SUCH A GLORIOUS DAY
Even stoical Lanky was deeply affected by the sight. He turned his head
away, and in secret drew out his handkerchief to wipe his eyes.
But boys can soon recover from such emotions. The lady and Ralph were
talking confidences, forgetting the whole world around them in their
great joy.
"What's to hinder you both getting in with us and going to Columbia,
Uncle Jim?" remarked Frank aside, after he had lighted his lamps.
"Nothing at all, if you can crowd us in. I'll pay this man off, and
let him fix his old car as he pleases. It was the best we could get to
carry us along. She was fretting her poor heart out over the delay at
the end of the long trip, and since it promised to save us some hours
we finally hunted up a man who owned a machine, and started. But it has
been slow work. This is the third breakdown, mind you."
Judge Jim laughed as he spoke. He had been away from his law practice
for months now, in this chase for Mrs. Langworthy, who was flitting
from one country to another with her brother, Arnold Musgrove. But as
he said, he needed a long rest, and she, being immensely wealthy, would
see to it that he did not suffer financially for his devotion to her
cause.
"We're going to ask you to change cars, Mrs. Langworthy. So please
gather up your things, and make the move, while I settle with our
friend here," said the lawyer, breaking in on the communion of the two
happy souls.
Ralph immediately insisted on helping his mother out and into the other
car, as well as securing her small packages, her luggage being still on
the train.
"Now we're ready to move along," observed Uncle Jim, cheerfully, as
he crowded in alongside the couple occupying the tonneau of Frank's
vehicle.
Lanky had become wonderfully quiet. He sat there beside Frank, Ralph
having given him the goggles and the fur coat he had worn; while the
big rug sufficed to keep him warm. Lanky was thinking deeply. This had
indeed been the most eventful day in all his young life, and he could
never forget what had come under his observation between the hours of
sunrise and twilight.
Doubtless a goodly share of his thoughts concerned the heart burnings
of the old farmer, at discovering what a great wrong he had done his
oldest boy years back. And Lanky, being impulsive, determined that
before he slept that night he must know the positive truth concerning
the tramp of Rattail Island.
"How surprised father will be when you walk in on him, Uncle Jim?"
remarked Frank, over his shoulder when they had gone ten miles or so at
an even pace.
"I imagine he will be; and what a joyous company we ought to be
to-night! You're going to hear all about the wild chase I had after
this energetic lady here; who is certainly a great traveler, and fond
of seeing sights that fall to none other of her sex. But perhaps now
she will feel like staying at home more, since there is no longer any
necessity for trying to forget," replied the judge.
"Indeed, I shall never want to leave him again, never! Heaven has been
so good to me, I cannot be thankful enough. And I strongly suspect
that I owe most of my present happiness to Frank Allen," said Mrs.
Langworthy, positively.
"Hear! hear! I second the motion!" exclaimed Lanky, trying to clap his
hands.
"Keep quiet, you, Lanky! Want to make me run into a tree, or do
something like that?" exclaimed Frank, to hide his embarrassment.
As they crossed over the bridge at Clifford, Lanky looked eagerly down
the river, as though hoping he might even see a campfire on Rattail
Island; but it was too far away for this. He shook his head stubbornly.
"I won't get out now, but as sure as fate I'm going to come up here
again to-night, tired or not, and settle that question once and for
good," he was muttering.
In a very few minutes now they had arrived at the Allen home. In
front of the house Frank brought the car to a full stop. Uncle Jim
was already out, and Ralph was oh! so tenderly, helping his mother to
alight. How proudly she leaned on his arm, as though the happiest woman
in the world!
"Hey, Frank," said Lanky, as he too jumped from the machine, "I don't
know how you feel about it, and it's a shame to ask you to move another
step to-night; but along about nine o'clock I'm going to skate up to
see Bill. Consider that an invitation to come along, though I reckon
you'll be so busy listening to the wonderful things here you'll never
dream of accepting."
Frank, however, surprised and delighted the other by instantly replying:
"That's where you're wrong, old fellow. Call in here for me when the
time comes. And excuse me now, for I want to be in the reception
committee."
Lanky limped off, whistling, while Frank ascended the steps, his legs
seeming almost like two sticks, after all the violent exercise of that
wonderful day.
Mr. Allen was indeed surprised when he saw his brother Jim. And
moreover, both he and his good wife showed the keenest delight when
they discovered that the impressive looking middle-aged lady back of
the lawyer had her arm around Ralph.
They knew from that it was all right, and that the poor boy's long
night had indeed changed into a glorious dawn.
It was a happy party that sat down to that Christmas cheer. Uncle Jim
declared that he did not mean to speak one word about his amazing
search until the following day, when they would be in better condition
to listen to his story, and also that of the lady.
He simply observed that he had finally come upon them, and that upon
being accused of kidnapping the only child of his rich sister many
years before, Arnold Musgrove had confessed the truth, and then fled,
never wanting to look again on the face of the one he had wronged so
terribly.
Some pangs of remorse had evidently caused him to show a desire to
assist the boy who had suffered because of his plotting. Of course in
the end this relenting had been the means of his undoing. Many times
wicked men are thus brought to book through circumstances which they
set in motion themselves.
Frank, though dead tired, was supremely happy. He had seen one
delightful solution to a deep mystery, and there promised to be still
another. More than once he half resolved to change his mind with regard
to going out again that night; but if Lanky could stand it, there was
no reason why he should not.
When he had a few minutes to speak with his father later he concluded
to tell him all about it.
