-
Frank Merriwell
at Fardale
By
Gilbert Patten
The Original
BURT L. STANDISH
# Gilbert Pattaa
WWU Serric#
SYNOPSIS
When Bart Hodge. a vain youth of sixteen,
?lights from a train at Fardale, he stumbles
over a half-blind dog and in a rage kicks
the animal. The dog's owner. Tad Jones, a 1
small, shabby boy who supports his wid
owed mother, denounces him. This nettles
Bart and he slaps Tad. Frank Merriwell,
an orphan of Hodge's age. prevents him
from further molesting Tad. Although the
two do not come to blows. Hodge sneerlngly
?ays they will have to settle their differ
ences later. He and Merriwell had come to
Fardale to attend Fardale academy. While
Hodge cqpsults Joe Bemis, truck driver for
John Snodd. about his baggage. Merriwell,
accompanied by Tad and his dog. Shag,
?tart walking to Snodd's place. Presently
the Snodd truck, with Hodge driving, rum
bles down the road and kills Tad's dog.
Occupying a room next to Merrlwell's in
the Snodd home Is Barney Mulloy, who dis
likes Hodge They become good friends.
Merriwell offers to help Mulloy get into ,
one of the academy dormitories by appeal
ing to Professor Scotch, a friend of Merri
well's Uncle Asher. As they leave the
house that evening Hodge is talking to Inza
Burrage, a friend of Belinda Snodd. Later
they meet Tad. who now has another dog.
That night Bart Hodge crashes a party
given by Belinda Snodd. Hodge sings and
the lovely Inza Burrage plays the piano.
When Merriwell, seated on the porch with ,
Mulloy, sings a comic song, Hodge rushes
out, accusing him of insulting Inza. She
steps between them, telling Hodge that Mer
riwell is too cheap .to deserve his notice.
CHAPTER II? Continued
Burr age! The name gave Frank a
little shock. Barney had told him,
he recalled, that Inza Burrage had
a brother in the school.
Hodge let it sink in before he
added: "Bascomb's a big shot on
the football team. We were in high
school together. Walt's sister ? I be
lieve you've seen her ? fixed it up
for him to show me around. He's
a swell guy."
He was enjoying himself mightily,
for he felt that he was rubbing it in.
That was something he always
found pleasure in doing.
Mulloy's face was the color of a
beet. He bit his tongue to make it
behave.
"You're lucky to have such
friends here," said Merry.
"Are you telling me!" Bart's
smile became a grin. "It puts me
in right. They showed me all over
the place, and it's some school, take
it from me. I've tried a couple
others, but I know I'm going to
like it here."
"But you didn't like the others?"
"They were punk. This one's fine.
That's why it's jammed to over
flowing." Then Hodge unlimbered
his heavy gun. "Burrage says a
lot of late applicants were turned
down simply because there was no
room for them in the dorms and
the classes were stretched to the
limit."
Barney swallowed uneasily. It
didn't sound good for him.
He said: "But if it's crowded,
me lad, where will they put us?"
"Oh, you?" said Bart malicious
ly. "I should worry. But I've been
to see the dean, and he says he'll
slip me in somewhere. You see,
he received a few letters about me,
signed by persons of importance.
They settled it."
The Irish boy shot Merriwell a
glance and wondered at his undis
turbed aspect. Hodge seemed to be
wasting his ammunition, as far as
Frank was concerned.
This was something Bart noticed
himself, and it irritated him. He
decided to let go a full battery
broadside.
"The fact is, Irish," he said with
a sneer, "I guess both you and
Merriwell are going to find your
selves on the outside looking in. Of
course that's going to make me feel
simply terrible."
He was laughing insolently now,
and Barney quickly thrust his
hands into his pockets to make it a
little more difficult for them to fly
around carelessly.
Frank's level gaze was nxea
steadily on the mocking (ace of
his enemy. He smiled just a trifle,
but it was a smile of faint scorn
and silent pity. Words could not
have cut Hodge so much. He blew
up. Snapping his fingers under Mer
ry's nose, he barked:
"You put yourself in Dutch when
you insulted Inza Burrage last
night, Merriwell. That queered you
with her, and I'd knocked your
block off if she hadn't stopped me.
