HOOKER MONTGOMERY'S STRANGE REQUEST
The stranger approached slowly, as if hoping Dave would go on before he
came up. Once he looked towards the fields on either side of the road,
as if thinking to turn off. But no side road was at hand, so he had to
either come on or turn back.
"Why, it is Doctor Montgomery!" said the lad to himself, as he
recognized the man. Then, as he got still closer, Dave saw that the
so-styled doctor looked shabby and dissipated. His nose was exceedingly
red, as if he had been drinking, and his overcoat was much worn and so
were his shoes.
"How do you do?" he said, somewhat gruffly, as he came up to where Dave
was standing.
"How are you?" returned Dave, coldly, and stepped aside, as if to let
the doctor pass. But instead of doing this the traveling physician came
to a somewhat unsteady halt.
"Your name is Dave Porter, isn't it?" he queried, trying hard to steady
a voice that liquor had rendered nervous.
"It is."
"I guess you know me, Doctor Montgomery."
"Yes."
"Going to Oakdale?"
"I am."
"So am I. If you don't mind I'll walk with you. I want to talk to you."
"What do you wish?" demanded Dave. The road was rather a lonely one, and
he did not fancy the doctor for a companion.
"I've been wanting to see you for some time, Porter," answered Hooker
Montgomery, hesitatingly, as if not knowing how to begin. "Fact is, I
went up to the school hoping to meet you."
"Why didn't you call for me if you wanted to see me?"
"Well--er--the fact is, Doctor Clay and I are not on good terms, that's
why. To tell you the truth, I once sold some of my medicines to some of
his hired help, and he didn't like it. He thinks my medicines are
not--er--reliable. But they are, sir, they are--more reliable than those
of most physicians!" And Hooker Montgomery tried to draw himself up and
look dignified. But, to Dave, the effort was a failure. He could read
the fellow thoroughly, and knew him to be what is commonly called a
fakir, pure and simple.
"What did you want of me?" asked Dave, as they walked on in the
direction of Oakdale.
"I wished to see you on an important business matter."
"Business? What business?"
"I will come to that presently, Porter. But it is important, very
important, I can assure you. I was going to ask you to call at a certain
place in Rockville and see me about it."
"What place?"
"A boarding-house at which I am stopping. It is a very nice place,
located on the river, and kept by a lady named Dunn--Mrs. Margaret
Dunn."
At once Dave remembered the letter picked up on Bush Island--the letter
written by Doctor Montgomery, and asking Jasniff to meet him at Dunn's
on the river. In that communication the doctor had said he would aid
Jasniff all he could, provided the Rockville student would assist him in
some transaction involving little risk--which would mean that there must
be something "shady" about it.
"Can't you explain the business to me without my going to Rockville?" he
asked.
"I cannot. I have some things at the boarding-house--some letters and
documents--I wish to show you. Day after to-morrow is Saturday. Can't
you come to Rockville in the afternoon and see me? I can assure you,
sir, it is very important, very important indeed!" And Doctor
Montgomery gave Dave a mysterious look.
"Do the letters and documents concern me personally?"
"They concern you, and--shall I tell you? Yes, I will! They concern you
and your sister. But don't ask me to say more now. I will explain all
when you come to see me."
Dave began to think rapidly. This fellow was friendly with Jasniff and
probably with Merwell also. Once Merwell had caused Laura Porter much
annoyance by holding certain letters she had written. Was it possible
Merwell still had some of her letters, and was he planning to make more
trouble because of them?
"I don't understand this business, Doctor Montgomery," he said, frankly.
"If it was so important why didn't you write to me, or telephone?"
"I will explain. This is important to you and your sister. It would hurt
your reputation to make anything public. I want to do things on the
quiet, see? Acting entirely in your interests, Porter. You will
understand it all when you call and--er--see the letters and documents,
and the photographs, especially the photographs."
"All right then--I'll come--if I can get off."
"About three o'clock in the afternoon?"
"Between three and four."
"Very good, sir, very good indeed. You will not regret coming, I can
assure you, sir. But one thing more. Let me caution you to say nothing
to your school friends of this visit. I wish you to come entirely
alone."
"Why alone?" demanded Dave, suspiciously.
"Because I wish to protect myself as well as you and your sister. I want
no witnesses to our meeting, as I wish to avoid all trouble. I shall be
alone, and I wish you to be alone also."
"This is a mighty strange proceeding."
"Possibly, Porter. But you will understand everything when you call. You
need not be afraid. At present I am the only boarder Mrs. Dunn has, and
she is old and somewhat deaf. The house is on the river road, the fourth
place above the sawmill. It is painted light yellow. You can't miss it."
"And you won't tell me any more at present?"
"I cannot. But on Saturday afternoon, if you will come to me alone, you
shall know all."
