THE ATTACK IN THE STATEROOM.
Frederic Vernon was only calm outwardly; inwardly he was boiling with
rage, and more than anxious to "get square" with Robert.
He attributed his downfall completely to the young secretary.
"If it hadn't been for him I could have hoodwinked aunt right along,"
he told himself. "It's a shame that I've got to do just what that boy
wants me to."
As soon as he heard that Robert was going to accompany him to
Liverpool, he set to work to hatch up some plot against our hero.
Robert was to carry the fifteen hundred dollars, and give it to
Frederic when the time came for the steamer to depart, and when young
Vernon was on board.
Frederic Vernon spent Sunday night with his aunt, and did what he
could to get Mrs. Vernon to allow him a little more money. As a
consequence, he came away a hundred dollars richer than would
otherwise have been the case.
Nor was this all. At the last minute, while the aunt was getting the
money for him, he picked up some of Mrs. Vernon's jewels and slipped
them into his pocket. Among the jewels was a diamond crescent worth
five hundred dollars, and a pair of earrings worth three hundred
dollars more.
Mrs. Vernon was not feeling well, and as soon as her nephew left she
retired for the night, and the jewels were not missed until
forty-eight hours later.
Early the next morning Frederic Vernon started for Liverpool, with
Robert with him.
"I won't wake my aunt up to say good-by," said the young man. "I
always hate a scene."
"She will be glad not to be disturbed," thought Robert, but said
nothing.
Arriving in Liverpool Frederic Vernon set about buying such things as
he thought he would need on his long ocean trip.
"Will you go along to the shops?" he asked Robert.
"No, I will remain at the hotel," answered our hero.
So Frederic Vernon went off alone. He had no heart to buy what was
needed, for the thought of going to Australia was very distasteful to
him.
"It won't be like living in Chicago or New York," he thought. "It's
beastly uncivilized out there. I wish I could put Frost in my place
and stay behind myself."
Among the places he visited was a ticket broker's office, and here he
asked what they would give for the ticket to Australia.
Tickets were just then in good demand, and the broker looked the
matter up.
"I'll give you seventy-five per cent. of its cost," he said. "But I
want the ticket right away."
"I can give it to you in about an hour."
"That is positive?"
"Yes."
"Very well, bring it to me. I have a customer who wishes just such a
ticket, but I cannot hold him long."
At once Frederic hurried back to the hotel.
"I am going on board the steamer at once," he said. "Give me my
ticket."
"You seem to be in a tremendous hurry," said Robert suspiciously.
"Well, I'll tell you the truth, Frost, since we are to part to meet no
more. Some of my old creditors are after me and I want to give them
the slip."
"I see."
Robert felt it would not be honorable to help Frederic Vernon escape
his creditors, but at the same time there was no use in detaining the
young man, since he would have no money with which to settle his old
obligations.
But he would not give up the ticket.
"I will go to the steamer with you, and give you the ticket there," he
said.
He was firm in this, and wondering what he had best do next, Frederic
Vernon led the way to the street and hailed a passing cab.
The two got in and were driven to the docks without delay. The young
man had his hand-baggage with him.
"Now I am off," he said. "Give me the ticket and the money, and
good-by to you."
"I will take you on the steamer," said Robert firmly.
Vernon grated his teeth, but had to agree, and both went on board, and
down to the stateroom which had been selected. It was a room for two,
but as yet Vernon occupied it alone.
"Now let me see that money and the ticket," snapped the young man. "I
am not going off until I am sure that everything is right."
Sitting down on the edge of the lower berth, Robert brought out the
articles in question, and passed them over. Vernon inspected the
ticket closely and counted the money.
"There is twenty dollars missing," he declared.
"No, the money is all right," cried Robert.
"Well, count it out to me and see for yourself."
Anxious to prove that the amount was correct Robert began to count the
bills one after another.
As he was doing this Frederic Vernon suddenly raised the umbrella he
carried and brought down the heavy handle with crushing force on the
boy's head.
The blow was as cruel as it was unexpected, and with a groan Robert
fell forward on the stateroom floor.
Vernon bent over him, to find that he was totally unconscious, and
liable to remain so for some time to come.
"That's the time I paid him off," muttered the rascal. "I'll teach him
to meddle in my private affairs."
He gathered up the ticket and the money, and prepared to leave the
stateroom. Then a sickly smile came over his face.
"Might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb," he muttered, and going
back he relieved Robert of his watch, his pocketbook, and the scarfpin
Mrs. Vernon had given him.
"I reckon I'll be pretty well fixed for awhile," said the young rascal
to himself. "And if the steamer carries him off to South Africa or
Australia perhaps I'll be able to tell aunt a pretty good story and
get back into her good graces."
Leaving the stateroom he locked the door, and as an extra precaution
he stuffed the keyhole with a paper wad.
"Now he won't get out in a hurry, even if he does come around," he
added, and hurried on deck and to the crowded dock. Soon he was lost
to view amid the people and drays that were coming and going.
Half an hour after Frederic Vernon's departure a burly man of
forty-five came on board the steamer and engaged the vacant berth in
the stateroom Robert was occupying.
"I hope I have a good room-mate," observed Mr. Pelham, as he found his
way below. "Frederic Vernon, eh? Well, that's a pretty good name."
He reached the stateroom, and finding the door locked, knocked upon it
several times.
No answer came back, and Mr. Pelham was perplexed.
"Can the key be at the office?" he mused, and went off to see if such
was the case.
Of course the article was not there, and a porter followed him to the
room to let him in.
"The keyhole is stuffed," said the porter, after an examination. "Some
of the children on board have been playing pranks again."
"Hark!" cried Mr. Pelham. "Am I mistaken, or did I hear a groan?"
He and the porter listened. The gentleman was not mistaken, for now a
second groan sounded out, more loudly than the first.
"Your room-mate must be sick!" cried the porter. "Hi, there, sir,
please open the door?" he called.
But Robert paid no attention, for he was not yet conscious. The porter
dug away at the paper wad, and at last extricated it from the keyhole.
Then he inserted the key and swung the door back.
Both men uttered exclamations of horror, for Robert lay across the
lower berth unconscious, and with a small stream of blood running over
his temple and cheek.
"Gracious! This looks like suicide!" ejaculated Mr. Pelham. "Run for
the captain and a doctor, quick!"
The porter needed no second bidding, and made off with all speed. When
he returned he found that Mr. Pelham had propped Robert up on a pillow
and bound up the small wound on our hero's head with a handkerchief.
"Whe--where is he?" were Robert's first words.
"He? Who?" asked the men who surrounded him.
"Frederic Vernon, the man who struck me down."
"So you were struck down?" said the captain of the steamer.
"I--I was," gasped Robert. "Did he--he escape?"
The others looked around, but of course Vernon was nowhere to be seen.
"He must have escaped," said Mr. Pelham. "Frederic Vernon, you said.
He was to be my room-mate."
A number of questions followed, and Robert told his tale, to which the
others listened with close attention. Then a search was instituted for
Frederic Vernon, but this was unsuccessful.
"He has left the ship," declared the captain. "It's not likely that he
wanted to go to Australia."
It was not until some time later that Robert discovered the loss of
his purse, watch, and the scarfpin, and then he was more angry than
ever.
"Oh, if only I can lay hands on him," he thought. "I'll make him
suffer for all his evil doings!"