But she was right; you're too cheap
to notice. Still if you want to pick
it up?"
"You know I won't pick it up
here, Hodge," said Frank. "We're
where anybody around the academy
can see us, and Mulloy is with me.
You'd like to have me lose my
head and make a pass at you, for
then you could claim I attacked
you ? with Barney backing me up.
Two to one against you. Not so
good for me."
"Aw, you'd crawl anywhere.
You're a big four-flusher, Merri
well. You make a big bluff when
you feel sure you won't be called."
Bart got control of himself,
, shrugged his square shoulders, and
glanced quickly at his wrist watch
as if he had just thought of some
thing.
"I've been wasting time on you
two punks," he said, "when I've
got a heavy date and am late al
ready." He half turned away and
then swung back again. "You'll no
tice that neither of you got an invita
tion to a little picnic Miss Bur
rage is throwing in Snodd's grove
today," was his parting shot.
They watched him leave the high
way and go hurrying off toward a
distant grove on John Snodd's land.
Mulloy heaved a sigh and took
his hands out of his pockets. They
were still clenched, and he was
white around the gills.
"If you hadn't warned me, Frank
ie," he confessed, "I'd never been
able to keep myself from wringing
that bird's neck."
Frank's smile was thin. "Don't
think," he replied, "that I didn't
have some nervous impulses of my
own. That stuff was hard to take
without getting off balance and
making a miscue."
They went back toward Snodd's
farm house, talking it over. What
Hodge had said about the crowded
condition of the school had reawak
ened Mulloy's fears in full force.
He was sure, also, that the vindic
tive fellow would do anything he
could to prevent both Frank and
himself from getting into the acad
emy.
"But what can he do, Barney?"
"He can lie like a trooper."
"But I don't believe troopers al
ways get away with it. Hodge won't
either. Don't forget we've got Pro
fessor Scotch doing his bit for us.
"Yon Know 1 Won't Pick It Dp
Here, Hodge," Said Frank.
I'm expecting him to do a swell
job, too. It'll be our turn to laugh
later."
The sound of running feet caused
them to look up. Tad Jones was
coming down the road as fast as
he could travel on his short legs,
and he seemed to be ready to burst
with excitement. When he reached
them he was panting so hard that
he could hardly speak.
"My dog!" he gasped. "My new
dog!"
"What's the matter?" Frank
asked. "What's happened to him,
Tad?"
"Oh, he ? he's run away!"
"Well," said Barney, "if he stayed
away it's no great loss you'll suf
fer , my lad."
"But he's sick. He was just aw
ful sick this mornin' ? sicker'n he
was last night. His eyes was all
red 'nd he was growlin' so hard 'nd
lookin' so funny that I got scairt of
him. So I let him outdoors 'nd he
run away. Now I'm try in' to find
him. You ain't seen him, have
you, Frank?"
"INO, xaa. bui wny arc you i tun
ing for him over here?"
"Why, I met a man that told me
he saw him comin' this way on
this very road. I just gotter find
him before anything happens."
"Saints preserve us!" gulped Bar
ney. "I'm going to shut myself up
in Snodd's cellar."
"This is serious, Barney," said
Frank. "The man who gave Tad that
dog should have known better. I
don't see why he did it."
"But I'll tell you," said Tad Jones
quickly. "I'll tell you 'bout that,
Frank. He done it 'cause I was
all busted up over my old Shag that
that feller Hodge killed. He's a
neighbor to us, Silas Gleason is. He
helped me bury my poor old Shag
out back of our house, 'nd I was
cryin' 'nd couldn't help it, I felt so
bad."
The distressed boy choked a little,
and went on: "He said maybe
Hodge didn't mean to run over Shag
with Mr. Snodd's truck, but I said
he done it on purpose. 'Nd then
I told him how Hodge kicked Shag
at the railroad deepoe 'nd give me
a slap for hollerin' at him for that,
'nd that made Mr. Gleason mad as
a hornet."
