CHAPTER X.
HAL IS ACCUSED.
When Hal Carson locked himself into the closet of the club-room, herealized that he was in a perilous position.
Supposing somebody undertook to open the door? They might suppose itvery strange to find the door locked, and think it necessary to open it,in which case he would be discovered in short order.
He remained perfectly quiet for a long while and heard Churchleyadmitted, and heard the man seat himself at the center table, and rustlethe paper he was perusing.
Of the conversation carried on by Ferris and Hardwick, he heard nothingfurther, and he was, consequently, totally in the dark concerning thenefarious plot that had been formed to get him into serious trouble.
Ten minutes passed, and the youth began to wonder how long he would haveto remain a self-made prisoner.
Then all became quiet in the room beyond, and he wondered if Churchleyhad not joined the two in the adjoining apartment.
He peered through the key-hole, but could see nothing but a portion ofthe wall opposite.
Growing bolder, he turned the key in the lock, and cautiously opened thedoor for the space of several inches. Looking out, he saw that Churchleystill sat at the table, which was but a few feet away.
At that instant the man moved and gave a deep breath. Hal thought heintended to look around, and hastily closed the door once more.
The youth's movement was so quick that the door made a sharp sound asthe catch clicked. This was followed by the sound made by the key in thelock as Hal once more imprisoned himself.
Hal almost held his breath as he heard Churchley jump up.
"Who's there?" called the man.
Hal made no reply.
Then Churchley came and tried the door.
"Hullo! the door's locked!"
At that moment Hardwick entered, followed by Ferris.
"Somebody in the closet?" cried Hardwick.
"There seems to be."
"Open the door."
"I can't. It's locked."
"Who is in there?" called the book-keeper.
Of course, Hal did not answer.
"Perhaps it was a rat," suggested Ferris.
"Might have been," grumbled Churchley. "I know there are plenty of themin the building, because I once ran across one in the hall-way."
"Where is the key?" asked Hardwick. "We'll soon find out."
"I don't know."
"It ought to be in the lock."
"Perhaps Jackson carted it off. He's an odd sort of a coon."
Hardwick looked around on the mantel and in several other places.
"It's gone."
He came over and shook the door.
"See if the key is on the inside of the lock," suggested Ferris.
At these words Hal put down his hand and felt to make sure that the keywas turned to one side.
"I can't see anything," said Hardwick, after an examination.
"Then Jackson must have put it in his pocket," said Churchley.
"Perhaps it was nothing but a rat after all," said Ferris.
"I have half a mind to run up and ask Jackson," said Hardwick. "He livesright on the floor above."
"Oh, don't bother!" returned Churchley. "If it's a rat you may be surehe has gone back to his hole long ago."
A little more conversation followed, to which Hal listened intently, andthen the youth heard Hardwick and Ferris go out.
Churchley continued to read the papers, and during that time the youthhardly dared to move for fear the man might re-commence hisinvestigation.
But at the end of the hour Churchley gave a yawn and arose. Then twomore men entered the room, and the trio adjourned to the otherapartment.
Making sure that the coast was clear this time, Hal unlocked the doorand let himself out. Then he locked the door again, and threw the keyunder the table.
"That will tend to stop suspicion," he reasoned. "And I must be sharp indealing with these rascals."
He tiptoed his way to the door leading to the hall-way, and was soonoutside.
Hardwick and Ferris had gone long before, and below all looked deserted.It was still snowing heavily, and Hal made up his mind that the bestthing he could do would be to return to his boarding-house.
He was soon on the elevated train and riding downtown.
Happening to glance toward the other end of the car in which he wasseated, he saw Dick Ferris sitting in the corner, apparently absorbed inthought.
"I'm glad I spotted him," thought Hal. "I must take care he does not seeme."
East Tenth Street was soon reached. In making for the house Hal crossedover the street, and ran ahead. By this means he managed to get insideand up to his room before Dick Ferris put his key in the door.
To tell the truth, Hal did not sleep much that night. His mind seemed tobe in a whirl. What was the plot Hardwick and Dick Ferris had hatchedout against him?
He was up early on the following morning. At the breakfast table he hada pleasant word with Saunders, who was a clerk in a dry-goods store, anda pretty good sort of a fellow. Ferris did not appear, but this was notstrange, as he had not been down early since his discharge from Sumner,Allen & Co.'s establishment.
Hal was the first to appear at the office in Wall Street. He opened upas usual, and after cleaning and dusting, began copying from the pointat which he had left off on the previous day.
At quarter past nine Hardwick hurried in. The book-keeper's face wasvery red, but whether from the cold or from drink it was hard todetermine.
Mr. Allen soon followed Hardwick, and the two entered into a low andearnest conversation in the rear. Hal did not dare to approach them, buthe strained his ears to their utmost, and caught the words "he must bewatched," and "the detectives will learn nothing," and these set him tothinking deeply.
Presently Mr. Sumner arrived. The elderly broker's face showed deeplines of care and anxiety. He had been up to the police headquarters tosee if the detectives could give him any words of encouragement, but hehad been disappointed.
"We shall have every one about your establishment watched, Mr. Sumner,"the superintendent had said. "And I would advise you to go on withbusiness as if nothing had happened."
And to this the elderly broker had agreed.
