"What is it?"

"It is the deed to the farm on which your folks are living. It is made out in your name. I bought the place from Peter Thompson, your uncle.

Now you have something that you can really call your own," and Mr.

Shalley laughed pleasantly.

"Mr. Shalley, you are more than kind," cried Randy, warmly. "Do my parents know of this?"

"No. You can go home over Sunday and surprise them."

"I will, and I thank you very much, sir."

Randy went home, and there was a general rejoicing over the good news.

But more was to follow.

"I met Mr. Bartlett to-day," said Mr. Thompson. "He says they want a first-cla.s.s carpenter at the iron works to take charge of the repairs He offered me the place at a dollar a day more than I am getting."

"Good enough, father!" cried Randy. "That is just like Mr. Bartlett."

"He said he wanted to do something for us on your account. And he sent you this," added Mr. Thompson, and brought out a neat silver watch and chain. It was a nice present and pleased Randy greatly.

Not long after that the season on the river closed and Randy came home for the winter. As his father now had a steady place at good wages, the youth went to school, in company with Jack Bartlett, who had moved back to Riverport with the rest of his family. Randy was a good scholar and made rapid progress.

"I want you to get a good education," wrote Andrew Shalley to our hero.

"Then, later on, you can enter my office if you wish, or take a better place on the steamboat."

Six years have pa.s.sed since that time and Randy has finished his education. He is now the general manager for the steamboat company, and rumor has it that he is soon to marry Rose Clare, who still lives with the Shalleys. He is prosperous, but come what may, will never forget the time when he was only a deckhand.

THE END

The Famous Rover Boys Series

By ARTHUR M. WINFIELD

No stories for boys' Reading ever published have attained the immense popularity of this new and extremely favorite series. They are full of fun, fancy, enterprise, and adventure; and each volume is hailed with delight by boys and girls everywhere.

12mo. Cloth. Handsomely printed and ill.u.s.trated.

THE ROVER BOYS ON THE FARM Or, The Last Days at Putnam Hall The latest and best of all the Rover Boy Books.

THE ROVER BOYS IN SOUTHERN WATERS Or, The Deserted Steam Yacht A trip to the coast of Florida.

THE ROVER BOYS ON THE PLAINS Or, The Mystery of Red Rock Ranch Relates adventures on the mighty Mississippi River.

THE ROVER BOYS ON THE RIVER Or, The Search for the Missing Houseboat The Ohio River is the theme of this spirited story.

THE ROVER BOYS IN CAMP Or, The Rivals of Pine Island At the annual school encampment.

THE ROVER BOYS ON LAND AND SEA Or, The Crusoes of Seven Islands Full of strange and surprising adventures.

THE ROVER BOYS IN THE MOUNTAINS Or, A Hunt for Fame and Fortune The boys in the Adirondacks at a Winter camp.

THE ROVER BOYS ON THE GREAT LAKES Or, The Secret of the Island Cave A story of a remarkable Summer outing; full of fun.

THE ROVER BOYS OUT WEST Or, The Search for a Lost Mine A graphic description of the mines of the great Rockies.

THE ROVER BOYS IN THE JUNGLE Or, Stirring Adventures in Africa The boys journey to the Dark Continent in search of their father.

THE ROVER BOYS ON THE OCEAN Or, A Chase for a Fortune From school to the Atlantic Ocean.

THE ROVER BOYS AT SCHOOL Or, the Cadets of Putnam Hall The doings of d.i.c.k, Tom, and Sam Rover.

Always Ask for the Grosset & Dunlap Editions

GROSSET & DUNLAP, -- NEW YORK

THE RISE IN LIFE SERIES

By Horatio Alger, Jr.

These are Copyrighted Stories which cannot be obtained elsewhere. They are the stories last written by this famous author.

12mo. Handsomely printed and ill.u.s.trated. Bound in cloth, stamped in colored inks.

THE YOUNG BOOK AGENT Or, Frank Hardy's Road to Success A plain but uncommonly interesting tale of everyday life, describing the ups and downs of a boy book-agent.

FROM FARM TO FORTUNE: Or, Nat Nason's Strange Experience Nat was a poor country lad. Work on the farm was hard, and after a quarrel with his uncle, with whom he resided, he struck out for himself.

OUT FOR BUSINESS: Or, Robert Frost's Strange Career Relates the adventures of a country boy who is compelled to leave home and seek his fortune in the great world at large. How he wins success we must leave to the reader to discover.

FALLING IN WITH FORTUNE Or, The Experiences of a Young Secretary This is a companion tale to "Out for Business," but complete in itself, and tells of the further doings of Robert Frost as private secretary.

YOUNG CAPTAIN JACK: Or, The Son of a Soldier The scene is laid in the South during the Civil War, and the hero is a waif who was cast up by the sea and adopted by a rich Southern planter.

NELSON THE NEWSBOY: Or, Afloat in New York Mr. Alger is always at his best in the portrayal of life in New York City, and this story is among the best he has given our young readers.

LOST AT SEA: Or, Robert Roscoe's Strange Cruise A sea story of uncommon interest. The hero falls in with a strange derelict--a ship given over to the wild animals of a menagerie.

JERRY, THE BACKWOODS BOY Or, The Parkhurst Treasure Depicts life on a farm of New York State. The mystery of the treasure will fascinate every boy. Jerry is a character well worth knowing.

RANDY OF THE RIVER Or, The Adventures of a Young Deckhand Life on a river steamboat is not so romantic as some young people may imagine. There is hard work, and plenty of it, and the remuneration is not of the best. But Randy Thompson wanted work and took what was offered. His success in the end was well deserved, and perhaps the lesson his doings teach will not be lost upon those who peruse these pages.