IP TOP WEEKLY

“An: ideal publieation for the American Youth.

 

 

Issued weekly~ By Subscription, $2.50 per year. Entered as Second Crass Matier at the N. Y. Post Ofice by StREET & SMITH

No. 248. Price, Five Cents,

 

 

 

 

 

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AN IDEAL PUBLICATION FOR

 

 

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THE AMERICAN YOUTH

 

  

Issued Weekly—By Subscription $2.50 per year. Entered as Second Class Matter at the N. Y. Post Office, by STREET & SMITH, 238 William
St., N. Y. Entered According to Act of Congress, in the year 1901 in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, Washington, D.C,

 

 

No. 248.

NEW YORK, January 12,

Price Five Cents,

1901,

Frank Merriwell’s Set-Back:

: OR,

DICK STARBRIGHT’S SUCCESS.

~

By BURT L.

CHAPTER I.
IN FRANK’S ROOM.
“Tsay, Merriwell,” cried Jack Ready,
strolling into Frank’s room, his hat set rak-
ishly over one ear and his hands thrust into
his trousers’ pockets, “do you know what
they call a young black cat in England?”

“Why, I’ve been in England,” said Frank,

_rising from his open trunk, which he was

packing, “but I don’t believe I can tell what

_ thev call a young black cat over there.”

chuckled the visitor,

“Why,”

satisfaction,

with great

“thev call her ‘kitty, kitty,’ just

the same as we do on this side of the water.

STANDISH.

Oh, Merry, you’re a good thing! Ha! ha!
ha!” .

Frank laughed heartily also, Ready’s jo-
vial mood being contagious.
sharper and

“You're be-

“You're steadily growing

sharper, old man,” said Merry.
coming;dangerous to fool with of late.”

“Oh, yes;”
with one hand thrust into the opening of his

“The mantle of Bink Stubbs hath de-

nodded Jack; striking a pose,

vest.
scended upon me and I am ‘it.’ Iam making
enemies in a merry way with my persiflage.

Sprung that on two other fellows

ing. One told me it was so old it had whisk- _

A PS tt Ne

this morn- ~

 
 

   

2

ers, while the, other got. his back up -and
wanted to t'tump me in my mild, -blue eye.
This being a practical joker is getting to be
a great responsibility, and I feel the strain.
I am glad vacation is at hand, as it will serve
to give me a short breathing spell. Packing
your paper collars and pajamas? Leave to-
Whither do you fly?”

9?

morrow, I suppose?

“Yes, I leave in the morning,” nodded
Frank.
attend to some’ business cofcerning my play,
**True Blue.’ ”

“Which way after that?”

“Got to run down to New York to

“Well, Starbright has invited me to visit
him.”

“T’m another. Going to accept?”

SLmay.

“Then, by all the eternal gods of Olympus!
I’m going to try to get round there myself.
You hear me chirp! You catch the silvery
cadence of my voice!’’

“He invited you?”

“Did he?

wept like a brother at thoughts of parting.

Why, he fell on my neck and

We mingled our weeps, and we spilled brine
enough to start another ocean. It was sad
He said, ‘Ready,
[ said,

and touching and sloppy.
old man, I hate to leave you—alive.’
‘Starbright, my baby, you’re the only fresh-
man for whom I entertain the slightest feel-
ing of affection, and I’ve always felt for you
—with a brickbat.’ It was a strange, weird
spectacle—a soph and a freshie weeping in
each other’s arms. Any minute I expected he
would give me a snap at the back, toss me
down and jump on-me, but he did nothing of
‘ the kind, and it has dawned on me that the
“fellow really likes me and really meant it
when he invited me to run over and visit him
with the rest of the gang during the holi-
days.” .
“Did you accept ?”

- “Not on the spot; but now—now I know
you are going—I may. Who's going?”

 

TIP TOP WKEKLY.

“Well, I understand Browning is one—
arid Hodge.”

“Browning’s all right, but Hodge—well,
he’s a good fighter when that is necessary,
but he doesn’t add much jolliness to a gather-
ing. A joke always seems to rub him the
wrong way.”

There came a sound of many feet and
voices outside, the door was flung open, and
Bruce. Browning came in, followed by Bart
Hodge, Dick Starbright, Bert Dashleigh and
Greg Carker. Bruce made straight for a
comfortable couch, on which he dropped,
brought forth a clay pipe and began’ to fill it.
The others greeted Merriwell, Hodge saying:

“Thought we’d come up, Frank, just to get
the crowd together for a little while before
we separate for the holidays. You don't
mind P” |

“Fellows, I’m delighted to have you come

“Make

yourselves at home, every man of you.”

in just like this,” declared Frank.

“That’s right,” said Ready, “if you can’t
find chairs, sit right down on the carpet; it
won’t hurt it much. What's that thing you’re
filling, Browning-—a clay pipe? Ye godsand
little fishes!

I didn’t think you’d come down to that! And

How have the mighty fallen!

so soon after the close of the football season!
How did it happen?”

“Well,” grunted, Bruce, getting into a com-
fortable position, as he lighted the pipe, “you
see even a clay pipe has its advantages.”

“What are they?” ‘

“Why, if you let one fall on the pavement
or a hard floor, you don’t have to bother to
nick it up,” exclaimed the laziest man in Yale,

causing a laugh at his expense.

=~

“That surely is a bad case of ennut,” said
Carker, reprovingly.
“What's that?” yawned Browning. “How

do you define ennui?”

“T can define it,” declared Ready, at once.
“It’s when you're tired of doing nothing and
too lazy to do something.”

tren ss

7
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“That’s what’s ailed Bruce ever since the
football season closed,” nodded Frank. ‘I
had begun to fancy that Bruce had reformed
—that he’d put laziness behind him forever.
Why, he trained like a slave, and he worked
like a fiend to reduce flesh. He was in the

very pink of condition the day he went onto

the field in the Harvard game. Looked
healthy and handsome.”
“Thanks,” rumbled the lazy giant. “Bow

to the gentleman for me, please, Ready. It’s
too much of a job for me to rise. I know I
was a perfect Apollo, but the task of being
an Apollo was too great a strain. I had to
throw it up.”

“Rp
tifully,” said Starbright, his fair, handsome
face glowing. “Oh, they thought they had
us! They came mighty near it in the first
half;and——~—”’ =

“Gave me heart disease,” put in Dashleigh.

“T'll never get over it.
nights now, yelling, ‘Three yards more and
Harvard’ll have a touchdown! Hold ’em,
hboys—hold ’em!’”

3art’s constant

“That was cry,’ said

Browning. “He begged us separately and
collectively to hold ’em, but the only thing
that saved the day was Merry’s appearance
on the field at the close of the game. They
had us going all right in that half, and they’d
have scored in another minute.”

“But you made a gallant fight,” said Frank,

 

his eves flashing—“‘a fight to be remembered
always. I am proud of every~man on the
team.”

“Yah! muttered Hodge, sourly. “Are

you proud of that dog, Morgan? I don’t be-
lieve itl”
“In a certain way, J am proud of him,” as-
serted Merry, positively. :
“But you were ready to wring his everlast-

ing neck a short time ago. You announced

your intention of kicking him out of Yale.”

TIP TOP WEEKLY.

3ut net till we had downed Harvard beau-

Sometimes I wake up’

‘when that time arrived.

    
    

“And you.could have done it all right,” put
in Carker. “He heard the rumbling of the

9

approaching earthquake, and he

 

“Oh, choke that earthquake business!” cut
in Ready. “Don’t use the expression; re-
serve it for your socialistic lectures.”

“Fellows,” said Frank, “I admit that I was
ready and resolved to crush Dade Morgan a
short time ago.”

“But you have not crushed him,” spoke
Hodge. “Why was it? Tell us. We want
to know.” |

“Tl cannot explain everything, for it will
take too much time if I do; but I will say
this much, I discovered that Morgan was not
wholly responsible for his actions toward me.
Another will than his own controlled and
directed him. This may seem too remark-
able to be true, but it is a fact. The one who
controlled him hated me with a hatred that
cnly death could terminate. If Morgan re-
belled, this monster put on the screws and
forced his tool to perform his work. Mind
you, I do not claim that Dade Morgan natur-
ally would be perfect or even a fine fellow;
but he was led to the very verge of murder by
the wretch who impelled him to his acts.
Morgan in his right mind and being his own
taster would never have gone that far.”

“Perhaps not,’ muttered Hodge; “but I be-
lieve he’d do anything.”

“T think,” Merry pursued, “that there came
a time when Morgan was anxious to’ cease
troubling me. I have thought the whole mat-
ter over, and I have decided that I know
Then it was that the
monster behind him put on the screws and
forced him forward against his will.” * |

“And, if you do not wind Morgan up,” said
Dashleigh, “may not this same monster con-
tinue his dirty work?” »

Frank shook-his head, with a strange, grim —
smile of satisfaction.

“Neither Morgan nor myself will be ©
 

4: : TIP TOP WEEKLY.

troubled by him any more,” he declared.

99

“That man is dead

CHAPTER IL.
DICK STARBRIGHT’S HEART.

“Say, old fellow,” said Ready, edging up to
Browning, “lend me fifty, will you?’

“Fifty what?” grunted Bruce.

“Why, fifty dollars. I——”

“Quit your joking.”

“I’m not joking. I need the money. I’m
broke.”

“My dear boy,” said Browning, “you’re not
broke; you're cracked. Lend you fifty dol-
lars! I see myself!”

“T am desperate,” asserted Jack, wildly.
“There is no telling what a man will do when
he needs money.”

oer

That’s so,” admitted Bruce. “‘Look at all
the fellows who get married.”

“Ah,” sighed Dashleigh, “you know they
say love is blind.”

“But as a rule,” put in Carker, dolefully,
“marriage is an eye-opener.”

“T,.” laughed Starbright, who was sprawl-
ing on a Morris chair, “shall refuse to be
mercenary when it comes to marriage. I
shall marry for beauty.”

“My dear boy,” said Frank, “the fellow
who marries for beauty is usually the victim
of——”

“A skin game,” interrupted Ready. “The

dollars are good enough for me.”

“Speaking about dollars,” said Bart, “do
any of you believe that old story about George
Washington throwing a dollar across the Po-
tomac River?”

“Why, of course,’

,

nodded Merry, imme-

diately. “It’s a very likely story.”
“T fail to see it in that light. He eouldn’t
ee Pr ~
do it.

“Why not?
man, and, besides, a dollar would go twice

Washington was a powerful

as far in those days as it will now.”

Ready gasped and dropped with a crash
upon a chair.

“Fan me!” he said, faintly. “Merriwell

takes his place at the head of the class. [

think [’ll have to touch him for the cold
cash.”

“Why is it,’ questioned Carker, “that peo-
ple always speak of money as cold cash?’

“T suppose,” said Merry, laughing softly,
“it’s because so many human beings have a
way of freezing to it.”

“What—again?” howled ,Ready, popping
bolt upright and staring at Frank.
you dare, sir! In my presence, too! I am
the only one who has a right to do such
things. But, really and truly, I’ve got to
borrow some spondulicks before I leave for
vacation. Got a bill from my tailor. He
wrote on the bottom: ‘Dear sir, if you pay the
inclosed bill, you will oblige me; if you don’t,
I shall. oblige you.’ Now, wouldn’t that
bump you!”

“Don’t talk of tailors!” grumbled Brown-
ing. “You’ve got a regular hand-me-down
suit on.”

“Bah!” retorted Jack, “That
suit of yours reminds me of an unripe water-

instantly.

melon.”

“Why ?”

“Because it’s so different. One isn’t fit
to cut, and the other isn’t cut to fit. Refuse
me! Wouldn’t let me have a small loan, eh?
Well, you shall repent in sackcloth and ashes.

Yea, verily!”

Carker began whistling mournfully to him-

self.

“Listen to that,” murmured Frank, nudg-
ing Ready. “I wonder if he whistles to him-
self when he’s alone.”

“Prithee I cannot tell,” answered Jack.
“T've never been with him when he was
alone.”

Starbright,
know a scheme whereby we can all make

“Fellows,” said soberly, “I

money.” . .

“How do.

 

 

 
 

a

 

NT en

TIP TOP WEEKLY. 5

“Unwind it to us!” cried Ready.
“Let’s hear it,” urged Hodge.
“We're listening,” said Dashleigh.

“Go on,” urged Browning.

“It’s simple,” assured Dick, still with per-
fect gravity. “All we have to do is perfume
our paper money.”

“Hey?” said Carker, who had _ stopped
whistling.

“What?” grunted Browning, ceasing to
puff at his pipe.

“What are you giving us?’ muttered
Hodge,

“That’s right,” declared the fair-haired
freshman. “You see by perfuming our pa-
per money we can add a scent to every dol-

~
99

lar.
Frank
thumped fimmself behind the ear with his

laughed again, while Ready
clenched fist.
“This is

driving me to suicide—or drink! And still I

“Another rival!’ he groaned.

need that money.”

“Why, my dear boy,” smiled Frank, “I
heard that you won some money from Skel-
ding last night.”

“Oh, no!’ Jack hastened to deny. “No
money ; | merely won a few bets from him.”

There came a rap on the door.

“Come in,” called Merry.

But every fellow in that room, Browning
included, sprang to his feet when the door
opened and they saw Inza Burrage and her
father just outside. .

“Perhaps we're intruding?” suggested Mr.
Burrage, apologetically.

“Oh, no!” exclaimed Merry. “Come right
in!”

He sprang forward and greeted Inza
warmly with outstretched hand. She was
dressed in the most fashionable manner and
never before had she looked so stunning and
dashing. At least, Frank thought so.

“We thought we’d come round and call a

moment before you left, Frank,” she said, in
that well-modulate self-reliant, musical
voice of hers. “You go——”

“To-morrow. I was packing my trunk
when the fellows strolled in. I’m glad you
came, Inza.”’

He drew her into the room, and the boys
bowed, greeting with enthusiasm the former
mascot of the crew. She spoke to them all,
but it seemed that even a little more color
mounted to her flushed cheeks when Star-
bright, the handsome, giant freshman, bowed
low before her.

And keen eyes might have seen that Dick
Was not quite at ease, though he made a des-
perate effort to appear thus.

Mr. Burrage shook hands with the boys,
having a pleasant word for each one. Brown-
ing gave up a part of the couch to the gen-
tleman, but sat on the end of it when Mr.
Burrage protested that he was not at all ex-
kausted and would sit and‘listen to the talk
of the lads. -

The coming of Inza, however, put an end
to their free-and-easy badinage and joking,
but there were plenty of things to talk about,
and she was eager and ready to join in their
conversation. They gathered about her «in
an admiring circle, listening to every word
she uttered, each feeling in his heart that she
was a most bewilderingly handsome and
adorable young lady. In her presence, even
Carker forgot to be pessimistic and melan-
choly, and not once did he speak of the “rum-
ble of the approaching earthquake.”

