Phil before the Door of the Southern Planter.Page 244.
Phil before the Door of the Southern Planter.Page 244.
"Matt had no sister," replied Mr. Rockwood, smiling.
I told him what had happened to me that night; but, as I related the story in a good-natured vein, he was rather amused at it.
"Then you did not come to this hotel to see me?"
"No, sir; I blundered upon you;" and I explained how I had happened to be before his door when he discovered me, and why I had paused there longer than I intended.
He laughed heartily at my story, but I noticed that he suddenly became sad whenever I alluded, directly or indirectly, to his brother.
"We will take care of Mr. Morgan Blair in due time," said Mr. Rockwood. "Now, Phil, what do you do?"
"I am a carpenter."
"Where do you live?"
I gave him Mrs. Greenough's address, and he wrote it down in his memorandum book.
"But I must go home, sir; I ought to have gone long ago. I am afraid my father will think something has happened to me," I continued.
"Well I think something has happened to you. But I will not keep you any longer. I will go home with you, if you have no objection."
"I should be very glad to have you, sir."
"I should like to see your father."
While he was putting on his overcoat, I took Mr. Gracewood's note from my pocket, and tendered it to him.
"What's that, Phil?" he asked.
"It's a note for fifteen hundred dollars—the money your brother left and the proceeds of the sale of some of his property."
"This is the note that those ruffians wanted?" he replied, taking the paper and reading it.
"I think a little of it belongs to me, for I earned it after the death of your brother."
"O, my boy, you shall have the whole of it! I will never touch a penny of it."
"But it does not all belong to me."
"Every mill of it," said he, earnestly. "You took care of my brother when he was sick, and he brought you up. You have a better claim to his property than I have, or should have if I needed it, which I do not."
"You are very kind, sir."
"Only just."
We went down stairs, and I saw that all the people in the hotel treated Mr. Rockwood with "distinguished consideration." At his request, the landlord called a carriage, and I went home in state. I had never been in a carriage before, and I regarded it as a very pleasant mode of conveyance.
"I am sorry I did not see you before, Phil, for I must leave for the south in a day or two," said Mr. Rockwood, as the carriage drove off.
"Do you live at the south?"
"Yes; I have been in Mississippi almost twenty years. I have a large plantation there. I made my fortune down there; but I don'tthink I shall remain there much longer. The climate don't agree with my wife as well as St. Louis. I have been investing money in this city for several years, and when I can sell my plantation I shall come here to live. I own that hotel and the block of buildings with the flat roof over which you passed. I have to come here two or three times a year to look after the property; and my family generally spend the summer here. I hope I shall see more of you, Phil."
"Thank you, sir."
"If you were a little older, I could give you something better to do than carpentering."
"I like that business, sir, and don't care about leaving it at present."
The carriage stopped at Mrs. Greenough's, and we went up stairs. I was obliged to show my wealthy friend into the kitchen, for there was no fire in the parlor. However, there was not much difference between the two rooms.
"I am so glad you have come home, Phil!" said my landlady, descending the stairs whenshe heard me. "We have been really worried about you."
"I am all right," I replied; and then I introduced Mr. Rockwood.
Mrs. Greenough apologized for meeting him in the kitchen. She was obliged to stay with Mr. Farringford so much of the time that she did not keep a fire in the parlor. She would make one, if he would excuse her; but the distinguished gentleman declined to excuse her, and thought the kitchen was very comfortable and very pleasant.
"And so you got out, Phil," she added, turning to me.
"Out? How did you know anything about it?" I inquired, very much surprised to find that the intelligence of my adventure had preceded me.
"Why, a policeman has been here with your note."
"My note! What note?"
"Didn't you write a billet to me?" she continued, bustling about to find the important document.
"I am not aware that I did," I replied.
"Why, yes, you did, Phil. Where is it? I must have left it up stairs. I will go up after it."
"But I haven't written any billet," I protested.
"I will show it to you," said she, hastening up stairs to find the note.
"Your friends appear to have doubled on you, after all," laughed Mr. Rockwood.
"I don't understand it, though I remember that in order to save the rascals the trouble of attempting to get any money out of me, I told them I had left my balance at home."
Mrs. Greenough returned with the note, and handed it to me. I read it with astonishment and indignation. My name was signed at the end of it; but, of course, no part of the contents was written by me. In the note I was represented as informing the good lady that I had been arrested, and conveyed to the station-house; but I could be bailed out till Monday by depositing sixty-five dollars with the sergeant of police.
"Who brought this?" I asked.
"A man who said he was a policeman."
"Did you know him?"
"No; but after consulting a long time with your father, we sent the money."
