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~ boxes, when
; garded the sailor with much interest.
_the big warehouse down by the
‘cap’n's orders,”
ELA P
PY
DAYS
3
make for the suffering he caused ner |
mother. And that will does Mark Hel-!
stone out of the fortune he has been ex-|
pecting to inherit. He wants to prevent |
any information reaching Edward Vane of ;
their good fortune, or perhaps it is the
new will he hopes to intercept, and by de-
Stroying it secure himself.
hus reasoned old Caleb Brown, who,
being familiar with all the facts of the
case in point, was able to make a clever
deduction to sult his fancy, |
While thus engaged Tom returned, and}
simultaneous with his reappearance came
geveral customers—one for a quart of mo-
lasses, another for a yard of cambric to
match’some she had bought the day before,
and another for a paper of pins—and Tom |
bad to wait on all of them. while Caleb
‘sorted and made deliveries to a score of}
people who called for letters.
Once more the store was empty, and Tom
had been called behind the counter to dis-
tribute the papers and packages in their
the door opened and an an-
cient, weather-beaten sailor stepped in. |
“Hello, sonny,” he said, addressing Tom,
who regarded him with the greatest sur-:
prise, for of all queer-looking persons in |
the world he certainly was the queerest: \
It, Was not so much the fizure that en-j
gazed the boy’s attentions—that was ordi- |
nery enough, was short and square |
built, with unusually long arms terminat-
ing in a pair of seamed and horny hands
that told of hard work in all kinds of}
weather and plenty of it. It was his face. |
So much of it as showed above the bushy
|
|
» white whiskers that fringed his jaw from
ear to ear was tanned to the darkest shade |
of raahogany, and scarred and shriveled |
like a bit of crumpled parchment.
“Well, sonny,” spoke the seaman again, }
and Tom thought he detected an odd sort!
of chuckle filling up the chinks between
his words, “when you’ve done takin’ a sight
I'd be glad for to ax you a question.
“Whai-can I do for you?” inquired Tom,
civilly.
“Do you happen to know of a man by.
the name of Ed’ard Vane wot I'm told lives
hereabouts?”
aleb Brown looked up quickly and re-
“Yes, sir,” replied Tom. oe ives in
“Thank’ee, sonny.
started to
In find in” ona he
0. man,” said Caleb,
smoothly, “you don't happen to come from
Captain Matthews, do yo
“Why, how on ’arth aia ye guess that?
OF course I does. But, bless your soul, he’s
dead these two weeks, and I’m a-bringin’
of his last will and testament to his grand-
darter, Dora Vane, ‘cordin’ to my old
CHAPTER III.
TOM AND HIS FRIEND FRED HARPER.
Caleb Brown pursed his lips and emitted
a soft whistle.
“So old Captain Matthews is dead, eh?”
pe said, reflectively, with one eye cocked
a funny way on the sailer. “And he
na e a new will in favor of his grand-
child, Miss Dora Vane. He left a a
tidy ‘tortune, didn’t he, my good man?”
“What's that your bizness, old a utty
mug?” said the seaman, aggressively.
“IT merely asked,” said Caleb, hastily.
“And I merely answered ye.”
“ you've brought the at with you,
eh?” caid Caleb, ignoring the sailor’s last
remark. “A noble act of duty, my nautical
friend. You look tired and thirsty. Won’t
you step back into my sittin’-room and
have a glass of spirits? As a friend of Miss
Dore Va anes I should. feel highly hon-
red:
orpom looked ‘astonished while the seaman
blurted o'
“Thani, ve, no! Dooty afore pleasure.
Vil not get drunk till I’ve placed this here |
box in the hands of Miss Dora Vane.”
aleb was clearly disappointed He
gazed wistfully at the copper case which
the sailor had slung about his neck with a
small lanyard. Tom didn’t dream at that
moment under what terrible circumstances
he would see that box again.
“But, an,” answered cate, >
making a final effort to entice the caller
into his little back parlor, “one glass:
The seaman riveted him with his eye, |
and at'the same time jammed the spike of
the stout cane he carried into the floor, |
“No, d'ye understand!” he roared. “When
my old cap’n pJaced this here case into my
and he sez: ‘Jack Bobstay, you’re a
drunken old beast, and, as it’s your natur,
will-continue to be so, But don’t you go
for to disobey my orders, or I’ll ha’rnt ye.
