THE BEGINNING OF THE END.
"Gone!"
"Yes, sir."
"Did he say where to?"
"He did not."
"Did he say he would be back?"
"No, he said nothing, just handed over his key and went off as fast as
he could."
Our hero turned to the lawyer.
"What do you make of this?" he asked.
"Perhaps he has gone to the asylum," suggested Mr. Farley.
"Or to Mrs. Vernon's residence," put in the detective.
"He may have gone to rejoin Dr. Remington and that other physician,"
said Robert.
The three talked the matter over for some time, but could reach no
satisfactory conclusion regarding Frederic Vernon's departure from the
hotel.
"I think it will be best to take the bull by the horns, and have Mrs.
Vernon released without delay," said the detective. "Unless we do that
her nephew may get it into his head to have her taken a long distance
off."
This was thought good advice, and leaving the hotel they told the
hackman to drive them to Dr. Rushwood's Sanitarium.
"Sure an' I'm havin' a long spell av it," grinned the Jehu.
"So you are," answered Robert. "But you shall be fully paid for your
work."
"Is somethin' wrong?"
"Very much wrong, and we are going to set it right."
"Thin Mike Grady is wid yez to the end," said the hack driver, as he
slammed shut the door of his turnout.
When they reached the asylum they saw that all of the lower rooms were
dark. In two of the upper apartments lights were burning.
"Come around and I will show you the room in which Mrs. Vernon is
confined," said our hero.
They walked to the rear of the institution and Robert pointed up
through the tree at the window.
As they looked up Mrs. Vernon's face appeared from behind the bars.
"There she is!" cried Robert. "I wish I could attract her attention."
He decided to climb the tree again, and aided by the detective he went
up with all possible speed.
One branch grew closer to the window than the others, and Robert went
out on this as far as he dared. Then he waved his handkerchief.
Even in the darkness the white object fluttering in the wind attracted
Mrs. Vernon's attention, and she looked intently in the direction.
At last she recognized Robert, and her face showed her joy. She had
had the window shut to exclude the cool night air, but now she raised
the sash.
"Robert!" she cried softly. "Oh, how glad I am that you have come!"
"Don't speak too loudly, Mrs. Vernon, or they may hear you."
"Are you alone?"
"No, Mr. Farley is below, and also a private detective."
"Thank God for that. You have come to save me, of course."
"Yes. Is anybody around, or have they all gone to bed?"
"I have seen nobody since my nephew was here several hours ago."
"I wish I could get to the window, I would soon have those bars out
and get in to help you," went on Robert, after a pause.
"Never mind, tell Mr. Farley and the detective to go around to the
front door and demand admittance."
Robert descended to the ground and repeated what the lady had said.
The men and our hero walked to the great iron gate and rang the bell.
Nobody answered the summons.
"We had better climb the fence and try the front door," said Brossom.
"I'm afraid I am not equal to it," answered Mr. Farley, as he surveyed
the iron barrier dubiously.
"There is an easy way to get into the garden from the rear end of that
dividing wall," said Robert, pointing out the wall in question. "Come
along."
The spot was soon gained, and the boy leaped up on the wall. Mr.
Farley came next, and the detective followed. They picked their way
through the tangled shrubbery, and ascending the piazza rang the bell
loudly.
The bark of a dog rang out, and then they heard hasty footsteps sound
through the hallway.
"Who is there?" came in a high-pitched voice.
"I wish to see Dr. Rushwood on important business," answered Mr.
Farley. "Let me in at once."
"Wait till I call the doctor," was the reply.
The dog continued to bark and to rattle his chain. A few minutes
passed, and then Dr. Rushwood put in appearance.
"Wha--what is the meaning of this?" he stammered, as he found himself
confronted by three people, when he had expected to see only one
person.
"We have important business with you, Dr. Rushwood," replied Mr.
Farley, as he forced his way into the hall, followed by the detective
and Robert.
"What is your business?"
"You have a lady confined here--Mrs. Vernon."