"You did!" I exclaimed.
I concluded that I was sixty-five dollars out.
IN WHICH PHIL RETURNS TO THE DEN OF THE ENEMY.
Ifelt that I could afford to lose sixty-five dollars better than ever before; but I did not like the idea of being swindled. It was especially repugnant to be overreached by such scoundrels as Lynch and Blair, though the latter appeared to be only the tool of the former.
"I did not like to give the man the money, but your father thought that, as he was a policeman, it was all right," Mrs. Greenough explained. "Your father was very much worried when he heard you were arrested."
"I have not been arrested," I replied.
"Your father wishes to see you," added the landlady.
"I will go up with you, if you please," said Mr. Rockwood.
We went up to my father's room, where Iintroduced my new friend to him. It required some time, of course, to explain who and what the planter was, and how I had made his acquaintance.
"Then you have not been arrested," said my father.
"No; but I was kept a prisoner by these scoundrels."
"We must attend to them," added Mr. Rockwood, consulting his watch.
"Dear me! there is the door-bell again!" exclaimed Mrs. Greenough. "Who can it be at this time of night!"
"It is only half past nine," added the planter, as I took a light to answer the bell. "I think Mrs. Greenough had better go to the door, for I don't believe these scoundrels will be satisfied with sixty-five dollars."
At this suggestion Mrs. Greenough answered the summons, and soon returned with another note—from me! I opened it, and read that I had been arrested in connection with the claim of Morgan Blair, and that when the police sergeant heard there was a note, which represented the property claimed, in my possession, he thoughtit was better to have it deposited with the chief of police for safe keeping.
"These fellows evidently think you have not yet returned to your home, Phil," said Mr. Rockwood.
"I don't blame them much for thinking so, for I expected to stay on those roofs all night; and I think I should if you had not been so wise as to put a hotel in the block," I replied.
"The man asked if Phil was at home before he gave me the note," said the landlady, "and I evaded the question."
"What shall we do?" asked my father, raising himself in the bed.
"Phil and I will pay a visit to these rascals," answered the planter. "Have you an envelope?"
"Yes," I replied, producing one, with some paper.
He folded up a sheet of paper, put it in the envelope, and requested the landlady to direct it to the chief of police.
"Where is this messenger?" asked Mr. Rockwood.
"He is waiting in the kitchen."
"Very well, Mrs. Greenough. If you willclose the door, so that we can get into the street without his knowledge, we will follow him up and attend to this business."
The landlady went down stairs, and when she had closed the kitchen door, the planter and myself crept softly down stairs, and went into the street. We placed ourselves where we could identify the messenger when he came out of the house. He was evidently satisfied that the envelope contained the document for which he had been sent, for he immediately followed us out of the house. He was a well-dressed man, as we saw by the light of the corner street lamp. He wore a light-colored overcoat, so that we could easily follow him as he passed through the streets. Mr. Rockwood went behind him, while I walked on the other side of the street, and kept up with him. He went, as I supposed he would, to the house to which I had been enticed earlier in the evening. He went in by the aid of a night-key, and doubtless believed that he had fully accomplished the mission upon which he had been sent.
"You are younger and more active than I am, Phil," said Mr. Rockwood, when the manhad entered the house and closed the door behind him. "If you will stay here, and follow any of the rascals if they come out again, I will get an officer."
"Very well, sir."
The planter hastened to his hotel, and I stationed myself where I could see who left the house. My friend was not absent more than a quarter of an hour, and returned with two officers, whom the landlord of the hotel had procured for him. One of them was in uniform, and the other a detective in plain clothes. I concluded that Mr. Rockwood meant business, and instead of my spending Sunday as a prisoner, this would be the fate of those who were trying to swindle me.
"That's a gambling-house," said the policeman in uniform, when I pointed out the door where the man entered.
"Undoubtedly it is a gambling-house," replied the detective, gazing inquiringly at me, as though he was not quite satisfied with the story related to him by Mr. Rockwood; "but even a gambling-house has certain rights, which may not be disturbed without proper cause."
"Proper cause!" exclaimed Mr. Rockwood."Don't I tell you that this young man has been robbed and abused by the villains in this house?"
"You will excuse me, sir, but it is possible to be mistaken. If I understand you, Mr. Rockwood, you met this boy for the first time about two hours ago."
"But I have entire confidence in him. He is the son of Edward Farringford."
"Perhaps he is, though I do not believe it; but that is nothing to recommend him. His story is absurd on the face of it."
"My story is true, sir, every word of it," I interposed, indignantly.
