THE MISSING TIN BOX.
Less than an hour later Macklin was taken to the police station in his
own coach and locked up.
As soon as this was accomplished Hal lost no time in making his way to
Horace Sumner's elegant mansion.
It was now quite late, and only a single light gleamed out from the
mansion, and that from the library, where the old broker sat, busy with
his accounts.
His face was furrowed with care, and just before Hal rang the bell he
heaved a deep sigh.
"Unless the tin box containing the stolen bonds is recovered I will be a
ruined man!" he groaned. "It is impossible to cover the loss. Allen has
ruined me, and even though he tries to use those slips, and I have him
arrested, it will do no good."
The ring at the bell aroused him, and, as the servants had retired, he
answered the summons himself.
"What, Hal!" he cried. "You must have important news, or you would not
come at this hour of the night."
"I have important news, Mr. Sumner," replied the youth. "And I came
because I want your assistance the first thing in the morning."
"You shall have it, Hal. But what news do you bring? Come into the
library and tell me."
The two passed into the sumptuously-furnished apartment, and, seated by
the open grate fire, the youth told of all that had occurred since he
had obtained employment at Allen & Parsons'.
"You have had several narrow escapes, my boy," cried the old broker,
shuddering. "You must be more careful, really you must."
"I think we have about reached the end of the matter," returned Hal.
"Why, what do you mean? The tin box----"
"I have an idea Hardwick, Allen, and the others intend to come to some
sort of a settlement to-morrow, either at the old house, or at the
office in Broad Street. This Samuels is about to take some of the bonds
to Chicago, and we must be on hand to stop the scheme."
"You are right, Hal, and mighty smart. What do you propose? You have
done so well thus far I must really allow you to go on."
"I propose we go to the old house, accompanied by a couple of officers,
and lay low for Hardwick and Allen. When they come I can appear before
them with my hands and feet bound, and accuse them of the crime. They
will not know that Macklin has been arrested--I have taken care of
that--and they may give themselves away."
"A good plan. What rogues they are, and how blind I have been! Hal, I
shall not forget all you have done for me."
A little more conversation ensued, and then the youth arose.
"Where are you going, now?"
"To the hotel to get some sleep."
"No need of going to the hotel. I will call up one of the servants, and
she can show you to a room."
"You are very kind, Mr. Sumner----"
"It is nothing, Hal, in comparison to what you have done for me. I shall
reward you well if the missing box is recovered."
Quarter of an hour later Hal was shown to a bedroom on the second floor.
It was quite the finest apartment of the kind he had ever entered. The
servant opened the bed and drew the curtains, and then retired.
"Gracious, this is style!" murmured the youth, as he began to disrobe.
"I wonder if I will ever own anything as nice?"
On the walls were a number of steel engravings and etchings, and on the
mantel rested a large photograph of a handsome, middle-aged lady.
Hal gazed at the portrait for fully five minutes. The features were so
motherly they appealed to his heart.
"It must be a picture of the late Mrs. Sumner," he thought. "What a good
woman she must have been! No wonder Mr. Sumner and Miss Laura miss her."
And then, as he thought of his own condition--that of a mere poor-house
foundling--his eyes grew moist.
"How I wish I had known a mother, and that she was like her," was his
soliloquy. "Or that I had a father like kind Mr. Sumner--and such a girl
like Miss Laura for a sister," he added, suddenly, and then he blushed.
His mind presently turned back to the missing tin box, and thinking over
this, he soon fell asleep.
He was up bright and early. When he went down to the library he found
Laura Sumner there, and the old broker soon joined them.
A hasty breakfast was had, livened by the bright conversation of Laura,
who was of a vivacious turn of mind, and then Mr. Sumner and Hal hurried
off to police headquarters.
Their quest was soon explained to the officer in charge, and two men
were detailed to accompany them to the old mansion up on the Jerome
Avenue road.
It had stopped snowing, and the early morning sun made everything
glisten. A large sleigh was procured, and one of the policemen and Hal
mounted the box and off they drove.
It was twenty minutes to eight when the vicinity of the old Flack
mansion was reached. The sleigh was driven around a bend and into a
clump of trees, and then the party dismounted.
"I'll go ahead, and see if anybody is around," said Hal. "If it's all
right I'll wave a handkerchief from one of the windows."
The youth was somewhat excited. Supposing Macklin had made up the story
of the meeting between Hardwick and Allen? Such a thing was possible.
"But no, he wouldn't dare," thought Hal. "He is thoroughly scared, and
wants to gain our good graces by giving the others away."
The deserted mansion was in a dilapidated condition. More than half the
shutters were gone, and the front door stood wide open.
Sneaking up along an old hedge, Hal gained the half-tumbled-down piazza
and glided swiftly into the hall, now more than quarter filled with
snow, which the sharp wind had driven in.
"Certainly a cheerless place," he thought. "But I suppose they thought
no one would come here, and so they would be free from interruption."
He entered the parlor of the house, and then walked through to the
dining-room, the library, and then the kitchen. Nothing was disturbed,
and the smooth snow, wherever it had drifted in, did not show the first
sign of a footstep.
"Good! I am in plenty of time," said Hal to himself. "I must tramp
around a bit, and then bind myself up as best I can."
He waved his handkerchief out of one of the windows and then proceeded
to tie his feet together.
He had just finished the work, when Horace Sumner and two officers
rushed in.
"They are coming!" exclaimed the old broker. "There are Allen, Hardwick,
and two strangers."
"The strangers must be Parsons and Samuels," said Hal. "Here, bind my
hands, and shove me into the closet, and then hide."
This was done, and less than a minute later a stamping was heard, and
Allen, Hardwick, Parsons, and Samuels entered the parlor.
"Hullo, Macklin, where are you?" cried Hardwick.
Of course, there was no reply.
"Must have gone off to get his breakfast," said Allen. "Wonder what he
did with the boy?"
"Boy!" cried Hardwick. "Better say man. Carson is altogether too smart
to be called a boy."
"We must get him out of the way, and then finish this bond matter," went
on Allen.
"Yes, and hurry up," put in Samuels. "I want to catch, the twelve
o'clock train to Chicago, and you might as well give me the bonds to
take along. The sooner they are worked off the better."
"That's an easy matter to settle," said Hardwick. "I have the tin box
right here with me. I didn't dare leave it behind, for fear old Sumner
might get a search warrant and go through my house."
As the ex-book-keeper spoke, he unbuttoned his great coat, and brought
forth the missing tin box for which Hal and the others had been so long
searching.