CHAPTER XXI.
THE TRAP IS SET.
Uncle John was forced to acknowledge to his nieces that his boast tounmask Bob West within three days was mere blustering. If heaccomplished anything in three weeks he would consider himselffortunate. But he had no wish to conceal anything from the girls, so hetold them frankly of his interview with the hardware merchant, and alsowhat Joe Wegg had said about the stock in the locked cupboard. Theywere, of course, greatly interested in this new phase of the matter andcanvassed it long and eagerly.
"The man is lying, of course," said Patsy, "for Captain Wegg and poorMr. Thompson could not transfer their stock to West after that fatalnight when he brought to them the news of the fire."
"I believe the stock is still in this cupboard," declared Uncle John.
"Unless West stole the keys and has taken it away," suggested Louise.
"I'm sure he did not know about the secret drawer," said her uncle."Probably he stole the keys and searched the cupboard; if he had foundthe stock he would have left the keys, which would then be of no furtheruse to him. As he did not find the stock certificates, he carried thekeys away, that he might search again at his leisure. And they've neveryet been returned."
"Why, John, ye're possessed of the true detective instinct," the Majorremarked, admiringly. "Your reasoning is at once clever andunassailable."
"I wonder," mused Beth, "if we could tempt Mr. West to come again tosearch the cupboard."
"He will scarcely venture to do that while we are here," replied UncleJohn.
"I said 'tempt him,' Uncle."
"And what did you mean by that expression, Beth?"
"I'll think it over and tell you later," she returned, quietly.
* * * * *
Ethel Thompson would have shown Joe Wegg how much she resented hisleaving Millville without a word to her, had she not learned from Mr.Merrick the boy's sad condition. Knowing her old friend was ill, shedetermined to ignore the past and go to him at once, and Uncle John knewvery well there would be explanations to smooth away all the formermisunderstandings.
Joe was now aware of the fact that his letter to Ethel had never reachedits destination, so, as soon as the girl had arrived and the firstrather formal greetings were over, he sent Kate Kebble to McNutt's toask the agent to come over to the hotel at once.
The girl returned alone.
"Peggy says as he can't come," she announced.
"Why not?" asked Joe.
"Says he's jest painted his off foot blue an' striped it with red, an'it hain't dried yit."
"Go back," said Joe, firmly. "Tell Peggy he's in trouble, and it'slikely to cost him more than a new coat of paint for his foot if hedoesn't come here at once."
Kate went back, and in due time the stump of McNutt's foot was heard onthe stairs. He entered the room looking worried and suspicious, and thestern faces of Ethel and Joe did not reassure him, by any means. But hetried to disarm the pending accusation with his usual brazenimpertinence.
"Nice time ter send fer me, this is, Joe," he grumbled. "It's gittin' soa feller can't even paint his foot in peace an' quiet."
"Peggy," said Joe, "when I went away, three years ago, I gave you aletter for Miss Ethel. What did you do with it?"
Peggy's bulging eyes stared at his blue foot, which he turned first oneside and then the other to examine the red stripes.
"It's this way, Joe," he replied; "there wa'n't no postige stamp on theletter, an' Sam Cotting said it couldn't be posted no way 'thouta stamp."
"It wasn't to be sent through the post-office," said the boy. "I gaveyou a quarter to deliver it in person to Miss Ethel."
"Did ye, Joe? did ye?"
"Of course I did."
"Cur'ous," said McNutt, leaning over to touch the foot cautiously withone finger, to see if the paint was dry.
"Well, sir!"
"Well, Joe, there's no use gittin' mad 'bout it. Thet blamed quarter yegiv me rolled down a crack in the stoop, an' got lost. Sure. Got lost aseasy as anything."
"Well, what was that to me?"
"Oh, I ain't blamin' you," said Peggy; "but 'twere a good deal to me, Ikin tell ye. A whole quarter lost!"
"Why didn't you take up a board, and get it again?"
