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Fame and Fortune Weekly No 15 A Streak of Luck - Frank Tousey · The Gambler

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  Speaker 1: Fame and Fortune Weekly number fifteen, New York, January twelfth,
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  Speaker 1: nineteen o six, published by Frank Towsey. This is a
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in a public domain.
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  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
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  Speaker 1: A Streak of Luck or The Boy who Feathered his
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  Speaker 1: nest by a self made Man, recorded by Keith Sallas,
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  Speaker 1: Chapter one, in which Ben Bailey makes the acquaintance of
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  Speaker 1: Nathan Kebash. Say, fellows, get unto that old guy coming
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  Speaker 1: this way, cried Percy Norcross, pausing in the act of
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  Speaker 1: pelting a fleeting dog with a snowball. Percy, who in
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  Speaker 1: his own estimation at least was a personage of considerable importance,
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  Speaker 1: was the only and much indulged son of Squire Abner
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  Speaker 1: nor Cross, a well to do lawyer and justice of
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  Speaker 1: the Peace of the village of Rivermouth, who exclaimed Oscar
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  Speaker 1: Updyke his particular friend and crony. He's a prize package
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  Speaker 1: for fair. I wonder if yesterday's snow storm blew him
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  Speaker 1: into town, said another boy named Luke Tapley, with a grin.
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  Speaker 1: You must have escaped from some poorhouse ejaculated. Another shoot
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  Speaker 1: a hat, laughed, A pock marked, undersized boy, son of
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  Speaker 1: a Rivermouth butcher pinp offty umbrella chimed in the last
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  Speaker 1: of the group. Let's give him a salute, suggested Percy,
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  Speaker 1: picking up a wad of snow and beginning to mold
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  Speaker 1: it into shape. All right, we'll give him a royal
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  Speaker 1: welcome to Rivermouth. Grinned Oscar, maliciously looking around for a
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  Speaker 1: small pebble to put into the center of his snowball.
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  Speaker 1: The unsuspecting old man slowly approached the grinning boys. He
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  Speaker 1: was tall and gaunt, with a slight stoop to his shoulders,
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  Speaker 1: and his long beard was thickly streaked with gray. His attire,
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  Speaker 1: from the crown of his ancient hat to the points
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  Speaker 1: of his rubber overshoes, was undisguisably shabby. He certainly bore
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  Speaker 1: no resemblance to a modern Monte Cristo. And yet, well,
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  Speaker 1: you can't always judge a book by its cover. The
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  Speaker 1: old man plodded along as if time was a matter
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  Speaker 1: of importance to him. Suddenly, on a preconcerted signal, every
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  Speaker 1: boy raised his arm, and a volley of snowballs flew
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  Speaker 1: through the crisp bear with unfailing accuracy, if if I
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  Speaker 1: if biff, more than half of the missiles hit their mark,
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  Speaker 1: and down went the old man amid a roar of
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  Speaker 1: derisive laughter. The crowd was about to follow up the
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  Speaker 1: attack when a bright, earnest looking lad of seventeen, who
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  Speaker 1: had come upon the scene unobserved, brushed to the rescue.
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  Speaker 1: Bowling over one boy, he went at the next like
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  Speaker 1: a young cyclone. Taken by surprise, the snowballers scattered at once,
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  Speaker 1: leaving Oscar Updyke to fight it out with the newcomer
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  Speaker 1: and Percy Norcross to pick himself out of the snow
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  Speaker 1: at his leisure. You hittin, Ben Bailey, cried Oscar, backing
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  Speaker 1: away from his adversary. He received one heavy wrap and
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  Speaker 1: the jaw, and he appeared to have a proper respect
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  Speaker 1: for the prowess of the boy. He called Bailey. The
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  Speaker 1: boy who had attacked him desisted, and, looking him in
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  Speaker 1: the eye, said, you chaps ought to be ashamed of
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  Speaker 1: yourselves jumping upon a poor old man like that. If
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  Speaker 1: you call that fun, it's a mighty poor specimen of
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  Speaker 1: the article. That's all I've got to say. Will you
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  Speaker 1: go beg your head, will you, snapped Oscar, you haven't
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  Speaker 1: any right to interfere with us. How dare you knock
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  Speaker 1: me down, you beggar, you cried Percy, coming forward in
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  Speaker 1: a furious temper. I can have you arrested for assault,
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  Speaker 1: and my father will send you to the lock up
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  Speaker 1: for a month. All right, have me arrested if you
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  Speaker 1: think you can stand it, replied Ben Bailey coolly, not
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  Speaker 1: in the least intimidated by the overbearing attitude of Squire
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  Speaker 1: Norcross's son and heir. I'll give you, Oscar and the
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  Speaker 1: rest of your crowd such a showing up that you'll
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  Speaker 1: be glad to take to the woods. Why don't you
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  Speaker 1: knock him down? Oscar snorted Percy, fuming with rage. Because
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  Speaker 1: he knows better than to try such a thing, said
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  Speaker 1: Ben quietly. Evidently that was the case, Perhupdyke showed no
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  Speaker 1: disposition to assume the offensive. Suppose you go firm yourself,
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  Speaker 1: suggested Oscar to his friend. I wouldn't lower myself fighting
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  Speaker 1: with such a common fellow as he was the prudent reply.
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  Speaker 1: Ben laughed quietly. He hadn't the slightest fear that Percy
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  Speaker 1: would attack him. Master Norcroft knew well enough what he
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  Speaker 1: was up against, and he wasn't looking for that kind
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  Speaker 1: of trouble. The old gentleman had got up on his feet,
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  Speaker 1: recovered his hat and umbrella, and now approached the group
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  Speaker 1: of three. I'm very much obliged to you, young gentleman,
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  Speaker 1: for taking my part, he said, addressing young Bailey. I
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  Speaker 1: know boys will be boys, but it is rather an
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  Speaker 1: unfair advantage they took of me. One of the snowballs
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  Speaker 1: had a stone in it, and the old man wiped
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  Speaker 1: away a streak of blood from behind his ear. A stone, eh,
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  Speaker 1: cried Ben indignantly. The fellow who put that in his
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  Speaker 1: missile ought to be knocked from here to the river.
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  Speaker 1: It's a cowardly trick, yeah, snarled Percy. Come Oscar, let's
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  Speaker 1: get along. You haven't heard a last of this thing,
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  Speaker 1: was his parting shot at Bailey. It's too bad you
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  Speaker 1: were hurt, Sir, said Ben, turning to the old man
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  Speaker 1: and speaking in a sympathetic tone. It's nothing. Will you
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  Speaker 1: tell me your name, young man? Certainly, my name is
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  Speaker 1: Ben Bailey. Of course you live in Rivermouth, Yes, sir,
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  Speaker 1: that's my mother's cottage there, And he pointed to a
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  Speaker 1: neat looking building a few steps away, which was separated
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  Speaker 1: from the street by a small snow covered yard. I'm
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  Speaker 1: glad to know you, master Bailey. I myself was brought
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  Speaker 1: up in this village, said the old man, glancing about.
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  Speaker 1: But I have been away a great many years. The
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  Speaker 1: place must look strange to you, then, replied the boy,
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  Speaker 1: regarding the stranger with a fresh interest. It has not
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  Speaker 1: changed greatly even in five and thirty years. Is it
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  Speaker 1: so long as that since you've been here, asked Ben
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  Speaker 1: in some surprise. Yes, it is all of that. Have
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  Speaker 1: you any relatives living here now? My sister's daughter, Josephine
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  Speaker 1: is living here. She married Abner Norcross, She don't say,
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  Speaker 1: ejaculated Ben, much astonished and wondering whether missus Norcross, who
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  Speaker 1: was a leader of Rivermouth's most exclusive set, would be
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  Speaker 1: pleased to receive this seedy looking old man at her house,
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  Speaker 1: the most pretentious one in the village, and acknowledged the relationship.
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  Speaker 1: I believe mister Norcross is a lawyer and well off,
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  Speaker 1: is he not, asked the visitor at Rivermouth. Yes, sir,
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  Speaker 1: I am afraid I hardly look prosperous enough to suit
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  Speaker 1: my niece, said the old man, with a peculiar smile.
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  Speaker 1: But if she is the right sort, she won't mind that.
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  Speaker 1: But from what Ben knew of the Norcrosses, he had
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  Speaker 1: his doubts on the subject, but of course he didn't
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  Speaker 1: mention them. I believe I haven't introduced myself to you,
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  Speaker 1: went on the shabby stranger. It is right you should
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  Speaker 1: know who I am. My name is Nathan Gibash. I
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  Speaker 1: live in New York. My wife and only son are dead,
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  Speaker 1: he added gravely, So you see I am a sort
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  Speaker 1: of a waif on the ocean of life. Of all
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  Speaker 1: my relations, my niece, Missus Norcross, is all that's left.
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  Speaker 1: At last I have mustered up the courage to visit her.
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  Speaker 1: She was only a little taught when I left Revermouth
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  Speaker 1: thirty five years ago. No doubt she will be pleased
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  Speaker 1: to see you, said Ben. I know I would if
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  Speaker 1: you were a relation of mine. I am satisfied you
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  Speaker 1: would be my young friend. You have a good, intelligent face,
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  Speaker 1: and on all I am rather sorry that you are
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  Speaker 1: not my great nephew. That reminds me my niece has
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  Speaker 1: a son. His name is Percy. What sort of a
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  Speaker 1: boy is he? Asked mister Cabash, with some interest. You
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  Speaker 1: will have to form your own opinion of him, sir.
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  Speaker 1: He and I don't pull well together. My mother and
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  Speaker 1: I are not on the same social plain as the
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  Speaker 1: nor Crosses, and therefore Percy and I are not companions.
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  Speaker 1: As you are bound to see him again shortly, I
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  Speaker 1: may as well tell you that it was Percy Norcross
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  Speaker 1: and one of his friends who left us a few
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  Speaker 1: moments ago. Indeed, replied mister Cabosh, elevating his shaggy eyebrows.
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  Speaker 1: Which one of the two was my great nephew, the
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  Speaker 1: better dressed one, the boy who threatened to have me
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  Speaker 1: arrested for knocking him down. Ah, he seemed to be
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  Speaker 1: the leading spirit of the snowball brigade, replied the old
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  Speaker 1: man grimly. Seems to hold his head pretty high, doesn't he.
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  Speaker 1: His father has reckoned the most important man in the village,
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  Speaker 1: and I suppose Percy takes advantage of that fact. Some
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  Speaker 1: boys do well. I must be going on. It's getting
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  Speaker 1: dark and a bit colder. Mister Norcross's residence is at
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  Speaker 1: the end of the next street. I was to yes, sir,
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  Speaker 1: we say here any time. Mister Cabosh. I hope you
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  Speaker 1: will call and see us. I'm sure my mother would
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  Speaker 1: be pleased to see an old resident of the village.
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  Speaker 1: She was born here herself. I shall make it a
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  Speaker 1: point to call, said the old man, taking another look
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  Speaker 1: at the cottage to fix it in his mind. I
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  Speaker 1: shall certainly want to meet you again before I leave Rivermouth.
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  Speaker 1: Good afternoon, Good afternoon, sir. Mister Cabosh continued on his
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  Speaker 1: way while ben Bailey passed through the whitewashed gate, tramped
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  Speaker 1: up the snow covered gravel walk, and kicking the snow
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  Speaker 1: from his rubbers, entered the house. End of chapter one,
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  Speaker 1: chapter two of A Streak of Luck by a Self
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  Speaker 1: Made Man. This LibriVox recording is in a public domain.
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  Speaker 1: Chapter two, mister Cabosh visits his niece, missus Abner Norcross.
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  Speaker 1: Percy Norcross and I Oskar Updyke. We're talking beside the
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  Speaker 1: gate leading into the lawn of Norcross property when Nathan
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  Speaker 1: Cabash came up the street. Who's an old scarecrow meandering
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  Speaker 1: in this direction, now, remarked Oscar with a frown. He
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  Speaker 1: ought to be pulled in and sent to the poor farm,
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  Speaker 1: commented Percy. When we brought him to this village anyway,
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  Speaker 1: growled as crony, watching the old man out of the
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  Speaker 1: corner of his eye, probably hoofed it from the next county.
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  Speaker 1: Mister Cabosh was now close upon the boys, so they
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  Speaker 1: held their peace until he should have passed. Much to
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  Speaker 1: the surprise of the two boys, he stopped in front
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  Speaker 1: of them. This is where Abner Norcross lives, isn't it,
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  Speaker 1: he asked, looking at Percy. Yes, replied young Norcross, rudely,
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  Speaker 1: what of it? And you are Percy Norcross? I think yes,
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  Speaker 1: I'm Percy Norcross, in a tone which implied a great deal.
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  Speaker 1: I suppose you want to be sent to the poor farm.
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  Speaker 1: My father is one of the over seers. You can
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  Speaker 1: go round on the back way and knock at the
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  Speaker 1: kitchen door, and Percy waved his hand in a patronizing
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  Speaker 1: kind of way, but made no movement to open the
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  Speaker 1: gate for the old man to pass inside. You are
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  Speaker 1: a mistaken master, Percy, replied the shabby gentleman severely. I
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  Speaker 1: have come all the way from New York to visit
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  Speaker 1: your mother, who is my niece. You, therefore are my
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  Speaker 1: great nephew. What almost screamed Percy aghast at this announcement.
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  Speaker 1: Are you crazy? Oscar's eyes became as big as saucers,
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  Speaker 1: and he stared at the man. I hope not, replied
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  Speaker 1: the old man, fixing Percy with his eye in a
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  Speaker 1: way that made him feel quite uncomfortable. I am your
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  Speaker 1: great uncle, Nathan Kebash what you? I guess you're dreaming,
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  Speaker 1: aren't you? And Percy gave a snort of disgust. Mister
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  Speaker 1: Gabache gave him one searching look from his hat to
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  Speaker 1: his boots, then turned away, opened the gate and passed through.
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  Speaker 1: It is impossible. He's a row of yours, Percy, is it?
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  Speaker 1: Asked Oscar with a malicious grin. Of course he isn't.
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  Speaker 1: The fool is crazy. What he's heading for the front door?
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  Speaker 1: Persisted Oscar, who saw a chance to tantalize his companion.
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  Speaker 1: Suppose he really is your great uncle as he claims
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  Speaker 1: to be. You've put your foot in it for fair
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  Speaker 1: I tell you he isn't any relation of ours, cried
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  Speaker 1: Percy in a tone of annoyance. Do you imagine we'd
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  Speaker 1: have such a thing as that in our family? Well
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  Speaker 1: he's a pretty fierce proposition, laughed Oscar. Then Percy, with
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  Speaker 1: visible annoyance, noticed that mister Cabash had been admitted into
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  Speaker 1: the house. The servant announced his presence to Missus Norcross.
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  Speaker 1: The lady immediately recalled the fact that she had an uncle, Nathan,
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  Speaker 1: who had gone to New York City when she was
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  Speaker 1: about three years of age. After many years, news had
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  Speaker 1: come back that Nathan Cabash had climbed the ladder of success,
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  Speaker 1: had become a wealthy broker in Wall Street, and lived
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  Speaker 1: in great style else somewhere on Fifth Avenue. This intelligence
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  Speaker 1: was afterwards confirmed by mister Norcross himself, when he had
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  Speaker 1: occasion to visit the metropolis. He had made it his
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  Speaker 1: business to call on mister Gabash at his elegant suite
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  Speaker 1: of offices in Broad Street, and accepted an invitation to
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  Speaker 1: dine with a prosperous broker. After that, Missus Norcross lost
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  Speaker 1: no chance to refer to her wealthy relative in New York.
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  Speaker 1: As the connection increased her importance in the village, she
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  Speaker 1: wrote to mister Cabosh and invited him to visit her
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  Speaker 1: with his wife and son. But Nathan, being a very
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  Speaker 1: busy man, never answered the letter and never accepted the
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  Speaker 1: invitation When Missus Norcross came downstairs in all the glory
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  Speaker 1: of her best dress to greet her visitor, she expected
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  Speaker 1: to find a portly, elderly gentleman arrayed an up to
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  Speaker 1: date business suit or perhaps immaculate broadcloth, with a ponderous
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  Speaker 1: gold chain across his vest, and with the air of
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  Speaker 1: a silver king. Visions of a dinner party in his honor,
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  Speaker 1: to which the elite of Rivermouth's society was to be invited,
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  Speaker 1: floated across her mind. She sailed into her best parlor
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  Speaker 1: with a swish and rustle of garments, and saw well
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  Speaker 1: a very seedy looking old gentleman with a gray beard,
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  Speaker 1: an ancient umbrella, and on the floor beside his chair
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  Speaker 1: a tall hat, very much the worse for wear as
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  Speaker 1: well as from contact with a couple of hard snowballs.
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  Speaker 1: Missus Norcross was staggered. This certainly was not her prosperous
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  Speaker 1: uncle Nathan. The servant had made some horrible mistake, and
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  Speaker 1: Missus Norcross's face hardened as she figured what she wouldn't
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  Speaker 1: do to the girl when she got back in her boudoir.
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  Speaker 1: Missus Norcross, I believe, said the old man, rising and
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  Speaker 1: looking at her with some interest. That is my name,
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  Speaker 1: she answered, freezingly. Pray what business? I am your uncle, Nathan,
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  Speaker 1: he said, stepping forward and holding out his hand. You
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  Speaker 1: were only a mite of a girl when I left
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  Speaker 1: Rivermouth thirty five years ago, so of course I cannot
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  Speaker 1: expect you to recognize me, sir, exclaimed Missus Norcross, majestically,
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  Speaker 1: not noticing the outstretched hand of her strange looking visitor.
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  Speaker 1: I said, I was your uncle, Nathan Cabosh, and you
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  Speaker 1: my uncle, ejaculated the indignant lady. Preposterous, I can assure you,
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  Speaker 1: mister Kebash is a wealthy man, while you you look
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  Speaker 1: like a tramp, she snorted in disgust. I know I
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  Speaker 1: don't look quite as prosperous as I used to, said
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  Speaker 1: the visitor. The wheel of fortune sometimes takes an unfortunate turn.
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  Speaker 1: But nevertheless, Josephine, I am your uncle, Nathan, the brother
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  Speaker 1: of Caroline Kebash, your mother, who married a Hammond. Mister
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  Speaker 1: Kebash's intimate knowledge of the family name's surprised Missus Norcross,
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  Speaker 1: and for a moment she remained speechless. Suddenly, a horrible
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  Speaker 1: suspicion crossed her mind, which almost took away her breath.
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  Speaker 1: She had an indistinct idea that fortunes are won and
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  Speaker 1: lost on Wall Street with the swiftness of a Western cyclone.
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  Speaker 1: What if, after all, Nathankebash had been caught in some
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  Speaker 1: financial crash, after all these years of prosperity, and reduced
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  Speaker 1: to absolute beggary. It was a terrible thing to think of,
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  Speaker 1: And yet it must be true if this man really
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  Speaker 1: was her uncle. Do you mean to say that you
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  Speaker 1: really are Nathan Kibash and that you have lost all
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  Speaker 1: your money? She gasped. There isn't the least doubt that
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  Speaker 1: I am your uncle, Nathan, he said, My wife and
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  Speaker 1: son are both dead, and I am now alone in
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  Speaker 1: the world. Remembering that you once invited me to call
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  Speaker 1: on you and make your house my home, as it were,
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  Speaker 1: while I remained in Rivermouth, I decided at length to
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  Speaker 1: avail myself of your kind invitation. After all, Josephine, when
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: one comes to think of it, blood is thicker than water.
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  Speaker 1: While he was speaking, Missus Norcross have been thinking swiftly.
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  Speaker 1: She decided that indeed her visitor was Nathan Cabash, that
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  Speaker 1: he had met with misfortune and had now come to
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  Speaker 1: see her and her husband with a view of financial assistance.
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  Speaker 1: Perhaps he had figured that she would generously offer him
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  Speaker 1: a home in his impecunious old age. Well, his nerve
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  Speaker 1: was something stupendous. I'm afraid, mister Cabosh, She began, in
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  Speaker 1: a tone which sent the temperature of the parlor down
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  Speaker 1: several degrees, that it will be impossible for us to
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  Speaker 1: receive you here. My husband is away on business and Fruitdale,
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  Speaker 1: while I expect a party of friends to dinner. I
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  Speaker 1: think you had better go to the hotel. There is
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  Speaker 1: a cheap house on main Street until we can communicate
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  Speaker 1: with you in a day or so. I am sorry
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  Speaker 1: that my visit is ill timed, said mister Cabosh, with
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  Speaker 1: a twinkle in his eyes. But I thought you would
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  Speaker 1: be glad to see me after all these years, that
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  Speaker 1: my sudden appearance wouldn't incommode you. You forget yet, mister
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  Speaker 1: Gabache replied missus Norcross with hauteur, that I have no
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  Speaker 1: recollection of ever having seen you in my life. You
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  Speaker 1: are very young when I left this village, admitted the visitor. Therefore,
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  Speaker 1: I do not feel sufficiently acquainted with you to offer
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  Speaker 1: you the freedom of my house. Besides, I hope you'll
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  Speaker 1: excuse me mentioning it. Your appearance is not exactly suitable
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  Speaker 1: to our surroundings, and it would cause me a great
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  Speaker 1: deal of embarrassment to acknowledge our relationship before the servants,
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  Speaker 1: not to speak of my friends, who are not accustomed
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  Speaker 1: to associate with persons below their social plane. You will
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  Speaker 1: therefore see how impossible it is that you can remain here.
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  Speaker 1: I understand you, Josephine. Doubtless you are right when a
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  Speaker 1: man looks down in the world, as friends and relations
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  Speaker 1: regard him as an undesirable obstacle in their path. It
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  Speaker 1: was foolish of me to suppose that you were different
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  Speaker 1: from the average, that you would welcome your own uncle
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  Speaker 1: with open arms, as I pictured you would. When a
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  Speaker 1: man has nothing, the poorhouse is about the only thing
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: which stands ready to receive him without question. Missus Norcross
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: listened to his speech with some impatience. She was anxious
• 19:15
  Speaker 1: to be rid of her shabby relative. To that end,
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: she made a movement to withdraw, hoping that mister Cabosh
• 19:21
  Speaker 1: would take the hint and go. He did. While he
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: was picking up his hat and umbrella, the lady of
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: the house tapped a bell on the hat rack. The
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: servant who attended on the door made her appearance. Show
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: this person out, Martha, she said, then, with a slight bow,
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: several degrees more frigid than the atmosphere outside. She hastily
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: started upstairs, lest mister Kebash should address her before the
• 19:47
  Speaker 1: servant in a familiar manner. As Eminiel stood as stiff
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: as a grenadier with one hand on the street door,
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: waiting for the visitor to make his exit, Nathan Cabosh
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: did not delay his departure. I guess I made a
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: mistake coming back to the old place, he muttered, as
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: he tramped down the wide path and passed through the
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: gate into the street. Whether you're in New York or
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: in a village like Rivermouth, the world handles you without
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: gloves if you happen to look as if you were down.
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: There are exceptions, however, to every rule, and I thought, maybe,
• 20:22
  Speaker 1: but no matter. Percy nor Cross is very like his mother,
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: very different from our master Bailey, who interfered in my
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: behalf a while ago. I must certainly call at his
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: house tomorrow. Mister Gabash presently turned into main Street and
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: put up at the hotel. End of chapter two, Chapter
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: three of a streak of Luck by a self made man.
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in public domain. Chapter three, The
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: race on the Ice. There was a large lake about
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: a mile outside of the village at the time in
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: mister Kebash's visit, it was frozen over to a thickness
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: that permitted skating. That evening, quite a crowd of Rivermouth
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: boys and girls gathered there to enjoy the exhilarating exercise.
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: A full moon rose early and cast her silvery light
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: over the landscape. Isn't it just lovely? Exclaimed Ruth Cameron,
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: the bell of the village, to Percy Norcross, her most
• 21:29
  Speaker 1: persistent admirer. Charming, he replied, as he knelt in front
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: of her and fastened on her skates. Why there's Ben Bailey,
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: she cried, almost clapping her hands to Percy's great annoyance.
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: I was afraid he wasn't coming. I'm so glad for
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: he's such a splendid skater. I don't see why you
• 21:49
  Speaker 1: noticed that, fellow, Miss Ruth, remarked Percy with a frown
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: of displeasure. Why what's the matter with him? Asked Ruth,
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: opening her pretty eyes very wide. Indeed, he's a real nice,
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: gentlemanly fellow. I like him very much, Really, Miss Ruth,
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: you ought to be careful, don't you know? He doesn't
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: belong to our set. He's a poor boy and works
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: for a living at mister Huckleberry's general store. I think
• 22:15
  Speaker 1: he has a lot of nerve to try to force
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: himself among people who don't want him. My father and
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: mother wouldn't permit me to associate with him, indeed, replied
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: Ruth with a little musical laugh, they are very particular
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: who I make friends with, said Percy. Consequentially, then I
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: presume I should consider myself highly honored by having you
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: put on my skates, she answered, with a merry twinkle
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: in her eye. Not at all, Miss Ruth. You are
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: one of us, don't you know? Your father is a
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: cashier for the Rivermouth Bank. He's a gentleman, and you
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: find fault with Ben Bailey because he has to work
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: in a store. You can't expect much from a poor boy.
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: You know. His father was only our common carpenter, and
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: his mother once did some dress making for my mother.
