THE LAST OF THE TOWER CASE
The discovery of the Tower Mansion treasure was a Bayport sensation for
almost a week--and a week is a long time for any sensation to last,
even in Bayport.
People said that they knew all along that Mr. Robinson was innocent of
the theft, and went as far out of their way to be nice to him as they
had gone out of their way to be unkind to him and ignore him when he
was accused of crime.
People too, were loud in their praises of the Hardy boys, and everybody
predicted a bright future for them and said they knew all along that
the lads were bound to solve the mystery if they kept at it long
enough. All of this the boys took with a grain of salt, as the saying
is, for they knew that the public is fickle and as quick to condemn
failure as it is to praise success.
Frank and Joe did not let the adulation turn their heads.
"When we couldn't find the treasure everybody said we were just
nuisances--little boys trying to play detective," laughed Frank. "Now
that we have found it, all that is forgotten. The main thing is that
we've proved to dad that we know how to keep our eyes and ears open."
"And we've got a thousand dollars between us."
"A mighty nice start for a bank account."
"I'll say it is! I wish another mystery would come along."
"We can't expect to get a reward for every case we work on--and we
can't expect to solve 'em all, either," Frank pointed out.
"We can't expect to get many cases to try our hand at. We're not
professionals just yet."
"No, but we will be, some day."
This conversation took place as the Hardy boys were on their way up to
Tower Mansion about a week later. Adelia Applegate, who had taken a
great fancy to the lads, in violent contrast to her dislike of them on
the day they had gone to make a search of the old tower, had invited
them up to the Tower Mansion for supper.
She had also asked them to invite a number of their chums. So Slim
Robinson, Chet Morton, Biff Hooper, Jerry Gilroy, Phil Cohen and Tony
Prito had all been invited by the brothers to attend.
When the Hardy boys reached the Mansion they found that the others had
already arrived.
"We're waiting for you," shrilled Miss Applegate, who was decked out
in an ancient yellow gown with remarkable trimmings of black and red.
"Everybody's hungry."
She soon led the way to the dining room, where a long table had been
prepared for the boys. They gasped when they saw that array, and Miss
Applegate beamed.
"I know you don't want an old woman like me watching you while you
eat," she cried. "So go right ahead--and put your elbows on the table
if you wish."
There was a scramble for places, as a servant came in with the soup,
but Frank Hardy sprang to his feet.
"Three cheers for Miss Applegate!"
They were given with vociferous enthusiasm. Miss Applegate blushed with
pleasure, and as she left the room the Hardy boys and their chums were
sitting down to a banquet the like of which they had never seen before.
For more than half an hour they indulged in roast chicken, crisp and
brown, huge helpings of fluffy mashed potatoes, pickles, vegetables and
salads, pies and puddings to suit every taste, and when the last boy
sank back in his chair with a happy sigh there was still food to spare.
"I never thought I'd see the day when I'd quit eating while there was
still some chicken on the table," murmured Chet Morton, "but this is
the day."
"We have the Hardy boys to thank for this spread," said Jerry. "Let's
give 'em three cheers."
The boys roared out their "hip, hip, hurrah!" three times, while
Joe and Frank looked acutely uncomfortable. They looked still more
uncomfortable when Slim Robinson got up, pushing back his chair.
"I'd like to say something, fellows, if you don't mind."
"Three cheers for Slim!" yelled some one.
So the boys gave Slim three cheers, and he gulped and blushed crimson.
"Speech!"
The cry was taken up.
"Speech! Speech!"
"I'm not going to make any speech," he said. "I only want to say
something."
"Go ahead!"
"I'm not going to hand out any compliments to the Hardy boys."
Joe and Frank looked greatly relieved. They had been afraid of being
embarrassed by Slim's gratitude.
"Everybody knows what they've done and everybody knows what it means to
me and to my family."
"You bet!"
"Sure!"
"But I just wanted to clear up one point on behalf of my father."
"Three cheers for Henry Robinson! He's all right."
The three cheers for Mr. Robinson were perhaps a little weaker than the
others, but that was only because some of the boys were beginning to
show slight signs of hoarseness by that time.
"It's about the nine hundred dollars that he got just about the time
of the robbery. He couldn't explain it at the time and it looked bad
against him."
"It doesn't matter where he got it," shouted Biff Hooper. "I'll bet he
got it honestly anyway, and if any one else says different, just let
him come outside."
No one else said differently.
"Yes, he got it honestly, of course," said Slim. "The money was paid
him by a man who owed it to him. But dad couldn't say anything about
it because he promised not to. This man owed two other men besides my
father, and those debts should have been paid first. He was afraid the
others would sue him if they heard he had paid dad, so he made my
father promise to say nothing. And when my dad makes a promise he keeps
it."
The boys looked at one another. To tell the truth, few of them had
thought of the affair of the nine hundred dollars, but now that it
was recalled to them they realized that here was the final angle of
the Tower Mansion mystery cleared up at last. They cheered Slim to
the echo, they pounded on the table with their knives, and when Hurd
Applegate came in to see what the racket was about they gave him three
cheers and made him sit at the head of the table.
And that ended the affair of Tower Mansion, but it did not end the
career of the Hardy boys as amateur detectives. They were soon to
be called on to help solve another mystery, and the story of their
adventures in this case will be told in the next volume of this series,
entitled "The Hardy Boys: The House on the Cliff."
"Speech! Speech!" the boys were shouting to Hurd Applegate.
The old stamp collector got up, smiling.
"It's been a long time since there's been a crowd of boys in Tower
Mansion," he said. "I've been in danger of forgetting that I was ever
young once myself. So I want you to come back--often. I want you to
know that Tower Mansion is always open to the Hardy boys and their
chums."
The Hardy boys looked at one another, as the crowd about the table
broke into a yell of delight.
"He's a pretty good old scout after all, isn't he?" said Frank.
"You bet he is," replied his brother.
THE END
* * * * *
MYSTERY STORIES FOR BOYS
By FRANKLIN W. DIXON
THE HARDY BOYS: THE TOWER TREASURE
THE HARDY BOYS: THE HOUSE ON THE CLIFF
THE HARDY BOYS: THE SECRET OF THE OLD MILL
(Other Volumes in Preparation)