The Project Gutenberg EBook of Ralph Gurney's Oil Speculation, by James Otis

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Title: Ralph Gurney's Oil Speculation

Author: James Otis

Release Date: February 4, 2009 [EBook #27984]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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RALPH GURNEY'S OIL
SPECULATION

By JAMES OTIS

Author of "The Cruise of the Sprite," "The Clown's Protege,"
"Roy Barton's Adventures on the Mexican Border," Etc.

[Illustration]

A. L. BURT COMPANY

PUBLISHERS NEW YORK

Copyright 1883
BY JAMES ELVERSON

RALPH GURNEY'S OIL SPECULATION

Renewal Granted to JAMES OTIS KALER, 1911

RALPH GURNEY'S OIL SPECULATION.

CHAPTER I.

THE "CHUMS."

The puffing, panting engine that dragged the long train of heavy cars
into the busy little city of Bradford, in the State of Pennsylvania, one
day last summer, witnessed through its one white, staring eye, sometimes
called the head-light, many happy meetings between waiting and coming
friends; but none was more hearty than that between two college
mates--one who had graduated the year previous, and the other who hoped
to carry off the honors at the close of the next term.

"Here at last!" exclaimed George Harnett, as he met his old chum with a
hearty clasp of the hand. "In this case, if the hope had been much
longer deferred, the heart would indeed have been sick."

"It was thoughtless in me, old fellow, not to have sent you word when I
concluded to remain at home two days longer, but the fact of the matter
is that I did not think you would be at the depot to meet me, but would
let me hunt you up, for I suppose you do have some kind of an office."

"Yes," laughed the young man, "I have an office; but since my work just
now is several miles from here, I am seldom at home, and was obliged to
come for you, or run the chance of having you spend a good portion of
your vacation hunting for me."

"And are you sorry yet that you chose civil engineering for a
professi