"You don't say! Where may you be from?"
"From New York State," answered Jasper, amused.
The stranger drew from his pocket a package of chewing tobacco andpassed it politely to Jasper.
"Help yourself, colonel," he said hospitably.
"No, thank you; I don't chew."
"Shoo, you don't say so! High time you began, then."
"I don't think I shall ever form the habit of chewing."
"Yes, you will, colonel; everybody does. Travellin' on business?"
"Well, not exactly," said Jasper, hesitatingly. "That is, I am lookingfor a chance to go into business."
"Got any capital?" interjected the stranger, carelessly, squirting ayellow stream upon the floor of the car.
"Oh, I don't expect to go into business for myself at present," saidJasper, amused at the thought.
"No?" said the other, reflectively. "If you had five thousand dollars Imight take you into partnership."
"What is your business?" asked Jasper, with curiosity.
"Cotton," said the stranger. "I'm a cotton broker. I do a largebusiness."
"You don't look like it," thought Jasper, looking at his shabby costume.
"You don't want a clerk, do you?" asked our hero.
"Well, no, colonel. There ain't any vacancy now in my establishment. Maybe soon."
Had Jasper felt favorably impressed with his companion he would haveinquired where in the city his place of business might be, but it didnot strike him that he should care to be in his employ.
He accordingly pulled out a copy of a popular magazine which he hadbought the day before, and began to read. The stranger bought a paper ofthe train-boy, and engaged in a similar way. Fifteen minutes passed inthis way. At the end of that time the stranger rose leisurely, and witha brief "Mornin', colonel," passed out of the car. Whether he got intothe next one or got out at the station which they were approachingJasper could not distinguish, nor did he feel specially interested inthe matter.
The time soon came when he felt his interest increased.
A few miles further on the conductor entered the car.
It was one of his usual rounds to look at tickets.
When he came up to Jasper, he said:
"Be lively now. Let me see your ticket."
"Isn't it in my hat?" asked Jasper, taking it off.
"No; did you put it there?"
"I thought I did," said our hero, surprised. "It was there when you lastpassed round."
"Look in your pockets."
Jasper felt in all of them, but the missing ticket could not be found.
"It may have fallen on the floor," he said, and rising he looked underthe seat.
But in vain.
"Did you have any ticket?" asked the conductor, suspiciously.
"Certainly. You have looked at it yourself several times."
"You are mistaken; I got on at the last station."
"I have come all the way from Cincinnati," said Jasper, uncomfortably."I couldn't have come so far without a ticket. What shall I do?"
"You'll have to pay from the last station to St. Louis."
This was not very agreeable in the state of Jasper's finances.
"How much is it?" he asked.
"Two dollars."
Jasper felt for his pocket-book, when a new surprise awaited him. A lookof consternation swept over his countenance.
His pocket-book was gone.
"Don't keep me waiting," said the conductor, impatiently.
"My pocket-book is gone!" exclaimed our hero, gazing in blank dismay atthe expectant official.
"What?"
"I can't find my pocket-book."
"Look here, young man," said the conductor, roughly, "that's too thin."
"It's true!" said Jasper.
"It won't go down, young man. I've seen such customers as you before.You're a beat!"
"A what?"
"A beat--a dead-beat, if you prefer it. Off you go at the next station!"
Jasper was greatly alarmed at the unexpected turn affairs had taken.
"Let me go to St. Louis, and I'll get money to pay you."
"It's no use," said the conductor, inexorably. "My orders are strict. Ifyou can't pay, you can't ride."
"But my pocket was picked," said Jasper, new light flashing upon him."There was a stranger who sat beside me a while ago. He must have takenmy ticket and money, too."
"Of course there was," said the conductor, with sarcasm. "That's the wayit usually happens. I'm used to such games, young man. It won't do youany good. Out you go!"
"Let me go through the cars and see if I can't find the man that robbedme. I'd know him in a minute."
"Well," said the conductor, relenting slightly, "be quick about it."
Jasper waited for no more. He rose from his seat and, carpet-bag inhand, passed into the next car.
It proved to be the smoking car.
Groups of men were playing cards, and, as Jasper judged, were playingfor money. Among them, to his great joy, he recognized his shabbycompanion, the cotton broker of St. Louis. The latter was playing withthree other men, black-bearded, and loud both in their dress and speech.
Without a moment's hesitation Jasper advanced and touched his latecompanion on the shoulder.
The latter looked up, and without a sign of recognition said:
"What's wanted, sir?"
For the first time it struck Jasper that his errand was rather anawkward one. How could he ask this man if he had taken his property?
