MRS. TOM ROVER--CONCLUSION
"And you got back all the bonds, Dick? How, splendid!"
It was Dora who uttered the words, shortly after the arrival at the
Outlook Hotel of the three Rovers. Dick had had the japanned box under
his arm, and now held it up in triumph.
"Yes, we've got them all back, and those that don't go to the bank as
collateral security for a loan are going to a safe deposit box,"
answered Dick. "I won't take any more chances with an office safe."
"Especially not that office safe," put in Sam, pointedly.
"And what are you going to do with Jesse Pelter?" questioned Nellie.
"We are going to put him where he belongs--in prison," answered Tom.
And it may be as well to state here that in due course of time Jesse
Pelter and his partner in crime, Grimes, alias Haywood, were tried and
sentenced to long terms in prison. At this trial it was brought to
light that Barton Pelter had known about the hole in the back of the
safe, but had had absolutely nothing to do with the taking of the
bonds. Jesse Pelter was very bitter against his nephew for exposing
him, but the Rovers told the young man that he had done exactly right,
and he said that he thought so, too. As soon as the trial was over
Barton Pelter returned to the Middle West, where he did fairly well as
a traveling salesman for the cracker company.
The next few days following the recovery of the bonds proved busy ones
for the Rovers. Some of the bonds were put up at a bank as collateral
security for a substantial loan, and with this money Dick took care of
the Sharon Valley Land Company investment, and also the investment
brought to his attention by Mr. Powell.
"Now we are on the straight road once more!" declared Dick, after
these matters and a number of others had been cleared up.
"And I'm mighty glad of it," returned Tom, with a beaming face. "I
think we all ought to go off and celebrate. What's the matter with a
trip to Coney Island, or something like that?"
"Wow! I thought he was going to suggest a honeymoon trip for himself
and Nellie," cried Sam, mischievously.
"Say, young man, don't get so previous!" retorted Tom, growing red in
the face. "Just the same, that's coming a little later," he added,
quickly.
"Provided Nellie is willing," went on the youngest Rover, teasingly.
"Oh, don't you worry about that, Sam. By the looks of things you'll be
in the same boat some day."
"Well, a fellow might do worse," answered Sam, coolly.
The days to follow were full of combined business and pleasure for the
boys. When they were not at the office they were with the girls, and
all took numerous trips to various places of amusement in and out of
the metropolis. As was to be expected, Tom was the life of the party,
and the way he "cut up" was "simply awful," as Nellie declared.
"Well, I can't help it," was the way the fun-loving Rover explained
his actions. "I've got to let off steam or 'bust,'" and then he did a
few steps of a jig, finishing by catching Nellie up in his arms and
whirling her around in the air.
Of course the boys had lost no time in sending word to the folks at
Valley Brook Farm that all business complications had been
straightened out, and that everything at the offices was running
smoothly. In return came back word that Mr. Anderson Rover was feeling
stronger than ever, and hoped ere long to be well enough to visit the
city.
"But I don't expect to do much in business," wrote Mr. Rover. "I am
going to leave that entirely to Dick and Tom. I understand that Tom
expects before a great while to get married, and when that happens
I want to form The Rover Company, and take him and Dick in with me,
Sam, of course, to come in later, after he has finished at college,
although he won't have to take an active part unless he wishes to
do so. My best love to all of you, and may you have no more
trouble."
"Dear old dad!" murmured Tom, when he had perused this communication,
and for a moment his voice grew husky and his eyes moist.
Now that it had been definitely settled that Tom and Nellie were going
to be married, Sam wanted to know if the date couldn't be set early
enough so that he could be on hand before returning to Brill. This
bolstered up Tom's plea for an early ceremony, and it was decided that
the wedding should come off the first week in September.
Then followed great preparations on the part of Nellie and the others.
Mrs. Laning and Mrs. Stanhope came down to New York, and numerous
shopping tours were instituted, in which the boys had no part. Then
the Lanings and Mrs. Stanhope returned to Cedarville, and Tom and Sam
went back to the farm.
During those days, as busy as they were, Nellie and Tom had not
forgotten Andy Royce. Letters had been exchanged between the young
folks and those in authority at Hope Seminary, and at last it was
arranged that the gardener should be taken back and given another
chance. He promised faithfully to give up drinking.
