CHAPTER XXIV
ANDY ROYCE'S CONFESSION
"Want to talk to me, eh?" mumbled Andy Royce. "What you want, anyhow?"
"See here, Royce! what is the use of your drinking like this?" brokein Sam. "Is that the way to use the money my brother's wife loanedyou?"
"I ain't been drinkin'," mumbled the man. "That is, I ain't had much."
"You've had more than is good for you," put in Tom. "A man like youought to leave liquor alone entirely."
"Maybe I would--if I had a job," growled the former gardener. "Butwhen a man ain't got no work an' no friends it's pretty hard on him;"and he showed signs of bursting into tears.
"See here, Royce, you brace up and be a man!" cried Tom. "Because youhaven't any position is no reason at all why you should drink. Youought to save every cent of your money and make it last as long aspossible."
"All right, just as you say, Mr. Rover," mumbled the man.
It was evident to the youths that the man was in no condition to thinkclearly. Evidently he had been drinking more or less for a long while,for his face showed the signs of this dissipation. His clothing wasragged, and he was much in need of a shave and a bath. Certainly hedid not look at all like the gardener he had been when he had firstcome to Hope.
"See here, Royce, I want to ask you a few questions," said Tom. "Doyou remember about that diamond ring that disappeared at Hope whileyou were there?"
"Eh? What?" stammered the former gardener. "Who said I knew anythingabout that ring?" and he showed confusion.
"Did you hear anything about it at all?" asked Sam.
"Say, is this a trap?" mumbled the man. "If it is, you ain't goin' toketch me in it. Not much you ain't!"
"Look here! If you know anything about this, Royce, you tell us,"declared Tom, struck by the man's manner.
"I ain't goin' to say nothin'! I didn't steal the ring!" cried AndyRoyce.
"But you know something about it, don't you!" declared Tom, sharply;and caught the former gardener by the arm.
"Say, you lemme go! I ain't goin' to tell you a thing!" cried the man,in alarm. "You ain't goin' to trap me like this. I know wot I'm doin'.Lemme go, I say!" and he tried to break away.
"You're not going a step, Royce, until you tell us the truth,"declared Tom, now quite satisfied in his own mind that the formergardener was holding something back.
"If you took that ring you had better confess," broke in Sam.
"I didn't take it, I tell you," muttered Andy Royce. "You ain't goin'to get nothin' out o' me! This is a put-up job! I won't stand for it!"And once again he tried to break away. But each of the boys held himfast.
"I guess the best we can do is to call a policeman and have him lockedup," declared Tom, with a knowing look at his brother. He had nointention of having the former gardener arrested, but thought thethreat would frighten the fellow. And this was just what it did. Atthe mention of being locked up, Andy Royce's courage seemed to leavehim.
"No! No! Don't you do it! Please, gents, don't have me locked up!" hewhined. "I didn't take the ring!"
"But you know what became of it," declared Tom, sternly. "So if youdidn't take it, who did?"
"No--nobuddy took it," stammered Andy Royce.
"But it's gone," came quickly from Sam.
"Well, if you've got to know the truth, I'll tell you," growled theman, staring unsteadily at the boys. "It's in Miss Harrow's inkwell."
"Miss Harrow's inkwell!" repeated Tom, incredulously.
"Did you put it there?" questioned Sam.
"I did."
"Well, why in the world did you do that?" asked Tom, and made noeffort to conceal his wonder.
"Why did I do it?" mumbled the man, unsteadily. "I did it to git MissHarrow into trouble. I knowed she was responsible for the ring."
"Then you were in the office," declared Sam.
"Sure, I was there! If I wasn't, how would I a-seen that ring? I wastold that Miss Harrow wanted to see me, an' I went to the office justat the same time when she came down to the stables where me and two ofthe other men had had a quarrel. It wasn't my fault, that quarrelwasn't, but them other fellers put it off on me and said 'twas becauseI had been drinkin'," continued Andy Royce, with a whine. "When I gotto the office there wasn't nobuddy around. I saw that diamond ringlayin' on the desk, and I picked it up----"
"You were going to steal it?" broke in Tom.
"No, I wasn't, Mr. Rover. I may drink a little now an' then, but Iain't no thief," went on Andy Royce. "I never stole anything in mylife. I knowed that ring, because I saw Miss Parsons wear it more thanonce. I was mad at Miss Harrow for the way she treated me, an' justout of mischief I took the ring an' opened the inkwell an' dropped itin. It was in the inkwell that had red ink in it, an' the ring wentplumb out o' sight."