"Oh, I did," said McNutt. cheerfully. "I did, Joe. But the money was allblack an' tarnished like, by thet time, an' didn't look at all likesilver. Sam he wouldn't take it at the store, so my ol' woman she 'lowedshe'd polish it up a bit. Ye know how sort o' vig'rous she is, Joe. Shepolished that blamed quarter the same way she jaws an' sweeps; shepolished it 'til she rubbed both sides smooth as glass, an' then Samwouldn't take it, nuther, 'n' said it wasn't money any more. So Idrilled two holes in it an' sewed it on my pants fer a 'spender butt'n."
"But why didn't you deliver the letter?"
"Did ye 'spect I'd tramp way t' Thompson's Crossing fer nuthin'?"
"I gave you a quarter."
"An' it turned out to be on'y a 'spender butt'n. Be reason'ble, Joe."
"Where is the letter?"
"'Tain't a letter no more. It's on'y ol' fambly papers by this time.Three years is----"
"Where is it? By thunder, Peggy, if you don't answer me I'll put you injail for breach of trust!"
"Ye've changed, Joe," sadly. "Ye ain't no more like----"
"Where is it?"
"Behind the lookin'-glass in my sett'n-room."
"Go and get it immediately, sir!"
"Ef I hev to cross thet dusty road twic't more, I'll hev to paint allover agin, an' thet's a fact."
"Ethel," said Joe, with the calmness of despair, "you'll have totelephone over to the Junction and ask them to send a constable hereat once."
"Never mind," cried McNutt, jumping up hastily; "I'll go. Paint don'tcost much, nohow."
He stumped away, but on his return preferred to let Kate carry thesoiled, torn envelope up to the young folks. The letter had palpablybeen tampered with. It had been opened and doubtless read, and the flapclumsily glued down again.
But Ethel had it now, and even after three years her sweet eyes dimmedas she read the tender words that Joe had written because he lacked thecourage to speak them. "My one great ambition is to win a home for us,dear," he had declared, and with this before her eyes Ethel reproachedherself for ever doubting his love or loyalty.
When she rode her pony over to the Wegg farm next day Ethel's brightface was wreathed with smiles. She told her girl friends that she andJoe had had a "good talk" together, and understood each other betterthan ever before. The nieces did not tell her of their newly conceivedhopes that the young couple would presently possess enough money torender their future comfortable, because there were so many chances thatBob West might win the little game being played. But at this momentEthel did not need worldly wealth to make her heart light and happy, forshe had regained her childhood's friend, and his injuries only renderedthe boy the more interesting and companionable.
Meantime Uncle John had been busily thinking. It annoyed him to be socomposedly defied by a rascally country merchant, and he resolved, if hemust fight, to fight with all his might.
So he wired to his agent in New York the following words:
"What part of the Almaquo timber tract burned in forest fire three yearsago?"
The answer he received made him give a satisfied grunt.
"No forest fires near Almaquo three years ago. Almadona, seventy milesnorth, burned at that time, and newspaper reports confounded the names."
"Very good!" exclaimed Uncle John. "I've got the rascal now."
He issued instructions to the lumber company to make no further paymentsof royalties to Robert West until otherwise advised, and this had theeffect of bringing West to the farm white with rage.
"What do you mean by this action, Mr. Merrick?" he demanded.
"We've been paying you money that does not belong to you for threeyears, sir," was the reply. "In a few days, when my investigations arecomplete, I will give you the option of being ar
rested for embezzlementof funds belonging to Joseph Wegg and the Thompsons, or restoring tothem every penny of their money."
West stared.
"You are carrying matters with a high hand, sir," he sneered.
"Oh, no; I am acting very leniently," said Uncle John.
"Neither Joe nor the Thompsons own a dollar's interest in the Almaquoproperty. It is all mine, and mine alone."
"Then produce the stock and prove it!" retorted Mr. Merrick,triumphantly.
At that moment Louise interrupted the interview by entering the roomsuddenly.
"Oh, Uncle," said she, "will you join us in a picnic to the Fallstomorrow afternoon? We are all going."