Mr. Bogart, the detective, asked me a few questions in regard to my escape from the building, and I repeated all the particulars. He shook his head, and declared that he was unwilling to enter the house upon the strength of such a story. It would damage his reputation as an officer, and his superiors would not justify the measure.
"I'll tell you what I will do," he continued.
"Well, what will you do?" demanded Mr. Rockwood, impatiently.
"I will go with this young man to the topof the house, where he left the chamber of the gambler. I will follow him into the house by the window through which he came out."
"I don't think you can get in at the window."
"I suppose not," said Mr. Bogart, with a palpable sneer.
"But I will go with you, and show you the window," I added.
"I wish you would," replied the officer, who evidently believed that I should give him the slip before I verified my position.
Mr. Rockwood and the policeman were to remain in the street and keep watch of the house during our absence. If the gambler's messenger who had gone to the house of Mrs. Greenough appeared, he was to be arrested.
Mr. Bogart and myself went to the hotel, where, after my companion had spoken to the landlord, we ascended to the roof.
"Now, young man, if you will go ahead, I will follow you," said the detective.
"I hope you are used to climbing," I replied.
"Don't borrow any trouble on my account; I will follow anywhere that you will lead."
"All right, sir; I hope I shall soon be able to prove all that I have stated."
"I hope so," replied he, in a tone which assured me that he did not expect anything of the kind.
I led the way across the flat roof, and at the next block we mounted the ridge-pole of the pitch roof. Mr. Bogart cautioned me to move with care, so as not to disturb the inmates of the houses beneath us. I was soon in position to see the bright light streaming up from the tenement to which I had been decoyed by the villains.
"That's the house," said I, pointing to the light.
"Did you come up through that scuttle?" he asked.
"No, I came up over the top of the luthern window."
"Impossible!" exclaimed he, glancing at the window.
"It is true; and I suppose I shall have to go in that way," I continued; and I explained minutely how I had made my exit from the chamber.
"Lead on. We will examine the house," said Mr. Bogart.
On a nearer approach to the roof of the gambling-house, I discovered that the glass scuttle was open, and I concluded that Lynch and Blair had been upon the roof in search of me. When I reached the opening I found a ladder conveniently placed for my descent, if I chose to avail myself of its aid. I looked down into the entry, where the gas-light still blazed cheerfully. The door of Lynch's room was open, and I could distinctly hear the voices of my late captors.
"They took me into that front room," I whispered to my doubting companion.
"This looks a little as though your story was true," said Mr. Bogart.
"Will you follow me down this ladder?"
"No, not yet. I wish to get a little better idea of what these fellows mean. Are you afraid of them?"
"No; not a bit," I answered, raising the poker which I had picked up where I left it on the roof.
"Will you go down alone?" he asked.
"Yes, if you desire it."
"I will keep the run of you, and see what is done. If you get into trouble with them, just whistle as loud as you can, and I will join you."
"But suppose they take away the ladder?"
"Then I will go down as I came up, and enter the house by the front door. Don't be afraid of anything."
"I'm not afraid."
"I will be near you. I want to know what these fellows mean to do. If they close the door, I will go down the ladder into the entry."
Suddenly my companion appeared to have become very enthusiastic in the business upon which we were engaged. Though he did not say so, I was satisfied that he was convinced of the truth of my statement.
"What shall I do?" I asked, rather puzzled by the tactics of the detective.
"Do whatever they wish you to do; but don't let them know that you have been off the roof since you escaped.
"Why not?"
"I cannot stop to explain now; only I don't think these rascals have taken all this trouble with you for fifty or a hundred dollars; and they mean to use you as a cat's paw for something else."
"I know they do," I replied, in a whisper. "They want the fifteen hundred dollars in gold, for which I hold a note signed by Mr. Gracewood."
"No matter now," said he, impatiently. "Go down, and give them all the rope they want."
"Shall I give them the note, which I have in my pocket?"
"I haven't heard about the note. If you had told me the whole story before now, I should have known better what to do."
We retreated a few paces from the skylight, and I told him all about the note and the object of Lynch. I assured him that Mr. Rockwood was the legal heir of the property.
"The note is of no consequence then," said Mr. Bogart. "Give it to them, but don't indorse it, and I will see that it is returned to you. We have them now. They can't escape us. Now, go down, and let them have their own way, but with some show of opposition."
I descended the ladder, and stood before the open door of the chamber, when I saw Lynch, with his feet on the table, smoking. Morgan Blair sat opposite him. They discovered me assoon as I landed in the hall, and made haste to place themselves between me and the stairs, in order to cut off my escape. As I did not wish to escape, I gave them no trouble in this direction, but entered the chamber.
