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Updated: June 1, 2025
Henshaw," said Jack, brushing up, "but it's I who am after the job and to whom it belongs. Mr. Jacobs " "Is your name Alfret Offut?" interrupted the other youth sharply in the midst of Jack's speech. "I reckon Henshaw knows who he is talking to." "It was me Mr. Jacobs recommended the place to, and you are trying to steal it from me," cried Jack.
"He will never get along in life." Jack had spoken without knowing the truth. He was not to get rid of Fret Offut just yet, as we shall soon see. On the Island of Robinson Crusoe Ho! for South America! Bravely did the good steamer <i>Standish</i> keep on her long, and, at times, stormy voyage to the far distant shore of Western South America.
After a short time a big, red-faced, soot-be-grimed man appeared, saying as he reached them: "If Offut will come this way I will talk with him." "Henshaw," said the clerk simply, returning to his work, leaving the newcomer to attend to the visitors as he thought best. "Ha ha!" laughed young Offut, softly, as he followed the foreman, "where are you now, Jack North?"
His parents already knew something about the proposed journey, so they were not much surprised. They had seen Mr. Fowler and talked it over with the manufacturer. Mrs. North did what she could to get Jack's outfit ready for him. "I'll be glad to leave such fellows as Fret Offut behind," said Jack, to his father. "Fret Offut is a bully and a fool," said Mr. North, who was a blunt-spoken man.
Thus Furniss had barely laid his hand on him before he was on his feet ready to fight for his life if necessary. Flinging aside the second boss, he turned to meet the assault of Fret Offut, whom he caught by the collar and flung headlong upon a pile of scrap iron and ashes still warm from the furnace.
"I never boasted of my strength," replied Jack, beginning to wonder why so much interest was being manifested over so slight a matter. His surprise was increased at that moment by discovering Fret Offut among the spectators, his big mouth reaching almost from ear to ear with an idiotic grin. "Come to see the fun!" declared the latter, finding that he had been seen by Jack.
"Don't you dare to touch me!" and by that time he had reached the door, to disappear an instant later. Feeling that he had nothing more to fear from his enemies, Jack left the shop to go to his home, his mind soon occupied with thoughts of his South American voyage rather than with the more unpleasant memory of his recent trouble with young Offut and Furniss.
His surprise may be imagined then when he saw Fret Offut step from behind a huge boiler as he approached.
There are also some tales of his honesty which may stand without disgrace beside that of Washington and the cherry-tree, and may be better entitled to credit. It is said that, while he was "keeping shop" for Offut, a woman one day accidentally overpaid him by the sum of fourpence, and that he walked several miles that night to restore the sum to her before he slept.
Young Fritz was a curly-headed, merry, tennis-playing youngster. He made customers welcome to the office. Babbitt thought of him as a son, and in him had much comfort. An abandoned race-track on the outskirts of Chicago, a plot excellent for factory sites, was to be sold, and Jake Offut asked Babbitt to bid on it for him.
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