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: So you see, he isn't just the proper sort of
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: person to be familiar with. I have given him several
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: hints on the subject, but he doesn't seem to take them. Really,
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: I think he ought to be shown his place. Apparently,
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: Percy's remarks were not making much of an impression on
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: Ruth Cameron, for while he was speaking, her eyes were
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: following the graceful movements of Ben Bailey on the ice,
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: where he was at the moment cutting a number of
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: fancy figures to the great admiration of several onlookers. Ruth's
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: skates being adjusted, she went twice around the lake with Percy,
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: who was a very good skater himself. Then, to young
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: Norcross's great disgust, she made a tour of the ice
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: three times with Ben. Don't they make a graceful couple,
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: said Miss Aggie Ware, Ruth's particular friend. Oh, I don't know,
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: sneered oscar Updyke. There are others who, for instance, asked
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: Aggie take Percy and miss Cameron. Percy is a skater
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: all to the good. He is quite expert, but not
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: near so good as mister Bailey. Bailey may be smarter
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: at cutting a few Jim Crow evolutions, but as a
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: real skater he isn't in it with Percy. I'm sure
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: you're mistaken, Oscar. I'd like to see them race together,
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: then we might find out which is the fastest. Who
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: would you like to see race together? Asked Luke Tapley,
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: coming up Ben Bailey and Percy Norcross, said Aggie eagerly.
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: Couldn't you persuade them to do it? Oh, Percy would
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: knock the socks off, Bailey, asserted Luke. That's what I say,
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: agreed Oscar. I don't believe he could, said Aggie, shaking
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: her head in a decided way. At this point, Ruth
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: and Ben stopped alongside Aggie. Then Percy, who had been
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: watching for another opportunity to eskape with Miss Cameron glide
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: it up, but she begged to be excused. I dare
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: you to race with mister Bailey, said Aggie saucily to
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: young Norcross. Excuse me, misware, I don't race with every Tom,
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: Dick and Harry, replied Percy in a tone loud enough
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: for the whole group to hear. I like to choose
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: my company. His bearing toward Ben was manifestly insulting, and
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: the boy flushed up at once, but owing to the
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: presence of the girls, he restrained his rising anger. Aren't
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: you ashamed of yourself to talk that way, asked Ruth,
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: looking indignantly at river Mouse, young aristocrat, he's afraid to race,
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: cried Aggie, jumping up and down and clapping her hands gleefully.
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: Percy was hot under the collar in a moment, afraid,
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: ejaculated Young Norcross. Well, I guess not. If there's anybody
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: in Rivermouth that thinks he can get away with me
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: on the ice, let him put up the dough. That's
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: the way to talk, Percy, said Oscar, patting his front
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: on the back. Don't take any bluffs if Bailey thinks
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: he can whip you in a spin around this Pard.
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: I've got a dollar, says he care and I've got another,
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: chimed in Luke Tapley, pulling out his wallet. I'm ready
• 26:05
  Speaker 1: to race Percy Norcross for the honor of the thing,
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: but I don't bet. Whoever wins the race is to
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: be considered champion skater of Rivermouth. That's the ticket, said
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: Tom Sanders, Ben's chum joining the group. Hahi, fellows, we're
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: going to have a race. Who's gonna race, asked a boy,
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: as most of the boys and girls began to crowd
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: around Ben Bailey and Percy Norcross announced Tom Whereat. There
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: was a general cheer. Don't be quite so previous, objected Percy.
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: You're not gonna back down, are you, person Norcross asked
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: Tom Sanders. You've been making a great bluff about being
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: the fastest skater in the lake. Now's your chance to
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: prove it. Percy believed there wasn't any one who could
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: beat him, and he wasn't really afraid of Ben Bailey,
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: but his reason for wishing to decline a contest with
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: Ben was that he thought he was honoring the store
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: boy too much by putting himself on equal terms with it. Besides,
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: his dislike and contempt for Ben had been increased that
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: evening by Ruth Cameron's evident partiality for his rival's society.
• 27:09
  Speaker 1: He realized, however, that the crowd was bent on having
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: the race take place, and he couldn't draw out without
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: bringing down ridicule on his head, so he agreed to
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: race Ben. The distance to be twice around the lake,
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: which was only a small sheet of ice. Oscar Updyke
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: and Tom Sanders were chosen judges. Then the two rivals
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: took their positions side by side. Percy having won the
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: advantage of the inner track, ready, asked Luke Tapley, who
• 27:36
  Speaker 1: had constituted himself official starter. Yes, cried both the boys
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: in a breath, leaning forward with their hands clasped behind go.
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: Both started at the word, and the spectators followed their
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: movements with great interest and excitement. It was soon seen
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: that Percy was slowly forging ahead. What did I tell you,
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: yelled Oscar. Updyke, he's just walking away from Bailey. You
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: bet your life he is, coincided Tapley, and they yelled
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: out words of encouragement to Percy. Oh, retorted Tom Sanders cheerfully.
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: Ben hasn't gotten down to work yet. He's only playing
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: with nor Cross, he is, I don't think, sneered Updyke. Oh, yes,
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: he's playing with him, snorted Tapley. Percy's three yards of
• 28:23
  Speaker 1: the good already. Your man won't be in it at
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: the finish, don't you fool yourself? Answered Tom. Looks as
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: if Percy Norcross was going to win, doesn't it, said
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: Aggie to Ruth. Sure he's going to win, chipped in Oscar,
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: who overheard the remark. There's lots of time for mister
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: Bailey to pull up yet, said Ruth quietly, though her
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: heart was beating quicker than usual, and her bright eyes
• 28:47
  Speaker 1: were all of a glisten with excitement. You might pull
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: up if Percy was a sling of a toe line, grinned, Oscar.
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: He doesn't need a toe line, Oscar Updyke replied Aggie, sharply,
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: don'ty to have an electric motor then to push him along.
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: That's what chuckled Tapley. Either come Percy four yards in
• 29:08
  Speaker 1: the lead? Who I guess not go a purse? You
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: haven't whipped to stand still? Hurrah, rah Rah. The boys
• 29:17
  Speaker 1: yelled and swung their hats. The girls screamed and waved
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: their hands and handkerchiefs. As the rival racers completed the
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: first lap, with nor Cross well in the lead, it
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: could easily be seen that Percy was exerting himself to
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: the utmost, and he endeavored a distance bend as much
• 29:32
  Speaker 1: as possible. The greater his victory, the greater would be
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: his satisfaction and triumph. That there was the slightest possibility
• 29:39
  Speaker 1: of his losing the race now did not strike him
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: at all. Ben on the contrary, had held himself back
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: to a certain extent from the start. He did not
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: believe that his rival could maintain his present burst of
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: speed twice around the lake at any rate. He was
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: banking on the fact that he couldn't. If he was mistaken,
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: his work would be cut out for him in the
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: home stretch. Otherwise, he felt confident he would win. I
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: don't think Percy Norcross is quite so far ahead, cried Aggie.
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: Hopefully it's because you can't see straight, said Oscar jeeringly.
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: Aren't you polite, answered the girl with a flush. I
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: really believe Ben is closing up the gap between them,
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: she said, turning to Ruth. Yes, Aggie, he is. Isn't
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: it exciting? This is where Ben takes the starch out
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: to your side, partner, grinned Tom to Updyke, you're talking
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: through your hat, retorted Oscar angrily, though he clearly saw
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: that Ben Bailey had already cut down Percy's lead by
• 30:32
  Speaker 1: one half. Hurrah for Bailey. Howl the large part of
• 30:36
  Speaker 1: the spectators for the store boy was easily the favorite
• 30:39
  Speaker 1: by long odds. Hurrah for Percy Norcross, whooped up Tapley,
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: trying to arouse a counter enthusiasm, but the attempt was
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: not successful. He's curling up all right, cried Tom in Aglee,
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: go back and sit down, snarled Updyke, you make me tired.
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: Get out there in the ice, Oscar with your end
• 30:58
  Speaker 1: of the string. Tom, they'll be here in a few moments.
• 31:02
  Speaker 1: You don't there yourself, Tom Sanders, who was your flunky
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: last year? All right, replied Tom, good naturedly. It's all
• 31:09
  Speaker 1: the same to me. Ben is winning. You can bet
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: your bottom dollar, not on your life, cried Oscar Hotly.
• 31:17
  Speaker 1: Yes he is, screamed Aggie, beginning to jump with satisfaction.
• 31:21
  Speaker 1: He's even with Percy Norcross. Isn't that good? Shut up, Egg,
• 31:25
  Speaker 1: you were, cried Oscar hotly. The idea, returned the girl. Yes,
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: the idea mimicked Luke Tapley. You're acting like a jumping jack.
• 31:37
  Speaker 1: That's none of your business, Luke Tapley. He's ahead of Haggy.
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: He's ahead, cried Ruth, with a sudden burst of enthusiasm.
• 31:44
  Speaker 1: A roar of encouragement greeted Ben as he shot to
• 31:47
  Speaker 1: the four of the race. The supporters of Percy Norcross
• 31:50
  Speaker 1: appeared to be few and far between. For fifty yards.
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: After Ben had caught up with his rival, the boys
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: skated side by side, then Percy began to fall to
• 31:58
  Speaker 1: the rear. In spite of all he could do. He
• 32:01
  Speaker 1: had evidently exerted himself beyond his strength and was in
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: no shape to make a final spurt. Ben, on the contrary,
• 32:08
  Speaker 1: had still some reserve power left. Although much excited, he
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: was breathing freely and easily, while Percy was fairly gasping
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: for breath. With the raised four fifths over, the store
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: boy was very perceptibly widening the gap he had opened
• 32:21
  Speaker 1: between himself and the young village aristocrat. Hi, Hi, Hi,
• 32:25
  Speaker 1: go it, Bailey, Get down to it, old chap. You're
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: going to win, but on more steam. Hurrah three years
• 32:32
  Speaker 1: for Ben Bailey. These and similar cries greeted Ben as
• 32:36
  Speaker 1: he came whizzing down the home stretch like a winged mercury.
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: He's winning, He's winning, shrieked Aggie, waving her handkerchief frantically.
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: Ah snarled Oscar, now mad as a hornet. Luke, tappily
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: realizing the worst, had nothing to say. I guess that
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: your man an easy electric motor after all, grinned Tom
• 32:55
  Speaker 1: Sanders exultantly showed up snorted Oscar. Ha ha haha, laughed
• 33:01
  Speaker 1: Aggie joyously with a mischievous glance at Oscar. Hold ran straight,
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: will you, cried Tom to Updyke, who has swinging the
• 33:08
  Speaker 1: string out at an angle. Hurrah, hurrah for Ben Bailey,
• 33:12
  Speaker 1: shouted the spectators, as with one mighty burst of speed,
• 33:16
  Speaker 1: the store boy shot against and carried away the string
• 33:19
  Speaker 1: at the finishing line, six yards in advance of Percy Norcross.
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: He had won the race hands down. End of chapter three,
• 33:34
  Speaker 1: Chapter four of A Streak of Luck by a Self
• 33:37
  Speaker 1: made Man. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: Chapter four, in which Ruth Cameron meets with a great mishap, Well,
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: who won the race? Updyke, chuckled Tom Sanders with a
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: grin of satisfaction upon his freckled face. Yes, who won
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: the race? Mimicked Aggie making a face at Oscar. People
• 34:00
  Speaker 1: make me sick, retorted Updyke sourly. You'd have lost your
• 34:04
  Speaker 1: money if you had it up, replied Tom, Well, why
• 34:07
  Speaker 1: didn't you cover it? Then you're so smart because I'm
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: not in the habit of betting. Oh aren't you, sneered Oscar,
• 34:15
  Speaker 1: glad to find some pretext to hit out at Sanders.
• 34:18
  Speaker 1: You're one of the goody goody taffy on the stickfellows,
• 34:21
  Speaker 1: aren't you you give me a pain in the neck?
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: Don't you worry yourself about me? Flushed Tom. The girls
• 34:28
  Speaker 1: and boys, with Ruth and Aggie in the lead, began
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: the crowd about Ben as soon as he came gliding
• 34:33
  Speaker 1: back to the starting point, while Oscar and Luke and
• 34:36
  Speaker 1: one or two of the others hastened to Percy to
• 34:39
  Speaker 1: condole with him over his defeat. You're all to the
• 34:43
  Speaker 1: good bailey, said a big strapping lad who worked for
• 34:46
  Speaker 1: the village blacksmith. I thought you'd win, thanks Webster, replied Ben,
• 34:51
  Speaker 1: his face flushing with pleasure as the group showered their
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: congratulations upon him. You're the champion skater of river Mouth,
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: for a fact, said Tom. Yes he's one the title, gloriously,
• 35:03
  Speaker 1: cried Aggie with dancing eyes. You ought to be entitled
• 35:06
  Speaker 1: to a badge of some sort, don't you think, suggested
• 35:09
  Speaker 1: a boy. Sure he ought, Must you been buy em one?
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: I'm willin, cried another. And I and I and I too,
• 35:18
  Speaker 1: chorused a number of enthusiasts. He certainly deserves some recognition,
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: said Ruth. Give him a ribbon in your hair. Suggested Aggie.
• 35:28
  Speaker 1: Do you think I might, whispered Ruth to her friend
• 35:30
  Speaker 1: with a blush. Why not, I would if I had one.
• 35:34
  Speaker 1: Ruth detached the blue silk ribbon she wore, and taking
• 35:37
  Speaker 1: a pin from her sash, walked a pen. Allow me
• 35:40
  Speaker 1: to present you with the blue ribbon, she said softly.
• 35:45
  Speaker 1: Thank you, Miss Ruth, replied the star boy with a
• 35:48
  Speaker 1: heightened color, as she pinned upon the lapel of his jacket.
• 35:52
  Speaker 1: I shall prize that very much because it is your gift.
• 35:55
  Speaker 1: It has a double value in my eyes, and I
• 35:57
  Speaker 1: shall keep it as long as I live. Everybody, he
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: cheered as Ruth Cameron decked out the victor. Seems to
• 36:03
  Speaker 1: me they're making a great fuss over the fellow, said
• 36:06
  Speaker 1: Percy with a sniff of disgust. If I had been
• 36:09
  Speaker 1: feeling in proper shape, he wouldn't have beaten me. What's
• 36:12
  Speaker 1: the matter with you, asked Oscar, glad to find an
• 36:15
  Speaker 1: excuse to flaunt up to Tom Sanders. I've got a headache,
• 36:20
  Speaker 1: had it ever since I left home, But of course
• 36:23
  Speaker 1: you were handicapped. I knew there must be something to
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: account for Bailey winning, said Oscar in a tone of satisfaction.
• 36:30
  Speaker 1: Sure I was handicapped, and you must race him again
• 36:33
  Speaker 1: tomorrow night, said Luke Tapley. He'll be claiming that he's
• 36:37
  Speaker 1: a champion skater of her her Mouth after this, unless
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: you can put a spoke in his wheel. I'll think
• 36:42
  Speaker 1: about it, said Percy, who was well aware that he
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: had done the best he was capable of and had
• 36:48
  Speaker 1: been fairly beaten. You want to think about it pretty quick,
• 36:52
  Speaker 1: persisted Luke. I don't want to have that crowd crowing
• 36:54
  Speaker 1: over me, for we supported you, and they'll be giving
• 36:58
  Speaker 1: us the grand laugh. Percy made no reply. Praver Ben Bailey,
• 37:03
  Speaker 1: the champion skater of Rivermouth, came floating over to them
• 37:07
  Speaker 1: from the crowd around the winter as Ruth Cameron decorated
• 37:10
  Speaker 1: him with the blue ribbon. Hear that, cried Luke. That's
• 37:14
  Speaker 1: what we're up against. You gotta raise him again, Percy,
• 37:17
  Speaker 1: and knock the spots off him, or we shan't hear
• 37:20
  Speaker 1: the last of it. Mind what I tell you, ah,
• 37:23
  Speaker 1: cried Percy angrily. I was a fool to put myself
• 37:27
  Speaker 1: on a level with the beggar. The crowd round Bend
• 37:29
  Speaker 1: now broke up, and general skating was renewed, Let's go
• 37:33
  Speaker 1: over to the clubhouse and have a game of Peinuckle,
• 37:36
  Speaker 1: suggested Oscar. I've had enough of this thing for to night.
• 37:40
  Speaker 1: I'm with you, replied Luke, sitting down on the ground
• 37:43
  Speaker 1: and commencing to loosen his skates. All right, agreed Percy.
• 37:48
  Speaker 1: Just wait for me until I have one more spin
• 37:51
  Speaker 1: around with miss Cameron. How can you she's with Bailey now.
• 37:55
  Speaker 1: Percy gritted his teeth when he saw the boy he
• 37:57
  Speaker 1: disliked and the girl he was partial to you go
• 38:00
  Speaker 1: off across the lake had in hand. He determined, however,
• 38:04
  Speaker 1: to wait until they returned. He wanted to reach the
• 38:07
  Speaker 1: year of Miss Cameron and gloss over his defeat, lest
• 38:10
  Speaker 1: she might go away with a much reduced opinion of
• 38:13
  Speaker 1: his abilities as a skater. So, in spite of the
• 38:16
  Speaker 1: entreaties of his companions to hurry up, he hung about
• 38:19
  Speaker 1: until Ben and Ruth came back, and then, with very
• 38:21
  Speaker 1: little politeness towards the storeboy, he glided up to Ruth
• 38:25
  Speaker 1: and requested the pleasure of a spin with her down
• 38:27
  Speaker 1: the lake. Ruth looked doubtfully at Ben, but the boy
• 38:30
  Speaker 1: gracefully relinquished her arm to Percy raised his hair politely
• 38:35
  Speaker 1: and skating over to Aggie, asked the pleasure of her company,
• 38:38
  Speaker 1: which she very readily granted. I suppose you think that
• 38:42
  Speaker 1: fellow a better skater than I? Now, began Percy as
• 38:46
  Speaker 1: he started off with Miss Cameron. Well, replied Ruth in
• 38:50
  Speaker 1: a conciliating tone, for she realized that Percy felt sore
• 38:54
  Speaker 1: over his defeat. You are both fine skaters, that isn't
• 38:58
  Speaker 1: the thing, persisted young Norcross. Do you think he is
• 39:02
  Speaker 1: better than I am? You both had a fair trial
• 39:04
  Speaker 1: of speed and he came out ahead. Of course, that
• 39:08
  Speaker 1: was because I didn't feel my best. How do you
• 39:10
  Speaker 1: mean I had a bad headache. I was in no
• 39:14
  Speaker 1: condition to race. I only went into the thing because
• 39:17
  Speaker 1: I was forced. The crowd would have it, and if
• 39:19
  Speaker 1: I had refused, they would have said that I was
• 39:21
  Speaker 1: afraid of Ben Bailey. I didn't hear you complain of
• 39:25
  Speaker 1: a headache while I was skating with you before the race.
• 39:28
  Speaker 1: I didn't think it worth while to mention the fact
• 39:30
  Speaker 1: to you. You think that was the reason you lost?
• 39:34
  Speaker 1: Of course it was. Well, you can race again tomorrow night,
• 39:37
  Speaker 1: can't you, she asked? I suppose I can, but I
• 39:41
  Speaker 1: don't really think I ought to lower myself to do so.
• 39:45
  Speaker 1: Ruth made no remark, but we are afraid Percy lowered
• 39:48
  Speaker 1: himself very greatly in her estimation by his indiscreet remark.
• 39:53
  Speaker 1: I wish you wouldn't be so familiar with that fellow,
• 39:56
  Speaker 1: went on the village aristocrat. He isn't at all in
• 39:59
  Speaker 1: our social class. You know you ought not to encourage him.
• 40:03
  Speaker 1: I think you choose your friends, don't you, mister Norcross,
• 40:06
  Speaker 1: she said, with some spirit. Certainly I do. I take
• 40:10
  Speaker 1: care to have nothing to do with low people like
• 40:13
  Speaker 1: Ben Bailey. Very well, she said coldly. Perhaps you have
• 40:17
  Speaker 1: no objection to my choosing mine. I am sorry to
• 40:20
  Speaker 1: hear you speak so slightingly of mister Bailey. There is
• 40:23
  Speaker 1: nothing in the least objectionable about him. It does not
• 40:27
  Speaker 1: lower him in the estimation of the village because it
• 40:29
  Speaker 1: is necessary for him to work at the General's store
• 40:31
  Speaker 1: to support his widowed mother. I assure you I respect
• 40:36
  Speaker 1: him greatly, and I would prefer you didn't speak about
• 40:39
  Speaker 1: him again, unless you can do so without running him down.
• 40:43
  Speaker 1: Her words came at Percy straight from the shoulder, as
• 40:45
  Speaker 1: it were, and he whined at the indignant earnestness in
• 40:49
  Speaker 1: her tone. Of course, if you insist on having him
• 40:53
  Speaker 1: for a friend, Miss Ruth, I am glad to number
• 40:55
  Speaker 1: him among my friends. My father and mother approve of him,
• 40:59
  Speaker 1: and that is enough for me. Let's go up there,
• 41:03
  Speaker 1: he said at length, as they approached an annex to
• 41:05
  Speaker 1: the lake. It was only a small span of ice,
• 41:08
  Speaker 1: divided from the main lake by a jutting point of ground.
• 41:11
  Speaker 1: For some reason, the ice was thinner there than out
• 41:14
  Speaker 1: on the lake, but neither suspected it. Ruth at once
• 41:17
  Speaker 1: skated through the opening, a Percy in some way tripped
• 41:20
  Speaker 1: and sat down with an ungraceful whack. Then something occurred.
• 41:26
  Speaker 1: The ice cracked all of a sudden under Ruth's feet,
• 41:28
  Speaker 1: sending danger. She tried to turn around quickly. This threw
• 41:32
  Speaker 1: all her weight on one foot. The skate penetrated the ice,
• 41:35
  Speaker 1: and down she went. The shock broke the surface all
• 41:38
  Speaker 1: around her, and she went through into the water. The
• 41:41
  Speaker 1: water was pretty deep here, and she had just time
• 41:43
  Speaker 1: enough to utter a piercing scream before she went entirely
• 41:46
  Speaker 1: under Piercy saw the catastrophe, and instead of rushing to
• 41:50
  Speaker 1: her rescue, he stood gazing helplessly at the hole in
• 41:53
  Speaker 1: the ice through which she had vanished, end of chapter four,
• 42:03
  Speaker 1: chapter five of A Streak of Luck by a Self
• 42:06
  Speaker 1: Made Man. This LibriVox recording is in a public domain
• 42:10
  Speaker 1: chapter five, in which Ben displays courage and presence of mind.
• 42:16
  Speaker 1: Ben Bailey and Aggie Ware were gliding over the ice
• 42:19
  Speaker 1: not very far away when Ruth's scream came to their ears.
• 42:22
  Speaker 1: Something's happened to one of the girls, cried Ben, Come
• 42:25
  Speaker 1: let us see it must be Ruth, cried Aggie apprehensively.
• 42:29
  Speaker 1: I saw her and Percy nor cross goo round that point,
• 42:32
  Speaker 1: and the scream came from there. The very thought that
• 42:35
  Speaker 1: Ruth Cameron might be in trouble spurred Ben to action
• 42:38
  Speaker 1: at once, follow me, Aggie, he exclaimed, and letting go over,
• 42:42
  Speaker 1: he darted a head like an arrow from a bow.
• 42:45
  Speaker 1: As he spun around the point, he ran into Percy
• 42:47
  Speaker 1: and sent the aristocratic youth head over heels along the
• 42:50
  Speaker 1: ice until he fetched up against the bank, where a
• 42:52
  Speaker 1: broken branch from a fell tree ripped his jacket half
• 42:56
  Speaker 1: up his back. At that instant, Ruth's head appeared above
• 42:59
  Speaker 1: the water in the midst to the broken ice. Help.
• 43:02
  Speaker 1: She gasped in terror, trying in vain to get a
• 43:04
  Speaker 1: secure hold on the flimsy surface around her. Ben saw
• 43:08
  Speaker 1: the extreme danger of her situation. There was nothing at
• 43:11
  Speaker 1: hand to hold out to her, and he could not
• 43:13
  Speaker 1: tell how close to the break the ice would sustain him.
• 43:16
  Speaker 1: He thought quickly, for the girl's life dependent on prompt action.
• 43:20
  Speaker 1: He came to a sudden resolution. Lying face down on
• 43:23
  Speaker 1: the surface of the annex, he crawled forward. But while
• 43:26
  Speaker 1: he was doing this he saw, with a feeling of despair,
• 43:29
  Speaker 1: Ruth's head sink out of sight and a few bubbles
• 43:32
  Speaker 1: come shooting to the surface. Great Scott, he groaned, What
• 43:36
  Speaker 1: if she doesn't come up again? A cold sweat broke
• 43:39
  Speaker 1: out on his forehead, and he was on the point
• 43:42
  Speaker 1: of getting up and diving into the hole to save
• 43:44
  Speaker 1: her or perish. When she came up again, she was
• 43:47
  Speaker 1: almost unconscious from cold. In fright, give me your hand,
• 43:51
  Speaker 1: Ben cried, wriggling unpleasantly near the brake and holding his
• 43:55
  Speaker 1: arm out to her. His voice came to her like
• 43:57
  Speaker 1: a bugle note in a dream. She took earned her
• 44:00
  Speaker 1: despairing eyes upon him. Save me, mister Bailey, She gasped, faintly,
• 44:06
  Speaker 1: extending both her arms toward him. I will or I'll
• 44:09
  Speaker 1: go under with you, he cried encouragingly. The ice began
• 44:13
  Speaker 1: to crack around him as he succeeded in catching one
• 44:15
  Speaker 1: of her hands, but he did not care. He was
• 44:18
  Speaker 1: going to get her out of it if he had
• 44:20
  Speaker 1: to swim for it. He pulled her toward him, the
• 44:23
  Speaker 1: thin barrier of ice giving way before her Haggie. He
• 44:27
  Speaker 1: called out, yes, Ben, she answered, catch hold of my skates,
• 44:31
  Speaker 1: will you and try to pull me backward. Aggie did so,
• 44:34
  Speaker 1: but her strength was not sufficient to yield very happy results. Fortunately,
• 44:38
  Speaker 1: Tom Sanders and several others came to the scene at
• 44:41
  Speaker 1: this moment. They had also been attracted to the spot
• 44:44
  Speaker 1: by Ruth's scream. Tom took Aggie's place that as he
• 44:48
  Speaker 1: grasped one of Ben's legs while another boy caught hold
• 44:51
  Speaker 1: of the other, and the united strength had the desired effect.
