JOSIAH CRABTREE ONCE MORE
When the boys arrived at the hotel that evening the girls had much to
tell them. Nellie had received a letter from Miss Harrow, in which the
teacher had frankly begged her pardon for having suspected the girl of
taking the diamond ring.
"It is a lovely letter," said Nellie. "I never thought that she could
humble herself in that fashion."
"I've got an idea; in fact, I've had it for some time," came from Tom.
"I had Royce in this afternoon to see me. He is very anxious to get
work. I've half a notion to ask you to write to Miss Harrow and see if
they won't take the fellow back at the seminary."
"I am willing to write such a letter, Tom," answered the girl. "And if
they won't take Royce back, perhaps I can get my father to give him
work at our farm; although I know he is more of a gardener than he is
a farmer."
But the most important news the two girls and Dick's wife had to tell
was that on a shopping tour after lunch they had walked into Josiah
Crabtree.
"We came face to face with him in front of a show window," explained
Dick's wife. "I was so startled for the minute that I did not know
what to say. Oh, Dick! he was on crutches, and he did look so pale and
thin I couldn't help but feel sorry for him!"
"He has evidently suffered a great deal," put in Grace. "In fact, he
said as much. He seemed to be utterly downcast. He didn't look like
the dictatorial teacher he used to be at all."
"What did he have to say?" questioned Sam.
"Oh, he was quite confused at first, but he did ask about Dora's
mother--if she was well--and then he said he understood that you
three were going into business together. He said he hoped you would be
successful."
"The idea of old Crabtree saying that!" burst out Tom. "It's enough to
make a fellow think the end of the world is coming."
"Did he say what he was doing, or what he proposes to do?" questioned
Dick.
"He said he had received a tentative offer of a position in a boys'
school in Maine," answered Nellie, "but he did not know whether he was
going to take it or not. My idea is that he is too poor to even go to
Maine. And he had on such an old, rusty, black suit!"
"Say! Did he say where he was stopping?" questioned Dick, eagerly,
struck by a sudden idea.
"No, he did not."
"Too bad! I'd like to see him as soon as possible."
"Why, what's up now, Dick?" questioned Sam.
"I want to ask him if he knows anything about Jesse Pelter--where the
fellow has gone to."
"It isn't likely. I don't think those two parted the best of friends."
"Most likely not. Still Crabtree may know where Pelter keeps himself."
"I'll tell you what you might do, Dick," suggested Tom. "You might
send Crabtree a couple of letters, one addressed to the General
Delivery here, and another simply addressed to New York City; then
you'll run two chances of striking him."
"I'll do that," answered the older brother; and sent off the
communications without delay. In each of them he asked Josiah Crabtree
to call at his offices as soon as possible.
"Do you think you can make him open up if he comes?" questioned Sam.
"I think so--that is if I make it worth his while. If Crabtree is
down on his luck he will most likely be willing to do anything for
money."
Two days went by, and the boys waited anxiously for some word from the
detective in regard to the whereabouts of the Pelters. But no word
came in, and they were as downcast as ever. In the meanwhile Dick,
aided by the others, stirred around as best he could in an endeavor to
take care of their finances.
"I've got the small things all taken care of," Dick said to Tom and
Sam, on the evening of the second day. "But what I am going to do
about that twenty thousand dollars we must pay the Sharon Valley Land
Company, and that other claim Mr. Powell spoke about, I don't know. It
looks to me as if we were going to get into a hole, unless I'm able to
get some of our friends to help us out."
The one bright spot on the horizon was the news received from home,
which was to the effect that their father's health was improving. He
had gone downstairs and walked around the garden, and also taken a
short ride in the automobile. Moreover, his mind seemed to be much
brighter than it had been for a long while past.
On the following morning, when the three youths were at the offices
discussing the situation, Bob Marsh came in.
"A man to see you," announced the office boy. "A man on crutches named
Crabtree."
"Show him in!" exclaimed Dick. And then he added hastily to his
brothers in a lower tone: "Now let me engineer this, please. I think I
know how to handle him."
"Go ahead, Dick," responded Tom; and Sam nodded.
Josiah Crabtree hobbled in on his crutches, with his hat in his hand.
Evidently he was weak and nervous. His thin face had lost much of its
former shrewdness and cunning, and he looked quite downcast.
"Good morning, young gentlemen," he said, in a somewhat cracked voice.
"You sent me a letter. I just got it at the post-office."
"Sit down, Mr. Crabtree," returned Dick, and offered the former
teacher of Putnam Hall a chair.
"Thank you." Josiah Crabtree sank down on the seat, resting his
crutches against his knee. "You have the same offices that Pelter,
Japson & Company had, I perceive," he continued, allowing his eyes to
rove around.
"Yes, Mr. Crabtree," answered Dick. "By the way, do you know where Mr.
Pelter is just now?"
"You said you wanted to see me about some particular business," said
the former teacher. "Perhaps we had better get at that first."
"Well, I might as well admit, Mr. Crabtree, that what I wanted to see
you about is this. I want to know if you can tell me where Mr. Jesse
Pelter is just now."
"Oh, is that all!" And Josiah Crabtree's face showed his
disappointment.
"That is all at present."
"Humph! Supposing I don't care to tell you where he is?"
"Now see here!" pursued Dick, earnestly. "If I understand matters
aright, Mr. Crabtree, Jesse Pelter is no longer a friend of yours.
When you went to the hospital he practically deserted you, isn't that
right?"
"If is!" exclaimed the former teacher, bitterly. "He left me in the
lurch, and not only that, he didn't give me the money that was
rightfully coming to me."
"Exactly so! Now then, why shouldn't you help us to locate him?"
"Well--er--well--er--supposing I did help you?" returned Josiah
Crabtree, hesitatingly.
"If you will do that, Mr. Crabtree, I'll make it well worth your
while," responded Dick, quickly. "I may as well admit to you that we
wish to get hold of Mr. Pelter as soon as possible. We want him to
clear up a certain transaction. If you can put me into communication
with him to-day, I'll give you fifty dollars."
At the mention of fifty dollars Josiah Crabtree's eyes lit up.
Evidently he had not seen that amount of money for some time.
"You'll give me fifty dollars?" he repeated.
"I will."
"There is no fooling about this, Rover?"
"Mr. Crabtree, did I ever deceive you?" And Dick looked the former
teacher squarely in the eyes.
"I don't think you did, Rover. So you want to find Jesse Pelter, and
you'll give me fifty dollars if I'll help you do it? All right, I'll
take you up. I don't think Pelter is aware that I know where he is,
but I do;" and Josiah Crabtree smiled grimly.
"Where is he?"
"He told Japson that he was going down East, most likely to Boston.
But he didn't do any such thing; he hung around New York for awhile
and then he went to Philadelphia, and he's down there now, I am
thinking, unless he took a boat for Europe."
"What? Was he going from Philadelphia to Europe?" broke in Tom.
"So I understood. Although why he didn't go from New York is a
mystery--the service is so much better."
"Have you any idea where he is stopping in Philadelphia?" questioned
Dick.
"He usually stopped with a distant relative of his--a man named
Crowley Pelter."
"Then that's all I want to know for the present, Mr. Crabtree,"
announced Dick. "If we can locate him I'll let you know and then the
fifty dollars will be yours."
"How soon are you going to look for the man?" asked the former
teacher, curiously.
"At once," was Dick's quick reply. "Leave me your address, and as soon
as we hear anything I'll let you know." And a few minutes later the
boys brought the interview to an end.