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“TY HAPPY.
DAYS '
“Oh, don’t shoot ! Don’ Eshoot | ” groaned
Ben, who was trembling alt o
“Tn oot if you hold
tongue!” said Nelse, Beewly. and then he
proceeded to tie up the fellow and gag him,
after which he was passed into the other
boat, which was made fast to a bush,
“You'll stay here now till we come back
and set you free,” said Nelse. ‘* We shan’t
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the pond to the place
where Ted and Bill had overheard the con-
versation of the smuggler:
Evidently Ben” was not “ahe: ad of time,
“Tes, ail right,” declared Nelse at last.
“They've just left them there for Ben to
Ret, that’s all, Now, then, boys, we'll take
m aboard and run ten” down to fhe old
ice e house at the lower end o!
You can go straight home on, me eBags go
back and set Ben free. You don’t have to
be known in the business at all. Leave all
the rest to me; if I don’t make my father's | i
election secure out et this, my name isn’t
Nelse Archer—that’s all.”
They then went Moldy ashore and loaded
the goods into the b There were
twenty cases of brandy, and_ several
thousand cigars, which were all safely
stowed away in the old ice house before
two o'clock.
Ted and Bill then made the best of their
way home, and Nelse returned to the
bridge where, to his gust, he found
Ted's _boat empty. In some unexplained
way, Ben Mulger had managed to free him-
self and had disappeared,
“Pshaw !” muttered Nelse, “this leaves
me a weak case, ,Ilow canI prove that
Ben Mulger was going after those goods?
We made a big mistake that we didn't let
him go on and get them. I haven’t any-
thing to show now that he ever meant to
go up the pond at all.
Nelse felt rather disgusted with himself
as he returned to the cottage, but he made
aclean finish of his job, for he stopped in
at the telegraph office at the station and
nt a dispatch to the custom house col-
lector at Malone, “Have captured some
smuggled goods, aGome up and get them,”
&
“ Hello, Nelsets 1” said the operator. ‘* You | bank,
are getting ahead of time, my boy, Better
wait till your father is elected Sheriff be-
fore ou ae into this sort of businessyI
should
“That's all right,” replied Nelse. ‘I
saw my chance and rt ook it, 1 Suppose
this thing will be a ver town now.
t through me,” replied the o erator,
warmly. ‘The messages which pass
through this oflice are as dead secrets as
though they were written in cipher, Don’t
you fret yourself about that.”
N not have much chance to
worry about the matter, even if he had
been’ disposed to do so, for something far
more serious was to claim his attention
before many moments had passed. When
he reached the cottage he was surprised to
find it all lighted up, and Dr, Brown’s gig |
standing before the door,
“Oh, Nelse! Oh, my boy. where have
you been?” cried his mother, meeting him
atthe head of the stairs, uP which Nelse
dashed two steps ata ee
“Mother!” kasped Nelse. “What is the
matter? “ather-
“Your father is is dead my son,” said the
bursting into tears and
throwing herself upon N
taken suddenly worse in the night, and
died before I could get the doctor. Oh, m
son, my son, we are face to face wit!
death |"
CHAPTER Il.
' “HOORAY FOR THE NEXT SHERIFF,”
NELSE never fully realized what a stir
his capture of the smuggled goods had
made in Eastville until some days later,
for be had all be could do to attend to his
private affai
‘To be eure. ‘the collector came up from
Malone in response to the telegram and
called on Nelse, who took him to the old
house and showed him the goods. He only
told him part of the story, however, for
Nelse was shrewd enough to understand
that he could prove nothing against Ben
Mulger, so he omitted all mention of him,
but confined himself to saying that some
boys in swimming had overheard the con-
versation of the smugglers and had told
him, and that he had gone up the pond by
night and got them.
ouareasmart rt boy,” said the collector.
