The Rover Boys Down East/Chapter 17
CHAPTER XVII
DAN BAXTER'S REVELATION
The announcement that Josiah Crabtree had come to see Dan Baxter filled the Rover boys with interest.
"Did he have much to say?" asked Dick.
"He had a great deal to say," answered Dan. He looked around at several who had entered the reading room. "Come up to my room and I'll tell you all about it."
"We will—after we have notified the clerk where we will be," said Dick. "We are waiting for a message from our father."
The boys engaged their rooms and had their dress-suit cases taken up. A few minutes later the whole crowd entered the apartment Dan Baxter occupied. They noticed that it was well-kept and that on the bureau rested a photograph of Dan's father.
"How is he, Dan." asked Dick, motioning to the picture.
"Fairly well. He is getting old, you know."
"When you see him next, give him our regards."
"I will," answered Dan, and then he motioned the Rovers to seats and sank down on the edge of the bed with something of a sigh. In spite of his success as a commercial traveler Dan could not help but think of his own past and of his father's past. How his father might have prospered, even as the Rovers had prospered, had he followed the path of fairness and honor! He had reformed now, but this reform had come too late in life to enable him to make another start in the business world. Dan was supporting him, and father and son were glad enough to have the Rovers drop their many just causes of complaint against them.
"I can tell you I was much surprised to see Josiah Crabtree," said Dan, after a pause. "I ask him how he happened to be out of prison, and he said he was let go because of his good behavior."
"That would make me laugh," interrupted Tom. "Think of old Crabtree on his good behavior!"
"He said be had been following me up for nearly a week," pursued Dan, and then he paused and his face grew red.
"Following you up?" cried Sam. "What for?" "Well—er—I might as well make a clean breast of it, fellows—although I hope you will keep it to yourselves. You'll remember how thick Crabtree and I once were?"
"Yes," answered all of the Rovers in a low tone. They could realize how painful the remembrance of it must be to Dan, now.
"Well, he had an idea that I was the same old Dan and ready for new schemes for making money. He had a scheme, and he wanted me to help him work it."
"What was it?" asked Dick.
"Well, you'll remember that he was always crazy after Mrs. Stanhope."
"He was crazy after her money, and Dora's money."
"Exactly. Well, he wanted me to help him in a scheme against Mrs. Stanhope—the same old scheme he tried years ago. He wanted to get her in his power and force her to marry him."
"What! Marry that jailbird!" cried Dick, and his eyes flashed fire. "What a father-in-law Josiah Crabtree would make!"
"That's it, Dick. He talked around the bush a good deal at first, and I led him on, wanting to know what he had up his sleeve. He talked about his affinity and all that, and said that Mrs. hope really wanted to marry him—that she had said so a score of times"
"The scoundrel! He tried to hypnotize her!"
"I know all that as well as you do, Dick. Well, he said she wanted to marry him, but that her daughter wouldn't let her, being influenced by you and the Lanings. He wanted me to aid him in getting Mrs. Stanhope away from Cedarville, and he said that as soon as they were married he would give me five thousand dollars for helping him to get her."
"Dan!"
"It is true, every word of it. I pumped him all I could, just to get the details of his plot. But he wouldn't give me the details—in fact, I don't think he had the details worked out. When, at last, I flatly refused to assist him he went off the maddest man you ever saw. He warned me not to say a word to anybody, stating that if I did, he would put the police on my track on some old charge. But I made up my mind that I would write to you, and I'd write to Mr. Laning, too—he being Mrs. Stanhope's near relative."
"Where did he go to?" asked Sam.
"I didn't see him the next day, until late in the evening. Then I was over to Grapeton, to see a jeweler there, and when I was coming away an automobile passed me driven by a fellow in a regular chauffeur's costume. On the back seat was Crabtree and a fellow who used to go to Putnam Hall—the fellow who tried to do the Stanhopes out of that fortune in court, Tad Sobber."
"Sobber and Crabtree!" burst out Dick. "They surely must be together in this deal!"
"It certainly looks like it," added Tom.
"I guess Crabtree is bound to have a part of the fortune, even if he can't marry Mrs. Stanhope," said Sam.
"Is Sobber after that fortune again?" questioned the young commercial traveler.
"We are afraid he already has it in his possession," answered Dick. "Now that you have been kind enough to tell your story, Dan, we'll tell ours." And he related the particulars of what had brought them away from the camp at the lake.
"I guess they are both after that fortune," said Dan, after listening to the recital. "It seems to me it all fits in. Sobber wanted to get hold of that cash. He couldn't do it by force, so he had to use cunning. He is not an overly-brilliant fellow, I take it, so he had to get somebody to aid him. In some manner he fell in with Josiah Crabtree. He knew that Crabtree was as smart as he was unprincipled. The two fixed up the plot to get the fortune—and got it."