"And so, said Mulloy, "he gave i
you a hyena to comfort ye. It
was a thoughtful kindness!"
"But Tige ain't no hyeney!" cried
Tad. "He was always comin' over
to my house to play with me 'nd
Shag, 'nd he was just as kind as ?
kitten, he was. Never got cross
nor growled once. 'Nd he liked it
better there than be did round his
own home, so that Mr. Gleason used
to have to come 'nd take him away.
'Nd so when I was feelin' so bad
over losin' Shag Mr. Gleason up and
said I could have Tige to take his
place."
"Without mentioning the expense
of feeding him, maybe," Barney
murmured under his breath.
"Didn't you tell us last night that
Gleason said there was something
wrong with that dog, TadT" asked
Merry.
"Why, he said Tige wasn't feel
in' very well, Frank. He said he'd
prob'ly ett somethin' he shouldn't
of ett, but he was sure he'd be all
right in a day or two. That's all's
the matter with him, Frank. I know
it is."
"Well, I hope you're right."
"Oh, I be. But the way he's
actin', other folks wouldn't under
stand it 'nd they might do some
thin' to him. That's why I gotter
hunt him up quick as I can. I been
wastin' time. Gotter rush."
"Wait a minute. Tad," called
Merry as the anxious boy was start
ing away.
"Can't stop no longer," Tad flung
over his shoulder.
He went scudding down the road,
with Frank and Barney gazing after
him doubtfully.
"I still think Gleason had no right
to give a dog like that to that kid,"
said Merriwell.
"He was cuckoo," said Mulloy.
"What'll we do about it?"
"The authorities ought to be noti
fied."
I "wow you've said it."
"The qOickest way is to telephone.
Let's find Mr. Snodd."
They saw the farmer enter the
house by the kitchen door as they
turned into the yard. The telephone
was located in the kitchen, and
they went round that way. The
door was standing open. The tele
phone bell rang sharply before they
reached the steps, and Snodd an
swered it.
"What'd you say?" they heard
him ask. "The wire's buzzing so I
didn't catch it. Say it again." Then,
after a moment's pause, he cried:
"Jerusalem crickets I A mad dog
running loose? Which way did you
say he went?"
A fear that had been lurking like
a black panther in the back of
Frank's mind leaped forward now.
He gripped Mulloy's wrist.
"It's Tad's dog, Barney!" he said.
"You didn't have to tell me that,"
said Barney.
They went into the house.
Mrs. Snodd, flushed from cooking
over a hot stove, stood in the middle
of the floor and stared, wide eyed,
at her husband's back as he lis
tened at the telephone. Like her
daughter she was as plump as a
dumpling. A carving knife she had
just picked up began to tremble
in her hand.
Snodd was excited. "What's
that?" he barked into the mouth
piece. "The critter was making for
Birch grove. My soul and body!
My daughter's over there with some
other girls, having a picnic." He
slammed the receiver on the hook
and turned a white face toward
his wife.
"Where's my gun, Mariah?" he
shouted.
She dropped the carving knife
clattering on the floor, and wrung
her hands. "I don't know, John. It
must be in the closet where you
always keep it. Oh, them poor
girls!"
Merriwell snatched up the knife.
"Come on, Mulloy," he said. "It's
our move."
Barney was at his heels as he
shot out through the door. "It's a
short cut we can make across the
fields, Frank," he cried.
They cleared the top rail of the
fence at the side of the yard, one
alter the other, like frightened deer.
Away they sped toward the grove
for which Bart Hodge had headed
when he left them.
"What do you think you can do
against a mad dog with that knife,
MerryT" panted the Irish boy.
"It's better than nothing," Frank
flung back over his shoulder.
Mulloy had a notion that he could
run, but he found himself losing
ground before they had covered half
the distance to the grove. He was
doing his utmost and Merriwell was
steadily pulling away from him. The
fellow was doing it like a sprinter
making a dash or a race horse in
the stretch.
Not until he was at the edge of
the grove did Frank slow down. The
underbrush and smaller trees had
been cleared away, making the
grove a pleasant place for a pic
nic. Almost at once he caught a
glimpse of the girls, not far away.