IN WHICH PHIL MEETS A PALE GENTLEMAN WITH ONE ARM IN A SLING.
"Ithought you would come back, my dear Phil," said Mr. Leonidas Lynchpinne, as he placed himself in the doorway before me. "I knew you had so much respect and regard for us that you would not break our hearts by being long absent. By the way, Phil, how is the weather on the roof?"
"It is rather cool," I replied, seating myself in the vacant chair, "but not quite so cool as you are, Mr. Leonidas Lynchpinne."
"Phil, be virtuous, and you will always be happy; that is the secret of my uninterrupted cheerfulness; that enables me always and everywhere to be perfectly calm and collected. Be honest, just, and upright, Phil; and then the man don't live that can make you tremble, or,in other words, shake in your boots. But besides being all these, Phil, you should be charitable and humane, especially the latter. I am humane, Phil, and that adds to the sum total of my bliss on earth."
"You must be an exceedingly happy man, Mr. Leonidas Lynchpinne," I added; and I saw that he had been drinking some exhilarating beverage since I left him.
"O, I am—happy as the day is long, and the night too. You were so very imprudent, Phil, as to make your exit—in other words, your departure—from this room by the way of that front window. You might have fallen upon the hard pavement in the street below; and then how I should have wept over your brief but wasted life!"
"You are very affectionate."
"Affection is the staple fodder of my existence, Phil. By a process of reasoning which I need not attempt to develop to your unpractised understanding, I arrived at the conclusion that you would be compelled to remain all night on the roof of this and the adjacent houses, unless something was done for you.Dreading lest, benumbed with cold, you should attempt the fearful feat of returning to this humble apartment by the same means you used in leaving it, I placed that ladder at the skylight for your use. After all the wrongs, injuries, and insults you have heaped upon me, I took this means to prevent you from sacrificing yourself on the hard pavement below. That is what I call humanity, and I offer it to you as an exemplification of that noble attribute."
"Thank you; and I will endeavor to profit by your example, at least so far as it illustrates the attribute of humanity. If you have nothing more to say to me, I will take my leave of you."
"Stay, Phil; I have more to say to you," he interposed. "Be honest, and you will be eccentric—I mean, you will be happy."
"I am glad to hear such lessons of practical wisdom from you, Mr. Leonidas Lynchpinne," I replied, hoping he would soon come to the point, if he had any point, as Mr. Bogart had suggested.
"You appreciate true wisdom, Phil. Good!Then you will give that note to this honest young man."
"Certainly I will give it to him when he proves his claim."
I concluded that he was not satisfied with the blank paper sent in the envelope.
"I knew you would be just, Phil, after the good advice I have given you; for you are not a bad boy at heart, though you have been led away by evil influences. If you stay with me a while, you will be reformed, and then you will lead a good and true life, and then you will be eccentric—happy, I mean. Won't you smoke a cigar, Phil?"
"No, I thank you; I never smoke."
"That's right, Phil. It's a filthy practice, besides leading to other vices more to be condemned," said he, lighting a fresh cigar. "Now, Phil, about that note, which justly and rightly belongs to my good friend Morgan Blair. Do you happen to have it about you?"
"Yes; I have it in my pocket," I replied, acting upon the advice of Mr. Bogart.
"Capital! Things always work right for those who are faithful and humane. I'm faithful andhumane. Now, we are going to bring you two good and true witnesses, who will convince you that Morgan Blair is the son of Matt Rockwood's sister. We have taken a great deal of pains to send to Vandalia for them, and they will be here to-night—this very night, Phil. That's all we want to see you for."
"Very well; I should like to hear what they have to say."
"You shall hear them. I will go down and bring them up," he added, rising from the chair.
He had hardly got up before the door was darkened by what to me seemed to be an apparition. It was a gentleman with an overcoat thrown loosely over his shoulders. He wore no other coat, and no vest. I saw that his left arm was suspended in a sling. His face was very pale, and he looked very much like my excellent friend Mr. Gracewood, though a second glance assured me it was not he. When he discovered me, he started back, and was disposed to retreat.
"You have company, Mr. Lynch," said the pale gentleman. "I will come another time."
"Come in, Mr. Gracewood. Come in!" replied Lynch, placing the rocking-chair for the visitor, who was evidently an invalid.
Mr. Gracewood! It certainly was not my kind friend; but the resemblance was strong enough to assure me that he was a relative, if not a brother.
"Is this the way you keep my secret?" said the pale gentleman, reproachfully, as he retreated a pace into the entry.
"O, it's all right here. This is Phil Farringford, of whom I spoke to you," added Lynch.
