The Rover Boys Down East/Chapter 21
CHAPTER XXI
FROM ONE CLUE TO ANOTHER
"Now, what do you want?" asked the old man, as he eyed Dick, curiously.
"I want to talk to that woman, first of all," cried Dick, and he pointed to Mrs. Sobber, who was just disappearing through a door in the rear of the hallway.
"But what does this mean?" went on Mr. Mason, in a faint voice. "I have done nothing wrong." And now he sank on a rush-bottomed chafr, all out of breath. He was very old, and his hair and his face were exceedingly white.
"I'll be back and tell you," went on Dick. He could see at a glance that the old owner of the building had had nothing to do with the stealing of the fortune or the abduction of Mrs. Stanhope.
Dick ran to the door at the back of the hallway, to find it locked. He threw his weight against it, but it did not give way.
He was on the point of pushing on the door again, when a cry from the yard reached his ears.
"Dick! Dick! Come and stop them!" It was Tom who was calling.
"I'm coming, Tom!" he yelled back. And then he landed on the door with all his might.
"Don't br—break the door!" gasped the old man. "If you want to get out to the back, go up and down the stairs," and he pointed a trembling finger upward.
Dick understood, and ran up the front stairs three steps at a time. He passed through a short hallway and then reached a stairs, running down to a back entryway. As he went down these stairs there came another cry from Tom.
"Dick! Dick! they are getting away!"
As fast as he could, Dick reached the entryway and threw open the outer door. He came out in a small yard, surrounded on three sides by a high board fence. At the rear was a gate, and this was wide open.
"Tom! you are hurt!" exclaimed Dick, as he caught sight of his brother flat on his back, and with the blood oozing from a cut on his forehead.
"Yes, the rascal hit me in the head with a club!" gasped poor Tom.
"What rascal?"
"Tad Sobber!"
"Where is he now?"
"Ran out of the gate and a woman just followed him."
"Did you see anybody else?"
"No. Go after 'em," added the injured youth, pluckily.
"Are you badly hurt?"
"I—I guess not But he gave me an awful crack!" And pulling himself up, Tom staggered to a wood-chopping block and sat down.
Dick waited to hear no more, but made for the gate and ran into an alleyway beyond. This made a turn and came out on a street behind that upon which the house was located. Dick looked up and down the crooked thoroughfare, but could see nosigns of Tad Sobber or the woman.
"Did you see a young man and a woman come out of here?" asked Dick, of a boy who was playing with a ball.
"Sure I did," answered the lad.
"Where did they go."
"Took the auto and went that way."
"An auto?"
"Yes."
"Was it waiting here?"
"Sure."
"Somebody in it?"
"A man was running it. He was here yesterday, too."
"Did you see who he took out yesterday?" went on Dick, growing interested.
"He came twice. Once he had a lady and a gent for passengers. They came out of that alleyway, just as you did."
"When was this?"
"Just about supper time."
Dick ran down the street in the direction the automobile had taken. He could see no signs of the machine, and presently returned to the back yard where he had left Tom, There the pair were joined by Sam.
"We were too late—they got away!" said Dick, with something like a groan in his voice.
"But not too late for Tad Sobber to leave me his card!" muttered Tom, putting his hand to the cut on his forehead.
"We'll have to have that tended to, Tom," said Dick, kindly.
"Oh, it isn't so bad. I'll put some court-plaster on it, after I've washed it."
"I'm sorry, but I couldn't locate a policeman anywhere," said Sam.
"Never mind, I guess a policeman would only be in the way," returned his oldest brother. "He'd a lot of questions, and let it go at that. I'm going into the house, and see if I can find out anything."
"Maybe Mrs. Stanhope is in there," cried Sam.
"No—they have taken her off in an auto, I am almost sure of it, Sam."
The three Rover boys entered the old house, to find Mr. Mason walking nervously up and down in the parlor.
"Where is Mrs. Sobber?" he asked anxiously.
"I imagine she has ran away," answered Dick. He drew a long breath. "Mr. Mason, I am going to ask you some questions. If you wish to avoid trouble with the authorities, you will answer me directly and truthfully."
"Yes! Yes! I felt that something was wrong!" cried the old man. "I want no trouble, I am too old and respectable. What is it all about?"
"Briefly, a lady has been abducted and a fortune has been stolen."
"Oh, then the lady they said was—er—insane, was not insane at all."