“‘and a shrewd one, too. you
don’t know thateverybody is talking “about
this affair, and that there have been names
mentioned, You had better tell the rest
* of gan story, young
WD
ig ma:
No,” replied Nelse, oT ve told all I’ve
got totell, Iffhad any proof to offer that
sould b be another thing, but as I haven't
“T wish they would elect you deputy
your | boy.
sheriff here, now that your father is gone,”
said the collector, as he parted from the
is was the first intimation Nelse had
of the talk that was going the rounds,
Whether it was Ted Simpkins or Bill Hol-
ister who gave the secret away Nelse
never found out, for both boys denied it,
but’ one of them, must have’ been guilty,
for Ben Mulger’s name was in everyones
mouth, and it was whispered everywhere
that it was from bim Nelse had captured
the smuggle:
Mr, Archer's funeral drew a large attend-
were saying a ‘about him,
‘The first intimation he had of it was the
morning before the election, when, with a
kit of tools on his shoulder, the boy started
down Main street todo a job his father ha
promised the day before his deat!
“*Good-morning, sheriff !” called Green,
the butcher, a rough, good-natured fellow,
as the boy hurried past his shop.
“Tdon’t want to hear any more about
that facinese Mr. Green,” said Nelse, feel.
“ My poor father is dead, an
can't be elected on that “account,”
roke in Green, coarsely, ‘“‘but we are
going to elect you in his place, and don’t
you forget it, boy
“What !” cried Nelse, but Green was
called hate the shop to attend to a custom:
er just then, and Nelse did not care to
ollow him wu
oing on is way alittle further down
the street he ran into Mr. Bull, the drug-
gist, who stopped bim and [expressed sym-
pathy for his loss. ‘‘ Weare going to use
‘our name to-morrow at the polls, Nelse,”
e said. “It's all arranged and you
mustn't object, We want a sheriff a
not a wooden man. It’s Mulger against
Archer just the same as it was before your
father died, only the first ndme on the
ballots has been changed.”
Poor Nelse’s head was all in a whirl that
day, for a dozen came-and spoke to him
about the matter while he was at work,
He hardly knew what reply to make, and
with some he pretended to treat the mat-
ras a joke, although it was perfectly,
evident to him that his fellow townsmen
were entirely i in earnest,
$s way home to dinner he gota blast
of another kind, for right in front of the
», Where some painters were at work
painting the front of the building, he ran
into Ben Mulger for the first time since
the affair at the red bridge.
“« What's all this I hear ‘about your talk
against ime, Ise er?” cried Len,
planting himself directly in front of Nelse,
his face red with r:
“ You havent heard any talk from me
against you, Ben Mulger,” replied Nelse.
quietly, ‘‘and that’s for the very 00;
reason that I baven’t made a
“You lie! You've been veaying that
those smuggled goods you turned over to
the collector were taken from me !”
“Don't tell me that I lie!” cried Nelse,
dropping his kit of tools, “or I'll give it
back to you in your teeth, Ben Mulger!
Stand aside !”
It looked like a fight, and very likely
would have developed into one, but just at
that moment, Minnie Spencer, the colonel's
rett
s+
sg
irl frien
ih, Mr. Mulger !” she cried, ‘I’m so
glad I met you! Are you coming to our
progressive euchre party to-morrow night?
We expect you, but as you didn’t answer
my invitation I didn’t know what to
“ ‘Certain
mered Ben,
nie, jump
Ben jumped—jumped clean off the curb
into the roadway, for at that moment, as
he and Minnie stood together beneath’ it,
the painter's scaffolding, loosened from its
position by the breaking of one of the ropes
which held it against the front of the
bank, came crashing dow: ‘bere were
two men upon it and ‘several pots of paint,
and there stood Minnie half d_ be:
neath it, and she would have been crushed
by the long ladder to a certainty, if Nelse,
as quick asa flash, ung his
arms a around her and lifted her bodily off
t
own came the ladder with a crash,
One of the Poor fellows upon it broke his
leg, and the paint was scattered in every
direction, but, luckily for Minnie, her dress
escaped, w while her friend, who had walked
on when she stopped:to speak to Ben Mul-
ger, had also escaped unharmed,
“Beg your pardon, Miss Spencer,” said
Nelse, rasing his hat politely, and he drew
oly I'm coming, Minnie,” stam-
“The fact is, 1—jump, Min-
2
puttin:
flashe:
our
way.
