"You had best know just how things stand," remarked Van Sherwin, as he
proceeded to tell an interesting story.
Van had learned from Ralph's note sent to him to the town jail that Ike
Slump or Mort Bemis had the documents stolen from Mrs. Davis' little tin
box.
He had watched his fellow prisoners closely, finally discovering that
the papers were carried by Slump in a secret inner coat pocket.
The very night that Slump and Bemis escaped, Van with a window pole
reached into the cell, got the garment in question, and left his own
coat in its place.
He secured the stolen documents. Folded in with them was a receipt for
somebody's board at a place called Millville. Van decided that this was
the place where Mrs. Davis was imprisoned, or detained.
He intended to gain his freedom in the morning early. In the meantime,
as the reader is aware, Slump and Bemis escaped. The former was
probably unaware in the darkness that he was wearing Van's coat instead
of his own.
Van started forthwith to locate Mrs. Davis. He found there were two
Millvilles, and it was several days before he settled down on the right
one. It took several more to locate Mrs. Davis' present guardians.
They proved to be a wretched couple in an isolated farmhouse. They kept
their prisoner in a barred attic room.
Mrs. Davis had missed a paper which told where the tin box was secreted.
This her jailers had probably given to Slump, who thus obtained a clew
as to the whereabouts of the documents.
Van managed to rescue Mrs. Davis without being discovered by her
guardians. That very day he came upon Slump and Bemis near the old
farmhouse.
He secreted himself and overheard some of their conversation. They had
squandered all of their ready money, and dared not return to Stanley
Junction. They had come to the farmhouse to remove Mrs. Davis, and with
her in their hands blackmail Farrington afresh.
They had discovered her escape, and then they talked of a last desperate
scheme. It was to "hold up" something or somebody at South Dover.
Van could not leave Mrs. Davis, to follow or pursue them. He wrote the
hurried postal to Ralph that had got wet and blurred in transmission,
but, despite which fact, Ralph had managed to utilize with such grand
results.
Mrs. Davis' secret was a simple one. As has been said, her husband was
none other than Van's adopted father, Farwell Gibson, who had been
fleeced by Gasper Farrington along with Ralph's own father.
The magnate had maligned Gibson so that Mrs. Gibson left him. They
became strangers, and later Farrington claimed he was dead.
Mrs. Gibson, or Mrs. Davis as she now called herself, became quite poor.
She discovered among some old papers an agreement between herself, Mr.
Fairbanks, and Gasper Farrington about the twenty thousand dollars'
worth of railroad bonds.
This document showed plainly that in equity she had a quarter interest,
and Mrs. Fairbanks the balance in these bonds really held in trust by
Farrington.
She had come to Stanley Junction to sell this paper to Farrington.
Embittered by her sad past, she had no thoughts of the rights of others,
until Ralph did her a kindly act and changed all the motives of her
life.
Now, after learning from Van how her husband had been wronged and
misrepresented by Farrington, she longed to secure her five thousand
dollars to assist him in beginning his short-line railroad.
"There will be a happy reunion," Van told Ralph. "As to the money, the
twenty thousand dollars, I have had a lawyer working on her claim and
yours all day long. They say that Slump wrote a letter to some friend
here, telling all about Farrington's dealings with him. The local paper
threatens an expose, and this, with the factory fire and our claim, has
driven the miserable old schemer nearly to his wits' end. Ah, there is
the lawyer now."
Ralph knew the legal gentleman in question. They rejoined the others in
the front parlor.
"Have you seen Farrington?" asked Van promptly.
"No," responded the lawyer. "He has secluded himself, and refuses to be
seen. I have had to deal with him through his attorney. It has been
quibble and evasion all day long. Just now, however, they arrived at an
ultimatum."
"What is it?" inquired Ralph.
"Farrington is near to nervous collapse. His losses and his fears of
disgrace have driven him to leave Stanley Junction until the storm has
blown over. His lawyer admits the justice of our claim. He asks that
they be given a little time to settle it."
"Not an hour, if the claim is just and right!" declared Ralph sternly.
"We have been kept out of our rights all these years."
