Dave Porter and His Rivals/Chapter 23
CHAPTER XXIII
HOOKER MONTGOMERY'S STRANGE REQUEST
The stranger approached slowly, as if hoping Dave would go on before he came up. Once he looked towards the fields on either side of the road, as if thinking to turn off. But no side road was at hand, so he had to either come on or turn back.
"Why, it is Doctor Montgomery!" said the lad to himself, as he recognized the man. Then, as he got still closer, Dave saw that the so-styled doctor looked shabby and dissipated. His nose was exceedingly red, as if he had been drinking, and his overcoat was much worn and so were his shoes.
"How do you do?" he said, somewhat gruffly, as he came up to where Dave was standing.
"How are you?" returned Dave, coldly, and stepped aside, as if to let the doctor pass. But instead of doing this the traveling physician came to a somewhat unsteady halt.
"Your name is Dave Porter, isn't it?" he queried, trying hard to steady a voice that liquor had rendered nervous.
"It is."
"I guess you know me, Doctor Montgomery."
"Yes."
"Going to Oakdale?"
"I am."
"So am I. If you don't mind I'll walk with you. I want to talk to you."
"What do you wish?" demanded Dave. The road was rather a lonely one, and he did not fancy the doctor for a companion.
"I've been wanting to see you for some time, Porter," answered Hooker Montgomery, hesitatingly, as if not knowing how to begin. "Fact is, I went up to the school hoping to meet you."
"Why didn't you call for me if you wanted to see me?"
"Well—er—the fact is, Doctor Clay and I are not on good terms, that's why. To tell you the truth, I once sold some of my medicines to some of his hired help, and he didn't like it. He thinks my medicines are not—er—reliable. But they are, sir, they are—more reliable than those of most physicians!" And Hooker Montgomery tried to draw himself up and look dignified. But, to Dave, the effort was a failure. He could read the fellow thoroughly, and knew him to be what is commonly called a fakir, pure and simple.
"What did you want of me?" asked Dave, as they walked on in the direction of Oakdale.
"I wished to see you on an important business matter."
"Business? What business?"
"I will come to that presently, Porter. But it is important, very important, I can assure you. I was going to ask you to call at a certain place in Rockville and see me about it."
"What place?"
"A boarding-house at which I am stopping. It is a very nice place, located on the river, and kept by a lady named Dunn—Mrs. Margaret Dunn."
At once Dave remembered the letter picked up on Bush Island—the letter written by Doctor Montgomery, and asking Jasniff to meet him at Dunn's on the river. In that communication the doctor had said he would aid Jasniff all he could, provided the Rockville student would assist him in some transaction involving little risk—which would mean that there must be something "shady" about it.
"Can't you explain the business to me without my going to Rockville?" he asked.
"I cannot. I have some things at the boarding-house—some letters and documents—I wish to show you. Day after to-morrow is Saturday. Can't you come to Rockville in the afternoon and see me? I can assure you, sir, it is very important, very important indeed!" And Doctor Montgomery gave Dave a mysterious look.
"Do the letters and documents concern me personally?"
"They concern you, and—shall I tell you? Yes, I will! They concern you and your sister. But don't ask me to say more now. I will explain all when you come to see me."
Dave began to think rapidly. This fellow was friendly with Jasniff and probably with Merwell also. Once Merwell had caused Laura Porter much annoyance by holding certain letters she had written. Was it possible Merwell still had some of her letters, and was he planning to make more trouble because of them?
"I don't understand this business, Doctor Montgomery," he said, frankly. "If it was so important why didn't you write to me, or telephone?"
"I will explain. This is important to you and your sister. It would hurt your reputation to make anything public. I want to do things on the quiet, see? Acting entirely in your interests, Porter. You will understand it all when you call and—er—see the letters and documents, and the photographs, especially the photographs."
"All right then—I'll come—if I can get off."
"About three o'clock in the afternoon?"
"Between three and four."
"Very good, sir, very good indeed. You will not regret coming, I can assure you, sir. But one thing more. Let me caution you to say nothing to your school friends of this visit. I wish you to come entirely alone."
"Why alone?" demanded Dave, suspiciously.
"Because I wish to protect myself as well as you and your sister. I want no witnesses to our meeting, as I wish to avoid all trouble. I shall be alone, and I wish you to be alone also."
"This is a mighty strange proceeding."
"Possibly, Porter. But you will understand everything when you call. You need not be afraid. At present I am the only boarder Mrs. Dunn has, and she is old and somewhat deaf. The house is on the river road, the fourth place above the sawmill. It is painted light yellow. You can't miss it."
"And you won't tell me any more at present?"