But Starbright hung on her words in a
breathless way, and his heart leaped when she
turned toward him with one of her dazzling
smiles, or spoke to him directly, and he felt
that he was being robbed of his just due, if
tor a little time she gave him no special at-
tention.

Dick Starbright knew that Frank and Inza
were fast friends, he knew they were almost

 

 
 

8 TIP TOP WEEKLY.

sweethearts, he knew Inza would not be there
but for Merry; yet since the day he first saw
this dark-eyéd, black-haired radiant queen of
a girl something he could not hold in check
had been growing in his breast—growing,
growing, growing. He sought to tell him-
self that it was no more than mere admira-
tion for an unusually handsome young lady,
and he sought to believe that he could readily
and easily forget her; but she crept into his
dreams with her stately grace, her dark, be-
wildering eyes, her laugh that thrilled the
blood, her mouth that seemed made for
kisses.

And now, sitting in Merriwell’s room, with
Inza near, his blood throbbed in his big,
strong body with all the full flood of healthy,
robust youth. :

“Why shouldn’t I win her for my own?”
he mentally cried.

Then he looked at Frank Merriwell—hand-

 

some, serene, perfectly molded, the very
apex of complete young manhood—and he
believed he had found his answer. Contrast-
ing himself with Frank, he seemed very im-
mature, despite his size, and there was some-
thing of greenness about him that must count
against him. How dared he think for a sin-
gle moment that he, the raw youth, could win
from this clever and experienced young man
of the world! He was crushed and abashed.

Coming out of his trance, Dick found
Frank was telling Inza of some photographs

he had taken. She wished to see them, and

_ he said they were in an adjoining room. She

rose at once, and they passed beyond some
portieres.

Though he still could hear her™ voice
through the open door, it seemed to Dick
Starbright that something went out of the
sunshine, leaving it dull and sombre, and
there was a strange sensation like a pain in

the throvie-room of his empty heart.

CHAPTER III.
WHAT ELSIE SAW.

Frank and Inza chatted over the pictures,
which consisted of a group of the Yale foot-
ball team, with Merry the central figure, and
a number of snapshots of the team in practice
and at play. The smell of Browning’s pipe
pervaded the rooms, and Merry threw open a
door leading into the hall, which gave a
draught.

“I suppose you are glad the holidays have
come?” said Inza.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “You see, it
is different with me than with other fellows.
They have homes and fathers and mothers
and brothers and sisters to which they go.
Their fathers and mothers are waiting to
greet them with affection, while ‘their broth-
ers and sisters will regard them with admira-
tion and pride. They are going to pleasant
firesides, Christmas trees and merry times.
I have no home, no mother, sisters or broth-
ers. True I have a father, but he is worn
and old and strange to me, for I’ve never seen
much of him. But I love him, just the same.
Poor old man! He has suffered much, and
now, with no enemy to harass him further, I
trust he may have peace and happiness.”

Inza was touched by Merry’s words. For
the first time, it seemed, she fully realized his
unfortunate position in the world.

“I’m sorry, Frank,” she said, looking into

his eyes. “But your play has given you

‘money so that you might purchase a home, of

your own, and your father has a fortune. He

could buy a mansion.”

“He might,” admitted Merry; “but he can-
not get over the feeling that the ghost of his
enemy may rise to haunt him as of old, and
he is the most restless person I ever saw.
Were he a younger man, I’m sure nothing
could keep him from traveling constantly.

Even now, I worry for fear he may take a

 

fe a ye onioecceenhy

pierre tithin til

gen cn te

 
f
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alive!

TIP TOP WEEKLY. 7

freakish notion to strike out suddenly for
parts unknown.”

“Are you sure his mind is just right?”

“T think it is—now. A short time ago I
was not so sure; but never again will he fall
beneath the spell of Brandon Drood. Drood
is dead, and his wicked career is ended.”

“He was a dreadiul man!” exclaimed Inza,
“Think how he tried to bury your poor father
He should have been punished for his
awful crimes.”

“Tl am willing to leave his soul in the hands
cf One who doeth all things well,” came sol-
emnly from Merry’s lips.

“Where do you expect to spend the most of
your vacation ?”’

“Starbright has invited me to visit him in
his home, and I think I shall go there. Then
lam to meet father in New York. Severai of
the fellows are going to visit Starbright.”

“Tsn’t he a splendid fellow!’ exclaimed the
dark-eyed girl, enthusiastically. “He is so
big and grand! It was magnificent to see
him tear through the enemy’s line in the foot-
ball game. And he’s handsome, too!”

“Here! here!” cried Merry, reprovingly.
“This will never do! Why, I believe you are
stuck on him, Inza!”

His heart was smitten by a pang of jeal-
ousy, for he was like other fellows in this re-
spect, and no one is flawless.

She laughed when she saw him looking at
her almost accusingly.

“Why

He is your friend, and you

“Tam,” she boldly declared.
shouldn’t I be?
have told me what a great, big-hearted chap
he is. You want me to like all of your
friends, don’t you?”

“Oh, yes; but there are different ways of
liking a fellow, Inza.”

“T like him as I might a big, handsome
brother.”

“Oh, well! that will! do.

tliat.”

I can’t object to

“that

you could object under any circumstances. If

“Do you think,” she said, teasing]:

| really and truly fell in love with him, could
you object?”
She had him cornered, and he knew it.
“Oh, I don’t suppose I’d have a right to
object!» he laughed, though that pang of
sealousy still gnawed at his heart.

“Surely not!” Inza exclaimed. “Accord-

‘ing to your own tell, Dick is one of the finest
fellows in the world, and were he to take a
fancy to me, you ought to be glad and happy.
it would be your duty to help it along.”

He felt that she was teasing him, but still
it was a tender spot, and it made him squirm

a bit.

“Inza,” he said, sincerely, “once I did my
best to keep you from marrying a man your
father had selected for you, but a man you
told me you did not love.”

“For which,” she admitted, “I owe you
much. I can see now that it would have been
a fatal folly.”

“I felt that way about it, dear girl, and
that was why I did my best to keep you from

Had [|

really and truly loved him, I should have re-

taking the false step. known you

mained silent. In this case it is different, for
Starbright is worthy of a fine girl; but he is
voung yet—even younger than you, Inza.”

“Not much younger. A year cannot make
much difference.”

“No, not much. If | knew Stdtbright
loved you and you cared for him more than
any one else, whatever I might feel in my
heart, I would do my best to bring you to-

gether, and would say, ‘Bless you, my chil-

”

aren.

She laughed in her merry way.

“T believe it, Frank,” she said, “But I was
jollying, that’s all.. There is no danger that
Starbright will ever care for me that way,
and perhaps I’d not care for him if he did.

1 am waiting to be one of the bridesmaids

 

 

 
    

   

eis ae a 2

 

3 Sip TOP

when you are married to Elsie. I shall live
and die an old maid.”

She made this final declaration in the most
solemn manner possible. They were stand-
ing by a window, now, looking out upon the
bare elms and the ground lightly covered with
snow, which had fallen the previous night.

“T’ll wager something you do not!” he ex-
claimed, leaning over her shoulder. yi

“What will you wager?”

“A kiss,” he breathed, softly. “And, as I
know I'll win, I’ll take it now.’”

_ “Oh, no! don’t be so hasty, sir! I’m not
willing to confess that I shall losé the wager.”

“But still,” he pleaded, “for old times, Inza.
You remember the far-away days at Fardale?
You remember the night we leaned on the
gate before your home, with the moon hid-
den for a moment behind a cloud? You re-
member what happened then, Inza?”

She grew strangely pale, and then the blood
rushed to her cheeks in a burning flood.

“T’ll never forget, Frank!” she whispered,
a tremor running over her. ‘‘Never!”

Memory took her back to that sweet sum-
mer evening of her girlhood days. It seemed
that she could see the peaceful, moon-lighted
village street and could feel the touch of the
fragrant breeze that fanned her cheek. Then
Frank was a handsome, boyish cadet at the
little military academy, and she had loved him
with all the depth of her impulsive girlish
heart. He had kissed her over the gate in
that masterful, unden‘able way of his, and a
million times since then she had thought of
the joy of that moment.

But years had wrought a change in them
hoth. Between them had risen a pretty, sweet-
faced, golden-haired girl. That girl was
Inza’s dearest friend, and sometimes her
heart had cried out in rebellion against Elsie,
who had caused Frank’s thoughts to stray
from her.

“Those were happy days,” said Frank, gen-

tly.

fin ke ene tla 8 eS oe ie ae et eee
oi aan tebe meee se RITE tlhe

      
  
  
 
 
   
  
   
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
 
 
  
  
 
  
 
 
   
     
  
   
 

WEEKLY.

“Yes,” came faintly from her lips; “happier
than I have ever known since.”

She felt his-arm slip across her shoulders,

and, for a moment, she permitted it to re--

main there, little dreaming that she had again
come between Frank and Elsie.

Outside the door that opened into the hall
—the door that Merry opened to permit fresh
air to sweep through the room—stood a blue-
eyed girl, rooted to the floor, gazing in upon
them, her heart throbbing madly and pain-
fully in her breast. It was Elsie, who had
mounted the stairs, and she saw Frank bend-
ing over Inza, heard the murmur of their
voices, beheld him put his arm around Inza’s
waist—then turned and fled noiselessly down
the stairs, not pausing until she had reached

the street; and everything that had looked so

bright but a moment before suddenly seemed
to change the chill wintry air, only tending
to depress poor Elsie’s spirits farther.

CHAPTER IV.
ELSIE’S STRANGE FLIGHT.

Buck Badger and his wife, former Winnie
Lee, were in New Haven, having come on to

visit Winnie’s relatives during the holidays. .

Coming up the stairs in Vanderbilt, they
saw through the open doorway Frank and
Inza talking by the window. At that mo-
ment, Frank turned, saw them, uttered an
exclamation of surprise and pleasure, and
sprang forward with outstretched hands.
“Buck!” he cried. “Is it possible? And
Winnie! Excuse me—Mrs. Badger.”

ep

3ut Winnie still, Frank,’

?

laughed jhe
handsome young wife, her face suffused with

color,

Frank had Badger by the hand, while Win-
nie and Inza rushed into each other’s arms.

“Well, if this isn’t great be cried Merriwell.

“That’s whatever!” came from the lips of
Badger, who quivered through-all his sturdy
frame.

Co

.

 
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ia re as
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Eee roer

“Talk about surprises! I’m overjoyed to

see you!”

“And I,” said the young rancher, “am just
roaring glad to grip the hand of the best
friend I ever had in all my life! I can’t say
more, Merriwell; but I mean that—I mean it!
You were my best friemd. I’ve had time to
think the old days here at Yale all over and
over a hundred times, and I allow I’ve come
to see things in their right light. I was an
onery coyote, but you were my friend, and
you kept me from going to the dogs. You
gave me Winnie,” he whispered, “the best and
truest little wife a man ever had! I can
never repay you for that, Frank!”

“Don’t talk about paying for anything,”
said Merriwell, thrilling from his head to his
feet. “I am paid a thousand times for any-
thing I did for you by seeing your happiness,
old man. But I think you’re giving me
credit for doing altogether too much. . I don’t
know that I ever did much of anything for
you.”

“Yes, you did!” insisted the Kansan, with
intense earnestness. ‘“‘Nobody ever did so
much for me besides you. You made a man
of me! You might have kicked me into the
gutter and turned me into a dog, but you
held out your hand and pulled me up to the
top of the heap, even after I’d done you more
than one onery, mean turn. That’s what-
ever! Nobody but a white man all the way
through would have done as you did, part-
ner. You might have had me expelled from
Yale in disgrace, and that would have turned
my old man against me; but, instead of that,
forgetting all the bad things I’d tried to do
to you, you helped me get started on the
I was pretty weak in those times,

I thought I was

right trail.
Merriwell; I know it now.
strong, but I was right ready to go wrong. A
little push from you would have sent me
wrong. And you helped me win Winnie!
That was the greatest thing you ever did for

anybody, partner!”

 

 

WEEKLY, 9

In that monient Frank Merriwell was re-
warded for all he had endured at the hands

of this repentant young man, who had once +

been his enemy, and his heart was filled with
thankfulness because he had never permitted
his resentment and desire for revenge to get
the best of him and induceyhim to push
Badger down.

With this thought came another. He had
been lenient toward Dade Morgan just when
he might have destroyed the fellow at a single
stroke. It had seemed like weakness, after
all Morgan had tried to do to him; but now
Merry was happy in the knowledge that he
had given Morgan another opportunity and
had not thrust him down.

“T’ve learned one thing,’ said Badger,
who seemed determined to reveal to Frank
all that his heart had taught him since the
18

the coward who tries to kill his enemies; the

happy day of his union with Winnie.

brave, strong man turns his enemies into
friends. That’s whatever!”

In the meantime, in ways peculiar to bud-
ding young womanhood, Inza and Winnie
were expressing their delight over the meet-
ing.

“T didn’t know we should find you here, but
we were speaking of you,’ said Winnie.
“You are handsomer than ever, Inza.”

“And you, Winnie,” said the dark-haired

girl, gazing at her friend with love and ad-
miration, “why you’re simply wonderful.

Being a bride must agree with you.”

“Oh, it’s the West and the*air out there!’ ~

laughed Buck’s wife, in blushing confusion.
“Well, I think I'll have to try that air.”
“You don’t need it, Inza; you’re handsome

anywhere, and you require no air tonic. But

how does it happen you are here. Why, just

before we reached the steps, Elsie said it
would be just lovely to find you in New |
Haven.” ae

“Elsie?”

 

   

2

 
x

y, is Elsie———? Where is she?”
,”’ eried Frank, who had noted Win-
“Where. is

was. with us,”

nine’s word. Elsie?”

“She explained Badger.
“Winnie and I paused a moment on the steps
to look arownd, while she ran up-stairs
ahead.”
_ Frank and Inza looked at each other in
amazement.
“She’s not here,” said Merry, breathlessly.
Say “She

quickly, meeting us just as we were entering.

said Winnie. came back

I don’t know what ailed her, but she was very
pale and said she was ill.”

“Never saw such a change come over any-
body in a minute,” declared Buck. “I don’t
understand it now. Why, a little while be-
fore she was all life and happiness, and her
cheeks were like two sun-kissed peaches, and

9

she—

 

“That will do, sir!’ cried Winnie, frown-
ing. “You may talk like that about me, but
not about other young ladies. Don’t forget
that you are a married man.”

