CHAPTER XXVI.
IN WHICH PHIL LISTENS TO THE CONFESSION OF HIS PERSECUTOR, AND ENDS PLANE AND PLANK.
I went to my work on Monday morning, and Plane and Plank were toemploy me for the day. Certainly I never went to work so cheerfully inmy life, for somehow all my mishaps seemed to have been turned intoblessings. When I found my father a miserable drunkard and outcast,that seemed to me the greatest mishap which could possibly befall me.But now he was a new man, through the blessed ministrations of Mrs.Greenough; and through him I hoped to find the highest of earthly blissin our reunited family.
My mishaps with the villains who had stolen my money, and who hadprobably intended to force me into a course of crime, had given mesuch a powerful friend as Mr. Rockwood. My father had been appointedhis agent, with a salary at the rate of twelve hundred dollars a yearfor the first three months, with a promise of an increase, if he wasfaithful and steady. I fully believed that my father was sincere, andthat, as he said, it would be quite impossible for him to drink anotherdrop of liquor. I believed it, because I knew that he prayed to Godmorning, noon, and night for strength; and I was sure that he whom Godhelps cannot fail.
Mr. Clinch gave me permission, at nine o'clock, to be absent the restof the day, if necessary. He was curious to know what business I hadat the courts, and I told him enough of the story to enable him tounderstand the situation.
"I was sure that Morgan Blair was getting into bad ways," said Mr.Clinch. "I tell you, Phil, when a young fellow is lazy, and don't takeany interest in his business, he is getting into a bad way. All I wantto know about a boy is, whether he feels an interest in his business ornot. Then I can tell pretty well about his morals."
"I think he fell into bad company, sir."
"Of course he did; idlers always fall into bad company. A young fellowmust have a taste for bad company before he can be led a great waysout of the right track. The first bad company a young fellow keeps ishimself. If he don't begin there, he won't begin anywhere else. Thoseare my sentiments."
Mr. Clinch talked to me while I was preparing to go to thestation-house; and when I was ready I hastened to the place appointed.I found Mr. Rockwood and both the Gracewoods there, with Lynch andBlair in irons. They looked pitiable enough now. They had been arrestedat the very moment when they considered themselves entirely successfulin their wicked enterprise, and of course the shock of disaster wasvery heavy.
"You are an old one, Phil Farringford," said Lynch, with a sicklysmile. "You have brought me to grief finally. If I can get out of thisscrape, I don't know but I should be willing to go to a prayer-meetingwith you."
"It would do you good," I replied. "Why were you so determined to robme, Lynch?"
"Because I thought you were a great deal fatter pullet than you turnedout to be. I heard you and that gentleman," he added, pointing toMr. Henry Gracewood, "talking pretty large about your money. As youexhibited some of it, I was satisfied that you really had the gold, andI thought it would do me more good than it would you. However, you wereso full of fight that I gave it up till you vexed me so here in thecity. After I had given you back your hundred dollars, I was determinedto be even with you. Then I followed, and made the acquaintance of mygood friend Morgan Blair."
"Yes; and I wish you had been at the bottom of the Mississippi before Ihad ever seen you," blubbered Blair, his eyes filling with tears.
"After listening to that highly interesting story about the Rockwoods,I decided that my friend Blair should be the last of the Rockwoods.You were very obstinate, Phil; very. After that affair at thestation-house, I made the acquaintance of Mr. Gracewood. I supposed, atfirst, that he was the one who had signed that note of yours, Phil. Iwanted the note then, but I soon found that I was mistaken. About thesame time I found the wounded man had a large sum of money upon him,and I was more anxious to get this. I told Mr. Gracewood that I knew ayoung man who had seen his brother, and then I got the whole story."
"What did you want of me?" I asked.
"That's the point; I wanted you, because you knew Mr. Gracewood'sbrother. He would trust you, for you go to prayer-meetings. He told meall about his brother; and I thought if I could get that note, he wouldpay it; but that was to be Blair's perquisite--what he could get of it.The sick man told me he had the care of his brother's property, andwould pay anything on his account that was right."
"But did you mean to have me help you steal the twenty-four thousanddollars?" I demanded.
"That was what I wanted you for; and when we left you in the room, Iwent down to see Mr. Gracewood. I intended to tell him, as a friend,that it was not safe to keep such a sum in such a house. I meant toadvise him to send it to the bank by you."
"And then to rob me?"
"Well, you needn't call it by such a hard name; but you never wouldhave got out of the house with the money. I have played and lost, andnow I make the best of it. When you left the room, we heard you onthe roof; but I expected you back very soon, for I knew you could notescape in that direction. I was humane too, for I was afraid you wouldbreak your neck, and spoil all my plans; I placed the ladder at theskylight, so that you could return without danger."
"Why did you send to my boarding-house for my money?"
"Simply to ascertain whether you were there. When you came back, Isent a note down to Mr Gracewood, and thus brought you together. Whileyou were talking together, I went down into Mr. Gracewood's room, inorder to ascertain, if I could, where he kept the package of money. Ofcourse I did not suppose he had left it there; but, to my surprise, Ifound it between the two beds. I took possession, and Blair and I leftthen. I intended to be a hundred miles from St. Louis before daylightthe next morning. Instead of that, we were nabbed by this excellentgentleman as soon as we stepped upon the sidewalk."