"Did they tell you she was insane?"
"Yes, that is what Mrs. Sobber and one of the men said. They said they were going to take her to a private asylum."
"The villains!" burst out Tom.
"What asylum?"
"I don't know that. But I overheard them talking about taking a boat to Portland."
"Portland?" repeated Dick. "Are you sure they were bound for that city?"
"Oh, I am not sure of anything—I am only telling you what I overheard."
"Please tell us all about those men who came here, and about the lady, and about Mrs. Sobber." pursued Dick.
"Hadn't we better get after the auto?" asked Tom, who believed in action.
"You and Sam can try to hunt it up," answered the elder Rover. "I'll hear all Mr. Mason can tell first. It may give us a direct clew. I'll meet you later at the Parker House."
Sam and Tom went off, and then Dick listened patiently to the rather rambling tale Oliver Mason had to tell. The old man said that he had known Mrs. Sobber when her husband was alive and had hired her to be his housekeeper after the death of his three sisters and his wife.
"She was all alone in the world excepting for a young man named Tad Sobber, who came to see her once in a while," said Oliver Mason. "I didn't like the young man much, but the two had quite some business together.
The old man then told how Mrs. Sobber had gone away for several days, stating she must look after a lady friend who had become insane. She stated that possibly she would bring the lady to the house for a day or two, but that if she did, Mr. Mason need not be afraid, for a doctor and a nurse would come along. Then the lady had arrived, in company with Tad Sobber and two men. He had not been allowed to talk to the woman, the others saying she might become violent in the presence of strangers. Then the lady had been taken away by the men and Tad Sobber the night before, and Tad Sobber had come back for Mrs. Sobber just about the time the Rovers tried to get into the house.
The story was told with such simpleness that Dick felt bound to believe it, and consequently he saw no reason for blaming Oliver Mason, who was, in truth, on the verge of second childhood.
"I must look around and see if those scamps left anything behind," said Dick. "You won't object to that, will you?"
"No! no!" cried the old man. "Only please do not take any of my few belongings."
"I'll not take anything, sir, you can trust me absolutely," answered Dick, readily.
He made a search of the rooms, and especially the apartments occupied by Mrs. Stanhope and her abductors. At first he found little of value, although he picked up a handkerchief that had Mrs. Stanhope's initials embroidered in the cor ner.
"That is proof positive that she was here," he thought grimly.
In one of the fireplaces he came across some half-burnt letters. He looked them over with care and caught the post-mark, Portland, Me.
On one slip he read the following:
easy from Portla
the schooner Mary Del
as we arrive, I will have
if not then Slay's Island, where
"Humph! this may prove of value," murmured Dick to himself, and placed the bit of letter in his pocket. Then he hunted around the rooms again, but nothing more came to light.
"Will Mrs. Sobber come back?" asked the old man, when Dick went below.
"I doubt it, sir."
"She must be an awful woman, if what you say is true."
"She is a criminal, Mr. Mason, and so is that Tad Sobber. I would advise you to have nothing more to do with them."
"I must have a housekeeper," whined the old man.
"Then hire somebody you are sure is honest," returned Dick; and a few minutes later he quitted the house.
On his way to the hotel he met Sam and Tom, who had looked in vain for the automobile. In as few words as possible he told his brothers about what Oliver Mason had said, and of the finding of the slip of paper.
"What do you make of it?" asked Sam.
"I think they are going to Portland, either by auto or in a boat." answered Dick.
"That's just what I think," added Tom. "But we may be mistaken."
"Before we go any further, I am going to have that house watched," went on Dick. "I'll hire a first-class detective, and then, if Mrs. Sobber or any of the others come back, we'll have 'em arrested."
They visited a detective agency, and a man was put on the case without delay. Then the Rovers hurried down to the water front, to see if they could get any trace of Mrs. Stanhope there.
An hour's tramping produced no results, and somewhat discouraged, they were on the point of going to the hotel, to meet Spud, when they saw an old sailor come from a restaurant close by.
"My friend," said Dick, addressing the old tar, "I'd like to get some information. Did you ever hear of a schooner in these parts that was called the Mary Del something or other?"
"Mary Del?" repeated the old sailor, twisting his forelock. "Oh, I reckon you mean the Mary Delaway!" he cried. "Sure, I know her. Didn't I see her sail for Portland less than an hour ago!"