Then Buck and Winnie laughed, but
neither Frank nor Inza joined them.
“Tt’s very strange,” said Frank, slowly.
“She seemed trembling, too,” explained
Winnie.

and she said she was ill.”

“T asked her what was the matter,

“Quickest fit of sickness I ever saw strike

,

anybody,” muttered Badger.

“T urged her to come up to your rooms,”
Winnie went on; “but she said she couldn’t
climb the stairs.”

“Td brought her right up in my arms, if

_ it hadn’t been for the looks of the thing;” as-

' but she wouldn’t hear to it.
" attract attention.

serted Buck.

“She said she must have some air,’ Win-
nie continued. “We wanted to stay with her,
Said it would
Said she’d walk about
down there.”

TIP TOP WEEKLY.

Again Frank and Inza glanced at each
other, and then both of them glanced to-
ward the door, which remained open. From
the point where they had stood by the win-
dow the head of the stairway could be seen.
The same thought came to each of them.

the

right down and find Elsie.

“Frank,” said dark-eyed girl, “go

Bring her up

here at once.”
EM AO Re

through the doorway, without pausing to take

he exclaimed, springing
>

a hat.

Down the stairs he bounded, out into the
court he rushed; and there, bareheaded and
eager, he looked around for Elsie.

She was not to be seen.

. From the court he rushed out through the
gate to the campus, where the light fall of
snow had been trodden by hundreds oi feet.

A little group of fellows lingered by the
fence, some with the collars of their coats
turned up, some with their hands thrust deep
into their pockets, some with overcoats but-
toned about them. Their heads were close
together, and they were «talking earnestly
about some topic of deep interest. A few

students were hurrying across the campus,

their appearance seeming to indicate that |

they were making haste to reach their rooms
and pack up that they might get away for the
holidays.

But nowhere could Merry see a thing of
Elsie.

“Where the dickens could she have gone?”
he muttered. “I wonder if she saw us from
the stairs!”

He was seized by a feeling of guilt and a
sensation of wrong-doing. Something told
him the time had come when he must choose

between Inza and Elsie, and that he could

not longer entertain more than friendly rela-
tions with both of the girls. The thought
that Elsie had seen him with Inza by the
window, and had fled, her heart throbbing
with pain, made him desperate and wretched.

Ayaan 7

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9
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.
Sp pa re ce eg mS it i A ON I Tp Bp

 
  

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PO

“T must find her!” he muttered, hoarsely.
“Not even for the memory of old times
should I have permitted what happened -to-
day! Elsie! Elsie!’

He seized by the arm a hurrying student
and asked if he had seen anything of a young
lady without escort. No such person had
been seen by the one questioned.

Then Merry went straight to the group by
the fence. Yes, one of them had seen Badger
and the two girls go over to Vanderbilt, and
then, a few moments later, had seen one of
the girls hurry away alone.

“Which way did she go?” asked Frank, re-
pressing his eagerness so that he attracted no
particular attention by his manner. ;

Being told, he hurried over to the street.
A few cabs and trucks were there. In a mo-
ment Merry had learned that such a girl as he
described was seen taking'a cab a few min-
utes before.

“She’s gone!” he huskily muttered, as he
turned back. “I must find out where she
is stopping, and I'll call on her without de-
lay. The time has come for me to choose
and make my choice known. I'll do it!”

When he again entered his rooms, he
found Inza had taken Buck and Winnie into

the study, where all were chatting with

Frank’s friends who had gathered there.
Merry lost little time in drawing Buck
aside and asking where Elsie was stopping,

explaining that he had not found her.

Buck did not know, nor did Winnie, who
told how she had corresponded with Elsie,
who had been in New York, thus informing
her when she would arrive in New Haven.
Elsie had called seon after their arrival, and
the trio had set out for a visit to Merry.

“But she is coming :o my house to dinner

this evening,” Winnie explained. “You may
see her then, for I want you to be there,
Frank. You'll come?”

Of course Merry accepted the invitation,

TIP TOP WEEKLY.

a

   

i

Winnie added that it was to be a little party
of college friends, and that Inza would like-
wise be present.

Frank glanced toward the dark-haired girl,
discovering that she was engaged in earnest
conyersation with Starbright, the big fellow
standing in an attitude of absorbed attention,
while his blue eyes devoured her with an ex-
pression of intense admiration in their hon-
est depths.

Winnie noted Frank’s look, and she pinch-
ed his arm, whispering:

“That looks very

7?

very bad—for you. She
told me he is vour friend, and I invited him
to dinner to-night. If you’re still sweet on
Inza you want to be careful that your friend,
Richard Starbright, doesn’t cut in and take
her away from you. He is just the sort of
fellow a dark-eyed girl like Inza is liable to
get struck on.”

Again that strange pang of jealousy smote
through Frank Merriwell’s heart, but he
calmly said:

“TI do not believe Inza could firld a finer
fellow in the whole wide world.”

CHAPTER V.
A DINNER PARTY.

That evening a jolly party gathered at the
home of Fairfax Lee,Winnie’s father. Brown-
ing, Hodge, Starbright, Dashleigh and Mer-
riwell were there. Winnie and Inza,_ to-
gether with two girl friends, sought to enter-
tain them. But one person was missing; and.
in vain they waited for Elsie Bellwood, who

did not come.

Frank tried to conceal the agitated state of
his feelings as best he could, and he suc-
ceeded so well that the others enjoyed them-
selves. Not till dinner time came and passed
and it was impossible to wait longer did
Merry give up hope. of Elsie’s arrival, At
last he whispered to Winnie, telling her that
it was useless to wait longer, and they went 2

s

 
 

 

12 TIP TOP WEEKLY.

down to the dining-roadm, which was beau-
tifully decorated with flowers and college
flags and trophies.

Badger sat at the head of the table, and
his beautiful little wife smiled at him from
the foot.
and Dick Starbright, Winnie having slyly

Inza was placed between Frank

whispered to Merry that he would have a
fair chance to hold his‘ own against the big
freshman.

Winnie’s girl friends fell to Browning and
Dashleigh. Bert was the soul of ease and
politeness, but big, lumbering Bruce was
restless and awkward, although he did his
best to be entertaining.

Bart Hodge, alone, did not seem to en-
ter fully and heartily into the spirit of the
occasion, though it was evident that he did
his best to: make Badger and Winnie feel
that all old animosities had been buried and
forgotten. Winnie took him beside her,
where she talked to him and he seemed satis-
fied enough.

Colored servants were on hand to wait,
and everything passed off smoothly from
soup to dessert. In course of time the little
party grew very merry, chatting of things
that interested them, from football, baseball,
rowing and kindred sports to ranch life and
‘the glorious freedom of the plains and moun-
tains.

Badger was supremely happy. He seemed
,to radiate good nature. 3

“Look here, Hodge!” he exclaimed, sud-
denly shaking his finger at Bart, “be care-
ful down there! That’s my wife! You and
I have tried to lift each other’s scalps before
this, but I’m willing to bury the hatchet if you
don’t flirt too hard with Mrs. Badger.”

Hodge started a little, but Buck broke into

a hearty laugh, and Bart smiled a little.

“Don’t mind him,” said Winnie. “I sup-

_ pose you'll marry, Mr. Hodge, when the

 

“Well,” answered Bart, deliberately, “that
will depend on how much gold there is in the
opportunity.”

Winnie

“Oh, you wretch!”

mercenary
gasped, while Frank stared, wondering to
hear Hodge crack a joke.

Browning was heard saying to the girl at
his side:

“T wonder why it is that the most beauti-
ful girls are the stupid ones?”

“Sir!” she exclaimed, giving him a cutting
look; “am I to understand that you desire to
cast reflections on my mental capacity?”

“Oh, no!” gasped the big fellow, wishing
to put himself right in her eyes; “I think
you are one of the brightest girls I ever
met.”

Then, realizing he had said the wrong
thing, and could never straighten it out, he
hemmed and hawed and nearly exploded in
consternation and confusion, causing the en-
tire party to break into a shout of laughter,

As the merriment subsided, the’jolly’ girl
exclaimed :

After all, though,
beauty is but skin deep.” :

“You flatter me, sir!

“Just so,” gurgled Bruce, “but just think
what a host of girls there are who haven't it
half that deep.”

“That lets you out, Browning,” said
Merry. “You were in so deep that I thought ,
you’d go under sure.”

’

“The trouble with me,’ explained the lazy
giant, “is that I’m bothered with sleepless
nights, and I sometimes talk in my sleep day-
times. Now, what is a good thing for sleep-
lessness ?” "

“A shot-gun,” replied Badger.

“Shot-gun ?”

“Yes. J was troubled that way tlll I shot
five or six cats. Now I am completely cured.”

“What troubles me more than anything

else,” put in Dashleigh, “is thoughts of the _

coming exams. It’s a constant horror to me.”

we

 

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a ee eee eee eee.

TIP TOP

“Do the questions .bother you?” asked
Badger.

“Oh, no!” declared Bert. “The questions
are quite clear. It’s the answers that bother
ine.

They could not restrain thei: laughter, for
Dashleigh had said this in a most mirth-
provoking manner.

Then somebody spoke of Jack Diamond
having gone abroad, and the conversation
drifted to. marine matters, and vessels and
ocean liners.

“Are there many barks on the ocean now ?”
questioned Inza, turning to Frank.

“Only those of the ocean greyhound,” an-
swered Merry, with a sad, sweet smile that
caused Dashleigh to nearly slip out of his
chair and disappear beneath the table.

~ So, with joking and laughter, the feast
progressed; but for Frank the one person
who would have made the occasion a per-
fect one was absent; and, although he tried to
conceal the fact, his thoughts were turning to
Elsie. At length Inza spoke of her.

“Why do you suppose she is not here,
Frank?” she asked in a low tone, under cover
of the chatter of conversation. “I do not
understand it.” Te a

“T’m afraid,” confessed Frank, “that she
has been hurt or offended by something.”

“How ?” whispered the dark-eyed girl. “I

99

 

don’t understand

“You know she ran up-stairs ahead of
Buck and Winnie.”

Ves 9

, a &

“And one of the doors to my rooms was
open.”

“Ves 9?

“We were in that room, looking at some
pictures by the window.”

“And she saw us; that may be true,” said

Inza. “She is a sensitive little soul. Frank,

you must find her—you must bring her to me.
She is somewhere in New Haven. Find her

WEEKLY. 13

to-night. Just because we happened to be
speaking of the past, which is gone forever,
is no reason why we should make Elsie un-
happy. I'll give her cause for happiness,
Frank. Bring her to me.”

“T will!’ he exclaimed, with suppressed
earnestness. “I'll make my excuses and leave
as soon as dinner is over.”

Badger was on his feet, making a speech
in his blunt, straightforward way. He ex-
tolled Yale and Frank Merriwell. He spoke
of the grand victories of the eleven under
command of Merry. Then he told how much
he owed to the friendship, and influence of
Merriwell, till, at last, Frank laughingly en-
treated him to stop.

“Well, Dll stop,” said Buck, “but I want
everybody here to drink with me to the
health of Frank Merriwell, the squarest,
whitest, manliest man that ever lived!”

The glasses had been filled with punch, and
they all rose to drink the toast.

Frank bowed his thanks, feeling his face
grow. warm, despite the fact that he had seen
much of the world-and been greeted with ap-
plause and admiration in many places.

“My friends” he said, “nothing could
touch me more than such a tribute of esteem
from a Yale man, one who has been an open
and honorable foe in the past and is now
just as enthusiastic in his friendship toward
me. From the lips of any other man the
compliment could not mean as much.”

“When Buck says a thing he means it,”
declared Winnie, with a took of admiration
toward her husband.

Then Merry made a brief speech, in which
he referred to the days of toil and struggle
and ambition at colfege—happy days, now
nearly over for him.

“One of the greatest and proudest achieve-
ments,” he asserted, “something I prize
above all things, is the fact that I have made
here at Yale so many stanch, true fricnds.” |

 

 
a £

 

 

- desolation.

14 TIP TOP WEEKLY.

When dinner was over, they returned to the
parlor, where Dashleigh tuned up his mando-
lin, and there were music and singing and a
good time generally. Winnie sat down to the
piano, and the others gathered round. The
old college songs were sung one after an-
other, Starbright joining in with his magnifi-
cent bass voice.

Frank had excused himself to Winnie, tell-
ing her why he was going to leave, and, in
the midst of the singing, he went out quietly
with Buck, who helped him on with his coat
in the hall, gave him a hearty hand-clasp
and wished him luck in his search for Elsie.

As he was about to leave, Merry glanced
back on the happy party in the parlor. He
saw Starbright bending over Inza to look
through some music, saw her smile up at him
when he said something in a low tone; and,
with this picture in his mind, he went out
into the frosty December night.

CHAPTER VI.
FRANK MERRIWELL’S HEART.

Frank’s quest for Elsie was vain, but he

- found she had been stopping at one of the

hotels. Her name was on theeregister. When
he asked for her, however, he was informed
that she had left that day. The clerk could
not tell him whither she had gone, save ‘iat
her trunk had been taken to the ra:iway sta-
tion. But this was enough to make him feel
certain she had left New Haven.

There was a rain 1 b’rank’s heart when he
turned towaic ).c rooms in Vanderbilt.

Quite alone, he paused by the fence. There
were lights all about him in the windows of
the college buildings. A few were dark and
unlighted, but it was the gleam of the lighted
ones that gave him a feeling of sadness ‘and
He knew many of the students
had started for their homes that night, while

_to-morrow there would be a grand exodus.

Going home! The thought thrilled ‘the vi-

\

    

brating chords of his heart. He had no
home to which he could go.

The sky was thickly studded with stars,
gazing down upon him like a million gleam-
ing eyes. He leaned on the fence and gazed
up at them, and he fancied they gave him
their sympathy.

“Elsie!” he murmured; “where are you?
Why did you leave me without a word?”

Many, many times, he had lingered there
at the fence, with stanch, true friends about

him. It was there he had discussed football,

baseball, sports of all kinds, and talked over :

the gossip of, the college.

Now he was alone!

Finally he turned toward Vanderbilt and
climbed the stairs to his room. This was his
only home, but now it seemed lonely and de-
serted. *

He lighted the gas in his study and stood
there looking around. It was a pleasant room,
yet the time was approaching when it would
know him ne more. The walls were adorned
with pictures, flags, photographs and the
many curios he had gathered in his wander-
ings about the world. His desk was standing
open, the pigeon-holes stuffed with the vari-
ous things which were of value to him alone.
There were papers and letters upon it. Be-
fore it stood the-office chair, with an easy
rocker close at hand. -In a window alcove
was a long easy seat, piled high with cush-
ions. Over the, window in big white letters
was the word, “Yale.” Magic word, dear
to the heart of every loyal lover of Old Eli!
. Near the window was the well-filled book-
case, containing many well-thumbed  vol-

umes. Through the. portieres he could look

into the adjoining room and see the square

table on which-lay the photographs he had
inspected in company with Inza.
_Frank sat down in the rocker and fell to
thinking gf many things, but his mind would
always revert to Elsie and her strange and
hurried flight from New Haven.