The Rover boys had also had several visits from Josiah Crabtree. They
had found out that the former teacher of Putnam Hall was practically
down and out, and, although he was not deserving of their sympathy,
all felt sorry for him, and so not only did they give him the fifty
dollars as Dick had promised, but they also presented him with a new
outfit of clothing. Then Josiah Crabtree departed, to accept the
position as a teacher which had been offered to him.
"Where are you going to live after you are married, Tom?" questioned
Sam. "Are you going to the Outlook Hotel, too?"
"Not much, no hotel life for me!" returned Tom. "Nellie and I talked
it over with Dora and Dick, and we have taken an apartment together on
Riverside Drive, a pretty spot overlooking the Hudson River. We are
going to keep house together, and we'll all be 'as snug as a bug in a
rug.'"
"Oh, that will be fine!"
"Some day, Sam, I suppose we'll be taking in you and Grace," went on
Tom, with a grin. "Well, we'll do it even if we have to get a larger
apartment."
It had been decided that the wedding should take place in the
Cedarville Union Church--a little stone edifice where Dick and Dora
had been married, and which for years had been the church home of the
Lanings and the Stanhopes. Nellie and Tom had a host of friends, and
it was a question how so many could be accommodated in such a small
building.
"Well, if they can't get in, they'll have to stand outside," said Tom,
when talking the matter over. "We'll do the best we can." And then the
invitations to the affair were addressed and sent out.
As was to be expected, the wedding presents were both numerous and
costly, rivalling those received by Dora and Dick. Mr. Anderson Rover
duplicated the silver service given to his oldest son, and Dick and
Sam joined in forwarding a handsomely decorated dinner set. As Uncle
Randolph and Aunt Martha had given Dick a set of encyclopedias, they
sent other books to Nellie, but not forgetting a specially-bound
volume of the uncle's book on scientific farming. In addition to all
this came a bankbook from Mr. Anderson Rover with an amount written
therein that was the duplicate of the amount he had presented to Dora
and Dick.
"I knew he'd do it, Nellie," said Tom, when, with their heads close
together, the pair looked at the bankbook. "It's just like dad."
"It's too perfectly splendid for anything, Tom!" returned the girl,
her eyes beaming. "When I get the chance I'm just going to hug him to
death!"
Nellie and Grace had always been Mrs. Stanhope's favorite nieces, and
now that lady sent a set of beautifully embroidered linen, some of
which had been in the Stanhope family for several generations. And to
this gift Mr. and Mrs. Laning added some cut glass dishes of the
latest design. Then came from Captain Putnam of the school which the
boys had attended so many years, a revolving bookstand, and with it a
box of books, each volume from some particular youth who in the past
had been a cadet at Putnam Hall--twenty-four volumes in all, each
with a name in it that brought up all sorts of memories to Tom as he
read it.
"One of the nicest gifts the Old Guard could have given me!" was Tom's
comment. "It must have been some job to get that set of books
together. Why, some of those fellows are miles and miles away! They
are scattered all over the United States."
Many of the students at Hope had remembered Nellie, and even Miss
Harrow sent her a small water-color picture. From the boys of Brill
came half a dozen presents--some useful and some ornamental. Even
Tom's former enemy, Dan Baxter, who was now his friend, had not
forgotten him, and sent a pair of napkin rings, suitably engraved.
Tom's own present to his bride was a magnificent diamond brooch, which
pleased Nellie immensely.
And then came the great day, full of sunshine and with a gentle breeze
blowing from the West. Tom and his family, including his father, who
now felt almost as strong as ever, were located at the old Stanhope
home with a number of their friends, while many of Nellie's relatives
and friends were stopping with the Lanings at their farm. Other
friends of both the young folks were located at the Cedarville Hotel.
To follow the time set by Dick and Dora, it had been decided to hold
the wedding at high noon. As before, the church was decorated with
palms brought up from Ithaca. Soon the guests began to assemble, until
the little edifice was crowded to its capacity. Captain Putnam was
there in full uniform, and with him over a score of cadets. From Brill
came at least a dozen collegians led by Spud and Stanley. Even
William, Philander Tubbs was on hand, in a full-dress suit of the
latest pattern, and with a big chrysanthemum in his buttonhole. There
were several bridesmaids led by Grace, while Sam was Tom's best man.
The wedding party was preceded by, a little flower girl, and a little
boy beside her who carried the wedding rings on a pillow.
