OLD BERWICK'S RECOLLECTIONS--A GOOD REASON FOR A
STRANGE DEPOSIT--A GIRL IN THE CASE--EXTRAORDINARY
DETECTIVE RESULTS--A NEW "SHADOW"--GREAT
POSSIBILITIES--SURE TO WIN.
"Well, there ain't much to tell. Jake went off in his boat one morning
before daylight; he was seen to go off, and that was the last ever seen
of him around here, but I've my idea. They say he was drowned, that he
was run over by a steamer and went to the bottom, boat and all, but I
tell you Jake was too good a sailor to be run down by a big steamer on a
clear day. No, no, I never took any stock in that theory, but I never
said anything because I rather honored Jake for letting it appear that
he was drowned, and thus he saved all the trouble."
"You have alluded several times to some trouble that Jake had."
"Yes, he had a heap of trouble--yes, sir, a heap of trouble."
"How?"
"Jake was a quiet, inoffensive man, neither a fool nor a coward. No,
sir, he saved many a man's life in his time at the risk of his own, but
he was a man who did not like strife--a very quiet, inoffensive man, but
he was no fool, and he knew just what he was about all the time, and
don't you forget it. No, sir, he was only averse to war."
"But you do not tell me what his troubles really were."
"Oh, lots of men have the same troubles the world over, and it serves
them right--yes, it does; but Jake was no fool, he knew what he was
about, and don't you forget it."
The old man managed to avoid telling exactly what old Jake's troubles
really were until Jack said:
"I reckon I know now what you mean."
"About what?"
"About Jake Canfield's troubles."
"What do you mean?"
"He had trouble with his family."
"You'll have to guess again."
"I will?"
"Yes."
"Then I give it up."
"You were only part right."
"Oh, I was partly right?"
"Yes."
"Then set me fully right."
"Why should I, sir?"
"Because you have aroused my curiosity."
The old man appeared to enjoy the situation, and at length he said:
"See here, stranger, maybe you know as much about those troubles as I
do."
"I don't."
"You don't?"
"I do not."
"And you are not down here _picking up facts for Jake's granddaughter_?"
Jack had hard work to keep himself from leaping backward in his
excitement, for here in a most unexpected manner he had gained a link of
evidence that was the most startling and suggestive of any he had yet
unearthed.
"I swear I am not trying to gain information for any evil purpose; I am
just gratifying my curiosity. Why, man, don't you know I could go and
find out all I wanted to about Jake Canfield if I had any deep purpose?"
"That is so, but you see, I've been expecting that some day there would
be inquiries down here, for no one ever found out what Jake did with his
granddaughter. Her disappearance was about as mysterious as that of Jake
himself, and between you and me, Jake put his granddaughter away and
then joined her, that's all, and gave out that he was dead, or rather
made it appear that he was drowned; but I never took any stock in the
drowning story. I believe Jake lived a good many years, for he was a
very strong, healthy man. He may even be alive yet--yes, I've known of
people living to be a hundred, and really Jake was not as old as he
looked. Trouble made him look older than he was, and he had led a
hard-working life. I don't believe he was much over fifty but he looked
like a man over sixty; but he wasn't drowned on that October day forty
years ago, I'll swear to that."
Jack adopted new tactics. He saw that the old man Berwick was a peculiar
character, and he concluded not to show any more interest in the
Canfield mystery, and commenced to talk about something else; but
Berwick's mind had got started on the Canfield mystery, and it was a
subject he often brought up, as Jack later learned. The old man, seeing
that our hero did not ask any more questions, said:
"I'll tell you about Jake's troubles."
Jack made no reply, and old Berwick continued:
"You see, Jake in early life married a very nice girl, the daughter of a
clergyman. She died, leaving one child, a son, and this son lived and
married and had a daughter, Jake's granddaughter, and this granddaughter
was only about five years old when her father, Jake's son, was drowned.
In the meantime, Jake married a woman, a widow with several children.
This second Mrs. Canfield was a she-devil, one of the worst women I ever
met in all my life, and her children were imps. You see, Jake had a
little money, and they were down on his little granddaughter from the
start, and here was where Jake's real troubles first commenced. He was
true to his little granddaughter, and it was said that his will was in
her favor. Well, this just made Jake's life a living misery, and one day
the granddaughter disappeared. Every one knew Jake had taken her away
because he feared his wife and her sons; the latter were rowdies, born
criminals, that's true. Jake would never tell what he had done with his
granddaughter, as I said, and the war commenced. His family just
tortured him almost into his grave, and so one morning Jake went out in
his boat and he, too, disappeared, and then the family set up a claim
against his money and property, and as the granddaughter could not be
found, by ginger! they got it--yes, they produced some sort of will--a
forgery I'll swear--but according to the will Mrs. Canfield number two
was to have the money, and was to take care of the granddaughter. Yes,
they got the money after a few years in the courts, and they all
disappeared. I always wondered Jake did not come forward and claim his
money and beat them, but I reckon he was glad to get rid of them even at
the sacrifice of his fortune, and between you and me, it was whispered
sometimes that Jake had _money deposited in New York, that no one but
himself_ knew anything about. At any rate, he never showed up and his
widow, so-called, got the money. She sold the house and land, got the
money from the bank, and disappeared, and that was the last we ever saw
or heard of them around here. Of course there were all sorts of
stories."
