CHAPTER XI.
FOR AND AGAINST.
Saunders was excited or he would not have spoken so hastily or sobluntly.
Hal grew very pale, and clenched his hands.
"You say I entered Mr. Saunders' room?" he demanded, turning to Ferris.
"I do," replied the tall boy.
He had hardly spoken, when Hal strode over with such a determined airthat Ferris was forced to beat a retreat until he backed up against aside table.
"You know you are saying what isn't so," said Hal, in a low voice. "AndI want you to take it back."
"I--I am telling the truth," stammered Ferris.
"It is false. It is more likely that you entered Mr. Saunders' roomyourself."
"When did you see Carson enter my room?" put in the dry-goods clerk.
"Just as I was getting ready to come down."
"Why didn't you speak of it before?" asked Mrs. Ricket.
"I thought he had gone in to see Tom."
"There is not a word of truth in what he says, and he knows it," saidHal, calmly. "It is merely a scheme to get me into trouble because hedoes not like me."
"No scheme about it," blustered Ferris. "If I were you I'd search hisroom."
"If the stolen things are there, Ferris put them there," added Hal,quickly.
"Mean to say I'm a thief?" roared Ferris, turning red in the face.
"I do."
"Take care, or I'll give you a sound thrashing."
"Similar to the one you gave me the other day, I presume," replied Hal."I am ready for you at any time."
"We don't want any fighting in the house," cried Mrs. Ricket. "Thisaffair is bad enough without making it worse. Mr. Carson, do you objectto me and Mr. Saunders going up to your room?"
"Not at all. Come on."
Hal led the way, followed by the others. Dick Ferris smiled darkly tohimself as he came on behind.
"He'll find out he can't insult me for nothing," he muttered to himself.
The room reached, Hal threw open the door, and allowed Mrs. Ricket topass him.
"You had better make the search," he said. "That will be fair allaround."
"I will. Oh, what a trouble all this is." And crying softly to herself,the landlady began her investigation.
Nothing was found in the closet nor in the drawer of the table. ThenHal's meager possessions were hauled over, and still nothing came tolight.
"Look in the bureau drawer," suggested Saunders, anxiously.
Mrs. Ricket did so. From the rear the woman brought forth a large flatbox, rolled up in a newspaper.
The newspaper was cast aside, and the box opened. Out came a pair ofcuff-buttons, a gold watch-chain, a flat pocket-book, two inkstands, andseveral boxes of pens.
The instant Hal saw the articles he understood the trick that had beenpracticed upon him.
Saunders gave a cry.
"Those are mine! Let me see if the money is safe." He opened thepocket-book. "Gone, every dollar of it!"
He turned upon Hal.
"Give me that fourteen dollars, or I will have you locked up at once!"
"Mr. Saunders, I never took these things," replied Hal, as calmly as hecould.
"Yes, but----" the dry-goods clerk was so angry he could hardly speak.
"I know it looks black against me, but perhaps I can clear myself," wenton the youth.
"Yes, you can," sneered Ferris. "Look here," he pointed to the inkstandsand the pens. "Aunt Amanda, do you know who those things belong to?"
"Who?"
"They belong to Sumner, Allen & Co.," replied Ferris, triumphantly.
"You are sure?" asked Saunders.
"I am, unless Carson will stick out for it that the firm gave them tohim," returned Ferris.
"Is that so?" questioned Mrs. Ricket.
"They were not given to me," replied Hal, promptly. "But I know whobrought them into the house."
"Who?"
"Your nephew, Mrs. Ricket. I am sorry for you, but I am telling thetruth."
"Dick a thief!"
"See here, do you know what you are saying?" blustered Ferris, takenaback by this statement.
"I do."
"I won't have you talking to me in this fashion."
"Then you had better own up to what you have done," replied Hal, calmly.
"How could I get the things?" demanded Ferris. "The firm knows they werethere after I left."
"I know they do," returned Hal, significantly. "And they know more thanthat."
Dick Ferris grew almost white at these last words. He seemed about tosay something in return, but suddenly changed his mind.
"Carson, this is a serious matter," said Saunders. "I hate to say muchabout it, but the stuff has been found here, and I don't see how I cando otherwise than look to you for that fourteen dollars."
"Mr. Saunders, I didn't take the things, and I don't know anything aboutyour money."
"Easy enough to say, but----" and Saunders finished with a shrug of hisshoulders.
"Of course, I can't prove what I say, but I can give you my word ofhonor that I am telling the truth."
"That's all very well, but it doesn't restore my money, which I can'tafford to lose," replied Saunders, sharply.
Hal looked around in perplexity. What was he to do?
"I can't believe you guilty," said Mrs. Ricket. "But if you have themoney you had better return it."
"Of course, he's got the money," put in Ferris, who had somewhatrecovered from the effects of Hal's last words to him.
Hal picked up the newspaper which had been around the box and crumpledit nervously. Suddenly a peculiar look lit up his features.
"I guess I had better send for a policeman," said Saunders, after amoment of silence.
"Just wait a moment," said Hal.
"What for?"
"I wish to ask a few questions."
"Better see that he doesn't escape," suggested Ferris.
"Let that remark apply to Ferris as well as myself," said Hal.
Saunders walked to the door, and locked it, putting the key in hispocket.
"When did you miss your things?" asked Hal.
"About an hour ago."
"At five o'clock?"
"A little before. I got off early to visit my uncle in Nyack. But Ican't go without my money."
"Were you home to dinner?"
"Yes."
"Did Dick Ferris come home?"
"No."
"When did your nephew come home?" asked Hal, turning to Mrs. Ricket.
"Don't answer him, aunt," cried Ferris. He was beginning to get alarmedagain.
"What harm will it do?" questioned the woman. "If you are innocent,Dick, it won't matter."
"He wants to get me into trouble."
"Please answer my question," said Hal, decidedly.
"Dick came home about two o'clock."
"Has he been home ever since?"
"I believe so."
"Now, Mrs. Ricket, where were you all the afternoon?"
"Me?"
"Yes."
"I hope you don't suspect me!" cried the landlady, in alarm.
"No, I do not. But please answer me."
"After dinner I cleaned all the halls from top to bottom, and then sawto it that Katie cleaned the front stoop and the windows."
"Then you were in the halls and around the front door most of the time?"
"I was."
"Did I come in at any time during the afternoon?"
"I didn't see you?"
"Wouldn't you have seen me if I had?"
"I suppose I would," admitted the woman.
"What does all this talk amount to?" put in Ferris.
"Shut up!" cried Hal, sharply. "I am not addressing you."
He turned to Saunders.
"You hear what Mrs. Ricket says. I was not here to steal your things."
"Humph! They might have been stolen this morning!" exclaimed Ferris.
"Or last night," added Saunders. "The last I saw of the cuff-
buttons waslast night, and the pocket-book yesterday noon."
"I don't see how that can be possible," replied Hal, quietly.
"It's easy enough," exclaimed Ferris. "Just because I was home duringthe afternoon, and you were not, doesn't prove that you didn't take thethings."
"No, that doesn't, but something else does," replied Hal.
"What?"
"This newspaper, which was wrapped around the box."
At these words Ferris grew white, and trembled from head to foot.
"What about the paper?" asked Saunders, curiously.
"It is an afternoon paper, dated to-day. It could not possibly have beenput around the box before one o'clock this afternoon."