MR. GODFREY BERKELEY IS HEARD FROM.
When the boys arrived at Hyson Hall the next morning--for Phil thought
it better to go home before continuing the search for his uncle--they
found great trouble there.
Joel had not returned at all, and Susan, not knowing what had happened
to him or the boys, was in sore distress. Phœnix had been obliged to
go home at dark, and she had sat up all night. She had determined to
send Jenny to the neighbors in the morning, but when day broke she had
formed a different plan.
The boys might be ever so far away, looking for Mr. Berkeley, and there
ought to be some one there who would attend to things. She was afraid
that Joel had gone off and got drunk.
There had been times when he had done this thing, and she could imagine
no other reason for his staying away and sending no message. So she
resolved to send Jenny to her father to ask him if he could not come to
Hyson Hall, to stay a day or two until things were straightened out.
She could not be left alone another night.
After a very early breakfast, Jenny had walked to town and taken the
train for a station within a mile of her father’s house. Susan was
rejoiced to see the boys, but was not surprised to hear them say that
they must start off again after breakfast. But they did not start off
again.
When Phil heard of Joel’s continued absence, he made up his mind that
they would not leave home until either Joel or Jenny’s father should
arrive; but he must ride back to town to give information in regard to
Emile.
They had passed by the town so early that morning that he thought Mr.
Harrison--the lawyer to whom he intended to make his complaint--was
probably still in bed.
As soon as possible he started off, leaving Chap behind in charge of
the stock and other farm affairs, with special injunctions to take good
care of Kit and get him in condition for another trip on the morrow.
Chap determined that Kit should be well fed that day, but when he went
to the grain-bins he was surprised to find them all empty. Kit and the
two work-horses had to get along as well as they could on hay and a
little corn which Chap found in the corn-house.
When Phil reached Mr. Harrison’s office he introduced himself,--for
that gentleman did not know him,--and then told the tale of Emile’s
attempting to shoot him, and of his stealing his gun; also relating
what Susan had told him of Emile’s conduct at Hyson Hall.
Mr. Harrison listened quietly, and then asked,--
“Were there any witnesses to young Touron’s attempt on your life?”
“No, sir,” said Phil; “my friend did not get there until it was all
over.”
“And he did not see Touron go away with the gun?”
“No,” said Phil; “but he saw the buggy far up the road, and he knew the
French boy had the gun, because I told him so.”
Mr. Harrison smiled.
“I am afraid you cannot make out much of a case without witnesses,” he
said, “and as I have heard of other troubles at your place in which
Touron fared very badly, it would not do to begin proceedings with
nothing to back them but your assertions. However, I will look into
the matter further, but I will first mention that I have just heard
from Mr. Markle, who is the Tourons’ lawyer, that he has received
a despatch from New York, in which young Touron states that he was
obliged to leave this town on account of a conspiracy against his
safety; and also states that his father desires instant despatch in
settling up this foreclosure business. As he is his father’s accredited
agent, Mr. Markle feels bound to obey his instructions, and I see
nothing to prevent the Hyson Hall property passing out of the hands of
its present proprietors. I have investigated the matter thoroughly,
and find there is quite a large sum due the holder of the mortgage.
As there seems no money to pay this, nothing remains but to sell the
place, since Touron is so determined to push matters.”
“I suppose all that will happen,” said Phil, mournfully, “unless I can
soon find my uncle. But it is all stuff about a conspiracy against
Emile Touron. He ran away because he was afraid I would inform against
him.”
“That may be,” said Mr. Harrison; “but I don’t see how it is to be
proved. Suppose we walk round to the place where he lodged and ask some
questions there.”
Mr. Harrison and Phil went to the tavern, and were there informed by
the proprietor himself that Mr. Touron had come in from a drive the
evening before, had taken the horse and buggy to the place where they
had been hired, and had then walked to the tavern and asked if supper
was ready.
In reply to Mr. Harrison’s questions, the tavern-keeper said he was
certain young Touron had no gun with him, because he would have been
sure to notice it, and he also asserted that there was no gun in
Touron’s room; because, having received a message from Mr. Markle,
informing him that Touron had been obliged to leave town suddenly,
and requesting him to take care of his effects, he had gone up to his
lodger’s room and packed all his belongings into his valise, which he
intended to keep until his bill was paid. There was no gun in the room.