Not to frighten them too much, he
ceased to run and walked forward
swiftly.
Hodge was there. His coat was
off and his sleeves were rolled up,
as if he had been working. He
had One, muscular arms. At the
moment he was posing for Inza Bur
rage to snap his picture with her
camera. Seven other girls were
looking on. All were laughing.
"The noble son of toil," said Bart,
flexing his arms and making his
muscles bulge. "Shoot him."
"That's not a bad suggestion,"
said Frank, approaching.
Hodge jerked round and stared at
him. "Why, if it isn't Mr. Merri
well I" he exclaimed. "An uninvit
ed visitor."
Merry paid no attention to the
look of surprise and distaste that
Inza gave him. "I regret having to
spoil such a jolly party," he said,
"but Mr. Snodd wants everybody
here to come back to the house ? at
once."
*-?n, yean: criea Dan aerisive
ly. "Can't you think of a better
one than that, boob?"
Now Barney came crashing to
ward them. "Be after getting out
of here!" he shouted breathlessly.
"There's an ugly dog running loose
and he was seen coming this way."
Hodge laughed mockingly. "Talk
about cheap tricks!" he jeered.
"This one takes the blue ribbon."
Inza put up her hand. "Be still!"
she said. "I thought I heard ?
call. Listen!"
From not very far away came the
voice of Tad Jones, crying in ter
ror:
"Mad dog! Run, everybody! Run!
Mad dog! Mad dog!"
CHAPTER in
That cry of terror from Tad Jones
caused the girls to utter little gasps
and squeals of alarm. They hud
dled together like a flock of fright
ened sheep.
But Bart Hodge was too smart to
be fooled, even by that. He didn't
cast a glance toward the part of
the grove from which the cry had
come. Anger sent the hot blood into
his face.
"So you've even got that ragged
little shrimp to help you pull off
another of your bum tricks, Merri
well," he snarled. "As a joker
you're just a dirty deuce."
Frank wasted no more attention
on Hodge. In strong contrast to
Bart's, his face was tense and gray.
"Get these girls away from here
instantly, Muiloy,, xhe said in a
voice that was far from steady.
"See that they go, too."
Even as he spoke he saw the
creature coming, a tawny, leaping
form amid the trees. A moment
before that, his heart had seemed
to be crouching in his breast, as
still as a cat at the hole of a mouse.
Now it jumped.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Giant Bat* With Wing?pread of Yard
Are Not Vampires, Naturalist Asserts
When some giant bats with a wing
spread of a yard arrived from Trini
dad at the London zoo some London
papers hailed them as "vampires,"
and with the aid o( more or less
trustworthy treatises expatiated on
their sanguinary habits.
Subsequently in the Observer, Ed
ward G. Boulenger, director of the
aquarium and an all-round natural
ist, rebuked them by inference in
this way:
These bats, which superficially re
semble the Indian fruit bat or flying
fox, have teeth as large as cats' and
a wingspread of nearly a yard. Al
though savage carnivores feeding
chiefly upon birds, they are not
true blood-sucking vampires.
The true vampire, specimens of
which were not long ago on exhibi
tion in the London zoo, are inhabi
tants of Brazil and Central Ameri
ca. The vampire is no longer than
a rat and will feed upon any ani
mal available, attacking it* victims
by means of two needle-shaped ca
nines. It taps so gently as to arouse
no suspicion and having drawn
blood, rapidly laps it up, a win
glassful at a meal.
The giant false vampire 1j com
paratively harmless in spite of its
repulsive appearance. The natural
ist Bates when describing this ani
mal wrote:
Nothing in animal physiognomy
can be more hideous than the coun
tenance of this creature when
viewed from the front ? the large
leathery ears standing out from the
sides and top of the head, the erect
spear-shaped appendage on the tip
of the snout, the grin and the glis
tening black eye all combining to
make up a figure that reminds one
of some mocking imp of fable.
Haircuts In the Cotter
Hair-cutting and shaving are
much the same the world over. It
is only the methods that differ.
