A QUEER STORY
Whether he wanted to or not, the youth who had, as Pep and Frank both
believed, been saved from a self-inflicted death, submitted himself to
them, and allowed them to carry him to the beach.
"I don't want you to bother with me," he kept saying over and over
again, on the little trip.
"Now that's all right," insisted Pep, in the masterful way he had. "You
leave this to us, and you'll come out all right."
"Surely, yes," agreed Frank. "You tell us what's the matter, and
perhaps we can help you."
"I'm afraid you can't," and the boy's voice was weak and miserable.
"Mine is a strange story."
"Well, we've heard some pretty strange ones in the last two years,"
spoke Pep, "and it will take a pretty big story to scare us; eh, Frank?"
"That's right," agreed his chum.
By this time they had reached the beach, and set down their human
burden. Several persons, who had been observing the lad out on the
rock, crowded up, for the manner of Frank and Pep in bringing him
ashore was novel, to say the least.
Frank observed the curiosity, and, in order that no embarrassing
questions would be asked of their protege, he said, winking at Pep:
"The next time you want to go in bathing put on a suit, and you might
better look up the tables of tides and see when it is high water."
"That's right," added Pep, nudging the strange lad, to indicate to him
that he was thus to pretend it was all an accident that he had been out
on the rock.
"Oh--yes," was the hesitating answer. "I'll be more careful next time."
"Tide comes up pretty fast, sometimes," observed a man. The others in
the gathering throng accepted this implied explanation, and started to
walk away.
"Might as well let them believe everything is all right," whispered
Frank in the boy's ear. "You'll feel better next time you meet folks."
"Oh, I can't thank you enough for what you have done for me," said the
lad; "but I feel that it isn't any use."
"Nonsense! Don't talk that way!" cried Pep. "We'll soon fix you up.
Now, the first thing you need is dry clothes. Where are you stopping?
We'll go with you."
"I--I'm not stopping anywhere," was the hesitating answer.
"Oh, come! You must have some place to stay--a home--a boarding
house----?" He looked questioningly at the lad.
"I--I did have a place--in a small hotel," was the answer.
"Well, let's go there, and get you fixed up," offered Frank.
"But I haven't that room now," the lad said. "I--my money gave out, and
I had to give it up. I have no place to go."
"Then come with us!" cried Pep, impulsively. "We've got heaps more room
than we can use in the Cliff House. Come with us."
"Yes," added Frank. "And then tell us your story. What's your trouble,
anyhow?"
"And who are you?" asked Pep, as he mentioned his own name and that of
his chum.
"My name is Albert Jackson," was the low-voiced reply. "And, since you
have been so kind to me, I will tell you my story."
"Wait just a few minutes," suggested Frank. "We can't go up to the
Cliff House in this outfit," and he glanced at the bathing suits of
himself and his chum. "Just wait until we change, and we'll be with
you. Meanwhile you'll dry off a bit."
"I'll stay here with him until you change, and then you can wait for
me," suggested Pep, with a well-concealed wink at Frank. The latter
understood. Pep did not want to leave Albert alone for fear the
lonesome and discouraged lad might again be tempted to do something
rash, and this time be more successful.
It did not take the two chums long to make the changes, and soon, clad
in their usual garments, Frank and Pep were walking with Albert toward
the hotel. Frank had given a look up and down the beach on leaving
the vicinity of Seal Rocks, but had not caught sight of Royston. The
suspected promoter had left.
"But perhaps the hotel people won't like your bringing me in,"
suggested Albert.
"Why not, I'd like to know!" exclaimed Frank. "It's our room, and we
can bring up what guests we like."
"But I'm so----" he paused and looked at his wet garments.
"You're nearly dry," observed Pep. "Anyhow, anyone is likely to be wet
by the spray from the surf. Come along."
As the chums had expected, no one paid any attention to them as they
escorted their new friend through the corridor to the elevator and up
to their room. True, the elevator attendant did glance rather curiously
at Albert's damp garments, but Frank forestalled any criticism by
saying in loud tones:
"Next time we'll know enough not to go too near the water, with our
good clothes on."
"Dat's right, boss!" chimed in the colored lad, with a friendly laugh.
"De watah suah am wet!"
A little later the three boys were in the room of the motion picture
chums, the newcomer had been provided with dry garments, and Pep, with
a pleasant smile at Albert, said:
"Now, if you're ready to tell us your story we're only too glad to
listen. Not that we want to pry into your affairs," added Pep, quickly,
for he saw Albert draw back, "but perhaps we can help you."
"Oh, it wasn't that!" exclaimed Albert, quickly. "I do want you to hear
my story, for you have been so kind to me. Only for you two I might
not--I might not be here now," he faltered. "The only thing is that I
don't want to bother you."
"Pshaw! Bother! It isn't any bother at all!" cried Pep, in his usual
impetuous way. "We're only too glad to help you."
"That's right," chimed in Frank. "So don't feel that way about it, but
tell us your story."
"I will," promised Albert. He considered for a moment, and then began.
"I am an orphan," said Albert, "any my only near living relative, so
far as I know, is an uncle, Henry Jackson, my late father's brother.
I have lived with him for a number of years, and he was almost like a
father to me."
"My uncle had been in various businesses, but, of late, he did not have
very good luck, until he undertook to promote several new schemes. One
of these was an amusement enterprise for the fair here. He managed
to secure a very valuable concession at a low price, because he made
an early application, and took a place that was not thought to be of
much worth. Afterward the plans of the Zone were changed, and his site
became the most valuable in the whole concession space."
"I wish we had his luck," murmured Pep, with regretful thoughts of
their own failure.
"He didn't have the luck long," continued Albert. "Something went wrong
with him, or at least it began to go wrong, and he was likely to lose
all his money, and he had obtained a considerable sum from old friends,
to put through this new amusement enterprise.
"But my uncle did not give up. A short time ago he said it would be
necessary for him to go to New York to see a certain man and straighten
matters out, so he left for the East, and I remained behind here in our
hotel.
"I had one letter from my uncle after he reached New York, in which he
said he thought everything was going well. Then, most unexpectedly, I
received a strange telegram from him, saying that everything was lost."
"That was too bad!" exclaimed Pep. "Still he may get it back."
"You haven't heard the worst," went on Albert. "Of course I felt very
badly when I received that word from my uncle, but I felt worse when he
came back here, a few days ago, a wreck of his former self. He said his
ruin was even worse than he had at first thought, and that he was left
without a dollar in the world."
"Well, other men have been ruined, and have 'come back,'" put in Frank.
"But it is impossible in my uncle's case," said Albert, sadly.
"Why?" Pep wanted to know.
"Because yesterday he was seized, judged as insane, and put in an
asylum under an order signed by two doctors! Do you wonder I wanted to
end my life?" asked Albert.