“What do you mean by,
en,
hands on that young lady
bristling up to
“Silence, ae said Minnie, with great
dignity, “ *T'll have you to understan
that I’m no jumper! This gentleman has
saved my dress from being ruined and per-
haps my life,
daughter, came along with one of|of a
-|a blind eye on one side
Acrowd had gathered, and willing hands
were assisting the unfortunate painter,
It seemed a ridiculous time to start a fight,
but Ben Mulger was determined | to have
it so, and. he made a rush at }
bia ans off!” cried our hero, catching
him by the collar. “I don ight in the
presence of ladies!” He nave Ben a shak-
ng which made his teeth rattle, threw
him fro from him, sending him sprawling in
t
“ I'm rry, Miss Spencer, but I can't
fiand & his mpudence,” e said, raising his
ab a
«You did quite right,” Minnie answered,
and she looked as though she would have
liked to say more, but Nelse turned away
and mingled with the crowd.
t's all this?- What's all this?”
cried ‘Colone 1 Spencer, bustling up.
“Didn't I see youtalking with that Sreher
fellow, Minnie? I don’t want it. I won't
have it + He is:
gentleman, father !" brokein Minnie,
with quiet dignity. “Why should I not
thanks im when he has just saved my
ife
“ Phew !” whistled the magnate of East-
ville when Minnie told herstory. ‘‘Idon’t
like that fellow. He’s got an impudent
tongue of his own, but I must dosomething
for him for thi
“Help elect “him sheri ff, father,”
Minnie, archly, for she knew that her
er was entirely friendly to Martin
Mulger, and only that morning had ex:
pressed himself very strongly about the
ars Os electing a mere boy like Nelse.
sense! Nonsense |” said the col-
onel. ‘I'll send him acheck for a hun-
dred dollars, but as to his being elected
sheriff, that’s all bosh I”
rtunately for all parties concerned,
probable Nelse was out of hearing w. hen
these remarks were made, or he might
nd|have had something to say to Colonel
Spencer that would not have been altogeth-
er pleasing, for the boy was as proud a fel-
low as there was in’ Eastville, and not at
all disposed to be beholden toanybody.
“What are you going to do about it, my
son ?” asked Mrs. Archer, when Nelse “told
her what had occurred, and mentioned the
rumors that were flying around town,
“{'m going to serve if Iam elected,” re-
plied Nelse, quietly.
“T almost wish that you may de-
feated, then. This sheriff business killed
your father, Poor folks like us had be tter
stick tq the sphere where they belong.”
“JT don’t admit that any sphere exists in
the United States that's too high for me to
aim for,” laughed Nelse, “* but w at's that
etter on the mantelpiece, mother
“It's for you, Nels e. A boy left it here
soon after You went Sway this morning.
am sure I "t know what it is,
Nelse ‘opened the letter and read as fol-
‘low:
‘yeu stick. I want your’ elp. If you are
elected come to me at once, and i i glare bask
ness goin: You're a smart bows
sherilf pusincss is going to be a big thing for
Jt will prove thé road to wealth and
ane.”
The letter was signed by the collector at
Malone
Nelse had scarcely finished his dinner
whena band | was heard playing in the dis-
tance, an ig came half a hundred
Eastville fellows marching two and two,
each carrying a little banneret on the end
stick bearing the inscription : “Our
next Sheriff! Nelse Archer,”
When the procession got in front of the
cottage the band struck up “‘Iiail to the
Chief,” and there were wild shouts for
Nelse, who saw no help for it but to x
out and address the crowd, for nearl
were his old schoolmates, fellows wh
he ha
boy.
Nelse wasa pretty good speech maker
for a boy of his age, and very witty with
“ There is one thing. that you may de-
pend upon, fellows,” hesaid, as he stood on
the front steps and wound up his speech.
If I'm elected I shall serve, and i
serve you'll all know that there is a Sheritt
in town, Ishan’t go into t this business with
nose and a
glass one on the other. Tyee 's been alto:
gether too much said against Eastville as
a dead easy town for smugglers, and I pro.
pose to put a stop to it if I'm given the
all
om
d known ever since he was a little
ms Hooray for Nelse! Three cheers for
our next sheriff! We mean business! We
are going to put you through !” one and
another shouted, as the band struck up a
lively march, and the boys paraded away
from the cottage and kept on about town,
n Nelse went back to his work that
afternoon Martin Mulger stood at the qoet
of his store'and glared at him. Instead of
assing the time of day as usual, he said,
as. the boy pasee
You'd better ‘pull away and let me
alone, young man. ol m going to make it
hot for you if you
“Thank you for nothing," replied Nelse.
