SEARCHING FOR REX
“What train did Rex say he would be back on, Roy?”
This was the question asked by Mrs. Pell at the breakfast table on the
morning that Rex was trudging along the dusty road between New York and
Philadelphia.
“He didn’t say,” replied Roy. “He’ll surely be home by lunch, though.
Scott is going to West Chester with his mother at noon.”
Lunch hour arrived and still no Reginald. But Mrs. Pell did not worry.
He had so many friends in Marley that there were plenty of places where
he might have gone from the Bowmans’.
But when dinner time came and he had not yet appeared, the entire
family began to speculate on the reasons for it.
“He’s probably at the Minturns,” said Sydney, when informed of the
facts. “Charlie may have persuaded him to stay over another night with
him.”
“Rex should have sent us word then,” rejoined his mother.
Another day passed, and by this time Mrs. Pell began to grow seriously
alarmed.
“You must go down to Marley the first thing in the morning, Roy,” she
said.
And Roy went, repairing first to the Bowmans’. He found Scott just
about to take his mother out in his cart.
“What have you done with that brother of mine?” Roy began when
greetings had been exchanged.
“And I’d like to know why that brother of yours doesn’t permit himself
to be heard from,” returned Scott promptly. “He didn’t show up
Wednesday night nor send me any message explaining why he didn’t come.”
“Didn’t come?” echoed Roy. “Do you mean to say that Rex hasn’t been
here?”
“Of course he hasn’t, and I think it mighty shabby of him.”
“Why, that’s the queerest thing I ever heard of,” said Roy slowly.
“Why is it?”
“Because he started to come down here Wednesday afternoon by the 5:30
express.”
“He did?”
It was now Scott’s turn to look astonished.
“And you say he never got here?” went on Roy.
“Of course he didn’t. You don’t suppose we have him smuggled away
somewhere, do you?”
“Haven’t you any idea where your brother is?” here interrupted Mrs.
Bowman.
“We were sure he was here, somewhere in Marley,” answered Roy. “But he
can’t be, if he didn’t come to you first.”
“What could have happened to the fellow?” said Scott, beginning to see
that the matter was more serious than he had at first supposed.
“I can’t imagine. It’s the strangest thing I ever heard of.” Roy looked
really worried. “I thought he might possibly be at the Minturns’, but
he wouldn’t have gone there till he had been here.”
“Let down that seat behind, jump in, and I’ll drive you over there,”
said Scott.
But Charlie had not seen or heard from Rex in ten days, nor was news to
be obtained of him from any other of his Marley friends. Roy went home
seriously alarmed.
He hated to bring such a report to his mother, but he knew it would be
better that she should be informed of all the facts.
She was somewhat stunned at first at the tidings, but quickly rallied.
“We must find him,” she said. “Something has happened to him. Did you
think to ask Apgar if he remembered seeing Rex on his train Wednesday
night?”
Apgar was the conductor on the 5:30 express.
“No, I’ll go down to the station and ask him this afternoon before he
goes out.”
Roy returned with the announcement that Apgar was sure Rex had not been
on his train.
“Then there is only one other theory.” Mrs. Pell looked very grave as
she spoke.
“What is that, mother?”
She did not reply at once. Reginald was very dear to her. She hated to
expose his failings even to his own brother. But it must be done.
“You remember, Roy,” she went on, “how he teased me to let him go to
New Haven with young Harrington? It is possible he may have gone after
all. I wish you would go in next door and see if you can find out.”
Roy instantly recalled the three dollars Rex had borrowed from him, but
he said nothing of it. He went at once to make his call next door.
He asked for Mrs. Harrington, telling the servant that he wished to see
her on a matter of importance. He sent up his name, Roy Pell.
“You are the young man my son speaks of,” said Mrs. Harrington when she
appeared in the great drawing room, and put up her lorgnette to survey
her caller.
“No, that is Reginald, my brother. I called in to find out if he went
off to New Haven with your son.”
“What! you know nothing of his whereabouts yourselves?”
Mrs. Harrington did not seek to conceal her surprise. Roy felt
humiliated, but there was nothing for it but to admit the fact.
“We are afraid he may have gone off without my mother’s leave,” he
said. “He was very anxious to go with your son. He had an invitation to
go down to Marley the same day. We thought he had gone, but we find now
that he has not been there.”
“Your mother did not wish him to go with Dudley, you say?”
There was a trace of severity in Mrs. Harrington’s tones.
“She thought he had better not. He is much older than Rex. Do you know
whether or not they went off together?”
“I heard Dudley say something about having invited young Pell to go to
New Haven with him. They went to the station together.”
“Then Rex must have gone. I am very sorry to have troubled you, Mrs.
Harrington.” Roy now made a little bow, and he hurried off.
“Then he wanted that three dollars from me to spend on the trip,” he
was saying to himself. “But that wouldn’t have been enough. He must
have used the money he said he was saving up for mother’s present. Ah,
Reggie, I didn’t think it of you!”
When he told the news at home there was a good deal of discussion
concerning what ought to be done about it.
“Let him alone,” suggested Jess. “He feels bad enough about it by this
time.”
“But I don’t know when he will be back,” said Mrs. Pell.
Eva suggested that they write him a letter in care of young Harrington
and request him to come home at once, but it was Sydney’s idea that was
acted on.
A telegraphic dispatch was sent to Dudley Harrington, Yale, New Haven.
“Is Reginald Pell with you?” it ran.
The answer came duly, “No, he is not.”
The family looked at one another, consternation depicted in their
faces. Sydney tried to comfort them by explaining that doubtless
Harrington was inclined to be very literal under the circumstances and
that Rex was not with him because he had just started for home.
But Mrs. Pell was not content to rest under this uncertainty. Another
message was sent to New Haven reading thus:
“Did Reginald Pell start away from Philadelphia with you?”
The response to this was one word, “Yes.”
The Pells were now really alarmed. It was decided that Sydney should
start the first thing: Saturday morning for New Haven, but Friday night
he was seized with another of his bad turns, which had been growing
more and more frequent of late. Roy offered to go in his place, and
Mrs. Pell consented to the substitution.
So Roy set out and reached New Haven in the course of the afternoon. He
would have enjoyed the trip if his mind had not been so worried about
Rex. He found Harrington’s room with little trouble.
He heard the notes of the banjo issuing from inside. He had to knock
hard before he could make himself heard.
There were three fellows there, two of them in the luxuriously
cushioned window seat. Roy was a little dazzled by the unexpected
splendor of the room.
He knew Harrington, of course, the fellow in the blue striped blazer.
He went up to the collegian at once.
“I guess you know me,” he said. “I’m Roy Pell, Rex’s brother. I came up
to find out what you could tell me about him.”
The three fellows exchanged glances.
“Why, isn’t he home?” answered Harrington.
“No. When did he leave New Haven?”
“He hasn’t been to New Haven,” replied Harrington slowly.
“Not been here!” exclaimed Roy. “Where did you leave him, then?”
“In New York.”
“When?”
“Wednesday night”
“Was he going home?”
“I don’t know,” and Harrington looked confused as he made this
unsatisfactory answer.