"Very well."
"And one thing more, Porter. I am going to do you and your family a
great favor."
"Well?"
"I am a poor man. I could have made money out of my remedies had I
charged as some physicians do, but instead I wished to aid humanity, and
so sold my priceless medicines for a song. Yes, I am poor, sir, and I
need money. If I aid you----" Hooker Montgomery paused suggestively.
"If you really do me a favor, you shall be well paid for it, Doctor
Montgomery," replied Dave, promptly.
"You mean that?" And now the doctor's voice took on a sudden note of
keen interest.
"I do."
"They tell me your folks are rich."
"We are well off."
"Ah, ahem! Very good! Then if I do a very great favor for you probably
you will--er--appreciate it."
"Yes, sir."
"Then it is settled, Porter, and I shall look for you about three
o'clock on Saturday sure. And you are to come entirely alone."
"I understand. But, listen, Doctor Montgomery," went on Dave, and his
voice grew stern. "There is to be no underhanded work in this. If there
is--well, you'll get the worst of it."
"Oh, no; nothing of that sort, I can assure you, sir! You have
absolutely nothing to fear," answered the man hurriedly, but his eyes
were rather shifty as he spoke.
"All right, I'll be on hand,--if I can get away."
They had now gained a crossroads, and here the doctor halted. He looked
at Dave as if on the point of speaking again, then simply jerked his
head in an attempted dignified fashion, and hurried off, around a bend
and out of sight.
It would be hard to analyze Dave's feelings as he proceeded on his
errand to Oakdale. He wondered if Doctor Montgomery was acting on his
own account or for Merwell and Jasniff, and he also wondered what the
mysterious letters and documents and photographs could be. Was it
possible that Laura had once given her photograph to Merwell, or had it
taken when in that rascal's company? If the latter was true, Merwell
would know that the Porters would give a good deal to get the picture,
and have the negative destroyed.
"Perhaps it is only a scheme to get me to Rockville and to some place
where Jasniff and Merwell can lay hands on me," he mused. "They'd like
nothing better than to black my eyes and pound me to a jelly. If I go
there alone I'll have to keep my eyes wide open."
Then Dave remembered what the doctor had said about being a poor man and
needing money. Perhaps the fellow thought to "bleed him," not only in
the interest of Jasniff and Merwell, but also for himself.
"He'll not get a cent out of me unless he has something of real value to
turn over to me," Dave decided. "If it's only a blackmailing scheme,
he'll find me as sharp as himself." He could make nothing of the fact
that the doctor had at first tried to avoid him.
He was half tempted to tell Roger and Phil about the affair, but at last
decided to see it through alone. If there really was something in it
about private letters and photographs he would prefer that his chums
know nothing of it.
All that evening and throughout Friday, Dave was very thoughtful. His
chums noticed it, and Roger and Phil both asked what was wrong.
"Nothing wrong," he answered, with a faint smile.
"You've got something on your mind, Dave," went on the senator's son.
"Struck a new girl, or has Jessie struck a new fellow?"
"Not as bad as that, Roger. I was just wondering if I should buy a red
necktie or a blue one."
"Rats! It's a girl, I'll wager a new hat."
"Or else Dave is thinking out some new essay with which to capture a
prize," suggested Phil.
"Don't you worry about me," answered Dave. "Come on out and have a
skate," and thus the subject was dismissed, for the time being.
The Leming River was in fine condition for skating, and fully two score
of students were out, some cutting fancy figures, and a few racing.
Among the number was Nat Poole, clad in a new crimson sweater and
wearing a brand new pair of long hockey skates.
"Nat is training for hockey," said Roger. "He says he is going to
organize a team."
"Well, we'll organize one, too," answered Dave. "I always did like field
hockey, and I know I'd like it on the ice."
"Come on, Dave!" shouted Ben, circling up on his skates, and doing a
"spread eagle."
"Come on where?"
"Get into the race! We want you, and Phil, and Roger, too."
"What race is that?"
"Mr. Dodsworth wants all the big boys in it. It's a race up the river
for a mile, and back to the boathouse. The winner gets a silver
lead-pencil sharpener."
"All right, I'm in that!" cried the shipowner's son. "I need a
sharpener."
"So do I," added Roger. "How about it, Dave?"
"I'll go in, although my skates are not as sharp as they might be."
A crowd had gathered to see the race, and in a few minutes the
contestants were lined up by the gymnastic teacher. The starters
numbered fourteen, and included Nat Poole, Dave, Roger, Phil, Shadow,
Ben, and Plum.
"All ready?" asked Mr. Dodsworth. "Then go!" And away went the long
line, the skates flashing brightly in the clear sunlight, and the
onlookers cheering, and uttering words of encouragement to their
favorites.