Have you ever thought about what fiction is? Probably, such a question may seem surprising: and so everything is clear. Every person throughout his life has to repeatedly create the works he needs for specific purposes - statements, autobiographies, dictations - using not gypsum or clay, not musical notes, not paints, but just a word. At the same time, almost every person will be very surprised if he is told that he thereby created a work of fiction, which is very different from visual art, music and sculpture making. However, everyone understands that a student's essay or dictation is fundamentally different from novels, short stories, news that are created by professional writers. In the works of professionals there is the most important difference - excogitation. But, oddly enough, in a school literature course, you don’t realize the full power of fiction. So using our website in your free time discover fiction for yourself. Do and Dare — a Brave Boy's Fight for Fortune by Jr. Horatio Alger (e books free to read .TXT) 📖
- Author: Jr. Horatio Alger
Book online «Do and Dare — a Brave Boy's Fight for Fortune by Jr. Horatio Alger (e books free to read .TXT) 📖». Author Jr. Horatio Alger
“Shall I read the letter, sir?” asked Melville, of the judge.
“If there is no objection.”
Melville read it aloud, as follows:
“WAYNEBORO, August 2lst. MESSRS. JONES & FITCH: I inclose seventy-five cents in stamps, and will be glad to have you send me the articles you advertise in the Weekly Gazette. Yours truly,
“HERBERT CARR.”
Herbert listened to the reading of this letter in amazement.
“I never wrote that letter,” he said, “and I never heard of Jones & Fitch before.”
“That's a likely story!” sneered Eben Graham. “I submit to Judge Slocum that I have proved my case. I haven't found out when all the stamps left, but I have shown where some are. One who will steal seventy-five cents' worth of stamps will steal six dollars' worth.”
“I agree with you there, Mr. Graham,” said George Melville. “Will you be kind enough to sit down at that table, and write to my dictation?”
“What should I do that for?” asked Eben, suspiciously.
“Never mind. Surely you can have no objection.”
“Well, no; I don't know as I have, though I think it's all foolishness.”
He sat down, and a pen was handed him.
“What shall I write?” he asked.
“Write 'Messrs. Jones & Fitch.'”
“What for?” demanded Eben, looking discomposed.
“That's my affair. Write.”
Eben wrote the words, but he seemed to find some difficulty in doing so. It was clear that he was trying to disguise his handwriting.
“What next?” he asked.
“'I inclose seventy-five cents in stamps,'” proceeded George Melville.
“Do you want to throw suspicion on me?” asked Eben, throwing down the pen.
“Keep on writing!” said the judge.
Eben did so, but was very deliberate about it, and seemed very particular as to how he penned his letter.
“Very well!” said Melville. “Now, I wish Herbert Carr to take the pen, and I will dictate the same letter.”
Herbert readily took the seat just vacated by Eben, and rapidly wrote the words dictated to him.
When he had finished his task, Mr. Melville took the two copies, and, first examining them himself, handed them, together with the original letter, to Justice Slocum.
“I have only to ask your honor,” he said, “to compare these three notes and decide for yourself whether the original was written by Herbert Carr or Mr. Eben Graham, the witness against him.”
Eben Graham looked very ill at ease, flushing and paling by turns while the examination was going on.
“I submit,” he said, “that this is a very extraordinary way of treating a witness.”
Justice Slocum, after a pause, said: “I find that Mr. Eben Graham's copy is unmistakably in the same handwriting as the original letter, purporting to be written by Herbert Carr.”
“It's not so!” faltered Eben.
“Then,” said George Melville, triumphantly, “as it seems clear that my young client is the victim of a base conspiracy, engineered by the man who has brought this charge of dishonesty against him, I have only to ask that he be honorably discharged.”
“The request is granted,” said Justice Slocum. “Herbert, you can go. It is clear that you are innocent of the charge made against you.”
“I protest,” began Eben Graham.
“As for you, Mr. Graham,” said the justice, severely, “I have no words to express my scorn and detestation of your conduct in deliberately contriving a plot to ruin the reputation of an innocent boy, who has never done you any harm. Should Herbert Carr desire it, he is at liberty to sue you for having him arrested on a false charge trumped up by yourself.”
Eben began to look frightened.
“I do not wish to punish Mr. Graham,” said Herbert. “It is enough for me that my honesty has been vindicated.”
“Go, then,” said the justice to Eben. “It is fortunate for you that this boy is so forbearing.”
Eben Graham slunk out of the justice's office, looking meaner and more contemptible than ever, while Herbert was surrounded by his friends, who congratulated him upon the happy issue of the trial.
CHAPTER XIII. EBEN'S LAST HOPE FAILS.
Ebenezer Graham had taken no stock in his son's charge against Herbert. He was not prejudiced in favor of Herbert, nor did he feel particularly friendly to him, but he was a man of shrewdness and common sense, and he knew that Herbert was not a fool. When Eben made known to him the fact that the stamps and money were missing, he said keenly: “What has become of 'em?”
“I don't know,” answered Eben, “but I can guess well enough.”
“Guess, then,” said his father, shortly.
“You know Herbert Carr took my place last evening?”
“Well?”
“There's no doubt that he took the stamps and money.”
“That isn't very likely.”
“I feel sure of it—so sure that I mean to charge him with it.”
“Well, you can see what he says.”
Ebenezer did not understand that Eben intended to have the boy arrested, and would not have consented to it had he known. But Eben slipped out of the store, and arranged for the arrest without his father's knowledge. Indeed, he did not learn till the trial had already commenced, Eben having made some excuse for his absence.
When Eben returned his father greeted him in a tone very far from cordial.
“Well, Eben, I hear you've gone and made a fool of yourself?”
“I have only been defending your property, father,” said Eben, sullenly. “I thought you'd appreciate it better than this.”
“You've charged an innocent boy with theft, and now all his friends will lay it up agin' us.”
“Were you going to be robbed without saying a word?” asked Eben.
“No, I'm not, Eben Graham; I'm goin' to say a word, and now's the time to say it. You can't pull wool over my eyes. The money's gone, and the stamps are gone, and somebody's
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