• 44:54
  Speaker 1: They pulled Ben while he caught Ruth with both hands
• 44:57
  Speaker 1: and held on to her till the resistance of the
• 45:00
  Speaker 1: the fringe of ice showed the store boy that it
• 45:02
  Speaker 1: was safe to act. The go he cried to his companions.
• 45:06
  Speaker 1: They released his limbs. Then Ben managed to get on
• 45:09
  Speaker 1: his knees and Having accomplished that, he grasped Ruth under
• 45:13
  Speaker 1: the arms and lifted her out of the water. The
• 45:16
  Speaker 1: crowd gave a great shout, and Aggie ran forward and
• 45:19
  Speaker 1: caught Ruth in her arms. Ruth, Ear, Ruth. Thank goodness,
• 45:23
  Speaker 1: you're safe, cried Aggie, and the two girls cried hysterically
• 45:26
  Speaker 1: in each other's arms. Come interposed, Ben, you'll catch your
• 45:31
  Speaker 1: death of cold if you don't get a hustle on.
• 45:33
  Speaker 1: We'll skate over to the other side of the lake,
• 45:35
  Speaker 1: and then I'm going to race you home. And he
• 45:37
  Speaker 1: caught Ruth by the hand and compelled her to move along.
• 45:41
  Speaker 1: The crowd followed them with hilarious shouts. As for Percy,
• 45:45
  Speaker 1: he had already picked himself up, and after moodily watching
• 45:48
  Speaker 1: the rescue of his late companion by the store boy,
• 45:51
  Speaker 1: as he called him, he betook himself off by a
• 45:54
  Speaker 1: by path, swearing vengeance on Ben for his tumble and
• 45:58
  Speaker 1: his ruined jacket. When Ben and Ruth reached the far
• 46:01
  Speaker 1: bank of the frozen lake, the boy made her sit
• 46:04
  Speaker 1: down and then had her skates off in a twinkling.
• 46:07
  Speaker 1: His own followed suit. Then they both got on their feet.
• 46:11
  Speaker 1: Now give me your hand, miss Ruth, he said energetically.
• 46:14
  Speaker 1: You've got to run. Oh but I can't, she protested,
• 46:18
  Speaker 1: But you must come on, Aggie, put your best foot foremost.
• 46:23
  Speaker 1: Bet you a pound of candy. We beat you away.
• 46:25
  Speaker 1: They went, not so very fast, to be sure, but
• 46:28
  Speaker 1: still fast enough to keep Miss Ruth's blood in circulation.
• 46:32
  Speaker 1: Aggie laughed so much at the ludicrousness of it all
• 46:35
  Speaker 1: as she soon fell behind. Oh come, now, what's the
• 46:39
  Speaker 1: matter with you? Aggie? Get a move on, Ben shouted
• 46:42
  Speaker 1: back at her. I give up, she cried, dropping to
• 46:45
  Speaker 1: a fast walk, Ben and Ruth stopped till she caught
• 46:49
  Speaker 1: up again. Then Ben grabbed her by the arm and
• 46:51
  Speaker 1: started on a jog trot. Aggie, whether she would or not,
• 46:55
  Speaker 1: was compelled to keep pace with him, though she was
• 46:57
  Speaker 1: laughing all the time. At last they reached Ruth's home,
• 47:01
  Speaker 1: and passing through the gate, they approached the house at
• 47:04
  Speaker 1: a more dignified pace. Missus Cameron answered the summons herself
• 47:08
  Speaker 1: at the side door. Why what's the matter Ruth, she exclaimed,
• 47:12
  Speaker 1: startled by the unkempt appearance of her daughter. I'm sorry
• 47:15
  Speaker 1: to say, Missus Cameron, that she fell through the ice
• 47:18
  Speaker 1: and got a bad ducking. You better put her to
• 47:20
  Speaker 1: bed at once, said Ben. Missus Cameron gave a startled
• 47:24
  Speaker 1: cry and seized her child in her arms. You must
• 47:27
  Speaker 1: come in, mister Bailey, cried Ruth. As the boy started
• 47:30
  Speaker 1: to leave. You really must don't let him escape, Aggy.
• 47:34
  Speaker 1: So Aggie grabbed him by the arm, and he was
• 47:36
  Speaker 1: obliged to enter. Mother said Ruth, I should have been
• 47:40
  Speaker 1: drowned only for mister Bailey. He dragged me out just
• 47:43
  Speaker 1: as I was becoming unconscious. At that point, mister Cameron,
• 47:47
  Speaker 1: attracted by the excitement, made his appearance in the room.
• 47:50
  Speaker 1: Ruth insisted on making an explanation before she would permit
• 47:54
  Speaker 1: her mother to take her up to her room, and
• 47:56
  Speaker 1: of course her story made Ben something of a hero.
• 48:00
  Speaker 1: Mister and Missus Cameron were profuse in her gratitude to Ben,
• 48:03
  Speaker 1: and he felt somewhat confused by the warmth of his reception.
• 48:07
  Speaker 1: At length, he managed to make his escape after promising
• 48:10
  Speaker 1: to call around some evening that week. On his way home,
• 48:13
  Speaker 1: he passed a small detached building, the lower part of
• 48:16
  Speaker 1: which was occupied as a grocery with a bar. In
• 48:19
  Speaker 1: the rear. He could see a number of river mouths
• 48:22
  Speaker 1: lower order of citizens toasting their toes around the stove. Upstairs,
• 48:27
  Speaker 1: the three windows were lighted up. Ben knew what that meant.
• 48:31
  Speaker 1: It was the room of the Lucky Thirteen Club, an
• 48:34
  Speaker 1: organization started by Percy Norcross and his special cronies Oscar
• 48:38
  Speaker 1: Updyke and Luke Tapley. Percy and twelve club mates made
• 48:42
  Speaker 1: this place their hangout, and we are sorry to be
• 48:45
  Speaker 1: obliged to record the fact, but the nearness to the
• 48:47
  Speaker 1: grocery below led to the introduction above of not only
• 48:51
  Speaker 1: soft drinks, but mint tulips, cocktails and sometimes a whiskey
• 48:55
  Speaker 1: strait when one of the boys happened to feel particularly reckless.
• 48:59
  Speaker 1: The club was supposed to be particularly select because the
• 49:03
  Speaker 1: thirteen members belonged to the best families in Rivermouth. Some
• 49:07
  Speaker 1: of the larks that originated in this organization, however, did
• 49:10
  Speaker 1: not bear a good reputation. Although Ben was considered too
• 49:14
  Speaker 1: far down in the social scale to be eligible to
• 49:17
  Speaker 1: membership in the event of a vacancy, it can truthfully
• 49:20
  Speaker 1: be said that he had not the slightest desire to
• 49:23
  Speaker 1: join the club. When he reached home, he had a
• 49:26
  Speaker 1: long story, of course, to tell his mother. The events
• 49:28
  Speaker 1: of the evening how he had raced Percy Norcross for
• 49:32
  Speaker 1: the skating championship in one displaying his blue ribbon trophy,
• 49:36
  Speaker 1: which he afterward put away in a safe place. Also
• 49:39
  Speaker 1: how he had saved Ruth Cameron from drowning after the
• 49:42
  Speaker 1: ice had broken under her and Percy, like a coward,
• 49:45
  Speaker 1: had left her to her own resources. You put me
• 49:48
  Speaker 1: more and more in mind of your father, said Missus Bailey,
• 49:52
  Speaker 1: wiping her eyes with her handkerchief. You are so brave
• 49:56
  Speaker 1: and manly. He saved the lives of several people of
• 49:59
  Speaker 1: the village times twice from the river below, and once
• 50:03
  Speaker 1: he rescued three boys who had gone sailing on a
• 50:06
  Speaker 1: craft in that very lake. You have all his good traits, Ben,
• 50:10
  Speaker 1: and I'm thankful to say that. I feel sure you
• 50:13
  Speaker 1: will grow up to be a splendid man. If God
• 50:15
  Speaker 1: spares your life, as I nightly pray, he will got
• 50:19
  Speaker 1: to be kicked if I turned out otherwise when I
• 50:21
  Speaker 1: am blessed with such a good little mother as you,
• 50:24
  Speaker 1: and he went over and kissed her with the tender
• 50:26
  Speaker 1: respect of a good son. Well mother, I guess I'll
• 50:29
  Speaker 1: go to bed. I've got to be up early to
• 50:31
  Speaker 1: go to the store. You know. He took the lamp
• 50:34
  Speaker 1: which was waiting for him on the old fashioned dresser,
• 50:37
  Speaker 1: and ascended the stairs to his pleasant little room over
• 50:40
  Speaker 1: the kitchen. Ruth Cameron is a sweet girl, he mused
• 50:44
  Speaker 1: as he undressed. I'm glad it was my luck to
• 50:47
  Speaker 1: save her life. And a mile away Ruth was lying
• 50:50
  Speaker 1: in bed awake, thinking what a brave, handsome boy Ben
• 50:54
  Speaker 1: Bailey was, and how glad she was that it was
• 50:57
  Speaker 1: he who had saved her life. End of chapter five,
• 51:07
  Speaker 1: chapter six of A Streak of Luck by a Self
• 51:10
  Speaker 1: Made Man. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
• 51:15
  Speaker 1: Chapter six, in which Ben is offered the chance of
• 51:18
  Speaker 1: his life and accepts. Ben Bailey had an hour at
• 51:23
  Speaker 1: noon so he could go home from the store for dinner.
• 51:26
  Speaker 1: When he reached the cottage as usual next day, he
• 51:28
  Speaker 1: found a visitor talking to his mother. It was none
• 51:31
  Speaker 1: other than Nathan Kebash. He shook hands warmly with Ben.
• 51:35
  Speaker 1: I took the liberty of calling on you as I
• 51:38
  Speaker 1: promised I would, said mister Kebash. I did not reckon
• 51:42
  Speaker 1: upon the fact that you might be employed. I thought
• 51:45
  Speaker 1: probably that you still attended school. Your mother, however, prevailed
• 51:49
  Speaker 1: on me to remain until you came home to your dinner.
• 51:52
  Speaker 1: So here I am. I'm glad you called, mister Cabash,
• 51:56
  Speaker 1: said Ben in so hearty a tone that his visitor
• 51:59
  Speaker 1: felt assured he was welcome, and the fact pleased him
• 52:02
  Speaker 1: very much. Indeed, after the cool reception he had encountered
• 52:06
  Speaker 1: at the home of his niece the afternoon before, you
• 52:09
  Speaker 1: don't appear to be a bit ashamed of my rather
• 52:12
  Speaker 1: seedy appearance, he said, with a peculiar twinkle of the eye.
• 52:16
  Speaker 1: Certainly not, said Missus Bailey, And now you must have
• 52:20
  Speaker 1: dinner with us. I shall be pleased to accept your
• 52:23
  Speaker 1: kind invitation if I do not inconvenience you, replied mister Gabosh,
• 52:28
  Speaker 1: with a Chesterfieldian politeness that ill accorded with his shabby garments.
• 52:33
  Speaker 1: He is a gentleman at any rate, thought Missus Bailey,
• 52:36
  Speaker 1: even if he is poor. Then she hastened to assure
• 52:40
  Speaker 1: him that his presence, far from inconveniencing them, was a
• 52:43
  Speaker 1: real pleasure, as they had so little company, that it
• 52:46
  Speaker 1: was a treat to have a gentleman to dinner. Madam,
• 52:51
  Speaker 1: he said, with a bow. I consider it an honor
• 52:53
  Speaker 1: to dine at your table. Missus Bailey smiled graciously at
• 52:57
  Speaker 1: the compliment, and the three then ajourn into the dining room,
• 53:01
  Speaker 1: a very cozy little apartment with a home made rug
• 53:04
  Speaker 1: under the table, and many little reminders of old times
• 53:08
  Speaker 1: when mister Cabosh was a boy about the room. Somehow
• 53:11
  Speaker 1: or another, the old man felt at home in Ben's
• 53:14
  Speaker 1: humble surroundings. If you have no objection, I should like
• 53:18
  Speaker 1: to ask you a question or two, said mister Cabosh Toban,
• 53:22
  Speaker 1: after the soup plates had been removed and Missus Bailey
• 53:25
  Speaker 1: was bringing in a cold joint, which was now making
• 53:28
  Speaker 1: its second appearance on the table. I hope you won't
• 53:30
  Speaker 1: stand on ceremony about asking any questions you see fit,
• 53:34
  Speaker 1: answered the boy politely. You say you are employed in
• 53:38
  Speaker 1: a general store in the village, Yes, sir, You don't
• 53:41
  Speaker 1: think your chances for advancement are very much restricted in
• 53:45
  Speaker 1: such a small place as Rivermouth, Yes, sir, but I
• 53:48
  Speaker 1: hope to do better one of these days. What is
• 53:51
  Speaker 1: your idea of doing better? I should like to go
• 53:54
  Speaker 1: to New York or some other large city where chances
• 53:57
  Speaker 1: for a boy to get ahead are ever so much
• 53:59
  Speaker 1: better than here. Ben is very ambitious, sir, said missus
• 54:03
  Speaker 1: Bailey with a smile. But I don't want him to
• 54:05
  Speaker 1: go so far away from home alone. I can understand
• 54:09
  Speaker 1: and sympathize with your feelings on that score, Madam, said
• 54:13
  Speaker 1: mister Cabosh, pleasantly. Good mothers are alike in that respect.
• 54:17
  Speaker 1: They hate to part with their boys. Yes, sir, and
• 54:21
  Speaker 1: Ben is all I have. I should feel dreadfully lonesome
• 54:24
  Speaker 1: as well as anxious about him if he were to
• 54:27
  Speaker 1: seek a situation so far away as New York. But Madam,
• 54:31
  Speaker 1: if you knew he was in good hands, in the
• 54:34
  Speaker 1: employ of one who appreciated as many fine qualities and
• 54:38
  Speaker 1: would advance him as he earned promotion, would that not
• 54:41
  Speaker 1: make a difference. It certainly would, sir. But such chance
• 54:45
  Speaker 1: as a country boy without influential backing is hardly to
• 54:48
  Speaker 1: pick up, except by the merest accident. I do not say,
• 54:52
  Speaker 1: but you are right, madam. Who knows but such an
• 54:55
  Speaker 1: opportunity may come to your son. I wish it would,
• 54:59
  Speaker 1: cried Ben Niger. I'm tired of wasting my energies in Rivermouth.
• 55:03
  Speaker 1: I feel that I ought to do better. You see, Sir,
• 55:07
  Speaker 1: when father died a few years ago, he left mother
• 55:09
  Speaker 1: this cottage but it was not nearly paid for. There
• 55:13
  Speaker 1: is a mortgage on this property, and we have to
• 55:15
  Speaker 1: economize in order to pay the interests, the taxes and insurance,
• 55:18
  Speaker 1: and try to save a little toward reducing the principle
• 55:21
  Speaker 1: when the mortgage becomes due. It's quite impossible we can
• 55:24
  Speaker 1: do much in the last direction while I remain here
• 55:26
  Speaker 1: on a small salary. Though mister Huckleberry is a decent
• 55:30
  Speaker 1: kind of man and pays me all he can afford
• 55:32
  Speaker 1: to pay a clerk. I'm glad to see you're not
• 55:35
  Speaker 1: ashamed to be a clerk in a store until something
• 55:38
  Speaker 1: better turns up. Why should I? I have heard that
• 55:41
  Speaker 1: Russell Sage, the great New York financier, was once a
• 55:44
  Speaker 1: clerk in a country store, and I dare say many
• 55:47
  Speaker 1: other successful men started as I have done. You are right, agreed,
• 55:51
  Speaker 1: mister Cabash. Still, it is my opinion that my great nephew,
• 55:56
  Speaker 1: where he in your place, would hardly be satisfied to
• 55:59
  Speaker 1: accept anything so ordinary as a country clerkship. Percy Norcross
• 56:04
  Speaker 1: has high notions, admitted Ben. I suppose that is because
• 56:07
  Speaker 1: his father is wealthy, and he expects to go to
• 56:10
  Speaker 1: college when he graduates from the village high school and
• 56:13
  Speaker 1: eventually become a lawyer like his father. Percy's mother also
• 56:17
  Speaker 1: seems to have high notions, said mister Cabash with a
• 56:21
  Speaker 1: peculiar smile. So I presume he comes rightfully by his ideas.
• 56:26
  Speaker 1: As I was saying, went on, Ben, the fact that
• 56:29
  Speaker 1: we have a considerable mortgage on this house worries me.
• 56:32
  Speaker 1: Not that I believe mister Norcross, who holds it with
• 56:35
  Speaker 1: foreclothes so long as we pay the interest regularly, but
• 56:38
  Speaker 1: the mere fact that he will have the right to
• 56:40
  Speaker 1: do so next August is not a cheerful outlook. Mother
• 56:43
  Speaker 1: has lived here so many years that it would be
• 56:45
  Speaker 1: a dreadful thing if it were to be taken from her.
• 56:47
  Speaker 1: That is wi id like a better chance, so I could,
• 56:50
  Speaker 1: by my efforts, secure to her. You certainly have a
• 56:53
  Speaker 1: very good son, missus Bailey, said mister Cabash with a smile. Yes, sir,
• 56:58
  Speaker 1: he is the best son in the world world, she answered,
• 57:01
  Speaker 1: with a fond look at her stalwart boy. Now, Ben,
• 57:05
  Speaker 1: you will excuse me calling you Ben, but somehow I
• 57:09
  Speaker 1: have taken a liking to you, and I prefer to
• 57:11
  Speaker 1: call you by your first name. What I was about
• 57:14
  Speaker 1: to say, is this I can put you in the
• 57:17
  Speaker 1: way of following the bent of your ambition, said mister Cabash,
• 57:21
  Speaker 1: with a meaning smile. You, sir, exclaimed the boy in astonishment,
• 57:25
  Speaker 1: while missus Bailey regarded their visitor with a doubtful kind
• 57:28
  Speaker 1: of wonder on her gentle features. I perceive you are surprised.
• 57:33
  Speaker 1: You wonder how a shabby looking old man like me
• 57:36
  Speaker 1: can make good on my statement. Let me explain to
• 57:40
  Speaker 1: begin with, I am, by no means as poor nor
• 57:43
  Speaker 1: as inefficient, both physically and mentally as you may suppose
• 57:47
  Speaker 1: for my appearance. Though it is quite true, I am
• 57:50
  Speaker 1: not the man I ought to be, since I have
• 57:53
  Speaker 1: never quite recovered from the irreparable loss I sustained in
• 57:57
  Speaker 1: the death of my wife and only son. At this point,
• 58:00
  Speaker 1: the old man's voice shook from emotion, while Bann and
• 58:03
  Speaker 1: his mother began to regard him with a new interest
• 58:06
  Speaker 1: and with some degree of expectation. As a matter of fact,
• 58:10
  Speaker 1: I am a wealthy New York broker, and I have
• 58:13
  Speaker 1: an office in Broad Street, in the financial district, as
• 58:17
  Speaker 1: it is called of that city. I was born and
• 58:20
  Speaker 1: raised in Rivermouth. My only sister, Caroline, married a Hammond
• 58:25
  Speaker 1: and their daughter is now missus Abner Norcross, of this village.
• 58:30
  Speaker 1: I came down here to visit the nor Crosses. Josephine
• 58:34
  Speaker 1: Norcross and her son Percy are the only relatives I
• 58:37
  Speaker 1: have in the world. Under ordinary conditions, they would naturally
• 58:41
  Speaker 1: inherit the property and money I have accumulated. They have
• 58:45
  Speaker 1: always looked upon me as a rich man. I wondered
• 58:48
  Speaker 1: what a factor would have upon them if they occasioned
• 58:51
  Speaker 1: to believe I had suddenly become reduced in circumstances. I
• 58:55
  Speaker 1: determined to test their feeling on the subject. I am
• 58:58
  Speaker 1: not sure this was entirely the fair as the world goes,
• 59:02
  Speaker 1: since the universal estimate put on an individual is not
• 59:05
  Speaker 1: what he was, but what he is. I adopted this
• 59:08
  Speaker 1: disguise at any rate, and the result scarcely surprises me.
• 59:13
  Speaker 1: My niece looked upon me as an intruder, even after
• 59:16
  Speaker 1: I had satisfied her that I really was her uncle Nathan.
• 59:20
  Speaker 1: But I have been much more disappointed in my great nephew.
• 59:24
  Speaker 1: He has many traits which do not appeal to me.
• 59:27
  Speaker 1: The pleasant surprise of my visit to Rivermouth, however, has
• 59:31
  Speaker 1: been the off and acquaintance I formed with your son, Madam,
• 59:35
  Speaker 1: turning to missus Bailey, he is a boy after my
• 59:38
  Speaker 1: own heart. In more ways than one, I may say,
• 59:41
  Speaker 1: he reminds me of my own lost boy. I have
• 59:44
  Speaker 1: taken an interest in him, and to that end, I propose,
• 59:48
  Speaker 1: with your permission, to take him with me to New
• 59:51
  Speaker 1: York and give him a start in life. Ben and
• 59:54
  Speaker 1: his mother were fairly struck dumb by the revelation made
• 59:57
  Speaker 1: to them by mister Nathan Cabash. It was some moments
• 1:00:00
  Speaker 1: before either could find words in which to express the
• 1:00:03
  Speaker 1: surprise they felt at this unexpected turn of events, or
• 1:00:07
  Speaker 1: to thank the broker for his generous proposition. Now, Ben said,
• 1:00:11
  Speaker 1: mister Cabash, I want you to thoroughly understand my offer.
• 1:00:16
  Speaker 1: I have sized you up as a manly, ambitious lad.
• 1:00:19
  Speaker 1: I do not propose to spoil your good qualities by
• 1:00:22
  Speaker 1: taking you by the hand and boosting you up the
• 1:00:24
  Speaker 1: ladder of success. My idea is simply to make an
• 1:00:28
  Speaker 1: opening for you and let you do the rest. You
• 1:00:31
  Speaker 1: must depend entirely on your own resources. I will keep
• 1:00:35
  Speaker 1: my eye on you, taking note how you conduct yourself.
• 1:00:39
  Speaker 1: Your mistakes must be object lessons and spur you on
• 1:00:42
  Speaker 1: to greater effort. I promise your mother that I will
• 1:00:45
  Speaker 1: see that no harm comes to you so far as
• 1:00:48
  Speaker 1: I can prevent it. But I have little fear of that,
• 1:00:51
  Speaker 1: since my estimate of your character leads me to believe
• 1:00:54
  Speaker 1: that you will form no bad habits, nor yield to
• 1:00:57
  Speaker 1: the temptations and vices of a great city. I shall
• 1:01:01
  Speaker 1: remain a few days longer at Rivermouth. You must talk
• 1:01:04
  Speaker 1: the matter over with your mother and let me know
• 1:01:07
  Speaker 1: by tomorrow or next day your decision. In my opinion,
• 1:01:11
  Speaker 1: you now have the chance of your life. Shortly after
• 1:01:14
  Speaker 1: mister Cabash took his departure, Ben walking part of the
• 1:01:17
  Speaker 1: way with him. On his return to the store. The
• 1:01:20
  Speaker 1: broker's proposition was the subject that evening of a long
• 1:01:24
  Speaker 1: and earnest conversation between mother and son, and in the
• 1:01:27
  Speaker 1: end it was agreed that Ben should accept the offer.
• 1:01:30
  Speaker 1: Next day he notified Nathan Cabash to that effect end
• 1:01:34
  Speaker 1: of chapter six, chapter seven of A Streak of Luck
• 1:01:44
  Speaker 1: by a Self Made Man. This LibriVox recording is in
• 1:01:48
  Speaker 1: a public domain. Chapter seven, off to New York, Ben
• 1:01:54
  Speaker 1: notified mister Huckleberry that he was going to leave his
• 1:01:56
  Speaker 1: employ also the village, the storekeeper was very sorry to
• 1:02:00
  Speaker 1: hear it. Ben was a faithful and efficient clerk, and
• 1:02:04
  Speaker 1: he was loath to lose him. While the boy did
• 1:02:06
  Speaker 1: not confide his prospects to him, he said he had
• 1:02:09
  Speaker 1: an excellent offer to go into business in New York
• 1:02:11
  Speaker 1: and had decided to accept it. Missus Bailey insisted on
• 1:02:15
  Speaker 1: packing her son's trunk herself. Like fond mother's will. She
• 1:02:19
  Speaker 1: wished to see that he had everything she could supply
• 1:02:22
  Speaker 1: for his comfort. As mister Cabosh wanted to return to
• 1:02:25
  Speaker 1: the metropolis without further delay, Ben started out at once
• 1:02:28
  Speaker 1: to make his farewell calls. The first one he called
• 1:02:32
  Speaker 1: on was his particular friend Tom Sanders. You're just a
• 1:02:35
  Speaker 1: fellow I want to see, exclaimed Tom with great animation.
• 1:02:39
  Speaker 1: Now how comes it you're away from the store at
• 1:02:41
  Speaker 1: this hour. I'll tell you when you've had you little say.
• 1:02:44
  Speaker 1: My little say is soon, said Ben. You and I
• 1:02:47
  Speaker 1: have been chumped for many moons, haven't we? That's what
• 1:02:50
  Speaker 1: we have. Well, now I hate to tell you we
• 1:02:52
  Speaker 1: have to part company. Why how did you guess that?
• 1:02:56
  Speaker 1: Asked Ben, in some surprise. How did I guess it?
• 1:02:59
  Speaker 1: Jact related Tom surprised in his turn, I didn't guess it.
• 1:03:03
  Speaker 1: It is simply turned out. So I am going to
• 1:03:06
  Speaker 1: New York? You're what? Gasped Ben? I am going to
• 1:03:10
  Speaker 1: New York? Got a job there? You have? I have?