Keep that there figger of yourn straicht
afore the wind, d’ye understand? It aren’t
a beauty, uot by no manner of means. 1
only seen another sich a one as yourn onet
in my life and that was on the prow of a
Dutch fishin’ smack, and as it frightened
all the fishes away it ruined the owners.
| withers up and blows aw:
“you have time to go down to the station
Look out for that there tin case.
Don’t you
dare go for to lose it. Deliver it to Miss
Dora Vane in the town of Oakland, Massa-
chusetts, d'ye understand? And after ye've
done that ye kin go and get as drunk as.
a b’iled owl as soon as ye please.’”
Having thus explained himselt to his fall
satisfaction, Jack Bobstay turned on his
heel and left the store,
Tom cast a furtive glance at his guardian |
while he went on sorting the papers. The
old man seemed to be wrestling with some
kind of a problem which the sailor’s visit ,
had raised in his mind. |
Presently he said to the boy: | to
“I'm goin’ out a while, Tom. Look af fter |
the store.”
He grabbed his well-worn hat, jammed |
it on his head and went away, almost run-
ning into Fred Harper, Tom's particular
chum, who called to see his friend.
ee Fred!”
he , Tom, monkeying with the mail, !
eh?” i
“T’ always have to sort the papers into |
the pigeon-holes, while Mr. Brown usually |
attends to the letters himself. There, that’s |
the last one. What do you know, Fred?”
“Here’s something you've got to know, {
Tom. I just got it from the printer's.
and he tossed a small card on the counter. |
“A list of the fire wards of the town of
Oakland and their fire signals, as prepared
by the town council,” read Tom. * “Good ;
enough. I'll commit them to memory.” [8
“All of us must do that, so that when a
fire does come we can locate it at once. By |
the way, our uniforms came down from |
Bese by express this morning.”
“Did the) yo said Tom, with a look of
pleasure. |
make your mouth water to see’
those red shirts, the fronts cut in the form
of a shield, black trousers for use when we |
have our receptions or go on parade, white |
belts with ‘Volunteer No. 1’ on ‘em, and |
| the regulation fire hats—they are beaute. |
There's a splendid trumpet for you, and al
less handsome one for me as your assistant, |
both presented to the company by my}
father.
ey our father is all right,” said Tom, en-|§
thusiastically.
“Of course he is,” said Fred, fervently. |
“I only wish I had a father, too,” said
Tom, me asigh. “Rut we can't all be
so luc)
“T wich you had, but many of the boys
are in the same oat with yourself,” said
Fred, consolingly.
“That's right; but still they’ve mothers |
or at least some near relative. I’ve nobody. |
Mother died when I was an infant, and
father went West, where he died, too, leav-
ing me with Mr. Brown, and here I’ve re-
mained ever since.”
“So you told me before. Does the old
fellow treat you any better than he did?”
“Yes, somewhat. I’ve had several rackets
with him, you know, which kind of brought
him to his senses. He's found out that;
I'm getting too old to be imposed upon.” |
“T should say you are. ‘I s’pose he made’
a big kick when he heard you had come
into the fire company.”
“You can bet he did, but he’s got over
it. He couldn’t get any one to do the work
about. the store I do, even for twice the
money he grudgingly allows me.”
“Didn’t your father leave you anything
when he died?”
“Not that I’ve ever heard.”
“He might have done so without you
ever knowing of it, mightn’t he?
“T s'p ”
“you, ought to make, (Mr. Brown tell you
whether he did o:
And if he didn't, Choose to tell me you
couldn't drag the information from him
with a double team of oxen.”
“Maybe the old fellew will leave you all
Bs savings when he dies. He ought to, at
ny rate.
an ie hasn’t any thought of tyne for
ears to come, I’ve heard him
“Well, he’s a tough old Knot. that's a
fact. I guess he’s Hely. to last till he
“T shouldn’t wonder. ‘By the way, will
this afternoon and see about getting our
engine and hose reel up to that new store
we re going to use for a firehouse for the
ent?”
“Sure 1 will. I've spoken to several of
the boys who have promised to come along
and drag her up.”
“All right. All hands must be on hand
early to-night. Ike:Hurley is going to
show us how to attach on to the hydrant
and drill us in working the pump, We'll
dust the cobwebs off some of those Main
street trees.