 

 

 
ee

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ithe

 

TU erty ene Se te

Saatadeehatepapices toast ane eee a eeietien ee alters. eer

4

TIP TOP

“The time has come!” he finally exclaimed,
“This is my last year at college, and soon I
must go out into the world for myself. I
must choose between Elsie and Inza.  Per-
haps I have done wrong not to choose before,
but the friendship of both girls has been very
dear to me.”

He paced the room, his mind filled with
He

saw before him Elsie’s sweet, smiling face,

thoughts of both the charming girls.

crowned with golden curls, he felt the touch

of her soft, sympathetic hand, héard the
music of her voice, and his heart yearned
for her. Then came Inza—dark-eyed, dark-
haired, dashing, handsome,  self-possessed
and magnetic. He felt the spell of her pow-
erful influence, and it seemed that she was
trying to crowd gentle, modest Elsie out of
his heart.

Then he remembered her as he had last
seen her, smiling up into the face of Dick
Starbright. He shrugged his broad should-
ers and continued to pace the room.

There was a knock on the door, and a
messenger boy stood outside.

“Beer here twice before, sir,’” said the

boy. “Lady said I must give the letter to
yer to-night, sure.”

Frank took it and gave the boy a quarter.
Then, having closed the door, as the mes-
senger had said there would be no reply, he
hastened to tear open the envelope.

Frank’s fingers trembled a little and his
heart pounded violently in his throat. He
saw his name written on the envelope.

“From Elsie!’ he murmured, hoarsely.

The message was brief, and this is what he
read:

“DEAR FRANK :—I know you will think it strange
that I changed my mind so suddenly about seeing
you, and have leit New Haven. I meant to come
to you and tell you that in the future we were to
be nothing but friends, but my heart failed me at
the last moment. Not because I changed my

mind on that point, but because I knew it would
be very unpleasant for us both. I have been con-

.

canara

WEEKLY. 15

templating this fom some time, as I have a very
good reason for it. “I know you do not care to
claim me as anything more than a frend, if such
a tie would be obnoxious to me. Good-by, Frank!
I wish -you all the happiness you deserve, and
that is all the world can give you. I shall write’
to Inza. ELstIg,”

He stood and stared at the writing for a
long time, now and then lifting a hand to
brush back his hair. He read it over and
over, seeking to discover a hidden meaning
in the words.

Finally he crushed the sheet of paper in
one hand and flung it from him.

“Tt is her choice!” he exclaimed. “I would
not force her to care for me against her will
+I could not if I would! I believe I under-
stand what is back of this. She has met
some one else for whom she cares more than
for me. She speaks of a closer tie than
mere friendship between us being obnoxious
to her, and there is no other explanation. All
right, Elsie!

You wish me happiness! I'll have it—with

1?

I suppose it is as it should be.

Inza

His mind was made up in that moment.
Elsie was thrust from his mental vision, and
Inza, radiant and beautiful, rose like a queen
before him.

“Inza!” he murmured. “Perhaps it is
best. You—you were the sweetheart of my
boyhood days. Fate must have intended you
for me.” j

Up and down the room he strode, his breast
heaving, his cheeks flushed.

“Starbright,” he laughed, “you'll have to

‘stand aside, old fellow! I can’t have you take

her from me! You know, and I hardly think
you'll object. Tl find her at your home, .
and, during these merry holidays, I’ll win
her promise to be mine forever.”

He fancied the struggle was over, and he
flung open his window to admit the cold
night air. It fanned his hot forehead, and
he drank it in with long, deep breaths.

Leaning on the window-sill, he looked out

Ne er a maeggemeny eerpamtrae . _
= ere

 
a

16 EE Lor

upon the campus, where a solitary student
walked hastily along, the frosty ground seem-
ing to creak and complain beneath his feet.

Then he turned back into the room, closing
the window. A moment he stood looking
down at Elsie’s crumpled note. Suddenly a
quiver ran over him, and he stooped, picked
up the paper, smoothed it out and thrust it

into a pocket near his heart.

CHAPTER VII.
DICK STARBRIGHT’S HOME,

“On the southeastern shore of Seneca Lake,
not many miles from the little village of Bur-
dett, stood the handsome home of the Star-
brights. Old Captain Starbright had pur-
chased this splendid country place, intending
to settle down there some time, far from
sight and sound of the grim and _ restless
ecean, to spend the latter part of his life in
peace and quietude. But his dream of peace-
ful old age in the bosom of his family had
never been fealized, for he died in the cabin
of his vessel far from his native land. Gos-

sip said he drank himself to death.

However, he had made a comfortable for-:

tune, and the home he left to his widow and
children was an ideal one. He had enlarged
and remodeled the old country house till it
was regarded by the neighbors as a veritable
palace. He had spent large sums on the sur-
rounding grounds, and his landscape garden-
ing was the wonder and awe of the plain
people of that section of the country. Not
a few of them declared he was determined to
bankrupt himself by his foolish extravagance
in these matters; but the result of his labors
was pleasing to the eye, to say the least.

The homestead was situated on a hill that

sloped gently westward to the shore of the

lake, where the captain built a handsome boat-
house.

From Watkins, on the south, to Geneva, on
the north, Seneca Lake is fifty miles long,

:

WEEKLY.

. &
and there is plenty of yachting to be had,

for which purpose the old mariner purchased
a handsome sloop, and Dick had been taught
to handle her with the skill of a veteran.
There were rowboats and canoes, and
both Dick and his younger brother, Phil, had
built up the muscles of their arms and backs

pulling at the oar and paddle.

Jut now the lake was frozen over from end

to end by the week of cold weather before
the holidays, and sailing and boating could
not be enjoyed.

There, was plenty of skating, however, and
Phil had an ice-boat, which he had con-
structed with his own hands, aided a little by
Dick.

Dick’s mother was a handsome, kind-faced
lady, refined and sad in her manner, although
her sadness was not of the oppressive, “fune-
ral’? sort, and her face could light up with a

smile that was like a golden sunburst.

She was very protid of her two boys, and

of big He was

g, manly Dick in particular. ,

so much like her husband as she had known
him in his younger days. Yes, Dick was like
him in many respects, yet she could see that
he was finer-grained, for the old sailor had
been somewhat blunt and bluff in his ways.
No wonder Dick was finer-grained, for it
were impossible for him to be otherwise with
such a mother. Her influence had been over
him always, and she was to him the type of

perfect womanhood.

She liked to think of him as like her hus-

band in his youthful days, and- yet that
thought brought to her sometimes one great
fear.
Captain Starbright had been beset by one
great weakness—his love for strong drink.
All his life he had fought against it, but it
had conquered him at last and cut short his
that

Dick’s mother was that sometime her elder

days. The one great fear haunted

son might fall beneath the ban of intemper-

»

 

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ance; but from the time little Dick knelt at

her knee to lisp his bedtime prayers she had

sought to instill in his mind a loathing and

repulsion for the demon of strong drink.

Phil Starbright regarded his brother as
just about “the proper thing’”’ in every way.
Phil was slenderer and more like his mother,
and Dick seemed to him a marvel of strength,
courage and energy. At school there had
never been a fellow who could whip Dick,
and whenever Phil was in trouble Dick could
easily and readily be summoned to help him
out.

Phil, also, was fitting for Yale. At An-
dover he had read with breathless interest
the accounts of the Yale football games, in
which Dick had taken part; and his pride
swelled and grew when report after report
told of the marvelous playing of the young
freshman giant who was known as.the pro-
tegé of Frank Merriwell.

“Frank Merriwell! Phil had heard of him
many times before Dick went to Yale; he
had talked of him to Dick, and he had
longed to see the most famous college man
When Dick wrote to Phil,

telling of his meeting with Merriwell and

in the country.

how kind Merriwell had been to him, the
younger brother felt like turning somer-
saults and yelling with joy.

And then, just before the holidays, Phil re-
ceived a letter, in which Dick said he had in-
vited Merriwell and a number of his friends
to spend a portion of the vacation at the Star-
bright home, which invitation had been ac-
cepted.

Phil came near having a fit. At last he
! The day that he
had. dreamed of was coming!

With a bounding, eager heart the An-

would see Frank Merriwell

‘dover lad packed up and started for home,

for he could get off a day sooner than Dick,
and he wished to have everything ready to

receive his brother’s guests in the proper

manner.

WEEKLY.

17

Thus it came about that Merry, Browning,

Ready and Dashleigh were warmly welcomed

~

ry e on Seneca Lake.

.

at the fine old coun
And Phil’s heart ceased to beat for a mo-
ment when’ Frank Merriwell pressed his
hand and said he was glad to know Dick’s
brother.

Mrs. Starbright was so happy that the sad”

look had fled from her face, and she quickly
made them all feel quite at home.

“You must blame Dick for bringing such a
crowd along, Mrs. Starbright,” said Merry
“He would make us come.”

“And I am very, very glad he did,” she
earnestly declared, in a way that left no doubt
of her sincerity. “He has written me about
all of you, particularly of you, Mr. Merriwell.
I think I’ve hardly ever received a letter from
him in which he has not made some reference
to you. You were very kind to him, and I
have much to thank you for.”

y 0

“And I,” said Ready, “I have been very

kind to him, also. He will tell you how I
have entertained him as a suse: should
entertain a freshman. Oh, I have labored
with him mafiy a night.” .
“for helping

“Thank you, too,” she said,

o
him nights with his studies. I am sure I ap-
preciate it,.Mr. Ready.”

“With his studies!”

care she did not hear. “Oh, my! Wouldn’t

gasped Ja ck, taking

that kill you! Think of a sophomore help-
ing a freshman with his studies! I’ve help-
ed him do a jolly turn at Billie’s; I’ve march-
ed him about the cdinpus in his pajamas, and
I’ve trained him through the streets with his
left trousers’ leg rolled to the knee and a
broom on his shoulder for a gun; but helped

him with his studies—oh, Laura!”

ce

But.these are not all, mother,” laughed

Dick. “There are more coming. To-morrow
two young ladies and two gentlemen will ar-
rive. One of the gentlemen is the father’ cf

one of the young ladies, while the other gen-

  
 

   

18 TIP TOP

tieman is the huSband of the other young
lady. The old house will be filled, and we
won't do a thing!”

l roo for

“T think we'll be able to find

everybody,” she said. “The holidays are to
be very happy for me, I’m sure.”

“Tl hope she’s provided plenty of fodder for
srowning.

the herd,” whispered Ready to

“T’m hollow as—as your head.”

“Now, don’t try to get funny at my ex-
pense,” warned the big senior. “I’m hungry
myself, and I don’t feel like being made a
fool of.”

“It would be hard to improve on what na-
ture did for you in that respect,’ murmured
the irrepressible sophomore.

The boys were shown up to large, pleas-
prepared fot

ant rooms, which had _ been

them. The rooms were warm and comfor-
table, and they were told to make themselves
quite at home.

Frank and Bruce were given a room to-
_ gether, but there were two old-fashioned beds
in it, and it opened into another and smaller
room that was designated for Ready.

“Thank goodness!” said Jack, when he
found he was to have a room by himself. “T’ll
not have to sleep in the same apartment with
Browning. If I did, by the gods of Olym-
pus! I’d get a clothes-pin and place it strad-
dle of his nose to keep him from snoring.
His snore is one of the most frightful things
I ever encountered. Yea, verily! I know,
for I’ve listened to it in the stilly hours of
many an awful night, and it has filled me
with despair and an intense desire to do black
murder.”

“Oh, shut up and get into your own quar-
ters!” growled Bruce. “Your mouth must be
tired. It’s been going yawp! yawp! yawp!
ever since we left New Haven. You're the
worst case of talk-and-say-nothing I[ ever
knew. ;

‘Refuse me!” chirped Ready, bowing low.

 

wren

WEEKLY.

“T happened to be built that way. It soothes
my nerves to work»my jaw.”

“But it tears up the nerves of everybody
within hearing,’ declared Bruce.

“Well, here we are, fellows,” said Frank,
cheerfully. “Starbright has a splendid home
and a beautiful mother. I’m glad I came.”

“Wait till I get down to the supper-table
and I'll tell you better whether I’m glad or
not,

’ said Jack. “I wonder if they’ve really

got enough for us to eat. Even a railroad
sandwich would have no terrors for me now.”
CHAPTER VIII.
A BILLIARD MATCH.

Winnie and Inza, with Buck and Mr. Bur-
rage, arrived the following day and found
an enthusiastic lot of young men there at the
Starbright homestead.

Frank was the first to meet Inza, and he
gave her hand a warm pressure, while tell-
ing her how glad he was that she had come.

“We'll have a glorious time here,” he de-

“er

clared. Che finest old place in all New

York!

regular gymmnasium—oh, but old

A billiard-room, a bowling-alley, a
Captain
Starbright knew how to lay out his money to
make an ideal home! And Dick’s mother—
one of the gentlest mothers in the world.
She'll make you welcome, you may be sure.”

She did; she took the girls to her heart
and said those things which only a woman
like her would know how to say to make
them feel how glad she was to see them. In
a-moment they were at their ease.

She shook hands with Buck and Mr. Bur-
tage. Something ‘she said to the young
Westerner, giving Winnie a glance, brought
the color to Buck’s face and

throw hack his shoulders and look very
proud,

3rowning, with his hunger abated, smok-
ing a fat pipe, was comfortable and at his

ease ; but not even the sating of Ready’s hun-

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TIP TOP WHEKLY. 19

ger had toned him down. He was the same

happy-go-lucky, talkative, joking chap.
“The happy family has assembled at last,”

“We're all here, Mrs. Star-

bright, anti now we'll proceed to eat you out

he proclaimed.
of house and home. Oh, we'll have a good
time reducing you to poverty! My! my! but
I’m glad I came. Badger, you should have
seen the old-fashioned plum pudding we had

Sut

for supper last night. It was a peach! Ff
I only got about half of it before Browning
annihilated the other half.”

“Don’t try so

“Huah!’ erunted Bruce.
>

hard to be funny.”

“Oh,” said Dashleigh, “some of Ready’s
jokes last night were really and truly funny.
They would have made a donkey laugh.
Why, I actually laughed till I cried.”

Then Bert grew furiously ted when every-
body shouted, nor did his confusion abate
when afterward Ready seriously addressed
him as “The Donkey.” .