• 1:03:15
  Speaker 1: It's all been arranged by my father. Ben stared a
• 1:03:18
  Speaker 1: moment at his chum, and then he uttered a wild
• 1:03:20
  Speaker 1: war whoop, shake, old man. Why I'm going to New
• 1:03:24
  Speaker 1: York too? Tom looked at the outstretched hand in a
• 1:03:27
  Speaker 1: bewildered manner. You're joking, aren't you? Never more serious in
• 1:03:31
  Speaker 1: my life? Tom? I'm going to work in New York
• 1:03:34
  Speaker 1: right away. And it was to bid you goodbye that
• 1:03:36
  Speaker 1: brought me around to your house to day. Hi, George,
• 1:03:40
  Speaker 1: cried Tom, in an ecstasy of delight. That is glorious,
• 1:03:44
  Speaker 1: isn't it. We needn't be parted after all? I hope not.
• 1:03:48
  Speaker 1: Whereabouts in New York do you expect to hang out?
• 1:03:51
  Speaker 1: I'm going to work as a messenger for Parsons and
• 1:03:53
  Speaker 1: Northrop Wall Street Brokers. You don't say I'm going to
• 1:03:58
  Speaker 1: work for Nathan Cabash also, whose office is on Broad Street.
• 1:04:02
  Speaker 1: Why we can see each other every day, can't we?
• 1:04:05
  Speaker 1: I hope? So what's the matter with our rooman together?
• 1:04:09
  Speaker 1: Of course? We will, cried Tom enthusiastically. Why not the Governor,
• 1:04:14
  Speaker 1: My fond Mamma will be delighted with the plan. When
• 1:04:17
  Speaker 1: do you start tomorrow morning? Same here, we'll go together,
• 1:04:22
  Speaker 1: all right, that'll be fine, And it was so arranged.
• 1:04:26
  Speaker 1: Ben called on Aggie Ware and many other old friends,
• 1:04:29
  Speaker 1: but he reserved his last visit for Ruth Cameron. She
• 1:04:33
  Speaker 1: received him with a smile. I'm glad you have come,
• 1:04:37
  Speaker 1: she said, archly, for I have a scheme of worsted
• 1:04:40
  Speaker 1: for you to hold while I wind it. I thank
• 1:04:43
  Speaker 1: you for the honor you propose to confer upon me,
• 1:04:45
  Speaker 1: he answered, as he held out his hands to receive
• 1:04:48
  Speaker 1: the scheme. I'm sure it's very kind of you, mister Bailey.
• 1:04:52
  Speaker 1: I'm very much obliged to you. It is a pleasure,
• 1:04:54
  Speaker 1: I assure you. Miss Ruth replied Ben gallantly. How nice
• 1:04:59
  Speaker 1: you say that, she said, with a mischievous laugh. By
• 1:05:03
  Speaker 1: the way, you are going to Eggie's birthday party on
• 1:05:05
  Speaker 1: the fifteenth. Of course, I'm afraid it will not be
• 1:05:08
  Speaker 1: possible for me to be present. No, and her face
• 1:05:12
  Speaker 1: fell a little at his words. If you don't think
• 1:05:15
  Speaker 1: me too inquisitive, perhaps you will tell me why you
• 1:05:18
  Speaker 1: have changed your mind. Haggie told me you said you
• 1:05:21
  Speaker 1: would surely be there. That is quite true, miss Ruth.
• 1:05:24
  Speaker 1: But you see, I'm going to leave Rivermouth tomorrow. Ruth
• 1:05:28
  Speaker 1: stopped whinding the Worsted and looked Ben full in the face.
• 1:05:31
  Speaker 1: Do you really mean that, she asked, I do. I
• 1:05:35
  Speaker 1: am going to New York in the morning. Oh you
• 1:05:38
  Speaker 1: mean on a business trip. Perhaps for mister Huckleberry, she
• 1:05:42
  Speaker 1: asked eagerly. Ben shook his head. I have secured a
• 1:05:45
  Speaker 1: position in New York, and I am going to work there.
• 1:05:48
  Speaker 1: Ruth began again to wind the Worsted, but much slower
• 1:05:51
  Speaker 1: than before. Ben cannot help being aware that she was
• 1:05:55
  Speaker 1: not pleased with the idea of his departure. Are you glad,
• 1:05:59
  Speaker 1: she asked, after a pause, without looking up. I am
• 1:06:03
  Speaker 1: glad in this way. It will give me the chance
• 1:06:05
  Speaker 1: to get ahead in the world, which I have always
• 1:06:07
  Speaker 1: looked forward to. I'm sorry, of course, to leave my
• 1:06:10
  Speaker 1: mother and the friends for whom I have a great regard.
• 1:06:14
  Speaker 1: This is rather sudden, is it not, she inquired wistfully.
• 1:06:18
  Speaker 1: It is, indeed, he answered, yesterday morning. It was the
• 1:06:21
  Speaker 1: last thing I could have supposed probable. The chance simply
• 1:06:24
  Speaker 1: turned up and I had to take it or leave it.
• 1:06:27
  Speaker 1: I understand, she said softly. Bruce tried to conceal what
• 1:06:32
  Speaker 1: she was really passing in her mind and heart, but
• 1:06:35
  Speaker 1: did not wholly succeed. She was not very lively during
• 1:06:38
  Speaker 1: the remainder of the evening, and even became quite sober
• 1:06:41
  Speaker 1: and sedate before nine o'clock, when Ben rose to take
• 1:06:44
  Speaker 1: his departure. I suppose between your new business and the
• 1:06:48
  Speaker 1: gayeties of the great city, you will buy and by
• 1:06:50
  Speaker 1: forget your old friends in Rivermouth, said Ruth, with a
• 1:06:54
  Speaker 1: forced smile. Never replied Ben earnestly. I am not built
• 1:06:59
  Speaker 1: that way. Never is a long day, she answered soberly. Well,
• 1:07:04
  Speaker 1: I can safely promise you one thing. What is that
• 1:07:08
  Speaker 1: that I won't forget you, miss Ruth, he replied boldly.
• 1:07:12
  Speaker 1: A rosy blush mounted to her cheeks, and she looked
• 1:07:15
  Speaker 1: down at the carpet. May I write to you, he
• 1:07:18
  Speaker 1: asked eagerly. Yes, she replied softly. Will you promise me
• 1:07:23
  Speaker 1: that you will answer my letters? I'm afraid I am
• 1:07:27
  Speaker 1: a poor letter writer, she said, in a low tone.
• 1:07:31
  Speaker 1: I hope you'll let me be the judge of that.
• 1:07:33
  Speaker 1: Have I your promise? He persisted, taking her unresisting hand
• 1:07:37
  Speaker 1: in his Yes, if you wish me to, I certainly do.
• 1:07:42
  Speaker 1: Then he bade her good night and good bye. Next morning,
• 1:07:46
  Speaker 1: Ben took an affectionate leave of his mother and started
• 1:07:49
  Speaker 1: for the railroad station, where he was to meet Nathan
• 1:07:52
  Speaker 1: Kebash and his chum Tom Sanders, in time to catch
• 1:07:55
  Speaker 1: the nine o'clock train. His trunk had already preceded him.
• 1:07:59
  Speaker 1: He carried a small grip in his hand, and as
• 1:08:01
  Speaker 1: he turned the corner into main Street, he ran against
• 1:08:04
  Speaker 1: Percy Norcross and Oscar Updike. They looked at him in
• 1:08:07
  Speaker 1: some surprise, for they had not heard about his intention
• 1:08:10
  Speaker 1: of leaving Rivermouth. Oh, cried Oscar curiously. Where are you
• 1:08:15
  Speaker 1: bound for Bailey. I'm going to New York, replied Ben,
• 1:08:19
  Speaker 1: pausing to answer him owing to new York. Eh, you
• 1:08:22
  Speaker 1: don't mean to say Huckleberry is sending you to the metropolis.
• 1:08:26
  Speaker 1: I didn't say he was sending me. I should think not.
• 1:08:29
  Speaker 1: He isn't sending a kid like you to do business
• 1:08:31
  Speaker 1: for him, said Oscar insultingly. Percy, who stood back, not
• 1:08:36
  Speaker 1: feeling disposed to enter into conversation with the storeboy, laughed
• 1:08:40
  Speaker 1: maliciously at his crony's remark, Ben flushed to his hair,
• 1:08:44
  Speaker 1: and then, without a word, started to go on. Hold on,
• 1:08:48
  Speaker 1: cried Oscar, grasping him by the sleeve of his jacket.
• 1:08:51
  Speaker 1: What are you going to New York for? The subject
• 1:08:53
  Speaker 1: wouldn't interest you any replied Ben coldly. Or do you
• 1:08:57
  Speaker 1: know it wouldn't? I know it wouldn't. Good Bye. The
• 1:09:01
  Speaker 1: two boys watched him go. I wonder if he's lost
• 1:09:05
  Speaker 1: his job, said Percy. I hope he has. The beggar
• 1:09:10
  Speaker 1: who wouldn't be surprised. He knows he couldn't get another
• 1:09:12
  Speaker 1: as good around here. An as goin to New York
• 1:09:15
  Speaker 1: to try his luck and make his fortune, sneered Percy.
• 1:09:19
  Speaker 1: Make nothing, he'll never mount to shucks all. But I'm
• 1:09:23
  Speaker 1: glad he's going, said Percy, thinking he would now be
• 1:09:26
  Speaker 1: able to recover lost ground with Ruth Cameron. So am
• 1:09:30
  Speaker 1: I When you and I go to the city on
• 1:09:32
  Speaker 1: Washington's birthday, I hope we find him Blacking boots on
• 1:09:36
  Speaker 1: the street are selling papers. It's none too good for him,
• 1:09:40
  Speaker 1: you bet it isn't. They passed on up the street
• 1:09:43
  Speaker 1: while Ben kept on toward the station. Tom and mister
• 1:09:46
  Speaker 1: Cabash were waiting for him. Ben introduced his friend to
• 1:09:50
  Speaker 1: the broker and told him Tom was also going to
• 1:09:52
  Speaker 1: work in New York. Then the train came in, they
• 1:09:55
  Speaker 1: got aboard, and two minutes later we're on their way
• 1:09:59
  Speaker 1: to the Metropolis. End of chapter seven Chapter eight of
• 1:10:09
  Speaker 1: A Streak of Luck by a Self Made Man. This
• 1:10:13
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording is in a public domain chapter eight, in
• 1:10:17
  Speaker 1: which Ben and his friend Tom are introduced to the Metropolis.
• 1:10:21
  Speaker 1: Nathan Cabash was a grain broker and was connected with
• 1:10:24
  Speaker 1: the produce exchange on Beaver Street. His office was on
• 1:10:27
  Speaker 1: the third floor of a Broad Street skyscraper. He had
• 1:10:31
  Speaker 1: a large number of money customers for whom he did business,
• 1:10:34
  Speaker 1: while he sometimes speculated on his own account. As the
• 1:10:37
  Speaker 1: grain market offered a safe and profitable field for investment
• 1:10:41
  Speaker 1: on account of the security to be found in real values,
• 1:10:44
  Speaker 1: the pyre of ten thousand bushels of wheat knows that
• 1:10:47
  Speaker 1: he can always find a purchaser at a fair price,
• 1:10:50
  Speaker 1: it being our commodity continuously in demand because of its
• 1:10:53
  Speaker 1: absolute necessity to the human family. Chicago and New York
• 1:10:57
  Speaker 1: dominate the grain markets of this country. Chicago was the
• 1:11:01
  Speaker 1: leading speckledive grain market of the world, while New York
• 1:11:04
  Speaker 1: stands first as an export or consumer's market. The chief
• 1:11:07
  Speaker 1: factors which influence market values are crops, crop prospects in
• 1:11:12
  Speaker 1: all producing countries, visible supply receipts, and export demand. Information
• 1:11:18
  Speaker 1: in regard to these facts or public property open to all,
• 1:11:21
  Speaker 1: the leading governments of the world seek to impart accurate
• 1:11:24
  Speaker 1: and comprehensive knowledge in relation to their supplies or requirements.
• 1:11:28
  Speaker 1: While hundreds of specialists are constantly employed all over the
• 1:11:31
  Speaker 1: world and collecting data and furnishing the requisite figures for
• 1:11:35
  Speaker 1: correct judgment, Ben Bailey is to begin at the foot
• 1:11:37
  Speaker 1: of the ladder and work his way up. I am
• 1:11:40
  Speaker 1: about to take my messenger into the counting room, explained
• 1:11:44
  Speaker 1: mister Gabash. You will take his place. Your salary will
• 1:11:48
  Speaker 1: be ten dollars a week to commence, and I will
• 1:11:51
  Speaker 1: advance you according to my usual custom with all my employees.
• 1:11:55
  Speaker 1: Of course, your first duty will be to familiarize yourself
• 1:11:58
  Speaker 1: with the city, and as especially with a section below
• 1:12:01
  Speaker 1: Cedar and east of Broadway. Neither Ben nor Tom had
• 1:12:05
  Speaker 1: ever been in New York before, and the bigness of
• 1:12:07
  Speaker 1: the city, coupled with a rush and roar of the
• 1:12:10
  Speaker 1: traffic going on all around them as soon as they
• 1:12:12
  Speaker 1: stepped out of the Grand Central Depot on the forty
• 1:12:15
  Speaker 1: second Street fairly staggered them. The broker took the boys
• 1:12:19
  Speaker 1: with him to his apartments in the exclusive bachelor apartment
• 1:12:22
  Speaker 1: house near Madison Avenue, where he discarded his seed apparel
• 1:12:26
  Speaker 1: and freshened himself up in a way that affected a
• 1:12:29
  Speaker 1: wonderful change in his personal appearance. You look like a
• 1:12:32
  Speaker 1: different man now, mister Cabash, said Ben respectfully. The broker
• 1:12:36
  Speaker 1: laughed good naturally, and soon afterward he took the boys
• 1:12:39
  Speaker 1: to lunch. Mister Cabash had picked out several places in
• 1:12:43
  Speaker 1: the Herald to visit for the purpose of selecting a
• 1:12:45
  Speaker 1: respectable and reasonable price boarding house for the two boys.
• 1:12:49
  Speaker 1: They found a comfortable square room on the east side
• 1:12:52
  Speaker 1: below twenty third Street and near the Third Avenue elevated railway. Yonder,
• 1:12:57
  Speaker 1: pointed the grain broker as they came out on their
• 1:13:00
  Speaker 1: ae is the eighteenth Street station. It will be very
• 1:13:04
  Speaker 1: handy for you take the South Ferry train every morning,
• 1:13:08
  Speaker 1: or if you happen to get aboard of a City
• 1:13:10
  Speaker 1: Hall train, change at Chatham Square, which I will point
• 1:13:14
  Speaker 1: out to you when we reach there and take the
• 1:13:16
  Speaker 1: next train following. If you hear the man on duty
• 1:13:19
  Speaker 1: call out South Ferry and ride down to Hanover Square
• 1:13:23
  Speaker 1: as we are about to do now. The run to
• 1:13:26
  Speaker 1: Hanover Square station was made inside of twenty minutes. Then
• 1:13:30
  Speaker 1: mister Kabash first piloted the way to Wall Street to
• 1:13:33
  Speaker 1: the office of Parsons and Lathrop, where they left Tom
• 1:13:36
  Speaker 1: to present his letter of introduction to that firm who
• 1:13:39
  Speaker 1: were expecting him. The boys agreed on a meeting place
• 1:13:42
  Speaker 1: for that afternoon after three o'clock, and then Ben accompanied
• 1:13:46
  Speaker 1: the big grain broker to his office. Mister Kobosh introduced
• 1:13:50
  Speaker 1: Ben to his messenger, who sat in a chair in
• 1:13:52
  Speaker 1: the reception room. This is your successor, Willard, he said,
• 1:13:57
  Speaker 1: I want you to initiate him into his duties so
• 1:14:00
  Speaker 1: that when you go into the counting room, he will
• 1:14:03
  Speaker 1: be qualified to take your place. Yes, sir, replied the
• 1:14:06
  Speaker 1: boy briskly, with a comprehensive glance at Bailey. He is
• 1:14:10
  Speaker 1: unfamiliar with the city, so I wish you would do
• 1:14:12
  Speaker 1: me the favor to show him the ropes outside after
• 1:14:15
  Speaker 1: the exchange closes, and take him with you, of course,
• 1:14:18
  Speaker 1: whenever you go out on an errand then the broker
• 1:14:21
  Speaker 1: disappeared into his private office. Are you from the country,
• 1:14:25
  Speaker 1: asked Willard Brown of the new messenger. Yes, I come
• 1:14:28
  Speaker 1: from Rivermouth up the state, answered Ben, who was somewhat
• 1:14:31
  Speaker 1: taken with Master Brown, who looked to be as bright
• 1:14:33
  Speaker 1: as a new steel trap. You'll find things a good
• 1:14:36
  Speaker 1: deal different in the city I expect to ever worked before. Yes,
• 1:14:41
  Speaker 1: in a general store. What's a general store, asked Willard
• 1:14:46
  Speaker 1: with some curiosity. A store that keeps everything for sale,
• 1:14:50
  Speaker 1: from a needle to a plow. A country store. Eh, Yes,
• 1:14:54
  Speaker 1: I guess you can call it that, replied Ben. Just
• 1:14:57
  Speaker 1: then Willard received a signal from the inner off and
• 1:15:00
  Speaker 1: he went in to see what mister Cabosh wanted. Presently,
• 1:15:04
  Speaker 1: he came out with a letter in his hand. Come along,
• 1:15:07
  Speaker 1: he said to Ben, I'm going over to the exchange
• 1:15:09
  Speaker 1: to deliver this to one of mister Cabosh's brokers. The
• 1:15:12
  Speaker 1: boys took the elevator down to the street and made
• 1:15:14
  Speaker 1: their way rapidly to the massive produce exchange building, which
• 1:15:18
  Speaker 1: occupied an entire block on Beaver Street west of the
• 1:15:21
  Speaker 1: corner Abroad. While Willard was delivering his letter, Ben got
• 1:15:26
  Speaker 1: a brief view of the howling mob of brokers inside
• 1:15:29
  Speaker 1: on the grain and paper littered floor, and the sight
• 1:15:32
  Speaker 1: almost paralyzed him. His first impression was that a free
• 1:15:36
  Speaker 1: fight was in progress. Willard laughed heartily when he called
• 1:15:39
  Speaker 1: his attention to it, and on the way back to
• 1:15:41
  Speaker 1: the office he explained how business was conducted in the
• 1:15:44
  Speaker 1: exchange for the next hour. The regular messenger was kept
• 1:15:48
  Speaker 1: pretty well on the jump, and Ben found he had
• 1:15:50
  Speaker 1: to hustle to keep up with him. Ben Willard Brown
• 1:15:53
  Speaker 1: announced that it was three o'clock and that his duties
• 1:15:56
  Speaker 1: were over for the day. Come now, he said to Ben,
• 1:16:00
  Speaker 1: I'll take you over a portion of the financial district
• 1:16:02
  Speaker 1: and show you some of our twenty and twenty five
• 1:16:05
  Speaker 1: story skyscrapers. Introduce you to the Brooklyn Bridge and so on.
• 1:16:09
  Speaker 1: All right, replied Ben, But I've got to meet my
• 1:16:12
  Speaker 1: chum at the corner of Broad and Wall. First. Here chum,
• 1:16:16
  Speaker 1: exclaimed Willard, in some surprise. Yes, he came with me
• 1:16:20
  Speaker 1: to the city this morning to go to work for
• 1:16:22
  Speaker 1: a firm of Wall Street stockbrokers. I'll introduce you to him.
• 1:16:26
  Speaker 1: Good enough, grinned young Brown. So I'll have two greenies
• 1:16:30
  Speaker 1: to show around eh. I hope we won't remain Greenees,
• 1:16:33
  Speaker 1: Long smiled Ben. You don't look like a boy likely
• 1:16:37
  Speaker 1: to remain at hay seed long. Thanks for the compliment. Oh,
• 1:16:41
  Speaker 1: you're welcome. There's no charge, Grinned Willard. Here's my friend
• 1:16:45
  Speaker 1: now waiting for me, said Ben. Tom was standing under
• 1:16:48
  Speaker 1: the shadow of the J. P. Morgan Bank reading a
• 1:16:51
  Speaker 1: copy of an afternoon paper. Tom, Oh boy, I have
• 1:16:55
  Speaker 1: you made out, cried Ben, slapping his chum on the back.
• 1:16:58
  Speaker 1: Fine as silk. I expect to be on the road
• 1:17:01
  Speaker 1: to a partnership. Tom. This is Willard Brown of mister
• 1:17:05
  Speaker 1: Gabash's office. He's going to show me a few of
• 1:17:07
  Speaker 1: the ropes. Glad to know you, Willard, said Tom, shaking
• 1:17:11
  Speaker 1: him by the hand. Hope to know more of you.
• 1:17:13
  Speaker 1: Say you're all right, Grinned Brown. You hail from river
• 1:17:17
  Speaker 1: Mouth too. I suppose sure thing. I just been reading
• 1:17:20
  Speaker 1: about this insurance expose as they call it. Gee, it's fierce,
• 1:17:25
  Speaker 1: isn't it. I was going to take out a hundred
• 1:17:27
  Speaker 1: thousand dollar policy for my wife and kids, but I
• 1:17:30
  Speaker 1: guess I won't. Now. You can't believe all you see
• 1:17:33
  Speaker 1: in the papers, said Ben. Life insurance has preserved many
• 1:17:36
  Speaker 1: families from the possibility of want you bet it? As
• 1:17:40
  Speaker 1: chuckled Willard. That's right, cried Tom, thumping one fist against
• 1:17:44
  Speaker 1: the other. It's the greatest hold up on record. No,
• 1:17:48
  Speaker 1: you're mistaken, snickered Willard. There was one greater. What was it?
• 1:17:53
  Speaker 1: I saw a picture of Atlas holding up the world.
• 1:17:56
  Speaker 1: That's a good one, said Ben and Tom in a breath.
• 1:17:59
  Speaker 1: And then the boys started off on their tour of observation.
• 1:18:03
  Speaker 1: Willard left them at the City Hall station of the
• 1:18:06
  Speaker 1: elevated railway. They got off at eighteenth Street, all right
• 1:18:10
  Speaker 1: and found the boarding place without difficulty. Of Do we
• 1:18:13
  Speaker 1: go to a show tonight? Proposed Tom. After supper, Ben agreed,
• 1:18:17
  Speaker 1: and after making inquiries on the subject, they steered for
• 1:18:20
  Speaker 1: the Academy of Music, where a big melodrama was holding
• 1:18:23
  Speaker 1: the boards, say Ben, New York is all in the mustard,
• 1:18:27
  Speaker 1: isn't it? Said Tom. When they walked into the glare
• 1:18:29
  Speaker 1: of the electric lights on fourteenth Street off Third Avenue.
• 1:18:33
  Speaker 1: They seem to have theaters to burn here, remarked Ben,
• 1:18:36
  Speaker 1: pointing first to the Dewey, then at the Tony Pastors,
• 1:18:40
  Speaker 1: then at the Academy. That they were about to patronize,
• 1:18:43
  Speaker 1: and finally at Keith's a block or so away. That's nothing,
• 1:18:48
  Speaker 1: replied Tom. A fello in the office told me there
• 1:18:50
  Speaker 1: are a dozen theaters all bunched around in a block
• 1:18:53
  Speaker 1: on forty second Street. They marched up to the box
• 1:18:56
  Speaker 1: office and bought seats for upstairs. End of chapter eight,
• 1:19:07
  Speaker 1: chapter nine of A Streak of Luck by a Self
• 1:19:10
  Speaker 1: Made Man. The LibriVox recording is in a public domain
• 1:19:15
  Speaker 1: chapter nine, in which Ben is smitten with a speculative fever.
• 1:19:20
  Speaker 1: It didn't take Ben long to get his bearings in
• 1:19:22
  Speaker 1: Lower New York, nor the upper part of the city either,
• 1:19:25
  Speaker 1: for that matter. In a couple of days, Willard Brown
• 1:19:28
  Speaker 1: resigned his chair to his successor and went to a
• 1:19:31
  Speaker 1: desk in the counting room, a position more to his taste.
• 1:19:34
  Speaker 1: Now that he was fairly started on his new career,
• 1:19:37
  Speaker 1: Ben knew it was up to him to make good.
• 1:19:40
  Speaker 1: Young Brown had been advanced from seven to ten dollars,
• 1:19:44
  Speaker 1: a fact he did not hide from any one. But
• 1:19:46
  Speaker 1: as his family was not a prosperous one, and he
• 1:19:49
  Speaker 1: had to turn the bulk of his wages into the house,
• 1:19:52
  Speaker 1: Ben after a while wondered how he could dress so
• 1:19:54
  Speaker 1: stylishly smoked the choicest and most expensive brand of imported cigarettes,
• 1:20:00
  Speaker 1: and otherwise display the bold financial front he did. How
• 1:20:03
  Speaker 1: do you manage to do it? He asked Willard one
• 1:20:06
  Speaker 1: day when they were walking up Broad Street to meet
• 1:20:08
  Speaker 1: Tom Sanders, as was their daily custom after business hours.
• 1:20:12
  Speaker 1: It's easy, snickered Willard with a knowing wink, is it,
• 1:20:16
  Speaker 1: replied Ben? Then perhaps you don't mind telling a fellow.
• 1:20:20
  Speaker 1: Sure not, I patronize a bucket shop. A bucket shop,
• 1:20:24
  Speaker 1: exclaimed Ben, with such a puzzled expression that Willard laughed outright.
