Chapter I: Preface

"OUT FOR BUSINESS" is a complete tale in itself, but forms the first of two companion stories, the second being entitled "Falling in with Fortune."

In this tale are related the various haps and mishaps which befall a sturdy country youth, of high moral aim, who, by the harsh actions of his step-father, is compelled to leave what had once been the best of homes, and go forth into the world to make his own way.

Robert Frost finds his path to fortune no easy one to tread. The thorns of adversity line the way, and there is many a pitfall to be avoided. But the lad is possessed of a good stock of hard, common sense, and in the end we find him on the fair road to success--and a success richly deserved.

The two stories, "Out for Business" and "Falling in with Fortune," give to the reader the last tales begun by that prince of juvenile writers, Mr. Horatio Alger, Jr., whose books have sold to the extent of hundreds of thousands of copies, not only in America, but also in England and elsewhere. The gifted writer was stricken when on the point of finishing the stories, and when he saw that he could not complete them himself, it was to the present writer that he turned, and an outline for a conclusion was drawn up which met with his approval,--and it is this outline which has now been filled out in order to bring the tales to a finish, so that both stories might be as nearly as possible what Mr. Alger intended they should be. It may be that the stories will not be found as interesting as if Mr. Alger had written them entirely, nevertheless the present writer trusts that they will still hold the reader's attention to the end.

ARTHUR M. WINFIELD.

March 1st, 1900.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAGE

I. A GREAT SURPRISE, 7

II. MR. TALBOT AND THE DOG, 15

III. THE LITTLE PLOT AGAINST ROBERT, 24

IV. MR. TALBOT IS MYSTIFIED, 33

V. A CRISIS, 42

VI. ON THE TRAIN, 51

VII. BAFFLED, 59

VIII. PERIL, 67

IX. AT THE PALMER HOUSE, 75

X. ROBERT GETS A PLACE, 83

XI. MR. PALMER'S INFATUATION, 92

XII. AN UNLOOKED-FOR SCENE, 101

XIII. ROBERT RECEIVES A LETTER, 110

XIV. JAMES TALBOT LEARNS SOMETHING OF IMPORTANCE, 118

XV. THE RESULT OF A FIRE, 127

XVI. TWO DISAPPOINTMENTS, 136

XVII. ROBERT IS GIVEN A MISSION, 143

XVIII. THE POST-OFFICE MONEY ORDER, 150

XIX. AN UNEXPECTED ATTACK, 160

XX. THE ESCAPE OF CROSS AND HUSKIN, 169

XXI. ROBERT AND THE OLD LUMBERMAN, 178

XXII. A CLEVER CAPTURE, 187

XXIII. PALMER'S UNFORTUNATE DÉBUT, 197

XXIV. PALMER CALLS UPON ROBERT'S MOTHER, 209

XXV. ANOTHER TALK ABOUT ROBERT, 215

XXVI. ROBERT SPEAKS HIS MIND, 222

XXVII. MR. TALBOT RECEIVES ANOTHER SET-BACK, 229

XXVIII. THE CONSPIRATORS ARE DISGUSTED, 236

XXIX. A LUCKY CHANGE OF STATEROOMS, 245

XXX. ANOTHER PLOT AGAINST ROBERT, 253

XXXI. THE MISSING BAGGAGE CHECK, 261

XXXII. ROBERT DELIVERS THE PRECIOUS MAP, 269

XXXIII. ROBERT VISITS HOME--CONCLUSION, 279

OUT FOR BUSINESS.