"About what?"
"Jake."
"What was the character of the stories?"
"Well, they do say that the stepsons murdered him. Yes, one story was
that Jake never went out in the boat, but a dummy went out in his
clothes, one of the sons. Another story was that the son went out over
night, laid for Jake on the sea, knowing his habits, and murdered him
out on the water and sunk his boat and body, but I never took any stock
in those wild tales. No, sir, Jake was not murdered, he just 'sloped'
to get away from his devilish second-hand relatives. I never blamed him;
no, sir, I never did."
Jack was the most delighted man that ever started out to "shadow" a
mystery. He had indeed started without a single clue, and he had made
out a most wonderful case. He had traced and traced step by step, and
was satisfied that Jake Canfield was the strange man who had deposited
the money with Mr. Townsend, and what was far more important, he had
established a _motive_ for the singular deposit, and this, as intimated,
was the most important of all his discoveries. The adventure of Mr.
Townsend had been a very remarkable one; it was an incident that only
the facts could explain, for no one could ever have imagined a series of
incidents to account for so remarkable a proceeding. Jack felt that he
could claim without dispute that his success thus far had been a
remarkable detective feat--one of the most remarkable on record--but he
was not through. He had several important links to supply, several
incidents to explain. Of one fact our hero was assured: Jake Canfield
had not been murdered, but he had indeed taken steps to guard against
his second-hand family, as old Berwick called them, securing an estate
which in some mysterious manner had come into Jake Canfield's
possession. The detective had made great progress, but he had further to
go. There was more light, however, shining on his way; he had something
tangible and clear to work upon.
Jack held a prolonged talk with Berwick, drawing out many little facts
and incidents which it is not material to our narrative to record, and
in good time he returned to the city of New York, and one night appeared
at the elegant home of Mr. Townsend. He had given the old banker warning
of his visit, and Mr. Townsend was prepared to receive him, and again
saluted him with the appellation:
"Well, wonderful man, what have you to record now?"
"I have an announcement to make."
"Of that I am sure."
"Yes, sir, I can safely say now the chances are that you will be
compelled to surrender the fortune."
"Great Scott! young man, what is that you say?"
"You will be compelled to surrender the fortune."
"Never," came the declaration.
"Aha! then all your zeal was a 'fake?'"
"No."
"What then?"
"It will never be necessary to compel me to surrender the fortune; I
will be only too glad to do so--yes, delighted to do so in case the real
heir can be found; but what have you discovered?"
"I have discovered that the man who visited you was Jake Canfield."
"You have learned the name of the man?"
"I have."
"Is he living?"
"We know that he is dead, killed on the railroad, but it is believed
down where he was raised that he was drowned from his boat while out
fishing."
"Then that accounts for his body not being identified."
"That in one way, and in another there were interested parties who did
not desire that his body should be identified."
"And you have learned all this?"
"I have."
"You are a wonder indeed."
Jack proceeded and told his remarkable story, and Mr. Townsend said:
"You have identified the man and you have located him?"
"I have, beyond all question, but it is very unfortunate that you lost
the letter."
"It is, I admit."
"In that letter he has directed what should be done with the fortune. I
can now plainly see why he made this deposit with you--yes, it is as
plain as noonday."
"I'd like to hear your explanation."
"As old Berwick said, his second-hand family was a bad lot."
"Yes."
"He wanted to put the money away until his granddaughter came of age. If
we had that letter you would learn that was the reason of his strange
trust in you. He was preparing against all contingencies. He was
evidently a very shrewd man; he desired to cover all trace for twenty
years."
"He succeeded, and so well that by the loss of that letter I have
deprived his granddaughter of her fortune."
"It is even so--yes, this accounts for his strange deposit, and it was a
cunning one. His only risk was your honesty, and it is evident from your
interview with him that he knew what he was about when he made you the
depository."
"He certainly had great confidence in my honor."
"And your care and prudence."
"Yes, and in the latter I have failed."
"We can yet rectify your mistake."
"Do so and you will earn a fortune for yourself."