"You got that paper, I hope, Frank?" Mr. Allen had remarked.
"Oh! yes, sir; I laid it in the top drawer of your desk. Be careful
when you open it that the document is not drawn back and lost,"
remarked Frank.
His father look curiously at him, for this was rather an odd remark to
make.
"I can plainly see that you have some object in saying that, my boy,"
he smiled.
"I have, for within a few hours it happens, that I've seen such a thing
occur. Father, you knew all about Willie Baxter, didn't you?"
"Yes. His father consulted with me at the time he lost that pocketbook.
Perhaps I shouldn't confide this to you; but something tells me that
you already know of it. Did the farmer tell you?" asked the gentleman.
"No. But I happened to be instrumental in discovering the long-lost
pocketbook," replied the boy, proudly.
"What? Do you mean it's been found again? Then I was right, and he
wrong. Well, I'm glad, and sorry at the same time; for while Baxter
knows now that Willie was innocent of that crime, four years have
passed without his seeing the boy. The chances are he will never set
eyes on him again; for Willie may have died, or be an inmate of some
prison, sent there through that act of his foolish father."
"Oh! it may not be so bad as that. To tell the truth, father, we
believe we know right now, Lanky and I, where we can put our hands
on Willie Baxter!" and Frank looked with elation into the deeply
interested face of his parent.
"How does that come, Frank?" demanded the gentleman, showing great
concern.
"Why, Lanky suddenly remembered when he heard Mr. Baxter muttering to
himself on handling that pocketbook and mentioning the name of Willie,
that Bill was a corruption of that name. You know Lanky has been trying
his level best to recollect where he had ever before met that tramp
who is camped on Rattail Island. Then he knew that Bill must be Willie
Baxter, grown older, and wearing a beard on his face!"
"Here, now that you've excited my curiosity, just sit down five minutes
and tell me what happened up there when you dropped in on Baxter. I can
see that it must have been something out of the common run," declared
the gentleman, pulling Frank down beside him on the lounge.
"Oh! it was, I can tell you, sir. It just thrilled us through and
through. If you could have seen the old gentleman sitting there on the
floor, and fondling that found pocketbook, while he was reproaching
himself all the time for his cruelty to Willie, you'd say the same.
I'll never forget it, nor will Lanky."
"Stop that, and commence to talk coherently. It's all like Greek to me,
remember."
So Frank gave a rapid sketch of what had really happened to make him
investigate back of the lower drawer in Mr. Baxter's desk; and what he
had found there besides the missing document.
"It's really amazing how things come out," the gentleman declared, with
feeling. "And to think that my boy has been instrumental in bringing
about happiness in two different quarters! I'm well satisfied with your
course, Frank. A man never had a boy dearer to his heart than you are
to your mother and myself. When will you see this poor fellow up there
in his lonely camp, and bring him good cheer--in the morning, I hope?"
At that Frank laughed.
"Oh! Lanky couldn't sleep a wink unless he finished that part of his
job to-night. So he's going to drop around here about nine, and we'll
take a little run up the river to interview Bill," he remarked.
"I'm afraid you're overdoing this thing. You must be ready to drop
after going through what you have to-day. Better wait until morning,
son," cautioned Mr. Allen.
"If I did, Lanky wouldn't; and I want to see Bill when he hears the
good news. I feel better since that second dinner. Eating so much is
more apt to founder us than the exercise, for we're used to that. To
skate four miles doesn't require much exertion. I'll be careful, dad, I
promise you," Frank continued.
"Well, it's about nine o'clock now, and there's a ring at the door, so
I suppose Clarence has arrived on time," laughed the gentleman--it was
usually only at home Lanky went by his real name, and it always sounded
odd to hear it.
"Will you try and keep Mrs. Langworthy and Ralph here over night?"
asked Frank.
"Certainly; we won't think of her leaving us to go to the hotel; and
I'm sure she would not be happy away from her new-found son. It does
us good just to see the great joy in his eyes. Helen is particularly
rejoiced; for she has always been deeply interested in Ralph's
fortunes, ever since you first told us about him."
Frank hurried out, to find Lanky waiting in the hall.
"Going back on your pard, Frank?" asked the other, anxiously.
"Did you ever know me to?" demanded Frank.
"N--no, can't say I ever did, but you see just now you might be excused
for wanting to stick home, where there's so much going on. Glad you're
going to take the little turn with me. It's lonesome skating by
yourself at night. But horses couldn't hold me back, once I've made my
mind up."
"As if I didn't know that, Lanky. Wait up till I get on my sweater and
heavy pea-jacket, and then I'll be with you. I want to tell you though,
right now, that I'm as stiff as an old man of ninety. When I sit down
I can hardly get up out of my chair again. Just think what we've been
through to-day, will you?" said Frank.
"Oh! that'll all wear off before you get to the ice," remarked Lanky,
cheerfully. "I'm somewhat cracked myself, and every time I take a step
it seems like my bones would creak like a rusty hinge. But think of
that poor old chap sitting by his lonely fire, with not a bit of good
cheer, and this Christmas night, too! Why, I'd be tempted to try and
get there if I was afraid I'd drop on the way."
"Don't I know it? You've got the biggest heart ever, Lanky. But then
you deserve all the pleasure that's coming to you in this thing.
Haven't you been worrying your head nearly off about who Bill was? And
I've been thinking about it too; I guess you must be right, for I can
remember that he does look something like Dora."
"There, that'll do for you," retorted the other. "Ready? Then strike
out for the river, and we'll be flying up in three shakes of a lamb's
tail. Move on!"