In China, for instance, the customer
does not have to wait in a room
looking at last year's magazines be
fore his turn comes. Here the bar
ber carries his trade in the street.
When he sees a customer the bar
ber follows him until he finds a
suitable spot on the pavement or in
the street, and sets his stool up
there.
?
HCNPJ sew
Ruth Wyeth Spears
Making Over t Chair of the Ginger-Bread Era.
TO modernize the old walnut
1 chair at the right the pieces
under the arms were removed and
most of the carving covered up.
The padding at the back was re
moved entirely and replaced by
a fiber board which was covered
by a loose cotton filled cushion
tufted like an old fashioned bed
comfort except that the tied
thread ends of the tufting were
left on the wrong side.
This back cushion was fastened
in place with tapes that slipped
over the knobs at the ends of the
upper carving. If th? knobs to
hold the cushion had been lacking
it could have been tacked in place
along the top on the under side
by using a strip of heavy card
board to keep the tacks from pull
ing through the fabric as shown
here for tacking the box pleated
ruffle around the seat as at A.
A plain rust colored heavy cotton
upholstery material was used for
the covering.
Every Homemaker should have
Relieving Distress
The power to relieve distress
should ever be the associate of
tenderness; or he who possesses
it far more wretched than the ob
ject which he has exercised it. ?
E. Davies.
a copy of Mrs. Spears' new book,
SEWING. Forty-eight pages of
step-by-step directions for making
slipcovers and dressing tables;
restoring and upholstering chairs,
couches; making curtains for ev
ery type of room and purpose.
Making lampshades, rugs, otto
mans and other useful articles for
the home. Readers wishing a
copy should send name and ad
dress, enclosing 25 cents, to Mrs.
Spears, 210 South Desplaines St.,
Chicago, Illinois.
"Quotations"
A
Pleasures are satisfying in inverse
ratio to their cost? Bruce Barton.
Every great cause is embraced first
by an aggressive minority. ? Albert
Einstein.
A nation can bo judged by its
humor. ? Sinclair Lewis.
Wars are never won; they are
only and always lost. ? B. M. Baruch.
The loveliest rainbow is in our
vision rather than in the sky. ? Will
DuranL
Try and be a champion in what*
ever line of endeavor you choose in
life. ? Jack Demptey.
Do well and doubt no man? do
better and doubt all men. ? A. J,
Jennings.
=
Hints
T*HERE'S a little fault with th*
* firing method of quite a few
home-owners that I should like to
correct. They have a mistaken
idea that when a fire is low, all
they have to do is to shake the
grates vigorously and the fire will
flare up again.
Nothing could be further from
the fact. A shallow, half-burned
out Are cannot be revived by shak
ing most of the remaining coals
into the ashpit. The simple way
to revive it is to add a sprinkling
of fresh coal, giving it time to
ignite. When it is burning well,
shake the grates gently, stopping
when the first red glow shows in
the ashpit.
Then refuel the fire, remember
ing to fill the firebox to the level
of the bottom of the fire door.
This will provide a deep fire,
which is considerably more eco
nomical than a shallow one.
WNU Servtc*.
I
Sacred JUnt
Th? older the abuse the mora
sacred it is. ? Voltaire.
becauw of Its tends ?rttw on
the bowels. Don't confuse Nnjai
with unknown products.
MSBT OR GBME JUM.
ANNOUNCING
a double-barreled tobacco value
2 oz. of choke hurley
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in every tin
Pipe-smokers? here's a tobacco that
not only five* you pleasure bat
nifty premium* a* well I Fint? you
get two full ounce* of the wtUut
and mildest burieys that grow in
the Blue Orass country? crimp-cot
to burn alow and cool? and kept
fresh and fragrant by an air-tight
moisture-proof Cellophane aeaL
Second? there'* a ires coupon in
every tin, good in U. 8. A. only far
valuable gift premiums . . . your
choice of two fine pipes, playing
cards, a watch, jacklmife or fbab
light. Don't miss Big Bent Look for
the big red tin with the thoroughbred
i it. Swell tobacco and swell