THE RETURN OF THE WANDERERS
When Walter and Dick returned to Surfside with their tidings Mr.
Crowninshield's satisfaction and delight could hardly be expressed.
How he laughed at Burns's interpretation of O'Connel's message! And
how Dick laughed when at last the joke was imparted to him!
"Well, you two boys have been almighty clever between you," commented
the elder man. "I would not have credited either of you with so many
brains. To think of your getting that radio call! It is marvelous. And
then to take it to Burns! That was a master stroke. The idea would
never have entered my head. But what puzzles me is the message itself.
Do you suppose O'Connel has kidnapped Lola; or how has he got
possession of her? And how has he contrived to escape from the yacht
without being held up? I don't understand it at all. It isn't likely
Daly has let him walk off unmolested with the dog. The thing is more
than I can fathom."
"Perhaps Mr. Daly has relented and is sending Lola back," suggested
Walter.
"Not on your life, youngster! You don't know Daly," was the instant
reply. "He would never admit himself beaten and give up that pup.
Moreover the affair has cost him too much money, risk and trouble for
him to abandon his scheme. If he wanted Lola bad enough to hire
somebody to steal her he still wants her, mark my word! No, there is
something behind all this that we haven't reached. O'Connel has made
off with the dog somehow. Just how I am at a loss to tell. We shall
have to wait until he himself comes and enlightens us."
"Anything heard from Bob?" questioned Walter.
"Yes, I've had a wire. They've got the men they were after all right
and he will be back to-night."
"What did he say about it?" asked Dick eagerly.
"Nothing. You cannot tell an entire story in a telegram, you know. But
he has accomplished what he went for. I fancy he always does," added
the master of the estate with a smile.
"Generally, sir," nodded Walter proudly.
Mr. Crowninshield took a turn or two across the room.
"I mean to keep Bob with us this winter if I can prevail upon him to
stay," remarked the financier presently. "He is too able a chap to
lose sight of. I can find a big paying berth for him in New York and
if he will take it, your mother won't have to worry any further about
money affairs. And if you, sonny, make good and do as well as your
brother"--he patted Walter's shoulder, "I'll do the same for you some
day. You have done well this summer. Finish up your school work and
then we'll see."
"You are very kind, Mr. Crowninshield," the boy stammered.
"Not a bit. We all ought to give the chap who is willing to climb a
hand up the ladder. What are we in the world for?"
"I know my mother will be----"
"There, there!" interrupted the great man. "Your mother has two fine
sons that she may well be proud of. She has had a little hard sledding
to get them on their feet, that's all. Now it is their turn to lift
the burden and repay her. I am simply going to see that they get the
chance to do it. The rest I feel certain I can leave to them."
"We do want to help mother," Walter replied with sincerity.
"I know you do; both of you have proved it this summer. From now on I
intend your mother shall have no anxiety about her finances. We'll put
her where she will be perfectly independent of those uncles of yours,
and of summer boarders as well."
The lip of His Highness trembled and he could not speak.
"Some day I expect Dick and Nancy will be looking out for their mother
and me just this way," continued Mr. Crowninshield half humorously.
"There will be Lola to support, too."
Dick burst into a peal of laughter.
"You will have to cut out indulging in so many detectives if I'm to
pay the bills, Dad," answered he.
"Oh, you must not deprive me of my little luxuries," returned his
father. "One must have some amusement, remember."
"I'm afraid you will have to choose a cheaper one then."
"I'll think it over. If, however, I discover you cannot maintain me
and my trifling pleasures I may abandon you and turn to Walter to
support me in my old age."
Lighting a cigar he strolled away.
The boys ambled toward the boathouse. There was still three hours
before the Boston train, bringing O'Connel, would arrive. In the
meantime they indulged in a swim; took the dogs for a run; had
luncheon; paddled round the bay in Dick's canoe; and did everything
they could think of to hurry the moments along.