Mrs. Starbright took charge of the girls.
Mr. Burrage was very weary and retired to
his room for a brief rest. After washing
his face and hands and brushing his clothes,
Buck was ready to be shown about the place,

and Dick took charge of him.
That afternoon Dick challenged Frank to
a game of billiards, and the party assembled
in the billiard-room to witness the match.
“Oh, Richard, my boy, you are up against

the real thing now,” chirped Ready. “Going

to play a hundred points, eight-inch balk?,

He'll beat you fifty points, or I'll eat my hat!
But you should see me play! I’m the bird
at that game. Why, I’ve ‘often run two
points without stopping.”

Merry was a trifle rusty with his billiards,
and he tinked the balls round a little to get

‘used to the table, which he found was very

fast, as he was able to make nine cushions
on it at a single stroke. \

“T’ll tell you what,” laughed Starbright,

cc

his eyes flashing, “let’s. play for something to
make it interesting. Wall you do it?”

“Well, that’s according to what you mean,”
smiled Frank.

“Oh, say a thousand dollars,” suggested
Ready, carelessly. “I'll offer that sum as a
purse. It’s a mere nothing to me.”

“TI do not mean that we are to bet oa the

vame,”’ explained Dick. “But if there were a

9”

 

prize of some sort

He paused and looked at Inza.

“Can’t you suggest something?” he asked.

She smiled back at him, and then, roguish-
ly, she said:

“Oh, I might Suggest something—if it
would be worth struggling for.”

“Name it!’.cried Frank and Dick in a
breath.
*“To-morrow we are to have a sleighing
party.”

LCR

“Well, I will go in the sleigh of the one
who wins this match. What do you say to
that?”

There was a brief pause, then both fel-
lows cried:

“Done !”

“Oh, say!’ cried Ready; “let me into this!
With such a prize in view, I can wipe you
both off the map! Give mea cue.” z

“Your cue is to keep quiet,’ rumbled

Browning, who was seated in a big, easy

« . =. . .
chair, placidly looking on. ‘

The halk lines were freshly drawn, Frank
was given his choice of cues, and then the
contestants prepared to “string” for the
start.

’

“Frank,” murmured Dick, “Pm going to
beat you if it is in me. You will have to play
your best. I give you fair warning.”

“All right,” Merry nodded. “It is a battle

to’the finish.”

They sent the ivories rolling down the ta-
ble to rebound from the lower cushion and

 

 
  
    
  
   
   
   
  
  
    
    
 
    
  
 
 
 
    
  
    
   
  
   
    
 

  
  

  

 

   

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20 TIP TOP

come gently back, side by side. All waited

They rolled

anxiously for the balls to stop.
up to the head cushion, against which they
lodged and “froze.”

» lie,” declared Bruce. “You'll have to
try it over.”

They did so, and on the second trial Dick
obtained a slight advantage, which gave him
the lead. Merriwell “set off,” making the
initial shot as difficult as possible for his
rival; but Dick placed his ball, took great
pains, and scored with the first try. :

“Good eye!” nodded Merry, approvingly.
“But you've got another hard one.”

Frank was wondering just how skillful his
antagonist would prove to be, and he watch-
ed closely the manner in which Starbright
made his first shots.

Dick studied the positions of the balls a
moment, and then made a skillful draw that
brought them together in a group. |

Immediately, Merry understood that he
had no easy task before him. He saw on
Dick’s face a look oi resolution and determi-
nation, and he knew the big freshman would
play as if for his very life.

“He means to win the privilege of having
Inza in his sleigh—if he can,” thought
Frank. “That's plain enough. A careless
stroke or the least let up on my part may
mean defeat.” |

He knew now that-he must be on his met-
tle to the very finish. Glancing toward Inza,
he saw her dark eyes were fastened on Dick,
and she was watching the play with breath-
less interest that seemed anxiety.

“Ts it possible she wishes him to win?”
Frank asked himself. “It almost seems so.
If I thought it, he should win, even were I
able to defeat him.”

But his heart rebelled against the thought,

aud again he resolved to play the match at

his best.

Having the balls together, Starbright pro-

hand
¥

WEEKLY.

ceeded to nurse them in a skillful manner,
running thirteen points, and then missing
an easy masse.

“Oh!”

breath.

exclaimed Inza, with a catch of her
“You stopped at thirteen! That’s
an unlucky number.”

Then, in a moment, she laughed merrily,
warning Frank to take care to make as many
as thirteen.

With his cue properly chalked, Merry
started in. Fortunately, the ivories lay well
for him, and he ran off point after point
with care and still with swiftness till he had
made thirty-one. Then he missed on an ef-

fort to gather them in a corner.

“That is thirteen turned round,’ he

laughed; “but it may be just as unlucky.”

“I'd rather take my chances on it,” de-
clared Dick.

Starbright seemed to have the balls in a
good position, and again he began playing
with care—too much care, perhaps, for he
missed with his third shot.

“Oh!” again came from Inza’s lips. “I
don't believe you’re even going to make it
interesting.”

“Tm afraid not,” admitted Dick, with a
tone of the utmost regret. “But you may
te sure I shall do my best.”

Frank ran seventeen mare points before
missing, making him forty-eight in all,
while Dick had only fifteen.

There was a look of grim determination
on Dick’s face as he began again.

“Get into the game and make a touch-

93

down,” urged Ready. “What are we pay-

ing our money for! With such a prize in
view, I could run a hundred—feet. Oh, you
should see me dally with the ivories! It
is a sight to make the gods weep.”

Dick took pains.
‘and every play was made in view of the
one to follow. He got the balls across the
line at one corner and worked them there

He studied his shots,”

 

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with great skill, beginning to pile up point
alter point. His playing brought applause,
Merry giving it as readily and honestly as
the others.

Ten—twenty points he ran without a
break. It was a grand exhibition of skill.
Triza was watching with intense earnestness,
end again Merry fancied she might be anx-
ious for Dick to win. Then, at a critical
point, came a mis-cue, and Dick’s run came
to an end with him just three points behind
Frank.

?

“You gave mea shock then,” confessed

Merry, as he made ready to play. “You
had ’em going, and I didn’t know that you
were ever going to stop.”

“It was my opportunity,” declared Star-

bright, regretfully. “If I] had not made that

mis-cue!”’

“That’s the way in this world,” -philoso-
phized Ready. “Just as we have the balls
rolling our way and everything looks bright
and radiant, we slip a cog and fall down
with a slam. It’s sad and disgusting, but
true—alas!”

“Will

smother him,” mumbled Browning. “Makes

somebody be good enough to

me think of Dismal Jones.”
“Hat! ha!” laughed Jack, with his old flip-

pant air. “Refuse me! Let’s be merry.

Why does a chicken cross the road? Don't
hit me! My fingers are crossed.”

Frank had seen enough to know now that

' Starbright was a brilliant billiard-player, and

more than ever he was determined to do his
level best.

Nevertheless, as before stated,, Merry was

somewhat rusty, and thus it happened that
he missed his fifth shot by a fraction of an

inch,

“Now’s your chance, Dick!” exclaimed
Dashleigh, who was acting as marker. “You

_ ¢an get the lead right here.”
The balls lay very hard, one being hard

    

TOP WEEKLY. 21

against the cushion at the head of the table
about a foot from the corner, while the other
was close up in the opposite corner at the
saine end of the table. The cue ball was
near the middle of the table, although some-
what to the side on which lay the dark red
in the corner.

“You can’t make that, Starbright,” as-
serted Browning. “I don’t believe it can be
mrade.”’

“Oh, there is a way to make any shot on
the table; Frank asserted.

But Dick was not so sure of succeeding
in this case. He took great pains, playing
on the top of the cue-ball and driving to-
ward the spot-white, which lay against the
cushion a foot from the corner, giving slight
English toward the red, but. striking the
spot-white a little past center on the side
opposite the red. The cue-ball rebounded in
an arc from the spot-white to the nearest side
cushion, which it struck about nine inches
from the end of the table, curving gracefully
into the corner and hitting the dark red.

It was a handsome shot, and Merriwell
gave a cry of admiration and approval.

“That reminds me of my playing,” mur-
Ready. “It is so different,

mured you

know.”

« Inza gave Dick a smile of admiring ap-
proval, which did not escape Frank’s keen
eyes.

But the balls remained separated,. and
Starbright’s success and the applause that
had greeted the feat seemed to rattle the big
freshman, so that he missed the very next
shot.

“I must get them together and hold
them,” thought Frank. . “No fancy playing
in this. The fellow might run forty or fifty
any minute, and that would be my Water-

39

loo.

However, his effort to bring the balls to-
gether caused him to miss the very first at- °

  
 

22 TIP TOP

tempt, and left the ivories for Starbright,
everything being favorable.

Thinking of the prize for which they were
contending had made Dick nervous, despite
the fact that he had.always fancied his nerves
were like iron. The glances. he had received
from Inza had added to his nervousness, so
that he-discovered his hand was shaking a
trifle,

Immediately he braced up, not wishing
any one to discover that he was in that con-
He

ments, though inwardly eager and in haste.

dition. was deliberate in his move-
The first shot attempted was made by a-
rank scratch, although he made no sign that

In-

stead of rattling him more, the shock of

he had not tried for it in that manner.

getting the point after he thought he had
He

looked toward Inza as he came round the

inissed it served to steady his nerves.
table. Their eyes met, and he fancied she
was urging him to do his best.

“T will!” he resolved. “I am going to win!
I’ll beat Frank Merriwell at something!”

Dick’s vith
breathless interest, being more excited than
He longed

brother was looking on

the big college man, if possible.
for Dick to come off victor, yet fancied such

a thing could not happen, with Frank Mer-.

~

riwell for an opponent.

That look from Inza aided in giving Star-
bright courage.
with remarkable skill, making another beau-
tiful run, reeling off point after point.

Phil Starbright could scarcely kéep still.
He wanted to dance and shout when Dick
passed Frank and took the lead.

Browning looked on in amazed silence,
while Ready gasped:

“What's this? what’s this? I fear me much
the result is to be a surprise. Be stiil, my
fluttering heart, be still!”

“T believe Mr. Starbright is going to beat
Frank!” whispered Winnie to Buck.

He swung into the work

 

WEEKLY.

“None whatever!” returned the Westerner.
“Don’t get that idea into. your head, girl.
I’ve seen Frank Merriweil before, and he’s
never beaten till the game is ended. He has

nerves, while the big fellow is unsteady and

liable to go into the air any minute. You
hear me!”

Starbright ran eighteen points, which
gave him a lead of twelve.

“Now, Merry, old man,” urged Buck,
“get into. gear and do your pretty work.

We know you’re a bit out of practice, but
just show us how you can play at any old
game when you have to play.”

Not a word did Frank say, though he
smiled faintly at Badger. He began by
making three difficult shots, the third one
bunching the balls. Then he played in
splended form till he had added nineteen to
the three, making a run of twenty-two,
which turned the tables on Starbright, leav-
ing Merry ten in the lead.

Dick missed his first effort, and Frank
was given the balls again. He sought to
get them together for a run, and the at-
tempt caused him to fail to count with his
second shot.

9

“You want only eleven to tie, Dick!” pal-

pitated Phil. “You can get em. I’ve known
you to run thirty.”

Once more Starbright tried to steady his
‘nerves and play with the coolness that was
a featuré of Merriwell’s work. Somehow
that coolness made the big fellow feel sure
that under ordinary circumstances. Frank
would completely outrank him at billiards.
But the prize lured Starbright to do his best.
That Christmas sleigh-ride with Inza was
something worth working for..

Click,
tapped off the points, Dashleigh counting the
buttons as he slid them along the wire.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven—ha!
at last the ivories rolled hard and lay in an

click, click—the big fréshman

extremely difficult position.

pS EB a

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TIP TOP

Pausing to study the shot, Dick heard
Badger whisper to Winnie that he must
surely miss. é

“TI won't miss!” he mentally cried.

Then, with his utmost skill and nerve, he
played a cushion-carrom shot and counted.

“Good blood!” exclaimed Frank, promptly
leading the applause.

Dick wiped the perspiration from his face.
Not even the strain and thrill and excite-
ment of a football game could set his nerves
on edge like this.

Inza’s laugh caused him to thrill with

pleasure.

“She’s glad I made it!” he told himself.

“Now | know I’m going to win!”

Having succeeded at that critical point, -

Dick soon brought the bails together, as-
tonishing himself by his skill in this respect.
Never before had he made so many hard
shorts with absolute confidence, and the wit-
nesses of his work were breathless with sus-
pense.

“He, is going to win!” breathed Winnie,
clutching Buck’s arm.

“Don't you believe it!” returned the West-
erner, stiffly. “Frank won’t let him win.”

Ten points, fifteen, twenty, twenty-five—
no, he failed on the twenty-fifth.

“Highty-eight points to Merry’s seventy-

five,” announced Dashleigh. “You’re just
thirteen ahead, Dick.’

“Thirteen?” exclaimed the freshman, with
a start of annoyance.

“The fatal

Inza, but she laughed.

number again!” exclaimed

“Here’s where you have to do it, if vou’re

going to do it at all, Merry,’’ said Brown-

ing. “Twelve more points lets Starbright
out, and you'll ride with me to-morrow, in-

stead of with Inza.”

Frank needed twenty-five, and he started
in to make them, but the balls pérsisted in

_ Tunning hard, despite his greatest care.

 

 

ae eke en

op arate ere een epson a seedy cada et Panam R Rta Eee the eprteta ven a

WEEKLY. 23

Time after time he came near missing, but
not till he had scored ninety-four buttons
in all did he fail to count.

“Hard luck!” growled Browning.

“Now, Dick!” cried Phil; “this is your
chan¢e, and you must do the trick.”

Starbright did not dare to glance toward
Inza again; but, fancying she was watching
him and wishing for his success, he began
the task of trying to run out.

The first shot was a close shave, the cue-
ball barely brushing one of the object balis.
Indeed, Browning fancied Dick had missed,
but Frank promptly declared he had plainly
Dick
thanked him and proceeded with the play.

seen the shot, and it was a fair count.

However, he was extremely anxious and ex-
cited, and his anxiety increased as he passed
ninety, crept up to ninety-five and then found
himself drawing close onto the end of the
string.

The silence was intense. Indeed, it was
so great that it began to oppress Dick, and
he longed for the spectators to talk, laugh
or do something. He was tingling from his
head to his heels.

Ninety-six, ninety-seven, ninety-eight—
only two points to make.

“T told you!” whispered Winnie to Buck,
“He has beaten Frank!”
“Not yet!” returned the unshaken Kansan.

in disappointment.

