CHAPTER VIII.
FELIX HARDWICK IS ASTONISHED.
Dick Ferris started back on catching sight of Hal, who stood on thebottom step of the stairs.
"You!"
"Yes, Dick Ferris," returned Hal, coolly. "And let me say that Ioverheard your conversation with Mrs. Ricket, your aunt."
Ferris changed color.
"Been playing the spy, eh?" he sneered.
"No; I just came in and overheard you speaking about me, and stopped tolearn what you would have to say."
"It's the same thing----"
"I hope you will excuse me, Mr. Carson," broke in Mrs. Ricket, who wasblushing furiously. "I--I don't approve of what Dick said."
"I know you do not, Mrs. Ricket. If I thought you did I would pack upand leave at once."
"It would be a good job done," put in Ferris.
"Stop, Dick. I will not have you insult one of my boarders," cried thewoman, sharply.
"All right, have your own way," returned Ferris, insolently. "If youwant to take in any tramp that comes along, why, go ahead and do it."
He had on his hat and coat, and now he started for the door.
Hal caught him by the arm.
"Stop!" he cried. "I am not a tramp, and I won't be called one by you oranybody else!"
"Really?"
"Yes, really."
"What are you going to do about it?"
"If you insist in indulging in such language in the future I will giveyou even a worse whipping than I gave you this noon."
"What, did you fight?" cried Mrs. Ricket.
"He attacked me and I defended myself," replied Hal. "He is down on mefor taking the situation from which he was discharged."
"I know that."
"If I had known he was boarding here I would not have applied toyou----"
"You bet he wouldn't," put in Ferris.
"Not that I am afraid of your nephew," went on Hal. "But I do not wishto cause any trouble."
"You have caused no trouble, Mr. Carson," returned Mrs. Ricket.
"That's what I call cool," exclaimed her nephew.
"It is Dick is the cause of it all. You know you are, and you ought tobe ashamed of yourself," she added, turning to the boy.
"That's right, go right against me; you always do," howled Dick Ferris,"There ain't no use for me to stay here any longer."
And he marched out of the front door, and down the street to hisfavorite hanging-out place, the corner pool-room.
Mrs. Ricket was profuse in her apologies to Hal after Ferris had gone.
"He's a good enough boy," she said. "But he has got into bad company,and I can't do anything with him."
"Aren't his parents living?" asked Hal.
"Only his father, and he is a sea captain and ain't home more than threeor four times a year. I wish he would take Dick along with him sometime, it might do him good."
"So it might," replied Hal. "By the way, Mrs. Ricket, do you know a manby the name of Hardwick?"
"The book-keeper for the firm where Dick used to work?"
"Yes."
"I saw him once, when he was here to see Dick."
"Oh, did he come here?"
"Yes, about a week ago."
"He came to see your nephew, did he?"
"Yes. Dick took him up to his room, and the gentleman stayed about anhour or more."
"Do you know where he lives?"
"On East Twenty-third Street, near Third Avenue."
"The Third Avenue elevated runs close to it, then?"
"Yes. Why do you want to know?"
"I may have to go up on business sometime. I didn't care to ask yournephew for the directions."
"I see."
Mrs. Ricket passed to the rear of the hall, and Hal continued on his tohis room.
"So the two are friends," he said to himself, as he was washing himselfand combing his hair. "And both of them are my enemies. This is gettinginteresting, to say the least." He paused for a second. "I have half amind to do it. It won't do any harm. I will."
He hurried down to supper, which was being served in the basement, andas soon as it was over, donned his coat and cap once more and made hisway over to Third Avenue.
An elevated train was just entering the station, and, paying his nickel,he dropped his ticket in the box, and rushed aboard.
The Fourteenth and Eighteenth Street stations were soon passed. Thencame Twenty-third Street, and here Hal alighted.
It had begun to snow again, and the youth was compelled to pull hiscoat-collar well up around his ears, and his cap far down over his eyes,to protect himself from the elements.
He walked down East Twenty-third Street slowly, scanning the buildingsclosely as he passed. It was now about half-past eight o'clock, and heknew it would probably be some time before Hardwick would make hisappearance.
Having walked several blocks, Hal retraced his steps, and then took up aposition in a sheltering door-way.
He had hardly done so before a well-known form passed by.
