Alfred looked long and anxiously for the man on horseback; instead he noticed a proud looking, elderly lady walking about the flower beds. He nodded respectfully but the lady did not make a sign of recognition.
However, in quite a loud voice he inquired if Mr. Thornton were at home.
"Which Mr. Thornton? There are two Mr. Thorntons, Russell and Joseph."
"Joseph Thornton," answered Alfred, "is the gentleman I am looking for."
Alfred felt his importance. From down the lane toward the barn there came the sound of horse"s hoofs clattering on the road. Alfred"s ears told him that it was the white pacer.
As the rider caught sight of Alfred he dismounted. Running toward the boy, his long beard flowing on either side of his neck, he began: "Mr.
Hatfield, did you see--." Here Alfred held up the book to his view.
As he fairly bounded forward, he grasped the book in one hand and threw an arm around Alfred. He exclaimed: "Where the h--ll did you find it?
It"s a good thing for me that you came out the pike; if almost anybody else had found it I"d never have gotten it back, that is the money; I never could have traced that. The papers could have been traced. No one who loses money ever gets it back."
As the man turned the book over in his hand he inquired: "Did you open it?" Then a little ashamed of the question continued: "Of course you had to open it, otherwise you wouldn"t have known to whom it belonged. Now see here Alfred, I want to do the right thing by you. I will call at your house tonight. I want to meet your mother; your father I am well acquainted with. Your Uncle Will has told me that he is too hard on you and you"re a dam nice boy and you ought to be treated right."
At this insinuation Alfred fired up. "My father always treats me right, but I"ve been a pretty bad boy. He has his notions and I"ve got mine. He never hits a lick amiss. He never hurts me when he does whip me. It"s always a big laugh to me. He"s the kindest pap in Brownsville."
"Oh, you did not understand me. I did not mean to say that your father whipped you. I heard that he did not give you credit for your--your, that he--he--er hampered you in your--your--er--."
"Oh, I understand pap," interrupted Alfred, "he"s all right, we get along all right."
Then Mr. Thornton made inquiries as to where Alfred was going. When the boy informed him, he said: "That"s too far to walk; come on out to the stable, I"ll loan you a horse. You can ride him home and I will get him tonight."
They walked toward the white mare. Alfred asked what kind of a saddler she was. "Good," answered the man, "would you like to try her?"
"Why, yes, if it"s all the same to you."
By this time Alfred was shortening the stirrup straps to the length of his limbs as measured by his arms. Alfred"s thinking gear was working faster than the white mare"s hoofs ever pounded the earth. As he was about to mount he said: "Mr. Thornton, I"ll bring this mare home. I don"t want to trouble you to call at our house."
[Ill.u.s.tration: Joe Thornton and Alfred]
"Why? I want to see your parents and I want to reward you."
Alfred, sitting on the horse"s back, leaned far over toward the man and detailed the sad results of his first venture in minstrelsy.
"Whatever you give me will be applied on the payment of my debts. If our folks know that you gave me money they"ll want to know what I did with it."
The man grasped the situation, but informed Alfred the money in the book belonged to his mother. He had withdrawn it from the bank to pay a note.
He would help Alfred out but must go to town before he could do so.
"From whom did you borrow money," asked Mr. Thornton.
Alfred hesitated and said: "Well, there"s where I made another promise not to tell, but I"m going to tell you, I borrowed it from Sammy Steele."
"Well, I"ll be d.a.m.ned if you ain"t a good one. Why, Sammy Steele is the tightest man in Brownsville. How did you come to go to him?"
Alfred explained all. Mr. Thornton insisted that he ride the white mare home, adding that he would get her that night. Alfred rode off, visiting not only the school-house but many old friends. He arrived home as it was growing dark.
Entering the house he found Mr. Thornton there; he had told the family all. He informed Alfred that he had left an order on Jake Walters, the town tailor, for a suit of clothes, the material to be selected by the bearer.
While the clothes were more than acceptable, Alfred was disappointed. He feared he would not be in a position to pay the Sammy Steele note, although he was bending every energy, even dunning Harrison for the fifty cents loaned him at their first meeting.
The next week"s issue of the _Brownsville Clipper_ contained a lengthy article, as follows:
"One of Fayette County"s most prominent citizens lost a pocket-book containing a large amount of money and valuable papers. The book was lost on the old pike somewhere between the borough line and Thornton"s lane. Fortunately for the loser, one of the CLIPPER"S most trusted employes traveling on the pike, found the valuable book. The finder is one who has been trained under the vigilant eye of the editor of this valuable paper.
Through the influence of the editor of this paper the money was returned to the owner in less than one hour after its loss was discovered. The finder was suitably rewarded and will soon be advanced to a more lucrative position on this paper."