The keeper of the asylum changed color and fell back a step.
"Well--er--what do you want?" he stammered.
"We want you to release the lady at once."
"But she is confined here as a--a person of--of weak mind."
"She is all right, and you know it," put in Robert. "If you try to
make any trouble for us it will go hard with you, I can promise you
that."
"And who are you to threaten me?" demanded Dr. Rushwood.
"I am Robert Frost, Mrs. Vernon's private secretary. Mrs. Vernon has
been confined here through a plot hatched out by her worthless nephew,
Frederic Vernon, and his tool, Dr. Remington."
"The young man tells the truth," put in Mr. Farley. "If you wish to
keep out of trouble you will make us no trouble."
"And you are----?" faltered Rushwood.
"I am Louis Farley, the lawyer."
"And I am Frank Brossom, the detective," put in that individual.
"Doctor, the game is up, and you had better retire as gracefully as
you can."
"Retire?" thundered Dr. Rushwood, who felt that he must put on a
front. "I have done nothing of which I am ashamed. The lady is here on
the certificate of two doctors. If anything is wrong----"
"You will right it, of course," finished the detective, thus affording
Rushwood a loop-hole through which he might escape. "Very well, take
us up to the lady."
"Of course I will right anything that is wrong."
"Then take us up to Mrs. Vernon," put in Robert, and started for the
stairs.
"See here, it seems to me that you are very forward," blustered the
doctor.
"I shall not waste time with you," answered Robert. "I know where Mrs.
Vernon is, and I am going up to her," and he began to ascend the
stairs.
"Be careful, young man, or I may loosen my dog."
"If you do he'll be a dead animal in about two seconds," answered
Brossom.
Robert ran up to the third floor of the house, and speedily found Mrs.
Vernon's room.
Luckily the key to the door was on a nearby peg, and he quickly took
it down and let himself into the apartment.
The lady was waiting for him, and almost threw herself into his sturdy
arms.
"Robert!" she cried. "Oh, what a friend you have proved to be!"
Mr. Farley followed our hero, and then came the doctor and the
detective.
Dr. Rushwood felt that the game was indeed up, and to save himself
insisted that he had been imposed upon.
"I told the other doctors that Mrs. Vernon did not act like a very
crazy person," he said. "But they assured me that she was in the habit
of having violent spells."
Robert assisted Mrs. Vernon down to the lower floor and then a servant
was called upon to unlock the gate leading to the road.
The hack was in waiting, and without listening to any more Dr.
Rushwood might have to say, the party got in and were driven directly
for Mrs. Vernon's mansion.
Here it was decided that Robert should remain with Mrs. Vernon until
morning, while Mr. Farley returned home and the detective went on a
hunt for Frederic Vernon and his accomplices.
Mrs. Vernon was very nervous because of her bitter experience, and had
Robert occupy a room next to her own, while William the butler was
requested to do his sleeping on a couch in the hall.
It must be confessed that our hero slept but little during the
remainder of the night. His thoughts were busy concerning the rescue
and what Frederic Vernon would do next. He was exceedingly thankful
that he had been able to render such signal service to the lady who
had been so much of a friend to him.
On the following morning Mr. Farley put in an appearance, and steps
were taken to proceed against Frederic Vernon and those who had aided
him in his wicked plot against his aunt. But these steps proved of no
avail, for, later on, it was discovered that the rascally nephew had
taken a lake steamer to Canada. From Canada Frederic Vernon drifted to
the West, and then joined a gold hunting party bound for Alaska. He
was caught in a blizzard while out among the mines, and was so badly
frozen that recovery was impossible. He sent word to his aunt, telling
of his condition, and she forwarded sufficient money for him to return
to Chicago. Here he lingered in a hospital for several months, and
then died. Before his death he professed to be very sorry for his many
wrong-doings, and told where he had pawned the balance of the jewelry
he had stolen, and the articles were eventually recovered.
Dr. Remington also disappeared, as did Dr. Carraway, and what ever
became of them Robert never learned.