GOOD NEWS FOR REDFERN
Redfern turned sharply.
“Mosley!” he cried, seizing the other’s hand, and shaking it warmly. “I
was intending to stop in and see you. This is indeed a pleasure.”
“I’ve been searching a month for you, Redfern; but excuse me a
moment--are you Colonel Ellison, sir? I was out when you called, but
was told I might find you here.”
“That is my name, sir,” said Uncle Dan. “You are the president of
Ripley Academy, I believe?”
Redfern seemed astounded.
“What!” he cried. “Mosley, is it possible? Where is Professor
Blackwell?”
“Resigned three months ago. And I was elected in his place.
Congratulate me, old man!”
“With all my heart; this is splendid news.” And Redfern again seized
the other’s hand. “Mosley and I were classmates here at Ripley,” he
added, to the others.
“Let me add my congratulations, too,” said Colonel Ellison, stiffly,
“and express the hope that the majority of visitors will not be obliged
to come, as I have, with complaints against the actions of your
students.”
“Ah,” said the new president, “what is it? I am sorry if they have
misbehaved themselves.”
“Some effort should be made to prevent such occurrences in the future.”
“What is the nature of your complaint? But perhaps we had better
withdraw to another place,” added the president, noting that his
visitor spoke in a tone which carried a long distance.
As they walked slowly along the road, President Mosley listened
intently to Colonel Ellison’s complaint against Bill Stiles and his
motor boat crew, and promised to look into the matter thoroughly.
“And now,” he said, “if you will permit me, Colonel, we will change the
subject. I was on the point of communicating with you on a matter of
the utmost importance, both to yourself and Norman Redfern.”
“Eh?” said the Colonel.
“What is that, Mosley?” asked Redfern, quickly.
“As I told you, I have been hunting for you for a month, but could
find no trace of your whereabouts. All letters addressed to you were
returned. Where in the world did you stop?”
“At a place where postmen never come,” replied Norman, with a faint
smile. “But what has happened--why should you wish to see me so
particularly? To speak frankly, I know that Professor Blackwell
expressed a wish that I should keep away.”
“I must remind you, Redfern, that the wishes of President Blackwell are
not those of President Mosley.”
“Good for you,” put in Joe Preston.
“What does all this rigmarole mean?” demanded Colonel Ellison, looking
from one to the other, in surprise.
“Simply this: by a bit of detective work, an unfortunate situation
has been cleared up--the name of a certain person entirely freed from
blame, and----”
“What is that?” cried Redfern, his voice trembling with excitement and
hope. “You mean----”
“Just what I say. But, as it is a private matter, I would respectfully
ask that these young gentlemen retire for a short time.”
“Not so far as I am concerned,” put in Redfern, with a flush. “I have
nothing to conceal; speak freely.”
“Something great coming, I’m sure,” said George, with interest.
“Ma foi, but what ees this?” muttered Pierre, scratching his head. “I
no understand it--ze talk ees so fast.”
Colonel Ellison merely nodded, to show that the arrangement suited him.
“Well,” proceeded President Mosley, hesitatingly, “I suppose we shall
have to briefly review the whole matter.”
“Yes, yes!” said Redfern, eagerly.
“It seems, then, that one day last spring, your employer, Colonel
Ellison, sent you to a bank to collect a certain sum of money.
Unfortunately, you placed this in your overcoat pocket?”
Redfern nodded.
“And when you went to a restaurant, absent-mindedly hung the garment
on a rack?”
“Yes, yes!”
“And on leaving rather hastily, took what you thought to be your own
overcoat, and were on the train to Nyack before discovering that this
was not the case?”
“Correct again,” said Redfern, his tone indicating suppressed
excitement.
“On returning to the restaurant, you found your overcoat gone?”
“Yes.”
During this conversation a very strange expression came over Colonel
Ellison’s face. He looked decidedly uncomfortable; and his glance
shifted uneasily from the president to Redfern and back again.
It was plain that the similarity between the overcoats had been the
means of losing the Colonel’s money.
After a short pause, Mr. Mosley continued:
“You made every effort to find the money which had been in your
keeping, and failed?”
“Yes, yes--but tell me--has it been recovered?” asked Redfern, eagerly.
“Yes, I’m glad I can say that it has.”
Norman Redfern gave an exclamation of relief; his eyes sparkled with
pleasure, while Colonel Ellison stopped abruptly in his walk, and
stared down at him.
