CHAPTER XX.
FRANK BECOMES ALARMED.
"For stealing?"
Frank's astonishment was so great that he found it difficult to utterthe words.
"Yes," nodded Bart, gloomily, "for stealing a watch."
"But--but I know you never did such a----The man who would think sucha thing ought to be shot!"
"The watch was found on my person," said Bart, slowly.
"Found on you, was it? I don't care! I know you didn't steal it.Nothing could make me believe that."
A gleam of satisfaction seemed to pierce the fierce look on Hodge'sface, as a shaft of sunshine sometimes pierces a black and sullencloud.
"You are right, Merriwell," he said; "I did not steal it. Give me yourhand. Oh, it is good--so good to have some one in the world who hasconfidence in me! It has seemed of late that everybody was down onme."
He grasped Frank's hand, and pressed it warmly.
"You have been up against hard luck, old friend," came feelingly fromFrank. "And the girl shook you quite after you were arrested?"
"Yes."
"Were you tried?"
"Yes."
"Convicted?"
"No."
"Still she threw you over?"
"She did."
"Well, you are dead lucky! Such a girl is not worth thinking about!Don't let that break you up, Hodge."
"Wait," said Bart. "I have not told you all."
"Go on."
"I was arrested in one of the most notorious gambling houses inCarson."
It was plain that the confession cost Hodge much, for his shame wasevident, and he hastily added:
"Give it to me, Merriwell! I deserve it! Blow me up!"
"I shall do nothing of the kind," said Frank, slowly, "although I amvery sorry to hear what you have told me. Were you in that house toplay?"
"Yes."
"That is the bad part of it, for you know you can't let gambling aloneonce you get at it. I had hoped you were free of your old bad habits."
"You never hoped so more than I!" cried Bart. "But it's no use--Ican't reform. Davis induced me to go to the gambling house, and thenhe dropped me like a live coal when I was pinched."
"But you said they proved nothing against you."
"No, they could not prove anything, for I proved that I bought thewatch of a young man who offered it to me at a bargain. That clearedme of that charge."
"But Vida Milburn threw you down just as hard?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Don't you see, I was arrested in a gambling house while playingroulette. She had seen me when I appeared to be drunk. That wasenough. Even though I did not steal, I drank and gambled. Her auntforbade her seeing me. She sent back my presents, and told me we mustbecome as strangers. Two months later she married Hart Davis."
Frank's hand fell on the shoulder of his old-time friend.
"It was hard luck, Hodge," he said, in a straightforward manner, "andyou were not entirely blameless. At the same time, it is certain thatgirl did not care for you as she should, and she might have made youmiserable if you had won her. The girl who really loves a fellow willbelieve in him and his honor till there is not a single tatteredremnant of his reputation to which she can pin her faith. I tell you,old chum, you may congratulate yourself that you got off as you did."
"I have tried to do so," said Hodge, "and I resolved to be a man andforget her. But it was harder to forget than I dreamed, and then, whenI was beginning to forget, that other came upon me again."
"That other? What other?"
"Her half-sister."
"Isa Isban?"
"Yes."
"You met Isa?"
"In Sacramento."
"And she looks as she did long ago--just as handsome?"
"A hundred times more so!" cried Bart, his eyes kindling and a flushsuffusing his cheeks. "Merriwell, she is the handsomest girl I everknew!"
Frank whistled, regarding Bart searchingly and uneasily.
"What's this? what's this?" he exclaimed. "What has she been doingwith you? Why, hang me if I don't believe--I know you were hard hit byher!"
"I was," confessed Bart, flushing still more. "When I first saw her Ithought her Vida, but she seemed to have grown more beautiful thanever, and I could not help looking at her. Then I discovered there wasa difference--I saw it was not Vida but Isa. When I spoke to her sheremembered me, and then--well, we became very friendly. I told hereverything, and she laughed. She said Vida was too soft foranything--said the old aunt made Vida do anything she wished, and thegirl hadn't spirit enough to do as she desired. She said she wouldstick to a fellow if she loved him even though he were jailed fortwenty years. There was spirit, dash, go about her, Merriwell! Shefascinated me. I saw in her what I had missed in Vida."
Frank shook his head in a very sober manner.
"My dear fellow," he said, "do you remember Isa had a husband?"
"Yes, but he is dead," said Bart, quickly.
"I know that; but do you remember the sort of fellow he was?"
"Of course; he was a counterfeiter."
