The Project Gutenberg EBook of Hector's Inheritance, by Horatio Alger

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Title: Hector's Inheritance
or The Boys of Smith Institute

Author: Horatio Alger

Release Date: May, 2004 [EBook #5674]
Posting Date: April 2, 2009

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HECTOR'S INHERITANCE ***

Produced by Carrie Fellman

HECTOR'S INHERITANCE

OR

THE BOYS OF SMITH INSTITUTE

By Horatio Alger, Jr.

Author of "Eric Train Boy" "Young Acrobat," "Only an Irish Boy," "Bound
to Rise," "The Young Outlaw," "Driven from Home" etc.

NEW YORK

HECTOR'S INHERITANCE.

CHAPTER I. MR. ROSCOE RECEIVES TWO LETTERS.

Mr. Roscoe rang the bell, and, in answer, a servant entered the library,
where he sat before a large and commodious desk.

"Has the mail yet arrived?" he asked.

"Yes, sir; John has just come back from the village."

"Go at once and bring me the letters and papers, if there are any."

John bowed and withdrew.

Mr. Roscoe walked to the window, and looked thoughtfully out upon a
smooth, luxuriant lawn and an avenue of magnificent trees, through which
carriages were driven to what was popularly known as Castle Roscoe.
Everything, even to the luxuriously appointed room in which he sat,
indicated wealth and the ease which comes from affluence.

Mr. Roscoe looked around him with exultation.

"And all this may be mine," he said to himself, "if I am only bold. What
is it old Pindar says? 'Boldness is the beginning of victory.' I have
forgotten nearly all I learned in school, but I remember that. There is
some risk, perhaps, but not much, and I owe something to my son---"

He was interrupted by the entrance of the servant with a small leather
bag, which was used to hold mail matter, going from or coming to the
house.

The servant unlocked the bag, and emptied the contents on the desk.
There were three or four papers and two letters. It was the last which
attracted Mr. Roscoe's attention.

We will take the liberty of looking over Mr. Roscoe's shoulder as he
reads the first. It ran as follows:

"DEAR SIR:-I am in receipt of your favor, asking my terms for boarding
pup