“Tf he beats Merry, he'll be the first galoot
te do the trick in a long time. He won’t!’
Ninety-nine! °
One point more to be made!
Merriwell!”
“He'll

“Nobody can beat Frank

huskily whispered Buck to his wife.

miss this shot and Merry will win.”

The silence was so great that Starbright
heard Badger’s words just as he was on the '
point of trying to score the final butten. He
was struck with the conviction that he must
miss—that it would be a marvel for him to
defeat Frank Merriwell.

   

 
 

 

  
  
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
  
 
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
 
   
  
 
 
  
 

24.
He missed!
“Well,” said
breaths were heard on every side,

Merriwell, quietly, as deep
“you made
a handsome try for it, and that was a case
of hard luck. I’ve got to make six, and I
may slip up on doing that.”

Starbright’s failure at the critical point
left him shaking all over. His last faint
hope was that Merry might fail, but Frank
played with care, precision and coolness, and
slowly but surely scored the six points he
needed, winning the match.

“Miss Burrage,” cried Frank, “remember
your promise.”

Her merry laugh rang out. ~

“T’ll not forget it,” “but there
was a time when I thought I'd surely ride
with Dick.”

That laugh cut Starbright, for it seemed

she said;

full of satisfaction and relief.
‘She

and

“T guess it’s all right!” he thought.
wanted to ride with him all the time,
she thought he’d beat me more than he did.

She is glad I lost!’

CHAPTER IX.
BOWLING.

A merry Christmas it was there at Star-
bright’s. The sleighing party was enjoyed
by all who took part, and never had Inza
seemed merrier and brighter than on that oc-
_casion. She laughed and sang and joked;
but Frank observed that she was not in the
least sentffmentai, and she took pains to turn
the conversation into another channel when
She

seemed to enjoy talking of Dick, his home

it approached a dangerous point.

and his beautiful mother. Somehow these
thoughts did not please Merry, but he be-
trayed nothing of the sort, and he spoke
words of highest enthusiasm about Star-
bright.

The dinner party that night was one never

to be forgotten. The table was decorated

   

TIP TOP WEEKLY.

with flowers and evergreens, the lights were
softened and shaded, and Jack Ready de-
clared the turkey was a “feast for the woozy
old gods.”

out with a new batch of

Ready came

jokes, some of them fresh and some ‘“‘bear-

ing whiskers.” Merriwell made a happy
speech, and Browning ate till his ravenous

hunger was completely sated.

Then there was singing and music and a
good time generally. There was no Christ-
mas tree, but the surprise came in the form
of a table-load of presents found in a room
Mrs.

No one had been slighted,

to which all were finally invited by
Starbright.
everybody had been remembered, and all de-
clared they received just what they wanted
more than anything else in the. world, which

probably was an exaggeration in many in-

stances.

On entering the room, Frank had ob-

served a bit of mistletoe suspended from the
At last,

directly beneath it, and, in a moment, Merry

chandelier. [Inza innocently paused
had her in his arms, claiming the privilege
of a kiss.

But Dick had been equally observant, and
he was on hand at the same instant.

Quick as a flash, she held them both off,
laughing merrily.

The others shouted and told her she could
not escape paying the forfeit.

“But what am I to do?” she asked, blush-
ing crimson. “Both these rude chaps seized
me at the same moment, and both claim they

were first.”

“Oh,
“Why didn’t I have my eyes open and get
It was evér thus! I’m getting to

but I’m slow!” exclaimed Ready.

into that?”

‘be a retired number.”

“T don’t see but you'll have to surrender
to both, Inza,”’ laughed Winnie.

“Oh, *I° can’t do that,”? «she ee
“They must ware it between them some-

  

 

 

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how. Till they do, let both keep their dis-
tance.”

Then she skipped away from them, leav-
ing them standing there, face to face.

Dick looked straight into Frank’s eyes,
smiling a bit, but there was a challenge in
his aspect and look. More than ever Merry
realized that this big, fair-haired youth was a

rival at whom it were folly to scoff.

“How shall we settle it?” asked Merriwell,
pleasantly.
Dicks

“Another game of billiards,” suggested
Ready. “That’s the trick! Ah! it takes me
to solve these little difficulties. I’m a handy

chap to have round:”

“No,” said Starbright. “I have another
way.”

“Name it,” urged Merry.
The

one who makes the highest score wins the

“We'll bowl a string of candlepins.

privilege given by the mistletoe.”

“Done!”

Winnie clapped ‘her hands and Inza
laughed.

“To the bowling alley!” cried Ready, with
a flourish. “I'll be pin boy, and every little
candle slfall be on ‘ts spot to a fraction of
an inch. Forward the Light Brigade!
Charge for the pins!”

So down to the alley in the basement. of
the house they went. The lights were turned
on by Phil, and soon everything was ready
for this second match between Frank and
Dick.

It was fairly comfortable down there, for

the entire house was heated by steam, and

the spectators could look on in comfort.
’ _ The alley was regulation length, well built,
well kept and handsomely polished.

The contestants asked permission to re-

move their coats, for bowling is warm work,

and the privilege was granted.
It fell to Frank to lead off. He examined

 

“Tl let you name the manner,.

Th pene PPAR eRe SS ete eee Reyne nemmnentne Monce m

TIP TOP WEEKLY. 25

the balls, finding them all of a size and in
fine condition.

“T am going to beat you at this, Merry,”
asserted Dick.
for me at billiards, but I’m better at this

“T know you are too much

business.”

“That being the case,’ smiled Merry, “I
must take care to begin strong and hold out.
Here goes.”

He sent the first ball skimming down the
alley, and it cracked into the pins, striking
them fairly in the center and splitting them,
taking out three, which left four standing
on one side and three on the other.

“Oh, Laura!” exclaimed Ready, from his
position beside the pins. “This doesn’t look
muck like a strong start. Seven soldiers will
be good work for that break.”

. “Look out for that hole, Frank,’ warned
Browning

g. “Keep away from it.”

Merry obeyed the injunction to the letter,
and he swept off the group of four pins
with his second ball, leaving three standing.

“That’s clever,” nodded Dick

if you can clean them up.”

“*Let’s see

With moderate speed, Frank sent down a

‘curve for the little line of pins, but he barely

missed the head one, clipping off the last
two.

“Nine for Merriwell in his first box,” an-
nounced Dashleigh, who had been selected
to keep the score.

Ready set the pins up with care, while
Starbright prepared for his first effort. He
stood on the left ‘side of the runway, took
a slow start and sent a swift ball into the
bunch of pins, striking them on the quarter
and tearing them up as if they had been hit
by a cyclone. Only the head pin was left
standing.

“Refuse me!” gasped Ready. “It’s dan-
Oh, but that

Methinks I smell a spare.”

gerous down here. was 4
soaker!

He was right, for Dick drove the second

«

 

 
    
 

   

26 TIP

 

ball straight and true at the single pin, which
went flying against the padded end of the
alley with a sodden thump.

“Spare in the first box for Starbright!”
cried Dashleigh, in great delight. “It’s your
turn now, Dick! He did you at billiards,
but this is different.”’

“This is only the beginning,” smiled Dick.
“I’m not liable to keep that work up right
along.” :

“T should hope not!’ exclaimed Frank.

Frank came up for the second box, trying
a wide curve, which missed the head pin
and swept down one side of the.bunch. His
‘second ball was sent straight down the mid-
dle of the alley, but it took a slight shoot
just before hitting the pins and left two
standing, one on the center and one on the
corner.

“Spares are scarce on this side,” he smiled,
apparently not a bit disturbed.

“Hard luck!” growled Browning.

“No,” said Merry, “poor bowling.”

Instead of trying to get just one of the
-_two pins left, he used a curve to the right
for a billiard shot, hoping to make them
both, but the head pin was missed by a
fraction of an inch, and neither fell.

“Eight pins,” cried Dashleigh. “Seventeen
in all.”

“Starbright is bound to have a big
start,” said Badger. “In this kind of a game,
every pin counts.”

“Don’t forget this first ball counts on your
spare, Dick,’’ warned Dashleigh. :

Dick did not forget. He whistled the ball
down the alley, struck the pins prettily, and
tore down six of them. ‘*

“That gives him sixteen in his first box,”
said Bert. “And he has a splendid chance
for another spare.”

Dick took the chance, too, for he got into
the pins finely, cleaning the alley, which
caused the spectators to utter cries of ap-
plause.

“This is hot!” muttered Frank.
seem to be keeping it up, old man.”

“He’s making me lots of work,” observed
Ready, as he deftly stcod the fallen pins on
the epot. ==. .

Frank changed his position on the alley,

/

“Vou

5

TOP WEEKLY.

    

but again he split the pins, leaving two
standing, one on each corner.

“No spare there!” cried Dashleigh.

“No poor bowling in that,” growled
Bruce. “It should have been a strike.”

Frank clipped off the two remaining pins
with two straight balls, which gave him ten
in his third box, making twenty-seven in all.

Starbright got into the bunch again, but
secured only five on his spare, which left the
pins in a difficult position. He did well in
raking down nine with three balls; but his
lead on Frank was great, the second spare
having given him thirty-one in the second
box, and on even rolls with Merry he had
forty.

“Up against the real thing now,” chirped

Ready. ‘This Starbright has played the
game before, my friends. You’re buncoed,
Merriwell.”

On his next roll Frank was able to make
but nine pins, obtaining a total of thirty-six,
while Starbright cleaned the alley, which
gave him a lead of fourteen pins.

Merry ‘had been trying different kinds of
balls and different positions on the alley,

seeking to discover just where he could do-

his best work. Now he opened with a cross-
ball, which struck the bunch on the quarter
and swept them down clatteringly.

A shout went up, for it was seen that -

but one pin remained standing, and that one
was tottering and swaying.

“Go down, you scoundrel!” roared Brown-
ing. :

But it refused to obey the command, set-
tling into position.

“Robbery!” declared Starbright.
should have had it, Frank.
—with a quick glance at Inza—‘’m very
glad you didn’t get it.”

“Vou

Merry made no complaint, but sent the

next ball truevas a bullet from a gun, clipping —

down the pin and making a spare.
“Here’s where you gain,” said Browning.
3ut Starbright seemed on his mettle, and

he proceeded to duplicate Merry’s perform-_

ance, making a particularly difficult spare.
“He refuses to let me overtake him!” ex-
~ claimed Frank.
“Gentlemen,”

’

cried Ready, “have you no

All the same”

  

  
  

 

 

 

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pity for a poor working boy? Please leave a
few standing once in a while!”

Frank had decided that the cross-ball was
the one to use, and now he made ready to
get all he could on his spare. There was a
hush as he picked up the first ball and sent
it spinning anglewise down the alley.

Crash—clatter!

“Seven pins!” shouted Ready.

“Good work!” muttered Browning.

But the remaining pins were left in such
a way that it seemed impossible to get them
all with a single ball. Frank studied them
{ a moment and did his best, but his best left

PSE

ee

ao

Sos

}, one standing. This one he removed with

| the third ball.

) “Fifty-three on your half,” said Dash-

| leigh. “Sixty-three in your sixth box.”
Starbright struck the head pin too full,

— which cut out four, leaving standing two
wings of three pins each.

“Four pins with his spare ball,’”’ said Bert.
“Sixty-four on his half. That’s all right.”
. “But Frank gained three pins there,”

 

f | murmured Inza.

, “Frank will win,” asserted Badger, speak-
> ing so low that Dick could not hear. “TI tell
- you he can’t be beaten! That’s whatever!”
Ce “But he has a hard task before him,” whis-

pered Winnie.

; “Mr. Starbright is a won-
t- } derful bowler.”

e | Dick took pains and smashed down one of
the standing wings with his second ball. His

2 : third, however, left a pin standing, and Frank

had gained another.

t- In the sixth box Starbright had seventy-
three, with Merriwell just ten pins behind

tl S him ’

a By this time Frank had the range of the

alley, and now he sent a strike-ball tearing

| into the pins, mowing them all down in a
twinkling.

“J knew it!’ said Browning, with intense

 

 

 

| satisfaction.
im 4 “Oh, mercy!” whooped Ready. “Did you
nd | ever in your life! Wasn't that a bird!”
ae “Here is where he gets right into it,” said
Buck to Winnie. “I knew he would.”
mone But Starbright was not shaken in the
least, and he came near duplicating Merry’s
. feat, for, with his first ball, he smashed down
n

every pin but one.

  

TOP WEEKLY.

27

“Now, that was genuine hard luck!” ex-
claimed Frank, sincerely. “That bal: was
just as good as mine, but the pins did not
happen to fall just right.”

Dick looked grim and
he went for the single pin,
which gave him a spare.

“You may get as many
as he does with hig strike,’

determined, and
getting it easily,

with your spare
said Dashleigh,

’

encouragingly.

“But Td rather have the strike,” con-
fessed Dick.

Frank cut only two pins out of the bunch
with his first ball, and it began to look bad
for him; but he placed the second ball per-
fectly, sweeping off all the remaining pins
but one, which gave him a score of nineteen
in his seventh box, the total being eighty-
two. He knocked down the last pin with
his third ball, which added ten more for his
eighth box.

Strangely enough, Starbright did pre
cisely the same thing with all three balls,
getting only two on his spare, which leit
Merriwell but three points behind in the sev-
enth and eighth boxes,

“This. is too close for comfort, Dick,”

palpitated Dashleigh.. “You have let him
come right up on you. You must hold your
lead in the last two boxes.”
- Frank was in fine fettle. He had a “good
eye,” and his hand was steady, while his
aim was perfect. Again he put a ball into
the heart of the bunch, striking the head pin
on the quarter, and again he cleaned the
alley.

“Wow!” whooped Ready, dancing about.
“Wouldn’t I cut a cake of ice in this game!
My! My! I don’t know a thing about
bowling!”

“It’s the first time in all your life that you
ever told the truth,” flung back Browning.

“Frank will win!’ murmured Inza, and
soinehow Winnie fancied that she seemed
disappointed.

Starbright did not smile now. His strong,
handsome face looked grim and _ resolute.
Hé sent a straight, true ball shooting down
the alley, and, like a flash, every pin was
swept off clean.

Then what a shout went up! Both had
made a strike in the ninth!

  
  

28

Dashleigh leaped to his feet and danced
with joy, while Phil wished to hug his big
brother.

“He'll keep his lead now!” declared Bert
to Phil. “Don’t you fear about that!”

Merry was not smiling. He knew that
overconfidence might prove a great mistale,
and yet he was determined to win if pos-
sible. However, his first, ball slipped from
his fingers and barely knocked down a single
pin on the corner.

Dashleigh wanted to whoop again, while
Browning felt like thumping somebody
Only Buck Badger remained perfectly un-
shaken in his belief that Merriwell could not
fail to win.