“Bully for you, Redfern!” cried Jack Lyons, enthusiastically. And
George Clayton slapped his former tutor on the shoulder, and shook his
hand warmly.
Pierre Dufour looked on in amazement, and murmured, “Ma foi, what ees
this?”
For an instant, Colonel Ellison remained silent. Then, clearing his
throat, he held out his hand.
“Redfern,” he said, frankly, “a man should always be willing to
acknowledge his mistakes. I ask your pardon for having wrongly
suspected you.”
“And I freely give it,” exclaimed the happy Redfern. “I will admit that
appearances were against me. But, Mosley, how in the world did all this
come about?”
“Well, to continue our story: I was, at the time, a professor at Ripley
and expected you, also, to join the staff. Unfortunately, President
Blackwell considered you--shall I say it?--guilty. And that ended your
chances.”
“Yes,” said Redfern, “I have been only too well aware of that.”
“But I had confidence in you; and was determined to prove that it was
well placed. I advertised freely, and----”
“You did?”
“Yes, sir! And in my spare time investigated to the best of my ability.
Nothing resulted, and I got a bit discouraged. But I don’t believe
in giving up easily. Several times, at intervals, I went back to the
restaurant, made inquiries and kept the matter fresh in their minds.
Then what should happen? A few days ago, I got a letter; and it made me
jump.”
“How can I ever thank you enough?” murmured Redfern.
“The man was a traveling salesman--only occasionally visited New
York--and did not again have a chance to go to the restaurant until
quite recently. But he was honest, and wished to find the owner of the
money. The proprietor told him to communicate with me.”
Redfern seized the other’s hand.
“Mosley,” he said, “I’ll never forget you for this.”
The president smiled.
“Well, my story is almost finished. I was about to write to Colonel
Ellison, in order that he might meet the gentleman and have his money
restored. The visit is most opportune, though I regret his errand.”
“Think no more about it,” said Uncle Dan, hastily. “I was once a boy
myself; circumstances had a great deal to do with my feelings.”
“Uncle Dan,” put in George Clayton, “may I speak a word to you?”
“Well, young man, what is it?”
Briefly, George explained the whole story of his connection with the
house-boat expedition, and this time his guardian, in the light of
recent developments, listened and believed.
“You must understand, George,” he said, “though Redfern is not to
blame in the matter, you have acted in a most reckless and self-willed
fashion. We shall talk about it later.”
“I no comprehend, monsieur the Colonel,” exclaimed Pierre. “Ees nobody
any scamps, eh? Ma foi!”
“Shake Mr. Redfern by the hand, Pierre,” commanded the Colonel. “It
was all a misunderstanding.”
“If it hadn’t been for Pierre’s meddling, a great deal of trouble might
have been saved,” said George, half-resentfully. “He butted in, and----”
“George--George!” cried Uncle Dan, “I must protest against the use of
such slang--such a lack of courtesy. Affairs have turned out happily
for all concerned; and this is no time for ill-feeling.”
“I guess you are right, uncle,” admitted George, frankly; and then
turning toward the chauffeur, he added, “Everything is all right.”
“All one grand mistake? Ma foi!” said the Frenchman, with the corners
of his mouth beginning to curve upward. Then, with a sly glance at
Colonel Ellison, whose stern countenance still showed a trace of
discomfiture, he extended his hand toward the former tutor. “We shake
hand, Monsieur Redfern,” he exclaimed. “I’m sorry I say I would your
face smack.”
“It’s all forgotten, Pierre,” laughed Redfern, cordially.
The Frenchman smiled broadly.
“A la bonne heure, Monsieur George!” he cried. “We are friends again.
But nevaire you say ‘fired’--‘fired’ to me.” And this time, Pierre
Dufour showed that his resentfulness was a thing of the past.
Norman Redfern presently slapped Jack Lyons on the back.
“Jack,” he said, “your house-boat trip has certainly resulted in making
a great change in the feelings of one young man.”
“And it will have a more substantial result than that,” put in Uncle
Dan, quickly. “I hope you will become George’s tutor again.”
Redfern’s features lighted up.
“Certainly--I shall be only too glad,” he began.
But President Mosley hastily interposed.
“One minute, Redfern,” he exclaimed. “Colonel Ellison’s offer is very
kind; but it might interfere with your professorship at Ripley Academy.”
And when the true significance of his words was realized, a tremendous
volley of cheers rose on the air.