Richard Dares Venture

A free download from http://www.dertz.in


Richard Dare's Venture

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Richard Dare's Venture, by Edward
Stratemeyer #7 in our series by Edward Stratemeyer
Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the
copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing
this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook.
This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project
Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the
header without written permission.
Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the
eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is
important information about your specific rights and restrictions in how
the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a
donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved.
**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts**
**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since
1971**
*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of
Volunteers!*****
Title: Richard Dare's Venture
Author: Edward Stratemeyer

Release Date: August, 2004 [EBook #6365] [Yes, we are more than
one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on December 2,
2002]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RICHARD
DARE'S VENTURE ***

Produced by Laura Stewart, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks and the
Online Distributed Proofreading Team.

RICHARD DARE'S VENTURE
OR
STRIKING OUT FOR HIMSELF
BY EDWARD STRATEMEYER Author of Oliver Bright's Search, To
Alaska For Gold, The Last Cruise Of The Spitfire, Shorthand Tom, Etc.

PREFACE TO THE REVISED EDITION.
"Richard Dare's Venture," although a complete story in itself, forms the
initial volume of the "Bound to Succeed" Series, a line of books written
primarily for boys, but which it would seem not only girls but also
persons of mature age have taken up with more or less interest.
The story relates the adventures of a country youth who comes to New
York to seek his fortune, just as many country lads have done in the

past and many are likely to do in the future. Richard feels that there is
nothing for him to do in the sleepy village in which he resides, and that
he must "strike out for himself," and he does so, with no cash capital to
speak of, but with plenty of true American backbone, and with the firm
conviction that if he does his duty as he finds it, and watches his
chances, he will be sure to make a place for himself.
Richard finds life in the metropolis no bed of roses, and when he at
length gains a footing he is confronted by many a snare and pitfall. But,
thanks to the Christian teachings of the best of mothers, and his natural
uprightness of character, he escapes these evils, and gives a practical
teaching of the Biblical admonition of "returning evil with good."
When the first edition of this work was placed on the market several
years ago, the author had hoped that it would receive some notice; but
he was hardly prepared for the warm reception which readers and
critics alike all over the country accorded it. For this enthusiasm he is
profoundly grateful. The street scenes in New York have been
particularly commended; the author would add that these are not
fictitious, but are taken from life.
EDWARD STRATEMEYER.
NEWARK, N.J., March 1, 1899.

CONTENTS
I. A Serious Accident
II. Bitter Moments
III. Preparing to Start
IV. On the Train
V. The Smash-up

VI. Under Suspicion
VII. The End of the Journey
VIII. The "Watch Below"
IX. Locked Out
X. The First Night in New York
XI. Robbed
XII. On the Search
XIII. Richard Calls on Mr. Joyce
XIV. Work Obtained
XV. New Quarters
XVI. Pep
XVII. Getting Acquainted
XVIII. A Strange Situation
XIX. The Laurel Club
XX. Trouble Brewing
XXI. Richard in Trouble
XXII. Richard Visits Mr. Joyce Again
XXIII. Strange Discoveries
XXIV. Pep's Home
XXV. Tom Clover

XXVI. A Scene in the Stock-room
XXVII. A Fire and its Result
XXVIII. A Lucky Resolve
XXIX. Frank's Idea
XXX. Mr. Martin's Clerks
XXXI. Tom Clover's Statement
XXXII. The Firm of Massanet and Dare
CHAPTER I.
A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.
"It is high time, mother, that I found something to do. Father seems to
be worse, and I'm afraid before long he won't be able to go to work
every day. Ever since I finished schooling I've felt like a fish out of
water."
And stowing away the remainder of the slice of bread he was eating,
Richard Dare leaned back in his chair and gazed inquiringly across the
breakfast-table to where his mother stood, ready to clear away the
dishes when he had finished