Frank was deliberate in his movements,
and he placed the next ball to a fraction
of an inch. The result was the complete
collapse of the pins and a spare for him in
his last box!

Dashleigh’s heart went into his. boots,
while Phil Starbright simplv sat down on a
bench, gasping.

“Twenty in the ninth;
twelve total,” said Bert, huskily.
that does the trick!’

The pins were up, and Starbright prepared
for the last effort. His first ball brought
everybody to his or her toes, for it went
straight and true into the proper place, and
down crashed nine pins.

“Hooray!” yelled, Phil,
going to do the same thing!
spare, too!”

But now Starbright found himself shaking
a bit. In this respect he lacked Merriwell’s
nerve, for Frank was always the coolest and
steadiest when the critical moment came.

“T must do it!” thought Dick, but in his
heart there was a faint fear that he might
fail.

He sent the ball straight toward the pin,
and several cried: :

“He’s got it!”

But the ball curved the least bit, brushed
the pin, caused it to move off the spot at
least half-an-inch, but left it standing.

Dashleigh collapsed and seemed disheart-
ened until he made a sudden discovery.

“Hold on!” he shouted, ‘Merriwell has
but one ball left! He should have rolled that

one hundred and
“I’m afraid

leaping up. “He's
He'll get a

TIP TOP WEEKLY.

bare chance

There is a

left if Dick gets that last pin.”
“T fail to see it,” grunted Browning.
“Why, it’s plain enough,” declared Bert.

one off before Dick.

“Frank has one hundred and twelve in his
ninth box, hasn’t he?”

SSL. *

“And he’s made ten with two balls.”

“Right.”

“That ten goes into the last box, together
with what he gets on the next ball.”

“Correct.”

“What if he gets only one?. He'll have one
hundred and twenty-three. Dick has that
already. If Dick gets that pin, Merriwell
must have two to tie and three to win. It
often happens that a man doesn’t get but
one or two on one ball.. Get that pin,
Dick!”

Dick got it, making his total score one ~

hundred and twenty-four.
“That’s enough to win any bowling
match,” muttered Phil. :
“Any but this one,” said Badger. “You'll
see that Merriwell is a hard man to beat. I
found it out some months ago.”

Frank now took up his last ball and sent it
at the pins which Ready had placed on the —

spots. It struck them, sent them whirling

and crashing, and left but a single pin stand-

ing.
“That does it,” admitted Dashleigh, at last.

“He makes one hundred and thirty-one.”
This is the score kept by Bert:

Merriwell. Starbright.
9 Poise te need eee Ss gee yong 16° T6
8 Ds. spe Pee OMS pie. | Sane Th. eae

10 PR ie ba tes wy GRY civ Shai Geshe 5.2740
9 OES Saito os canes eee er 1050

17 BS ak aia gees in Sue chig Ot ee 14 64

i0 CRs Peet cap OP eet tints hohe Qe 93

19 RS ea i neivten gee Pots ot eae eae Toh aay

10 QB isis Wie orrs > 6. see eat ae 10 95

20 EE Qucg SE aN TS bik Cn eme ig gee te $0 Pia
19 PAG Sec een PO Pe ee Hs es FO! Od

Total, 131. Total, 124

Frank
to claim beneath the mistletoe.

CHAPTER X.
DEFEAT AND SUCCESS.

Indoor sports were not the only kind en-

joyed at Starbright’s. There was skating on

had won the privilege he sought

¥

 

 

 

    
   

   

  
 

 

he ge

 

ae

Sa
‘ f

 

  

 

 

x

the lake, and Phil took them out for a spin
over the ice on his ice-boat.

The day after Christmas, however, an ac-
cident happened that made the girls afraid of
the ice.

It is a well-known fact that, even in the
coldest weather, any large body of water
that is frozen over has weak or open spots
in the ice; “breathing holes” they are some-
times called.

In this respect Seneca Lake was like other
lakes, and so it chanced that, skating to-
gether, with hands clasped, Inza and Winnie
struck one of those places. Before they
could turn about, the ice broke beneath their
feet and they found themselves struggling
in the chilling water.

Several of the fellows were skating near
by, and they were startled and horrified by
the shriek that came from the girls as they
broke through. In a moment, every youth
was dashing toward the spot.

Starbright was nearest. His heart sprang
into his throat, for he realized the terrible
peril of the girls, knowing they were liable
to clasp each other about their necks and go
down immediately.

Frank was but a short distance behind

‘Dick, but Starbright reached the spot first.

As he came up, he saw Inza’s head disap-

*pear beneath the surface, and straight into

the water he plunged, clutching at her in the
wild hope that he might be successful. Not
a thought or a look did he give to Winnie.

Fortunately, Dick was able to grasp Inza
before she sank beyond his reach, and he
dragged her back to the surface. Then the
others came up.

Badger was there almost as soon as Frank,

and they pulled Winnie out on to the solid

‘ice.

Immediately Merry turned his atten-
tion to Inza.

“Take her!’ Starbright chattered. “Get
her out quick, Merriwell! I thought she was
gone!” :

“Guess she would have been if you hadn’t
plunged in after her as you did,” said Frank.

The ice was solid close to the dangerous

spot, so there was little trouble in drawing

Inza out, after which Starbright was helped
from the water.
‘Then the girls, wrapped in the coats which

TIP TOP WEEKLY.

   

29

the boys stripped off and threw about them,
were hurried away to the house, where they
were doctored and given warm drinks and
placed in bed.

Some hours later, when the boys were all
together again, Winnie and Inza appeared
and thanked their rescuers. Frank observed
that Inza first went straight to Dick, giving
him her hand. .

“T thought I was gone,” she said. “I was
stunned when I went into the water, and I
couldn’t seem to do a thing to help myself,
though I knew I was sinking. Then I felt
a strong hand grasp me, and you pulled me
back to the surface. I know I owe my life
to you!”

Dick’s face crimson, and _ his heart
thrilled as she gave his fingers a warm
pressure, looking straight into his blue eyes.

“We all: did what we could,” he stam-
mered. “Frank was on hand to pull you
out.”

“But Starbright was the only one who
really saved you,” said Merry, with perfect
generosity. “There can be no doubt of
that.”

After. a little time, he slipped away unob-
served and retired to his room, in the soli-
tude of which he sat a Jong time, pondering
over the things that had happened since his
atrival at the home of the Starbrights.
Once more in his heart throbbed the pain of
loneliness that had seized him in his room
the night he received the brief message from
Elsie.

“T will delay no longer,’ he finally mur-
mured. ‘“TI’ll seek Inza, and come to an
understanding with her.”

Then. he went down-stairs, having first
looked into the billiard-room, where Ready
and Dashleigh were indulging ina game. In
the library Browning was stretched on a
Morris chair, reading a book. Through the
house Frank searched, but he found noth-
ing of Inza till, at last, he heard the crash
of falling pins in the basement.

“They are bowling,” he said, and de-
scended the stairs.
Dick and Inza were there. He had been
instructing her in bowling, and neither of
them heard Frank, who paused on the stairs.

“It was just too bad he beat you!” Inza

Was

  
 

 

30 TIP TOP WEEKLY.

was saying. “I don’t believe he could do it
again.”

“I don’t know about that,” laughed the
big fellow. ‘But I don’t think I ever wanted
to win anything more in all my life than I did
that string of candlepins.”’

“Did you?” she murmured, idly marking
on the score-board.

“TI did!” he declared, getting close to her
and watching her write. “And I’ve felt ever
since that I was robbed of something.”

“Perhaps,’ she mupmured-—"perhape
somebody else wished you to win?

“You?” he breathed, all a-tremble—‘‘did
you wish that—Inza?”’

Perhaps so.”

“I didn’t know—I thought you might want
Frank to beat'me. What are you writing—
my name?”

“Yes—and mine.”

Having written her own name beneath
Dick’s, she began to strike out such letters
as she could find in both names. He
watched her with interest.

“Let’s see,” he said, “how it is done? You
take the letters that are left, and how do you

say it?”
“Love, hate, marriage; love, hate, mar-
riage,” she explained.

“There are seven letters left in my name,”
he declared. “It’s love for me; and never
anything in this world came truer!”

His voice betrayed his emotion.

“There are five letters left in my name,”
said Inza, her face turned from him.
_ “Love. again!’ exclaimed Dick,

“Love for both of us!
—true?”

softly.
Inza—is it—can it be

“Didn’t I say I was sorry Frank defeated
you at candlepins?” she murmured.

“By heaven!” he hoarsely exclaimed; “he
has not defeated me! I have defeated him!
And Ill not be robbed of the privilege the
mistletoe gave me!”

Then he caught her in his sitone arms and
kissed her.

THE END.

The next number (249) will contain
“Frank Merriwell’s Search; or, Elsie’s Nar-
row Escape.”

Correspondence,

Clinton Taylor, Steet. Ohio.—No premium.

Oscar Kroehnke, New Hostlein, Wis.—No pre-
mium. ;

W. R. B., Chicago.—No premium on any of the
coins mentioned.

W. J. Flann, Jr.. New York.—Five cents a copy,
also postage on same.

Lillian Hoyt, Toronto, Ont.—() Ten cents pre-
mium. (2) No premium on French coin.

A. F. Murphy, Oneida Valley,’ N. Y.—Address
Spaulding’s, Nassau street, New York City.

Wm. Ilse, Johnston, N. Y.—Address Cross, harness
SS Broadway and Warren street, New York
‘ity.

G. T., Milwaukee, Wis.—Describe coin more fully,
as your description is too indefinite. It may have
large premium,

oO. J. A. Randolpher, Mt. Pleasant, Pa.—Seven and
a quarter feet would answer; bag should be on level
with your shoulders.

 

—————>+10>++~<___—

LATEST ISSU Es

eee ee Merriwell’s Search; or, Biste's ‘Narrow

Nscape,

248—Frank Merriwell’s Set-Back; or, Dick Star-
bright’s Success.

247—Frank Merriwell’s Dilemma; .or, Forcing His
Enemy’s Hand.

246—Frank Merriwell’s Mastery;
the Polo King.

or, The Success of

245—Frank Merriwell’s: Entertainments; or, Celebrat-_

ing the Victories of Old Yale.

244—Frank Merriwell’s Shrewdness; or, Clearing His
Protégé’s Honor.

248—Frank Merriwell’s ‘“Brassie’’ Shot; or,
Difficult ‘‘Hazard.’’

242—Frank Merriwell’s High Jump; or, Winning the
Championship from Harvard.

241—Frank Merriwell’s Kick; or,
Princeton Tigers.

240—Frank Merriwell’s Generalship; or; Beating the
Carlisle Indians.

239—Frank Merriwell’s The Relay
Team That Won.

238—Frank Merriwell’s Policy; or, Playing Columbia
for Practice.

237—Frank Merriwell’s Power; or, Hazing the Fresh-
men at Billie’s,

Inza’s

Downing the

Freshmen; or,

236—Frank Merriwell’s New Protege; or, The Star of

the Freshman Class.
eS ee ee s Captivity; or, The Vendetta in
234— Pi fie “‘Merriwel’s Hustlers; or, Cracking the
Co
ceteris Merriwell’s Find;

939—-Frani “Merriwell’s Double Play; or, Winning His

Own Game
231—Frank Merriwell’s Archer; or, Beating the ‘Rea
Bowman.
230—Frank Merriwell’s
“Broncho Busters.’

or, The Hoosier Her-

Battery; or, Taming the

2299—Frank Merriwell’s Rough Riders;
cago Colts.

The Blades of

226—Frank Merriweir's Wonders; or,

Niagara.
the Great North Woods.

or, The Ath-
letic Team at Badger’s Ranch,
228—Frank Merriwell’s Speed; or, Breaking the Chi-
ar ee Merriwell’s Vault; or,

Hitting the

Eastern League

225—F rank Merriwell's Throw; or, Yale Athletes at
224—Frank Merriwell’s Wrist; or, The Nerve of Iron.
223—Frank Merriwell’s Camp; or, Yale Athletics in
222—F'rank Merriwell’s Athletic Team; or, Sport in
the Adirondacks.

_221—Frank Merriwell’s Discovery; or, The New Lon-

don Boat Race.

220—Frank Merriwell’s Curves; or,
Tiger’s Claws.

219—Frank Merriwell’s Compact; or,
of Badger.

218—Frank Merriw oe. “Liner;’’ or, Elsie, the Mas-
cot of the Nin

217—Frank Merriwell’s “upull’; or, True and Tried.

Back numbers always on hand. If you cannot get our
publications from your newsdealer, five cents a copy will
bring them to a by mail, postpaid.

Clipping the
‘The Triumph

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

  

 

IP IoPWEEKLY..

“ AN IDEAL PUBLICATION FOR THF AMERICAN YOUTH ”

 

NHW YORK, JanuaRy 12, 1901.

 

Terms to Tip Top Weekly Mail Subscribers.
(PosrTaaGk FREER.)

Single Copies or Back Numbers, 5c. Each.

S months - - + + - + - 65c.|Oneyear - - - - - + - $2.50
4mionths - - - + « + + §85c,|2 copiesone year - - - - 4.00
6 mouthe - - - - « + + $1.25) 1 copy twoyears - - - - 4,00

How vo SEND Montry.—By post office or express money order,
registered letter, bank check or draft, at our risk. At your own
risk if seut by currency, coin, or postage stamps in ordinary
letter.

ReCMIPTS.— Receipt of your remittance is ucinowledyged by proper
change of number on your label. If sotcorrect you have not been
properly credited,and should lel us know at once.

STREET & SMITH’S TIP TOP WEEKLY,
238 William St., New York City.

 

APPLAUSE.