"I beg your pardon, sir," said he, "but did you see anything of myticket and money?"
"What do you mean, stranger?"
"You were sitting by me a little while ago, in the rear car."
"I don't remember it."
"And I thought you might have seen my pocket-book and ticket."
"Well, I didn't," said the other, fiercely. "What made you think I did?"
"I can't find them."
"I don't know anything about them. General, it's your deal."
He turned abruptly away from Jasper, and the boy slowly withdrew to alittle distance, sorely puzzled. On the one hand, he felt convinced thatthis man had abstracted his ticket and money. On the other, he doubtedwhether it would be safe to charge him with it.
While he was hesitating, the cars began to go more slowly.
The conductor entered the car.
"Have you found your ticket?" he asked.
"No."
"Then leave the train at this next stopping-place."
Jasper had no chance to remonstrate. Obeying necessity, he stepped uponthe platform, and the train swept on.
CHAPTER XVII.
THE DESERTED HOUSE.
To be without money is far from pleasant under any circumstances, but tobe penniless a thousand miles from home, in the midst of strangers, isfar worse. Jasper found himself in this position so unexpectedly that ashe stood beside the little depot with his carpet-bag in his hand he feltutterly bewildered.
He looked around him.
Not a house was in sight. Why the railroad company should haveestablished a depot there he could not understand. Probably there mustbe some village not far away.
No other passenger had got out with Jasper. There was no other person insight but the station-master, a tall, sallow-faced man, in a slouchedhat, who eyed our hero curiously.
Jasper approached him.
"What place is this?" he asked.
"Don't you know?" questioned the man.
"No."
"What made you stop here, then?"
Jasper hesitated. There seemed no use in taking this man into hisconfidence.
"I am going to take a look at the village. I suppose there is avillage?"
"Well," drawled the man, "there's some houses back."
"What's the name of the place?"
"Croyden."
"How far back is the village?"
"A matter of two miles."
"Is it easy to find the way?"
r /> "There's the road."
The station-master pointed out a road leading through woods.
"Thank you," said Jasper.
"You don't happen to have any 'baccy with you?" asked thestation-master.
"No, I am sorry to say."
"I thought maybe you might. I'm most out."
Jasper took the road indicated by his informant and pressed on.
When he had walked half a mile along the lonely road he stopped suddenlyand asked himself:
"What are my plans? What use is there in going to Croyden?"
It was a hard question to answer.
Still, he must go somewhere. He could not go to St. Louis without money,and there was a bare possibility that he might find something to do inCroyden. If he could earn a few dollars he could go on, and once in alarge city there would be hope of permanent employment.
How different would have been his situation if he had not lost hismoney, and how unfortunate it was that he should have been set down atthis dismal place!
He kept on, meeting no one.
Finally he came to a place where the road divided into two forks orbranches, one leading to the right, the other to the left.
"Which shall I take?" he asked himself.
There seemed no choice so far as he could see. Neither was verypromising, nor was there any sign-post to inform him of what he wishedto know.
"I wish somebody would come along," thought Jasper.
But nobody did.
Forced to decide, he decided in favor of the left-hand road, and walkedon.
After a while he began to suspect that he had made a wrong decision. Theroad became little more than a lane, and seemed unfrequented. But justas he was going to turn back he espied at some distance from the road arude dwelling, which, from its weather-beaten appearance, seemed neverto have been painted.
"I can find out something there, at any rate," thought Jasper, and hebent his steps toward it.
Brief time brought him in front of the house. It was certainly aquiet-looking place.
"It must be dismal to live here," thought Jasper.
He knocked with his fist at the door. On account of the smallness of thehouse the knock certainly must have been heard, but there was noresponse.
"The people must be deaf," thought Jasper.
He knocked again, this time considerably louder, and waited for some oneto answer his summons.
He waited in vain.
"It must be a deserted house," thought our hero. "I have a great mind toexplore it--that is, if I can get in."
He tried the door, and, a little to his surprise, it yielded to histouch. The door being in the centre of the house, there was a room oneach side. The door to the left; opened into a room which was quite bareof furniture. On the other side, however, was a room containing a tableand three chairs. On the table was a dirty clay-pipe and a box oftobacco, and there was a dead odor of tobacco-smoke lingering in theclosely-shut room.
"That looks as if there were somebody living here," thought Jasper.
"Halloo!" he shouted, raising his voice.
He felt that it would be better to make his presence known, as otherwisehe might be suspected of entering the house with burglarious designs,though it would have puzzled a burglar to find anything worthpurloining.
"There can't be anybody in the house or I should have been heard,"thought our hero. "However, I'll call again."