"So much the worse!" exclaimed the invalid, impatiently.
"But he is the very essence of discretion and reserve. Your secret is as safe with him as with me," protested the gambler.
"The mischief is done, whatever it may be. You have called me by my name."
"May I ask if you are a relative of Henry Gracewood?" I inquired, so much interested in the pale gentleman that I forgot everything else.
"His own brother, and his only brother," replied Mr. Gracewood, bitterly. "I would nothave him know that I am here for his fortune and mine, though I am guilty of no crime against him."
"Mind that, Phil," interposed Lynch; "and remember that discretion is the better part of valor, and sometimes the better part of virtue. This honest gentleman has been unfortunate, but not guilty."
I could not understand how a person in his situation, apparently an invalid, should happen to be in a gambling-house, and it seemed to me that the secrecy he coveted was an indication of something evil. He declared that he was guilty of no crime against his brother. Respect and regard for the good friend of my early years prompted me not to betray him, at least before I knew more about him. Then it occurred to me that the detective on the roof, or perhaps in the entry by this time, might discover more than it was desirable for him to know.
"Do you know where my brother is now, young man?" asked the invalid.
"He is at Delaware City, where his wife issick," I replied, giving him the details of the illness of Mrs. Gracewood.
"You can talk it over between you," interposed Lynch. "I have an engagement with the governor of Missouri and half a dozen congressmen; and I hope you will excuse me for half an hour."
Mr. Gracewood nodded, and Lynch and Blair left the room. I had no doubt Mr. Bogart, in the entry, would attend to their movements, and I did not trouble myself about them. I told my companion all I knew about his brother.
"I had a letter from him this autumn, saying he expected to return to St. Louis before winter. He spoke about you, and about his wife and daughter. I have heard nothing from them since."
"He would have been here a fortnight ago if his wife had not been sick."
"Young man, do you know the character of this house?" said Mr. Gracewood, looking at me very sharply.
"I do, sir, very well indeed; and the character of the man who has just left us."
"How do you happen to be in such a place, then?"
"I was enticed here by Lynch, who wanted to plunder me of certain property in my possession; but I understand him, and he won't make anything out of me."
"Perhaps you wonder that I am here," he added, looking upon the floor, as though he considered his own position more equivocal than mine.
"I confess that I do, sir, especially as you look like an invalid, and I see you have your arm in a sling."
"I would not have my brother know that I am here for all the world, for I judge from the tone of his letter that a great change has come over him. He talks to me of the mercies of God, which I feel that I need more than all else on earth. I am overwhelmed with shame at my situation."
Mr. Gracewood covered his face with his hand, and I heard him groan in bitterness of spirit. I pitied him, for whatever he had done, he was a penitent, and I was sure that God's mercy could reach and comfort him.
"If you wish, I will tell you how I happen to be here," I added, intending, if possible, to divert his mind from the woe that overwhelmed him.
"No, young man; I do not care to know. As you may see my brother before I do, I had better tell you how I happen to be here," he added. "I have been gambling, and I have lost thousands and tens of thousands of dollars. I have even impaired my fortune; and if this calamity had not overtaken me,"—and he pointed to his wounded arm,—"I might even have spent my brother's fortune, which, perhaps you know, he placed in my keeping. I sold stocks and bonds in which I had invested his money, and lost the proceeds at the gambling table.
"In my home at Glencoe, I cursed my own folly and wickedness in wasting my substance in games of chance; but I hoped to redeem my heavy losses. I was fully resolved, when I had done so, never to play again. But the judgment comes when we least expect it. I found, when I looked over my accounts in the quiet of my chamber at Glencoe, that I hadlost about twenty thousand dollars' worth of stocks and bonds belonging to my brother. I was appalled, for both his property and mine was largely invested in real estate, and I had not the ready money to make good the deficiency. A few days before, an offer was made me for a piece of property in this city. I proposed to sell it for thirty thousand, and was offered twenty-five. Under the pressure of this need to repair my brother's fortune, I hastened to the city, and closed the bargain at the lower price.
"The purchaser came to me with the money in his hand as soon as I could have the papers prepared. It was four o'clock in the afternoon when the business was completed, and I had twenty-five thousand dollars in my pocket. It was too late to deposit it in the bank that day, and meeting one whose acquaintance I had made at Forstellar's, I came here. I lost a thousand dollars before I fully realized what I was doing. Then I refused to play any more. The one with whom I had come was angry with me. In a word, we had a quarrel, and in his wrath he attempted to stab me; but Iwarded off the blow with my arm, which was severely wounded.
