Dick Hamilton's Fortune The Stirring Doings of a Millionaire's Son   By: Howard Roger Garis (1873-1962)

Dick Hamilton's Fortune. (Frontispiece.)]

DICK HAMILTON'S FORTUNE

OR

THE STIRRING DOINGS OF A MILLIONAIRE'S SON

BY

HOWARD R. GARIS

AUTHOR OF "FROM OFFICE BOY TO REPORTER," "LARRY DEXTER, REPORTER," "LARRY DEXTER'S GREAT SEARCH," ETC.

ILLUSTRATED

THE GOLDSMITH PUBLISHING CO. CLEVELAND

MADE IN U. S. A.

Copyright, 1909, by Grosset & Dunlap

PRESS OF THE COMMERCIAL BOOKBINDING CO. CLEVELAND

PREFACE

My Dear Boys:

Allow me to introduce to you my friend, Dick Hamilton.

Dick, here are the boys, thousands of them.

Boys, here is Dick Hamilton.

Now I hope you will shake hands and become good friends; not doing as I have sometimes seen boys do, when introduced, hang back and size each other up, as if distrusting each other.

Go right up to Dick, get a good grip on his hand, and squeeze for all you're worth. I'll wager you can't make him cry "enough!"

I know he will like you, boys, and I hope you'll like Dick. He's a fine fellow, if I do say it myself, for I'm a sort of relation to him. He's got lots of money, but he uses it in the right way, to help his friends, and it doesn't keep him from getting into trouble.

I have endeavored to give you a story of Dick and his fortune; how he tried to fulfil the strange condition of his mother's will; how he escaped the toils of the sharper, was the target for many cranks, as well as well meaning persons; how he aided the "fresh air kids," and, finally, when the gold mines had failed, how he worked hard to escape the clutches of his uncle Ezra.

As you have taken kindly to some of the other books I have been privileged to write for you, I hope you will like this one; and now, if you have read thus far, you may turn the pages and find out what Dick had to do in order to retain his millions.

Yours sincerely,

Howard R. Garis.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAGE

I. Dick is in a Hurry 1 II. A Strange Will 12 III. Uncle Ezra Threatens 20 IV. Dick Becomes Celebrated 34 V. Dick Aids Henry 44 VI. A Trip to New York 50 VII. A Sharper Foiled 59 VIII. Dick and the Reporter 69 IX. A Circus Comes to Town 79 X. Dick Invests in Happiness 85 XI. Hank Darby in Business 96 XII. Gold Mine Stock 105 XIII. Dick's Brave Act 114 XIV. Dick Gives a Party 125 XV. The Conspiracy 135 XVI. Dick Turns Detective 141 XVII. Grit's Revenge 150 XVIII. Uncle Ezra's Visit 156 XIX. The Fresh Air Youngsters 164 XX. Tim's Disclosure 173 XXI. In Which Mr. Vanderhoof Vanishes 183 XXII. Off for the West 189 XXIII. At the Mines 197 XXIV. A Night Trip 205 XXV. Down in a Gold Mine 215 XXVI. Simon's Confession 223 XXVII. The Panic 232 XXVIII. Henry in Trouble 242 XXIX. The Flying Machine 249 XXX. A Disastrous Flight 256 XXXI. Good News Conclusion 264

DICK HAMILTON'S FORTUNE

CHAPTER I

DICK IS IN A HURRY

"Here comes Dick Hamilton!" exclaimed a flashily dressed youth to his companion, no less gaily attired, as the two stood in front of a building from which sounded a peculiar clicking noise.