“ Took out you don’t get in ahot box your-
sel
ex morning, when the polls opened in
the town hall, there was 2 Tine of voters
reaching almost to the ban
Nelse, in his overalls, with his kit of tools
on his shoulder, bad to ask them to opena
passage to let him through to his work,
Many voices cheered_him, but not a few
shouted ‘‘ Hooray for Mulger 1” as an off-
t. On his way to his job, which was
away up at the otherend of Main street,
Minnie Spencer-passed him on her wheel,
and as Nelse touched his hat, the colonel's
daughter, who was as_unaffec as she
was pretty, stopped and got off the wheel,
“Oh, Mr. Archer! I’ve been canvassing
for you!” she exclaimed. “I’ve secured
six votes already, and I'm determined to
get as many more, I’ve even persuaded
father to vote for you, and he is Mr, Mul-
ger's particular friend,
“Tm e I'm much ‘obliged to you, Miss
Spencer,” "replied Nelse, flushing. ‘ With
such a canvasser at my back my “election
ought tobea foregone conclusion,”
Now you are trying to say something
flattering, and I had rather see you
natural,”
“ey beg yo ur pardon,
“Don't. Everyone "thinks they must
flatter me, partly because I am a girl, but
more because I am my fathers daughter,
I don’t like it, and if we are going to be
riends, and I hope we are, don't do it
o
a)
said | again
gain.
“You may be very. sure I shan’t. May
T assist you to mount ia
*T don’t need any assistance, thank you,
Now, I m off. Yo
never fea
Phew f She called me Nelse! This is
getting on with a vengeance,” thought the
boy, as Minnie Gasbed away. ‘She don
seem to bea ngry at me for throwing
down Ben Mulaer either. Well, I must
get to work, Sheriff or no sherith, T have’
no time to spend fooling her
Nelse never did a better ‘day’ ‘8 work in
his life. He was building a chicken: run
for old Mrs, MeIntyre at the end of her
long yard, and he was just finishing up at
sundown when hesaw Ted Simpkins come
fyi ing in on his bicycle at the other end,
fooray for the next sheriff !” shouted
“ What's his name?” filed Nelse, as he
Dagomered on the Jas:
erhaps Ted did not hearhim, for he just
shouted again
looray for, ithe next sheriff! Hip!
Hip! Hooray
[ro BE CONTINUED.)
toe
TRY YOUR HAND AT MAKING A FUNNY
FACE WITH ONLY FOUR STROKES OF A
PEN. YOU MAY WIN SOME MONEY BY
DOING SO.
ec-o_—_—_e TO 0 ot
{This story commenced in No. 237.)
HOLDING HIS OWN
OR,
The Brave Fight of Bob Carter
A STORY OF STRIFE AND SUCCESS,
By CASTON CARNE,
Author oft The Boy Cug Ct ”
taedion “On the Hoaut,
Tradex 2 His
“yer “Young Praack
He ary etc.,
CHAPTER XIIL.
DARK DAYS,
‘THERE was no such thing as withholdin
the news that the oil well of the Union Oi
Company had jfailed. Words cannot de-
pict the scenes which followed,
People acted like maniacs, They rushed
recklessly into brokers’ offices, and rash]
sold their stock fora nominal sum, and di
many other foolish t
They even became lawless, A large mob
gathered about the offices of the company
in Toddville and threatened violen
"Gonsequent upon this, Sed a
statement to be printed ‘in the Todd ville
Times to the effect that every Stockholder
and debtor of the company would be paid
u
This appeased the excited people, and
quiet once more reigned. Bob was true to
his wor
Stockholders and all to whom the come
pany owed bills filed into the office i
Toddville and received what was
them. Preparations were made to dissolve
the corporation and destroy the stock cer-
titicates as a wind up to the whole affair,
The effect of all this upon Austin Dobson
and his faction can readily be imagined.
nce more the rail road tn nagnate drove
pompously through the streets of Toddeale
or strutted its sidewalks, conscious of the
fact that he was yet the ruler of the place,
People bowed ourequiously to him on all
hands, as they will always to wealth and
| power, but in Spite of this no stigma was
1 be elected, Nelse, _