ALEXANDER SLOCUM IS BROUGHT TO BOOK.
In half an hour after the arrest of the pickpocket the young oarsman and
his companions found themselves on the outskirts of Brooklyn and bowling
along a smooth country road which the detectives said they knew well.
On and on they went, until Colonel Dartwell asked the driver how much
further they had to go.
"About half a mile, sir," was the answer.
His words proved correct. Turning into a side road, the carriage came to
the entrance to a large grounds, surrounded by a high board fence.
Over the gateway was the sign:
DR. HALCONE'S PRIVATE SANITARIUM.
"A private lunatic asylum," murmured Colonel Dartwell.
"Yes, sir," said the driver. "You know I told you they said the young lady
was a bit off."
"What shall we do?" was the question put by the westerner to the
detectives. "Shall we go in boldly and order them to produce the girl?"
"Will they do it?" asked Jerry. "They may be in Slocum's pay, and hide her
away."
"The young man is right," said one of the detectives. "We'll drive on a
way and then sneak back and size the place up."
This was done, and five minutes later found the colonel and our hero
walking along a hedge which separated the grounds on one side from a
woods.
"Look there!" Jerry cried suddenly, and pointed to an upper window of the
brick building beyond.
He had seen Nellie Ardell's face as the young lady walked about the
apartment. As the others gazed upward Alexander Slocum appeared. He held a
sheet of paper and a pen in his hands.
"He wants her to sign something," cried our hero in a low voice. "See!
see! he is going to force her."
"Leave me be, Mr. Slocum," those below heard Nellie Ardell exclaim. "I
will not sign off my interest in that property. Leave me be! Oh, that
somebody was at hand to help me!"
"Come on--there is no time to waste!" cried Colonel Dartwell, and pushed
through the hedge.
Jerry followed, and both ran for a side door of the building, which stood
open.
Here they found themselves confronted by a burly man of advanced age,
evidently the proprietor of the sanitarium.
"Here, what do you want here?" he demanded, roughly.
"We want that young lady upstairs!" cried Jerry.
"You can't have her."
"We'll see about that," put in Colonel Dartwell. "You have no authority to
detain her here."
"She is insane, and----"
"Help! help!" came from upstairs, and rushing past the burly doctor, Jerry
skipped up the stairs, three steps at a time.
The colonel came behind. The doctor was about to remonstrate when he found
himself confronted by the two detectives.
Our hero and the colonel soon found the proper door. It was locked, but
putting his shoulder to it the young oarsman soon burst it open.
Alexander Slocum stood at the table in the center of the room. He had
Nellie Ardell by the wrist, and was endeavoring to force her to sign the
paper before them.
"Leave her alone, you villain!" cried Jerry, and dragged him backward.
"Jerry Upton!" exclaimed the young woman, and her tone was full of joy.
"Oh, how thankful I am that you have come!"
"What--what is the meaning of this?" asked Slocum, turning deadly pale.
"It means that you have been found out, Alexander Slocum," replied our
hero. "We have learned--"
"Darnley the boomer!" burst out Colonel Dartwell at this point. "So this
is where you drifted to after the swindle at Silver Run."
"Do you know him?" queried Jerry.
"Only too well. He was in Colorado for several years under the name of
Chester Darnley. He is a boomer and all-around swindler."
"It's a--a falsehood," burst from Alexander Slocum's lips, but his voice
trembled as he spoke.
"I can prove all I say," said the colonel. "There are witnesses enough
against you at Silver Run."
Slocum was all but overcome. He sank in a chair, and a moment later one of
the detectives came up and slipped a pair of handcuffs on his wrists.
The proprietor of the so-called sanitarium was also arrested, and both
prisoners were driven down to the Brooklyn police station. A hearing was
had, and the prisoners were held for trial.
From Brooklyn the colonel, Nellie, and Jerry returned to New York. Nellie
left the party to go home, and Jerry and the colonel continued on to
Slocum's office with an officer.
The book-keeper, Casey, was found and arrested, and the office was placed
in care of the authorities. The next day Jerry recovered his father's
papers and also those belonging to Nellie Ardell.
The young oarsman lost no time in sending word home how matters had
turned, stating that the claim was probably worth a good deal of money. He
added that if his father was not well enough to come to the metropolis,
Colonel Dartwell stood ready to take entire charge of the case and see
that they got their rights.
An answer soon came back, written by Mrs. Upton. Mr. Upton was well enough
to sit up, but that was all, and he would be glad enough to do as his son
had suggested. So the necessary papers were made out, and a suit
instituted against Alexander Slocum.
In the meantime, Mr. Islen sold out his bindery, and by this turn of
affairs our hero found himself out of employment. But he had had enough of
the great metropolis for the present, and was glad enough to go back to
Lakeview while awaiting the time when Slocum should be brought to trial.
The news of what he had accomplished had leaked out, and when he arrived
he found Harry and Blumpo awaiting him at the depot.
"You're a clever one, Jerry!" cried Harry, shaking his hand warmly. "To
run off on the quiet and come back with a fortune for your family."
"We haven't got the fortune yet," laughed the young oarsman. "But we hope
to have it before long."
"I always said Jerry was de greatest boy dat eber was born," ejaculated
Blumpo, with his face on a broad grin.
"How is your father? Blumpo," asked Jerry, to change the subject.
"He's very well again."
"You must tell us your whole story," went on Harry. "I am dying to hear
it."
"I will--but I must get home first," answered the young oarsman.
He was soon on his way to the farm, where his parents received him with
open arms. A splendid dinner was awaiting him--such a repast as he had not
had since leaving--but none of the food was touched until his tale was
told from end to end, with all of its details as they have been presented
to my readers.
"You did well, son," was Mr. Upton's comment. "I don't believe anybody
could have done better."
Mrs. Upton smiled fondly and put her arms about the boy.
"He's our Jerry, father," was all she said, but the simple words meant a
good deal.
His own story told, and the dinner finished, Jerry wanted to know the news
around Lakeview, but his parents had little to tell.
"I have not been out since your father was taken down," said Mrs. Upton.
"You'll have to asked Harry Parker and your other friends."
"Have Si Peters and Wash Crosby been caught yet?"
"No, and I doubt if they ever do catch them," responded Mrs. Upton.