Nellie was on her father's arm, daintily attired in white charmeuse
with her tulle veil trimmed in orange blossoms, and her girl friends
declared that she was the prettiest bride they had ever seen. The
ceremony was a short one, and at the conclusion Tom gave his bride
such a hearty smack that every one present had to smile.
"A fine wedding, don't you know!" was William Philander Tubbs'
comment, when a number of the guests were on their way to the Laning
home, in carriages and automobiles.
"Yes. And Tom has got a fine girl!" answered Songbird.
"Where's the poetry for the occasion, Songbird?" queried Stanley.
"Oh, I am reserving that for the wedding dinner," was the answer. And
it may be mentioned here that at the proper time the would-be poet
recited an original poem of half a dozen verses, written in honor of
the occasion.
"Say, Dick, we've got to give Tom a send-off," whispered Sam to his
big brother, after the Laning home had been reached.
"We sure will give him a send-off!" returned Dick, who had not
forgotten what had taken place when he and Dora had departed on their
honeymoon.
"I wish I didn't have to go back to Brill," went on the youngest
Rover, rather wistfully, and with a sigh.
"Oh, your term at college will soon come to an end, Sam. You may have
lots of fun." What fun Sam did have, and what further befell the boys
will be related in the next volume of this series, to be entitled "The
Rover Boys on a Tour; Or, Last Days at Brill College."
The wedding dinner, participated in by all the relatives and a great
number of friends, was a huge success. An orchestra had been engaged
for the occasion, and after the meal there was dancing by the young
folks for several hours, both indoors and on the broad veranda of the
homestead.
"Where are you going on your wedding tour, Tom?" asked Spud.
"We haven't decided yet," was the quick reply. "We're thinking
something of going to the north pole, but we may go to the moon
instead;" and at this answer there was a general laugh.
"They are going to slip away if they can," was Sam's comment to half a
dozen of his chums, a little later. "We'll have to be on our guard."
All of the young folks had provided themselves with rice, confetti,
old shoes, and strips of white ribbon with which to celebrate the
occasion--the ribbon being for the purpose of decorating the young
couple's baggage. Sam had also provided a placard which read: "Are we
happy? We are!" and this was nailed to Tom's trunk.
"Where are they?"
This was the cry that went up in the middle of one of the dances. Tom
had slipped off into a side room, and Nellie had followed. Now both of
the young folks were missing.
"They are going out the back way!" cried Dick.
"Everybody watch the stairs and the doors!" exclaimed Sam. "We mustn't
let them get away from us!"
There was a general scramble, commingled with shrieks of laughter as
the young folks did their best to locate the missing couple. Then of a
sudden came a wild toot from an automobile horn.
"There they are!"
"Come on, everybody!"
There followed a wild scramble from the house to the lane leading to
the roadway. In the lane was an automobile belonging to the Cedarville
garage, and run by a chauffeur. On the back seat were Tom and Nellie,
waving their hands gaily.
"Good-bye, everybody! Sorry we have to leave you so soon!" yelled Tom.
"We'll be back some day! Good-bye!" added Nellie.
"After them! After them!" yelled Dick and Sam; and then all of the
young folks hurried up the lane, pelting those in the automobile with
rice and old shoes.
"We might go after them in another auto," suggested Spud.
"You'll never catch that machine," returned one of the Putnam Hall
cadets. "That's the fastest car around Cedarville. Tom knew what he
was doing when he hired it."
The automobile with the newly-married pair had already reached the
highway. Those left behind waved their hands gaily, and Tom and
Nellie, standing up in the tonneau, waved in return. Then with another
loud toot of the horn the automobile dashed onward, and disappeared
around a turn of the road.
"Well, good-bye to them, and may they be happy!" said Anderson Rover,
who stood on the veranda watching the departure.
"Yes, I think they deserve to be happy," answered Mrs. Laning, who
stood beside him, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Nellie is a good
girl, and Tom is a good boy in spite of his liking for fun. I do hope
they get along in life!"
"Come on back and finish the dance," said Sam to Grace. And then
catching her arm tightly, he whispered: "It is our turn next, isn't
it?"
"Maybe, Sam," she returned, in a low voice Already the band was
striking up, and soon the young folks had resumed their dancing; and
here for the time being we will leave them, and say good-bye.
THE END
End of Project Gutenberg's The Rover Boys in Business, by Arthur M. Winfield