• 1:20:29
  Speaker 1: It isn't a place where they make or sell buckets,
• 1:20:32
  Speaker 1: said Willard with a snicker. But a place where you
• 1:20:35
  Speaker 1: can buy stocks on a margin. Why, you can buy
• 1:20:37
  Speaker 1: stocks on a margin at Tom's firm, And that isn't
• 1:20:40
  Speaker 1: a bucket shop, said Ben. You have to have money
• 1:20:43
  Speaker 1: to patronize Parsons and Northrop and brokers like them. The
• 1:20:47
  Speaker 1: place where I go you can buy as low as
• 1:20:50
  Speaker 1: one share of stock for a five dollar bill, and
• 1:20:53
  Speaker 1: if a stock goes up a point, you cash in,
• 1:20:55
  Speaker 1: making a dollar profit less a small commission. It's scambling,
• 1:21:00
  Speaker 1: isn't it, asked Ben? Well, what's the difference except in
• 1:21:03
  Speaker 1: magnitude between that and the old Cabash's operations. When he
• 1:21:07
  Speaker 1: buys twenty thousand or thirty thousand bushels of wheat or
• 1:21:10
  Speaker 1: corn on the chance that it will go up a
• 1:21:12
  Speaker 1: cent or two in a week or so, they don't
• 1:21:14
  Speaker 1: call it gambling. They call it speculation down here. And
• 1:21:18
  Speaker 1: that's how you make your extra money, is it. That's
• 1:21:21
  Speaker 1: how If you want to try, I'll take you up
• 1:21:23
  Speaker 1: there tomorrow and you can take a flyer. Those places
• 1:21:25
  Speaker 1: are established for the benefit of limited capitalists like myself.
• 1:21:29
  Speaker 1: Do you always win? Asked Ben, feeling a sudden interest
• 1:21:33
  Speaker 1: in an establishment which seemed to promise such splendid results,
• 1:21:37
  Speaker 1: most always answered Willard complacently. Today I bought five shares
• 1:21:41
  Speaker 1: a cod at sixty two. I had to put up
• 1:21:44
  Speaker 1: twenty five dollars. The stock closed on the exchange at
• 1:21:47
  Speaker 1: sixty three and a half. I am therefore a dollar
• 1:21:49
  Speaker 1: fifty per share to the good, or seven dollars and
• 1:21:52
  Speaker 1: fifty cents on the deal, while I only earned about
• 1:21:55
  Speaker 1: a dollar sixty for a whole day's labor in the office.
• 1:21:58
  Speaker 1: If I was as lucky every day, I would clear
• 1:22:00
  Speaker 1: my fifty dollars per without doing a stroke of work.
• 1:22:03
  Speaker 1: I should like to go there and see how you
• 1:22:05
  Speaker 1: do it, said Ben, wondering if there were many more
• 1:22:08
  Speaker 1: such gold mines in the financial district. Tom, when taken
• 1:22:12
  Speaker 1: into their confidence on the subject, also expressed a strong
• 1:22:15
  Speaker 1: desire to inspect the good thing. So next day, at noon,
• 1:22:18
  Speaker 1: the three boys met and went to the bucket shop
• 1:22:20
  Speaker 1: managed by the firm of catch Em and skin Em.
• 1:22:23
  Speaker 1: Willard closed out his deal before their eyes at a
• 1:22:26
  Speaker 1: profit of two dollars a share, or ten dollars in all,
• 1:22:29
  Speaker 1: and Tom declared it was like finding money. But many
• 1:22:33
  Speaker 1: other customers present entertained a different opinion as they watched
• 1:22:36
  Speaker 1: the quotation board and saw their margins shrink and finally disappear.
• 1:22:41
  Speaker 1: I'll tell you what it will do, said Willard. Got
• 1:22:43
  Speaker 1: any money, Ben and Tom each had a spare five
• 1:22:46
  Speaker 1: dollars in their clothes. We'll form a pool and buy
• 1:22:49
  Speaker 1: three shares of PD and Q, which is on the rise.
• 1:22:52
  Speaker 1: I know it is less quoted at eighty one. It's
• 1:22:55
  Speaker 1: a good stock to bank on. Ben looked at Tom,
• 1:22:58
  Speaker 1: and Tom looked at pen. Let's do it, said Tom,
• 1:23:01
  Speaker 1: And do it they did, Willard, putting the deal in operation.
• 1:23:06
  Speaker 1: The next day, Brown was for selling out, as the
• 1:23:08
  Speaker 1: stock had advanced one and an eighth point. Ben objected,
• 1:23:12
  Speaker 1: while Tom was undecided. Finally, the deal was allowed to
• 1:23:15
  Speaker 1: go on for several days, by which time p D
• 1:23:17
  Speaker 1: and Q reached ninety When a settlement was agreed to
• 1:23:20
  Speaker 1: by Ben. Each of the boys collared a profit of
• 1:23:23
  Speaker 1: over eight dollars and fifty cents. Ben decided to go
• 1:23:27
  Speaker 1: into another pool on em and at fifty two, Tom
• 1:23:30
  Speaker 1: and Willard went in and in two days were cleaned out.
• 1:23:33
  Speaker 1: There's too much blind luck in that for me, said Ben,
• 1:23:36
  Speaker 1: after he had sympathized with his two friends over their losses.
• 1:23:40
  Speaker 1: I'm going to study up stock exchange methods before I
• 1:23:43
  Speaker 1: risk any more of my good cash. So for the
• 1:23:45
  Speaker 1: next two weeks he devoted much of his spare time
• 1:23:48
  Speaker 1: to the market reports and making comparisons to the prices
• 1:23:51
  Speaker 1: as they fluctuated. Finally, he got an idea that c
• 1:23:54
  Speaker 1: M seemed to be a buoyant stock, and he risked
• 1:23:57
  Speaker 1: ten dollars on it at the bucket shop. He held
• 1:24:00
  Speaker 1: gold on to it for two weeks, at the end
• 1:24:01
  Speaker 1: of which time he closed out a winter at twelve
• 1:24:04
  Speaker 1: per share profit or twenty four dollars. A few days later,
• 1:24:08
  Speaker 1: he bought six shares of Eerie Preferred at fifty one
• 1:24:11
  Speaker 1: and sold it two days later at fifty five, making
• 1:24:14
  Speaker 1: twenty four dollars profit. Having now over fifty dollars at
• 1:24:18
  Speaker 1: his disposal independent of his wages, he asked himself if
• 1:24:22
  Speaker 1: he hadn't better send it home to his mother. He
• 1:24:24
  Speaker 1: decided he ought to do so. Before he could carry
• 1:24:27
  Speaker 1: out this good resolution, he overheard two men in the
• 1:24:30
  Speaker 1: corridor of the office building where he worked talking about
• 1:24:33
  Speaker 1: immediate rise in Lake Shore owing to a favorable court
• 1:24:37
  Speaker 1: decision which was about to be rendered in the company's favor,
• 1:24:40
  Speaker 1: and the result was he took the first chance to
• 1:24:42
  Speaker 1: buy ten shares of LS at the bucket shop for
• 1:24:45
  Speaker 1: his fifty dollars. The stock was selling at one forty
• 1:24:48
  Speaker 1: seven at the time. For several days, there was no
• 1:24:51
  Speaker 1: perceptible advance in the shares, and Ben began to wonder
• 1:24:54
  Speaker 1: if he hadn't made a mistake in going into the deal.
• 1:24:57
  Speaker 1: Then it began to go up when it advance five
• 1:25:00
  Speaker 1: or six points. Tom told him that his firm was
• 1:25:03
  Speaker 1: heavily interested in the stock, and that there had been
• 1:25:05
  Speaker 1: some excitement about closing hour around the lake Shore corner.
• 1:25:09
  Speaker 1: The stock opened three eighths of a point higher on
• 1:25:11
  Speaker 1: the following morning, and during the day went up eight
• 1:25:13
  Speaker 1: points in all. Gee whizz, exclaimed Ben when he noticed
• 1:25:17
  Speaker 1: the closing quotation. I'm a hundred forty dollars ahead of
• 1:25:20
  Speaker 1: the game. I guess I'll sell out. But mister Gaboge
• 1:25:23
  Speaker 1: kept him so busy for the next two days that
• 1:25:26
  Speaker 1: he wasn't able to visit the bucket shop. The stock, however,
• 1:25:29
  Speaker 1: continued to advance until it had reached one hundred seventy seven.
• 1:25:33
  Speaker 1: At that price, Ben cashed in at a round profit
• 1:25:35
  Speaker 1: of three hundred dollars, making his capital three hundred fifty dollars.
• 1:25:40
  Speaker 1: That was the last of his dealings with Ketchem and
• 1:25:42
  Speaker 1: skin'em for the establishment went up the spout owing to
• 1:25:46
  Speaker 1: the heavy general losses over the rise and alas lucky Boy,
• 1:25:50
  Speaker 1: cried Tom when Ben told him the story, you got
• 1:25:53
  Speaker 1: out in time. I'll bet I did. Now, I'll send
• 1:25:56
  Speaker 1: mother that fifty dollars, and he did so. The next day.
• 1:26:00
  Speaker 1: He put the three hundred dollars in a bank, and
• 1:26:02
  Speaker 1: it was several weeks before he saw what he thought
• 1:26:04
  Speaker 1: was another good chance to make a haul, and he
• 1:26:07
  Speaker 1: decided to have nothing more to do with a bucket
• 1:26:09
  Speaker 1: shop and sought a regular broker, of whom he bought
• 1:26:12
  Speaker 1: one hundred shares of X y Z at thirty, depositing
• 1:26:16
  Speaker 1: his three hundred dollars on margin for same. He made
• 1:26:19
  Speaker 1: this speckled adventure because, on comparing the present price of
• 1:26:23
  Speaker 1: the stock with former prices, he saw that the road
• 1:26:26
  Speaker 1: was selling considerably below what he figured to be its
• 1:26:28
  Speaker 1: normal value. His judgment proved to be correct, but his
• 1:26:32
  Speaker 1: luck was even better. It almost seemed as if x
• 1:26:35
  Speaker 1: y Z had been waiting for him to buy, when,
• 1:26:38
  Speaker 1: like a toy balloon released from its string, it began
• 1:26:41
  Speaker 1: to soar upward. He resolved to say nothing to his
• 1:26:44
  Speaker 1: charm about this deal until he saw how he came
• 1:26:47
  Speaker 1: out of it. By this time, he was getting familiar
• 1:26:49
  Speaker 1: with the way stocks were manipulated by the big men
• 1:26:52
  Speaker 1: of the market. He had given up the idea of
• 1:26:54
  Speaker 1: dealing in grain lest mister Cabash might discover what he
• 1:26:57
  Speaker 1: was up to, and he believed that the broker would
• 1:26:59
  Speaker 1: not approve proof of his methods. In spite of the
• 1:27:02
  Speaker 1: speculative fever which had got into his blood, he was
• 1:27:05
  Speaker 1: careful to devote his best interest to his employer. Therefore,
• 1:27:09
  Speaker 1: he gave great satisfaction to his broker friend, who, though
• 1:27:12
  Speaker 1: he showed the boy no favoritism, nevertheless watched his progress
• 1:27:16
  Speaker 1: with much satisfaction. And that will turn out to be
• 1:27:19
  Speaker 1: a successful man. Mister Kebash said to himself, I wish
• 1:27:24
  Speaker 1: I could say as much for my great nephew. Whatever
• 1:27:27
  Speaker 1: success comes to Percy Norcross will be due to his
• 1:27:29
  Speaker 1: father's money. I feel sorry for him, for money and
• 1:27:33
  Speaker 1: thoughtless or inexperienced hands has a tendency to take unto itself.
• 1:27:38
  Speaker 1: Wings hard as money is to accumulate, it is harder
• 1:27:42
  Speaker 1: to hold after one has it. It is not impossible
• 1:27:45
  Speaker 1: that Percy may yet find himself in the poorhouse. While
• 1:27:48
  Speaker 1: Ben Bailey, should he happen to lose a fortune, has
• 1:27:51
  Speaker 1: the grit and determination to begin again and make another.
• 1:27:55
  Speaker 1: That's the kind of boy that gets to the top
• 1:27:57
  Speaker 1: of the heap. As Nathan kabbah USh was about as
• 1:28:00
  Speaker 1: clear headed as a commonness world. His opinion of Ben
• 1:28:04
  Speaker 1: showed that he believed the boy was built of the
• 1:28:06
  Speaker 1: right stuff. Ten days after Ben purchased x y Z,
• 1:28:10
  Speaker 1: the stock was in great demand on the floor of
• 1:28:12
  Speaker 1: the stock exchange. Every broker now wanted to whack at it,
• 1:28:16
  Speaker 1: and this made the price boom in great shape. When
• 1:28:19
  Speaker 1: the stock finally touched seventy, which was a fancy price
• 1:28:22
  Speaker 1: for it, Ben told his broker to sell him out,
• 1:28:25
  Speaker 1: which was immediately done two days afterward, X Y and
• 1:28:29
  Speaker 1: Z went to pieces. But Ben Bailey had the satisfaction
• 1:28:32
  Speaker 1: of knowing he had cleaned up four thousand dollars by
• 1:28:35
  Speaker 1: the deal, and he felt like a capitalist. And of
• 1:28:40
  Speaker 1: chapter nine, Chapter ten, of A Streak of Luck by
• 1:28:49
  Speaker 1: a self made Man. This LibriVox recording is in a
• 1:28:52
  Speaker 1: public domain Chapter ten, a chance in a million. It
• 1:28:58
  Speaker 1: was near the close of the month of May, and
• 1:29:00
  Speaker 1: Ben had been four months in New York when he
• 1:29:02
  Speaker 1: made his big haul in X Y Z. I wonder
• 1:29:05
  Speaker 1: what mister Cabash would say if he knew he had
• 1:29:07
  Speaker 1: a bloated capitalist for a messenger grinned Ben to himself
• 1:29:11
  Speaker 1: a morning or two later, as he sat in his
• 1:29:14
  Speaker 1: chair in the reception room, opening an envelope which bore
• 1:29:17
  Speaker 1: the familiar handwriting of his mother. Another envelope, addressed in
• 1:29:20
  Speaker 1: a dainty feminine hand, which also bore the rivermouth postmark
• 1:29:25
  Speaker 1: lay still unopened on his knee. It wanted a few
• 1:29:28
  Speaker 1: minutes of nine, and work hadn't yet begun. In the
• 1:29:31
  Speaker 1: counting room. Ben had got as far as my dear
• 1:29:34
  Speaker 1: son when Willard Brown, in a brand new summer suit,
• 1:29:37
  Speaker 1: glided in at the door like a gentle suffer. Hello,
• 1:29:41
  Speaker 1: he remarked, who's your correspondent? My mother, answered Ben cheerfully.
• 1:29:47
  Speaker 1: I mean the other, said Wellard, tapping the second letter
• 1:29:50
  Speaker 1: playfully with his finger. I can smell jockey club perfume
• 1:29:54
  Speaker 1: from here, he grinned. I suppose it's from your girl.
• 1:29:58
  Speaker 1: You've got a girl, haven't you. Oh, come now, Willard.
• 1:30:01
  Speaker 1: You want to know too much all at once. Well,
• 1:30:04
  Speaker 1: i'll take the information and installments. What's the charmer's name? Oh,
• 1:30:09
  Speaker 1: her name is Ruth. Ruth. Eh, that's biblical. Now my
• 1:30:13
  Speaker 1: girl's name is Daisy. I thought it was Clara, said Ben,
• 1:30:17
  Speaker 1: in some surprise. That's another one, I mean, my best girl.
• 1:30:21
  Speaker 1: You've got more than one, have you? Sure thing? Variety
• 1:30:25
  Speaker 1: is a spice of life. I have one in Harlem,
• 1:30:28
  Speaker 1: another in the Brocks, a third over and Hoboken, and
• 1:30:31
  Speaker 1: I only own in Brooklyn, where I live. You're doin well,
• 1:30:35
  Speaker 1: Willard laughed Ben, I see you've got a new suit.
• 1:30:39
  Speaker 1: I should smile. Get on to that boot. Near Daisy
• 1:30:43
  Speaker 1: gave me that this mornin' when I passed her house.
• 1:30:45
  Speaker 1: Understand the language of flowers, no twig that rosebud. Sure
• 1:30:52
  Speaker 1: it means thou hast stolen my affection. See, I hope
• 1:30:56
  Speaker 1: you're not the mysterious mister Raffles, laughed Ben. No, I'm
• 1:31:00
  Speaker 1: the irresistible mister brown snickered Wellard, there goes nine o'clock.
• 1:31:06
  Speaker 1: I must be at my desk, or Old Burnside will
• 1:31:08
  Speaker 1: be jumping on my collarbone. Thus speaking, Willard vanished into
• 1:31:12
  Speaker 1: the counting room, leaving Ben to finish his letter. Dear mother,
• 1:31:16
  Speaker 1: she seems to miss me lots, murmured the boy. If
• 1:31:19
  Speaker 1: it wasn't for Miss Plimpton, who boards with her, she
• 1:31:21
  Speaker 1: says she doesn't know what she would do. Mister Norcross
• 1:31:24
  Speaker 1: has written her a letter in which he intimates that
• 1:31:27
  Speaker 1: he may have to call in his loan when the
• 1:31:28
  Speaker 1: principal comes due on the first of August. Any impossibility
• 1:31:32
  Speaker 1: of meeting the full amount of the mortgage worries her greatly. Well,
• 1:31:36
  Speaker 1: I'll just take that worry off her hands. I'll put
• 1:31:39
  Speaker 1: one thousand, five hundred dollars aside to settle that little
• 1:31:41
  Speaker 1: matter when the time comes, won't mother be surprised? Then
• 1:31:46
  Speaker 1: he took up Ruth's letter. His face beamed with pleasure
• 1:31:49
  Speaker 1: as he pulled the enclosure from its dainty envelope. The contents,
• 1:31:53
  Speaker 1: judging from the expression on his features, were immediately satisfactory.
• 1:31:58
  Speaker 1: He had hardly finished reading it when Nate than Cabash
• 1:32:00
  Speaker 1: came in and a few minutes after the broker rang
• 1:32:03
  Speaker 1: for him take this document over to Burnham, Rand and
• 1:32:06
  Speaker 1: Burnham in the Saint Paul building, said the grain operator. Yes, sir,
• 1:32:12
  Speaker 1: Ben got his hat and started for Broadway and thence
• 1:32:15
  Speaker 1: up to the corner of Nassau where the old Herald
• 1:32:17
  Speaker 1: building used to stand. Burnham, Rand and Burnham was a
• 1:32:21
  Speaker 1: legal firm on the eighth floor, and the elevator carried
• 1:32:24
  Speaker 1: the boy up in no time. Mister Rand says, you
• 1:32:28
  Speaker 1: are to wait a few minutes, said the clerk, who
• 1:32:30
  Speaker 1: took the legal paper into one of the private offices.
• 1:32:33
  Speaker 1: Ben walked over to an open window and amused himself
• 1:32:36
  Speaker 1: gazing down in the busy Broadway Saint Paul's Church with
• 1:32:40
  Speaker 1: its ancient graveyard was right across the way, forming a
• 1:32:44
  Speaker 1: strange contrast to the scene of life and animation going
• 1:32:47
  Speaker 1: on all about it. I must take a look some
• 1:32:49
  Speaker 1: time at those moldy tombstones, the first chance I get,
• 1:32:53
  Speaker 1: said Ben musingly. Just then he heard a voice which
• 1:32:56
  Speaker 1: floated to him from the adjacent window, and another office
• 1:32:59
  Speaker 1: on the same floor which is also open. You do
• 1:33:02
  Speaker 1: what I tell you, unker and do it quick. You
• 1:33:04
  Speaker 1: understand the proxies which reached me in this morning's mail.
• 1:33:08
  Speaker 1: The Gold Interest will have enough votes to get complete
• 1:33:10
  Speaker 1: control of the Kansas Central Gold or a man of
• 1:33:13
  Speaker 1: his choice will be made president, and the road will
• 1:33:15
  Speaker 1: be brought into the Missouri Pacific system. The stock has
• 1:33:19
  Speaker 1: now sound way below real value. The meager amount of
• 1:33:22
  Speaker 1: two hundred shares changed hands yesterday a thirty two Why
• 1:33:25
  Speaker 1: man alive? That stock will go to power nearly so
• 1:33:28
  Speaker 1: inside of thirty days. You just sail in and by
• 1:33:31
  Speaker 1: every share you can afford on a ten percent basis,
• 1:33:34
  Speaker 1: there's a small fortune in it for you. You want to
• 1:33:36
  Speaker 1: do it right now, for as soon as these proxies
• 1:33:38
  Speaker 1: are in mister Gold's hands and he has sized up
• 1:33:40
  Speaker 1: the situation, eleven dozen brokers skirmishing around on the choir
• 1:33:44
  Speaker 1: for the stock, and he's got the money to gather
• 1:33:47
  Speaker 1: them in with. Ben couldn't hear what the other man said,
• 1:33:49
  Speaker 1: but presently the first speaker remarked, that's right. You can
• 1:33:53
  Speaker 1: raise five thousand dollars on those securities in half an hour.
• 1:33:56
  Speaker 1: That was all Ben heard for that moment. He was
• 1:33:59
  Speaker 1: called into mister office and presented with a letter to
• 1:34:02
  Speaker 1: take back to his employer. On his way back to
• 1:34:04
  Speaker 1: his office, Ben did a good bit of earnest thinking,
• 1:34:07
  Speaker 1: and the subject of his thoughts was Kansas Central. This
• 1:34:10
  Speaker 1: looks like an a one pointer for fair, he mused eagerly.
• 1:34:14
  Speaker 1: I guess he'll be worth my while trying to get
• 1:34:16
  Speaker 1: a thousand shares of that stock. If it went to part,
• 1:34:19
  Speaker 1: it would make a rich boy of me. It looks
• 1:34:21
  Speaker 1: like a chance in a million. When he reached his office,
• 1:34:24
  Speaker 1: he looked up the financial chronicle and saw that a
• 1:34:27
  Speaker 1: meeting of the stockholders of the Kansas Central would take
• 1:34:30
  Speaker 1: place in a few days. The article said that John J.
• 1:34:33
  Speaker 1: Gold was maneuvering to get control of the road, but
• 1:34:36
  Speaker 1: that the present president and a number of the directors
• 1:34:38
  Speaker 1: were fighting him tooth and nail, so the ultimate result
• 1:34:41
  Speaker 1: was a matter of doubt. For half an hour, Ben
• 1:34:44
  Speaker 1: figured up the matter in his mind. Then he was
• 1:34:47
  Speaker 1: called by mister Cabash to carry a message to the
• 1:34:49
  Speaker 1: corner of Wall and Pearl Streets. As he went down
• 1:34:52
  Speaker 1: the elevator, he decided to take the risk and buy
• 1:34:55
  Speaker 1: one thousand shares of Kansas Central if he could get
• 1:34:58
  Speaker 1: that amount of the stock on the He drew out
• 1:35:00
  Speaker 1: of his bank three thousand, two hundred dollars, leaving a
• 1:35:03
  Speaker 1: balance of eight hundred dollars, and took it to the
• 1:35:06
  Speaker 1: broker with whom he had done his last business and
• 1:35:08
  Speaker 1: deposited as a marginal security for the purchase of the
• 1:35:11
  Speaker 1: stock he had resolved to speculate in. After the exchange
• 1:35:15
  Speaker 1: had closed for the day and he was at liberty,
• 1:35:18
  Speaker 1: he called upon the broker again to ascertain how much
• 1:35:20
  Speaker 1: of the stock had been bought for him. I've got
• 1:35:23
  Speaker 1: it all, said mister Shattuck. Half an hour after you
• 1:35:26
  Speaker 1: left your order. You seem to be branching out on
• 1:35:29
  Speaker 1: the market, young man. I hope you'll come out ahead
• 1:35:32
  Speaker 1: on this. It'll probably mean more business from you should
• 1:35:35
  Speaker 1: your margin be wiped out. I may not see you anymore, eh,
• 1:35:39
  Speaker 1: The broker grinned, I shouldn't have gone into this if
• 1:35:42
  Speaker 1: I had any idea I might be wiped out, answered
• 1:35:44
  Speaker 1: Ben pleasantly. Of course you wouldn't. You must have got
• 1:35:48
  Speaker 1: a straight tip from somebody on the inside to take
• 1:35:51
  Speaker 1: such a reckless plunge, said the broker, insinuatingly, tips aren't
• 1:35:55
  Speaker 1: so plentiful that they're floating my way. Mister Shattuck replied Ben,
• 1:35:59
  Speaker 1: non committed, But you must have some reason for buying
• 1:36:02
  Speaker 1: a thousand shares of a stock which hasn't been greatly
• 1:36:04
  Speaker 1: wanted these six months, persisted the gentleman, who had an idea,
• 1:36:09
  Speaker 1: his boy customer must be well informed on the subject
• 1:36:12
  Speaker 1: of Kansas Central. Well, sir, I simply use my brains
• 1:36:15
  Speaker 1: in common sense, if you wish to know. I have
• 1:36:18
  Speaker 1: also been lucky in the past, for I started three
• 1:36:20
  Speaker 1: months ago on a five dollar bill, and now I'm
• 1:36:23
  Speaker 1: four thousand dollars to the good, that is, provided I
• 1:36:26
  Speaker 1: don't lose the thirty two hundred I deposited with you today.
• 1:36:29
  Speaker 1: I guess you're a pretty smart boy, said the broker.
• 1:36:33
  Speaker 1: At least you look at who are you working for?
• 1:36:36
  Speaker 1: Nathan Cabash, the grain broker on Broad Street. Yes, sir,
• 1:36:40
  Speaker 1: Are you his messenger? Yes, sir? Does he know you're
• 1:36:44
  Speaker 1: speculating on the market, No, sir, Well you're a secret.
• 1:36:49
  Speaker 1: If it is a secret, it's safe with me. Of course,
• 1:36:52
  Speaker 1: the affairs of our customers are sacred, so I presume, sir.
