handed Bessie the note he had received from the great financier’s daughter. As Bessie read it through, an expression of indignation settled on her countenance. ‘‘ How cruel in her,” she said, looking up, with flashing eyes. ‘‘If I were you, Mr. Hoyle I should hereafter count her out of my list of acquaintances.” “I presume I shall,” Jack replied, dryly. ff But I am not going to mourn after her. She has simply unmasked—that is all.” A pleasant evening it was, and Jack almost regretted when it came time to retire, n the morning, after a good breakfast, Jack bade the good rector adieu, and took his leave. Bessie accompanied him to the gate and shook | hands with him for the last time. “Write to me, Jack, and tell me of your. struggles, and I will answer you,” she said, and after promising to do so, Jack stole a kiss, and tramped away out of Lowell, the image of Beeven Bessie engraven upon his memory, and ne parting words of the good rector ringing in ears: ‘“‘Be temperate, faithful and honest, Jack; seek not for friends, for friends you would most love to have will come to you unsought.” And with this thought uppermost in his mind, Jack Hoyle started out upon the world, to make his fortune. CHAPTER II. A “CORNER” IN CATS, Wir a brave front, Jack tramped out of the town, meeting several of his old associates but noticing none, except one, a man by the name a Hunter, who was a gambler by pro- on. “What! ain’t goin’ to leave us?’ Hunter demanded, stopping Jack. ‘Yes, as you see,” Jack replied. ‘Where bound?” “Anywhere where I can make a fortune,” was the reliant answer. gine old man didn’t pan you out nothing, e *“No! Tremaine roped in all there was.” “'He’s an old rascal, take my word for it!” ‘Do you really think so?” “Of course! A man who will cheat at a sociable e of eucher, will cheat at any other game. ou ought to put a tracer r this man, and your father’s property.” ‘Perhaps [had. The mortgage comes due in five years. Tell you what Ill do—I’ll give you half of all you recover from Tremaine, that he has embezzled or fraudulently obtained from my father.” ‘Agreed. I'll have you rich again, some day, Jack. Want a little cash to help you along?” ws No, I thank you. I have got sixteen cents whichis to be the basis of my fortune. Good-by, Harry. Give my respects to my friends and a smile of scorn to my enemies,” : The first day of Jack’s travel revealed no inci- dent worthy of record, and he slept in a hay- mow at night. : In the morning, he asked for one cent’s worth of milk of a dairyman, and the man being of a liberal turn of mind dealt out a quart of his richest and some bread in the bar While Jack was eating his meal upon the door- step, he noticed a swarm of cats, twenty or thirty, come from the woods in a sort of pro- cession, each one in its mouth a chip- munk, or a bird, or a fleld-mouse. areer: & cats,” Jack remarked, to the al “Och! yis, sur,” she replied, ‘‘niver a foiner lot of cats is there in the world.” When the farmer came along, again, Jack to him: F A fine lot of cats, sir.” | “Humph! I wish some fellow’d take the job of drownin’ the ravenous things,” was the re- ply. Ton buy them of you, if you will sell them reasonably,” Jack said. “ Allright, young feller—what’ll you give for the lot—twerltystive cents?” “Just fifteen cents, and you deliver ’em to me, in n.” : in’ to town, to-night. Where Agreed! Am shall I leave ’em? Jack named the store of an acquaintance. ‘“ I will be there when you come.” ** Mebbe ’tain’t none 0’ my busin oung fel- ler, but what are you going to anee them ser- ?? | = ulate on “em,” Jack re he took wise asta _Teplied, as he ———— Jack Hoyle. = Striking cross-lots from the farm-house, he struck the Boston, Lowell and Nashua railroad and following the track, reached the city of Boston early in the afternoon, without a penny in his pocket. But not despairing, he wended his way to Beekman’s storehouse in Congress street, and found his college chum, Bob kman, in at- tendance, The greeting between the two young men was warm, and after some conversation, Jack suc- ceeded in borrowing ten dollars of Bob, and also a corner in the warehouse in which to leave his cats. He then visited several of the leading news- paper offices, and contracted for an advertise- ment something after this pattern: “AN EXTRAORDINARY NOVELTY.” ** Just received at Beekman’s warehouse, in Con- gress street, an importation of the celebrated Belgi- um mousers—the best breed of sp tn sy | cats existence. The only ones in this country for sale. Call early for a choice. ‘** (Signed) Monsrtur JoHaN Hou.” This done, Jack returned to the warehouse. Just at dusk, farmer Dunean drove up with a crate full of cats, and after receiving the cats, and storing them in the warehouse for the night, Jack sought out a cheap hotel, procu a ‘“‘square” meal and lodging for the night. arly in the following morning he was at the warehouse, with shears and ribbons, and soon had the Thomas cats satisfactorily clipped and named, with ribbons about their necks, and the whiskers closely clipped from the females, to give them an odd a pearence He then arran hem upon benches, and by the time he was ready, curious people began to oP in to see the cats. ere were cats of both sexes and all colors and eae ae from the humped-back, prowling Thomas to the purring domestic, and altogether they were an intelligent looking lot. The forenoon passed and though many visi- tors called, none seemed disposed to invest; not a sale was effected. After dinner, as he was wondering if he had not made a disastrous failure, Jack was electri- fied to gee Mr. Lorne and his daughter, of Low- ell, drive up to the storehouse, and get out. ckly substituting Bob Beekman as sales- man, Jack retired behind some goods boxes, for he had no desire to meet the haughty Miss Lillian in his capacity of cat-vender. The Lornes entered, and Bob graciously showed them the cats, pointing out the