Phil and Mr. Harrison then went down to the grocer’s house, and were
there assured that no gun had been in the buggy when it was brought
home the evening before.
“Now,” said Mr. Harrison to Phil, when they went out on the street, “it
is quite clear that young Touron did not bring a gun to town with him.
Therefore, if your story is correct, the only thing he could have done
with it was to throw it away on the road. I am willing to do everything
I can to help you prove what you assert, and I will send my clerk on a
horse to make search along the road over which Touron passed. He can
also ask questions of the people who live on the road. Perhaps some of
them have found the gun. You can go with him, if you like, and help him
look for the gun, as well as show him how far along the road to go.”
Phil and Mr. Harrison’s clerk soon rode off together, and the road from
the town to the place where Phil had waited for Chap was thoroughly
searched.
There were not many bushes by the fences, but all these were well
looked into, and the people at the houses were questioned, but no gun
was found, and no one had seen a gun by the roadside or in the fields.
The afternoon was half gone when Phil rode mournfully home, and the
clerk returned to make his report to Mr. Harrison.
When Phil reached Hyson Hall he found Joel. The latter had not been
drunk, but had had trouble. He had gone much farther than he had
expected, and had been obliged to stay away all night. He had not
considered this a matter of much consequence, for he supposed Phil and
Chap would be at the house, and that they could attend to the barn
affairs for one night at least.
The milking was always done by Jenny and Joel’s mother. But he had not
been able to set any hands at all. Disengaged men were very few, and
those he saw were not willing to come to a place where they probably
would not be paid for their work. Everybody seemed to have heard of the
troubles at Hyson Hall, and to know that the house and everything on
the place would soon be sold by the sheriff.
He had also tried at several places to buy some oats, for those ordered
from Trumbull’s had not come, but nobody would sell him any except for
cash.
Phil could not help thinking that Joel ought to have told him some time
before that they were so nearly out of oats, but he did not find any
fault with the man. He seemed to have managed matters so badly himself
that he had not the heart to blame anybody else.
“I guess we will have to turn the horses out to grass,” he said, “until
they are sold.” And then he went to the house.
Towards evening Helen Webster came to see her brother and Phil. She had
expected to be there sooner, but her mother had wished to come with
her, and so the visit was deferred; but there seemed to be no time when
there was not something which Mrs. Webster ought to do, and at last
Helen had come by herself.
She told the boys of her visit to Mr. Welford, which was the first
they had heard of it, and was much surprised to find that Phil had not
received a letter from the banker entirely exonerating him from the
charges that had been made.
“He ought to have written to you right away!” said Helen, indignantly;
“to tell you that he had found out that the things he had said about
you were not true. He was quick enough to write when he had fault to
find.”
Phil was very much comforted by Helen’s account of her visit to Mr.
Welford. He did not think much would come of it, but it pleased him to
know he had some one to speak for him.
“I am ever so much obliged to you and your mother,” he said; “but I
think Mr. Welford won’t be in any hurry to say he was mistaken. These
people don’t believe you when you go to them and tell them the plain
truth.”
And then, to prove his position, he gave Helen a full account of all
that had recently happened.
Helen was much affected by what Phil told her. She was already so much
incensed against Emile Touron that she could find little more to say
about him except that he was the most wicked person she knew of, and
that he certainly ought to be put in prison. Her grief at the probable
sale of Hyson Hall was very great.
“To think of this beautiful place being taken away from your family,”
she said, “and given to those horrible French people! It is too
dreadful! If my father were rich I would get him to come and buy the
place, and then your uncle could buy it back whenever he chose.”
“I was thinking of that myself,” said Chap; “but father couldn’t do it.
There isn’t anybody about here who could bid against those Tourons.
They are rich people, and they want this place.”
“But isn’t there any way of raising money?” asked Helen, anxiously.
