ABOUT THE TIN BOX.
Captain Patterdale worked with the doctor for a full hour upon poor
Michael, who at the end of that time opened his eyes, and soon declared
that he was "betther entirely." He insisted upon getting up, for it was
not "the likes of himself that was to lay there and have his honor
workin' over him." But the doctor and the nabob pacified him, and left
him, much improved, in the care of his wife.
"How is he, Dr. Wadman?" asked the sympathizing Nellie, as they came
down stairs together.
"He is decidedly better," replied the physician.
"Will he die?"
"O, no; I think not. His case looks very hopeful now."
"I thought folks always died with sun-stroke," said Nellie, more
cheerfully.
"No; not unless their heads are very soft," laughed the doctor.
"Well, I shouldn't think Laud Cavendish would dare to go out when the
sun shines," added the fair girl, with a snap of her bright eyes.
"It isn't quite safe for him to do so. Unfortunately, such people don't
know their own heads. I will come in again after tea," said the doctor,
as he went out of the house, at the front door; for he had not left his
hat in the library.
"I am so glad Michael is better!" continued Nellie. "When I saw him
drop, I felt as cold as ice, and I was afraid I should drop too before I
could get to the library."
"Did you see him fall, Nellie?" asked her father.
"Yes; he gave a kind of groan, and then fell; he was--"
"Gracious!" exclaimed Captain Patterdale, interrupting her all of a
sudden.
He turned on his heel, and walked rapidly into the library. Nellie was
startled, and was troubled with a suspicion that her father had a _coup
de soleil_, or _coup de_ something-else; for he did not often do
anything by fits and starts. She followed him into the library. It was a
fact that the captain had left his hat there; but it was not for this
article, so necessary in a hot day, that he hastened thus abruptly into
the room. Nellie found him flying around the apartment in a high state
of excitement for him. He was looking anxiously about, and seemed to be
very much disturbed.
"What in the world is the matter, father?" asked Nellie.
"Where is your mother?"
"She has gone over to Mrs. Rodman's."
"Hasn't she been back?"
"No, certainly not; I was just going over to tell her what had happened
to Michael, when you came down."
"Who has been in here, Nellie?"
"I don't know that anybody has. I haven't seen any one. What's the
matter, father? what in the world has happened?"
"I left my tin box here when I went out to see to Michael, and now it is
gone," answered Captain Patterdale, anxiously. "I didn't know but that
your mother had come in and taken care of it."
"The tin box gone?" exclaimed Nellie. "Why, what can have become of it?"
"That is just what I should like to know," added the captain, as he
renewed his search in the room for the treasure chest.
It was not in the library, and then he looked in the great hall and in
the little hall, in the drawing-room, the sitting-room, and the
dining-room; but it was not in any of these. He knew he had left it on
the chair near where he was sitting when he went out of the room. Then
he examined the spring-lock on the door of the library which led into
the side street. It was closed and securely fastened. The door shut
itself with a patent invention, and when shut it locked itself, so that
anybody could get out, but no one could get in unless admitted.
"Where were you when I was up stairs, Nellie?" asked Captain Patterdale,
as he seated himself in his arm-chair, to take a cool view of the whole
subject.
"I was in the hall most of the time," she replied.
"Who has been in the library?"
"Let me see; Laud Cavendish came down first, and went out through the
library."
The captain rubbed his bald head, and seemed to be asking himself
whether it was possible for Mr. Laud Cavendish to do so wicked a deed as
stealing that tin box. He did not believe the young swell had the
baseness or the daring to commit so great a crime. It might be, but he
could not think so.
"Who else has been in here?" he inquired, when he had hastily considered
all he knew about the moral character of Laud.
"That other man who was with you--I don't know his name--the one that
was here when I came in with Don John."
"Mr. Hasbrook."
"He went out through the library. I thought he looked real ugly too,"
added Nellie. "He kept fidgeting about all the time I was here."
"And all the time he was here himself. He went out through the
library--did he?"
"Yes, sir."
Captain Patterdale mentally overhauled the character of Mr. Hasbrook. It
was unfortunate for his late debtor that his character was not first
class, and between him and Laud Cavendish the probabilities were
altogether against Hasbrook. He had evidently been vexed and angry
because he failed to carry his point, and his cupidity might have been
stimulated by revenge. But the captain was a fair and just man, and in a
matter of this kind, involving the reputation of any person, he kept his
suspicions to himself.
"Who else has been in the library, Nellie?" he asked.
"No one but Don John," replied she. And whatever Laud or Hasbrook might
have done in wickedness, Nellie had too much regard for her friend and
schoolmate to admit for one instant the possibility of his doing
anything wrong, much less his committing so gross a crime as the
stealing of the tin box and its valuable contents.
Captain Patterdale was hardly less confident of the integrity of Donald.
Certainly it was not necessary to suspect him when the possibilities of
guilt included two such persons as Laud and Hasbrook. Donald was rather
distinguished, in school and out, as a good boy, and he ought to have
the full benefit of his reputation.
"You don't think Don John took the box--do you, father?" asked Nellie,
as her father was meditating on the circumstances.