"The ruffian escaped; but I was taken to a chamber, and a surgeon sent for. Then I thought of the large sum of money in my possession, and the character of the place, and—"
Mr. Gracewood suddenly placed his hand against his breast, and, without another word, fled from the room.
IN WHICH PHIL MEETS AN OLD FRIEND, AND MR. LEONIDAS LYNCHPINNE COMES TO GRIEF.
Icould not imagine what had so suddenly driven Mr. Gracewood from the room. He left as though he had been shot from a gun, and did not utter a word in explanation of his conduct. On the impulse of the moment I followed him. In the entry I looked for Mr. Bogart, in order to report progress to him; but I did not see him. The ladder was still standing at the skylight, but the detective was not in sight upon the roof, and though I called his name as loud as I dared to speak he did not respond.
I descended the stairs to the next floor, where I had understood the room of the invalid was located. The door of his apartment was open, and I discovered Mr. Gracewood in the act ofransacking his bed. He was very nervous and excited, and I saw that the hand he was able to use trembled violently.
The Lost Money.Page 281.
The Lost Money.Page 281.
"What is the matter, Mr. Gracewood?" I asked, as he continued to tumble over the mattress and the pillows.
"All is lost!" exclaimed he, in the tones of despair.
"What is lost?"
"My money!" he gasped, in a hoarse whisper.
"Do you mean to say that it is gone!" I asked, startled at the suggestion.
"All gone!" groaned he. "Twenty-four thousand dollars!"
"But where did you put it, sir?"
"Between the two beds, when Lynch sent for me to come up into his room."
"Did he send for you, sir?" I interposed.
"He did."
"Then it was a plot to rob you, sir."
"I fear that it was; but I was careless. I had hardly been out of my room before; but when I did leave it, I took my money with me. I had become accustomed to its possession, and I did not think of it. I did not believe Lynchwas a bad man. He was very kind to me, and attended to my wants after I was hurt."
"Did he know you had this money?"
"I did not tell him, but I think he did. He must have stolen it."
"Don't be alarmed, sir. I don't think you will lose it," I added.
"It is gone already, and I shall never see it again."
"Perhaps you will, sir."
"No, never! The men in this house are all villains," said he, bitterly, as he dropped into a chair, apparently from sheer exhaustion, and in utter despair.
"No, sir; I happen to know that the eyes of a detective were upon him at the very moment when he left the room above. I have no doubt he has been arrested by this time."
"Detective?"
"Yes, sir;" and I gave a brief account of the manner in which Lynch had swindled me, and stated the purpose for which I had returned to the house.
"But I shall be exposed!" exclaimed Mr. Gracewood, bitterly. "I would rather lose mymoney than have my wife and children know that I have been gambling, and that I frequent such places as this. I wrote them a miserable lie—that I was obliged to go to Memphis—to explain my absence. If God will forgive and spare me this time, never will I be guilty again!"
"Calm yourself, sir. I am sorry you have done wrong; but seeing and repenting the wrong half undoes it—so your brother taught me."
"I shall never be at peace again in this world," groaned the sufferer. "But let the money go; I can sell another estate, though a third of all I had is gone already."
"The money is not gone, Mr. Gracewood. I am satisfied that Lynch is arrested by this time."
"So much the worse! I shall be exposed."
"Perhaps not. Let us look the matter over. Why did Lynch send for you to go up into his room?"
"He sent me a note by the young man who was with him. Here it is," he added, rising and taking a piece of paper from the table.
I took the paper, which contained a few lines, as follows: "I have seen the young fellow, Phil Farringford, who was with your brother. If you will come up to my room, I will tell you what he says."
"You seem to have known about me before," I added, when I had read the note.
"As I said, this Lynch took care of me when I was hurt. I did not intend that any one here should know my name, but I think he read it where the tailor had written it on the inside of my coat; at any rate, he called me by name. I think he must have seen me take the package of bank notes from my pocket and put it under the pillow, before the surgeon came. When the doctor left, and I was more comfortable, he told me that he had met my brother on board of a steamer up the Missouri, and said there was a boy with him whom he had since seen in the city. I was very anxious to know when my brother was coming, so that I might be prepared to see him.
"Lynch did not know where my brother was, and I asked him if he knew where to find you. He thought he should be able to see you, andto-night I was very glad to learn that he had succeeded, and I hastened up stairs to obtain the intelligence of the absent one."
The plan of the villain appeared to me to be past finding out. I concluded that I had been sent for to assist in some manner in the plundering of the unhappy gentleman. But they had done the job, so far as I could see, without any help from me, unless my presence was intended to lure the victim from his room, and thus enable them to do the work. Why they had skirmished by robbing me of sixty-five dollars was not at all clear to me. I explained to Mr. Gracewood that I had left Mr. Rockwood and an officer outside of the house.