extraor- merits of each animal, and ‘‘ cheeking ” his way right into the confidence of the Lowell financier. “Tf you want cats,” said Bob, with great im- portance, ‘“‘now is your time to get one of the celebrated breed of mousers, as it is doubtful if the Belgian Government will allow Monsieur Holle to bring over another importation. There is the red female cat, with the almond- eyes, warranted to be a thoroughbred hunter, and also a pet family cat of cleanly habits. That is the flower of the cat flock—price $200. Any of the others we will let go for one hundred and seventy-five, cash.” “The price is exorbitant,” Lorne said, re- flectively, ‘‘ but I believe I will take the reddish cat. Can you box it and send it to Lowell, by express?” ‘Oh! certainly,” Bob hastened tosay. ‘‘It will reach you on the first train.” Accordingly the Lowell financier paid the two hundred dollars, left his address, and then drove away. After they had gone, Jack emerged from his concealment, and collared Bob. ‘‘Bob Beekman, you are a rascal!” he ex- claimed, laughing. ‘‘I should have sold any cat in the flock for ten dollars,” ** And made a goose of yourself,” Bob i aor a ae men as Lorne always pay for being Cc Toward evening an old lady from the country hobbled in, and viewed the cats, with evident tion. Her fancy seemed to be set upon one striped feline of serenading proclivities. ‘* Let me sell you that mouser, ma’am,” Jack said, courteously. ‘“ You’re an old lady: we'll sell you that cat for ten dollars. Good mouser: eats whatever you give her, and a faithful oe cat.” ell, well. That’s a big price, but I want i O fer it?” sé jest sech acat. Take nine a ive us the cash, and take the cat.” The old lady paid that sum and tucking Thomas under her arm, hobbled out. She had not got off the platform, when Bob and Jack saw farmer Duncan rush up to her, excitedly. 3 —_-- -~- “For Lord’s sake, mother, what are you doing with that cat?’ he was heard to exclaim. ‘*Cat?’ the old lady exclaimed, proudly; “why, Josiah, that’s one o’ the Belg’um mousers wat ar’ advertised in ther Transcript. Old Lorne, up at Lowell got one, an’ paid two hun- dred Yotlars fer it, an’ thi only cost me nine dollars.” ** You old fool!” the farmer exclaimed, aghast. ‘“That’s one of our own cats, what I sold last night to that chap in the storehouse for less than a cent apiece. And he’s beat you clean out o’ your eyes!” ** No he hasn’t!” stoutly averred the old lady, “That cat cum frum Belg’um. Didn’t I read about et in the Transcript? Lreckon yer mother knows what she’s about, Josiah Duncan. I ’arned thet nine dollars a-pickin’ berries, an’ ef I want ter buy cats with it, I’m a-goin’ ter buy cats. Come, start along, and don’t make a monkey of yourself here before folks.” The old y won the day, and the farmer went away with her, grumb gly. “I’m heartily ashamed of that sale,” Jack said, gazing after them. ‘**Get out,” Bob replied. ‘‘ The old lady has ot a good mouser, and that’s an equivalent to er money.” can, however, was not satisfied, for Jack received a note from him, which read as follows: ‘You're a sharp young cuss, ef I do say it, an’ when ye b'y any more cats o’ me fer nothin’, an’ sell ’em back fer nine dollars apiece, Jest let me know! *‘Jostan DuNcAN,” No more sales were effected that day, and ying back the ten dollars he had borrowed, ack went to his hotel nearly two hundred dol- lars richer than he was in the morning. But he was destined not to make any more out of his cat speculation, for the warehouse burnt to the ground that night, and the ‘ Belgium’ cats were consumed in it. Thus the young speculator was thrown out oj’, his occupation, and was obliged to turn his wi in some other channel. For several days he wandered around the “Hub,” on the outlook for something to turn up. One day as he was passing through the west rtion of the city, he saw a little house and lot or sale. It was dilapidated and shabby enough but a little money and much work would pu it in a habitable condition. The owner was an Irishman, who wanted v much to sell and go back to the Emerald . Accordingly Jack struck a bargain with him, and bought the place for one hundred dollars Then he bought a brush and some paint, to- gether with some other materials, and set to work improving the eran and by the time he had completed them, his means were nearly ex- hausted. The property however, looked a hun- dred per cent better. e house was painted inside and out, papered and thoroughly cleaned, and one day as he was finishing up, a real estate agent came along, and stepped in to view the remises. ar Well, well, ‘Ale have wrought a change,” he said, approvingly. ‘Going to live here, your- self, young man?” * No ” Jack replied, > Going to sell it, I presume?” “ L pete so, too, if I can get my price.” ‘* How much do you want for it?” — “Fifteen hundred dollars!” ‘*Pshaw! you can’t get a third of that!” ‘‘Then I won’t sell. It will rent for fifteen dollarsa month.” — ““Give you five hundred, just as it stands, young feller.” | ‘“‘No you won't,” Jack “he gor and with a grim ‘ cg ! the man went off. That t Jack succeeded in renting the place for n dollars a month to a railroad mechanic, and on receiving the first month’s rent in advance, he invested half of it in insur- ance on his house. Another week spent in Boston convinced him that he had made about all he could there for the present, and he resolved to pull for Phila- del any and his luck there. luck would have it, he applied for and ob- tained a position as snare drummer in a travel- ing theatrical company, at a salary of five dol- lars a week and and found himself one month later in phia, with twenty dollars in his pocket. It was now in the month of October; his sum- mer clo was getting thin; it was neces. sary to @ money with which to procure sie raiment; but how to get it, was the question. In all probability he could find work, at low . é EOmicbooks (E()