SAM AND GRACE
"This whole affair is certainly a tough proposition," remarked Sam,
when, about half an hour later, he and Spud were on their way back to
Brill.
The time had been spent in telling Mr. Sanderson how they had failed to
obtain any satisfaction over the telephone, and in listening to the
farmer's tirade against poor Songbird.
"Old Sanderson certainly pitched into Songbird," returned Spud. "I
declare if anybody called me down that way, I think I'd be apt to get
into a regular fight with him."
"He is very much excited, Spud. I think when he cools down he will see
matters in a different light. Just at present the loss of the four
thousand dollars has completely upset him."
"I suppose he pitched into Minnie even more than he pitched into us."
"Maybe he did. I must say I am mighty sorry for that poor girl."
"What are you going to tell Songbird?"
"I suppose we'll have to tell him the truth, Spud, although we'll have
to smooth over Mr. Sanderson's manner as much as we can. There's no use
in hurting Songbird's feelings, especially now when he's broken up
physically as well as mentally."
When they reached the college they found that Songbird had insisted upon
it that he be taken to the room he occupied with Sam instead of to the
sick ward. He was in bed, but wide awake and anxious to hear all they
might have to say.
"Of course I knew Mr. Sanderson would blame me," he said, after asking a
great number of questions. "Four thousand dollars is a heap of money."
He knitted his brows for a moment, and then cast an anxious glance at
Sam. "How did Minnie really seem to take it?" he continued.
"She sided with you, Songbird, when her father talked against you,"
answered Sam.
"She did, did she? Good for her!" and Songbird's face lit up for an
instant. "She's true blue, that girl is!"
"Now, the best thing I think you can do is to try to go to sleep and get
a good night's rest," went on Sam. "This worrying about what can't be
helped won't do you any good."
"Yes, but, Sam, what am I going to do if that money isn't gotten back?
The Sandersons can't afford to lose it, and even if I went to work right
away, it would take me a long, long time to earn four thousand dollars."
"I have been thinking that over, Songbird, and as the money was to be
used in paying off a mortgage, I think I can arrange the matter,
providing the holder of the present mortgage won't extend the time for
it. I think I can get my father or my uncle to take the mortgage."
"Very good, Sam, so far as it goes. But that wouldn't be getting the
money back. If it isn't recovered, I'll feel that I am under a moral
obligation to earn it somehow and give it to Mr. Sanderson."
"We'll talk about it later. Now you've got to go to sleep," were Sam's
concluding words, and after that he refused to say any more. He
undressed and threw himself on his bed, and was soon asleep. But poor
Songbird turned and twisted, and it is doubtful if his eyes closed until
well along in the early morning hours.
On the following day Sam had several classes to attend, as well as to
work on a theme; but as soon as these tasks were over he obtained
permission to leave the college to find out, if possible, if anything
had been done in the matter of the robbery. He visited Ashton and had
an interview with the police, and then used the telephone in several
directions. But it was all of no avail; nothing whatever had been seen
or heard of the rascal who had made the attack upon Songbird.
"I'm afraid it will be one of those mysteries which will never be
explained," mused the youngest Rover boy, as he jumped into the cutter
which he was using and drove away from Ashton. "It's too bad! Oh! how
I'd like to get my hands on that rascal, whoever he may be!"
It was not until two days later, when Songbird was once more able to be
about and had insisted on being driven over to the Sanderson place, that
Sam had a chance to go on the sleighride with Grace Laning. He drove
over to Hope Seminary about four o'clock in the afternoon, having sent
word ahead that he was coming. Grace was waiting for him, and the pair
speedily drove away, wistfully watched by a number of the girl students.
"It's so nice of you to think of me, Sam, when you've got so much to
think about on poor Songbird's account," said Grace, as they were
speeding out of the seminary grounds. "How is he?"
"Oh, he's doing better than we expected, Grace. He insisted on being
driven over to the Sandersons this afternoon. Stanley took him over,
because none of us thought Songbird was strong enough to drive himself."
"I want you to give me all the particulars of the attack," said the
girl, and this the youth did readily.
"It must have been the man who stuttered and whistled--the fellow
Songbird saw at the Knoxbury bank," declared the girl, positively.
"Wouldn't it pay to get a detective on his track?"
"Perhaps so, Grace. I think Songbird is going to mention that to Mr.
Sanderson."
Sam did not want the girl to worry too much over what had occurred and
so soon changed the subject. They talked about college and seminary
matters, and then about affairs at home, and about matters in New York
City.
"I just got another letter from Nellie to-day," said Grace. "She says
that the apartment she and Tom have rented is perfectly lovely--every
bit as nice as the one occupied by Dick and Dora."
"I'm glad they like it, Grace. But, believe me, it will be some job for
Tom to settle down and be a staid married man! He was always so full of
fun."
"Why, the idea, Sam Rover! Don't you think a man can be married and
still keep full of fun?"
"Well, maybe, if he got such a nice girl as Nellie. Just the same, I'll
wager Tom sometimes wishes he was back in good old Brill."
"Indeed! And do you think you'll wish you were back at Brill if ever you
get married?" she asked slyly.
"Oh, I didn't say anything about that, Grace. I--I----"
"Well, it's just about the same thing," and Grace tossed her pretty face
a trifle.
