Part 32 (2/2)

”Why--er--about investing your money. Of course you'll want to invest it.”

”Probably,” replied the young treasure hunter coolly, ”but I think I know where to go for advice, too. I don't believe I'd trust any one who would act as you have done to my relatives when they were in temporary distress.”

”Oh--er--I--I didn't mean anything by that,” said the man, somewhat confused. ”You see I have so much property, and my agents attend to it for me. One of them must have ordered Mr. Stanley dispossessed on his own responsibility. I did not understand the case. I am always disposed to be lenient to my tenants, especially----”

”Yes, especially when you discover they have money,” finished Fred.

”You, personally, began this dispossess action,” said Mr. Stanley. ”It was not the work of one of your agents.”

”Oh--er--well, perhaps I made a mistake,” went on the man. ”You may stay in this house as long as you like.”

”No, but we'll not stay in this house,” said Fred. ”We will have a better one. Come, mother, we'll go to a hotel until we can find a place that suits us. And then father can go to a good hospital until he gets cured.”

”I--er--I hope you won't take offense--I--er--I had to have my rent money--if you'd like it, I'll let you have this place a little cheaper,”

said the mean landlord.

”No, thank you,” answered Fred decidedly. ”We want a better place than this.”

And some days later he bought a fine house for his parents with part of the proceeds of the buried gold. Mr. Stanley was sent to a hospital, where, with good care and nouris.h.i.+ng food, he soon recovered the use of his leg, and was able to resume his work. As for Fred, he went back to school to complete his education, since the family was now beyond the fear of want. Part of the money his father insisted on investing for his son, and later some shares in a good mine were bought with it. If you were to visit Piddock to-day, you would find it a much larger city than when Fred left it to hunt for gold in far off Alaska, and if you were to ask who was the best known citizen there, you would be told he was Fred Stanley.

For Fred prospered very much after he started in the mining business for himself, and he showed the same determined characteristics that he exhibited when on that perilous trip.

Among his best friends he numbers Mr. Baxter and his son Jerry. As for Mrs. Stults, she never can say enough in praise of what Fred did for her, as her share of her husband's fortune was large enough to make her independent for life.

”Dot Stanley boy, he is der greatest boy vot effer vos,” she used to say. ”Dere vos a man Stanley vot discovered t'ings in der hot Africa, but Fred Stanley, he discovered gold in der cold country, und dot's better as neffer vos, eh?”

So now we will bid farewell to Fred, though, if you should ever meet him and ask him about his trip to Alaska, I have no doubt that he would be glad to tell you many details I have not had s.p.a.ce to set down here.

THE END

BOOKS FOR BOYS

_By FRANK V. WEBSTER_

ONLY A FARM BOY, Or Dan Hardy's Rise in Life TOM THE TELEPHONE BOY, Or The Mystery of a Message THE BOY FROM THE RANCH, Or Roy Bradner's City Experiences THE YOUNG TREASURE HUNTER, Or Fred Stanley's Trip to Alaska BOB THE CASTAWAY, Or The Wreck of the Eagle THE YOUNG FIREMEN OF LAKEVILLE, Or Herbert Dare's Pluck THE NEWSBOY PARTNERS, Or Who Was d.i.c.k Box?

THE BOY PILOT OF THE LAKES, Or Nat Morton's Perils TWO BOY GOLD MINERS, Or Lost in the Mountains JACK THE RUNAWAY, Or On the Road with a Circus

_Cupples & Leon Co., Publishers, New York_

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