Hal watched Hardwick narrowly, and the book-keeper showed plainly thathe did not appreciate the attention. Once he put his hand on Hal's armand glared at him.
"What are you looking at me for?" he demanded, in a low tone, so thatMr. Sumner might not hear.
"Was I looking at you?" asked Hal, innocently.
"Yes, you were, and I don't like it."
Hal bowed, and turned away. Nevertheless, he still kept watch on thesly.
Presently, just before the time that Hardwick usually went out forlunch, he saw something which he thought rather odd, although of nogreat importance.
On a small shelf over one of the desks rested two new inkstands andseveral boxes of pens. Going to the desk, Hardwick pretended to be busyexamining some papers. While thus engaged, Hal saw the book-keepertransfer the inkstands and the boxes of pens to his overcoat pocket.
"Now, what is he up to?" thought the youth.
Having transferred the articles to his clothes, Hardwick put down thepapers and walked to where Mr. Sumner sat, busily engaged over hiscorrespondence.
"Shall I go to lunch now, Mr. Sumner?" he asked.
The elderly broker glanced at the clock.
"Yes."
Hardwick at once went out, and presently Mr. Allen followed. Mr. Sumnercontinued to write for a minute, and then called Hal.
"You may mail these letters, and then get your lunch also," he said.
"Yes, sir," replied the youth.
Then he hesitated as he took up the letters.
"Well, what is it, Hal?" asked the broker.
"Nothing much, Mr. Sumner. I wished to ask you about those inkstands andthe pens that were on the shelf over there."
"What of them? You may use whatever you
find necessary."
"It isn't that, sir. I just saw Mr. Hardwick slip the things into hispocket."
"Indeed!" Mr. Sumner looked surprised. "Did he say what he intended todo with them?"
"No, sir."
"I will ask him when he comes in."
Hal hesitated.
"I wish you would not, Mr. Sumner," he said.
The elderly broker looked surprised.
"Why not?"
"Because I think Mr. Hardwick is hatching up some plot against me, and Iwish to find out what it is."
"A plot?"
"Yes, sir. He is on friendly terms with Dick Ferris, your formeroffice-boy, and both of them hate me."
"This is certainly news. I knew Hardwick did not like you because yoususpected him, but I thought that had passed over."
"No, sir. He is down on me worse than ever, and I feel certain he is upto something to get me into trouble."
"And you think the inkstands and pens have something to do with thematter?"
"Yes, sir. Perhaps he'll say I stole them."
"I can't think Hardwick so bad," mused Mr. Sumner. "Why, if he would dothat, he would steal the tin box."
Hal said nothing to this. He preferred to discover more than he hadbefore making any revelation.
"You saw them this morning, didn't you?" went on the youth.
"Yes, I got a pen only ten minutes ago."
"Then you know I didn't take them."
"Yes."
"And you will keep silent--that is, for the present?"
"If you wish it, Hal."
And Mr. Sumner turned away and heaved a sigh. It is terrible to havearound you somebody you cannot trust.
Five minutes later Hal went out to lunch--a light affair, as the youthhad spent ten cents more than intended in following Hardwick theprevious evening, and he knew he must be sparing of his capital.
He was just about returning to the office, when, chancing to glance upthe street, he saw Hardwick and Ferris just separating at the corner.
He entered the office, and a minute later Hardwick followed. Neitherspoke, and but little was said all the afternoon, excepting such aspertained to the business on hand.
Although his thoughts were busy on other matters, Hal paid strictattention to his work, and Mr. Sumner was well pleased with all theyouth did.
"A good, manly fellow," he muttered to himself. "He could never have hadanything to do with the robbery of the bonds. I would rather suspect myown son were he still alive. But poor Howard is gone."
Sudden tears sprang into the broker's eyes, which he as suddenly brushedaway, afraid that some customer might drop in and see his weakness.
Hal did not leave the office until after four o'clock, there being anumber of things to be written up before he could go. Hardwick had gonean hour before, and Hal did not know in what direction.
There being nothing else to do, Hal proceeded leisurely up to hisboarding-house, never dreaming of the surprise in store for him. Thestreets were filled with snow, and he enjoyed the jingle of thesleigh-bells and the bustle of metropolitan life around him. Severaltimes he was strongly tempted to follow the newsboys and bootblacks intothe street and catch a ride.
When he entered Mrs. Ricket's house he found Saunders and several othersalready there. Dick Ferris was in the group in the front parlor, and ata glance Hal saw that something unusual was going on.
He nodded pleasantly, and was about to pass up the stairs when Mrs.Ricket called him back.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Mr. Saunders' room has been robbed!" burst out the woman.
"What!" exclaimed Hal. "Was there much taken?"
"A pair of cuff-buttons, a gold watch-chain and my pocket-book withfourteen dollars in it," replied Saunders.
"It's too bad," sobbed Mrs. Ricket. "I would not have had that happen inmy house for a hundred dollars. I wonder who could have done it?"
Suddenly Dick Ferris pulled Saunders aside, and whispered something intohis ear.
The dry-goods clerk looked astonished.
"You don't mean it!" he gasped.
"I do," replied Ferris.
Saunders advanced toward Hal.
"Were you in my room this morning after I left?" he asked, sharply.
"Me?" returned Hal, with a start. "No."
"Dick says you were, and he thinks you are the thief," continuedSaunders.