IN SEARCH OF A THIEF.
IT was with no pleasant feelings that Jacob Drummond landed in New York.
His paternal affection for Joshua had never been very great, and, now
that his son had robbed him, his anger was strongly stirred against him.
“If I get hold of him, I’ll flog him within an inch of his life,” he
muttered, between his closed teeth. “The ungrateful villain! to make me
such a return for supporting him in idleness all his life!”
But it is not so easy to find a particular person in a city of a million
inhabitants, and Mr. Drummond was very much puzzled to know what to do,
or where to go first. He might have sought the aid of the police, but,
though deeply incensed against Joshua, he wished, rather, to inflict
private punishment upon him.
“I won’t give him any allowance at all,” he said to himself. “I’ll let
him get along without a penny, and see how he likes that! I wonder if
he’s spent much of the money he stole from me?”
His face contracted with anguish, as he thought that Joshua might
squander the greater part of the money before he found him; or, worse
still, lose it. His father had a contemptuous opinion of Joshua’s
shrewdness, and thought it not at all unlikely that he would be robbed.
Not knowing where else to go, he walked toward the Astor House. Whenever
he came to the city--which was not often--he was in the habit of
stopping at Lovejoy’s Hotel, near by, and the force of habit led him
thither now. At every step, he looked inquisitively about him; but no
Joshua met his gaze. In fact, Joshua was walking about on Eighth avenue
at this time, and about an hour later went to Central Park, where he
made the surprising bargain of which we already know, so that there was
very little chance of his father’s coming upon him for some hours, since
it was not probable that it would occur to him to go to Central Park.
After walking about in a desultory way, during the forenoon, Mr.
Drummond all at once had a bright thought. He remembered that Sam
Crawford was in a shoe store in the city, and naturally concluded that
Joshua, whom he had seen in Sam’s company during the latter’s vacation
at Stapleton, would, in his inexperience, seek him out. He remembered,
also, that, on a previous visit to New York, Sam’s direction had been
given him. He felt in his pocket, and, to his great satisfaction, found
that he still had it.
“I’ll go and see young Crawford,” he at once decided. “He may put me on
the track of Joshua.”
Taking the Eighth avenue cars at the Astor House, half an hour brought
him to the shoe store so fortunate as to have secured the services of
Mr. Crawford. Sam himself was standing in front of the door, ticketing
some shoes, when Mr. Drummond got off the car, and touched him on the
arm.
Sam started, and flushed a little, when he saw who it was that had
touched him.
“Mr. Drummond!” he exclaimed. “I didn’t expect to see you!”
“Have you seen anything of Joshua, Sam?” asked Mr. Drummond, hastily.
Sam made up his mind not to betray Joshua--not from any high-minded
feeling of friendship, but because he wanted to help Joshua spend the
money he had with him. Accordingly, he threw as much surprise as
possible into his tone, as he answered: “Joshua! Is he in the city?”
“Then you haven’t seen him?” said Mr. Drummond, disappointed.
“When did he come up?” asked Sam. “I wonder he didn’t come to see me.”
“He’s a young villain!” exclaimed Mr. Drummond, in excitement.
“What has he done?” asked Sam, curious to hear the story, of which he
could readily guess the nature.
“He’s run away with several hundred dollars of my money,” said Mr.
Drummond, sternly. “It’ll be a sorry day for him when I get hold of
him!”
“Just as I thought,” said Sam to himself. “How could he do such a
thing?” he said, aloud. “I didn’t think that of Joshua.”
“Nor I,” said his father; “but he’s long been pestering me to let him
come to New York, but I wouldn’t let him. Didn’t he ever say anything to
you about it?”
“Yes,” said Sam. “He’s often spoken of it.”
“I hoped you could tell me where to find him,” said Mr. Drummond.
“I haven’t the least idea where he is,” said Sam, which was, to some
extent, true, so far as Joshua’s present whereabouts were concerned.
“I may have to go back to Stapleton without finding him,” continued Mr.
Drummond. “If you see anything of him, I wish you would telegraph up to
me at once, and I’ll pay all expenses, and----” here Mr. Drummond
paused, but at last added, liberally: “I’ll give you a dollar besides.”
“I shan’t want any reward,” he said, but he inwardly pronounced him a
pretty mean fellow. “Very likely I shall see him, if he stays in the
city.”