"Then I have a suggestion to make," said the lawyer. "I have no doubt
whatever of your forcing payments in time. The only thing is, that
crafty old fox, Farrington, will scheme for delay. He intends to get it
by taking a trip to Europe."
"Out of the country?" exclaimed Ralph.
"So I learn. In fact, he has left, or is leaving now. That will be
unfortunate for your case. Now, if you could get service on him before
he leaves, you head off his dilatory arrangements."
"What kind of service?" asked Van.
"A legal demand of your claim, to be proven in court if he does not
settle. That would bring his lawyer to time. I have prepared the
demand--in fact, I have a man waiting outside to serve it--if you can
suggest any way to reach Farrington."
"Why, if he is leaving for Europe to-night," said Ralph, arising to his
feet and consulting his watch, "he will have to take the southern
train."
"Not from the Stanley Junction depot, I fancy," observed the lawyer.
"No, he will probably get on at the limits, or down at Acton, and take
the train there."
"See here," spoke up Slavin suddenly--"leave this to me, will you?"
"How do you mean?" inquired Ralph.
"Send your man with me," said Slavin to the lawyer. "The railroad
people will give me every chance to nab my man, if I tell them it's for
Ralph Fairbanks."
"Very good," nodded the lawyer with satisfaction, "try it with my man,
if you will."
There was so much to discuss, that Ralph, Van, and the two ladies sat up
until long past midnight.
Just as they were retiring, the lawyer's messenger appeared at the front
door of the cottage.
"O.K.," he said, with a chuckle.
"Got your man?" asked Van.
"Sure thing. Farrington sneaked on to the train at Acton, disguised,
and hid in a sleeper. The conductor knew Fairbanks here, and Slavin did
the rest. Snaked him out of his berth, and made him acknowledge our
legal demand. He's off for Europe, but I'll warrant won't tangle up his
affairs here by letting you sue. But he has already wired his lawyer to
settle with you people."
"Good!" shouted Ralph, and his face showed his pleasure.
Everything seemed working out happily. Ralph came up into the switch
tower with a bright, cheery face, next morning.
"Hello, Slavin," he said, noticing his muscular young friend at the
levers--"practicing?"
"No, sir--on duty," answered Slavin with great dignity.
"What's that?" demanded Ralph sharply.
"Sure," coolly nodded Slavin, giving the levers a truly professional
swing. "Don't talk to the leverman when he's busy--rule of the office,
you, know, for outsiders."
"Ho! ho!" chuckled old Jack Knight.
"Outsiders?" repeated Ralph. "Call me one?"
"Ask Mr. Knight."
Ralph looked inquiringly at the veteran towerman.
"That's right," assented Knight. "Superintendent was just here. Put
Slavin on the levers, and wants you up at headquarters."
"What for?" asked Ralph.
"Says you're due for promotion. Asked me what I thought about your
choice. I told him fireman."
Ralph's eyes sparkled with pleasure.
"Thank you, Mr. Knight," he said. "If it's to be another step up the
ladder, I would like it to be in just that line."
"You take another rung sure, that's settled," declared old Jack proudly.
"And--you'll get to the top!"
One hour later Ralph Fairbanks was officially instructed by the
superintendent of the Great Northern, that he had been promoted to a new
branch of service.
How did he succeed? How well, and how his influence and example helped
the success of his loyal railroad friends, will be told in a succeeding
volume to be called "Ralph on the Engine; or, The Young Fireman of the
Limited Mail."
For the time being he was very happy and so was his mother. Mrs.
Fairbanks felt certain that they would soon be in possession of the
property Gasper Farrington had so long kept from them.
"I think so myself, mother," said Ralph, and then he added with
enthusiasm: "Isn't it wonderful how we have prospered!"
"Yes, Ralph."
"And to think that I am to be a regularly appointed fireman," he
continued.
"I can see that you are bound to be a railroad man, Ralph," answered the
fond parent with a faint smile. "Well, you take after your father. I
surely wish you the best of luck in your chosen calling."
And so do we; is that not so, gentle reader?
THE END