MR. DUNCAN'S SECRET
About two weeks later, Prince Duncan sat at his desk with a troubled
look. Open before him were letters. One was post-marked London, and
ran as follows:
"MY DEAR SIR: I have decided to shorten my visit, and shall leave
Liverpool next Saturday en route for New York. You will see,
therefore, that I shall arrive nearly as soon as the letter I am
now writing. I have decided to withdraw the box of securities I
deposited in your bank, and shall place it in a safe-deposit vault
in New York. You may expect to see me shortly.
"Yours in haste,
"JOHN ARMSTRONG."
Drops of perspiration gathered on the brow of Prince Duncan as he
read this letter. What would Mr. Armstrong say when he learned that
the box had mysteriously disappeared? That he would be thoroughly
indignant, and make it very unpleasant for the president of
Groveton Bank, was certain. He would ask, among other things,
why Mr. Duncan had not informed him of the loss by cable, and no
satisfactory explanation could be given. He would ask, furthermore,
why detectives had not been employed to ferret out the mystery,
and here again no satisfactory explanation could be given. Prince
Duncan knew very well that he had a reason, but it was not one
that could be disclosed.
He next read the second letter, and his trouble was not diminished.
It was from a Wall Street broker, informing him that the Erie shares
bought for him on a margin had gone down two points, and it would be
necessary for him to deposit additional margin, or be sold out.
"Why did I ever invest in Erie?" thought Duncan ruefully. "I was
confidently assured that it would go up--that it must go up--and
here it is falling, and Heaven knows how much lower it will go."
At this point the door opened, and Randolph entered. He had a
special favor to ask. He had already given his father several hints
that he would like a gold watch, being quite dissatisfied with his
silver watch now that Luke Larkin possessed one superior to his. He
had chosen a very unfavorable moment for his request, as he soon
found out.
"Father," he said, "I have a favor to ask."
"What is it?" asked Prince Duncan, with a frown.
"I wish you would buy me a gold watch."
"Oh, you do!" sneered his father. "I was under the impression that
you had two watches already."
"So I have, but one is a Waterbury, and the other a cheap
silver one."
"Well, they keep time, don't they?"
"Yes."
"Then what more do you want?"
"Luke Larkin has a silver watch better than mine--a stem-winder."
"Suppose he has?"
"I don't want a working boy like him to outshine me."
"Where did he get his watch?"
"I don't know; he won't tell. Will you buy me a gold one, father?
Then I can look down upon him again."
"No, I can't. Money is very scarce with me just now."
"Then I don't want to wear a watch at all," said Randolph pettishly.
"Suit yourself," said his father coldly. "Now you may leave the
room. I am busy."
Randolph left the room. He would have slammed the door behind him,
but he knew his father's temper, and he did not dare to do so.
"What am I to do?" Prince Duncan asked himself anxiously. "I must
send money to the brokers, or they will sell me out, and I shall
meet with a heavy loss."
After a little thought he wrote a letter enclosing a check, but
dated it two days ahead.
"They will think it a mistake," he thought, "and it will give
me time to turn around. Now for money to meet the check when it
arrives."
Prince Duncan went up-stairs, and, locking the door of his chamber,
opened a large trunk in one corner of the room. From under a pile of
clothing he took out a tin box, and with hands that trembled with
excitement he extracted therefrom a dozen government bonds. One was
for ten thousand dollars, one for five, and the remainder were for
one thousand dollars each.
"If they were only sold, and the money deposited in the bank to my
credit," he thought. "I am almost sorry I started in this thing.
The risk is very great, but--but I must have money."
At this moment some one tried the door.
Prince Duncan turned pale, and the bonds nearly fell from his hands.
"Who's there?" he asked.
"It is I, papa," answered Randolph.
"Then you may go down-stairs again," answered his father angrily.
"I don't want to be disturbed."
"Won't you open the door a minute? I just want to ask a question."
"No, I won't. Clear out!" exclaimed the bank president angrily.
"What a frightful temper father has!" thought the discomfited
Randolph.
There was nothing for it but to go down-stairs, and he did so in a
very discontented frame of mind.
"It seems to me that something is going contrary," said Duncan to
himself. "It is clear that it won't do to keep these bonds here any
longer. I must take them to New York to-morrow--and raise money on
them."
On second thought, to-morrow he decided only to take the
five-thousand-dollar bond, and five of the one thousand, fearing
that too large a sale at one time might excite suspicion.
Carefully selecting the bonds referred to, he put them away in a
capacious pocket, and, locking the trunk, went down-stairs again.
"There is still time to take the eleven-o'clock train," he said,
consulting his watch. "I must do it."
Seeking his wife, he informed her that he would take the next train
for New York.
"Isn't this rather sudden?" she asked, in surprise.
"A little, perhaps, but I have a small matter of business to attend
to. Besides, I think the trip will do me good. I am not feeling
quite as well as usual."
"I believe I will go, too," said Mrs. Duncan unexpectedly. "I want
to make some purchases at Stewart's."
This suggestion was very far from agreeable to her husband.
"Really--I am"--he said, "I must disappoint you. My time will be
wholly taken up by matters of business, and I can't go with you."
"You don't need to. I can take care of myself, and we can meet at
the depot at four o'clock."
"Besides, I can't supply you with any money for shopping."
"I have enough. I might have liked a little more, but I can make
it do."
"Perhaps it will look better if we go in company," thought Prince
Duncan. "She needn't be in my way, for we can part at the station."
"Very well, Jane," he said quietly. "If you won't expect me to
dance attendance upon you, I withdraw my objections."
The eleven-o'clock train for New York had among its passengers Mr.
and Mrs. Duncan.
There was another passenger whom neither of them noticed--a small,
insignificant-looking man--who occasionally directed a quick glance
at the portly bank president.