• 1:36:56
  Speaker 1: Good day, sir, good afternoon. Mister Shadow watched him depart
• 1:37:01
  Speaker 1: with a thoughtful expression. As a matter of fact, he
• 1:37:04
  Speaker 1: had not bought the thousand shares. He had concluded the
• 1:37:07
  Speaker 1: bank on his young customer's want of judgment. His sympathies
• 1:37:10
  Speaker 1: were of the bear order. He didn't believe Kansas Central
• 1:37:14
  Speaker 1: would advance worth speaking about, or rather that it would decline,
• 1:37:18
  Speaker 1: for the road had had a lot of trouble, but
• 1:37:20
  Speaker 1: his interview with Ben somewhat changed his views. It would
• 1:37:23
  Speaker 1: be a fine thing if a youngster should happen to
• 1:37:26
  Speaker 1: be working on a pointer. The stock might go up
• 1:37:28
  Speaker 1: all of a sudden, and I would have to scramble
• 1:37:31
  Speaker 1: for it in order to fill my contract with him.
• 1:37:33
  Speaker 1: I might lose several thousand dollars. I guess I'll buy
• 1:37:36
  Speaker 1: it tomorrow morning, and luckily for himself, as events proved,
• 1:37:40
  Speaker 1: he did. End of Chapter ten, Chapter eleven of a
• 1:37:51
  Speaker 1: Streak of Luck by a self made man. This libribox
• 1:37:54
  Speaker 1: recording is in the public domain. Chapter eleven, in which
• 1:37:58
  Speaker 1: Ben gives an ex ambition of nerve help. The cry
• 1:38:03
  Speaker 1: struck on Ben's ears just as he was coming out
• 1:38:06
  Speaker 1: of an office building on Wall Street. He and a
• 1:38:08
  Speaker 1: dozen passers by who had stopped and looked around at
• 1:38:11
  Speaker 1: the cry, saw a husky looking man snatch a big
• 1:38:14
  Speaker 1: pocket book from a well dressed boy, whom he had
• 1:38:17
  Speaker 1: knocked down in the middle of the street, and started
• 1:38:19
  Speaker 1: to make off toward Pearl Street. Ben saw at once
• 1:38:22
  Speaker 1: that a robbery had been committed and dashed after the thief.
• 1:38:26
  Speaker 1: The ruffian saw him coming and realized he could not
• 1:38:28
  Speaker 1: elude him by speed alone. He reached into his hip
• 1:38:31
  Speaker 1: pocket and snatched out a small bulldog revolver. His purpose
• 1:38:35
  Speaker 1: was to intimidate the boy, but Ben wasn't taking any
• 1:38:38
  Speaker 1: bluffs of that kind. He leaped for the crook and
• 1:38:41
  Speaker 1: lighted on his back. The two went down in the street,
• 1:38:44
  Speaker 1: and Ben grabbed a hand which held the weapon. Bless you,
• 1:38:48
  Speaker 1: cried the robber. What do you mean my button in
• 1:38:51
  Speaker 1: just to put a spoke in your little game, That's
• 1:38:52
  Speaker 1: all replied Ben grimly. He wrenched the revolver away and
• 1:38:56
  Speaker 1: slipped it into his pocket. As the crowd began to
• 1:38:59
  Speaker 1: gather about them, an officer appeared on the scene. Just then.
• 1:39:03
  Speaker 1: The boy who had been assaulted and robbed forced his
• 1:39:05
  Speaker 1: way forward. He was rubbing his eyes, which are smarting
• 1:39:09
  Speaker 1: and inflamed from particles of cinnamon, a handful of which
• 1:39:12
  Speaker 1: had been thrown into his face by the crook. Fortunately,
• 1:39:15
  Speaker 1: the man's aim had been poor, and only a very
• 1:39:17
  Speaker 1: small part of the red dust had taken effect. Have
• 1:39:20
  Speaker 1: you got him, he cried in eager tones. Sure, I've
• 1:39:23
  Speaker 1: got him? Why? Hello? Tom? Is that you Ben? So
• 1:39:27
  Speaker 1: you were the victim? Eh? Unfortunately, yes, but it's all
• 1:39:31
  Speaker 1: right if you've got the pocket book there, he's got
• 1:39:34
  Speaker 1: it in his hand under him, Say officer, he added,
• 1:39:37
  Speaker 1: as the policeman made a lane for himself. Take charge
• 1:39:40
  Speaker 1: of this man, will you? He robbed a friend of
• 1:39:42
  Speaker 1: mine here, and I doubned him before he got very far.
• 1:39:45
  Speaker 1: A dozen bystanders verified Ben's statement, and Tom's brief story
• 1:39:49
  Speaker 1: clinched the matter. The bold thief was handcuffed and marched
• 1:39:53
  Speaker 1: off to Old Slip station, and Tom and Ben went
• 1:39:56
  Speaker 1: along At the head of the crowd, which of course
• 1:39:58
  Speaker 1: attracted a good bit of attention in the line of march.
• 1:40:01
  Speaker 1: The boys were glad when the man was locked up
• 1:40:03
  Speaker 1: and they were permitted to go their way. The police,
• 1:40:06
  Speaker 1: of course, took charge of the pocket book. There's twenty
• 1:40:09
  Speaker 1: eight thousand dollars in money in checks in that wallet,
• 1:40:12
  Speaker 1: said Tom to his chum. I must get it back
• 1:40:14
  Speaker 1: as soon as I can, so as to let the
• 1:40:16
  Speaker 1: boss know what has become of it. It was lucky
• 1:40:19
  Speaker 1: I came on the scene when I did. Otherwise a
• 1:40:21
  Speaker 1: rascal might have gone away with his plunder, not another
• 1:40:24
  Speaker 1: person made a move to head him off. It's funny,
• 1:40:28
  Speaker 1: replied Tom, as some of the most daring thefts on
• 1:40:31
  Speaker 1: the streets owe their success to the fact that people
• 1:40:33
  Speaker 1: hesitate to interfere. Not long ago, a man was held
• 1:40:37
  Speaker 1: up on twenty third Street, beaten and robbed within sight
• 1:40:40
  Speaker 1: of a hundred people and within reach of a dozen more,
• 1:40:43
  Speaker 1: and the thief allowed to get away scott free. You
• 1:40:46
  Speaker 1: wouldn't fancy it could be done, would you? Well? Hardly?
• 1:40:50
  Speaker 1: How do your eyes feel? None too good. I'm glad
• 1:40:54
  Speaker 1: to say I escaped most of this stuff. I'm glad
• 1:40:57
  Speaker 1: to hear it, Well, so long, I'll see you this
• 1:41:00
  Speaker 1: afternoon after three, and the chums parted in front of
• 1:41:03
  Speaker 1: Parsons and Northrops. Ben, on reaching his office, explained to
• 1:41:07
  Speaker 1: mister Cabash the cause of his delay. It was a
• 1:41:10
  Speaker 1: nervy thing for you to do, Ben, said Nathan, regarding
• 1:41:13
  Speaker 1: him admiringly. I dare say your name will be in
• 1:41:16
  Speaker 1: all the morning papers. I can't help that, sir. I
• 1:41:20
  Speaker 1: don't think I did more than my duty. Well, you
• 1:41:23
  Speaker 1: did that nobly. I didn't know at first that it
• 1:41:26
  Speaker 1: was my chum Tom who had been assaulted. Seeing that
• 1:41:28
  Speaker 1: it was, I'm naturally glad I was on hand to
• 1:41:31
  Speaker 1: save him from having to report such a big loss
• 1:41:33
  Speaker 1: to his employers. You ought to be grateful to you. Oh,
• 1:41:37
  Speaker 1: that's nothing. I'd expect him to do the same by
• 1:41:40
  Speaker 1: me under like circumstances. When Ben came out of the
• 1:41:43
  Speaker 1: private office, he ran into the broker's office next door
• 1:41:46
  Speaker 1: and took a look at the indicator. He found a
• 1:41:48
  Speaker 1: number of transactions recording sales of Kansas Central, and found
• 1:41:53
  Speaker 1: that the price had stiffened to thirty four. I guess
• 1:41:56
  Speaker 1: I made no mistake buying on that tip, For I see,
• 1:41:59
  Speaker 1: I'm two thousand dollars ahead in twenty four hours. It
• 1:42:02
  Speaker 1: would take me quite a while to make that amount
• 1:42:04
  Speaker 1: of ten dollars a week. I tell you, New York
• 1:42:06
  Speaker 1: is a town to make money if you know how
• 1:42:08
  Speaker 1: to pull the strings. Thoroughly satisfied with himself, Ben walked
• 1:42:12
  Speaker 1: back to his post in the reception room and began
• 1:42:15
  Speaker 1: to build a few air castles around the anticipated profits
• 1:42:18
  Speaker 1: of k C. These dreams were rudely intruded upon by
• 1:42:22
  Speaker 1: his employer's bow. Take this letter to the National Trust
• 1:42:25
  Speaker 1: Company on Broadway, said mister Kebash. All Right, sir, replied
• 1:42:30
  Speaker 1: Ben briskly. He got his hat and hurried away on
• 1:42:33
  Speaker 1: his errand glad tomorrow's decoration day, He said to himself,
• 1:42:38
  Speaker 1: I like a holiday once in a while. Tom and
• 1:42:40
  Speaker 1: I'll take in the afternoon game at the Polo Grounds.
• 1:42:43
  Speaker 1: We'll have to go early. Is there sure to be
• 1:42:45
  Speaker 1: a fierce mob there? As he spoke, he accidentally butted
• 1:42:48
  Speaker 1: into a couple of well dressed youths who were strolling
• 1:42:51
  Speaker 1: through the crowd. Hello, exclaimed one of them, catching sight
• 1:42:55
  Speaker 1: of Ben's face. If it isn't Ben Bailey, Ben stopped
• 1:42:59
  Speaker 1: and looked at the speaker, for his voice sounded familiar.
• 1:43:03
  Speaker 1: One glance was enough to show him that he was
• 1:43:05
  Speaker 1: face to face with Percy Norcross and Oscar Updyke, who
• 1:43:09
  Speaker 1: were on a holiday visit to New York. They're evidently
• 1:43:12
  Speaker 1: astonished to see Ben dress so nicely and with such
• 1:43:15
  Speaker 1: an alert, businesslike air about him. Even Percy hauled in
• 1:43:18
  Speaker 1: his horns a bit, for he was curious to hear
• 1:43:21
  Speaker 1: how the former storeboy of Rivermouth was getting on in
• 1:43:24
  Speaker 1: the metropolis. What are you doing, inquired Oscar, with none
• 1:43:28
  Speaker 1: of his old insolence working in Broad Street, replied Ben pleasantly,
• 1:43:33
  Speaker 1: who for chipped in Percy a big grain broker. What
• 1:43:37
  Speaker 1: do you do? Asked Oscar with interest. I'm the messenger.
• 1:43:42
  Speaker 1: Oh you run errands, said Percy with one of his
• 1:43:46
  Speaker 1: old time sneers. That's no disgrace, is it, asked Ben sarcastically.
• 1:43:51
  Speaker 1: Seems to me, Percy Norcross, you'd rather insult an old
• 1:43:54
  Speaker 1: acquaintance than to treat him decent. If you can't treat
• 1:43:57
  Speaker 1: me half way politely, why we part right now? Hold on,
• 1:44:01
  Speaker 1: cried Oscar, detaining Ben as he was about to proceed
• 1:44:04
  Speaker 1: on his way. Percy don't mean anything where are you
• 1:44:08
  Speaker 1: bound now? I'm going up to the National Trust Company
• 1:44:11
  Speaker 1: in the next block. Oh, we're stopping at the Grand
• 1:44:14
  Speaker 1: Union Hotel. Come and see us after dinner, will you.
• 1:44:18
  Speaker 1: We want somebody to steer us around the city. You've
• 1:44:20
  Speaker 1: been here long enough to know all the ropes. It
• 1:44:23
  Speaker 1: won't cost you a nickel. I'm afraid I'm not well
• 1:44:25
  Speaker 1: enough acquainted with society to take the responsibility for that
• 1:44:29
  Speaker 1: is evidently what you're after, replied Ben, who didn't care
• 1:44:32
  Speaker 1: to go around with them. You ain't afraid, are you
• 1:44:36
  Speaker 1: put in Percy with a covert sneer? You'll have to
• 1:44:39
  Speaker 1: excuse me as I'm in a hurry, replied Ben. Goodbye.
• 1:44:44
  Speaker 1: The two boys looked after him in a dissatisfied way.
• 1:44:47
  Speaker 1: He's got mighty uppish since he came to New York,
• 1:44:51
  Speaker 1: snorted Percy. Seems so all the same. He looks uncommonly prosperous,
• 1:44:57
  Speaker 1: said Oscar. Then they walked on end of chapter eleven,
• 1:45:10
  Speaker 1: Chapter twelve of A Streak of Luck by a Self
• 1:45:13
  Speaker 1: Made Man. This LibriVox recording is in a public domain
• 1:45:17
  Speaker 1: Chapter twelve Friends from Rivermouth. On the way home that afternoon,
• 1:45:23
  Speaker 1: Ben told Tom how he had unexpectedly run across Percy
• 1:45:26
  Speaker 1: and Oscar on Broadway, and a conversation which had passed
• 1:45:30
  Speaker 1: between them. So they want to paint the town red,
• 1:45:32
  Speaker 1: and they're little way, grinned Tom looks that way, laughed Ben.
• 1:45:37
  Speaker 1: A fine pair of high rollers they are. I don't
• 1:45:40
  Speaker 1: think they expect to have a wonderful story to tell
• 1:45:43
  Speaker 1: of their adventures in this city when they get back
• 1:45:45
  Speaker 1: to Rivermouth. They may not amount to much, but all
• 1:45:49
  Speaker 1: the same, they're too swift for me, said Ben. Same here,
• 1:45:54
  Speaker 1: by the way, been monkeying with the Marga laily. Ben,
• 1:45:57
  Speaker 1: I haven't heard you mentioned stocks for some time. Well,
• 1:46:00
  Speaker 1: I made a little haul in x y Z, responded Ben,
• 1:46:04
  Speaker 1: who had not confided his late success to his chum.
• 1:46:07
  Speaker 1: Lest Sanders should send the intelligence on the river Mouth,
• 1:46:10
  Speaker 1: as he was very likely to do, in which event
• 1:46:13
  Speaker 1: it was bound to reach his mother's ears. Ben didn't
• 1:46:16
  Speaker 1: want her to know till he was ready to surprise
• 1:46:19
  Speaker 1: her himself. How much did you win? I didn't win
• 1:46:22
  Speaker 1: enough to want to throw up my job, replied Ben evasively.
• 1:46:27
  Speaker 1: I suppose not. I wish I could catch on to
• 1:46:29
  Speaker 1: a tip, but dips don't seem to be very plentiful,
• 1:46:32
  Speaker 1: though I do work in a stockbroker's office where they're
• 1:46:35
  Speaker 1: supposed to roost about. I can give you one, can
• 1:46:38
  Speaker 1: you in some surprise? Well, it's here. What it's like
• 1:46:42
  Speaker 1: if you've got a few dollars a spare by Kansas Central?
• 1:46:46
  Speaker 1: Why Kansas Central? Because it's going up. How do you
• 1:46:49
  Speaker 1: know it's going up? Well, just watch your ticker and
• 1:46:53
  Speaker 1: you'll know as much as I do about it. It's
• 1:46:55
  Speaker 1: been selling around thirty all this winter and spring to
• 1:46:58
  Speaker 1: day it close at thirty four and seven eighths. Why
• 1:47:02
  Speaker 1: don't you buy some yourself? I have? Is that a fact?
• 1:47:07
  Speaker 1: Honor Bright? How many shares did you purchase? Oh? Thousand?
• 1:47:12
  Speaker 1: More or less? Replied Ben with assumed carelessness. I guess
• 1:47:16
  Speaker 1: it was rather less than more. Snickered Tom, Well, i'll
• 1:47:19
  Speaker 1: think about it. Thinking about it won't do you any good.
• 1:47:23
  Speaker 1: You must buy right away if you want to make
• 1:47:24
  Speaker 1: anything out of it. I know where there's a new
• 1:47:27
  Speaker 1: bucket shop. I guess I'll go along on ten shares.
• 1:47:31
  Speaker 1: Better go to a regular broker, Tom, Bucket shops are
• 1:47:33
  Speaker 1: risky places to invest your good money. That's no lie
• 1:47:37
  Speaker 1: when you come to think of it. The boys bought
• 1:47:39
  Speaker 1: evening papers and began to glance over them, say, said Tom. Suddenly,
• 1:47:44
  Speaker 1: here's an article about Kansas Central. Now gold is reported
• 1:47:48
  Speaker 1: to have caught control of the road, a new board
• 1:47:50
  Speaker 1: of directors has been elected, and the old president has
• 1:47:53
  Speaker 1: been turned down. I guess you're right about the stock.
• 1:47:56
  Speaker 1: It ought to go up. On the strength of that,
• 1:47:58
  Speaker 1: you'll find it will open above thirty five in the morning,
• 1:48:02
  Speaker 1: said Ben with quiet exultation. It's ten shares of casey
• 1:48:06
  Speaker 1: for me tomorrow, all right, said Tom, with a positive
• 1:48:08
  Speaker 1: shake of his head. What are we thinking about tomorrow's
• 1:48:11
  Speaker 1: decoration day? The exchange won't be open. That's right, well,
• 1:48:16
  Speaker 1: Thursday morning then, now you're talking. After supper, they took
• 1:48:20
  Speaker 1: a stroll along Upper Broadway. As they were passing the
• 1:48:24
  Speaker 1: hotel Vendom, a lady and two girls came out of
• 1:48:27
  Speaker 1: the lady's entrance. Tom seized Ben by the arm. Look
• 1:48:31
  Speaker 1: isn't that missus Cameron with Ruth and Aggie wear Ben
• 1:48:35
  Speaker 1: glanced eagerly in a direction as Chum indicated, Why George,
• 1:48:39
  Speaker 1: it is for a fact, won't they be surprised to
• 1:48:42
  Speaker 1: see us? Grinned Tom. Hurry now or they'll get away.
• 1:48:45
  Speaker 1: From us. The boys rushed after the three Riverport ladies.
• 1:48:49
  Speaker 1: Why there's Ben Bradley and Tom Sanders, cried Aggie with
• 1:48:53
  Speaker 1: a scream and a giggle. Missus Cameron and her daughter
• 1:48:56
  Speaker 1: turned around with some surprise. I'm pleased to meet you,
• 1:48:59
  Speaker 1: missus Key Camaron. Also you, miss Ruth, and you too, Aggie,
• 1:49:03
  Speaker 1: said Ben, lifting his hat. Same here, grinned Tom, flourishing
• 1:49:08
  Speaker 1: his derby. Ruth and her mother smiled and gave their
• 1:49:11
  Speaker 1: hands to the boys in turn, a performance imitated by
• 1:49:14
  Speaker 1: miss Swear with an exaggerated courtesy upon my word, said
• 1:49:19
  Speaker 1: Aggie exuberantly. You boys look real swell sure, why not?
• 1:49:24
  Speaker 1: Chuckled Tom. How is it we find you in New York.
• 1:49:27
  Speaker 1: We came down to see the Decoration Day parade, said
• 1:49:30
  Speaker 1: missus Cameron. We called on your mother yesterday afternoon, mister Bailey,
• 1:49:35
  Speaker 1: said Ruth, smilingly. She's getting along nicely, though of course
• 1:49:39
  Speaker 1: she misses you. I'll have a vacation a couple of months,
• 1:49:42
  Speaker 1: and then I'll have the happiness of seeing her. I
• 1:49:45
  Speaker 1: didn't expect to meet you before then, either, so this
• 1:49:48
  Speaker 1: is an unexpected pleasure. Thank you, blushed Ruth. I may
• 1:49:53
  Speaker 1: say the pleasure is mutual. Where are you, ladies aiming for?
• 1:49:57
  Speaker 1: We are just out for a little walk, chirped Aggie.
• 1:50:00
  Speaker 1: Don't you want to come along? We should be glad
• 1:50:02
  Speaker 1: to accompany you, replied Ben. Then you'll have to behave
• 1:50:06
  Speaker 1: real good that's one of our great failings, snickered Tom.
• 1:50:10
  Speaker 1: They started across forty second Street in the direction of the theaters,
• 1:50:14
  Speaker 1: Ruth and Ben falling a bit to the rear. In
• 1:50:17
  Speaker 1: this way, they proceeded for perhaps a block. When who
• 1:50:20
  Speaker 1: should they run against but Percy and Oscar, smoking cigarettes
• 1:50:24
  Speaker 1: and swinging dapper little canes like a pair of real bloods.
• 1:50:28
  Speaker 1: Missus Cameron, Miss Ruth, exclaimed Percy, doffing his fedora in
• 1:50:33
  Speaker 1: what he considered the most approved fashion. Who would have
• 1:50:37
  Speaker 1: expected to see you in New York? So glad, don't
• 1:50:41
  Speaker 1: you know? Oscar bowed, but didn't have anything to say.
• 1:50:45
  Speaker 1: What a conceited little monkey, Percy norcross is, whispered Daggie
• 1:50:49
  Speaker 1: to Tom with a grimace. Percy tried to monopolize Ruth,
• 1:50:53
  Speaker 1: but that young lady wouldn't have it. Let's go into dailies,
• 1:50:57
  Speaker 1: suggested Percy. After they had talked a few minutes. They
• 1:51:00
  Speaker 1: have an orchestra there, explained Oscar. We've just been in,
• 1:51:05
  Speaker 1: missus Cameron. The girls looked a bit doubtful and glanced
• 1:51:08
  Speaker 1: at Ben and Tom. It's quite a respectable place, said Ben.
• 1:51:13
  Speaker 1: Tom and I have been there. If you like to
• 1:51:15
  Speaker 1: go in, it is worth a while, very well, agreed
• 1:51:19
  Speaker 1: Ruth's mother. We might as well see what's to be seen,
• 1:51:22
  Speaker 1: as long it is a proper place for us to go.
• 1:51:25
  Speaker 1: It is quite the thing, don't you know, chipped in Percy.
• 1:51:29
  Speaker 1: The music is simply divine. Master Norcroft tried to say
• 1:51:32
  Speaker 1: this with the air of a connoisseur, and the effect
• 1:51:35
  Speaker 1: seemed so irresistibly funny to Aggie that she had to
• 1:51:38
  Speaker 1: stuff her handkerchief into her mouth to keep from laughing outright.
• 1:51:42
  Speaker 1: Dais was below the new Amsterdam Theater, and thither the
• 1:51:46
  Speaker 1: party went. The place is well filled with ladies and
• 1:51:49
  Speaker 1: gentlemen seated about polished imitation rosewood tables. A smooth faced
• 1:51:54
  Speaker 1: waiter and an eden jacket piloted them to a table
• 1:51:58
  Speaker 1: in the rear of the room and waited for them
• 1:52:00
  Speaker 1: to say what they would eat. Percy gave the order.
• 1:52:03
  Speaker 1: After each had mentioned what they would like, Percy handed
• 1:52:07
  Speaker 1: the waiter a ten dollar bill with a flourish as
• 1:52:09
  Speaker 1: if such things were as common with him as Nicholls,
• 1:52:13
  Speaker 1: and tip the man off to the extent of a dime.
• 1:52:16
  Speaker 1: There remained about twenty minutes and dailies, and listened to
• 1:52:19
  Speaker 1: two very fine orchestral selections. Percy suggested another place some
• 1:52:24
  Speaker 1: blocks away. The ladies decline going there on the plea
• 1:52:27
  Speaker 1: that it was time to return to their hotel, so
• 1:52:30
  Speaker 1: the boys escorted them back to the Vendome and bade
• 1:52:33
  Speaker 1: them good night. The four boys then walked down Broadway
• 1:52:37
  Speaker 1: to the junction of thirty second Street. I guess we'll
• 1:52:40
  Speaker 1: take a car down, said Ben to Tom. Oh, come off,
• 1:52:44
  Speaker 1: you aren't going to quit as early as this, are you?
• 1:52:46
  Speaker 1: Objected oscar. We're going down sixth Avenue, and after a
• 1:52:50
  Speaker 1: while we mean to drop into the Lame Duck for
• 1:52:52
  Speaker 1: a bite to eat. Come on, Percy will blow the
• 1:52:54
  Speaker 1: crowd much obliged, replied Tom. But Ben and I have
• 1:52:58
  Speaker 1: a little business to train act before we turn in,
• 1:53:01
  Speaker 1: so you'll have to let us off. The little business
• 1:53:04
  Speaker 1: was a mere fiction on Tom's part, as Ben had
• 1:53:07
  Speaker 1: given him the wink, a sign which meant that they
• 1:53:10
  Speaker 1: had better cut Percy and Oscarr out. Of course, there
• 1:53:13
  Speaker 1: was a stiff kick from Norcross and Updike, but it
• 1:53:16
  Speaker 1: didn't carry any weight, and the two pairs separated when
• 1:53:19
  Speaker 1: the next Broadway car came along. End of chapter twelve,
• 1:53:30
  Speaker 1: Chapter thirteen of a Streak of Luck by a Self
• 1:53:33
  Speaker 1: Made Man. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
• 1:53:37
  Speaker 1: Chapter thirteen Ben saves Nathan Cabash from a broken head.
• 1:53:42
  Speaker 1: Kansas Central opened at thirty six on the Exchange Thursday morning,
• 1:53:46
  Speaker 1: and things became quite lively around the corner where that
• 1:53:49
  Speaker 1: stock was dealt in the entire market was bullish in character,
• 1:53:53
  Speaker 1: and a good many outsiders with fat wads made their
• 1:53:56
  Speaker 1: appearance in the street, and the consequence was that the
• 1:54:00
  Speaker 1: stockbroker's business loomed up in great shape. There seemed to
• 1:54:03
  Speaker 1: be something doing also on the Produce Exchange. Nathan Cabash's
• 1:54:08
  Speaker 1: mail was loaded with selling orders, and he kept pen
• 1:54:10
  Speaker 1: constantly on the jump. That and the ensuing week were
• 1:54:14
  Speaker 1: lively ones for the clerks in Wall and adjacent streets,
• 1:54:17
  Speaker 1: and the electric lights lit up a hundred offices after dark.
