Read Ebook: Dick Hamilton's Touring Car; Or A Young Millionaire's Race For A Fortune by Garis Howard Roger

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Ebook has 1945 lines and 60070 words, and 39 pages

PAGE TO FRIENDS OLD AND NEW 7 THE FIRST SNOWED-IN STORY 15 MR. DOG AT THE CIRCUS 21 THE SECOND SNOWED-IN STORY 39 THE WIDOW CROW'S BOARDING-HOUSE 57 THE FINDING OF THE HOLLOW TREE 71 THE THIRD SNOWED-IN STORY 87 THE FOURTH SNOWED-IN STORY 103 THE "SNOWED-IN" LITERARY CLUB 119 THE "SNOWED-IN" LITERARY CLUB--PART II 143 THE DISCONTENTED FOX 155 MR. 'POSSUM'S GREAT STORY 173 THE BARK OF OLD HUNGRY-WOLF 191 AN EARLY SPRING CALL ON MR. BEAR 219 MR. CROW'S GARDEN 239 WHEN JACK RABBIT WAS A LITTLE BOY 261 A HOLLOW TREE PICNIC 273

THE FIRST SNOWED-IN STORY

THE FIRST SNOWED-IN STORY

IN WHICH THE READER LEARNS TO KNOW THE HOLLOW TREE PEOPLE AND THEIR FRIENDS, AND THE LITTLE LADY, AND THE STORY TELLER

Now this is the beginning of the Hollow Tree stories which the Story Teller told the Little Lady in the queer old house which stands in the very borders of the Big Deep Woods itself. They were told in the Room of the Lowest Ceiling and the Widest Fire--a ceiling so low that when the Story Teller stands upright it brushes his hair as he walks, and a fire so deep thlly in this kind of weather, and vacation so near at hand; eh, Paul?"

"That's right!"

"You are students at the Kentfield Academy then?"

"Yes. Better move a bit faster. Here comes the express. It will pass the local on the bridge, I guess. Yes, there they both come."

Whistles from the locomotives of the two approaching trains, which rounded curves at this point, showed that the two engineers had seen the figures on the track.

"That's for us!" exclaimed Paul, quickly.

The stranger did not answer, but slowly followed Dick, who scrambled down the embankment. Ere they reached the lower level the trains rushed thunderously past in a cloud of dust and cinders.

"Now you can walk the track with more safety," remarked Dick to the man. "There won't be another train for three hours."

"Thank you, I think I'll go the rest of my journey by the highway," and the man, with a little bow, turned aside, going in the direction from which the boys had come. As he walked along Paul turned in time to see him take from his pocket the note he had pinned there and tear it up, scattering the fragments along the road.

For a few moments Paul and Dick walked along in silence, Grit following at their heels. Then Paul spoke.

"Dick!" he exclaimed, "do you know I think you saved that man from committing suicide!"

"Suicide! Nonsense, Paul!"

"That's right. If I ever saw despair and hopelessness on a man's face it was on his."

"Well, he didn't look very happy, that's a fact. But what had that to do with an intention to take his own life?"

"Lots, when you think of the way he acted."

"Oh, you imagine it."

"I do not! I believe he came here with the intention of throwing himself under a train, or at least allowing himself to be struck by one. I believe he wrote a note of farewell, and pinned it in his pocket so it wouldn't get lost. Just see how queer he acted! No one would stay on the track the way he did, with two trains coming, unless he had it in mind to get hurt. No, Dick, you can say what you like, but I believe your going up when you did, and talking to him, saved his life."

"Well, I'd like to think that I did that for a fellow being, Paul; but I still can't admit it."

"It's true, whether you admit it or not. You saved his life, and some day you'll know it, or I'm mistaken."

"Oh, nonsense!"

"No nonsense at all. You'll see. That man was at the end of his rope--he was all in. He was in despair, and he wasn't a common sort, either. He comes of a good family, I can see that. And the way you talked to him, just at the right moment--saying this was a pretty good old world after all--you saved his life, Dick--at least for a time."

"Get out!" But in spite of his denial Dick felt glad that he had done what he had. And it was not until some time after that he learned what really had taken place. Under strange circumstances he was to meet that man again.

