Chapter I: Front Matter

BEN BRUCE.

SCENES IN THE LIFE OF A
BOWERY NEWSBOY.

BY HORATIO ALGER, JR.,

_Author of “Joe’s Luck,” “Tom the Bootblack,” “Dan the
Newsboy,” “The Errand Boy,” etc., etc._

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY J. WATSON DAVIS.

A. L. BURT COMPANY,
PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK

Copyright, 1892, by FRANK A. MUNSEY.

Copyright, 1901, by A. L. BURT.

BEN BRUCE.
By HORATIO ALGER, JR.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAGE

I. BEN AND HIS STEPFATHER 1

II. BEN WITNESSES AN EXPLOSION 9

III. MR. WINTER’S SAVINGS BANK 13

IV. AN EXCITING ENCOUNTER 21

V. A MIDNIGHT CALL 29

VI. A DISAPPOINTED BURGLAR 34

VII. BEN FORMS A SUDDEN DETERMINATION 42

VIII. BEN ARRIVES IN BOSTON 51

IX. BEN BECOMES A HERO 60

X. BEN DINES IN MT. VERNON STREET 68

XI. BEN HAS A NARROW ESCAPE 76

XII. A NEW ACQUAINTANCE 84

XIII. BEN IS INTRODUCED TO A POET 93

XIV. THINGS AT WRAYBURN 102

XV. BEN GETS EMPLOYMENT 111

XVI. BEN VISITS MR. SIMPSON 120

XVII. RIVALS IN BUSINESS 129

XVIII. REHEARSING 133

XIX. BEN MAKES HIS DÉBUT 146

XX. BEN’S LETTER HOME 155

XXI. BEN MEETS WITH A LOSS 164

XXII. GEORGE GRAYSON COMES TO GRIEF 173

XXIII. A STRANGE ADVENTURE 177

XXIV. BEN PLAYS A PART 181

XXV. THE MYSTERY DEEPENS 189

XXVI. BEN’S STRANGE PROSPERITY 198

XXVII. MRS. HARCOURT’S SUDDEN RESOLUTION 206

XXVIII. BEN MAKES SOME TITLED FRIENDS 215

XXIX. THE MORDAUNT FAMILY 223

XXX. BEN’S PROGRESS 231

XXXI. UNWELCOME NEWS 239

XXXII. JACOB WINTER 247

XXXIII. A STARTLING INCIDENT 255

XXXIV. MRS. HARCOURT’S LETTER 263

XXXV. BASIL WENTWORTH REACHES GENEVA 271

XXXVI. MR. SNODGRASS SUGGESTS AN INVESTMENT 280

XXXVII. FRANK MORDAUNT 288

XXXVIII. BEN OVERHEARS AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION 294

XXXIX. BEN CONSULTS A LAWYER 300

XL. CONCLUSION 309

BEN BRUCE:

SCENES IN THE LIFE OF A BOWERY NEWSBOY.