CHAPTER X.

  THE MYSTERY DEEPENS.

  Ethel Thompson came over the next day, as she had promised, and thesweet-faced, gentle school-mistress won the hearts of Uncle John's threenieces without an effort. She was the eldest of them all, but herretired country life had kept her fresh and natural, and Ethel seemed nomore mature than the younger girls except in a certain gravity thatearly responsibility had thrust upon her.

  Together the four laughing, light-hearted maids wandered through thepines, where the little school-ma'am showed them many pretty nooks andmossy banks that the others had not yet discovered. By following anunsuspected path, they cut across the wooded hills to the waterfall,where Little Bill Creek made a plunge of twenty feet into a rocky basinbelow. In spite of the bubbles, the water here showed clear as crystal,and the girls admiringly christened it the "Champagne Cup." They shedtheir shoes and stockings and waded in the pool, enjoying the sport withshrieks of merry laughter--more because they were happy than that therewas anything to laugh at.

  Afterward they traced the stream down to a lovely glade a half mileabove Millville, where Ethel informed them the annual Sunday-schoolpicnic was always held, and then trailed across the rocky plateau to thefarm. By the time they reached home their appetites were well sharpenedfor Mary's excellent luncheon, and the afternoon was devoted to restunder the shady pines that grew beside the house.

  It was now, when they felt thoroughly acquainted and at ease in oneanother's society, that the girls indulged in talks concerning events intheir past, and Ethel was greatly interested in the nieces' recital oftheir recent trip abroad with Uncle John. They also spoke frankly oftheir old life together at Elmhurst, where Aunt Jane, who was UncleJohn's sister, had congregated her three nieces for the purpose ofchoosing from among them one to inherit her vast estates. It seemed nosource of regret to any of them that a boy, Kenneth Forbes, had finallysucceeded to Aunt Jane's property, and this may be explained by the factthat Uncle John had at that interesting juncture appeared to take chargeof the nieces. It was quite evident that the eccentric but kindly oldfellow had succeeded in making these three girls as happy as theirdispositions would allow them to be.

  After the most interesting phases of their personal history had beendiscussed, the nieces began, perhaps unconsciously, to draw from Ethelher own story. It was simple enough, and derived its interest mainlyfrom the fact that it concerned their new friend. Her parents had bothpassed away while she was young, and Ethel had always lived with herfather's father, big Will Thompson, a man reputed very well-to-do forthis section, and an energetic farmer from his youth.

  Old Will had always been accused of being unsociable and consideringhimself above the neighboring farmers; and it was true that Bob West,the implement dealer, was his only associate before Captain Weggarrived. A casual acquaintance with the Millville people might easilyexplain this.

  With the advent of the Weggs, however, a strong friendship seemed tospring up between the retired sea captain and the bluff, erratic oldfarmer, which lasted until the fatal day when one died and the otherbecame a paralytic and a maniac.

  "We have always thought," said Ethel, "that the shock of the Captain'sdeath unsettled my grandfather's mind. They had been sitting quietly inCaptain Wegg's room one evening, as they were accustomed to do, whenthere was a sudden fall and a cry. Thomas ran in at once, and foundgrandfather raving over the Captain's dead body. The old seaman hadheart disease, it seems, and had often declared he would die suddenly.It was a great blow to us all, but especially to Joe."

  Her voice softened at this last remark, and Patsy exclaimed,impulsively:

  "Tell us about Joe Wegg. Did you like him?"

  "Yes," said Ethel, simply; "we were naturally thrown much together inour childhood, and became staunch friends. Grandpa often took me withhim on his visits to the Weggs, and sometimes, but not often, theCaptain would bring Joe to see us. He was a quiet, thoughtful boy; muchlike his mother, I imagine; but for some reason he had conceived anintense dislike for his father and an open hatred for this part of thecountry, where he was born. Aside from these morbid notions, Joe washealthy-minded and frank and genuine. Had he been educated in any otheratmosphere than the gloomy one of the Wegg household I am sure Joe'scharacter would have been wholly admirable, and I have never blamed theboy much for his peculiarities. Captain Wegg would not permit him to goto school, but himself attended to such instructions as Joe couldacquire at home, and this was so meager and the boy so ambitious that Ithink it was one cause of his discontent. I remember, when I was sent toschool at Troy, that Joe sobbed for days because he could not have thesame advantages. He used to tell me wonderful stories of what he wouldaccomplish if he could only get out into the world.

  "When he implored his father to let him go away, Captain Wegg used toassure Joe that he would some day be rich, and there was no need of hispreparing himself for either a business or a profession; but that didnot satisfy Joe's ambition, as you may imagine. And, when the end came,scarcely a dollar of money could be found among the Captain'spossessions, and no other property than this farm; so it is evident hedeceived his son for some selfish purpose.

  "Joe was at last free, and the only thing I reproach him for is goingaway without a word to me or any of his friends. I heard, indirectly, ofhis working his way through a technical school, for he was always crazyabout mechanics, and then he went to New York and I lost all furthertrace of him."

  "What do you suppose became of Captain Wegg's money?" asked Louise.

  "I've no idea. It is a singular thing that most of my grandfather'ssavings disappeared at the same time. On account of his mental conditionhe can never tell us what became of his little fortune; but luckily thereturns from the farm, which we rent on shares, and my own salary asteacher of the district school, enable us to live quite comfortably,although we must be economical."

  "Why, it's really a romance!" cried Patsy, who had listened eagerly.

  "There are many romances in real life," added Beth, in herundemonstrative way.