And when the car bearing Mr. Crowninshield and O'Connel did actually
roll into the drive what a state of excitement they were in!
Yes, there was Lola--there was no contesting that! She was a weak,
wretched little dog but it was she.
"However did you manage it, Mr. O'Connel?" cried Mrs. Crowninshield
who had come racing down the steps and gathered her favorite into her
arms.
Breathlessly the group clustered about the wee puppy.
"Well, the first thing I did was to convince myself the dog aboard
the yacht was really the one we were after. One day when the party
went ashore I hunted up the supposed Trixie and called her by her real
name. You should have seen her prick up her ears, poor little mite! I
had her licking my hand inside a minute. From that instant I began to
scheme. I found I couldn't send you many radio calls because they
watched me too closely. I think the mate suspected something--just
what, I could not make out, for I don't think he was in the secret of
the dog's capture. Anyway, I decided to steer clear of the wireless
and trust to luck. At last my chance came. Some equipment was needed
and it was decided I was to be put ashore and get it. By this time
Lola, who for the last few days had refused to eat, had begun to show
decidedly alarming symptoms. I diagnosed the case as plain
homesickness and privately resolved to get her off the yacht if it was
a possible thing; but Mr. Daly thought she had distemper or something
and was mightily cut up. He didn't want the animal to die on his hands
after all he had gone through to get her. Altogether he began to be
pretty uneasy and you may be sure I did my part to make him so. Every
chance I got I would remark how sick his dog seemed. Of course I
wasn't supposed to know it wasn't one he had had for years. I kept
harping on the puppie's health until I had him fussed to death. At
last he said: 'I don't know but what you are right about Trixie,
O'Connel. If they are going to put you ashore at Boston to buy
supplies, why wouldn't it be a good plan for you to take the dog to
the animal hospital there? You could leave her and later we could go
back and get her. She does seem ailing, and I haven't the ghost of an
idea what to do with a sick dog. Besides, she is a nuisance on the
yacht if she must be catered to all the time.' Well, as you can
imagine, I jumped at the chance although I took every pains not to let
him suspect I did. I told him that of course if he wanted me to take
the dog I should be glad to do it. I liked animals and also I wished
to accommodate him. There was no denying, however, that to carry Lola
with me would delay me in town. Still, if he desired it I would do my
best to see that she was taken _where she would get well_."
The big fellow paused and laughed heartily.
"I've kept that promise, too," grinned he. "I have sent a note back to
the _Siren_ recalling the phrase to Mr. Daly, and telling him that
having decided Lola would recover more completely if placed under the
protection of her rightful owners I was taking her back there."
"I'd like to see his face when he gets that letter!" said Mr.
Crowninshield, rubbing his hands.
"So should I," roared O'Connel, his broad shoulders shaking.
"But won't he----" Mrs. Crowninshield looked anxious.
"Won't he what, my dear?" inquired her husband.
"Aren't you afraid he will be angry and----" she held the wee dog
closer in her arms.
"He will be angry all right," agreed O'Connel. "But you need have no
fears that he will do anything more, ma'am. He is on too dangerous
ground. In the first place he cannot accuse me of appropriating his
dog for I can answer him that it was stolen in the first place. And he
cannot say I deserted his ship for all is fair in love and war, you
know. No, Daly is a good sport and he will instantly understand that
he has been beaten. We have been one too many for him, that is all.
Moreover, he won't be feeling any too comfortable for he is still
uncertain as to what Mr. Crowninshield may be planning to do with him.
Oh, Daly won't stir up trouble. You can trust him for that. On the
contrary he probably will clear out of reach of any possible storm. It
is his only course and he will be canny enough to take it."
"But you are not going to let him go scott free, are you Dad?"
demanded Dick.
"Oh, I don't know. What's the use of fighting a skunk like that? We
have our dog back and Daly must acknowledge that he has been beaten.