"Dick Ferris!" cried Hal to himself. "What can he be doing here?"
There could be but one answer to that question. Ferris must have come tosee Hardwick.
He kept his eye on the tall boy, and as soon as Ferris was a shortdistance ahead Hal left the door-way and followed him.
Ferris walked along for the space of two blocks. Then he came to anelegant brown-stone front mansion, the parlor of which was brilliantlyilluminated.
Ascending the steps, he rang the bell, and the door was opened almostimmediately.
Hal, who stood near the area-way below, heard him ask for Hardwick.
"Yes, sir, he just came in."
"May I see him?"
"Yes, sir. Please step into the parlor."
Ferris stepped inside, and the door was immediately closed.
Hal drew a deep breath. If only he could find out Ferris' mission. Hefelt certain the meeting between the book-keeper and the formeroffice-boy was to be an important one.
He looked at the windows. Every one of them were tightly closed.
"Too bad it isn't summer time," muttered Hal to himself.
On either side of the mansion were others, so there was no way to get tothe rear, excepting through the door below, and this was tightly barred.
"I would like to know what a detective would do in a case of this kind,"thought Hal. "I suppose he would find some way to effect an entrance."
He was just about to give up trying to form some plan, when the dooropened and Hardwick and Ferris came out. Hal crouched near the foot ofthe steps, and the pair passed within three feet of him.
"It isn't safe to talk over private matters in a house like that,"remarked Hardwick. "I know a place where we will be far more at libertyto discuss the thing I have in mind."
"Where is it?" asked Ferris.
"A private club-room just up the avenue."
"That will just suit me," replied Ferris.
The two passed on. Hal raised himself from his cramped position, andmade after them.
Once around the corner of Sixth Avenue, Hardwick led the way into anopen hall-way, lit up with a single gas-jet. The pair commenced toascend the stairs, which had several sharp turns. Hal was not farbehind.
"I'll find out what they are up to, if I die for it," he said, andclenched his hands.
Several sentences were spoken which the youth did not catch, and thencame a cry from Hardwick.
"What is that you say?" he demanded. "You saw this Carson just beforeyou left your aunt's house?"
"Yes."
"Impossible!"
"Why should it be!" asked Ferris.
Hardwick did not reply.
"I was right," thought Hal, with a shudder. "He threw those bricks onme, and thought I was either dead or next door to it. He is a thoroughvillain, and no mistake."
"Why shouldn't I see Carson at the house?" went on Ferris.
"Why--I thought he wasn't going home till late," stammered Hardwick.
"Did he say
so?"
"I believe he said something about it. I didn't pay much attention."Hardwick was beginning to recover from his shock. "So you saw him?"
"Yes."
"You two don't get along very well, do you?"
"I'd like to thrash him," growled Ferris.
"Why?"
Hal did not hear the reply. The two passed into a room on the thirdfloor, and the door was closed behind them.
For an instant the youth hesitated. Then he mounted to the door andapplied his eye to the key-hole.
There was a brilliant light inside, but no one appeared to be present.
Having satisfied himself on this point, Hal tried the knob of the door.
It turned, and he pushed the door open cautiously. He knew he wastreading on dangerous ground and was running a great risk. Yet a strangecourage seemed to have come over him, and he was not one bit nervous.
Once inside the room, he saw that it was a club apartment. Papers werescattered over the table, and cards and other games rested on a sidestand.
To the left was another door, having a curtain strung over it.
From beyond the curtain came the voices of Hardwick and Ferris, and Halknew they had seated themselves and were taking it easy.
Approaching the outer door he locked it.
"Now I cannot be surprised in that direction," he thought. "And ifHardwick or Ferris try to leave I can hide in the closet."
Having made these preparations against being discovered, Hal approachedthe curtain to listen to whatever might be said.
"You say you wish you could fix Carson?" he heard Hardwick say.
"I do," returned Ferris. "I hate him, and I would do almost anything toget square."
"Then I'll tell you of a little plan that you can work, Dick. I don'tlike the fellow myself, and it will delight me to see you get the bestof him."
"How does the beggar do the office work?"
"I must say first class."
"Humph! It didn't suit me, Hardwick. If there hadn't been othermoney----"
"Hush!" cried the book-keeper, in alarm. "That matter must remain asecret, never to be mentioned."