• 1:54:21
  Speaker 1: Either Ben or Tom, however, was affected by this extra work,
• 1:54:25
  Speaker 1: but the former found plenty to interest him in the
• 1:54:27
  Speaker 1: upward flight of Kansas Central, which had already gone to sixty.
• 1:54:31
  Speaker 1: Ben's profits on paper to day were twenty eight thousand dollars,
• 1:54:35
  Speaker 1: and as a matter of course, the boy was jubulant.
• 1:54:38
  Speaker 1: Tom had bought ten shares of k C at thirty
• 1:54:41
  Speaker 1: six and ten more at forty. His profits so far
• 1:54:44
  Speaker 1: amounted to four hundred forty dollars, and he felt as
• 1:54:47
  Speaker 1: chipper as a lark. He had no idea that Ben
• 1:54:50
  Speaker 1: had anything like a thousand shares of k C. At
• 1:54:53
  Speaker 1: the most, he figured he had less than a hundred.
• 1:54:56
  Speaker 1: He made several attempts to find out exactly how much
• 1:54:58
  Speaker 1: his chum had bought, but Ben wasn't telling. However, he
• 1:55:02
  Speaker 1: sent word of Rivermouth that he and Ben wasn't doing
• 1:55:05
  Speaker 1: a thing to the New York stock market, and advised
• 1:55:08
  Speaker 1: his village acquaintances not to be surprised if they came
• 1:55:11
  Speaker 1: to town in a fifty horse power automobile. I'll tell
• 1:55:15
  Speaker 1: you what, Ben, he said one day, while they were
• 1:55:17
  Speaker 1: eating in a quick lunch counter and Broad Street. We'll
• 1:55:20
  Speaker 1: be in shape financially to do the grand when we
• 1:55:22
  Speaker 1: visit Rivermouth this summer. Percy Norcross won't be in it
• 1:55:26
  Speaker 1: a little bit with you and I I hope you
• 1:55:28
  Speaker 1: won't make a fool of yourself because you happen to
• 1:55:30
  Speaker 1: be flush, replied Ben, handing his chum a friendly bit
• 1:55:34
  Speaker 1: of advice. Don't you know it looks vulgar to make
• 1:55:36
  Speaker 1: a display of one's money. Besides, it's foolish. Money easily
• 1:55:41
  Speaker 1: made is have to be easily spent. I advise you
• 1:55:44
  Speaker 1: to hold on to your cash. You'll need it some day.
• 1:55:47
  Speaker 1: That's all right, protested Tom. But a fellow when he
• 1:55:51
  Speaker 1: got the chance, feels like taking down chips like Percy
• 1:55:54
  Speaker 1: and Oscar and Luke Tapley. They lorded it over us
• 1:55:58
  Speaker 1: many a time, and I want them to I understand.
• 1:56:00
  Speaker 1: I'm just as good as they are, and several points better.
• 1:56:03
  Speaker 1: What's the use of noticing them at all? Our improved
• 1:56:06
  Speaker 1: appearance and prospects should be sufficient to speak for themselves.
• 1:56:10
  Speaker 1: They had some further argument on the subject, but in
• 1:56:13
  Speaker 1: the end Ben brought his chum around to his way
• 1:56:15
  Speaker 1: of thinking. When Ben got back to the office, mister
• 1:56:19
  Speaker 1: Burnside called him into the counting room. Burnside was the
• 1:56:23
  Speaker 1: head bookkeeper and confidential assistant of mister Caboche. He represented
• 1:56:27
  Speaker 1: the boss when that personage was away from the office.
• 1:56:31
  Speaker 1: Take this letter over to mister Caboche at the exchange,
• 1:56:34
  Speaker 1: said mister Burnside, all right, sir, and Ben hastened off
• 1:56:38
  Speaker 1: on his Errand there had been a big drop in
• 1:56:41
  Speaker 1: July wheat that morning, and the floor on the produced
• 1:56:44
  Speaker 1: exchange had been the scene of a fierce battle which
• 1:56:47
  Speaker 1: was by no means over. When Ben reached the scene,
• 1:56:49
  Speaker 1: he looked around for the familiar figure of mister Cabosh,
• 1:56:52
  Speaker 1: but couldn't make him out. The note, he understood was
• 1:56:55
  Speaker 1: important and his delivererty imperative, Who are you looking for,
• 1:56:58
  Speaker 1: asked the telegraph boy. My boss, said Ben, who's your boss,
• 1:57:04
  Speaker 1: Nathan Cabash. He's over in it. Mob there, sure just
• 1:57:08
  Speaker 1: seen him. They say he's made a million this morning
• 1:57:11
  Speaker 1: in the slump. At that instant, the mob in question parted,
• 1:57:15
  Speaker 1: and Ben saw mister Cabash, with his neck tie under
• 1:57:17
  Speaker 1: his left ear and one end of his collar out
• 1:57:20
  Speaker 1: of place, making his way toward him. His soft hat
• 1:57:23
  Speaker 1: was cocked on the back of his head, and he
• 1:57:25
  Speaker 1: looked warm and fatigued. Looks as if he has had
• 1:57:28
  Speaker 1: a strenuous time of it, grinned Ben. The boy rushed
• 1:57:31
  Speaker 1: out on the floor and met him half way. Mister
• 1:57:34
  Speaker 1: Burnside sent this to you, sir, he said, holding out
• 1:57:37
  Speaker 1: the letter. Mister Gaboche tore the end off, glanced over
• 1:57:41
  Speaker 1: the enclosure, and then turned about and walked quickly back
• 1:57:43
  Speaker 1: to the scene of his late exertions. Whatever he said
• 1:57:47
  Speaker 1: Ben could not hear, but he was surrounded in a
• 1:57:50
  Speaker 1: moment by a pack of brokers who yelled and shook
• 1:57:52
  Speaker 1: their hands at him in a meaning way. Some even
• 1:57:55
  Speaker 1: laid hold of him bodily and yanked the old man
• 1:57:57
  Speaker 1: this way and that. Of course, Ben knew that his
• 1:58:00
  Speaker 1: boss's life wasn't being threatened. It was simply the way
• 1:58:04
  Speaker 1: brokers did business when they got excited, and there was
• 1:58:07
  Speaker 1: excitement to burn on the floor at that moment. Gee,
• 1:58:10
  Speaker 1: he won't have any collar left at all after this
• 1:58:12
  Speaker 1: sham battle, snickered the boy. It's a fine thing to
• 1:58:15
  Speaker 1: be a big broker, especially when you have the other
• 1:58:18
  Speaker 1: folks on the run. Ain't doin a thing to your
• 1:58:21
  Speaker 1: boss today, are they grinned the telegraph boy who had
• 1:58:24
  Speaker 1: spoken to Ben before. I guess the boot is on
• 1:58:26
  Speaker 1: the other leg, replied the young messenger. Perhaps he isn't
• 1:58:30
  Speaker 1: doing a thing to some of them. It's right too.
• 1:58:33
  Speaker 1: Ben had no further business at the exchange, but he
• 1:58:36
  Speaker 1: hung around a few minutes. Boyl liked to see the fun.
• 1:58:39
  Speaker 1: Just as mister Cabosh broke away from the crowd again,
• 1:58:42
  Speaker 1: a big broker rushed up and shook his fist in
• 1:58:44
  Speaker 1: his face. The man's face was flushed with anger. Into
• 1:58:47
  Speaker 1: Ben's eyes, he looked dangerous. The two men were having
• 1:58:51
  Speaker 1: words about something. Nathan Kebosh's manner was cool and deprecating.
• 1:58:55
  Speaker 1: The other was too worked up to listen to reason.
• 1:58:57
  Speaker 1: He was clearly mad. Clean through mister Gabosh kept moving
• 1:59:01
  Speaker 1: toward the end of the big room, and the other
• 1:59:04
  Speaker 1: broker kept pace with him, all the time, gesticulating violently.
• 1:59:08
  Speaker 1: Nobody paid any particular attention to them except Ben. The
• 1:59:11
  Speaker 1: fellow exus. If you wanted to do mister Cabosh up,
• 1:59:14
  Speaker 1: muttered Ben. You ought to be ashamed of himself. A
• 1:59:17
  Speaker 1: great big man like him, he'd make two of my boss.
• 1:59:21
  Speaker 1: I wish one of those DT Messenger boys would accidentally
• 1:59:24
  Speaker 1: butt him in the bread basket. Nothing of the kind occurred, However,
• 1:59:28
  Speaker 1: The DT boys were accustomed to flying in and out
• 1:59:30
  Speaker 1: among the hustling brokers and at the same time avoiding collisions. Suddenly,
• 1:59:35
  Speaker 1: the enraged broker grabbed Nathan Cabosh with both hands and
• 1:59:39
  Speaker 1: stopped his progress by main force. Then he began to
• 1:59:42
  Speaker 1: burn up the air around him with the heat of
• 1:59:44
  Speaker 1: his language, all directed at the old man. Mister Caboche
• 1:59:48
  Speaker 1: listened to him a moment, then tore himself free and
• 1:59:51
  Speaker 1: started for the door. The broker glared after him like
• 1:59:54
  Speaker 1: a maniac. Then he rushed forward, seized a light chair
• 1:59:58
  Speaker 1: standing close to the railing, and brought it down. No,
• 2:00:01
  Speaker 1: not upon mister Cabosh's head, though that had been his purpose,
• 2:00:05
  Speaker 1: but upon Ben, who, seeing his employer's peril, had dashed
• 2:00:08
  Speaker 1: forward to save him. Ben's outstretched hands partially broke the
• 2:00:12
  Speaker 1: force of the blow, but the shock was sufficient to
• 2:00:15
  Speaker 1: send both him and mister Cabash to the floor together.
• 2:00:18
  Speaker 1: It was a moment of intense excitement for all who
• 2:00:20
  Speaker 1: happened to observe the unexpected attack. End of chapter thirteen,
• 2:00:31
  Speaker 1: Chapter fourteen of A Streak of Luck by a self
• 2:00:34
  Speaker 1: made Man. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
• 2:00:39
  Speaker 1: Chapter fourteen, back to Rivermouth. One of the rungs of
• 2:00:43
  Speaker 1: the chair had cut a nasty gash above Ben's ear,
• 2:00:46
  Speaker 1: from which the blood streamed freely, but the boy didn't
• 2:00:50
  Speaker 1: feel the wound. In the excitement, he jumped to his
• 2:00:52
  Speaker 1: feet and sprang upon the broker, who still held the
• 2:00:55
  Speaker 1: back of the chair in his hands, and pulled the
• 2:00:57
  Speaker 1: big man backward on the floor. Roger recovered himself and
• 2:01:01
  Speaker 1: tackled the lad viciously. Over and over. They rolled upon
• 2:01:04
  Speaker 1: the floor of the Exchange, and a crowd of spectators
• 2:01:07
  Speaker 1: and other brokers rushed up to separate them. While the
• 2:01:10
  Speaker 1: struggle was in progress, an eye witness helped Nathan Cabosh
• 2:01:13
  Speaker 1: to his feet and explain the attack made upon him
• 2:01:17
  Speaker 1: and how he had escaped by the boy's intervention. Until
• 2:01:21
  Speaker 1: Ben and the belligerent broker were pulled apart and rose
• 2:01:23
  Speaker 1: to their feet with all the evidence of a lusty
• 2:01:26
  Speaker 1: scrap upon them. Mister Kebash was unaware that it was Ben,
• 2:01:29
  Speaker 1: his own employee, who had saved him from perhaps a
• 2:01:32
  Speaker 1: fatal knockout, as none of the principles in the affair
• 2:01:35
  Speaker 1: had been seriously injured. The troubles patched up after a
• 2:01:38
  Speaker 1: fashion by members of the exchange. The combatants were brushed
• 2:01:42
  Speaker 1: off and then mister Cabash took Ben into a neighboring
• 2:01:45
  Speaker 1: drug store to have his head fixed up. I shan't
• 2:01:48
  Speaker 1: forget your interference on my behalf, said the grain broker,
• 2:01:52
  Speaker 1: with some feeling to his messenger. Brown might have brained
• 2:01:55
  Speaker 1: me if it hadn't been for your presence of mind
• 2:01:57
  Speaker 1: and activity. As it is, it's a wonder we got
• 2:02:01
  Speaker 1: off so well. That man is an athlete. Ordinarily he's
• 2:02:05
  Speaker 1: a good enough fellow, but he's a nasty customer when
• 2:02:08
  Speaker 1: he's out of sorts. I shouldn't care to tackle him
• 2:02:10
  Speaker 1: every day, smiled Ben, as they walked up Broad Street
• 2:02:14
  Speaker 1: toward the office. I'm afraid there wouldn't be much left
• 2:02:17
  Speaker 1: of you if he got a good whack at you.
• 2:02:19
  Speaker 1: I'm not anxious to test him again, admitted Ben. It
• 2:02:23
  Speaker 1: was cowardly in him to take that share to an
• 2:02:25
  Speaker 1: old gentleman like you. In fact, a man of his
• 2:02:28
  Speaker 1: strength has no right to resorting to anything outside of
• 2:02:31
  Speaker 1: his fists. You're a good nervy boy, Ben. It was
• 2:02:35
  Speaker 1: a fortunate day for me. I made your acquaintance. The
• 2:02:38
  Speaker 1: trouble with Brown was he was long on a falling market,
• 2:02:42
  Speaker 1: and he lays the blame of the break in July
• 2:02:44
  Speaker 1: futures to me, he's lost a good deal of money.
• 2:02:47
  Speaker 1: So I suppose I ought to excuse this exhibition of temper.
• 2:02:51
  Speaker 1: At any rate, he ought to thank you for saving
• 2:02:54
  Speaker 1: him from the commission of a serious crime. Oh, he's welcome.
• 2:02:58
  Speaker 1: I'm satisfied as long as I pulled you out of
• 2:03:00
  Speaker 1: the trouble with the whole skin. That was the end
• 2:03:03
  Speaker 1: of the affair, which fortunately did not get into the newspapers.
• 2:03:07
  Speaker 1: When Ben got his salary envelope on the ensuing Saturday,
• 2:03:10
  Speaker 1: he found his pay had been raised to eighteen dollars.
• 2:03:14
  Speaker 1: When he thanked mister Cabagh for the rais, the broker
• 2:03:17
  Speaker 1: told him he was well worth the additional money. On
• 2:03:20
  Speaker 1: the following Monday, Nathan Cabash further testified his gratitude for
• 2:03:24
  Speaker 1: the boy's brave act by presenting him with a fine
• 2:03:26
  Speaker 1: gold watch and chain. The former appropriately engraved. Things seem
• 2:03:31
  Speaker 1: to be coming my way with a rush, murmured Ben,
• 2:03:34
  Speaker 1: after he left the private office with his present in
• 2:03:37
  Speaker 1: his vest pocket. Kansas Central's now up to seventy six,
• 2:03:40
  Speaker 1: which makes me forty four thousand dollars ahead. I wonder
• 2:03:44
  Speaker 1: if I dare hold on for an even fifty thousand dollars.
• 2:03:48
  Speaker 1: Why not? This stock won't go down again in a
• 2:03:50
  Speaker 1: hurry now that the gold people are going to run it.
• 2:03:54
  Speaker 1: Ben met Tom as usual that afternoon. Willard Brown nowadays
• 2:03:58
  Speaker 1: worked an hour more later than the two boys, so
• 2:04:01
  Speaker 1: they didn't enjoy as much of his company as they
• 2:04:03
  Speaker 1: formerly did. I sold out of my k C today
• 2:04:07
  Speaker 1: with the first words Ben had from his chum. I
• 2:04:09
  Speaker 1: cleaned up seven hundred and fifty dollars above all expenses.
• 2:04:13
  Speaker 1: That was a dandy Tippy gave me. And I'm going
• 2:04:15
  Speaker 1: to make it up to you some day. Don't you
• 2:04:18
  Speaker 1: worry about that? Tom? How about your little block of
• 2:04:21
  Speaker 1: ac When are you going to realize? I don't know,
• 2:04:24
  Speaker 1: probably not before reaches eighty two or eighty three. I
• 2:04:28
  Speaker 1: wouldn't take any such chance as that it might tumble
• 2:04:30
  Speaker 1: at any minute. I don't believe it will if I
• 2:04:34
  Speaker 1: were you on cash in, said Tom earnestly. I don't
• 2:04:37
  Speaker 1: think about it. Hello, where'd you get the watch chain?
• 2:04:41
  Speaker 1: Have you been investing in a turn up? No? The
• 2:04:44
  Speaker 1: boss made me a present of this, and he pulled
• 2:04:47
  Speaker 1: out a fine gold chronometer. Phew, that's a peach. Must
• 2:04:51
  Speaker 1: the cost one hundred and fifty dollars. How came he
• 2:04:54
  Speaker 1: to get such a liberal turn on? I did him
• 2:04:57
  Speaker 1: a small favor, upon which which Ben narrated the scrap
• 2:05:01
  Speaker 1: with broker Brown at the produce exchange. Well you aren't
• 2:05:05
  Speaker 1: that watch all right? It's lucky you didn't get a
• 2:05:07
  Speaker 1: broken head yourself. I got a gentle reminder of one,
• 2:05:11
  Speaker 1: which is enough for me. And Ben showed Tom the
• 2:05:13
  Speaker 1: strip of sticking plaster which decorated his head just above
• 2:05:17
  Speaker 1: his left ear. If your mother heard about you being
• 2:05:20
  Speaker 1: in such a mix up, she'd have a fit. I
• 2:05:23
  Speaker 1: guess she would, but she isn't likely to hear. It'll
• 2:05:26
  Speaker 1: be all healed up by the time I get my vacation.
• 2:05:29
  Speaker 1: Ben watched Kansas Central with a careful eye for the
• 2:05:32
  Speaker 1: rest of the week, and he finally concluded to dispose
• 2:05:35
  Speaker 1: of his stock. He gave the order to his broker
• 2:05:38
  Speaker 1: to that effect on the succeeding Monday, and the following
• 2:05:41
  Speaker 1: morning he was made happy by a check for forty
• 2:05:44
  Speaker 1: nine thousand, two hundred dollars, which of course included the
• 2:05:47
  Speaker 1: three thousand, two hundred dollars margin you put up at security.
• 2:05:51
  Speaker 1: This amount plus eight hundred dollars still to his credit
• 2:05:54
  Speaker 1: in the bank gave him a round fifty thousand dollars capital.
• 2:05:58
  Speaker 1: That was a pretty good showing for a try boy
• 2:06:00
  Speaker 1: not six months yet in New York. Even Tom Sanders himself,
• 2:06:04
  Speaker 1: whose past book at the Seamen's Bank showed a balance
• 2:06:06
  Speaker 1: of about eight hundred dollars, had reason to congratulate himself
• 2:06:10
  Speaker 1: on his luck. The month of July passed away, and
• 2:06:13
  Speaker 1: the first of August was at hand. Business had grown
• 2:06:16
  Speaker 1: slack in Wall Street in its neighborhood, and both Ben
• 2:06:20
  Speaker 1: and Tom had a good bit of time at their disposal.
• 2:06:23
  Speaker 1: Saturdays after twelve they were at Liberty and having joined
• 2:06:26
  Speaker 1: a baseball team they put in that afternoon at a
• 2:06:29
  Speaker 1: field on the outskirts of Manhattan Borough with the rest
• 2:06:32
  Speaker 1: of the nine. They become quite expert at the game
• 2:06:36
  Speaker 1: and found much pleasure as well as benefit from the
• 2:06:39
  Speaker 1: healthful exercise. One day during the first week in August,
• 2:06:42
  Speaker 1: Nathan Cabash called Ben into his private office. I suppose
• 2:06:46
  Speaker 1: you've been looking forward to a short vacation when you
• 2:06:49
  Speaker 1: could go back to Rivermouth and visit your mother. Yes, sir,
• 2:06:53
  Speaker 1: well you can take the next two weeks. Thank you, sir.
• 2:06:58
  Speaker 1: On Saturday. The yesh year will pay you three weeks salary.
• 2:07:02
  Speaker 1: I shall expect you to report at the office on
• 2:07:05
  Speaker 1: the twenty second. I'm very much obliged to you, sir.
• 2:07:08
  Speaker 1: I hope you have found my work satisfactory since I
• 2:07:11
  Speaker 1: came here quite so. I have no fault whatever to
• 2:07:15
  Speaker 1: find with you. As soon as an opportunity presents itself,
• 2:07:19
  Speaker 1: I shall promote you to the counting room, as your
• 2:07:21
  Speaker 1: talents are far above the requirements of a messenger. Of course,
• 2:07:25
  Speaker 1: Tom expected to return to Rivermouth at the same time
• 2:07:28
  Speaker 1: Ben did so when Ben told him he was going
• 2:07:31
  Speaker 1: home in the following Saturday afternoon. Tom lost no time
• 2:07:34
  Speaker 1: in striking his employers for his vacation. He got it
• 2:07:38
  Speaker 1: all right, and the next Saturday afternoon saw them both
• 2:07:41
  Speaker 1: on board a New York Central train en route for Rivermouth.
• 2:07:46
  Speaker 1: End of chapter fourteen, Chapter fifteen of A Streak of
• 2:07:55
  Speaker 1: Luck by a Self Made Man. This LibriVox recording is
• 2:07:59
  Speaker 1: in public chapter fifteen, in which Ben checkmates Squire nor Cross.
• 2:08:06
  Speaker 1: It was six o'clock when the train stopped at the
• 2:08:08
  Speaker 1: station at Rivermouth, and Ben and Tom alighted on the
• 2:08:11
  Speaker 1: platform with their grips and gazed around them at the
• 2:08:15
  Speaker 1: old familiar landmarks. Things haven't changed even a little bit,
• 2:08:19
  Speaker 1: grinned Tom. New York is all right, but gee, there's
• 2:08:22
  Speaker 1: no place like home after all. You're right, Tom, Come on,
• 2:08:27
  Speaker 1: I'm in a hurry to see mother again. I wonder
• 2:08:29
  Speaker 1: if my folks'll have a fatty calf prepared for the
• 2:08:31
  Speaker 1: returned wanderer, chuckled Tom as he hastily followed his charm
• 2:08:35
  Speaker 1: over into main Street. Puts me in mind of old times,
• 2:08:39
  Speaker 1: said Ben, as he saw a boy loading up the
• 2:08:41
  Speaker 1: wagon with groceries in front of Huckleberry's store. It was
• 2:08:45
  Speaker 1: the same old horse and wagon. Huckleberry would hardly know
• 2:08:48
  Speaker 1: you now in your new, up to date summer suit,
• 2:08:51
  Speaker 1: replied Tom with a laugh. I'll give him a chance
• 2:08:54
  Speaker 1: to test the matter on Monday, replied Ben, who had
• 2:08:57
  Speaker 1: a friendly feeling for the storekeeper as a man had
• 2:09:00
  Speaker 1: used him well while he was in his employ The
• 2:09:03
  Speaker 1: boys parted in front of the Bailey cottage. Come around
• 2:09:06
  Speaker 1: and see me tomorrow after dinner, said Tom, as he
• 2:09:09
  Speaker 1: continued on his way home. Missus Bailey expected her son
• 2:09:13
  Speaker 1: and was waiting at the window on the lookout for him.
• 2:09:16
  Speaker 1: She ran to the door as he came up the
• 2:09:18
  Speaker 1: gravel walk, and a minute later she had him in
• 2:09:20
  Speaker 1: her arms. Dear, I hardly knew you, Ben, she cried,
• 2:09:25
  Speaker 1: surveying him from head to foot with a mother's fond delight.
• 2:09:28
  Speaker 1: You have improved wonderfully. I'm glad to hear you say so. Mother,
• 2:09:32
  Speaker 1: you're looking well, quite the handsomest little mother at all
• 2:09:36
  Speaker 1: the rivermouth. Go along, you foolish boy, she cried, taking
• 2:09:40
  Speaker 1: him by the arm and proudly marching him into the house.
• 2:09:43
  Speaker 1: It feels good to get back, even for a couple
• 2:09:46
  Speaker 1: of weeks, to the old roof tree. I am delighted
• 2:09:49
  Speaker 1: to hear you say that New York hasn't weaned you
• 2:09:51
  Speaker 1: away entirely from home and mother. Nothing will ever do that. Well,
• 2:09:56
  Speaker 1: what's new? At these words? A shadow fell across missus
• 2:09:59
  Speaker 1: Baley's face. Ben noticed the change at once, and he
• 2:10:03
  Speaker 1: took alarm. Nothing wrong, I hope, he said, in a
• 2:10:07
  Speaker 1: tone of concern. You've got to know it sometimes, so
• 2:10:10
  Speaker 1: I may as well tell you now, she said sorrowfully.
• 2:10:14
  Speaker 1: Squire Norcross has refused to renew the mortgage, which expires
• 2:10:18
  Speaker 1: on Monday, and I really don't know what I'm going
• 2:10:21
  Speaker 1: to do. Oh, is that all? Replied the boy with
• 2:10:24
  Speaker 1: great relief. Is that all? Why? Ben, isn't that enough?
• 2:10:29
  Speaker 1: She cried, very much, surprised at the cool way he
• 2:10:31
  Speaker 1: received the unpleasant intelligence. Don't let that worry you, mother.
• 2:10:36
  Speaker 1: The mortgage shall be paid off. And squire asked for
• 2:10:38
  Speaker 1: his money, said Ben with a confidence which made Missus
• 2:10:41
  Speaker 1: Bailey open her eyes very wide. Indeed, why who will
• 2:10:45
  Speaker 1: loan us the money? Two thousand, five hundred dollars? It
• 2:10:49
  Speaker 1: will not be necessary for us to look for a loan.