"I will go down and see if they are there now," I added. "Perhaps I shall be able to tell you something about Lynch."
"Don't leave me, young man. I am miserable."
"But I want to know what has become of Lynch."
"No matter; let him go. Do not allow them to expose me."
I did not wonder that this man's consciencestung him, and that he dreaded to have his name in the newspapers in connection with his presence at the gambling-house. The only safety for men, young or old, is to keep away from evil haunts. Those who enter gambling-houses from curiosity may be impelled to repeat the visit from stronger motives.
While I was discussing the question with the miserable man, I heard footsteps in the entry. I opened the door, and found Mr. Rockwood and the detective, who had come to look for me.
"We have nabbed them both, Phil," said Mr. Rockwood. "They are in irons at the next station-house. And a big haul it was, too."
"Whose room is that you came out of just now?" asked Mr. Bogart.
"It is occupied by a gentleman who is stopping here," I replied.
"Do you know what Lynch stole from that room?"
"I do—a package containing twenty-four thousand dollars. Did you see him take it?"
"I did," answered Mr. Bogart. "But I don't understand this business."
"Neither do I."
"Where is the gentleman? I want to see him."
"I wouldn't see him to-night. He is quite sick, and suffering terribly."
"I want to tell him that his money is safe."
"I will tell him that."
"And that the thief is in custody. When he is able, he must appear, and claim his money."
Fortunately Mr. Bogart was in a great hurry; and when I assured him I had no fears in regard to my own safety, he left me in the house, with Mr. Rockwood. Before he went he took the occasion to apologize to me for doubting my story, earlier in the evening. Leaving Mr. Rockwood in the entry, I went in to see Mr. Gracewood again. He was exceedingly nervous and uneasy when I told him that his money was safe.
"And the whole story will be out in the newspapers on Monday morning," said he, gloomily.
"I don't know much about these things. I am willing to do anything that is right for you," I replied.
"I deserved to be exposed, but I have not the courage to meet the ordeal."
"Mr. Rockwood is waiting for me in the entry. He is a wealthy and influential gentleman. His brother and your brother were neighbors and intimate friends on the upper Missouri. If you will see him, I think he could serve you."
At first he was very unwilling to meet any one, but at last he consented. I stated the case to Mr. Rockwood in the entry, and then introduced him to the sufferer.
"Don't distress yourself, my dear sir," said Mr. Rockwood, when the misery of the other was manifested. "The best of men have their misfortunes."
"I cannot call that a misfortune which is brought upon me by my own folly and wickedness," replied Mr. Gracewood.
"But the best of men have their failings. Your secret is safe with me, and I shall only hope that you may be stronger in the future than in the past."
"With the help of God, this will be a lessonto me that shall make me a better man than ever before," added Mr. Gracewood, fervently.
"But you shall not stay another night in such a place as this, my dear sir," continued Mr. Rockwood, earnestly. "The very atmosphere of the den is poison."
"I dare not leave it."
"My hotel is only a few steps from here. You shall have my rooms, and no one need ever know that you are there."
"You are very kind. I had no right to expect such generous treatment from an entire stranger."
"Your brother and my brother were the best of friends for many years; we will imitate their example, and be friends for their sake."
Mr. Rockwood insisted upon his arrangement, paid the invalid's bill, and sent for a carriage to convey him to his new quarters. We dressed the miserable man, and helped him into the vehicle. The driver was directed to stop at the private door on the cross-street, and Mr. Gracewood was conducted to the rooms of his new friend without attracting any attention.
"I used to stay at this hotel myself," said Mr. Gracewood, when he was seated in the planter's great arm-chair.
"It is a good house, and you shall have every care you need."
Having seen the invalid so comfortably provided for, I thought it was about time for me to go home. I promised to call the next day, and left the room. I felt as though a mighty secret had been confided to me; but I could not see how Mr. Gracewood could escape the exposure he so much dreaded. I could not understand how he had thus far escaped it, if he frequented gambling-houses. Certainly he was thoroughly conscious of the sin of which he had been guilty, and peace would follow penitence and reform.
I descended the stairs to the lower floor of the hotel, and was hastening by the office when I discovered my excellent friend Mr. Henry Gracewood walking up and down the hall, smoking his pipe. My heart thrilled with emotion as I hastened to greet him. He grasped my hand with a warmth that assured me he had lost none of his old regard for me.
"I am glad to see you, Phil Farringford," said he. "Come right up stairs, and see Mrs. Gracewood and Ella."
