Mr. Hanleigh
The Hardy boys heard the door of the living room open and saw two
figures pass out into the hall. A moment later the front door closed
with a bang. There were footsteps, and then a small, kindly, gray-haired
gentleman stood in the entrance of the reception room.
Frank and Joe, in the meantime, were looking at one another in
astonishment. They had recognized the voice of Mr. Jefferson’s caller,
and they had recognized the man himself as he passed in the hall. It was
none other than the man who had ordered them away from Cabin Island!
Elroy Jefferson was advancing toward them, his hand outstretched.
“I’m sorry to keep you waiting, boys. You are Fenton Hardy’s sons, I
presume. Well, well. I’m glad to make your acquaintance. I didn’t mean
to make you wait, but my caller seemed insistent.” He seemed rather
disturbed and glanced back toward the door, shaking his head. “That fool
can’t take no for an answer,” he muttered.
Then, smiling, he turned toward the boys again.
“I asked you to call here this morning because I wanted to thank you for
getting my Pierce-Arrow back for me. I was traveling in Europe at the
time and I didn’t know anything about the affair until I came back. I’m
afraid you must have thought me very ungrateful.”
“Not at all, sir,” said the boys politely.
“Well, if I had been here at the time you may be sure I would have
expressed my appreciation at once. However, better late than never. I
was away when the Automobile Club passed the hat for that reward.”
Elroy Jefferson referred to a reward which had been subscribed by
various owners of cars which the Hardy boys had recovered from the Shore
Road thieves.
“That’s all right, sir,” said Frank. “We weren’t looking for any
reward.”
“I know. I know. But you deserved one. And, if you will allow me, I
should like to give you a reward of my own.”
With that, he produced a wallet from his pocket and withdrew two crisp,
new bills which he handed to the boys. The lads glanced at the money
with surprise, for Elroy Jefferson had handed each a hundred-dollar
bill.
“Oh, we can’t take this, Mr. Jefferson,” protested Joe. “We’ve been very
handsomely rewarded already, much more than we deserved——”
“I want you to take this money. My car was not insured and was worth a
great deal more than that to me, and if it hadn’t been for you two boys
I would have lost it.”
The boys protested, but Elroy Jefferson insisted, and finally they were
forced to accept the reward.
“Now,” said Mr. Jefferson, “if there is anything else I can do for you
at any time, don’t hesitate to ask me.”
The boys looked at one another.
“There is something we’d like to ask you,” hesitated Frank. “That is, if
we’re not intruding——”
“What is it?” asked the antique dealer agreeably.
“It’s about the man who just left here.”
“Hanleigh? What about him?”
“If you don’t object to the question—does Mr. Hanleigh own Cabin
Island?”
Mr. Jefferson shook his head.
“Certainly not. Why do you ask?”
Frank then told him about the adventure of the previous day, and related
how Hanleigh had driven the three boys away from the island.
“We thought it was strange at the time, for we didn’t think that the
island had changed hands. Then, when we recognized Mr. Hanleigh as the
chap who ordered us away, we thought we’d ask you about it.”
Elroy Jefferson was indignant.
“Why, I never heard the like!” he said testily. “He had no authority to
order you away. None whatever. In fact, he had no right to be on the
island himself. The whole place belongs to me.”
“He had no right to order us away, then?”
“No right at all. The island is mine. Mr. Hanleigh, it seems, is anxious
to buy it, but he hasn’t bought it yet and he won’t buy it, as long as
the matter is in my hands. He came to me a few weeks ago and offered me
five thousand dollars for the place.”
“That is a large sum for an island, isn’t it?” said Frank.
“More than the place is worth. He came back this morning and raised his
offer. Wanted to give me eight thousand dollars if I would sell. But I
won’t sell. I won’t sell him the island at any price, and I told him so.
You see, when my wife and son were alive they loved to go there in
winter and summer, so Cabin Island has certain associations for me that
cannot be estimated in terms of money. They are dead now, and I cannot
bear to part with the place. The cabin was erected for the use of my
family, and my wife and boy used to go there and watch the workmen
building it. So I’m not at all inclined to turn the place over to
strangers.”
“I see, sir,” remarked Frank sympathetically.
“I’m sorry if Mr. Hanleigh drove you away. He had no right to do that.”
“Of course, we had no right there, in the first place,” ventured Joe.
“Just as much right as Hanleigh. Now, boys, I have no objection to
letting you visit the island from time to time, if the place appeals to
you, providing you don’t disturb things.”
“We would be very careful.”
“I’m sure of that. Any time you want to visit Cabin Island, go right
ahead. And if Mr. Hanleigh is there and has anything to say about it you
can tell him he has no authority and no right to be on the property. I
can’t imagine why he was prowling around there at all.”
“We were thinking of having an outing during the Christmas holidays,”
said Frank. “Our big difficulty was in finding a good camping place. Why
couldn’t we stay on Cabin Island, Mr. Jefferson? We could have our
outing there, and at the same time we could look after your property.”
Elroy Jefferson nodded agreeably.
“An outing, eh? Just you two boys?”
“We have two or three of our chums along with us.”
“That would be fine. I envy you. A winter outing. I think Cabin Island
would be ideal for that. And, if Mr. Hanleigh is busying himself
ordering people away from there, I imagine it wouldn’t be a bad idea to
have some one on the ground to look after things. You have my
permission, boys. Go ahead, and have your outing at Cabin Island.”
“That’s mighty good of you, Mr. Jefferson!” exclaimed Frank impulsively,
and Joe echoed:
“You bet!”
“Not at all. I know you can be depended on to leave things as you find
them. I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll put the whole matter in your
charge and I’ll turn over the keys of the cabin to you. I think you’ll
find it a very comfortable place.”
That was how the Hardy boys and their chums received permission to hold
their winter outing on Cabin Island.