"Certainly not, Nellie," protested the captain, warmly; "I don't know
that anybody has taken it."
"I know Don John would not do such a thing."
"I don't believe he would."
"I know he would not."
Her father thought she was just a little more earnest in her
uncalled-for defence of the young man than was necessary, and for the
first time in his life it occurred to him that she was more interested
in him than he wished her to be; for, as Donald was only the son of a
poor boat-builder, such a strong friendship might be embarrassing in the
future. However, this was only the shadow of a passing thought, which
divided his attention only for a moment. The loss of the tin box was the
question of the hour, and "society" topics were not just then in order.
"I have no idea that Don John took the box," replied Captain Patterdale.
"I am more willing to believe either of the other two who were in the
library took it than that he did. But he was the last of the three who
went out through this room. He may be able to give me some information,
and I will go down and see him. He and his father were going off in the
new yacht--were they not?"
"Yes, sir."
"You need not say a word about the box to any one, Nellie, nor even that
it is lost," added the captain. "If I do not find it, I shall employ a
skilful detective to look it up, and he may prefer to work in the dark."
"I will not mention it, father," replied Nellie. "What was in the box?
Was it money?"
"I put thirteen hundred and fifty dollars into it, but I took out twenty
to pay the bill that Laud brought. It contains my deeds, leases,
policies of insurance, and my notes, and these papers are really more
valuable to me than the money. Luckily, my bonds and securities are in
another box, in the vault of the bank."
"Then you will lose over thirteen hundred dollars if you don't find the
box?"
"More than that, I am afraid, for I shall hardly be able to collect all
the money due on the notes if I lose them," replied the captain, as he
left the house.
He walked down to the boat shop of Mr. Ramsay. It was on the shore, and
near it was the house in which the boat-builder lived. Neither Don John
nor his father was at the shop, but a sloop yacht, half a mile out in
the bay, seemed to be the Sea Foam. She was headed towards the shore,
however, and Captain Patterdale seated himself in the shade of the shop
to await its arrival, though he hardly expected to obtain any
information in regard to the box from Donald. While he was sitting
there, Mr. Laud Cavendish appeared with a large basket in his hand. The
counter-jumper started when he turned the corner of the shop, and saw
the nabob seated there.
"Going a-fishing?" asked the captain.
"Yes, sir; I'm going over to Turtle Head to camp out over Sunday,"
replied Laud. "How is Michael, sir?"
"He is much better, and is doing very well."
"I'm glad of it," added Laud, as he carried his basket down to a
sail-boat which was partly aground, and deposited it in the forward
cuddy.
Captain Patterdale wanted to talk with Laud, but he did not like to
excite any suspicions on his part. If the young man had taken the box
he would not be likely to go off on an island to stay over Sunday.
Besides, it was evident from the position of the boat, and the fact that
it contained several articles necessary for a fishing excursion, in
addition to those in the basket, that Laud had made his arrangements for
the trip before he visited the library of the elegant mansion. If he had
taken the box, he would probably have changed his plans. It was not
likely, therefore, that Laud was the guilty party.
"Are you going alone?" asked the captain, walking down the beach to the
boat.
"Yes, sir; I couldn't get any one to go with me. I tried Don John, but
he won't go off to stay over Sunday," replied Laud, with a sickly grin.
"I commend his example to you. I don't think it is a good way to spend
Sunday."
"It's the only time I can get to go. I've been trying to got off for a
month."
"Saturday must be a bad time for you to leave," suggested the captain.
"It is rather bad," added Laud, as he shoved off the bow of the boat,
for he seemed to be in haste to get away.
"By the way, Laud, did you notice a tin box in my library when you were
there this afternoon?" asked the nabob, with as much indifference in his
manner and tone as he could command.
"A tin box?" repeated Laud, busying himself with the jib of the
sail-boat.
"Yes; it was painted green."
"I don't remember any box," answered Laud.
"Didn't you see it? I opened it to take out the money I paid you."
"I didn't mind. I was receipting the bill while you were getting the
money ready. You know I sat down at your desk."
"Yes; I know you did; but didn't you see the box?"
"No, sir; I don't remember seeing any box," said Laud, still fussing
over the sail, which certainly did not need any attention.
"You went out through the library when you came down from Michael's
room--didn't you?" continued the captain.
"Yes, sir; I did. I left my hat in there."
"Did you see the box then?"
"Of course I didn't. If I had, I should have remembered it," replied
Laud, with a grin. "I just grabbed my hat, and ran, for I had been in
the house some time; and I got a blessing for being away so long when I
went back to the store."
"You didn't see the box, then?"
"If it was there, I suppose I saw it; but I didn't take any notice of
it. Why? is the box lost?"
"I want to get another like it. Haven't you anything of the sort in the
store?"
"We have some cake and spice boxes. They are tin, and painted on the
outside."
"Those will not answer the purpose. It's a very hot day," added the
captain, as he wiped the perspiration from his face, and walked back to
the shade of the shop.