He led the way to a suit of rooms adjoining those of Mr. Rockwood, and it seemed to me that the catastrophe which the invalid so much dreaded could not long be postponed.
IN WHICH PHIL FINDS THE PROSPECT GROWING BRIGHTER.
The meeting with the family of Mr. Gracewood was none the less pleasant because it was entirely unexpected. I had been expecting and hoping to see them, till I was afraid the winter would set in and compel them to remain where they were till spring, for Mrs. Gracewood was too ill to bear the fatigues of the long journey by land. I thought that Ella looked prettier than ever, and the welcome she gave me was worth all the patient waiting I had bestowed upon it.
The lady looked very pale and sick; indeed, a great change had come over her since we parted, only a few weeks before. I saw that she had been very sick, and that she was still very far from being in her usual health. Thoughshe had been brought up tenderly and delicately, she had done the house-work, with the assistance of Ella and myself, at the settlement during the summer. For my own part, I felt quite alarmed about her, she looked so pale and sick. She was reclining upon the lounge when I entered, but she rose to greet me.
"I am glad to see you, Phil Farringford, for I have thought a great deal about you since we parted so strangely," said Mr. Gracewood. "Your letter afforded me a great deal of satisfaction."
"I have worried a great deal about you and your family, sir," I replied; "and it gives me new life to see you again. When did you arrive?"
"We did not get ashore till after nine o'clock, too late to go out to Glencoe, where my brother lives at the present time."
I wanted to tell him that his brother was in the very next room; but I did not think that I had the right to complicate the affairs of others, and I said nothing.
"What have you been doing, Phil?" asked Mr. Gracewood.
"I am a carpenter now; I work at the Plane and Plank, and am doing first rate," I replied.
"I have a long story to tell you, but I suppose it is rather late to begin it to-night."
"I am afraid it would be rather trying to the nerves of Mrs. Gracewood, and we will postpone it," he replied, glancing at his wife.
"Do let me hear it, Phil," interposed Ella.
"I shall be very glad to tell you all about it, Ella; but it is too late to-night; I must go home now."
"Where is your home, Phil?"
"I board with a widow lady, who is one of the best women in the world. She has acted like a mother to me. I will come in the morning and see you again."
I took my leave of the family; but as Mr. Gracewood followed me down stairs, I had no opportunity to see Mr. Rockwood, as I had intended, to inform him of the new arrival. I hastened home, and found my father and Mrs. Greenough very much worried at my prolonged absence: but I had a story that was worth telling to relate, and it was midnight before we retired.
After breakfast the next morning I dressed myself in my best clothes; and I could not helpthinking that Ella would be willing to believe I was not a bad-looking young fellow. My father was very feeble, but it was a satisfaction to know that he was improving. Mrs. Greenough was unwearied in her efforts to restore him to moral and physical health. Probably his illness in a measure spared him from the cravings of his appetite for drink. He sat in his easy chair a large portion of the day reading the Bible, and such good books as our kind landlady provided for his needs.
I hastened to the hotel to see my friends as soon as I could get away from home. I called upon Mr. Rockwood first, and he assured me that his patient was doing very well, but had not yet left his bed.
"I am afraid things are getting a little tangled here, sir," I suggested.
"What do you mean, Phil? Does anything go wrong?" asked Mr. Rockwood.
"There was an arrival last night at this hotel," I continued, in a low tone.
"Who?"
"Mr. Gracewood, from the upper Missouri," I replied, in a whisper.
"Is it possible!"
At this moment the invalid tottered through the open door, and stood before us.
"I knew it!" said he; "I knew it!"
"What?" inquired Mr. Rockwood.
"That my brother had come. You need not attempt to conceal it from me. I heard his voice all night long. He is in the next room."
The planter looked at me, and I looked at him. It was not probable that the invalid had heard his brother's voice all night long; and it was possible that, whatever the fact might be, he was laboring under a delusion.
"Be calm, Mr. Gracewood," said the planter.
"Calm? I am as calm as the surface of a summer lake. Don't you see that I am calm? I fear nothing now. I will not be a knave, and I will not be a hypocrite. I heard my brother's voice last evening before I went to sleep, and the sound of it haunted me all night. I will tell him the whole story, for I will not let him believe that I am better than I am. If God will forgive me, I know my brother will."
Mr. Gracewood explained the course of his thoughts during the long and weary night hehad passed. It was but the old story, that he who sins must suffer; and his experience made me resolve anew to be always true and faithful to the truth and the right; for if the conscience can sting here, in the midst of the allurements of the world, what will it not do in the hereafter?