ben decided not to produce the will too soon. it would look suspicious. besides, the longer it remained missing, the more rejoiced his mother would be to recover it, and so naturally the more ready to pay the reward she had promised. the afternoon of the next day he thought would be quite soon enough to "find" it.
meanwhile the next morning ben strolled over to the tavern, thinking he might find winchester. but that young man had gone out on a fishing excursion, and had left word to that effect with the landlord.
so ben strolled down to the river. it was a delightful day, and the desire seized him to "go in swimming." though he cared little for other athletic exercises, he was fond of swimming, and was quite a fair swimmer.
now, as ben's ill luck would have it, sam selwyn chanced to be in the woods quite near by, and saw[327] ben undress and go into the water. he was not fond of ben, and he was fond of a practical joke. besides, he had been for some time wanting to pay off ben for the share he had in making john's life uncomfortable. a plan suggested itself to him.
"i'll do it!" he exclaimed, his eyes twinkling with merriment.
he ran home,—it was but a few steps across lots,—dashed upstairs, and from an upper room took a faded calico dress and hoop-skirt, and, rolling them up, made his way swiftly back to the river. the river's edge was heavily wooded, and running vines and thick underbrush almost completely concealed the water from the sight. he went to the place where ben had deposited his clothes, took away his coat, vest, and pantaloons, put the gown and hoop-skirt in their place, and quickly departed. ben's clothes he hid away in the hollow trunk of an old tree not more than two rods distant. but in doing so a folded paper slipped out of the coat-pocket. sam's attention was drawn towards it, for it looked like the legal papers of which his father had so many in his office. opening it under an impulse of curiosity, his face instantly glowed with an expression of the most earnest and enthusiastic joy.
"by all my lucky stars!" he exclaimed; "if this[328] isn't the lost will! this will set john all right. i wonder how that scamp got hold of it!"
sam put the will in his own inside coat-pocket, and buttoned up his coat to make sure that it was safe. he wanted to go at once and communicate the joyful discovery to his father, but he also wanted to enjoy ben's dismay when he found his clothes gone. this he could not forego on any account, and that he might be an unseen witness of all that occurred, he climbed up a large tree whose thick-leaved branches hid him completely.
hardly had he concealed himself before ben emerged from the water. he at once proceeded to the spot where he had left his clothing. in ludicrous perplexity he gazed at the remarkable change which had taken place. he lifted the gown and skirt, and found that his shirt, collar, hat, stockings, and shoes were untouched.
he put on his shirt and stockings, and called out, angrily, thinking the author of the trick might be within hearing:—
"i say, bring back my clothes!"
but no reply was made.
"bring back my clothes, i say!" he called, in louder and more angry accents.
[329]
but again this reasonable request fell unheeded. he waited anxiously for a response, but none came.
"where are you, you scoundrel?" he screamed, in very ill temper.
"don't you wish you knew?" thought sam, as he looked calmly down from a distance upon ben.
"perhaps the scamp has hid my clothes somewhere about here," thought ben.
he proceeded to search in every direction he could think of. but the hollow tree, rather strangely, did not occur to him and escaped his notice.
his anger and dismay increased as he found his search vain.
"i wish i had the mean, contemptible rascal here!" he exclaimed. "i'd break every bone in his body!"
"i don't know about that, ben brayton," silently commented sam, from his secure post of observation.
"what shall i do?" thought ben, gloomily.
he sat down to consider. his situation was certainly an embarrassing one. of course he could not go home in his shirt, and the only alternative was to wear the odious gown. it was hard to make up his mind to that. he preferred to wait awhile to see if help would not come from some quarter. sam began to get tired in his perch.
[330]
"why don't the fellow dress and go home?" he muttered.
at length ben made up his mind that it must be done, and, with a hearty anathema on the author of his perplexity, robed himself in the dress. sam nearly exploded with laughter as he saw ben arrayed in the gown, which fell lank around him. ben gazed ruefully at his extraordinary figure, and then at the hoop-skirt. he concluded that he would not look quite so badly with that addition. he therefore fitted it on as well as he could, and adjusted his dress by the help of some pins which he found sticking in the dress.
