WHAT THE GIRLS KNEW
After that, Sam related the particulars of what had occurred, to which
Grace listened closely. As she did this, tears streamed down the
cheeks of the girl.
"This will break Nellie's heart--if it isn't broken already," she
faltered. "You know I wrote that I had something to tell you, Sam. It
was about Nellie. But I can't tell you here--let us take a walk."
"All right. But I can't stay long--I must go back with Mr. Sanderson
and continue this hunt for Tom."
"To be sure--I won't keep you but a few minutes." Grace led the way
outside and down one of the campus walks. "You remember that time we
came back from the auto ride?" she said.
"Of course."
"Well, when Nellie and I got to our room she threw herself on the bed
and cried as if her heart was breaking. I couldn't do anything with
her. I wanted to find out what it was all about, but at first she
wouldn't tell me a word. Then she said it was Tom--that he had acted
so queerly when they took a walk in the park he had scared her."
"What did he do?"
"Oh, he talked so queer! He told Nellie tie wished he had the
_Dartaway_ back, so that they could go on a honeymoon trip to the moon.
And then he laughed and asked her if she would go on a camelback ride
with him through the Sahara desert. And then he said he didn't want to
get married until he could lay a big nugget of gold at her feet--and a
lot of nonsense like that. She was awfully scared at first, but after
a while he got more rational and then she felt a little better. But
she couldn't get it off her mind, and it made her feel dreadful! And
then, the other day, Tom sent her the queerest letter, full of all
sorts of the wildest kind of nonsense--about going to the North Pole
and bringing the pole back with him, and about sending her a pair of
slippers, to wear in place of gloves, and asking her to send him a red
and blue handkerchief, to keep his head from aching. And he wrote that
he didn't think he was cut out for college, that he would rather shovel
nuggets in a gold mine--that is just what he wrote--'shovel nuggets in
a gold mine!' Oh, such a mixed-up letter you never read! And it made
Nellie cry again. Oh, Sam, what does it mean?"
He shook his head and gave a deep sigh.
"I don't know, Grace. It scares me almost as much as it has Nellie.
Maybe Tom ought to be put in a sanitarium."
"Oh, do you think he is really out of his mind?"
"It almost looks that way. Poor Tom! and he was always so bright and
full of fun!"
"But what can--Oh, Sam, here is Nellie now!" cried Grace, as her sister
appeared and ran towards them.
"Oh, Sam, I just met Mr. Sanderson and he said you were looking for
Tom!" cried Nellie, as she came closer.
"That's true, Nellie."
"He hasn't been here--at least I haven't seen him."
"So Grace just told me," Sam tried to look at the girl in front of him,
but had to turn his gaze away. He knew only too well how much Nellie
thought of his brother.
"Did he--he run away?" burst out Nellie.
"I don't know about that, Nellie," said Sam, and told his story over
again, just as he had related it to her sister.
Nellie burst into tears, and Sam and Grace did their best to comfort
her. Grace's own eyes were moist, and Sam had all he could do to keep
from breaking down likewise.
"Oh, he is gone, I am sure of it!" cried Nellie. "He is not himself at
all! For all we know he may have thrown himself into the river! Oh,
what shall we do? What can we do?" and she wrung her hands.
"Don't take it so hard, Nellie, it may not be so bad after all," said
her sister, soothingly. "Tom may be back to Brill by this time."
For several minutes the matter was talked over. Then Mr. Sanderson
appeared, ready to return to Ashton for his daughter.
"I'll help you hunt for Tom," said the bluff farmer. "I know he must
be somewhere around. Don't you worry so," for he could see that Nellie
had been crying.
"Send word at once, when you do find him," begged Nellie, as the buggy
drove away, and Sam promised.
On the way back to town but little was said. Near Brill they met quite
a few students and the youngest Rover asked them if they had seen his
brother. All replied in the negative.
When Ashton was reached it was dark, and they drove around to the
hotel. Songbird and Minnie had been dining, and the student asked Mr.
Sanderson and Sam to have something.
"No, I don't care to eat just now," said Sam. "I'll take another look
around," and he left the Sandersons and Songbird together.
But Sam's walk around the town was productive of no results. He called
again on the two doctors, only to be told that Tom had not shown
himself at either place. At the depot nobody seemed to remember seeing
him. The youth visited several stores where Tom was known, but none of
the clerks had seen the missing one.
"I suppose all I can do is to return to Brill and wait," said Sam, on
rejoining those at the hotel. "I might send out a general alarm, but
I'd hate to do that and then have Tom walk in as if nothing unusual had
happened."
"And it would be just like him to do it," returned Songbird.
It was nearly ten o'clock when Sam and his chum returned to the
college. Tom had not yet shown himself, nor had he sent in any word.
His books and his clothing were exactly as he had left them.
"Well, he didn't take anything with him," was Sam's comment, as several
of his chums came in to sympathize with him. "That looks as if he
hadn't meant to go far."
"Oh, he'll be back, don't worry," said Spud, optimistically.
All did their best to cheer poor Sam up, but this did little good. Sam
was much worried and his face showed it.
"I don't know what to do," he said. "I certainly don't feel like going
to bed."