Mr. Laud Cavendish stepped into the sail-boat, hoisted the sails, and
shoved her off into deep water with an oar. Captain Patterdale thought,
and then he did not know what to think. Was it possible Laud had not
noticed that tin box, which had been on a chair out in the middle of
the room? If he had not, why, then he had not; but if he had Laud had
more cunning, more self-control, and more ingenuity than the captain had
ever given him the credit, or the discredit, of possessing, for there
was certainly no sign of guilt in his tone or his manner, except that he
did not look the inquirer square in the face when he answered his
questions, though some guilty people can even do this without wincing.
Captain Patterdale watched the departing and the approaching boats,
still considering the possible relation of Laud Cavendish to the tin
box. If the fellow had stolen it, he would not go off on an island to
stay over Sunday, leaving the box behind to betray him; and this
argument seemed to be conclusive in his favor. The captain had looked
into the boat, and satisfied himself that the box was not there; unless
it was in the basket, which appeared to contain so many other things
that there was no room for it. On the whole, the captain was willing to
acquit Mr. Laud Cavendish of the act, partly, perhaps, because this had
been his first view of the matter. It was more probable that Hasbrook,
angry and disappointed at his failure, had put the box into his wagon,
and returned to the neighboring town, where, as before stated, his
reputation was not first class, though, perhaps, not many people
believed him capable of stealing outright, without the formality of
getting up a mining company, or making a trade of some sort. But Donald
had been the last of the trio of visitors who passed through the
library, and the captain wanted to see him.
The Sea Foam, with snowy sails just from the loft, and glittering in her
freshly-laid coat of white paint, ran up to a wharf just below the boat
shop. Donald was at the helm, and he threw her up into the wind just
before she came to the pier, so that when she forged ahead, with her
sails shaking in the wind, her head came up within a few inches of the
landing-place. Mr. Ramsay fended her off, and went ashore with a line in
his hand, which he made fast to a ring. Captain Patterdale walked around
to the wharf, as soon as he saw where she was to make a landing.
"Well, how do you like her, Sam?" said Donald to a young man of his own
age in the standing-room with him.
"First rate; and I hope your father will go to work on mine at once,"
replied the passenger.
"You will lay down the keel on Monday--won't you, father?"
"What?" asked Mr. Ramsay, who had seated himself on a log on the wharf.
"You will lay down the keel of the boat for Mr. Rodman on Monday--won't
you?" repeated Donald.
"Yes, if I am able; I don't feel very well to-day." And the boat-builder
doubled himself up, as though he was in great pain.
The young man in the standing-room of the Sea Foam was Samuel Rodman, a
schoolmate of Donald, whose father was a wealthy man, and had ordered
another boat like the Skylark, which had been the model for the new
yacht. He had come down to see the craft, and had been invited to take a
sail in her; but an engagement had prevented him from going as far as
Turtle Head, and the boat-builder and his son had returned to land him,
intending still to make the trip. By this time Captain Patterdale had
reached the end of the wharf. He went on board of the Sea Foam, and
looked her over with a critical eye, and was entirely satisfied with
her. He was invited to sail in her for as short a time as he chose, but
he declined.
"By the way, Donald, did you see the green tin box when you were in my
library this afternoon?" he asked, when all the topics relating to the
yacht had been disposed of.
"Yes, sir; I saw you take some money from it," replied Donald.
"Then you remember the box?"
"Yes, sir."
"Did you notice it when you came out--I mean, when you left the house?"
"I don't remember seeing it when I came out," answered Donald, wondering
what these questions meant.
"I want to get another box just like that one. Did you take particular
notice of it?"
"No, sir; I can't say I did."
"You didn't stay any time in the library after you came down from
Michael's room, did you?"
"No, sir; I only went for my hat, and didn't stay there a minute."
"And you didn't notice the tin box?"
"No, sir; I didn't see it at all when I came out."
"Then of course you didn't see any marks upon it," added the captain,
with a smile.
"If I didn't see the box, I shouldn't have been likely to see the
marks," laughed Donald. "What marks were they, sir?"
"It's of no consequence, if you didn't see them. The box was in the
library--wasn't it?--when you went out."
"I don't know whether it was or not. I only know that I don't remember
noticing it," said Donald, who thought the captain's question was a very
queer one, after those he had just answered.
The nabob was no better satisfied with Donald's answers than he had been
with those of Laud Cavendish, except that the former looked him full in
the face when he spoke. He obtained no information, and went home to
seek it at other sources.
"I think I won't go out again, Donald," said Mr. Ramsay, when Captain
Patterdale had left. "I don't feel very well, and you may go alone."
"Do you feel very sick, father?" asked the son, in tones of sympathy.
"No; but I think I will go into the house and take some medicine. You
can run over to Turtle Head alone," added the boat-builder, as he walked
towards the house.
"Can't you go any how, Sam?" said Donald, turning to his friend.
"No, I must go home now. I have to drive over to Searsport after my
sister," replied Sam, as he left the yacht, and walked up the wharf.
Donald hoisted the jib of the Sea Foam, shoved off her head, and laid
her course, with the wind over the quarter, for Turtle Head--distant
about seven miles.