CHAPTER XXIII.
MR. WEST EXPLAINS.
A cry of amazed protest burst from the girls. The Major whistled softlyand walked to the window.
"I find the stock properly transferred," continued Uncle John, grimlyconscious that he was as thoroughly disappointed as the girls. "It issigned by both Wegg and Thompson, and witnessed in the presence of anotary. I congratulate you, Mr. West. You have acquired a fortune."
"But not recently," replied the hardware dealer, enjoying the confusionof his recent opponents. "I have owned this stock for more than threeyears, and you will see by the amount endorsed upon it that I paid aliberal price for it, under the circumstances."
Uncle John gave a start and a shrewd look.
"Of course you did," said he. "On paper."
"I have records to prove that both Captain Wegg and Will Thompsonreceived their money," said West, quietly. "I see it is hard for you toabandon the idea that I am a rogue."
There could be no adequate reply to this, so for a time all sat in moodysilence. But the thoughts of some were busy.
"I would like Mr. West to explain what became of the money he paid forthis stock," said Louise; adding: "That is, if he will be so courteous."
West did not answer for a moment. Then he said, with a gesture ofindifference:
"I am willing to tell all I know. But you people must admit that theannoyances you have caused me during the past fortnight, to say nothingof the gratuitous insults heaped upon my head, render me little inclinedto favor you."
"You are quite justified in feeling as you do," replied Uncle John,meekly. "I have been an ass, West; but circumstances warranted me insuspecting you, and even Joseph Wegg did not know that the Almaquo stockhad been transferred to you. He merely glanced at it at the time of hisfather's death, without noticing the endorsement, and thought the firehad rendered it worthless. But if you then owned the stock, why was itnot in your possession?"
"That was due to my carelessness," was the reply. "The only notaryaround here is at Hooker's Falls, and Mr. Thompson offered to have himcome to Captain Wegg's residence and witness the transfer. As mypresence was not necessary for this, and I had full confidence in myfriends' integrity, I paid them their money, which they were eager tosecure at once, and said I would call in a few days for the stock. I didcall, and was told the notary had been here and the transfer had beenlegally made. Wegg said he would get the stock from the cupboard andhand it to me; but we both forgot it at that time. After his death Icould not find it, for it was in the secret drawer."
"Another thing, sir," said Uncle John. "If neither Wegg nor Thompson wasthen interested in the Almaquo property, why did the news of itsdestruction by fire shock them so greatly that the result was CaptainWegg's death?"
"I see it will be necessary for me to explain to you more fully,"returned West, with a thoughtful look. "It is evident, Mr. Merrick, fromyour questions, that some of these occurrences seem suspicious to astranger, and perhaps you are not so much to be blamed as, in myannoyance and indignation, I have imagined."
"I would like the matter cleared up for the sake of Ethel and Joe," saidMr. Merrick, simply.
"And so would I," declared the hardware dealer. "You must know, sir,that Will Thompson was the one who first led Captain Wegg into investinghis money. I think the Captain did it merely to please Will, for at thattime he had become so indifferent to worldly affairs that he took nointerest in anything beyond a mild wish to provide for his son's future.But Thompson was erratic in judgment, so Wegg used to bring theirmatters to me to decide upon. I always advised them as honestly as I wasable. At the time I secured an option on the Almaquo tract, and wantedthem to join me, Will Thompson had found another lot of timber, butlocated in an out-of-the-way corner, which he urged the Captain to joinhim in buying. Wegg brought the matter to me, as usual, and I pointedout that my proposed contract with the Pierce-Lane Lumber Company wouldassure our making a handsome profit at Almaquo, while Thompson had noone in view to cut the other tract. Indeed, it was far away from anyrailroad. Wegg saw the force of my argument, and insisted that Thompsonabandon his idea and accept my proposition. Together we bought theproperty, having formed a stock company, and the contract for cuttingthe timber was also secured. Things were looking bright for us androyalty payments would soon be coming in.
"Then, to my amazement, Wegg came to me and wanted to sell out theirinterests. He said Thompson had always been dissatisfied because theyhad not bought the other tract of timber, and that the worry anddisappointment was affecting his friend's mind. He was personallysatisfied that my investment was the best, but, in order to sooth oldWill and prevent his mind from giving way, Wegg wanted to withdraw andpurchase the other tract.
"I knew there was a fortune in Almaquo, so I went to New York andmortgaged all I possessed, discounting a lot of notes given me byfarmers in payment for machinery, and finally borrowing at a high rateof interest the rest of the money I needed. In other words I risked allmy fortune on Almaquo, and brought the money home to pay Wegg andThompson for their interest. The moment they received the payment theyinvested it in the Bogue tract--"
"Hold on!" cried Uncle John. "What tract did you say?"
"The Bogue timber tract, sir. It lies--"
"I know where it lies. Our company has been a whole year trying to findout who owned it."
"Wegg and Thompson bought it. I was angry at the time, because theirwithdrawal had driven me into a tight corner to protect my investment,and I told them they would bitterly regret their action. I think Weggagreed with me, but Will Thompson was still stubborn.
"Then came the news of the fire at Almaquo. It was a false report, Iafterward learned, but at that time I believed the newspapers, and theblow almost deprived me of reason. In my excitement I rushed over toWegg's farm and found the two men together, whereupon I told them Iwas ruined.
"The news affected them powerfully because they had just savedthemselves from a like ruin, they thought. Wegg was also a sympatheticman, in spite of his reserve. His old heart trouble suddenly came uponhim, aggravated by the excitement of the hour, and he died with scarcelya moan. Thompson, whose reason was tottering long before this, becameviolently insane at witnessing his friend's death, and has never sincerecovered. That is all I am able to tell you, sir."
"The Bogue tract," said Uncle John, slowly, "is worth far more than theAlmaquo. Old Will Thompson was sane enough when insisting on thatinvestment. But where is the stock, or deed, to show they bought thatproperty?"
"I do not know, sir. I only know they told me they had effected thepurchase."
"Pardon me," said the Major. "Have you not been through this cupboardbefore?"
West looked at him with a frown.
"Yes; in a search for my own stock," he said. "But I found neither thatnor any deed to the Bogue property. I am not a thief, Major Doyle."
"You stole the keys, though," said Louise, pointedly.
"I did not even do that," said West. "On the day of the funeral Joecarelessly left them lying upon a table, so I slipped them into mypocket. When I thought of them again Joe had gone away and I did notknow his address. I came over and searched the cupboard unsuccessfully.But it was not a matter of great importance at that time if the stockwas mislaid, since there was no one to contest my ownership of it. Itwas only after Mr. Merrick accused me of robbing my old friends andordered my payments stopped that I realized it was important to me toprove my ownership. That is why I came here today."
Again a silence fell upon the group. Said Uncle John, finally:
"If the deed to the Bogue tract can be found, Joe and Ethel will berich. I wonder what became of the paper."
No one answered, for here was another mystery.