"I was watching you all the time," added the detective.
"And the game is up, and lost," said Lynch.
"A very stupid game it was, too."
"It may look so now; it did not then. It would not have been a hard jobto persuade a sick man in a gambling-house to send his money to thebank for safe keeping."
"I don't think it would," said the invalid.
"Did you expect him to trust Phil at sight?" asked the detective.
"Not at all. Phil goes to prayer-meetings, and I thought he would bewilling to spend most of the time, from Saturday night till Mondaymorning, with the sick brother of his best friend. By Monday noon hewould have been willing to trust him with all he had in the world."
"I think he would," added Henry Gracewood.
"If he had sent me to the bank with the money, it would have gonethere," I said, confidently.
"Perhaps not," replied Lynch.
"There would have been a big fight, at any rate," I continued. "I wouldnot have given up the money while I had an arm left."
"Well, gentlemen, it is time to take the prisoners before the court,"said Mr. Bogart.
They were taken to the court; Lynch pleaded guilty, and Blair, aftertelling a pitiful story of the manner in which he had been led away,put in the same plea. In due time the older villain was sentenced toten years' imprisonment, and the novice to one year. Mr. Gracewoodrecovered his money, and I did mine. Thus the wretch who had beenpersecuting me since he came on board the steamer on the Missouri tothe present time, was disposed of.
The brothers Gracewood remained at the hotel a week. The case of thepenitent was known to the public, and to his own family. Those wholoved him forgave him; and he could afford to be independent, in ameasure, of the opinions of others. His fortune was still ample for hissupport in elegance and luxury, and his brother lost nothing by hismisdeeds.
Mr. Henry Gracewood paid me the fifteen hundred dollars, which, by thekindness of Mr. Rockwood, became my property. It was deposited in threesavings banks. The health of Mrs. Gracewood was very much impaired byher illness, and the most skilful physician in the city recommendeda change of climate, advising her to live in the south of Franceduring the winter. This was a heavy blow t
o me, for I had counted uponthe society of the Gracewoods, especially of Ella. The season wasadvancing, and the family were obliged to hasten away. With a heavyheart I bade good by to them, and it was years before I saw them again.
I attended to my work diligently and faithfully, and gave entiresatisfaction to my employer. But I found that Plane and Plank was hardwork, and city life did not agree with me as well as that in the wildsof the upper Missouri. Still, I was very happy, though I was troubledwith a longing desire to see my mother.
With the money restored to me after the arrest of the robbers, Ipurchased a suit of nice black clothes for my father; and when he wasdressed in them, he looked like the new man that he was. He was palerand thinner than when I had first seen him, but I was proud of hisappearance. Though not in robust health, he was able to enter at onceupon the duties of his position as the agent of Mr. Rockwood.
We continued to live at Mrs. Greenough's, who felt quite as muchinterest in both of us as though we had been her nearest relatives. Asmaller room over the entry was fitted up for me, and my father tookmy chamber. Here he kept his account-books, and did all his writing.I suppose that he was often tempted to drink, but I am certain thathe never yielded. He always attended every service at the church.Mrs. Greenough had both reformed and converted him, though I think mypresence had some influence with him.
I had work at my trade all winter; but my father insisted upon payingmy board as well as his own, and I saved nearly all my money. I went toan evening school, and studied book-keeping. In fact I spent most ofmy leisure hours in study. I reviewed my old branches. My father wasa very well educated man, and assisted me in my efforts to improve mymind. He instructed me in the usages of business, and helped me with myaccounts.
In the spring, Mr. Lamar offered my father a much larger salary thanhe was receiving; but his employer promptly doubled his present pay,so well was he satisfied with his services. During the summer season,besides taking charge of the rents and repairs of the tenements, hebuilt several new houses for Mr. Rockwood, which were leased to goodtenants. His position was, therefore, one of great responsibility, buthe was competent to fill it. He did his employer's business as thoughit had been his own.
We were both doing exceedingly well, and were in the main contented andhappy, though I could not be entirely satisfied while my mother wasseparated from us. I said so much about this subject, that my fatherwrote to Mr. Collingsby, in Chicago, informing him that "the long-lostson" had been found. No answer was received; and another letter waswritten, which, however, produced no better result. Evidently Mr.Collingsby did not believe the statements contained in the letters, andhe took no notice of them. Foiled in this manner, we were compelled todrop the matter for the time.
I worked at my trade for two years; and at the end of that time,although I was only fifteen, I did not think there was much more forme to learn in that business. Probably I should have continued to workat it, however, if Mr. Clinch had not abandoned his trade to go intothe lumber business in Michigan. I had learned book-keeping prettythoroughly, and I did not care to find a new place as a carpenter. Iwas rather desirous of practising what I had learned on the subject ofaccounts, and, with the advice of my father, I concluded to abandon,for the present, the PLANE and PLANK.