“Yes,” said Chap, “there is a way, and the thing ought to have been
done long ago. That wreck down there----”
“Now, look here, Chap,” interrupted Phil, “it’s of no use to talk about
that wreck. Even if there is any treasure in it, we couldn’t get at it
without first spending a lot of money, and that is what we haven’t got.
No, Helen,” he continued, “there isn’t any way of raising money that
I can see. There isn’t anything I could sell, except some horses and
cows, and they wouldn’t bring anything like enough. Besides, I haven’t
any right to sell uncle’s property, even to pay his debts.”
“No,” said Chap; “and if you were to do anything of that kind your
uncle would come along next day and make a jolly row about selling his
stock for half-price.”
“Couldn’t you take boarders?” suggested Helen. “That is a splendid way
to make money in the summer-time, and this house is big enough to hold
ever so many of them.”
“That would be capital!” cried Chap. “I’d just like to stay here, Phil,
and help you run a boarding-house. I could ride over the country and
buy up butter and eggs.”
“And bring them home all mixed together,” said Helen, laughing. “I
don’t think you would make much of a manager, Chap, if the people were
at all particular.”
“Now, Helen,” said Chap, “you know I am very particular.”
“There is no use arguing about that,” interrupted Phil. “We couldn’t
get any boarders to come here. They’d be afraid they’d be sold with the
rest of the property.”
“Don’t talk that way, Phil,” said Helen. “It sounds awful.”
The party was now joined by Phœnix.
“I didn’t know whether I’d find you at home or not,” he said to Phil;
“but I came over to see. Sorry I couldn’t stay last night, for I left
Susan in a dreadful stew. Didn’t find your uncle, I suppose?”
“No,” said Phil.
He was about to begin an account of his adventures the day before, when
Phœnix pulled a letter out of his pocket and handed it to him.
“I was in town this afternoon,” he said, “and the people in the
post-office gave me this to bring to you. It is a drop letter, and must
have been put in yesterday. They said they saw you in town, but guessed
you must have forgotten to stop at the office.”
“I did forget,” said Phil, as he took the letter. Glancing at the
address, his face brightened. “It’s from uncle!” he exclaimed.
“Good! good!” cried Helen, clapping her hands. “Now everything will be
all right! I felt sure all the time that something good would happen!”
Phil tore open the envelope and took out the note it contained. It was
very short, and he read it aloud. He had no secrets from his friends.
This was the note:
“You have grieved me to the heart. I expected to be with you for
a time to-day, but little did I suppose I should be met with an
insult--for it was nothing less--before I set foot on my own land. I
don’t wish to see you for the present, and I cannot say when you will
hear from me again.
“G. B.”
Phil stood, pale, with the letter in his hand, and said not a word.
Helen burst into tears.
“That is too cruel!” she said. “What does he mean?”
Chap’s face flushed, and he clinched his fist.
“Do you suppose,” he said to Phil, “that he got his back up in that
way because you didn’t send the gun to him?”
But Phil made no answer. He still stood with his eyes fixed on the
floor. This was the most cruel blow he had ever received, and it
stunned him.
Phœnix said nothing, but his mind was filled with an earnest wish that
he had not stopped at the post-office.
“Chap,” said Phil, directly, in a husky voice that did not seem like
his own, “I won’t bother you to stay here to-night, but I would like
you to come round in the morning. Good-by, all!”
And he went into the house with the letter in his hand.
Helen and the two boys walked down the porch-steps without a word. But
when they were some distance from the house, Chap suddenly stopped and
shook his fist.
“The fellow that ought to have his head punched worst of all,” he
cried, “is that uncle!”
Half an hour later Phil was sitting gloomily on the porch, looking over
the fields, when a man came through the hall and out of the front door
to speak to him.
“I am Jenny’s father,” said the man. “She said you were a little hard
pushed and needed help, and so I came over with her.”
Phil rose and looked up at the person addressing him. To his surprise,
he recognized him as the man who had held his horse on the day he
had violated a town ordinance by tying Jouncer to a tree. The man
recognized him also.
“Hello!” he cried. “So you are young Hyson, are you? I’ve heard a good
deal about you, but never knew who you were before. I suppose you
haven’t been tying any more horses to trees lately?”
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