WILL’S BEST GIRL.
Man’s justice is helpless to punish adequately such crimes as Ezra
Jordan had been guilty of, and John Carden was so grateful for the
final restoration of his beloved wife and children that he was not
disposed to prosecute legally the false friend who had been responsible
for his years of anguish.
“Let us leave this criminal to a Judgment surer and mightier than
ours,” he said, and the others acquiesced in his decision.
But in the stormy interview that followed Mr. Williams stipulated
that Jordan, as a price of his personal freedom, should refund to
John Carden every penny of that vast sum of money of which he had so
treacherously defrauded him, and although it was worse than death to
the miser to disgorge his ill-gotten gains, he was forced to agree to
the proposition.
This being settled, Will was called upon for explanation, and related
the strange story of his finding his father in London. Mr. Carden
followed with a brief outline of his successful career in Birmingham,
where his wonderful process had made for him a great fortune and a
respected name.
The conference being now ended, Will and his father hurried away to
meet the mother and wife, who was as yet ignorant of the glad surprise
awaiting her. For father and son had gone straight to the office of the
steel works from the station, delaying only long enough to place Mrs.
Williams in the carriage that had been sent to whirl her home to the
waiting arms of her eager children.
As for Mr. Jordan, he was turned over to the mercies of the commercial
traveller and the little detective in plain clothes, who would see he
did not escape until he had fulfilled his obligation of refunding his
fortune to John Carden.
When Will and his father neared the cottage the boy went on ahead to
prepare his mother for the great surprise, and after she had clasped
him in her arms and hugged the boy to her heart’s content, (with Flo
dancing merrily around and Egbert smiling his pleasure at his brother’s
return,) he said to her earnestly:
“Mother, Mr. Jordan has been discovered to be a very wicked man.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” she exclaimed; “what has he done?”
“Why, he’s robbed father, for one thing, by stealing his secret and
selling it; and besides he tried to make us all believe father was
dead.”
She gave a sudden cry, at this, and clasped her hands above her heart.
Then, reading his face with questioning eyes, she managed to say:
“Speak, Will! What do you mean?”
“Why, father wasn’t lost at sea at all. He’s been in Birmingham all
this time.”
She swayed for an instant, as if about to fall. Then, drawing herself
tense, she said:
“If this is true, why did he never write to us? Why has he been silent
so long?”
“Because Mr. Jordan made him believe we were dead, too, and poor father
has been mourning for us all these years.”
“I--I don’t understand,” she murmured, brokenly. “How do you know all
this, my son?”
“Father told me. I met him in London, and he came back with me.”
A light seemed to break upon her, glorifying her worn face.
“Where is he, Will?”
“Here!” said a new voice, and John Carden stepped within the door and
held out his arms.
She fainted then, which was a very natural thing to do under such
trying circumstances; but when she regained consciousness she lay
happily within her husband’s close embrace, and now Will seized the
staring Flo by one hand and the confused Egbert by the other, and led
them softly from the room.
Great was the excitement in Bingham when the news of John Carden’s
return flew from lip to lip, together with the dreadful tale of Mr.
Jordan’s wickedness. When the latter had made restitution and slunk
away to some unknown part of the country, there was none to regret
his loss, but many willing to declare they had always mistrusted him.
Scores of citizens flocked to congratulate Mr. Carden and his wife, and
the poor woman was happier than she had ever been since the days when
her handsome and talented husband had first led her to the altar.
The two steel magnates talked over their business complications
together, and decided to form a partnership, continuing the manufacture
of the Carden Process Steel both in Bingham and in Birmingham, and thus
controlling the industry on both sides of the ocean.
And Mrs. Williams gave a big dinner to celebrate this important event,
and kissed Mrs. Carden very sweetly when she arrived upon the arm of
her distinguished husband. And Nora, so happy that she had to pause
frequently to wipe away the tears that gathered in her kindly eyes,
quite outdid herself in the preparation of the feast.
“Glory be!” she said to the imperturbable Thomas, “The Cardens, God
bless ’em! have come to their own again.”
Will and Annabel sat side by side at the table, smiling and contented
at being together. Even Reginald was on his good behavior, and Gladys,
who had conceived a violent love for her mother since that lady’s
return, was demure and silent. Flo sat next to Theodore, and Mary
Louise was beside Egbert, to whom, being pitiful of his deficiencies,
she was very attentive.