“He won’t go away from the city,” said Mr. Drummond. “He wanted to live
here, most of all. Well, good-by. It won’t do for me to miss the
afternoon train home.”
“The old man’s precious mad!” said Sam to himself, as he entered the
store. “I would not like to stand in Joshua’s shoes when his
affectionate papa gets hold of him. It’s lucky he didn’t happen along
just now. So the old man expects to buy me for a dollar. It’s too cheap.
I always knew he was mean; and Joshua isn’t much better. I must see how
I can get as much out of him as possible, and that soon.”
About five o’clock Joshua came round to the store.
“’Most ready to go to supper, Sam?” he asked.
“Wait five minutes, and I’ll be ready.”
Joshua waited till his friend signified that he was ready.
“Where have you been, Joshua?” he asked.
“Walking all around. I’m as tired as a dog. I shan’t want to go anywhere
to-night.”
“Who do you think I have seen to-day?” asked Sam, scanning his friend’s
face.
“I don’t know,” said Joshua, indifferently.
“The old man!” answered Sam, in italics.
“The old man!” repeated Joshua, turning pale. “Where did you see him?”
“I was standing outside the door, when I felt some one touch my
shoulder. I looked round, and there he was.”
“My father?”
“Mr. Jacob Drummond, of Stapleton, himself.”
“Did he ask after me?” inquired Joshua, nervously.
“You bet he did!” answered Sam, significantly.
“What did he say?” asked Joshua, looking frightened.
“What did he say?” repeated Sam, a little maliciously. “Well, he called
you a young villain, the first thing. In fact, he didn’t seem
affectionate.”
“He always treated me mean,” said Joshua, resentfully. “What else did he
say?”
“He said you’d run away with several hundred dollars of his, and he
seemed very anxious to get hold of you. He’s going to give you a warm
reception when that time comes.”
“You didn’t tell him where I was, did you?” said Joshua, in alarm.
“Of course not. I pretended I didn’t know anything about you. What do
you think the old man wants me to do?”
“What?”
“He thinks you’ll come and see me, sooner or later, and asked me to
telegraph to him when you did, so that he might come for you.”
“You wouldn’t do it, would you, Sam?” said Joshua, uneasily.
“Do you think I’d betray a friend?” demanded Sam, loftily. “No, Joshua;
I am your firm friend. I will never desert you, although your father
offered me money if I would.”
“Did he?”
“Yes,” answered Sam.
He was about to mention how much, but it occurred to him that, if he
didn’t mention the smallness of the sum, he would get more credit for
disinterested friendship.
“How much?”
“Oh, no doubt he would come down handsomely; but, as I had no intention
of betraying you, I didn’t inquire.”
“Do you think he will come to the city again?” asked Joshua.
“Yes, I think he will.”
“He might get hold of me,” said Joshua, panic-stricken. “I wouldn’t go
back to Stapleton for anything. Oh, Sam, where shall I go?”
“I’ll tell you what, Joshua,” said Sam, after a pause, “I think you’d
better leave the city.”
“Where shall I go?”
“Go out West. Your father won’t think of looking for you there. Of
course, I don’t want to part with you, but it wouldn’t be safe for you
to stay here. He might get mad--the old man, I mean--and set the police
on your track. You know, he could, on account of the money you took.”
This was a very uncomfortable suggestion, and Joshua began to find his
dream of happiness in a city unsubstantial.
“When had I better go?” he asked.
“Soon. Of course, you’ll need to turn your government bond into money
before you go.”
“I’ll go and sell the bond to-morrow,” said Joshua.
“It wouldn’t be safe,” said Sam, shaking his head.
“Why not?”
“Your father may have put the police on your track already. When you
came to sell the bond, the police might be all ready to nab you.”
“Then, what am I to do?”
“I’ll tell you what, Joshua, you’re my friend, and I won’t desert you.
Give me the bond, and I’ll sell it for you. It’ll be a little risky;
still, I wasn’t the one who stole it, and so I shall not be in as much
danger as you.”
“Thank you, Sam,” said Joshua, considerably relieved to find his friend
willing to incur the danger.
“Let me see. I’ll take it at lunch time to-morrow. I can take an hour
and a half, and pretend I was detained.”
Sam was not quite so disinterested in this offer of service as Joshua
supposed. He had a plan for making a handsome commission out of the
sale.
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