This time there was a faint sound that came to his ears. It seemed likethe voice of a child.
"Where did that come from?" Jasper considered.
And he waited to hear if it would be repeated.
It was repeated, and now he could make out that it came from above.
"I'll go up," he decided.
He climbed the rude staircase, and pushed open the door of the roomabove the one in which he had been standing a moment before. He gazed inwonder at the spectacle before him.
A boy, five years of age, who in spite of his frightened expressionpossessed great personal beauty, was lying on a bed in one corner of theroom. He looked at Jasper in uncertainty at first, then with confidence,and said:
"Did you come for me?"
"Do you live here?" asked Jasper, in surprise, for this boy was not atall like the children usually to be found in such houses as this.
His complexion was of dazzling whiteness, his hair was a brightchestnut, and his clothing was such as wealthy parents can afford togive to their children.
"Do you live here?" repeated Jasper.
"No," said the child.
"How came you here, then?"
"Big man--big, ugly man brought me."
"When?"
"I don't know," said the child.
He was evidently too young to measure the lapse of time.
"Was it yesterday?"
"No; long ago."
"I suppose it seems long to him," thought Jasper.
"Is there nobody else in the house?" asked Jasper.
"There's a woman," said the little boy.
"Is she the wife of the man who took you away?"
But this question the little boy did not seem to comprehend.
"Have you got a mother?" asked Jasper.
"Take me to mamma," said the little fellow, stretching out his arms, andbeginning to cry. "I want to see my mamma."
Jasper advanced to the bed.
He began to understand that the boy had been kidnapped, and he feltgreat compassion for him.
He tried to raise the boy from the bed and take him in his arms, when hemade an unexpected discovery.
The boy's ankles were firmly tied by a rope, which connected with thebedpost, so that it was impossible for him to leave the bed.
"Who did this?" asked Jasper, indignantly. "Who tied you?"
"It was the man--the big, ugly man," answered the child.
"I will soon unfasten you," said Jasper, and he set to work untying theknot.
"Will you take me home?" asked the little boy.
"Yes," said Jasper, soothingly, "I'll take you home."
But just as he had completed his task he heard steps upon the stairs.What if it were the man of whom the child spoke!
Jasper threw one arm around the child, and with his teeth set hard fixedhis eyes expectantly upon the door.
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE KIDNAPPED CHILD.
The woman who entered was of middle size, dressed in a cheap print,dirty and faded, which corresponded very well with her general aspect.She looked weary and worn, and moved languidly as if she had littleinterest in life. She looked startled at the sight of Jasper, andpressed her hand to her heart.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"A stranger," answered our hero.
"How came you here?"
"I suppose I ought to apologize for being here, but I knocked twice andgot no answer. That made me think the house was deserted. I entered, andhearing a low cry, came to this room."
The woman sank into a chair near the door.
"Is this your child?" asked Jasper, in his turn.
The woman answered hesitatingly, after a pause:
"No."
"I knew he could not be. How did he come here?'
"My husband brought him here," answered the woman, with some hesitation.
"Is he any relation to you?"
"N-no."
"Is he boarding here?"
"Yes."
The woman's hesitation increased Jasper's suspicion. He said:
"I found the boy tied to the bedpost. Did you tie him?"
"Yes."
"Why did you do that?"
"I thought he might slip off while I was out I went out for some water.That is the reason I did not answer your knock."
"Madam," said Jasper, coming to the point, "you may answer me or not;but if you do, tell the truth. Was not this child stolen?"
The woman looked nervous and frightened, and moved restlessly in herchair.
"Don't blame me," she said. "It wasn't my fault."
"Whose was it, then?"
"It was my husband's."
"Then the child was stolen?"
"Yes."
"I suppose your husband kidnapped the child in order to get money fromthe parents for his return?"
"Yes," the woman admitted.
"How can you assist him in such wicked practices?"
"What can I do?" said the woman, helplessly. "I have spoken to him, butit does no good. He won't heed anything that I say."
Jasper began to pity the poor woman. It looked as if she were anunwilling helper in her husband's crimes.
"Do you know where your husband got this boy from?" he asked.
"No; he didn't tell me."
"Is this the first child he has kidnapped?"
"I ought not to speak against my husband," said the woman, uneasily,appearing to think that she had already told too much.
"Yes, you ought. Otherwise you will be as bad as he."
"He will beat me."
"Does he ever do that?" asked Jasper, compassionately.
"He is very rough sometimes," said the wife, shrinking.
"I am sorry for you," said Jasper, gently. "Where is your husband now?"
"He went out this morning. Perhaps he is hunting. He never tells mewhere he is going."
"When do you expect him back?"