IN WHICH TOM DISAPPEARS
Sam was the first one up in the morning. He found Tom thrashing around
in his bed. He had an uncertain look in his eyes and was feverish.
"How do you feel, Tom?" he asked, sitting down and taking his brother's
hand.
"Not as good as usual," was the reply. Tom put his hand to his head,
as of old. "I've got a fierce pain here," he added.
"Shall I send for a doctor?"
"No, I'll keep quiet and maybe it will go over, Sam."
"All right, I'll have you excused from lessons."
Sam dressed and went below, and after breakfast came up again. He
found Tom sound asleep.
"I guess sleep will do him as much good as anything," he told himself,
and went out again, closing the door softly.
Sam had two classes to attend before dinner, so it was not until
quarter to twelve that he had a chance to run up to the room again. To
his surprise Tom was gone.
"Songbird, did you see Tom?" he called to his chum, who was in the next
room.
"No."
"He's gone, and I left him sound asleep when I went to lessons."
"Oh, he must be somewhere around," suggested the would-be poet of the
college. "Maybe he's taking a bath."
"I'll find out," said Sam.
On the way to the bathroom he met Spud and asked about Tom.
"Why, I saw Tom about eleven o'clock," said Spud. "He told me he was
going to town to see a doctor."
"Doctor Havens?"
"Yes."
"Oh, all right," and Sam felt much relieved. He went to dinner with
the others and then waited for Tom's return. A full hour went by and
still Tom did not show himself, and then Sam sought out Spud once more.
"How did Tom act when he went away, Spud?"
"Act? What do you mean?"
"Was he all right?"
"Well, to tell the truth, Sam, I think he looked a bit strange in his
eyes. But I guess he was all right. I'd not worry too much if I was
you. He'll be back before long. Maybe Doctor Havens was out and he
had to wait."
"That's so."
Presently Sam had a lecture to attend and went off to it. At half-past
three he was free once more and hurried again to his room. Tom was
still absent, and nobody seemed to know anything about him.
"I guess I had better go to town and see where he is," thought Sam, and
he asked Songbird if he wanted to go along.
"Yes, I'll go, Sam. But don't worry so much--I'm certain Tom is O.K."
"Maybe, Songbird. But you know how queer he acted. He didn't seem to
be able to get over that crack in his head."
"Well, it was an awful blow, Sam. It would have killed some people."
Before long the pair were on their way to Ashton. About half way to
the town they met two students who had been away from Brill for several
days.
"Did you come from Ashton, Cabot?" asked Sam, of one of the boys.
"We did."
"See anything of my brother Tom?"
"No."
"I think I saw him," said the other student, a fellow named Lambert.
"Where?"
"Down at the depot. I was looking for my baggage. I think I saw him
near the freight house."
"Was he alone?"
"Yes, so far as I know. Why, what's wrong, Rover?"
"Oh, nothing, only I want to find him," said Sam, and to avoid further
questioning, he hurried on, pulling Songbird with him.
"If Tom was at the freight house he must have been taking a walk,"
suggested Songbird.
"Perhaps; but I am awfully worried about this."
It did not take the two students long to reach Ashton, and Sam went
directly to the home of Doctor Havens, located in a grove of trees on a
side street. A man was washing down the front piazza with a pail of
water.
"Is the doctor in?" asked Sam.
"No, sir, he won't he in until about six o'clock," said the man.
"How long has he been gone, may I ask?"
"He went to the city directly after breakfast this morning, for a
consultation with some other doctors."
"He hasn't any assistant?"
"No, sir, but he said if anybody needed a doctor in a hurry to call old
Doctor Slate."
"Where does he live?"
"In the big white house on the hill, opposite the depot."
"I know the place," put in Songbird.
"We'll go there," said Sam. "Much obliged," he added, to the man.
"Maybe Tom went there and that is how Lambert came to see him near the
freight house," suggested Songbird.
"We'll soon know," returned the youngest Rover.
It did not take the students long to cross the railroad tracks and
reach Doctor Slate's residence. They found the old doctor out in his
garden, tying up some bushes. He was a white-haired gentleman and had
given up his regular practice some years before.
"No, there has been no young man to see me," he said, in answer to
Sam's question. "Old Mrs. Powers was in, and Pop Slocum, the negro,
and that's all."
"In that case, Tom must be hanging around town, waiting for Doctor
Havens to return," said Songbird.
"It's a puzzle to me," said Sam, with a deep sigh, and he and his chum
walked slowly away.
"I wouldn't worry so much, Sam," said Songbird, sympathetically. "I am
sure it will be all right."
"It would be if Tom was all right in his head, Songbird. But you know
how he acted that day Stanley and Spud went into the old well hole,
and----"
"Well, what could happen to him in Ashton, such a sleepy country town
as this is? Oh, he's around somewhere and will soon turn up, take my
word for it."
