CHAPTER XXI
IN THE SHACK
"Jove!" murmured Tom, as he hurried on, "what have I stumbled upon?"
For the time being his thoughts were in a whirl, for like a flash it hadcome to him that the pin he had seen being handled by Mendez and Boswellwas Ruth's missing brooch.
"I couldn't get close enough for a good look, but it sure was anold-fashioned pin, from their talk, and it looked like the one I've seenRuth wear. The one with the secret spring."
He walked on a little farther.
"Now what's to be done?" he asked himself. "I guess I'll sit down andthink this thing out."
Rapidly Tom went over in his mind what he had seen and heard.
"This seems to let Boswell out of it," he murmured. "And I'm glad ofit--for the honor of Randall," and Tom thought of the events that hadtaken place some time ago, when the honor of Randall seemed to bethreatened, events which I have narrated in the book of that title.
"If Boswell bought the pin of Mendez, then it must be the Mexican who isthe man we're after," Tom went on. "He deals in jewelry, though most ofit is that filigree silver stuff that I don't fancy. And Boswell wantsMendez to get him another old-fashioned pin like the one he already has.I wonder who for?"
But Tom did not wonder long on this point.
"The insolent puppy!" he exclaimed, clenching his fists. "If he tries togive Ruth a pin I'll----"
And then he calmed down, for he realized that, aside from the ethics, orgood taste of the matter, Boswell had as much right to present Ruth witha token as had he himself.
"I guess I'd better reason along a new line," he told himself. "I'llhave to let the boys know about this, and----"
Then, like a flash something else occurred to him.
"No, I can't do that," he said. "Phil isn't supposed to know thatRuth has lost her pin--that is, not yet. It would be too bad if thegrandmother were to turn cranky, because of the loss of the brooch, andgive her pearls to someone else--at least until I can buy Ruth somepearls myself--and that's a long way off, I'm afraid," thought Tom,ruefully.
"No, I've got to play this hand alone," he went on. "I can't bring thefellows in--just yet. And I must tell Ruth not to admit that she haslost her brooch--at least, not yet. I may be able to get it back forher. The idea of Boswell having it--at least, I think it's the same one.
"And then by Jove! If Mendez had the brooch he has the other stuff thatwas in the jewelry box--the Boxer Hall cups and so on. Tom Parsons,you've stumbled on the solution of the mystery, I do believe. And you'vegot to work it out alone, for if you tell any of the fellows Ruth'ssecret will come out. Now, how are you going to do it?"
He pondered on the matter, and the first thing he decided on was thatRuth must be warned not to admit her loss.
"I'll attend to that right away," murmured the lad.
"Why, Tom, is anything the matter?" asked Ruth, when he saw her, alittle later, at the Tyler cottage.
"Well, yes, something, but----"
"Oh, is Phil hurt?" and she clasped her hands.
"No, nothing like that. What made you think something was up, Ruth?"
"Because your face told me. What is it?"
"Well, if I were you, I wouldn't tell--just yet--that you haven't yourbrooch."
"Oh, Tom! Do you mean you think you can get it back?"
"I think so, but I'm not sure. But don't say anything."
"I won't. Oh! I'm only too glad not to have to admit it, though I'mafraid it's only postponing the fatal day. But what have you found?"
"I can't tell you Ruth--just yet. I've got quite a problem to work out.Later on I may need your help."
"Why, can't some of the boys?--oh, I see, you're keeping my secret forme. That's fine of you!"
"Just wait--that's all," was Tom's final advice. In the exuberance ofhis youth he imagined, that, should it prove that Boswell had boughtRuth's pin from the Mexican, the brooch could, by some means or other,be recovered.
"And now I am up against it," he went on, still communing with himself,after he had left Ruth. "I can't get the boys to help me, so I've got togo alone. And what's the first thing to be done?"
There were several points that needed clearing up.
"In the first place," reasoned Tom, "if Mendez had the brooch, whichwas in the jewel box, he has, or had, the other things. The questionis--has he them yet? If he sold Boswell the pin he may have sold theother articles. I guess the only thing for me to do is to try and get inhis shack--when he's not home. It would be a ticklish piece of work tostumble in there, and be searching about, and have him find me. I wonderif I can get in when he's out? He does go out quite often."
Tom went on to camp, and his absentmindedness caused his chums no littlewonder, until Sid exclaimed:
"Oh, it's all right--Tom's got the symptoms."
"What symptoms?" demanded our hero.
"The love symptoms. A lovers' quarrel made up is worse than falling inat first. Look out!" for Tom had shied a shoe at his tormentor.
"Practice to-day," announced Frank, the next morning. "Mr. Pierson saidhe'd be over early and we've got to go down and get the shell. He'sgoing to put us through a course of sprouts to-day."
"All right," yawned Tom, with a fine appearance of indifference. "ButI've got to mix the stuff for cake if I'm going to bake it." He hadpromised to show his skill in pastry-making. "So if you fellows will godown and get the shell I'll be ready when you come back."
"Three of us can't row a four-oared shell," protested Sid.
"Well, tow it up by the launch, then. I'm not going to have the cakespoiled."
"That's right," declared Frank. "The cook is a sacred person. We'll towup the shell," and they went off, never suspecting their chum.
And how Tom had dissembled! The making of the cake, he knew, had onlybeen a subterfuge, for he had made up his mind he would buy one at thestore, and offer some excuse to his chums that the camp-made one had"fallen" which, I believe, is the technical word to use when the topof a cake displays a tendency to lie on the bottom of the pan, and notstand up properly. I was once a camp cook, and some of my friends arestill alive to bear witness against me.
Now what Tom planned was this: As soon as his chums were out of the wayhe decided to enter the Mexican's shack, having learned the eveningbefore, by skillful questioning, that Mendez had some work to do arounda distant cottage, and would be away all morning.
"And we'll see what I can find there," murmured Tom, as he set out.
It was an easy matter to enter the shack, at least that part where theMexican lived. The store section was closed, but Tom knew there was anentrance to it through the main shack.
A carelessly-fastened window gave admittance, and soon after his chumshad departed to get the shell (which was kept now in the new collegeboathouse, that structure having been nearly completed), Tom foundhimself inside the shack.
He began rummaging about, taking care not to unduly disturb objects. Tomwas looking in a trunk, that appeared to contain some clothing, as wellas some of the Mexican drawn-work, and some silks and satins, when heheard a noise outside.
"Someone is coming!" he whispered. "I've got to hide!" and he made adive under the cot.