One of the proctors had heard that Tom was missing and came to the room
to see about it. Sam told him all he knew and the proctor said he
would immediately report the case to Doctor Wallington.
"You know he can't stay out as late as this without permission,"
observed the proctor.
"Permission or no permission I wish he was here," answered Sam. "He is
sick and I am very much worried about him." And then the proctor left.
An hour dragged by and the other students went to bed. Sam sat up in
an easy chair, trying to doze, but starting up at every sound. He
tried to figure out what would be best for him to do, but could reach
no satisfactory conclusion. He looked out of the window. The moon was
setting and soon all became dark. A wagon rattled by on the roadway
beyond the campus, and the clock in the college tower tolled out the
hour of midnight.
"This is simply awful!" murmured Sam, as he walked back to the easy
chair and dropped down. "I wonder if I hadn't better send a message to
Dick? But I can't do it until seven o'clock--the telegraph office is
closed."
At last Sam became so worn out that he could keep his eyes open no
longer. He flung himself on his bed, dressed as he was, and fell into
a fitful doze. And thus the hours went by until the sun shone over the
hills in the East.
"Did he come in?" It was a question put by Songbird, as he came to the
door.
"No."
"Say, Sam, this is strange. What are you going to do?"
"I don't know--telegraph to Dick and send out a general alarm, I guess."
"You don't think he simply ran away, do you?"
"What, without telling me? You know better than that, Songbird."
"Then he must have wandered off while he was out of his mind. Maybe
he's somewhere in the woods around here."
"Maybe. I only hope he isn't hurt."
"Well, if I can do anything, let me know," answered Songbird, and
stepped back into his room to dress.
As soon as possible Sam went to Doctor Wallington and talked the matter
over with the head of Brill. The worthy doctor knew about the case
already and was all sympathy.
"We had better send out a general alarm," he said. "And you can notify
your folks. It was a mistake to let your brother come back here so
soon after being hurt. You can take one of the carriages and drive
down to Ashton at once, if you wish, and also drive around to some of
the other places in this vicinity. Somebody must have seen your
brother after he left here, or after Mr. Sanderson saw him."
"Would you mind if I take John Powell with me?" asked Sam. "I may need
somebody to help me."
"Very well, Rover, he can go if he wishes."
"To be sure I'll go," said Songbird, when told of this. "And we'll
find Tom, see if we don't," he added, by way of cheering Sam.
Sam waited until nine o'clock to see if Tom would show himself and then
he and Songbird drove over the Ashton. A search lasting the best part
of an hour followed, but nothing new was learned. Then, rather
reluctantly--for he knew that Dick was having trouble enough attending
to their father's affairs--he sent a telegram to his big brother,
telling of Tom's disappearance, and adding that he would telegraph
again, if anything new turned up.
In driving over to Hope Seminary Mr. Sanderson had pointed out to Sam
the spot where he had seen--or thought he had seen--Tom. Sam now
determined to visit that spot and see if from that point he could not
get on the trail of his brother.
The place was near a turn of the road and just beyond was another road.
At the forks stood an old stone house, wherein lived an old basketmaker
named Rater. The girls of Hope often bought baskets from the man just
to help him along.
Sam and Songbird found Rater sitting on a side porch of his home, with
his basket-making materials scattered around him. He was a tall, thin
man, somewhat deaf, but with a pair of sharp eyes.
"Come to buy a basket?" he asked, briskly.
"No, I came for a little information, if you can give it, Mr. Rater,"
replied Sam.
"What do you want to know?"
"Were you here yesterday?"
"I sure was--all day long."
"Did you see anything of my brother?" went on Sam. "He is a little
larger than I am, and here is his picture," and the youngest Rover
produced a photograph he had brought along.
The old basketmaker looked at the photograph carefully.
"Why, yes, I see that feller," he said slowly. "He stopped at my gate
fer a minute or two. He acted sort o' strange."
"In what way?"
"He didn't speak to me, he spoke to hisself. Said something about a
basketful o' nuggets. I asked him if he wanted to buy a basket, but he
only shook his head an' said somethin' about wantin' to git the nuggets
o' gold first. Then, all of a sudden like, he ran away."
"And which way did he go?" asked Sam, with interest.
"Up the Hoopville road," and the old basketmaker pointed to the side
road which ran past his home.
"Did he have any baggage with him?" questioned Songbird.
"Nary a thing."
"Thank you for the information," said Sam, and passed over a quarter,
which Rater pocketed with a broad smile. Ready money was scarce with
him.
"We'll drive to Hoopville," said Sam, a minute later, as he and
Songbird got in the buggy. "And we'll ask about Tom on the way."
A quarter of a mile was passed and they came to a lonely spot on the
highway. Here, the only building in sight was a half tumbled down
cottage belonging to a man named Hiram Duff. Duff pretended to be
poor, but common report had it that he was a miser and fairly well to
do.
"Going to stop here?" questioned Songbird, as they drove near.
"We might as well," returned Sam. "Old Duff is a tough customer, but
in this case----"
He did not finish for at that instant a muffled cry came from the old
cottage, startling both boys.