“Tl bet we will.”
“Say, Fred, I’ve got a new recruit.”
“Have you? Who is he?
“You don’t know him. Just come to
town, and has only been in the country a
few weeks. His name is Meyer Suppe-
greenz, and he’s a dandy for fair.
“Meyer Soup. Greens! What: are you
giving me?”
“That's “straight.
Greens, doesn’t it? ©
Sounds like © Soup
It’s ‘spelt Swp -p-e=
g-r-e-e-n-z, His uncle keeps.a grocery on
Putnam street, not far. from here.
going to introduce him to the boys to- |
night "
a
y ginger! I'd like to see him. If he's |
any thing like his name the boys will have
no end of fun with him.
“Maybe they will.
me tell you. He’s got the language down
fine for a new arrival. Told me he learn
it from a cousin who had returned to
many from America. Of course
a strong accent and gets me efore the
horse sometimes. But I g 3 if we went
o the other ride and tried “tO gabble Ger.
man we should make a show of oursely
“That's right. I
it.”
“Now, Fred, you'll take charge of the
boys till I get back to the stere with the
mail.”
“Of course.
now. We want to tak
academy chaps.
z
We'll practice every
e ee shine off those
een sneering at
us ever since they heard about the new
company.’
“So Josh Kidder told me last nicht. Me
met Percy Jewett, foreman of Washinzton
Engine Company, and Nicholas Nipple,
oreman of Lafayette Hook and Ladder
Company, the two academy organizations,
and they snickered at the idea that the
town boys could make any kind of showing
jat all. I hope to take their conceit down
peg or tw
“We'll do! it, all right. They're nothing
but show and glitter, while we mean to
attend strictly to business,
“Well, that's our agreement with the
town authorities, But those academy fel-
lows have a fino engine and apparatus, and
they're an athletic crowd, being in constant
gymnertic practice.. I don't see why. they
couldn’t make things hum at a fire if they'd
a mind to.”
“We'll see what they can do whea the
chance comes.
low than Percy Jewett in charge I'd have
mere confidence in them. But he's one of
those chaps that run things to
suit himself, whether right sor wreng. If
he wasn’t the son of a very rich man he’d
got thrown down long before this.”
“Percy Jewett doesn't worry me,” sald
Tom.
A cus er entering
| Fred Harper yank his leave,
Tem Sed y for the mail that
evening, as he bad a package to deliver at
a beat-house on the river front.
As he wheeled up the road toward the
station, after performing his errand, he
noticed a man slinking about the King
Philip mills’ warehouse.
The warehouse was closed for the night,
and was quite dai xeept for the flicker
of a lamp standing in a window of the
top floor, where Edward -Vane and his
daughter Dora lived, rent free, by courtesy
of the company.
The man didn’t observe the approach,
as the bicycle made no noise on the smooth
greund. His actions were so unusnal that
Tom took an extra good look at him
There was something familiar about his
figure that riveted the boy’s notice
At last Tom was close upon him.
“By ginger!” he muttered, “it’s the dark-
featured man who called to see my guardian
this morning.”
CHAPTER IY.
IN WHICH THE MEMBERS OF VOL
SHOW WIIAT MIGHT BE EXPECTED OF
THEM.
Mark Helstone looked up suddenly and,
observing Tom on his wheel so close at
hand, turned quickly on his heel .and
started off toward the bank of the river,
whistling carelessly a popular air.
“I wonder what brought him down: here
at this time of night?” thought the boy,
looking after his retreating form, “and I
wonder what he wanted with Mr. Brown
this morning? From the way he spoke to
me at.the station I guess he must have
lived in this place years azo, Seemed
anxious to know if my guardian was still
postmaster. Well, I don’t like his face. I'd
like to know what he’s prowling around
the warehouse for. I were a constable
I’d make him explain his actions.”
By this time Tom was a quarter of a
mile from the warehouse, and his thoughts
returned to the fire company which
engrossed his attentions now for more than
a week. A few minutes later he was at the
station, waiting for the night mail from
Boston -
As soon as he had delivered the bag to
Caleb Brown he started on foot for the
grocery store kept by Oscar Suppegreenz,
Young Meyer was waiting for him, accord-
ing to previous arrangement.