UNCLE EZRA

"Quiet, Grit! What's the matter, old fellow?"

"He seems to think some one is in our room," said Paul Drew. He and Dick had returned from their walk, Grit resplendent in a new, brass-studded collar, and the dog had shown signs of resentful excitement on nearing the door of the room where the two chums lodged.

"Uncle Ezra!"

"Yes, Nephew Richard. I am here. I got through my business sooner than I expected and came over."

"I'm glad you did, Uncle Ezra. Quiet, Grit, or I'll send you to the stable," for the dog was uttering low growls, and sidling closer and closer to the aged man, who still remained standing. It might be noticed that our hero did not say that he was glad to see his uncle. He was not, and he did not believe in saying what was not so, even to be polite.

"Have you got that savage cur still?" demanded Mr. Larabee, while he bowed slightly in response to a salutation from Paul.

"I expect to have Grit for a long time yet," replied his nephew, coldly. "Though if he annoys you I'll have him taken away," and he pushed a button on the wall.

"He does annoy me! You know I can't abide dogs. Useless critters, eatin' almost as much as a man, all covered with fleas, and no good anyhow! Send him away!"

"Grit, I guess you'd better go," said Dick, softly, as a janitor came in response to his ring. "Take him to the stable, Hawkins. I'll have him back--later," he added in a low voice. Grit was led off, whining in protest as he looked at Dick, and then shifting his tones to a menacing growl as he glared at Uncle Ezra, who, he well knew, was the cause of his banishment.

"Ugly brute!" muttered Mr. Larabee. "I've been waiting quite some time for you, Nephew Richard," he went on. "I was afraid I'd have to go back without seeing you. I've got a limited excursion ticket, and if I didn't use it back to Dankville to-day I'd lose the value of it. Leastwise I might have to sue the railroad company to recover, and lawsuits is dreadful expensive--dreadful."

"We just went for a walk," Dick explained. "I did not know exactly what time you would come."

"No, I couldn't tell, myself. But I got through my business sooner than I expected, even with attending to some after I got through with the deal that brought me on here."

"It came out all right, I hope," ventured Dick.

"Yes--oh, yes. My business allers does come out satisfactory--leastwise mostly." Perhaps Uncle Ezra was thinking of the time he had interfered with Dick's yachting trip, with disastrous results to himself.

"I got all that was coming to me," the aged man went on, "though I did have a fight for it."

"Did some one owe you money?" asked Dick.

"Well, yes, in a way. You see it was a young fellow who had been left more money than was good for him. He didn't know enough to take care of it, and now I've got it." Uncle Ezra chuckled grimly.

"I hope you didn't take all he had, Uncle Ezra," spoke Dick.

"Why shouldn't I?" Mr. Larabee asked, indignantly. "This chap didn't know the value of money--I do. He made certain investments, and I told him that I'd insist on having my last dollar if they failed. They did fail, just as I knew they would, and now I have his money. It was mine by right, though, for business is business, and he's young enough to start over again. It will do him good. Ha! Ha! I'll never forget how blank he looked when he asked me if I wouldn't give him another chance. Another chance! Ho! Ho! He had his chance and didn't use it. Another chance! I guess not! I want what's mine!" And Uncle Ezra ground his teeth and clenched his bony fists in a way that was not pleasant to contemplate.

"Then you cleaned him out, Uncle Ezra?" asked Dick.

"Not I--no. He cleaned himself out by his foolish investments. You can't have your cake and eat it too, you know. You can't be a 'sport' and not pay attention to your business, and expect to keep your money. You've got to be on the watch all the while. I made a pretty penny out of it--er--that is, not too much!" Uncle Ezra added quickly, as if fearful lest some one should attempt to borrow something from him. "But a legitimate profit--yes, a legitimate profit.

"And, as I got through sooner than I expected, Nephew Richard, I came over to see you, as I promised. But I'll soon have to be getting back. I've got a new hired man, and I know he'll feed too much to the stock, and ruin 'em, to say nothing of wasting grain. I must get back before feeding time."

"I hope you'll stay and take lunch with me," suggested Dick, as he thought he saw a hungry look in his uncle's face.

"Yes, I might," was the answer, as though Mr. Larabee was doing Dick a favor.

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