"I hope they haven't got Mrs. Stanhope, too," murmured Dick.
"I think Crabtree would rather have the money than have the lady," said Dan.
"Well, we'll know all about the case tomorrow," said Sam. "I am dead tired now and am going to bed," he added, looking at his watch.
"What time is it?"
"Quarter to twelve."
"Gracious, Dan, I didn't think we were keeping you up so late!" cried the eldest Rover boy.
"Oh, that's all right, Dick. I'm glad you came—it saved me the trouble of sending that letter."
"You can go to bed," went on Dick, to his brothers. "I'll stay up a bit longer and see if any message comes from dad."
The Rovers left Dan Baxter's apartment, and Sam and Tom retired, both worn out from their day's exertions. Dick went below, to interview the hotel clerk.
"No message yet, sir," said that individual. "If any comes in I will call you."
Dick was about to turn away, when the telephone bell rang. He waited while the clerk listened for a moment.
"Yes, he's here now," he heard the clerk say. "Wait a moment." The derk turned to Dick. "There's your party now. I'll switch you into the booth yonder."
Trembling with anticipation, Dick hurried to the booth, shut the door and took up the telephone receiver. The wire was buzzing, but presently he made out his father's voice.
"Is that you, Dick?"
"Yes, Dad. Where are you?"
"At the hotel in Cedarville. I just got here a few minutes ago from a run across the lake."
"Across the lake? What for? Did you go after the fortune?"
"No, I went after Mrs. Stanhope."
"Then she is—is gone?" faltered Dick. He could scarcely speak the words.
"Yes. But how did you guess it?" And Anderson Rover's tones showed his surprise.
"Tell me first where she went, and how?" demanded Dick, impatiently.
"We don't know how she went, or just when. It is most mysterious all the way through. Dora is nearly frantic, for she did not know her mother was going. We followed her up and learned that she had crossed the lake in company with some man who wore a heavy, black beard and dark goggles."
"It must have been Josiah Crabtree," cried Dick, and then, in as few words as possible, he told of the meeting with Dan Baxter and what the young commercial traveler had revealed.
"Yes! yes! that must be the truth of it!" said Anderson Rover. "And Crabtree must have been the one who aided in getting the fortune from the bank where it was being kept."
"Never mind the money, dad, just now. Tell me about Mrs. Stanhope."
"I can't tell you any more, Dick. I went across the lake in a launch, but I could get no trace of her on the other side. Now I am going back to the Stanhope house, and send Dora over to the Lanings. I want you to come up here the first thing in the morning," added Mr. Rover.
"I'll be up, and so will Sam and Tom," answered Dick, and then after a few words more the telephone talk came to an end.
Dick slept but little that night. His one thought was of Mrs. Stanhope. What had become of her? Was it possible that Josiah Crabtree had in some way used his sinister influence to get her to leave her home, and would he be able to hypnotize her into marrying him?
"If he does that it will break Dora's heart!" he groaned. "Oh, it's an outrage! We don't want such a scoundrel in the family!" And he grated his teeth in just indignation.
The first boat for Cedarville left directly after the breakfast hour. The Rovers dined with Dan Baxter and then bade the young commercial traveler good-bye.
"I'll keep my eyes open for Crabtree and Sobber," said Dan. "And if I see either of 'em I'll let you know at once."
"Do," said Dick. "Send word instantly—at my expense."
The boys boarded the same little steamer, the Golden Star, which had first taken them up Cayuga Lake, when on their way to become pupils at Putnam Hall. The captain remembered them and spoke to them cordially. But none of the lads was in the humor of talking to outsiders.
As soon as Cedarville was reached they rushed ashore at the well-known dock. They were going to look around for a public carriage to take them to the Stanhope residence, some distance away, when a voice hailed them.
"Why, boys, I am glad to see you!" came in hearty tones, and the next instant they were shaking hands with Captain Putnam, the owner of the school which they had attended so many' years.
"We are sorry, Captain, that we can't stop to talk," said Dick, "but we are in a tremendous hurry."
"Yes, and I know why," answered the owner of the school "I met your father yesterday. Want to go to the Stanhope place?"
"Yes."
"Then come with me, I have my carriage here, and my best team, and I'll take pleasure in driving you there."
"You are very kind," answered Tom. "My! I almost feel as if I was going back to the school!"
"I'd be glad to have you back, Thomas."
"In spite of my pranks, Captain?" and Tom grinned.
"Yes, in spite of your pranks," answered Captain Putnam, promptly.
"And to think we are after Josiah Crabtree!" murmured Sam. "How time changes things!"
"I trust you catch him, and catch that Tad Sobber, too," answered Captain Putnam, gravely.
The team was a spirited one, and the captain knew well how to handle them. Away they flew, through the village and then out on the smooth road leading to the Stanhope place. Dick relapsed into silence. He was thinking of Dora and of the girl's missing mother.