THE CONCESSION
"Yes, you may see Mr. Jackson," said the superintendent of the asylum
to whom Albert and his friends applied for permission. "I need hardly
ask you not to excite him," the doctor went on, "for you know in what
state his mind is. And you can see him for only a short time."
"We will be very careful," promised Mr. Bullard. "Has he shown any
improvement since coming here?"
"I shall have to refer you to the physician who has his case directly
in charge," was the answer. "The reports show that he is doing well,
and that is all I can say now," and the superintendent, having
consulted a chart, to confirm his brief report, rang for an orderly to
show the visitors to the room of Mr. Jackson.
"I am almost afraid to meet my uncle again," said Albert, in a low
voice, as they went along the corridors. "He was so unlike himself
when he came back from New York. He hardly knew me, and he acted so
queerly. I really fear to see him again."
"It may not be as bad as you anticipate," suggested Mr. Bullard. "They
do wonders in insane hospitals now, and many cures are effected. Hope
for the best."
Albert sighed. It was quite a trial for a young lad to be subjected
to, and only for the fact that he had such good friends in the motion
picture chums Albert felt he would not have known what to do.
"In here," directed the orderly, as he opened a door. The room into
which the visitors were ushered was a pleasant one. Flowers were on
a table, and a bird sang in a cage. The apartment was simply but
comfortably furnished. In one corner was a bed, and in a chair, near a
window, sat an elderly man.
At the sight of him tears came into Albert's eyes. For he saw his
uncle, and he also saw that a great change had come over him. No longer
was he wild-eyed and disheveled. He was quietly dressed, and looked up
from a book he was reading.
"Visitors to see you, Mr. Jackson," announced the orderly.
"Come in," said Albert's uncle, and his voice was calm. "You are
strangers to me," he went on, "but I----"
Then he caught sight of his nephew.
"Albert!" cried Mr. Jackson, and, rising suddenly to his feet, he let
the book slip to the floor, and opened wide his arms. "Albert! Oh! I am
so glad to see you!"
"And I you, Uncle. Why--why, I don't believe you are----"
Albert was going to use the word "insane," but he stopped in time.
"Now keep cool," advised Mr. Bullard.
"Uncle, how are you?" asked Albert.
"Much better," was the unexpected answer. "This is a great joy to me.
Who are your friends?"
The lad introduced them, but said nothing about their business.
"Yes, I am much better," said Mr. Jackson. "I know that something went
wrong in my head when I met with all that trouble in New York. It has
been like a terrible dream ever since, but now I am waking up."
"Then perhaps we can help you to wake up still more," said Mr. Watt. "I
think I would like to talk to your doctor, though, before going into
details."
"He will be here soon," said Mr. Jackson, with a calm smile. "He
usually comes in at this time."
They talked of unimportant matters for a few minutes, and then the
physician, who had direct charge of the patient, came in. The orderly
had sent for him. He seemed to grasp the situation at once.
"Mr. Jackson is wonderfully improved," the doctor said. "His mind was
only temporarily affected, just as a fever patient's might be. With
care he will soon be himself again. He is now stronger, mentally,
though physically he is quite weak."
"Could he stand it to be told some news?" asked Mr. Bullard.
"I think so, yes. If it is good news."
"Well, it isn't exactly good, but it may lead to good news. We shall
have to ask him to use his brain."
"Well, that may do no harm. In fact, it may do him good to exercise his
brain a little. Proceed."
"Is it about--Royston?" asked Mr. Jackson, eagerly.
"It is," answered Mr. Bullard, quickly. "He has cheated you and your
nephew, and is in possession of the Zone concession. But we have no
papers to prove that he has practically ousted you. Can you help us to
get such evidence?"
In answer Mr. Jackson stooped over and began taking off one shoe. For
one terrible moment Albert thought his uncle had gone insane again. But
his mind was quickly set at rest.
From the shoe Mr. Jackson took out a thin bundle of papers.
"I shall be glad to get rid of them," he said with a sigh and a smile
of relief. "They hurt me. Excuse me for keeping them in such a strange
place," he went on, "but I had no other, and I did not know I could
trust the kind persons at this hospital. There are the papers you want.
I think they will prove that Royston has cheated me."
Mr. Watt and Mr. Bullard quickly examined the documents.
"Just what we need!" cried the lawyer. "Now I'd like to see Royston
order me out of his office."
"But where were these papers all the while, Uncle?" asked Albert. "Why
weren't they with the others in your trunk?"
"That I can't tell you," was the answer. "I only know that after I
obtained the concession, and met Royston, everything seemed to go
wrong. He got me to invest my money in enterprises that failed, and
at last he drained me completely. He sent for me to come to New York,
and when I met him there he completed my financial ruin. I came back
practically insane. But, somehow or other, I managed to conceal these
papers in a secret pocket in my trousers. I had them with me when I was
brought here, and in some way or other they were not taken from me.
"But it was some time before I realized of what value they were. That
was when my mind was recovering. So I hid the papers in my shoe,
intending to use them when I was discharged."
Albert looked questioningly at the physician.
"Yes, your uncle will soon be able to leave the hospital," the
physician said. "He is practically cured. His mental illness was only
temporary."
"Thank the dear Lord," said Albert reverently, and the others echoed
his thanksgiving.
A further, and more careful, examination of the papers Mr. Jackson had
concealed showed that Royston was guilty of fraud and several other
crimes; that he had absolutely no right to the valuable concession,
which belonged absolutely to Mr. Jackson and Albert.
"And your fortune will be saved, Uncle Henry!" cried Albert, joyfully.
"We'll get your money back, for the concession will be a big
profit-maker, when we clean out Royston's fake exhibit."
Mr. Jackson shook his head.
"It is very good of you, Albert, and very good of your friends to take
such an interest in me," he said, weakly. "But I shall never make use
of that concession."
"Why not, Uncle Henry?"
"My health will not permit it. I am a broken old man. I shall never be
what I was before. The concession may be ours, but we can not use it,"
he concluded, sadly.
For a moment there was silence in the room, and then Albert cried:
"Well, Uncle Henry, if you can't use the concession I know some very
good friends of mine who can! Hurray! I see a way out of this after
all!"