"And you left the ring in the inkwell?" queried Tom.
"Sure I did! Then, not to be seen in the office, I slipped out in ahurry, an' left the seminary by the back door an' ran to the stables.Miss Harrow was there. She had told me that she was goin' to dischargeme if there was any more trouble, so I knowed wot was comin'. Then Iquit, an' come away," concluded Andy Royce.
"Well, of all the things I ever heard of, this takes the cake!" wasSam's comment.
"If this fellow's story is true, the ring ought to be in the inkwellyet," said Tom. "That is, unless the well was washed out and put awayfor the summer. In that case the person who cleaned the well ought tohave found the ring."
"Sounds almost like a fairy tale," went on Sam. "I don't know whetherto believe it or, not."
"It's the truth!" cried Andy Royce.
"We'll believe it when we see the ring," returned Tom, grimly. "Iguess the best thing you can do, Royce, is to come with us."
"Please don't have me arrested! I've told you the truth, sure!"
"If you'll come with us and behave yourself, we won't have youarrested," answered Tom. "But we are not going to let you get awayuntil we have found out if your story is true."
"We might telegraph to the seminary at once," suggested Sam. "Do youknow who is in charge there during the summer?"
"Why, I heard Nellie say that Miss Parsons took charge--the teacherwho left the ring with Miss Harrow."
"Then why not telegraph to her?"
"We'll do it! But this fellow has got to come with us until we aresure his story is true."
Andy Royce demurred, but the boys would not listen to him. Theyaccompanied him to his room upstairs, and made him pack up hisbelongings and pay his bill. Then, somewhat sobered by what was takingplace, the gardener accompanied them downstairs and to the street.Here the boys hailed a passing taxicab that was empty, and ordered thedriver to take them as quickly as possible to the Outlook Hotel.
"It certainly is a queer story," said Dick, who had just arrived fromthe office, "but it may be true. People do queer things sometimes,especially when they are under the influence of liquor. He probablyhad a grudge against Miss Harrow, and thought the disappearance of thering would get her into trouble, just as he said."
"Oh, I hope they do find the ring!" cried Tom. "It will be great newsfor Nellie."
It was arranged that Andy Royce should accompany Dick and Sam to thesmoking room of the hotel, and remain there until Tom had telegraphedto Hope Seminary and received a reply.
"You had better run upstairs and see Dora first," suggested Dick, "andmake sure as to who is in charge at the seminary. If there are twopersons there, you had better telegraph to both of them so that theycan unite in looking for the ring."
Dora was in a flutter of excitement when told of what had occurred.She remembered about Miss Parsons, and said that there was also ahousekeeper named Mrs. Lacy in charge. Armed with this information Tomsent off two telegrams, each reading as follows:
"Look for missing diamond ring in Miss Harrow's red-ink inkwell. If found, answer at once.
Thomas Rover, "Outlook Hotel,
"New York City."
"They were mighty funny telegrams to send," said Tom, when he rejoinedhis brothers in the hotel smoking room. "Perhaps they won't know whatto make of them."
"I am afraid we'll have to wait quite a while for an answer," returnedDick.
"Oh, I don't know. They can telephone the messages up to the seminaryfrom the telegraph office."
"They'll find the ring just as I said unless somebuddy cleaned out theinkwell and took it," declared Andy Royce, who was rapidly sobering upbecause of the turn of affairs.
As it was getting late, it was decided that Dick should go to dinnerwith Dora as usual, while Tom and Sam took the former gardener to acorner of the restaurant for something to eat.
"I don't feel much like filling up," said Sam. "I'm on pins andneedles about an answer to those messages you sent, Tom."
"Exactly the way I feel, Sam. But we'll have to have patience, Isuppose."
The meal at an end, Dora went upstairs, and Dick rejoined his brothersand Andy Royce in the smoking room. Tom had left word at the hoteltelegraph office that any message which might come in for hire must bedelivered at once.
"Here comes a bellboy now!" cried Dick, presently.
"Mr. Rover! Mr. Rover!" cried the boy, walking from one group ofpersons to another.
"Here you are! here you are, boy!" cried Tom, leaping up; and inanother moment he had a telegram in his hand and was tearing it opento see what it contained.