CHAPTER XXXI
THE MAN IN GRAY
You know there are some people who can never keep a secret. We have allmet them, much to our disgust. George, the "chauffeur" of the littlerunabout launch _Shark_, was such a person. Possibly when he gave hispromise to Alvin Landon and Chester Haynes not to reveal what thenseemed the fate of Mike Murphy, he meant to do as he said, but somehowor other he was not equal to the task.
He kept mum on the dreadful subject until he had secured his boat andwalked up the street past Hodgdon's well-known store, when he met anacquaintance with whom he briefly chatted. By the time they hadfinished, he had told him, under a solemn pledge to mention it to noone, all about the sad death of the Irish lad from drowning. Within thefollowing hour this friend told the story to three others, all of whomagreed upon their sacred honor to say nothing about it to anyone. Theykept the promise as well as George himself, who broke it three or fourtimes more in the period named. One of the depositaries of the gruesomenews was the guard who stood watch over the _Deerfoot_, while the ownerand his companions went to the hotel to see that the hunger of themarooned young gentleman was appeased. This statement will explain thecurious glances at the little group as they moved about the town, aswell as the remark of the guard upon their return to the motor boat.
As night approached, George was impressed with his duty of acquaintingthe parents of Mike with the dreadful blow that had befallen them. Theymust hear of it sooner or later, and it was best that they should get itstraight. Accordingly he motored thither, completing what I fear was notan unwelcome task in time to meet the _Deerfoot_ engaged on the sameerrand. Of course he heard the hail of Chester. He did not reply, for hewas in no mood to make explanations and receive censure for what he haddone from a high sense of duty--as the offender always insists insimilar circumstances.
Everything was so plain to Alvin and Chester that throughout theconversation that followed their entrance into the home of Pat Murphy,they did not once ask the much afflicted parents of the source fromwhich they had received their information.
The father was sitting in his chair at the side of the room bowed andsilent in grief that was too deep for him to seek solace from his pipe.The wife sat on the other side of the room, rocking to and fro, flingingher apron over her face, the tears flowing down her cheeks, and herfeatures twisted with anguish. So absorbed were they in their sorrowthat they hardly glanced at the boys and did not address them.
Alvin could not restrain his sympathy at sight of the suffering of thecouple, the father's none the less than the mother's because it wasmute. The youth's promise to Mike was thrown to the winds and he calledout:
"Stop your mourning! Mike hasn't been drowned!"
"Phwat's that ye say?" demanded the father, who half rising from hischair was staring at the lad as if doubting the words that had reachedhim. The wife, grasping each side of her apron with a hand and about tofling it upward, was equally quick in checking herself and with hermouth wide open she hoarsely exclaimed:
"Phwat! Say that agin!"
"Mike is alive and well as he ever was in his life."
They still stared, dazed and unable for the moment to speak anotherword. The callers sat down.
"I say again that Mike is well and safe. He spent last night on a littleisland not many miles away and we brought him back in the _Deerfoot_."
The mother still gazed and clutched her apron. Her husband showed thathe caught the meaning of what he had heard.
"And where is Mike?"
The question recalled Alvin's promise to pave the way for his friend'sreturn to his home.
"Before I tell you," said the Captain, "you must give me your pledgethat you will not punish him for what happened last night. Will you doso?"
"That I will," was the unhesitating answer. "He desarves a licking, butwe'll call it square--that is," was the qualifying condition, "so far as_this_ thing is consarned."
"What! lick me baby Mike!" exclaimed the glad mother; "not in a thousandyears! Where is the darlint that I may kiss the hid off him?"
"Remember, Pat, what you just said. Mike isn't to be blamed for whattook place and you should be as thankful----"
Just then a terrific crash was heard in the kitchen, the door to whichwas closed. The mother, in her highly wrought state, screamed and sprangto her feet. Her husband snatched up the candle from the stand in themiddle of the room and ran to learn what the uproar meant, with his wifejust behind him.