"Exactly, and Isa 'shoved the queer' for him. She didn't do a thing tome the first time we met. I changed a fifty-dollar bill for her, andwhen I tried to pass the bill I came near being arrested. You rememberthat?"
"Sure."
"I hardly think that is the sort of girl you wish to get stuck on, oldboy."
"I don't know about that," said Bart, rather defiantly. "She stuck toher husband through thick and thin, and I think all the more of herfor it."
Frank was alarmed.
"My dear fellow," he cried, "you are an easy mark. That girl isshrewd--altogether too shrewd for you to match your wits against hers.She will play you for a fool--I am sure of it."
Bart reddened again and then turned very pale, his manner indicatinggreat embarrassment. He drew from Frank a bit, and something in hisair added to Merriwell's alarm.
"I hope you haven't been very friendly with Isa Isban," Frank said.
"I might have been more friendly, but she had a foolish idea that itwould injure me if I were seen with her often."
"She had such an idea?"
"Yes; and that goes to show the girl's heart is all right. She hadconsideration for me."
Frank bit his lip and scowled.
"It is remarkable," he confessed. "Are you sure it was out ofconsideration for you that she did not wish you seen with her?"
"Sure? Of course."
"It seems strange. It seems that the kind of life she has led withthat reckless coiner husband would be sure to make her careless ofothers--make her hard and heartless."
"It is not strange you think so, Merriwell; but it is because you donot know her. I honor and respect her for standing by her husband,even when she knew he was a rascal, and I believe she has a heart andsoul a thousand times more noble than the heart and soul of herhalf-sister."
"Bad, bad!" exclaimed Frank. "Look here, Bart, you must go along withme. That is settled. Isa Isban will ruin you if you do not escape fromher influence."
A look of indignation settled on Hodge's face, and he drew away.
"If you knew her well, Frank, I would not pardon you for saying thatabout her; but, as you know nothing about her, I will overlook it.But, old fellow, please don't speak of Miss Isban in that way."
"Miss Isban? Her name is Mrs. Scott; her husband's name was PaulScott."
"I know, but she has resumed her maiden name since his death. Shecalls herself Miss Isban now. You should see her, Merriwell. She lookslike a sweet girl graduate--a girl of eighteen, and----"
"She must be twenty-one or two."
"I don't know, and I don't care. She does not look it, and I believeshe is a splendid girl. I honor and respect her."
"Great Scott!" thought Frank; "Hodge is in the greatest peril of hislife! I am sure of it. I am sure that girl will work his utterdownfall if he is not saved from her influence. It is my duty to finda way to save him. I will!"
When Fr
ank made up his mind to do a thing, he bent all his energies toaccomplish the end. In the past Hodge had been easily influenced, buthe felt sure Isa Isban had a hold on the lad that could not be brokenwith ease. The task must be accomplished by clever work.
"Where is she now?" Merry asked.
"I don't know."
"Don't? How is that?"
"Well, you see, I--I left Sacramento rather--rather suddenly,"faltered Bart.
"Suddenly? Explain it, old chum. Why did you leave Sacramentosuddenly? I trust you did not get into trouble there?"
Hodge ground his heel into the ground, seeming quite occupied indigging a hole in that manner. Suddenly he started and listened.
"A horse is coming this way--up the trail!" he exclaimed. "It iscoming at a hot pace, as if hard ridden."
"Let it come. That needn't bother us. Answer my questions, Bart. Youknow I am your friend, and there should be perfect trust and nosecrets between close friends."
But Hodge did not seem to hear those words. He was listening to thehoofbeats of the galloping horse, and his face had grown pale.
"Look here, Merriwell," he hastily exclaimed, "the rider of that horsemay be a person I do not care to meet."
Bart got up hastily, and Frank arose, saying:
"You needn't be afraid of him. The other boys are good fighters, andthere is no single man in this country that can do you up while youare with this crowd. We will stand by you."
"It's not that; you don't understand. I must not be seen. I'll get outof sight, and you must bluff him off, if he asks about me. That's all.Here he comes!"
A glimpse of the horseman was obtained as he flitted along between thegreat trees.
Immediately Hodge slipped behind a tree, and lost no time in gettingout of view.
The horseman came on swiftly, and the boys saw that he was a large manwith a grizzled beard that had once been coal black. He was roughlydressed, with his pantaloons tucked into his boots.
As he approached the man eyed the boys closely. Close at hand he drewup, saying in a harsh voice:
"Wa-al, who are you, and whatever are yer doing here?"