Feeling that perhaps you would like to hear from
me, I take great pleasure in dropping you a few
lines to tell you of my experience and also express
my appreciation of your great publication, Tip Top.
Last November, when the South African struggle
began, a Canadian contingent was raised here to
go to the front and fight for our mother country—
England. My father, being a man of some influence
in Montreal, got me a vacancy as drummer-boy.
Being only fourteen when I left, you can naturally
imagine how I felt leaving my mother and home;
but, to cut a long story short, I left, embarked,
and then—oh, that sea voyage. It was my first, and
the agonies we suffered. Nevertheless, we had a
' good voyage. The Almighty seemed to smile on us
from the beginning, and good luck and victory fol-
lowed us to the end. My bosom friend, Ronald
Campbell, had received a vacancy in Company D,
while mine was in Company B. I did not see much
of Ronald on the voyage, as we were raw recruits
and had a great expanse of drill to cover; but when
we arrived in Cape Town, I saw and was with
him a great deal. One night we were attending a
bazaar—that is, a number of us were—when a man,
covered with dust and riding a horse that looked as
if “it had seen better days,’’ came riding up to
Colonel Otter, who was buying some ‘‘batsu’’ (rice
on a mealie), and handed him a dispatch. Next
morning we marched for Modder River. Oh! that
march. Tramp! tramp! from morning to night for
five long days. And when we reached there, we
threw ourselves wearily upon the ground; but one
short hour’s rest was all that was allowed us. Two
miles farther on we joined the Gordon Highlanders,
our stanch allies. Then all night we marched on
and on. At last, about twelve o’clock; we joined the
main body of the British Army south of Modder
River, at the time amounting to 5,230 officers and
men. Then started the race—the British Army on
one side of the river and the Boer Army on the
other, both racing for the ford; but British pluck
prevailed, and we arrived first. Then it was we re-
ceived our ‘‘baptism of fire.’’ News came to our
commander-in-chief (Kitchener) that a position was
held by the enemy a few miles off.’ Where it was
we could not find out. At random we marched on
and on like a long, ghostly line of khaki in the
dead of night; and at last we stumbied upon the
foe. All I remember is hearing our colonel shout:
“Second battalion, fix bayonets! Forward!’’ -I pulled
out my revolver, and as I did so I saw one of our
men standing with three Boers covering him. He
shot one and bayoneted another very quickly. The
third was on the point of shooting, when [I fired my
revolver and he went down like a log. I saw him in
the hospital tent a few days later. The nurse said
he had a bullet in his shoulder, and that there was
no danger of his life. Two months passed; still we
saw no fighting, as we guarded a ford at Modder,
till we received orders to join the Gordons at Piets-
berg, about twenty miles. from Paardeberg. The
British were then in pursuit of Cronje. As we
neared Pietsberg we could hear a dull sound, as
of a number of bass-drums being hit. As we ap-

roached it grew louder and louder. Suddenly a
; rseman came over the brow of a hill. He asked
“for Colonel Otter. The man and our commander
talked awhile. Then the colonel called us together,

 

‘I fell in a dead faint.

 

TIP TOP WEEKLY. 31

and, standing upon a barrel, said ‘Boys, we've
caught Cronje at last, at Paardeberg.’’ There has
been a battle going on for six days. We are ordered
to the front. We are now at Paardeberg. The
immense Boer laager is in front of us. It is the
dead of night. Our orders are: “Go forward till you
are fired upon.’’ The Gordons are lying back in a
trench to come to our support if necessary. A flash
of light, a thundering. explosion; then the order
comes, “Charge!’’ And charge we did, in the face
of a fire such as would drive the soui out of or-
dinary men—but we were Canadians. After that or-
der I remember nothing. When I came to myself
I heard the distant rumbling of cannon.- Suddenly
my strength came back to me. The first object my
gaze rested on was a man with no arm or breast,
these being torn off by a shell. I stood up, and was
dimly conscious of a pain in my left arm. I felt
it all over, but it was perfectly numb, till I reached
a little below the elbow. Then I uttered a cry of
pain. I looked around. I saw some tents a mile or
so down the valley; but no enemy could I see. My
eyes rested upon the ground, and with a slight ery
I stepped forward. There was Ronald, lying stiff,
and seemingly dead; but I heard him utter a groan
and saw him move. My heart was filled with thanks
to God, for I saw he lived. When he came to I ran
to the camp and found it to be a squadron of fm-
perial Mounted Infantry. How very much my
wound pained me as I ran, I cannot describe with
a pen. They sent a horse litter for Ronald, while
We were both sent to Dur-
ban Hospital, and Ronald came near having con-
cussion of the brain. While we were in Durban a
pile of books arrived from home for us composed
mostly of Tip Top. ‘‘Well,” said Ronaid, a month
after, “I think Tip Top is the best book published.
and Iam going to write to the Applause column
when I get home.’’ ‘That is right,’ I replied, “I am
for Inza.’’ “I think she is the best, too,’” he said.
“Some time I'll write and urge my case for her.”
JACK. L. SHAW, D’ Cc. R
West Mount, Canada.
This is a fine letter, and your experiences and
hardships in the Boer war are more than interesting.
We can almost picture you and Ronald in that Dur-
ban hospital, and the joy and glee there must have
been when you received the budget of Tip Top. We
are glad they were of such comfort to you, and hope
the recollection of the many pleasaht hours you
spent while reading them during your convalescence
will always remain with you. Three cheers for the
two soldier boys who fought so valiantly for their
country, and may they always be as brave and true
as they were then.

    

 

In looking over your Applause for Tip Top, I only
see one letter from Canada. Well, I want to tell you
what I think about-it. I think it is the best weekly
published. I have read a good many, but Tip Top
beats them all. Frank and Bart are jewels. Inza is
the girl for Frank. My chum and I think so much
of Tip Top that we call one another Frank and Bart.
I hope Frank will take a trip to Canada after he
leaves Yale. I wish I were with him at Yale and
helping him whoop it up for old Eli. Long live Frank
and his chums, Mr. Standish, and Street & Smith!
A constant reader, ROY VANWORT,

x Woodstock, N. B.

Thank you for your pleasant letter. We are sure
you would be a great addition to old Eli if you were
there with Frank and he others, but they manage
to make things lively enough, however.

 

{ have read quite a number of your books, and in-
tend to read them all. I find your books the leaders
of all publications I have read. A few months ago
a friend loaned me some Tip Tops, and advised me
to read them. I did so, and have continued doing
so ever since. I like Bart next to Frank. Tf think
Jack Ready is a ‘‘dandy.’”’ I like Elsie and Inza also.
Hoping a successful career for Mr. Standish, and a
continuation of his clean, high-class wrtings,

A CONSTANT READER,
Brooklyn, N. Y.

You dont know the fun you have missed, and the
interesting reading matter, by not having read all
the back numbers of Tip Top. If you get them we
assure you that you will be well repaid.

 

I thought I would write and tell you how I like
Tip Top. I was looking at Joe Bush’s letter, and [I
think he is wrong, as Elsie is the girl for Frank. Tf
like Joe Gamp next _to Frank, because he came from
up my way. I would like to have Hans, Barney and
Ephraim meet Frank again. Long live Burt Stand-
ish and Street & Smith, as I do not know hew we
could get along without them.

CONSTANT READER,
Hillsboro Bridge, N. H.
Thank you. =

  
   

 

 

32 eke

    

{I have read Tip Top from No, 1 to present, and I
wouldn’t be without them. Many of the Bilsie ad-
mirers say that Inza should marry Bart. Frank
has perfect control of Bart, but Frank never tries
to make Bart do anything. He reasons with him
and keeps his temper, no matter what Bart does.
Is Inza the one to be patient with him?: No! It is
Elsie. Then, why not let Elsie marry Bart and
Inza marry Frank? MAE THOMAS,
Chicago, Ill.

If the Tip Top readers were the ones to decide
Frank’s and Bart's futures, what controversies
would arise, as no two seem to think alike in the
Inza-Elsie question. Both are sweet girls, and we
feel sure that whichever one fate has in store for
FYrank will prove herself worthy. In the meantime,
we like to hear the opinion of all Tip Toppers.

 

I write to you to praise the Tip Top. I am a con-
stant reader of it. About the Elsie-Inza question, I
think that some readers are too hasty about forming

their opinions of the matter. To compare them:
Inza is witty, while Elsie is more beautiful, but

without the wit. In spite of all any writers say, one
girl is as brave as the other, but Inza trusts more
to Frank’s ability than does Eisie, which any honest
reader must admit. Some readers find Elsie’s good
traits, or Inza’s, but I like to see both sides of it,
and then choose, which some are too stubborn to
do. I think that Frank’s heart (like mine) is grad-
ually changing. Let the reader choose between wit
and beauty (the main difference). An old saying is,
“Beauty is only skin deep.’’ I think A. P. Crooker
very hasty in saying what he did in No. 243, because
all the readers know (in spite of his talk) that who-

ever Frank marries he is still a gentleman. Wishing
success, I olose, AN ADMIRER,
Udebolt, la.

You are very just to both Elsie and Inza, which
fact should commend itself to all readers, as some
tllow their choice to carry them away, and they say,
1astily, things about one or the other they ae
“You

7
4
«
}
i

say if they took time to consider the matter.
are wise in your generation.”’

 

Iam @ constant reader of Tip Top. The characters
in the book that I like best are Frank, Bart, Bruce,
Starbright and the two girls... The one I like best
after Frank is Hodge. As to the Elsie-Inza ques-
tion, I think Elsie is the nicer girl.k When Frank
had the True Blue Company, Inza called Frank a
cheap actor and she broke the engagement. I am a
strong Elsie admirer, HARRY EGERTON,

New York City.

Thank you.

 

Having read the Tip Top Weekly from No. 1 to
the present No, 243, I find that they are. becoming
more interesting than at first. I have read a good
many other books, but find that the Frank Merri-
well stories are the nest. Next to Frank, my fav-
orite is Bart. I think BHilsie is the girl for Frank,
although it is best that Frank choose for himself.
Hoping that the Tip Top will have a long life, I am,

HANNO ALTHANS,
, * $t. Louis, Mo.
Thank you.

 

9

[ have read your Tip Top Weekly for about two
years, and like it very much, and hope it will be
“Tip Top” for some time to come. There are three
characters in the books that I like almost as well
as Frank. They are Bart Hodge, sterling, loyal and
true; Bruce Browning, placid and true-hearted; and,
last of the three, the light-hearted, easy-going, hap-
py-go-lucky, loyal Jack Ready. I think I know who
Hector King is. He is either Paoli .Maletus, the
billiardist and snake charmer, who Frank met in
his actor’s career, or Dion Santenel, the hypnotist.
As for the Inza-Elsie question, I think that Frank
ought to marry Inza, because they are of opposite
natures. One is cool and level-headed, the other
is hot-headed and quick-tempered, and I think that
Frank and Elsie would be ill matched if they- mar-
ried. I would like to see Bart Hodge and Dade Mor-
gan settle matters, and I think Merriwell will make
a man out of Dade, after thrashing him soundly.
The football stories are what have interested me es-
pecially, and the way that Frank has acted to Dade,

after the latter’s actions during those two games,
when Frank suspected Dade, has been great—just

like Merry, so noble and good. I never read any-
thing so exciting as that Yale and Harvard game.
I couldn’t put the Tip Top down until I had finished
it. It was fine. Here’s success to Mr. Standish and
long life to him and Street & Ee a

B.,
St. Louis, Mo.
Thank you for your bright letter,

TOP WEEKLY.

   

 

 

   
 

I wish to say that ‘the Tip Top Weekly has been
in our family so long we cannot get along without
them. The reason is this. Like many other homes
where there are children, the parents are always in
fear lest they will get into trouble.
home,. to keep our children from roaming about the

To have a happy -

 
  

   
 

streets after hours, we have given them the Tip Topi,

Weekly to read. I dare say that it has done more
good than any other remedy known. Now, if every)
father and mother should do the same thing they
would be surprised at the change that would come,
Not only does it keep children off the streets, but
it educates them. I hope that Mr. Standish will no
forget to send Frank and his friends to Springfield,
Mass., some timé, for Yale and Harvard used to play
here once. I will send words for,a song dedicated
the Tip Top Weekly. To be sung to the tune of
“There's Only One Girl In This World For Me.’”’

I have read the Tip Top Weekly; well, it beats the
rest completely,
And it’s known in every city far and near.
In each story there’s a lesson, while at_home it is a
blessing
To always have that little book so dear. For

Chorus,

There’s only one book in this world for me,
Only one book that I love to see;

It’s known all o’er the country, it’s known far o’er —

the sea;
There’s only one book in this world for me.

Now in every kind of weather when I seek a little
pleasure,
To my dear old attie room I always go.
When I gladly pay attention to the words Burt L.
will mention
In that dear old Tip Top Weekly as of old.
dc Ss
Springfield, Mass.
Your words of praise are most gratifying, and we
are always well pleased to receive and record them.
The verses of the song are very good. No doubt
many of the Tip Toppers will sing them, and enjoy
them as well as we do. Moreover, we can assure you
that thousands of parents have found Tip Top pos-
sessed of all the virtues you mention, and to-day
they welcome it in their homes, when it comes each
week, as an old and dear friend.

 

I have read a good many papers, but the Tip Top
comes out on top every time. My idea in regard to
the Elsie-Inza question is that Elsie is the girl for
Frank. In No. 289 George A. Barnard says he thinks.
Inza is braver than Elsie, and not so much of a
baby. Elsie is not a baby, and when it comes to
the final point she is just as brave as Inza. When
Elsie contemplated suicide, dear reader, don’t you
think she was driven to it by Inza? And in No,
193, ‘Frank Merriwell’s Holidays,’’ don’t you think
that Inza’s conduct was rather funny toward Frank,
when-she acted so cold, and refused to shake hands

after he had saved her life? Wasn’t it Inza who
got up that plan not to welcome Frank, as they

would have done had he not been seen with Grace
Vernon? I think it was jealousy on Inza’s part,
And did not Frank himself, when he went to call on
the girls, think that Inza had been the one who had
planned to bring it about? And was he ‘not right?
I think that Elsie trusted Inza when she yielded
to the plan, and thought'it all a joke, but she
did not see through Inza’s ruse. Elsie is all right.
I think Bart Hodge is fine; so are all the rest.

NELLIE G. S.,
Alleghany, Pa.

Thank you for your pleasant letter.
the topic of discussion, and you show, by your ref-
erence to past events, what a close reader of Tip
Top you have been.

 

tT have been reading your Tip Top Weekly ever
since it started. I would rather miss my meais than
to miss reading Tip Top. Before commencing read-
ing Tip Top I was out every night, bumming around
with a lot of toughs, but since then have .found
more pleasure staying at home at night and reading
your entertaining magazine. This pleases my
parents very much. All the boys of our. school
here read it. I admire the character of Frank Mer-
rivell very much, and try to be as near like him as

possible. Long life to Tip Top! é

ALLAN FOSTER,

¢ Hurley. Wis.

We hope this letter will catch the eyes of all. We

are more pleased to receive a letter of this kind, and

know that Tip Top does genuine good, than anything
else. We hope you will always continue.as inter-
ested a reader as you now are, ~ ¢

Le

Again Elsie is

7 - ae
‘Saas ae

 

 

  

4 7

   
    
  
   
  
    
  
    
 
  
  
    
  
 
   
   
  
  
   
 
  

   
   
   
 
   
   
  

   

   
 
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STREET & SMITHS five-cent weeklies are of uniform dimensions (same size

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STREET & SMITH’S Tip Top Weekly has three times the circulation of any

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STREET & SMITH’S Tip Top Weekly contains the only Frank Moa
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