That is about all I want. He won't try anything more for I have a
whiplash over him as he is well aware. Any time I can prosecute him
for receiving stolen goods and being an accomplice in a robbery. With
the evidence I have such a case would go overwhelmingly against him
should it reach the courts. He is not for bringing that issue to a
head, you may rest assured of that."
"But you do mean to jail the men who actually took Lola, Father," put
in Nancy. "If you do that, won't the whole affair have to be aired and
Mr. Daly dragged into the trial?"
Her father did not answer immediately and before he had framed his
reply wheels were heard and Wheeler, driving Dick's racing car, drew
up at the steps.
"It's Bob, as I live!" shouted Walter. "Hello, Bobbie! Hello, old
chap!"
"Welcome home, Bob!" called Mr. Crowninshield going forward to meet
the lad.
"We have a surprise for you, Bob!" called Nancy. "Guess who's here?"
"I can't," smiled the wireless man coming up to the piazza and shaking
hands all round. Then his eye lighted on O'Connel.
"My word! How did you get here, old top? Fired from your job?"
For answer Mrs. Crowninshield held up Lola.
"The pup herself! Well, well! What's been happening in my absence,
anyhow?"
"I don't wonder you want to know," cried Nancy above the general
clamor.
"Hush! Do stop everybody. You are making a far worse noise than ever
came through that radiophone."
"First let's have Bob's story. We haven't heard that yet," Mr.
Crowninshield said. "Tell us what happened to you in New York, my
boy."
Bob dropped into a chair.
"Well, as I wired you, Dacie and Lyman have landed your men. I
recognized the fellow who came to Seaver Bay for water the instant I
set eyes on him. He recognized me, too, and knew the game was up. It
seems, though, that he and his pal are wanted in California on a prior
charge. A big burglary, I think it is. Anyway, they have got to be
taken out there and tried first. In the meantime our complaint can be
lodged against them and----"
"Aren't we to have the fun of jailing them after all?" asked Dick in
dismay.
"They will be jailed, never fear," returned Bob. "They will get a
stiff sentence, too, I imagine."
Mr. Crowninshield was silent and his wife now glanced toward him.
"Are you disappointed, Archibald?" inquired she.
"I guess," responded he slowly, "that is a good way out of our
dilemma. The villains will be carried far away from this vicinity and
will without doubt get all that's coming to them. What more can we
ask? We've won the game--taken every trick and made a clean sweep of
the whole business. Now that I've got Lola home I don't much care
about the rest of it. What do you say we let well enough alone and
drop it?"
"I should say that with every day of your life you were growing wiser,
my dear," answered his wife softly.
FINIS.
[Illustration: Publisher's logo]
_The first volume in "The Invention Series"_
PAUL AND THE PRINTING PRESS
_By_ SARA WARE BASSETT
With illustrations by A. O. Scott
_12mo. Cloth. 218 pages._
Paul Cameron, president of the class of 1920 in the Burmingham High
School, conceives the idea of establishing a school paper, to the
honor and glory of his class. So _The March Hare_ comes into
existence, and Paul and his schoolfellows bend all their energies to
making it a success. They have their difficulties and Paul in
particular bears the brunt of their troubles, but _The March Hare_
lives up to its reputation for life and liveliness and becomes not
only a class success, but a town institution. This is the first volume
in "The Invention Series."
"It is the sort of story that boys of fourteen years and upward
will enjoy and ought to enjoy, a combination that is rarely
achieved."--_Boston Post._
"A welcome volume which will appeal to boys who want a good story that
will give some information as well."--_New York Evening Post._
"'Paul and the Printing Press' not only has a keen story interest, but
has the advantage of carrying much valuable information for all young
folks for whom the mysterious and all-powerful printing press has an
attraction."--_Boston Herald._
LITTLE, BROWN & CO., PUBLISHERS
34 BEACON STREET, BOSTON
End of Project Gutenberg's Walter and the Wireless, by Sara Ware Bassett