CHAPTER XXV
THE TREASURE BOX
When Jerry met Ruth and her companions coming slowly from the little cave,the boys bearing the heavy, ironbound box between them, he knew instantlywhat it was--his uncle's chest in which he had kept his money and papers.
"It's yours to hide again if you want to, Jerry," Ruth told him, when theexcitement of the meeting had passed, and explanations were over. "It waswhat both you and Rufus Blent have been looking for, and I believe youhave the best right to it"
"It belongs to Uncle Pete. And Uncle Pete shall have it," declared thebackwoods boy. "Why, do you know, I believe if Uncle Pete once had thisbox in his possession again that he might recover his mind?"
"Oh, I hope so!" Ruth cried.
First, however, the crowd of young folk had to be led through the longtunnel and out into the open air. It was agreed that nothing was to besaid to anybody but Mr. Tingley about the treasure box. And the boys andgirls, too, agreed to say nothing at the house about Jerry's havingreturned to his cave.
When they reached the brook, there were lights about the island, and gunsbeing fired. The entire household of Tingley Lodge was out on the hunt forthe lost ones.
The boys and girls were home and in bed in another hour, and Mrs. Tingleywas vastly relieved.
"Never again will I take the responsibility of such a crowd!" declared theharassed lady. "My own children are enough; a dozen and a half activeyoung ones like these would send me to the madhouse in another week!"
But the girls from Briarwood and their boy friends continued to have adelightful time during the remainder of their stay at Cliff Island,although their adventures were less strenuous than those that have beenrelated. They went away, in the end, to take up their school duties,pronouncing their vacation on the island one of the most enjoyable theyhad ever experienced.
"Something to keep up our hearts for the rest of the school year,"declared Heavy. "And you'll like us better, too, when we're gone, Mrs.Tingley. We _all_--even The Fox, here--have a good side to ourcharacters."
Even Ann Hicks went back to Briarwood with pleasant expectations. She hadlearned to understand her mates better during this holiday, and all thegirls at Briarwood were prepared to welcome the western girl now with morekindness than before.
We may believe that Ruth and her girl friends were all busy and happyduring that next half-year at Briarwood, and we may meet them again in themidst of their work and fun in the next volume of the series, entitled"Ruth Fielding at Sunrise Farm; Or, What Became of the Raby Orphans."
Ruth Fielding, however, did not leave Cliff Island before being assuredthat the affairs of Jerry Sheming and his uncle would be set right. As itchanced, the very day the crowd had gone fishing Mr. Tingley had receiveda letter from the head doctor of the hospital, to whom the gentleman hadwritten inquiring about old Peter Tilton.
The patient had improved immensely. That he was eccentric was true, but hehad probably always been so, the doctor said. The old man was worryingover the loss of what he called his treasure box, and when Ruth confidedto Mr. Tingley the truth about Jerry's return and the discovery of theironbound box, Mr. Tingley determined to take matters into his own hands.
He first went to the cave and had a long talk with Jerry. Then he had histeam of horses put to the sledge, and he and Jerry and the box drove theentire length of Lake Tallahaska, struck into a main road to the countyasylum, and made an unexpected call upon the poor old hunter, who had beenso long confined in that institution.
"It was jest what Uncle Pete needed to wake him up," Jerry declared toRuth, when he saw her some weeks later. "He knowed the box and had alwayscarried the key of it about his neck on a string. They didn't know what itwas at the 'sylum, but they let him keep the key.
"And when he opened it, sure enough there was lots of papers and a coupleof bags of money. I don't know how much, but Mr. Tingley got Uncle Pete totrust a bank with the money, and it'll be mine some day. Uncle Pete'sgoing to pay my way through school with some of it, he says."
"But the title to the island?" demanded the excited girl of the Red Mill."How did that come out? Did your uncle have any deed to it? What of thatmean old Rufus Blent?"
"Jest you hold your hosses, Miss Ruth," laughed Jerry. "I'm comin' tothat."
"But you are coming to it awfully slow, Jerry," complained the eager girl.
"No. I'll tell you quick's I can," he declared. "Uncle Pete had papers. Hehad been buying a part of the island from Blent on installments, and hadpaid the old rascal a good part of the price. But when Blent found outthat uncle's papers were buried under the landslide he thought he couldplay a sharp trick and resell to Mr. Tingley. You see, the installmentdeeds were not recorded.
"However, Mr. Tingley's lawyers made old Blent get right down and howl formercy--yes, they did! There was a strong case of conspiracy against him.That's still hanging fire.
"But Mr. Tingley says he will not push that, considering Rufus did all hewas told to about the title money. He gave Uncle Pete back every cent hehad paid in on the Cliff Island property, with interest compounded, and agood lump sum of money beside as a bonus.
"Then Uncle Pete made Mr. Tingley's title good, and we're going to live atthe lodge during the closed season, as caretakers. That pleases UnclePete, for he couldn't be very well content anywhere else but on CliffIsland."
"Oh, Jerry! I am so glad it has come out all right for you," cried thegirl of the Red Mill. "And so will all the other girls be when I tellthem. And Uncle Jabez and Aunt Alvirah--for _they_ are interested in yourwelfare, too."
"You're mighty kind, Miss Ruth," said the backwoods boy, bashfully."I--I'm thinking I've got a lot more to thank _you_ for than I ever canexpress right proper."
"Oh, no! no more to me than to other folks," cried Ruth Fielding,earnestly, for it had always been her natural instinct to help people, andshe did not wish to be thanked for it.
That being the case, neither Jerry nor the writer must say anything moreabout the matter.
THE END
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