  Louise said nothing, but her heart was throbbing with excitementengendered by the tale, which so strongly corroborated the suspicionsshe had begun to entertain. When Ethel had gone home Louise stilldeliberated upon this fascinating mystery, and her resolve grew to forcesome sort of an explanation from the smiling lips of Old Hucks. For thesole available witness of that fatal night's tragedy, when one strongman died and another was driven mad, was Thomas Hucks. The old servitorwas also in a position to know much of the causes leading up to thecatastrophe, he having been the confidential retainer of Captain Weggfor many years. Hucks must speak; but the girl was wise enough torealize that he would not do so unless urged by coaxing or forced bystrategy. There was doubtless good reason why the old man had remainedsilent for three years. Her plan was to win his confidence. Interest himin Joe's welfare, and then the truth must come out.

  The frankly related story of Ethel had supplied Louise with the motivefor the crime, for that a crime had been committed she was now doublysure. Captain Wegg had money; old Will Thompson had money; both werewell-to-do men. In a retired country district, where there were nobanks, it was reasonable to suppose they kept large sums of money onhand, and the knowledge of this fact had tempted some one to a dreadfuldeed. Captain Wegg had been killed and old Thompson perhaps injured by ablow upon the head from which he had never recovered. Any suspicion thefair young detective may have entertained that Thompson himself hadkilled his friend was eradicated by the fact that he had been robbed atthe same time.

  Louise had originally undertaken her investigation through curiosity anda desire to amuse herself by unveiling the mystery. Now she began toreflect that she was an instrument of justice, for a discovery of thetruth might restore a fortune to poor Joe Wegg, now struggling with theworld, and put sweet Ethel Thompson in a position where the necessityfor her to teach school would be abolished. This thought added a strongimpulse to her determination to succeed.

  Sunday afternoon the girl took blind Nor
a for a long drive through thecountry, taking pains to explain to her all the points of interest theycame to, and delighting the old woman with her bright chatter. Louisehad been kind to Nora from the beginning, and her soft, sympatheticvoice had quite won the poor creature's heart.

  On the way home, in the delightful summer twilight, the girl dexterouslyled the conversation toward Nora's past history.

  "Was Thomas a sailor when you married him?" she asked.

  "Yes, miss. He were bos'n on Cap'n Wegg's schooner the 'Lively Kate,'an' I were livin' with Miss Mary, as come to be Mrs. Wegg arterward."

  "Oh, I see. And were you blind then, Nora?"

  "No, miss. I went blind arter our great trouble come to us."

  "Trouble? Oh, I'm so sorry, dear. What was it?"

  The old woman was silent for a time. Then she said:

  "I'd better not mention it, I guess. Thomas likes to forgit, an' when Igets cryin' an' nervous he knows I've been thinkin' 'bout theold trouble."

  Louise was disappointed, but changed the subject adroitly.

  "And Miss Mary, who was afterward Mrs. Wegg. Did you love her, Nora?"

  "Indeed I did, child."

  "What was she like?"

  "She were gentle, an' sweet, an' the mos' beautiful creetur inall--in--in the place where we lived. An' her fambily was that proud an'aristocratic thet no one could tech 'em with a ten-foot pole."

  "I see. Did she love Captain Wegg?"

  "Nat'rally, sense she married of him, an' fit all her fambily to do it.An' the Cap'n were thet proud o' her thet he thought the world lay inher sweet eyes."

  "Oh. I had an idea he didn't treat her well," remarked the girl,soberly.

  "That's wrong," declared Nora, promptly. "Arter the trouble come--fer itcome to the Weggs as well as to Tom an' me--the Cap'n sort o' lost heartto see his Mary cry day arter day an' never be comforted. He were hardhit himself, ye see, an' that made it a gloomy house, an' no mistake."

  "Do you mean after you moved here, to the farm?"

  "Yes, deary."

  "I hear Captain Wegg was very fond of Ethel's grandfather," continuedLouise, trying to find an opening to penetrate old Nora's reserve.

  "They was good friends always," was the brief reply.

  "Did they ever quarrel, Nora?"

  "Never that I knows of."

  "And what do you suppose became of their money?" asked the girl.

  "I don't know, child. Air we gettin' near home?"

  "We are quite near, now. I wish you would open your heart to me, andtell me about that great trouble, Nora. I might be able to comfort youin some way."

  The blind woman shook her head.

  "There's no comfort but in forgettin'," she said; "an' the way to forgitain't to talk about it."

  The unsatisfactory result of this conversation did not discourageLouise, although she was sorry to meet with no better success. Graduallyshe was learning the inside history of the Weggs. When she discoveredwhat that "great trouble" had been she would secure an important clue inthe mystery, she was sure. Nora might some time be induced to speak morefreely, and it was possible she might get the desired information fromOld Hucks. She would try, anyway.

  A dozen theories might be constructed to account for this "greattrouble." The one that Louise finally favored was that Captain Wegg hadbeen guilty of some crime on the high seas in which his boatswain, OldHucks, was likewise implicated. They were obliged to abandon the sea andfly to some out-of-the-way corner inland, where they could be safelyhidden and their whereabouts never discovered. It was the knowledge ofthis crime, she conjectured, that had ruined sweet Mrs. Wegg's life andmade her weep day after day until her guilty husband became surly andsilent and unsociable.

  Louise now began to cultivate Thomas, but her progress was slow. Patsyseemed to be the old man's favorite, and for some reason he became glumand uncommunicative whenever Louise was around. The girl suspected thatNora had told her husband of the recent conversation, in spite of herassertion that she wished to avoid all reference to their great trouble.