CHAPTER XXI
A MISSING DOCUMENT OF VALUE
As soon as Nat returned to the office he sought out Mr. Garwell, andhanded him the document in the envelope.
"Did you have any trouble getting Mrs. Parloe's signature?" asked thereal estate broker.
"I had no trouble getting the signature, but I had trouble getting awayfrom the house," answered Nat.
"Trouble getting away? What do you mean?"
"I was stopped by her nephew, a man named Rufus Cameron. He handled merather roughly."
"Did he try to get the document away from you?" And now John Garwell wasall attention.
"He hauled me in the parlor, and demanded that I let him look at thepaper. I refused, and then he threatened me."
"And what happened after that?"
"He put his hand in my pocket and brought out a diamond ring. He said Ihad stolen it."
"Of course you hadn't, Nat?"
"I had never seen the ring before. But that wasn't the worst of it. Hepicked up a sea shell and hit me with it and knocked me senseless."
After that our hero told his story in detail, relating also what RufusCameron had said on assisting him to the street car. The real estatebroker listened with keen interest.
"That man is a scoundrel!" he exclaimed, when Nat had concluded hisstory. "I pity Mrs. Parloe. He is doing his best to get all her moneyfrom her."
"It was a mean trick to say I took the ring," declared Nat.
"He did that thinking to get you in his power, my boy. Are you sure hedidn't look at the document?"
"I can't say what he did while I was senseless, Mr. Garwell."
"I'll take a look at the paper and see if he made any alterations in thetext."
John Garwell looked at the document and began to read it.
"Why, this is not the paper I gave you, Nat," he ejaculated.
"Not the same?"
"No. It's some old thing that I know nothing about."
"If that's the case, Mr. Cameron substituted this paper for the realone!" exclaimed our hero. "He could easily have done that during thetime I was knocked out."
"I'll see about this without delay," said John Garwell, decisively. "Iwill show that fellow that he can't carry matters with quite such a highhand."
"What can he do with that paper, Mr. Garwell?"
"He can cause me a great deal of trouble. The paper refers to a piece ofproperty in which Mrs. Parloe held an interest. I have been trying toget a free and clear title to the land for a client of mine, and anotherreal estate dealer named Andrew Shanley has been trying to get the landfor another party. It is a mixed-up affair, but I hoped the signing ofthat paper would help to straighten out matters."
The real estate broker was as good as his word, but he was exceedinglybusy, and it was not until two in the afternoon that he could get away.Then he went to Brooklyn, taking Nat with him.
"I would like to see Mr. Cameron," said he to the girl at Mrs. Parloe'shome.
"Mr. Cameron has gone away, sir," was the unexpected answer.
"Do you know when he will be back?"
"I'll ask Mrs. Parloe," said the girl.
She went upstairs, leaving them in the parlor below. Soon she came back.
"He has gone out west, Mrs. Parloe says, and she doesn't expect him backfor two or three months."
"Gone west," cried Nat. "When did he go?"
"He went away about noon."
"Did he take any baggage?" asked John Garwell.
"Yes, sir, a dress-suit case, and he sent an expressman around for histrunk, too."
"Then I won't bother you any more," said the real estate broker, andleft the house, followed by Nat.
"Don't you want to ask Mrs. Parloe about this?" queried our hero.
"It would be useless to do so, Nat. It would only upset the old lady."
"She might be able to tell us just where her nephew had gone to?"
"It is not likely. He intends to keep out of the way, that is certain."
"Maybe he didn't go west at all!" said our hero, suddenly.
"Such a thing is possible."
"Did you say he was in league with this other real estate broker?"
"I don't know about that, although I know he and this Shanley arefriends."
"I wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea for me to watch around thisShanley's office for him?"
"Ha! That is an idea." John Garwell smiled broadly. "Nat, you aregrowing clever."
"Even if I couldn't get the paper, I could prove that he had not gonewest, as he told his aunt, and I could follow him, and find out where hewas stopping."
"Well, you can do the watching if you wish. I will give you Andrew V.Shanley's address. His place of business is between here and theBridge."
"Shall I go there at once?"
"If you wish."
The address was written on a slip of paper, and a little later Nat andhis employer separated. John Garwell gazed after our hero curiously.
"He is improving wonderfully," he mused. "He isn't half as green as whenI first met him."
Nat had been told what car to take, and ten minutes sufficed to bringhim to the block upon which Andrew Shanley's office was located, on thethird floor of a large office building. He went upstairs, and managed toget a peep into the office, and found Rufus Cameron was not there.
"Of course he may have been here already," he told himself. "But I'vegot to take my chances about that. I'll stay here until the place shutsup."
Going below again, he took a station across the street and began to waitpatiently for the appearance of Rufus Cameron.
As luck would have it, he had waited less than half an hour when he sawMrs. Parloe's nephew step from a car at the corner, and approach theoffice building.
"Mr. Cameron, I want to see you!" he exclaimed, coming forward, andconfronting the man.
Rufus Cameron had not expected to meet Nat again so soon, and for themoment he was dumfounded.
"Wha--what do you want?" he stammered, halting.
"You know well enough what I want," answered our hero, sharply. "I wantthat document you stole from me."
"Stole from you!"
"That is what I said, Rufus Cameron."
"I--I don't know what you are talking about."
"You do know, and unless you give up the paper I am going to have youarrested right now."
At these words Rufus Cameron turned pale. As said before, he was a gooddeal of a coward, and being caught so unexpectedly threw him somewhatfrom his mental balance.
"You--you can't have me arrested!"
"Yes, I can."
"How did you come to look for me here?"
"Mr. Garwell sent me here. He is up to your tricks."
"Did he tell you to--to have me arrested?"
"Never mind what he told me. I want that paper, and I want it rightnow."
"I--I haven't got any paper. I--I don't know what you are talkingabout."
"Yes, you have got that paper. You took it from me after you knocked medown in your aunt's parlor. Isn't that so?"
As Nat finished he nodded, as if talking to somebody behind RufusCameron. At once the guilty fellow turned his head to learn who waslistening to the conversation. As he did this, Nat thrust his hand inthe rascal's breast pocket, and brought forth the document which hadcaused all the trouble.