"I cannot. But on Saturday afternoon, if you will come to me alone, you shall know all."
"Very well."
"And one thing more, Porter. I am going to do you and your family a great favor."
"Well?"
"I am a poor man. I could have made money out of my remedies had I charged as some physicians do, but instead I wished to aid humanity, and so sold my priceless medicines for a song. Yes, I am poor, sir, and I need money. If I aid you" Hooker Montgomery paused suggestively.
"If you really do me a favor, you shall be well paid for it, Doctor Montgomery," replied Dave, promptly.
"You mean that?" And now the doctor's voice took on a sudden note of keen interest.
"I do."
"They tell me your folks are rich."
"We are well off."
"Ah, ahem! Very good! Then if I do a very great favor for you probably you will—er—appreciate it."
"Yes, sir."
"Then it is settled, Porter, and I shall look for you about three o'clock on Saturday sure. And you are to come entirely alone."
"I understand. But, listen, Doctor Montgomery," went on Dave, and his voice grew stern. "There is to be no underhanded work in this. If there is—well, you'll get the worst of it."
"Oh, no; nothing of that sort, I can assure you, sir! You have absolutely nothing to fear," answered the man hurriedly, but his eyes were rather shifty as he spoke.
"All right, I'll be on hand,—if I can get away."
They had now gained a crossroads, and here the doctor halted. He looked at Dave as if on the point of speaking again, then simply jerked his head in an attempted dignified fashion, and hurried off, around a bend and out of sight.
It would be hard to analyze Dave's feelings as he proceeded on his errand to Oakdale. He wondered if Doctor Montgomery was acting on his own account or for Merwell and Jasniff, and he also wondered what the mysterious letters and documents and photographs could be. Was it possible that Laura had once given her photograph to Merwell, or had it taken when in that rascal's company? If the latter was true, Merwell would know that the Porters would give a good deal to get the picture, and have the negative destroyed.
"Perhaps it is only a scheme to get me to Rockville and to some place where Jasniff and Merwell can lay hands on me," he mused. "They'd like nothing better than to black my eyes and pound me to a jelly. If I go there alone I'll have to keep my eyes wide open."
Then Dave remembered what the doctor had said about being a poor man and needing money. Perhaps the fellow thought to "bleed him," not only in the interest of Jasniff and Merwell, but also for himself.
"He'll not get a cent out of me unless he has something of real value to turn over to me," Dave decided. "If it's only a blackmailing scheme, he'll find me as sharp as himself." He could make nothing of the fact that the doctor had at first tried to avoid him.
He was half tempted to tell Roger and Phil about the affair, but at last decided to see it through alone. If there really was something in it about private letters and photographs he would prefer that his chums know nothing of it.
All that evening and throughout Friday, Dave was very thoughtful. His chums noticed it, and Roger and Phil both asked what was wrong.
"Nothing wrong," he answered, with a faint smile.
"You've got something on your mind, Dave," went on the senator's son. "Struck a new girl, or has Jessie struck a new fellow?"
"Not as bad as that, Roger. I was just wondering if I should buy a red necktie or a blue one."
"Rats! It's a girl, I'll wager a new hat."
"Or else Dave is thinking out some new essay with which to capture a prize," suggested Phil.
"Don't you worry about me," answered Dave. "Come on out and have a skate," and thus the subject was dismissed, for the time being.
The Leming River was in fine condition for skating, and fully two score of students were out, some cutting fancy figures, and a few racing. Among the number was Nat Poole, clad in a new crimson sweater and wearing a brand new pair of long hockey skates.
"Nat is training for hockey," said Roger. "He says he is going to organize a team."
"Well, we'll organize one, too," answered Dave. "I always did like field hockey, and I know I'd like it on the ice."
"Come on, Dave!" shouted Ben, circling up on his skates, and doing a "spread eagle."
"Come on where?"
"Get into the race! We want you, and Phil, and Roger, too."
"What race is that?"
"Mr. Dodsworth wants all the big boys in it. It's a race up the river for a mile, and back to the boathouse. The winner gets a silver lead-pencil sharpener."
"All right, I'm in that!" cried the shipowner's son. "I need a sharpener."
"So do I," added Roger. "How about it, Dave?"
"I'll go in, although my skates are not as sharp as they might be."
A crowd had gathered to see the race, and in a few minutes the contestants were lined up by the gymnastic teacher. The starters numbered fourteen, and included Nat Poole, Dave, Roger, Phil, Shadow, Ben, and Plum.
"All ready?" asked Mr. Dodsworth. "Then go!" And away went the long line, the skates flashing brightly in the clear sunlight, and the onlookers cheering, and uttering words of encouragement to their favorites.