Harrison, in addition to his promised reforms in the editorial columns of the paper, introduced innovations in the advertising department. The _Pittsburg Gazette_ was the only daily paper on the _Clipper"s_ exchange list--this fact compels the admission that Pittsburg was a little ahead of Brownsville in the newspaper field, boasting two papers at the time, the _Gazette_ and _Post_. Both papers carried display advertis.e.m.e.nts of Hostetter"s Stomach Bitters and Dr. Jayne"s Liver Pills for grown people and vermifuge for children. Those were the only patent medicines that advertised at that time.
Harrison, in his illuminating way, wrote to the concerns soliciting advertising. Dr. Jayne"s representative wrote, requesting the weekly circulation of the _Clipper_ and the localities wherein it was circulated.
Harrison answered giving advertising rates, with unlimited reading notices and concluded his letter by advising that "the _Brownsville Clipper_ goes to Greene, Washington, Westmoreland and Bedford Counties; it goes to Pittsburg, c.u.mberland and Washington, and before I took hold of it the owner had all he could do to keep it from going to h--ll."
Something in Harrison"s letters appealed to the medicine men as advertis.e.m.e.nts were secured from both the concerns. In conformity with the custom of the times, part payment for advertising was to be taken in trade. Big boxes containing bottles of the stomach bitters, smaller boxes containing pills and vermifuge were received. Small quant.i.ties of both medicines were, with a great deal of persuasion, exchanged with country stores for farm products. After the first effort none of the bitters were offered for sale or trade insofar as the _Clipper"s_ supply was concerned.
Like the farmer who endeavored to sell the tanner the murn hide, Harrison had found a market for the bitters at home. They contained about 60% alcohol, therefore it was a panacea for all ills that Harrison was afflicted with, and he had many. The bitters were a pill for every ill.
That was a hard winter. Sugar crackers, Scotch herring and cheese were Harrison"s princ.i.p.al food and a few of the liver pills were used, but the vermifuge stood on the shelves in the press room covered with dust.
Mr. Hurd ordered Alfred to get rid of it even if he had to give it away; not to destroy it; if he could not sell it to give it to the subscribers to the paper with the compliments of the editor. Alfred covered his route with renewed vigor, a bundle of papers under his arm and both coat pockets filled with pills.
Alfred was personally acquainted with nearly every family in the town; he was familiar with the habits and health of all the boys.
Red haws, green apples, may apples, green chestnuts, in fact, everything that grows which boys devour more greedily before than after maturity, were plentiful in the country around Brownsville.
Alfred did a fine business for a time. The paper was published only weekly and Alfred was ordered by Mr. Hurd to dispense the medicine only when the paper was delivered. Alfred was doing so well that he intimated to Harrison that the paper should be semi-weekly, at least. Alfred was receiving a commission on all pills he sold.
Alfred looked over the medicine stock; about the only thing in stock was liver pills. There were large quant.i.ties of liver pills lying on the shelves. Alfred figured that the pills would do Johnny"s cow no harm and possibly might help her, as the cow was very sick.
Alfred did not wait until the paper was printed as the case was an urgent one. He made a special call, carrying nearly a pint of the liver pills in a paper collar box. (Harrison always wore paper collars and a d.i.c.ky.)
Alfred a.s.sured Johnny that the pills were specially prepared for just such disorders as his cow was afflicted with. There was some question as to the number of pills that const.i.tuted a dose for a cow. As the printed directions gave no information on the matter, Alfred thought a teacupful of the pellets would be about right.
It required a great deal of hard labor on the part of both Alfred and the owner to compel the cow to swallow the pills. However, a goodly part of the cupful of pills was administered to her.
At first the cow appeared a great deal worse and her owner feared she would die. Squire Rowley, the best cow doctor in the neighborhood, was sent for. He administered blackberry tea and other astringents and the cow recovered.
[Ill.u.s.tration: "A Cow"s Dose Is a Teacupful"]
When Lin heard that the boys were addressing Alfred as "Doctor," usually prefixing the t.i.tle with the word "Cow," she said: "They needn"t try to plague Alfurd, caus" it wus a durn good joke an" besides it cured the cow and it wus about time Hurd"s paper done somethin" good."
Alfred had saved sufficient money to cancel the note of Sammy Steele.
With a light step he ran up the stairs leading from the street into the large finishing room. Greeting all cheerily he inquired for the boss.
Mr. Steele entered.
Looking curiously at Alfred, with a twinkle in his eye, the old tanner remarked dryly: "Hurd--Mr. Hurd--Mr. Hurd--must be gettin" mightily pushed when he starts his hands to peddling pills."
Mr. Steele"s remark made the boy redden and he mumbled something about the pills being received in trade and had to be sold by somebody.