“I vos all ready to go py der firehouse
und join me dot gombany you toldt me
apoud dis mornings. shinger, dere
yasn’t no flies apoud me Alretty yet.”
And Meyer Suphegrecna’'s face expanded
into a typical @
“Come on, then, we've no time to lose.
But he's no fool, let!
woulda't like to try:
night
If they had any other fei--
at that moment, |
t
You're just the kind of fellow, we need.
You look stronz, and I guess you're not
afraid to put your shoulder to the wheel.”
So! You vant me to mofe der wheels.
Well, I dong det,
i “You don't wenilerstand,
! you're not afraid to work.”
“I ped you I work
shap, O@ I don'd | go by der pack door
und kick mineself.”
“Youll End us a jolly crowd, all right,
Suppeareena.”
ee me woe said the German boy
2 of fon.
J mean to say
Lif they try to have
whey" re built that
t-you means py dey're pulit dot vay?
{ know dot hou. 3s pilt, but poys—
ach! I unders ta t.""
Ob, vell,
und so ometimes T make me Paes funs mine
self.”
ee you're all richt,
There's some of the boys now.
engiue-house, and there’s the r
the street. Ty the look cf the street
shovld say Vobintser No, 1 was trying to
flocd the town.”
As secn as the members of the company
saw Tom and his companion they sur-
rounded them with a be
have you got wae you,
d Sam Willett.
s the new member,
“was telling us about,”
Kidder,
“Boye, this fs Meyer Su pregreenz, and I
want you to give hin a hea: ty welcome,”
Tom Sedle
oun Gree ” poored the boys, verifer-
“Is that his name?” esked several
in a breath.
“Helio, soup Greens,” said Wilet;
Ir
Tom?”
ask
Harper
Josh
b'gesh,
volunteered
“giad
He “zrabhes hand
the Ger an OF the
the ood rear
“Shake!” caid Kidder, extending his
hand.
a den'd caught me
ks. Vot you cal's
I ped mine fist by
You see somedings,
jOxreore me, pud ¥
jee Cimes py dot tri
: dot foolishness? S*bose
| your nose, vot den?
I ped you,
“Hello, let me taik to him,” said Andy
Bright, pushing forward. “What I don't
know about German would-fill a book.
Say, Soup Greens, sprecken sie Deutsch?”
said Meyer, D! ning to look
ntercsted .
“Teh mockineich puglockstsorer
paragorix, ain't it?” sald Andy,
sober face.
“ach! Mine himmel, vot you call dot
languages?” gasped the astonished German
d.
toraatoes
with a
“Why, that's good German, you chump.
Don’t you know your own linzo?”
“Is dot so? Well, I ped me your live you
know more as I go aboud it. Vot you @90k
6 for, auyvays
“iWhere did “you come
Greens?” asked another boy
it was time for him te chip in.
“Strassburgen haus tuftenfeldt- ‘by-der-
Rhine,” said Meyer, glibly
“Suffering beeswax!” exclaimed his ques-
ticner, aghast. “Say that again.”
Meyer repeated it without a smile on his
‘ace,
“Say,
Soup Greens.
your native to
ever “wiilnsty obliged for the third
from, Soup
who thought
will you listen to this?
the name of
Sandy,
aoe 1 MeGuire
Mother er of Moses wi that the German
alppabets I don’t kn:
“ Nine alphabets!
upon me sowl I do. It's a broth of a boy
ye are; as Father O'Brien used to say,
Teaven rest his soul.
“Come now, boys,” interposed Tom Sed-
ley, “we'll take a run with the machin»
up and down the street. Ike Hurley will
time us. Harper, you look after the hos9
reel.
The boys, with great iene: awaited
the word to grab hold of the
“Here, Suppegreenz, you ana “McGuire
take hold of the shaft,” ordered Tom.
“You're to guide her, you know, and brake
up when we are ready to stop her. Un-
derstand?”
“Yah,” said Meyer, nodding his head
vigorously.
“It's Iucky yez understand thet mech,”
said MeGuire.
w, then, we’re going to run to Mer-
rimae street, turn about, return and attach
‘on to the hydrant here, run out the hose
and pump her up as if at a real fire. Are
you ready?”
A general shout announced that they
were all ready:
wore on, then, boys!
Be ively! Shake
The members of Volunteer 3 No. 1 made a
pedder as der next’
Begorra, I believe you,
PAE
aye Vi