"i wish i had a hood or something to hide my face," muttered ben, dismally. "i might pass for a girl then. now folks will stare at me as if i was mad, and if any one sees me i shall never hear the last of it."
certainly ben's black felt hat did not look much in keeping with the faded calico dress, now properly filled out by the hoop-skirt, which swayed from side to side as he walked.
"oh, it's too rich!" thought sam, almost choking with suppressed laughter. "what a sensation he will make in the village!"
just then ben's foot got caught somehow, and he fell sprawling. he gathered himself up with furious[331] energy, and did not observe that there was a conspicuous stain of mud on his dress. he took a roundabout way, so as to remain under cover of the woods as long as he could.
"i must meet ben, and enjoy his discomfort," thought sam.
he scrambled down from the tree, and cautiously made a short cut for the road, unseen by ben. he posted himself at a place where ben must emerge. he walked along, apparently absorbed in thought, till he came face to face with ben, who, very much ashamed of his appearance, was walking as fast as his embarrassing clothing would allow.
"good gracious, ben brayton!" he exclaimed, in affected amazement. "why, what possesses you to go round in this style?"
"no choice of mine. i couldn't help it," said ben, ruefully. "i went in swimming. some scamp stole my clothes, and left these traps in their place."
"well, upon my word, ben, really you do cut the queerest figure i ever saw!" said sam, giving vent to his pent-up mirth.
"i don't see anything to laugh at," said ben, in a most aggrieved tone.
"you would if you could only see yourself," said sam,—and he burst out with laughter again.
[332]
"do you mean to insult me?" said ben, wrathfully.
"excuse me, ben; but really i can't help it. see, there's miss clark coming. if she don't laugh i'll forfeit a dollar."
miss clark was one of the prettiest young ladies in the village, and to be seen by her was most humiliating. but there was no dodging it. she met ben face to face, and, as might be expected, was moved to merriment.
"good-morning, miss clark," said ben, sheepishly.
the young lady tried to say good-morning, but only burst into a fresh fit of mirth as she passed along, sam joining her a few moments afterwards.
ben walked on very much discomposed. he was still half a mile from home, and it was very probable that he would meet others.
"i'd give fifty dollars to be safe at home," he groaned.
he had reason to say so. just then the scholars in the village school were sent out to their morning recess. they espied the strange figure, and instantly, boy-like, started in pursuit.
"keep your distance!" said ben, furiously, to his young tormentors.
[333]
"oh my! what a fine young lady i am!" said one.
"how do you do this morning, miss brayton?" said another.
"what a becoming dress!" commented another, with much admiration.
ben tried to give chase to his tormentors, but, as might have been expected, not being accustomed to his attire, tripped, and fell headlong.
then a shout, long and loud, went up from the boys.
ben could not stand it. he gathered up his skirts, and ran towards home with all the expedition he was capable of. the old doctor met him, and gazed in wonder at the flying figure, not recognizing ben in his new costume. he began to speculate whether it might not be an insane person, who had broken from his or her confinement.
panting for breath, ben at length brought up at his own door. it was locked, mrs. oakley having followed the old adage of "shutting the stable-door after the horse is stolen." ben rang a tremendous peal at the door-bell, which was quickly answered by hannah.
when she saw the strange figure before her, she uttered a loud shriek, and fled with precipitation.
[334]
mrs. oakley heard the bell and hannah's shriek, and came hastily to the head of the stairs.
"what does this ridiculous masquerading mean?" she demanded, sternly.
"it means that i went in swimming, and some rascal stole my clothes and left these," growled ben, provoked that he should be blamed for his misfortune.
then, for the first time, flashed upon ben the crowning misfortune,—that the lost will was in his coat-pocket. upon the recovery of that depended his chance of getting the two hundred dollars. he sank into a chair, pale with dismay.
"are you sick, ben?" asked his mother, hastily.
"no," he said; "but i must dress as quick as possible, and go back and find my clothes if i can."
he dressed in nervous haste, and set out for the woods. this time he espied the hollow tree. there he found his clothes. he felt in the pockets, and found that everything was safe, including his watch and pocket-book.
but the will was gone! ben instituted a strict and careful search in every conceivable direction, but he found no trace of the lost document.