"Then I won't be left behind," he replied, smiling upon her.
"We shall take even Thomas and Nora, and come home late in the evening,by moonlight."
"That suits me, my dear," said he.
West stood silent and scowling, but as the girl tripped away she saw himraise his eyes and glance slyly toward the cupboard, for they were inthe right wing room.
"Mr. Merrick," he resumed, in a harsh voice; "I warn you that if yourcompany holds up the payment of my royalties it will break the contract,and I will forbid them to cut another tree. You are doubtless aware thatthere are a dozen firms willing to take your place and pay me higherroyalties."
"Act as you please, sir," said Uncle John, indifferently. "I believe youare face to face with ruin, and it won't matter much what you do."
West went away more quietly than he had come, and the girls exclaimed,delightedly:
"The trap is set, Uncle!"
"I think so, myself," he rejoined. "That picnic was a happy thought,Louise."
Early the next afternoon they started out with hammocks and baskets andall the paraphernalia of a picnic party. The three girls, Nora and UncleJohn squeezed themselves into the surrey, while the Major and Old Hucksrode after them in the ancient buggy, with Dan moaning and groaningevery step he took. But the old horse moved more briskly when followingJoe, and Hucks could get more speed out of him than anyone else; so hedid not lag much behind.
The procession entered Millville, where a brief stop was made at thestore, and then made its exit by the north road. West was standing inthe door of his hardware store, quietly observing them. When theydisappeared in the grove he locked the door of his establishment andsauntered in the direction of the Pearson farm, no one noticing himexcept Peggy McNutt, who was disappointed because he had intended to goover presently and buy a paper of tacks.
When the village was left behind, Uncle John drove swiftly along,following the curve of the lake until he reached a primitive lane thathe had discovered formed a short cut directly back to the Wegg farm. OldThomas was amazed by this queer action on the part of the picnic party,but aside from blind Nora, who had no idea where they were, the othersseemed full of repressed eagerness, and in no way surprised.
The lane proved very rocky though, and they were obliged to jolt slowlyover the big cobble stones. So Beth and Patsy leaped out of the surreyand the former called out:
"We will run through the forest, Uncle, and get home as soon as you do."
"Be careful not to show yourselves, then," he replied. "Remember ourplans."
"We will. And don't forget to tie the horses in the thicket, and warnThomas and Nora to keep quiet until we come for them," said Patsy.
"I'll attend to all that, dear," remarked Louise, composedly. "But ifyou girls are determined to walk, you must hurry along, or you will keepus waiting."
The nieces had explored every path in the neighborhood by this time, soBeth and Patsy were quite at home in the pine forest. The horses startedup again, and after struggling along another quarter of a mile a wheelof the surrey dished between two stones, and with a bump the axle struckthe ground and the journey was promptly arrested.
"What shall we do now?" asked Uncle John, much annoyed, as the partyalighted to examine the wreck.
"Send Thomas back to the village for another wheel" suggested the Major.
"Not today!" cried Louise. "We mustn't appear in the village again thisafternoon, on any account. It is absolutely necessary we should keep outof sight."
"True," agreed Uncle John, promptly. "Thomas and Nora must picnic hereall by themselves, until nearly midnight. Then they may drive the buggyhome, leading Daniel behind them. It will be time enough tomorrow to geta new buggy wheel, and the broken surrey won't be in anybody's way untilwe send for it."
If Old Hucks thought they had all gone crazy that day he was seeminglyjustified in the suspicion, for his master left the baskets of goodthings to be consumed by himself and Nora and started to walk to thefarm, the Major and Louise accompanying him.
"We mustn't loiter," said the girl, "for while West may wait untildarkness falls to visit the farm, he is equally liable to arrive at anytime this afternoon. He has seen us all depart, and believes the housedeserted."
But they were obliged to keep to the lane, where walking was difficult,and meantime Patsy and Beth were tripping easily along their woodlandpaths and making much better progress.