Merrier comrades were never seated at one table, and Will was the hero
of the hour. Mr. Williams made a neat speech, at dessert, praising the
boy so highly that his cheeks grew as red as cherries. Said he:
“We owe to Will the discovery of Mr. Carden--”
“Oh, no,” cried Will. “We owe that to Mrs. Williams.”
“And the dress suit,” added his father, with a smile and a proud glance
at his son.
“And we owe to Will the discovery of the papers in the oak tree,”
continued Mr. Williams.
“Why, that was Annabel!” said Will.
“Anyhow,” declared the doctor, who, with his napkin tucked under his
chin, was supremely happy, “we owe to Will those famous mushrooms we
have just eaten.”
“Oh, Doctor!” remonstrated Will. “You’re the head of the firm, and I’ve
no doubt you sold them to Nora at a big profit.”
They all laughed, then; but they were glad to laugh at the slightest
excuse to be merry. And it was an evening they all remembered as long
as they lived.
Having made such satisfactory arrangements with Mr. Williams to
continue the business at Bingham, Mr. Carden prepared to return to
Birmingham, taking with him Mrs. Carden and Flo and Egbert. For the
scene of his prosperity was to become his future home. It was arranged
that Will should remain in America and attend college, after which he
was promised Mr. Jordan’s place as secretary at the Bingham mills, in
order that he might represent his father’s American interests.
“We’re going to be partners, some day, my boy,” said Mr. Williams,
slapping Will’s shoulder with characteristic heartiness; “so hurry
through college, and get ready for work. And remember that every
vacation you are to come straight to my home.”
Of course Will was very happy at this prospect; and, because he must
enter Princeton in September, he devoted most of the days that remained
to him in driving or walking with Annabel.
One afternoon they met the doctor striding down the road with his stout
cane in one hand and his medicine case in the other.
He halted before Annabel and Will, scowling dreadfully.
“What’s this I hear about your going to college?” he asked the boy.
“It’s true.” said Will, smiling. “I’m afraid, Doctor, I’ll have to give
up growing mushrooms.”
“You will, eh? Well, sir, what’s going to become of those poor
grandchildren of mine?” growled the doctor.
“If they are ever in need, sir, I’ll agree to support them.”
“In that event, we’ll dissolve partnership,” said the old fellow, less
gruffly. Then he added:
“Put out your tongue!”
“What for?” asked Will
“You’ve got symptoms.”
“Oh what?”
“A disease that’s mighty common,” declared the other, with an amused
laugh at his own pleasantry; “but one that seldom proves fatal.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” said the boy, with downcast eyes.
Dr. Meigs turned suddenly to Annabel, chucking her playfully underneath
her chin before she could draw back.
“Aren’t you in this young lady’s company pretty often these days?”
Will straightened perceptibly, plainly showing his confusion. He
glanced shyly at Annabel who stood with downcast eyes, her face
suffused with blushes, then he blurted out:
“Of course I am. Annabel’s an old chum.”
THE END.
Transcriber’s Note
Punctuation has been standardised. Hyphenation and spelling have been
retained as they appear in the original publication. Changes have been
made as follows:
Page 21
“I don’t want to” wailed Gladys _changed to_
“I don’t want to,” wailed Gladys
Page 69
care for the fire in the “of- _changed to_
care for the fire in the “office.”
Page 70
when he heared a sound _changed to_
when he heard a sound
Page 106
headaches that lay _changed to_
headaches that day
Page 108
in and broug’t her top _changed to_
in and brought her top
came every morning crosslots _changed to_
came every morning across lots
Page 117
eyes had been fixed calmy upon _changed to_
eyes had been fixed calmly upon
a the work we can _changed to_
all the work we can
Page 125
and geting the secret _changed to_
and getting the secret
Page 134
present at all these gaities _changed to_
present at all these gaieties
Page 140
who was shrewed enough _changed to_
who was shrewd enough
Page 144
you sold the the secret _changed to_
you sold the secret
Page 157
shoulders and an erect bearng _changed to_
shoulders and an erect bearing
Page 164
delight sight-seeing wth the good _changed to_
delight sight-seeing with the good
Page 170
infomation that was now very useful _changed to_
information that was now very useful