They found the depot deserted, for it was a time of day when there were
no trains. Then they walked up the main street, past the stores and
the Eclipse photo playhouse. The afternoon performance was just over
at the show place and a crowd of about a hundred, mostly women and
children, was pouring forth. In the crowd were a burly, jolly looking
farmer and a pretty girl, his daughter.
"Why, Mr. Sanderson!" cried Songbird, his face lighting up. "And you,
Minnie! This is a surprise!" and he shook hands.
"Oh!" cried the girl, and smiled sweetly. "I didn't expect to see you
here."
"We were doing some tradin' in town and thought we'd run in and see the
movin' picters," said Mr. Sanderson, who knew the boys well. "They
sure are great."
"We came in to find Tom," said Sam, as he, too, shook hands. He and
his brothers had once done Minnie Sanderson a great service, the
particulars of which I have related in "The Rover Boys at College."
Since that time Songbird had frequently visited the Sanderson
homestead, to call on Minnie, whom he regarded as the nicest young lady
of his acquaintance.
"To find Tom?" repeated Minnie.
"Yes. Have you seen him?"
"I saw him about noon time," said Mr. Sanderson.
"Where?"
"Why, he was walking along the road to Hope Seminary."
"The road to Hope?" cried Sam. "Are you sure?"
"Tolerably sure, Sam. I was drivin' rather fast an' didn't take much
of a look. But I reckon it was Tom."
"Maybe he went there to call on Nellie," suggested Songbird.
"This mixes me up," murmured Sam. "I don't know what to think."
"I trust there is nothing wrong, Sam," said Minnie, sweetly. She
counted the Rovers among her warmest friends.
"I--I hope not, and yet I am very much worried. You see, Tom hasn't
been just himself ever since he got that blow on the head. He came to
Ashton to see a doctor, but the doctor was away on business. Now I
can't find him anywhere."
"If you want to go to Hope I'll drive you there," said Mr. Sanderson.
"I've got to go there anyway--to see about some potatoes they wanted.
Minnie said she would stay in town and do some more shopping, until I
got back. But I've only got a buggy big enough for two," added the
farmer.
"I could stay in town with Minnie until you got back," said Songbird,
eagerly, to Sam. "I could keep my eyes open for Tom."
"We could both look for him," added the girl. It pleased her to think
she might have the would-be poet's company.
The matter was talked over for several minutes and then it was agreed
that Sam should ride over to the seminary with the farmer.
"You won't have to hurry back," said Songbird, on parting. "If it gets
too late Minnie and I can go over to the hotel for supper," and he
smiled at the girl, who blushed and smiled in return.
Mr. Sanderson had always owned some excellent horses and the mare
attached to his buggy was a swift animal. He and Sam got into the
turnout, and away they went with a whirl, soon leaving Ashton behind.
"This year the seminary is going to buy all its potatoes from me,"
explained the farmer. "And they get their cabbages, and carrots and
turnips from me, too, and a good many of their eggs and chickens. They
are quite a customer, and I want to do my best to please 'em."
"It's a fine place," returned Sam. "Just as good as Brill."
"So it is, Sam. By the way, how is Dick makin' out? I understand he
was lookin' after your father's business."
"He is, and he is getting along very well. Of course, our lawyer is
helping him, for some matters are in an awful tangle."
"That feller who hit Tom over the head ought to have been put in jail."
"Well, he is going to lose most of his property--or at least, he had to
give up what belonged to Dad. The lawyer thinks that will be
punishment enough. We thought of prosecuting the bunch, but Dad is in
such bad health he didn't want to bother. Besides, one of the crowd,
Josiah Crabtree, broke his leg in two places and he will be a cripple
for life."
"Serves the rascal right! He had no business to interfere with you,
and with that Mrs. Stanhope an' her daughter. I ain't got no sympathy
to waste on sech cattle," snorted the straight-minded farmer.
Presently they came in sight of Hope Seminary and Mr. Sanderson drove
around to a side door, to interview the housekeeper. Sam walked around
to the front, and rang the doorbell, and a maid answered his summons.
"I would like to see Miss Grace Laning," he said. "Or, if she isn't
in, her sister, Miss Nellie."
"Yes, sir," and the girl ushered the young collegian into the reception
room.
A few minutes later Grace appeared. She looked at Sam in surprise.
"Why, I thought you wrote you'd come next Tuesday," she cried.
"So I did, Grace. But this time I've come about Tom. Have you seen
him?"
"Tom? No. Did he come here?"
"I thought he might have come. Mr. Sanderson saw him on the road,
headed in this direction."
"Oh, Sam, you look so--so alarmed! What is it? What do you think has
happened?"
"I don't know what has happened, Grace. But something is wrong, I feel
sure of it," answered Sam, with conviction. "Tom is missing, and I
can't imagine what has become of him."