"Oh, now look here, Grace! You haven't any call to talk that way. I
suppose when I get married I'll be just as happy as Dick or Tom. That
is, providing I get the right girl," and he gazed at the face beside him
very ardently.
"Sam Rover, you had better watch where you are driving, unless you want
to run us into the rocks and bushes," cried the girl, suddenly. For,
forgetting the steed for a moment, Sam had allowed the horse to turn to
one side of the somewhat rough highway.
"I'll attend to the horse, never fear," he answered. "I never yet saw
the horse that I couldn't manage. But speaking of letters, Grace, I had
one from Dick day before yesterday and he made a suggestion that pleased
me very much."
"What was that?"
"He suggested that if I graduate from Brill this coming June, as I
expect to do, that we make up a party to occupy two or three automobiles
and go off on a regular tour this summer, taking in the Middle West and
maybe some other points."
"Oh, Sam, how grand! Of course he was going to take Dora along?"
"Yes. His idea was that if matters could be arranged at the offices in
New York, that he and Dora, as well as Tom and Nellie, would go along
and that we would go too, along with some others--say enough to make at
least two automobile loads."
"Oh, I'd love an auto tour like that! Couldn't we have just the best
times ever?" and Grace's pretty eyes sparkled in anticipation.
"When I got the letter I thought the same, and I also thought we might
ask Songbird and Minnie--Dora and Nellie could chaperon her, you know.
But now I don't know what we'll do about them. Most likely Songbird
wouldn't feel like going if that money wasn't recovered, and more than
likely Mr. Sanderson wouldn't let Minnie go."
"Oh, dear! I suppose the loss of that money will hang over Songbird like
a big cloud forever," pouted the girl. "It's too bad! I don't see why
Mr. Sanderson couldn't have paid that mortgage with a check."
"Just exactly what we all say now, Grace. But that doesn't do any good."
"Are you sure you are going to graduate, Sam?"
"I certainly hope so. I am going to try my best not only to graduate,
Grace, but to get as close to the top of the class as possible. Dick and
Tom had to leave before they had a chance to graduate, so I want to make
a good showing for the Rover family."
"It's the same with me, Sam. Nellie left to get married, and so did
Cousin Dora, so I've got to do the best I can for our family next June."
"Then you hope to get through too?"
"Of course."
"How are the teachers treating you these days? Have you had any more
trouble with Miss Harrow, or the others?"
"Not the least bit. They are all perfectly lovely, and Miss Harrow is so
sorry that she ever thought Nellie had taken that diamond ring."
"Well, she ought to feel sorry," responded Sam. "It certainly put Nellie
to a lot of trouble. Did that gardener who put the diamond ring in the
inkwell ever come back to work at the seminary?"
"Andy Royce? Yes, he is working there. I have seen him several times. He
is quite a changed man, and I don't think he drinks at all."
"Well, that's one good job done, Grace. That man's worst enemy was
liquor."
Sam had arranged that they might remain out until nine o'clock that
evening, and so drove Grace over to Knoxbury, where they went to quite a
fashionable restaurant for dinner. Here they met several young men and
girls they knew, and all had a most delightful time during the repast.
When Sam went outside to get his horse and cutter, which had been placed
in a livery stable near by, he was surprised to encounter the very man
he had mentioned but a short while before, Andy Royce, the gardener who
had once been discharged from Hope Seminary for not attending properly
to his duties and who, through the intercession of the Rovers and the
Lanings, had been reinstated in his position.
"Good evening, Mr. Rover," said Andy Royce, respectfully, as he touched
the cap he wore.
"Hello, Royce! What are you doing here?" asked the youth.
"Oh, I just drove over to Knoxbury to get some things for the seminary,"
replied Royce; and then stepping closer he added in a lower tone: "I
saw you going into Meeker's restaurant a while ago and I stayed here to
see you when you came out. I'd like to talk to you a bit."
"All right. What have you to say?" returned Sam, briskly. "I haven't got
much time to waste."
"I wanted to ask you about the young fellow who was knocked down and
robbed the other afternoon," went on Andy Royce, as the two walked away,
out of the hearing of the others in the livery stable. "Somebody told me
that the fellow who was robbed said a man did it who stuttered and
whistled."
"Well, we rather think that man did it, but we are not certain,"
answered Sam. He glanced sharply at the gardener. "Do you know anything
of that fellow?"
"I think I do, Mr. Rover. You see it's this way: Several years ago I
used to live out West, in Denver and Colorado Springs, and I used to
know a man out there who went by the name of Blackie Crowden. He used to
stutter fearfully and had a funny little whistle with it."
"Out in Denver, you say? That's a long way from here."
"I know it is, sir, but after I left I heard that this Blackie Crowden
had come to Center Haven, and that's only twenty miles from here. And
that ain't all," continued Andy Royce, earnestly. "I was in this town
about a week ago and I am almost certain I saw this same Blackie Crowden
on the street. I tried to reach him so as to speak to him, but he got
away from me in a crowd that had come up to see a runaway."
"This is interesting," returned Sam. "Tell me how this Blackie Crowden
looks," he went on. And then as Andy Royce described the individual he
added slowly: "That seems to tally with the description Songbird gave of
the fellow who looked at him through the bank window when he was placing
the money away. More than likely that fellow was that same Blackie
Crowden."
"Well, if it was Blackie Crowden, why don't you have him locked up?"
queried the gardener.
"Perhaps I will, providing he is still in Center Haven," answered Sam.