The Cash Boy | Page 3

to "Project Gutenberg Association / Illinois
Benedictine College" within the 60 days following each date you
prepare (or were legally required to prepare) your annual (or equivalent
periodic) tax return.
WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU
DON'T HAVE TO?

The Project gratefully accepts contributions in money, time, scanning
machines, OCR software, public domain etexts, royalty free copyright
licenses, and every other sort of contribution you can think of. Money
should be paid to "Project Gutenberg Association / Illinois Benedictine
College".
*END*THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN
ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END*

Scanned with OmniPage Professional OCR software donated by Caere
Corporation, 1-800-535-7226. Contact Mike Lough


The Cash Boy
BY Horatio Alger, Jr.

PREFACE
``The Cash Boy,'' by Horatio Alger, Jr., as the name implies, is a story
about a boy and for boys.
Through some conspiracy, the hero of the story when a baby, was taken
from his relatives and given into the care of a kind woman.
Not knowing his name, she gave him her husband's name, Frank
Fowler. She had one little daughter, Grace, and showing no partiality in
the treatment of her children, Frank never suspected that she was not
his sister. However, at the death of Mrs. Fowler, all this was related to
Frank.
The children were left alone in the world. It seemed as though they
would have to go to the poorhouse but Frank could not become
reconciled to that.
A kind neighbor agreed to care for Grace, so Frank decided to start out
in the world to make his way.
He had many disappointments and hardships, but through his kindness
to an old man, his own relatives and right name were revealed to him.

CHAPTER I

A REVELATION
A group of boys was assembled in an open field to the west of the
public schoolhouse in the town of Crawford. Most of them held hats in
their hands, while two, stationed sixty feet distant from each other,
were ``having catch.''
Tom Pinkerton, son of Deacon Pinkerton, had just returned from
Brooklyn, and while there had witnessed a match game between two
professional clubs. On his return he proposed that the boys of Crawford
should establish a club, to be known as the Excelsior Club of Crawford,
to play among themselves, and on suitable occasions to challenge clubs
belonging to other villages. This proposal was received with instant
approval.
``I move that Tom Pinkerton address the meeting,'' said one boy.
``Second the motion,'' said another.
As there was no chairman, James Briggs was appointed to that position,
and put the motion, which was unanimously carried.
Tom Pinkerton, in his own estimation a personage of considerable
importance, came forward in a consequential manner, and commenced
as follows:
``Mr. Chairman and boys. You all know what has brought us together.
We want to start a club for playing baseball, like the big clubs they
have in Brooklyn and New York.''
``How shall we do it?'' asked Henry Scott.
``We must first appoint a captain of the club, who will have power to
assign the members to their different positions. Of course you will want
one that understands about these matters.''
``He means himself,'' whispered Henry Scott, to his next neighbor; and
here he was right.

``Is that all?'' asked Sam Pomeroy.
``No; as there will be some expenses, there must be a treasurer to
receive and take care of the funds, and we shall need a secretary to keep
the records of the club, and write and answer challenges.''
``Boys,'' said the chairman, ``you have heard Tom Pinkerton's remarks.
Those who are in favor of organizing a club on this plan will please
signify it in the usual way.''
All the boys raised their hands, and it was declared a vote.
``You will bring in your votes for captain,'' said the chairman.
Tom Pinkerton drew a little apart with a conscious look, as he supposed,
of course, that no one but himself would be thought of as leader.
Slips of paper were passed around, and the boys began to prepare their
ballots. They were brought to the chairman in a hat, and he forthwith
took them out and began to count them.
``Boys,'' he announced, amid a universal stillness, ``there is one vote
for Sam Pomeroy, one for Eugene Morton, and the rest are for Frank
Fowler, who is elected.''
There was a clapping of hands, in which Tom Pinkerton did not join.
Frank Fowler, who is to be our hero, came forward a little, and spoke
modestly as follows:
``Boys, I thank you for electing me captain of the club. I am afraid I am
not very well qualified for the place, but I will do as well as I can.''
The speaker was a boy of fourteen. He was of medium height