now, on that very afternoon when ralph and his two friends, on their visit to crab tree hill, were driven by the storm to seek shelter in that preserve, horace elgert and his companion dobson, were standing in close consultation.
and a very discontented, savage, and disconcerted pair they were, for things did not seem to be going right with them.
in the first place, that miserable five-pound note was still missing, and though the man at the cake-shop had promised that he would get it for them if possible, he had not yet kept his word; and while it was still in other hands both boys trembled with apprehensive fears.
they quarrelled over it, too, elgert still declaring that, as dobson had changed it, he would alone be to blame, and dobson retorting by saying that he would confess that he received it from elgert.
then, added to this source of annoyance, there was the fact that, in spite of all their efforts, ralph rexworth was rising in his schoolmates' esteem, and his[pg 223] influence, coupled with that of warren and charlton, was making itself steadily felt, to the diminution of their own powers.
"it seems to me," grumbled elgert moodily, "that the fellows look upon trying to give a criminal up to justice as a crime. some of them actually hissed at me—and why? just because my father lent the police his pony and trap! i can't make out what is coming to them."
"they are just as down on me in the fourth," answered dobson. "there is no fun in the place now. all the kids have got to be coddled like a lot of babies; and if you catch one of them a smack on the head for being cheeky, there are a dozen fellows ready to take his part. look how that little beggar green cheeked me."
"well, why didn't you give him a hiding? you were afraid to, that is the fact."
"afraid yourself!" retorted dobson angrily. "as if i should be afraid of him! you know that if i had done anything i should have had rexworth and all his set about me, and a fellow can't take the lot of them. you don't care to meet rexworth yourself, and you know it."
a dark frown gathered upon horace elgert's handsome face. ah, how that frown spoilt all his good looks!
"perhaps i don't, dobson," he said grimly. "but there are better ways of getting even with rexworth[pg 224] than fighting; and i mean to try them all. have you seen brown again?"
"yes," said dobson.
and elgert went on—
"well, what did he say?"
"only just what he has said all along. he has not been able to get it yet, but he thinks that he will. i tell you, elgert, that i believe he is playing with us——"
"what do you mean?" cried elgert sharply. "how playing with us?"
"well, he either knows more than he pretends to, or else he suspects something. i don't think that he means to let us have that note."
horace elgert was silent for a few moments. evidently he found that statement very disquieting.
"it will be a nice mess if it is like that," he said at last. "but it is no good worrying over it unless it comes. i will go and see him myself. you are a bit of a messer when it comes to doing anything. you don't seem to use your wits——"
"can't use my wits to make him give me a thing which he has either not got or don't mean to part with," grumbled dobson.
"you might have used your wits to make sure that he never got it. i did all the dangerous part of the work, and only left you something which was safe and easy, and you went and bungled it!"
"oh, don't begin that all over again. i am sick[pg 225] and tired of hearing of it. whenever you have nothing else to grumble about you bring that up. just drop it, or don't talk at all!"
elgert saw that his companion was getting really cross; and though he despised dobson at heart, he could not afford to quarrel with him, for the boy knew too much of his evil ways; so he affected to laugh at the angry words.
"don't lose your temper," he said. "i never came near such a surly chap! a fellow can't speak to you without your taking offence."
"well, then, drop it. i don't like having things thrown in my face like you throw that. it is done, and it can't be undone, so what is the good of talking of it?"
"you will find there will be some talking about it if ever it comes to light," was the grim answer. and dobson looked miserable. how he wished now that he had never had anything to do with the wretched business.
"i wonder," mused elgert, "what became of that fellow charlton?"
"we'd best let that alone," retorted dobson. "we have got ourselves disliked quite enough over it."
"what do i care for that? if only i knew where he was, do you think that i would hesitate to tell? i would do it, if it was only to spite rexworth."
"it would not hurt him," answered dobson. "it is not his father."
[pg 226]
"no, but it is his chum's, and he would be sure to feel it. i only wish i knew where he was."
"but you don't," remarked dobson.
"but i might find out. i only wish that i could!"
"talk of angels and see their wings," said dobson; and at this apparently vague proverb elgert turned excitedly.
"where? what do you mean? not the man?"
"no," answered dobson, with a shake of the head.