It seemed to be a night for the general breaking of promises. It will beremembered that Mike had agreed to stay on board the _Deerfoot_ until hesaw the door of his home opened by one of his friends and heard awhistle as notice that the path had been cleared and he might goforward. The two, however, had hardly entered the building when Mikechanged his mind. With a refreshing forgetfulness of what he had latelypassed through, he said:
"It's mesilf that is in danger of catching a cowld in my hid, as LarryMcCarty said after slaaping in an ice box, and in stepping ashore, I mayas well step a little furder."
Thus it came about that Alvin and Chester were no more than fairlyinside the small house when Mike moved softly to the door and listenedto the voices within. He was disappointed in not being able todistinguish everything said, though it will be recalled that no onespoke in whispers.
Suddenly it occurred to the boy that he could do much better if withinthe house itself. The darkness of the kitchen showed that the doorconnecting that with the sitting room was closed. He knew he could hearmore plainly from the smaller room.
Being in darkness, he had to depend upon the sense of feeling. It was notrouble to raise the sash without making any noise. When lifted well up,the catch held it in place and he began crawling stealthily through. Hesaw the thin line of light under the door and heard what was being saidon the other side. Knowing the room so well he needed no illumination toguide him. He balanced himself for a moment and then dropped lightly tothe floor. More properly he tried to do so, but unaware of the chair inhis way, he tumbled over that, which in turn tumbled over him, andcaused the crash that startled those in the sitting room and brought hisparents to learn what it all meant.
One glance at the sturdy figure struggling to his feet and mutteringimpatient exclamations told the mother who he was. Thrusting her husbandaside, she rushed forward, straightened up the overturned chair, anddropping into it, seized her boy with both arms:
"Praised be! Me own darlint! Me baby! Bliss yer heart!"
She was striving frantically to pull him upon her lap and would havesucceeded had Mike not been larger than she and strongly opposed toacting the part of an infant. There was good-natured strife between themfor a minute or two, with the laughing father and two youths looking on.Then Mike triumphed, forced his parent upon one knee, and with an armaround her ample waist began bouncing her up and down with a vigor thatbroke her words apart, though it did not prevent her from grasping himabout his neck and crying with joy.
"Arrah, mither, but it's yersilf that makes a fine barrel of jelly. Histnow! can't ye sit still," he protested, bouncing her harder than ever.
Alvin and Chester held their sides, for it was the funniest spectacleupon which they had ever looked. By and by Mike released the happyvictim, and all returned to the larger room, where they sat down. Alvinsaid:
"It's been fixed, Mike. The slate is wiped out up to this night. You andyour father begin over again in the morning."
"Does he spake the thruth, dad?" asked the lad gravely.
"Alvin always does the same, but ye can make up yer moind ye'll be in mydebt afore the morrow's night."
"I don't doubt it, as Barney Foord said whin he was voted the biggestfool in siven counties. Whisht!"
A timid knock sounded and Mike sprang up and opened the outer door.Mollie, one of the maids, stood smiling.
"There's a gintleman waiting fur ye at home," she explained.
"Waiting to see me?" repeated the surprised Alvin, rising to his feet.
"That's what he said a
nd he will bide till ye returns."
"Well, good night, folks!" called Alvin to the happy family. "Come,Chester."
The two went out together, wondering who the caller could be. The briefdistance was quickly traversed, and, passing through the front door,they turned into the handsomely furnished library.
As the lads entered, a man rose.
"You are Alvin Landon, I believe," he inquired, "and you," turning tohis companion, "are his friend, Chester Haynes."
If ever two youths were astonished, when they made courteous reply tothe salutation, they were our young friends, for the caller who thusaddressed them was the man in gray that had followed them to the inleton Barter Island and had now come to Alvin's home at Southport.
"If you can spare me a few minutes I have something of importance to sayto you," he added as he took the seat to which Alvin waved him.
It proved an important interview indeed, but the revelation made by theman in gray and the events which followed there-from will be told in thesecond volume of the Launch Boys Series entitled "The Launch Boys'Adventures in Northern Waters."
THE END.
Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends