Frank and Fearless or, The Fortunes of Jasper Kent. by Horatio Alger - book 
1-931927-98-7

PAPERBACK ILLUSTRATED After his father's death, Jasper Kent runs away from his scheming stepmother and heads west where he rescues a girl from kidnappers. Aka: Won by Pluck.


Jasper Kent, 15, a bright, attractive boy, attends the boarding school of Dr. Pericles Benton. While there, he has an altercation with a bully, Nicholas Thorne, whose aunt happens to be his father’s housekeeper.
When Jasper returns home, he learns that his wealthy father has married Nicholas’s mother, who schemed to marry Jasper’s father for his money. When his father suddenly dies several months later, her true character is revealed. Nicholas instigates a fight with Jasper, and Mrs. Thorne only punishes Jasper. Jasper has no choice but to strike out for himself.
Jasper encounters one misadventure after another during his quest to secure his uncertain future.