• 2:10:52
  Speaker 1: I'm sure I don't understand you, my son. Well you
• 2:10:55
  Speaker 1: understand this, mother, don't you. Ben took out his pocket
• 2:10:59
  Speaker 1: book and produced five five hundred dollar notes and threw
• 2:11:02
  Speaker 1: them into his mother's lap. There money talks, and I
• 2:11:06
  Speaker 1: guess everybody understands his language. You now have the amount
• 2:11:10
  Speaker 1: necessary to wipe the indebtedness off this cottage. Why worry
• 2:11:13
  Speaker 1: any more? Why where did you get all this money?
• 2:11:17
  Speaker 1: Exclaimed Missus Bailey in amazement. Did you borrow it from
• 2:11:21
  Speaker 1: mister Gabash? No, mother, I made them money by the
• 2:11:25
  Speaker 1: gentle exercise of my gray matter. And Ben tapped his forehead.
• 2:11:29
  Speaker 1: It is yours now to use to the best advantage.
• 2:11:32
  Speaker 1: But I don't see how you can make so much
• 2:11:35
  Speaker 1: money in six months on a salary of about ten
• 2:11:37
  Speaker 1: dollars a week. I know you don't, Mother. After supper,
• 2:11:41
  Speaker 1: I'll explain it all to your satisfaction. Just now. I'm
• 2:11:44
  Speaker 1: as hungry as a hunter or a pair of them.
• 2:11:47
  Speaker 1: If you'll dish up supper right away, for I know
• 2:11:49
  Speaker 1: that you have it already waiting for me, I shall
• 2:11:52
  Speaker 1: look upon you as my best friend. Supper over, Ben
• 2:11:56
  Speaker 1: then told his mother about his experiences in New York.
• 2:12:00
  Speaker 1: He explained how he had been early smitten with a
• 2:12:02
  Speaker 1: speculative fever, how his first venture at the bucket shop
• 2:12:06
  Speaker 1: had netted him a profit of eight dollars and fifty
• 2:12:08
  Speaker 1: cents his next two twenty four dollars each, while his
• 2:12:12
  Speaker 1: last transaction with Ketchum and Skinhem had brought him three
• 2:12:15
  Speaker 1: hundred dollars. He then went on to tell her how
• 2:12:18
  Speaker 1: he invested the three hundred dollars an XYZ stock, from
• 2:12:22
  Speaker 1: which he realized four thousand dollars. Why, Ben, you don't
• 2:12:26
  Speaker 1: really mean to say that you have made as much
• 2:12:27
  Speaker 1: as four thousand dollars, His mother ejaculated in astonishment. Four thousand, Mother,
• 2:12:34
  Speaker 1: that's a mere Bacca, Tell listen. He proceeded to relate
• 2:12:38
  Speaker 1: how he had obtained a valuable pointer on Kansas Central,
• 2:12:41
  Speaker 1: how on the strength of it he invested three thousand,
• 2:12:43
  Speaker 1: two hundred dollars of his four thousand dollars, how the
• 2:12:46
  Speaker 1: stock had gone up up from thirty two to seventy eight,
• 2:12:50
  Speaker 1: at which figure he had sold it. You'll never guess
• 2:12:53
  Speaker 1: how much I want on that deal, mother, he said,
• 2:12:56
  Speaker 1: with sparkling eyes. No, she replied, shaking her with a
• 2:13:00
  Speaker 1: comical look of resignation. You've got quite beyond me, Ben,
• 2:13:04
  Speaker 1: I couldn't guess if I took till tomorrow morning. It
• 2:13:07
  Speaker 1: all seems like a fairy tale to me. This is
• 2:13:10
  Speaker 1: no fairy tale. I'm giving you nothing but solid facts,
• 2:13:13
  Speaker 1: and my bank book will back me up. How much
• 2:13:17
  Speaker 1: did you make, she asked, smilingly. Can you stand the shock? Mother?
• 2:13:21
  Speaker 1: He answered with a broad grin. Why what do you mean?
• 2:13:25
  Speaker 1: Can you stand a sudden jar of prosperity? I think
• 2:13:29
  Speaker 1: I can, my son. Well, mother, I made look out
• 2:13:33
  Speaker 1: it's coming forty eight thousand dollars. Ben, you didn't, she
• 2:13:39
  Speaker 1: almost screamed, with bulging eyes, didn't, I? Well, there's a
• 2:13:43
  Speaker 1: document the proves I'm worth forty seven thousand dollars today
• 2:13:47
  Speaker 1: in a New York bank, said Ben, tossing his bank
• 2:13:50
  Speaker 1: book into her lap. For in addition to the two thousand,
• 2:13:53
  Speaker 1: five hundred dollars I brought to satisfy the mortgage on
• 2:13:55
  Speaker 1: this cottage, here's another five hundred dollar bill for you
• 2:13:59
  Speaker 1: to deposit in the room her mouth bank, to draw
• 2:14:01
  Speaker 1: upon as you may happen to need it. Ben held
• 2:14:03
  Speaker 1: out the bill to her, and she took him mechanically.
• 2:14:06
  Speaker 1: It seems like a pipe dream, doesn't it, mother, He continued,
• 2:14:10
  Speaker 1: tickled to death over the perplexed look which sat upon
• 2:14:12
  Speaker 1: her face. What is a pipe dream, my son? A
• 2:14:16
  Speaker 1: pipe dream, mother, is one of those curious visions which
• 2:14:19
  Speaker 1: comes to the opium or hashish smoker, as ubsubstantial as
• 2:14:23
  Speaker 1: the air, yet while at last as apparently real as
• 2:14:26
  Speaker 1: that note in your hand. That's the best explanation I
• 2:14:29
  Speaker 1: can give you, seeing that I've never had a practical
• 2:14:32
  Speaker 1: demonstration of the thing. Missus Bailey had the evidence before
• 2:14:36
  Speaker 1: her eyes in Ben's bank book that her son was
• 2:14:39
  Speaker 1: really and truly worth the amount of money which he
• 2:14:41
  Speaker 1: claimed to be. Besides, she knew her boy was above
• 2:14:44
  Speaker 1: such a thing as deceiving her. To her knowledge, he
• 2:14:48
  Speaker 1: had never told a lie in his life. Therefore, wonder
• 2:14:51
  Speaker 1: of wonders, it must be all true. Ben was really
• 2:14:55
  Speaker 1: a rich boy, and all in six months too. She
• 2:14:58
  Speaker 1: couldn't realize it. She could only accept the fact as
• 2:15:01
  Speaker 1: it came to her and be thankful and happy that
• 2:15:04
  Speaker 1: she was blessed with such a bright and unusually smart boy.
• 2:15:08
  Speaker 1: It was late before mother and son retired that night,
• 2:15:11
  Speaker 1: but that didn't matter. They were very happy to be
• 2:15:14
  Speaker 1: together once more. Of course, Ben and Tom went to
• 2:15:18
  Speaker 1: church next morning, Ben with his mother and Tom with
• 2:15:21
  Speaker 1: the family, and their swell appearance created quite a flutter
• 2:15:24
  Speaker 1: of excitement among the young ladies, especially of the congregation.
• 2:15:28
  Speaker 1: Ben's attentions to Ruth Cameron and Tom's mark had notice
• 2:15:32
  Speaker 1: of Aggie Ware caused those two young ladies to be
• 2:15:35
  Speaker 1: much envied by their female friends. Percy nor Cross and
• 2:15:39
  Speaker 1: Oscar Updyke held themselves aloof from the two boys, for
• 2:15:43
  Speaker 1: they hadn't forgiven Ben and Tom for giving them the shake.
• 2:15:46
  Speaker 1: On the eve of Decoration Day, Missus Bailey and her
• 2:15:49
  Speaker 1: son accepted an invitation to dine that day with the
• 2:15:52
  Speaker 1: Camerons and passed a very pleasant afternoon and evening at
• 2:15:55
  Speaker 1: the ban cashier's home. Next morning, Ben remained at home
• 2:15:59
  Speaker 1: purposely to meet Squire Norcross, who was expected to call
• 2:16:02
  Speaker 1: in reference to the mortgage. The Squire evidently expected to
• 2:16:06
  Speaker 1: have to foreclose, as missus Bailey had told him that
• 2:16:09
  Speaker 1: she did not see how it was possible for her
• 2:16:11
  Speaker 1: to raise such a sum as two thousand, five hundred dollars,
• 2:16:14
  Speaker 1: and he had a friend in the background ready to
• 2:16:16
  Speaker 1: bid in the cottage for him at a bargain. Ben
• 2:16:19
  Speaker 1: was indignant to things such a well to do man
• 2:16:21
  Speaker 1: as Squire Norcross could treat his mother with so little
• 2:16:24
  Speaker 1: consideration when the cottage was well worth the face of
• 2:16:28
  Speaker 1: the mortgage, not to speak of the one thousand dollars
• 2:16:30
  Speaker 1: mister Bailey during his lifetime had paid down upon it,
• 2:16:34
  Speaker 1: and its possible increase in the value during the six
• 2:16:37
  Speaker 1: years they had occupied it. I'll give him the surprise
• 2:16:40
  Speaker 1: of his life before I'm done with him, muttered the
• 2:16:43
  Speaker 1: boy as he sat near the window and watched for
• 2:16:45
  Speaker 1: the appearance of the Nabob of Rivermouth. At ten o'clock,
• 2:16:49
  Speaker 1: Squire Norcross was observed approaching the cottage. His step was
• 2:16:53
  Speaker 1: firm and elastic, as if he rejoiced in the errand
• 2:16:56
  Speaker 1: he was upon. He marched up the walk with an
• 2:16:59
  Speaker 1: air of a com anqueror, and rung the bell with
• 2:17:01
  Speaker 1: an unction which might have been like in the summons
• 2:17:04
  Speaker 1: to surrender. The door was opened by Missus Bailey, who
• 2:17:07
  Speaker 1: politely asked the Squire to enter. He did so, wondering
• 2:17:11
  Speaker 1: at her apparent composure considering the nature of his errand.
• 2:17:15
  Speaker 1: She can't have raised the money, thought he with a
• 2:17:19
  Speaker 1: slight misgiving, for he had set his mind on getting
• 2:17:22
  Speaker 1: possession of the property. No, I am sure the notice
• 2:17:25
  Speaker 1: was too short. Seeing Ben in the parlor, the na
• 2:17:28
  Speaker 1: Bob nodded superciliously at him. Whom on your vacation, I suppose,
• 2:17:34
  Speaker 1: he remarked, without any cordiality in his tones. Yes, Sir,
• 2:17:38
  Speaker 1: replied the boy, I've a couple of weeks to devote
• 2:17:41
  Speaker 1: to my mother. I shan't be home again before Thanksgiving,
• 2:17:44
  Speaker 1: when I expect to eat my Thanksgiving dinner here. The
• 2:17:48
  Speaker 1: Squire smiled unpleasantly. You rather guess Ben would eat that
• 2:17:52
  Speaker 1: meal in this cottage at any rate. Missus Bailey spoke
• 2:17:55
  Speaker 1: upon indifferent topics, being determined to force the great Man
• 2:17:59
  Speaker 1: of rivermouth himself to broach the business that had brought
• 2:18:02
  Speaker 1: him to the cottage. Finally, clearing his throat, he said, well, madam,
• 2:18:07
  Speaker 1: are you prepared to cancel the mortgage which I hold
• 2:18:10
  Speaker 1: upon this property? Won't you renew the mortgage for say
• 2:18:14
  Speaker 1: a year or more? She asked quietly? That is impossible,
• 2:18:19
  Speaker 1: he said aloud. I have already told you that I
• 2:18:22
  Speaker 1: require the money. I have a note to pay, and
• 2:18:25
  Speaker 1: can you give me a week or two to raise
• 2:18:28
  Speaker 1: the money? No? I must have the money at once,
• 2:18:32
  Speaker 1: and if I cannot pay, I must foreclothes. Will that
• 2:18:37
  Speaker 1: give you the money any sooner? Said Ben, proceeding to
• 2:18:40
  Speaker 1: take his hand in the matter. You know certain legal
• 2:18:43
  Speaker 1: requirements must be gone through before you can even advertise
• 2:18:46
  Speaker 1: this property for sale. It will take some time before
• 2:18:49
  Speaker 1: you can hope to get possession. You, who are a lawyer,
• 2:18:52
  Speaker 1: must be aware of that this is only a subterfuge,
• 2:18:56
  Speaker 1: cried the squire angrily. My mind has made up the
• 2:18:58
  Speaker 1: foreclothes and forelothes. I will don't be too sure of that,
• 2:19:03
  Speaker 1: replied Ben, with a triumphant gleam in his eye. Why
• 2:19:07
  Speaker 1: who's to prevent me? I should like to know? Snapped
• 2:19:10
  Speaker 1: the kna Bob now quite warm under the collar, I am,
• 2:19:14
  Speaker 1: replied Ben coolly, you, Squire Norcross, laughed scornfully. Have you
• 2:19:20
  Speaker 1: got two thousand, five hundred dollars to pay over to
• 2:19:23
  Speaker 1: me this morning? He added, sneeringly, I have, eh? What's that?
• 2:19:29
  Speaker 1: Have you the mortgage with you? Asked the boy in
• 2:19:31
  Speaker 1: a business like way. Of course, I have name the amount.
• 2:19:36
  Speaker 1: Do on it please, with six months interest two thousand,
• 2:19:41
  Speaker 1: five hundred sixty two dollars and fifty cents. That's right
• 2:19:45
  Speaker 1: according to my figures, admitted Ben. Now, mother, will you
• 2:19:48
  Speaker 1: bring pen, an ink and some paper. The squire was
• 2:19:51
  Speaker 1: not a little astonished, as well as uneasy, to see
• 2:19:54
  Speaker 1: missus Bailey produce the articles in question. Now, Squire Norcross,
• 2:19:58
  Speaker 1: if you will write out a receipt for the money?
• 2:20:00
  Speaker 1: Do you? I shall take great pleasure in satisfying your claim,
• 2:20:04
  Speaker 1: said Ben, with great satisfaction. What cried the squire in dismay.
• 2:20:09
  Speaker 1: Can you pray it? I can? Where did you get
• 2:20:13
  Speaker 1: the money? There is no bearing on the subject, Squire Norcross.
• 2:20:17
  Speaker 1: If the same question would be propounded to you, would
• 2:20:19
  Speaker 1: you consider it impertinent? There is a good deal of
• 2:20:23
  Speaker 1: difference between you and me, young man, blustered the Knae
• 2:20:26
  Speaker 1: Bob haughtily. I don't admit the difference so far as
• 2:20:30
  Speaker 1: your question is concerned, madam, cried Squire nor Cross, angrily,
• 2:20:35
  Speaker 1: turning to missus Bailey. Why didn't you tell me in
• 2:20:38
  Speaker 1: the first place that you had the money? He was
• 2:20:41
  Speaker 1: bitterly disappointed, and his temper suffered in proportion. I wish
• 2:20:45
  Speaker 1: to find out whether your course was dictated by necessity
• 2:20:48
  Speaker 1: or a desire to annoy and injure us. I can
• 2:20:51
  Speaker 1: have no further doubt about it. There was no help
• 2:20:55
  Speaker 1: for it. Squire nor Cross was compelled to release his
• 2:20:58
  Speaker 1: hold on the cottage and pock his money. He had
• 2:21:01
  Speaker 1: never been so sorry before to receive money. The business concluded.
• 2:21:06
  Speaker 1: He bade the widow and her son a sulky good day,
• 2:21:09
  Speaker 1: and beat a hasty retreat from the scene of his discomfiture.
• 2:21:14
  Speaker 1: End of chapter fifteen. Chapter sixteen of A Streak of
• 2:21:23
  Speaker 1: Luck by a Self Made Man. The LibriVox recording is
• 2:21:27
  Speaker 1: in the public domain. Chapter sixteen. All's well that ends well,
• 2:21:33
  Speaker 1: ben at Tom had a glorious two weeks fun in
• 2:21:36
  Speaker 1: Rivermouth without any assistance from Percy Norcross, Oscar Updyke or
• 2:21:40
  Speaker 1: Luke Tapley, with Ruth and Aggie for company. They sailed
• 2:21:44
  Speaker 1: the blue waters of the river which partly encircled the village,
• 2:21:47
  Speaker 1: and went carriage riding for miles around. The four young
• 2:21:51
  Speaker 1: people understood one another pretty well by the time the
• 2:21:53
  Speaker 1: fortnight had vanished into the misty past, and certain promises
• 2:21:57
  Speaker 1: were made which the boy chumps had not immediately mentioned
• 2:22:00
  Speaker 1: to each other, though we believe the two girls had
• 2:22:03
  Speaker 1: their confidences, but of that fact we are not sure
• 2:22:07
  Speaker 1: at any rate. Ben and Tom left on Sunday night,
• 2:22:10
  Speaker 1: August twenty first, in order to be able to appear
• 2:22:13
  Speaker 1: next morning, bright and early at their respective offices in
• 2:22:16
  Speaker 1: the Financial District of New York. On the way down
• 2:22:19
  Speaker 1: in the train, Ben showed Tom his bank balance and
• 2:22:22
  Speaker 1: that Lad nearly had a fit when he realized that
• 2:22:25
  Speaker 1: his friend had actually made fifty thousand dollars by fortunate
• 2:22:28
  Speaker 1: speculation in the stock market. Say what have I ever
• 2:22:31
  Speaker 1: done to you, Ben, that you should keep that secret
• 2:22:33
  Speaker 1: all to yourself, cried Tom, with pretending indignation. Nothing, old chap.
• 2:22:38
  Speaker 1: Only I had my reasons, and what were your reasons?
• 2:22:43
  Speaker 1: You were inclined to be poorous sometimes? And I was
• 2:22:46
  Speaker 1: afraid it might leak out rivermouth way before I was
• 2:22:48
  Speaker 1: ready to have the fact made known. That's all well,
• 2:22:52
  Speaker 1: said Tom, with an air of resignation. Let it go
• 2:22:55
  Speaker 1: with that. What do you intend to do with all
• 2:22:57
  Speaker 1: your money? Ask me something easy. If I owned your
• 2:23:01
  Speaker 1: wild the market wouldn't see me again in a hurry.
• 2:23:03
  Speaker 1: Whether the stock market and I get on speaking terms
• 2:23:06
  Speaker 1: again will depend on how soon I pick up another
• 2:23:09
  Speaker 1: genuine tip. Well, when you do, don't forget I've a
• 2:23:12
  Speaker 1: few hundred lying idle for a chance to double itself.
• 2:23:15
  Speaker 1: I wouldn't forget you for a farm. Tom grinned, Ben,
• 2:23:19
  Speaker 1: see that you don't laughed as chum. Nathan Keabash asked
• 2:23:23
  Speaker 1: Ben if he enjoyed himself and how his mother was
• 2:23:27
  Speaker 1: when the operator rang for him to appear in his
• 2:23:29
  Speaker 1: private office next morning. I had a dandy time, sir,
• 2:23:33
  Speaker 1: and mother's very well indeed, and sends her regards to you,
• 2:23:36
  Speaker 1: as well as thanks for your generous treatment of myself.
• 2:23:39
  Speaker 1: Mister Kebash looked pleased, and after a brief conversation with
• 2:23:43
  Speaker 1: his young employee, sent the boy out on an errand
• 2:23:47
  Speaker 1: Ben didn't find another fitting opportunity to take another flyer
• 2:23:51
  Speaker 1: on the market very soon. During the early part of November, however,
• 2:23:55
  Speaker 1: his growing familiarity with the grain market induced him to
• 2:23:58
  Speaker 1: buy fifty thousand bushels of weed for March delivery is
• 2:24:01
  Speaker 1: sixty four cents per bushel, and he deposited three cents
• 2:24:04
  Speaker 1: per bushel, or fifteen hundred dollars to secure the broker
• 2:24:07
  Speaker 1: against loss. The price went down two cents at first,
• 2:24:11
  Speaker 1: and he was obliged to put up additional margin, which
• 2:24:14
  Speaker 1: was an easy matter for him to do with the
• 2:24:16
  Speaker 1: capital he had in the bank. The grain, however, recovered,
• 2:24:19
  Speaker 1: and just before Thanksgiving it had advanced sufficiently for him
• 2:24:22
  Speaker 1: to close out. The transaction had a profit of two thousand,
• 2:24:26
  Speaker 1: five hundred dollars. I guess I can afford a turkey
• 2:24:29
  Speaker 1: this year, he remarked at Tom when he told him
• 2:24:31
  Speaker 1: of his good luck in spite of the rise and
• 2:24:34
  Speaker 1: poultry and food stuffs in general. I guess you can,
• 2:24:38
  Speaker 1: replied his chum, just the least bit. Enviously, as for me,
• 2:24:41
  Speaker 1: I haven't made a cent on the outside since the
• 2:24:44
  Speaker 1: rise of Kansas Central. The two boys spent Thanksgiving day
• 2:24:47
  Speaker 1: of Rivermouth, returning to work by the Friday morning train.
• 2:24:51
  Speaker 1: Ben continued to study the marketstock reports and kept his
• 2:24:54
  Speaker 1: eye skin for an opportunity to use some of his
• 2:24:57
  Speaker 1: capital again. About the first of December, Yet accidentally discovered
• 2:25:01
  Speaker 1: that a syndicate of brokers were booming a certain railroad.
• 2:25:04
  Speaker 1: It was the JP, and the shares were selling at
• 2:25:07
  Speaker 1: fifty eight. Within a couple of days it went up
• 2:25:09
  Speaker 1: to sixty aunt, decided Ben, and he went to Shattuck
• 2:25:13
  Speaker 1: and asked him to get him five thousand shares, handing
• 2:25:15
  Speaker 1: him thirty thousand dollars as marginal security. This was the
• 2:25:19
  Speaker 1: biggest deal Ben had been in yet, and he resolved
• 2:25:22
  Speaker 1: to be very cautious. He watched the ticker whenever he
• 2:25:25
  Speaker 1: got the chance. The price slowly but steadily went up
• 2:25:29
  Speaker 1: till two days before Christmas it touched seventy two. Then
• 2:25:33
  Speaker 1: Ben decided he would be satisfied with the profit in
• 2:25:35
  Speaker 1: sight sixty thousand dollars, and he ordered the stock sold.
• 2:25:39
  Speaker 1: He had no reason to believe the stock was in
• 2:25:41
  Speaker 1: danger of a collapsing price. He merely acted from prudential reasons.
• 2:25:45
  Speaker 1: But as it happened next day, the bottom dropped out
• 2:25:48
  Speaker 1: of JP, and a good many people enjoyed a poor
• 2:25:51
  Speaker 1: Christmas in consequence. Ben, however, at a particularly joyous Christmas
• 2:25:56
  Speaker 1: before him, for he had increased his bank account to
• 2:25:59
  Speaker 1: one hundred thousand dollars. A newspaper account of a recent
• 2:26:03
  Speaker 1: lucky grain deal made by Nathan Kabash came to the
• 2:26:06
  Speaker 1: notice of Squire and Missus Norcross, and as a consequence
• 2:26:09
  Speaker 1: their interest in him suddenly revived. The Squire sent a
• 2:26:13
  Speaker 1: special letter of invitation to the broker to spend the
• 2:26:15
  Speaker 1: holiday at Rivermouth in the Norcross's home. Mister Kabash polightly declined,
• 2:26:20
  Speaker 1: on the score of having already accepted a previous invitation
• 2:26:24
  Speaker 1: to stay with Missus Bailey and her son. This time
• 2:26:28
  Speaker 1: he reappeared in Rivermouth and fine raiment as befitted a
• 2:26:31
  Speaker 1: gentleman of his station in life. Then Percy discovered for
• 2:26:35
  Speaker 1: the first time that Ben was, and had been from
• 2:26:38
  Speaker 1: the first working for mister Kabash, and his mother soon
• 2:26:41
  Speaker 1: realized that the broker had not been at all financially
• 2:26:44
  Speaker 1: embarrassed at the time of his visit at her home.
• 2:26:47
  Speaker 1: It was a mean trick of Uncle Nathan to impose
• 2:26:50
  Speaker 1: on me in such a way, she remarked to her
• 2:26:53
  Speaker 1: husband petulantly, I'm afraid he replied sarcastically, you've done Percy
• 2:26:59
  Speaker 1: out of the old man's money. He'll probably believe it
• 2:27:02
  Speaker 1: to some charitable institution. Now, a mister Cabash didn't do
• 2:27:06
  Speaker 1: any such thing. Eventually, he took Ben Bailey into partnership
• 2:27:10
  Speaker 1: with him, and when the old broker died this spring,
• 2:27:13
  Speaker 1: it was found that his property was all left in
• 2:27:15
  Speaker 1: trust for Benjamin Bailey Junior, the little two year son
• 2:27:19
  Speaker 1: of Ben and Ruth Bailey nee Cameron. Tom Sanders married
• 2:27:24
  Speaker 1: Aggie Ware, of course, and they are living very happily
• 2:27:27
  Speaker 1: together in their cottage in the Bronx. Tom is now
• 2:27:30
  Speaker 1: a full fledged broker. The sudden death of Squire Norcross
• 2:27:34
  Speaker 1: a few years ago put Percy in possession of considerable property,
• 2:27:38
  Speaker 1: but he has lost almost every dollar of it in speculation.
• 2:27:42
  Speaker 1: He and Oscar Updyke, who is a river Mouth physician,
• 2:27:45
  Speaker 1: still have a sneer for Ben Bailey, in spite of
• 2:27:48
  Speaker 1: the fact that the boy has reached the top of
• 2:27:50
  Speaker 1: the ladder of success. He isn't so much, growls Percy.
• 2:27:55
  Speaker 1: He simply had a streak of luck. The end end
• 2:28:00
  Speaker 1: of chapter sixteen, end of a streak of luck by
• 2:28:04
  Speaker 1: a self made man, recording by Keith Sallas