"i don't see rexworth or charlton." and elgert stared round. "bother it! don't stand grinning there like a monkey. tell me what you mean."
"only that there goes charlton's mother," said dobson, nodding in the direction of the common.
"well, what of that? we don't want his mother, do we? it is his father we are talking about."
"i know that," came the calm answer. and dobson looked very knowing. "i am a monkey and a silly, and i don't know what besides, but i may be able to think smarter than you can, elgert. may not charlton's mother lead us to charlton's father? she is sure to know where he is, and do you know that since that affair she has been going to the st. clives' a lot——"
"how do you know?" demanded elgert.
"my sister told me that she has seen her go there frequently; and sometimes, instead of going right in[pg 227] at the front gate she has gone in at the side one. that looks strange, don't it? and she was not visiting there before—i know that."
elgert pondered a while in silence, then he suddenly turned, and dobson inquired where he was going.
"to follow her. there may be something in what you say. i should hardly think that they would hide a convict away, but they might—some people do such strange things—and st. clive don't like my father, i know. let us follow her."
"well, it will only be to st. clive's place. and what are we to do then? we can't say that she goes to see her husband because she goes there."
"what did you tell me about it for, then? you looked knowing enough. it is not much good talking of a thing if we cannot follow it up. i am going after her, at any rate. you need not come if you don't want to."
"oh, i will come, disagreeable!" answered dobson. and the two boys set out, following the lady, who was quite unconscious of their wicked desires.
and they could follow her openly and without fear, for if she had seen them close by her side she would have thought nothing of it. the boys from the school were common enough objects in the place.
and it chanced that mrs. charlton was indeed going to see her poor husband; to try and cheer him,[pg 228] and urge him to be hopeful and patient, and to tell him that presently the clouds would all vanish, and the sun shine out again.
and after her the two boys went like spies, and neither elgert nor dobson thought what a wicked thing they were doing. there was with them the love of doing evil and causing sorrow—the delight of little, spiteful natures—but there was also the greater desire to cause ralph rexworth pain. that was before everything, and so on they went. and mrs. charlton, all unconscious of evil, entered the grounds of mr. st. clive's house, and as dobson had said, she went in at the side gate.
mr. st. clive had arranged that with her, so that she could go directly to her husband's cottage without any of the servants in the house knowing that she was there.
and the boys stood at that gate undecided for a little while. the path was soon lost to view amidst the bushes. elgert looked round, and then deliberately climbed over the gate.
"you can stay or come," he whispered to dobson; "i mean to go on and see this through." and dobson, not without some inward fears, followed his example. it was delightful, this tracking a man down; it was like the stories of adventure, and he wanted to see the end of it.
"come quietly," directed elgert in suppressed tones. "don't make a noise with your feet, and[pg 229] stoop down; they might see your head over the bushes. that is it. now follow me."
creeping along stealthily, dobson in the rear, he followed the direction which mrs. charlton had taken, and presently the shrubberies ended, and there were flower beds and lawns. clearly, it would be dangerous for them to go any farther if they wished to remain unseen.
"we will stop here and watch," said he to dobson. and the latter, crouching there, whispered—
"where has she gone? i don't see her anywhere."
"she must have gone into that cottage. i would creep across and try to peep through the window, but i am afraid that i should be discovered; and if we gave them the alarm, he might be off."
"you don't think that the man is hiding there, do you?" queried dobson, trembling betwixt fear and excitement.
truth to tell, when he had made his suggestion, it had been merely from the love of talking; he had not thought really that there was anything in it; and now there seemed to be a very great deal.
"i do think it," elgert answered. "hush! let us watch. no one knows that we are here, and no one can see us. we can easily creep out the same way that we came. keep still, she is coming out of the cottage!"
[pg 230]
yes, mrs. charlton was coming out, and with her a poor, bent decrepit old gardener. but—but she held his arm, and once she pressed a kiss on his cheek! horace elgert felt his heart thrill with evil triumph. he saw it all now. mr. st. clive was keeping the man here, in the position of a gardener, and mrs. charlton came to see him!
"we have got him now, dobson," he whispered to his companion. "we have got him now, and he will not get away from the police a second time! it is the first step to paying ralph rexworth what we owe him!"
we have got him now, dobson
"'we have got him now, dobson,' he whispered to his
companion." p. 230.
