Do and Dare is the inspiring story of one boy's triumph over poverty and treachery. When Herbert Carr's widowed mother is unfairly forced out of her job as postmistress, Herbert is determined to help support the family. He is hired (at a pittance) to help the new postmaster, but is soon displaced in favor of Eben, the postmaster's irresponsible son. Help arrives in the form of George Melville, a wealthy young man who needs a companion to help improve his health. The pay is handsome, and Herbert readily accepts. Eben, however, is jealous of Herbert's good luck and tries to move in on the opportunity. Will Herbert be able to withstand Eben's dishonesty and carve out a career for himself? Horatio Alger Jr. is famous for his rags-to-riches tales which captured the imagination of 19th-century America.