Andy was led into the office of the jail and up to the desk of the
official who had registered his name the day before. This man opened a
drawer and pushed a package before Andy and a receipt.
"See if your money is all right," he directed, "and sign that receipt."
"Going to give them back to me, are you?" said Andy brightly, feeling
delighted at recovering his liberty. "They must have found out that I am
innocent."
"H-m! that's to be determined later on."
Andy looked questioningly about the room. Who had set him free? What did
it mean? Just then he caught the sound of voices in another room and the
officer pointed to it.
"Your friend is in there," he said. "He's waiting for you."
Andy felt as if he had wings on his feet. His heart was overflowing with
gladness. He crossed the threshold of the doorway the officer had
indicated, looked in, and then stood stock still, very much surprised.
"Well, young man, we've reached you at last?" spoke a hearty voice.
"Why, it's Mr. Webb!" exclaimed Andy.
He had at once recognized the gentleman whom he had driven over in the
automobile from Princeville to Macon, the day when all his troubles in
life seemed to have begun.
With Mr. Webb was a man who nodded pleasantly but curiously to Andy.
This was Joshua Bird. He was reported to be the richest man in
Princeville, and dealt principally in real estate and had the reputation
of being something of a miser.
Mr. Webb, holding Andy's hand, turned to Mr. Bird.
"Well, sir, everything is satisfactory?" he asked.
"Entirely so," answered Bird. "You're putting a good deal of faith in a
lad you scarcely know, though."
"I'll bank on my confidence," answered Mr. Webb. "Nelson, you remember
me, do you not?"
"Perfectly, sir, but I don't understand."
"My being here?" questioned Mr. Webb. "A purely selfish motive is at the
bottom of it, I am free to confess, although I am glad to be of service
to you on general principles. Are you ready to leave here at once?"
"Where for, sir?"
"An automobile dash across the country."
"And then am I to return here?"
"Not until your trial comes on. Let me explain, so you will understand
the situation. I have gone on your bail bond."
"I don't know how to thank you," said Andy gratefully.
"Your friend, Mr. Parks, found me late last night at Greenville, where
Mr. West and myself were anxiously awaiting you. He explained about your
arrest, and told us the whole story of your affairs. It seems that your
trouble began with the finding of my pocketbook. It was only right,
therefore, that I should stand by you--which I have done, and intend to
keep up, Andy, for you have proven yourself a good, honest boy."
"Thank you, Mr. Webb," said our hero with considerable emotion.
"Mr. West, my legal adviser, arranged with Mr. Bird, who has just left
us. The signing of your bail bond is the result. You are free to get to
those anxious friends of yours at the aviation meet, but first I want
you to take a little trip with me."
"After that old leather pocketbook, I suppose."
"You've guessed it right, Andy."
"I would like to speak with a good friend of mine in the jail here for a
moment," said Andy, "and then I will be ready to go with you."
"All right, Andy."
Chase had already heard the good news and congratulated Andy, chuckling
and hobbling about at a great rate.
"Remember you're to look out for a new job for me," he intimated.
"I'll attend to that all right, Mr. Chase," promised Andy. "If things go
as I think they will, I have a friend as well as an employer who will
probably need a man such as you to potter about and look after things."
"Andy, I'll potter for keeps if you get me that situation," declared the
old lockup-keeper earnestly. "You get it fixed for me, and when your
trial comes up, I'll show you how much I think of you."
"Things are certainly coming out famously right," chirped Andy gaily, as
he left Chase.
"Now then, Nelson, take a try at my new machine," said Mr. Webb, as he
led Andy to the street.
Seth Talbot, one of his own machines waiting at the curb for a fare, was
strolling around inspecting the beautiful touring car which Mr. Webb had
indicated.
"Eh, hey! what's this?" he blubbered out, as Andy walked smartly to the
machine and leaped into the driver's seat.
An officer who was aware of the situation nudged Talbot and spoke a few
quick words to him in an undertone. The face of the garage owner turned
white with astonishment and malice. Mr. Webb had noticed him, and asked
Andy:
"Who is that man?"
"Mr. Talbot, my old employer," responded Andy.
"I don't like his looks," spoke Mr. Webb simply. "Now then, Nelson, of
course you know where I want to go."
"After the leather pocketbook--yes, sir."
"I hope you can find it."
"I feel sure we shall, sir. We will have to take some roundabout roads
to get to the farm I told Mr. West about."
"This is a very important matter to me," explained Mr. Webb. "I may as
well tell you, Nelson, that the fortune and happiness of two orphan
children, distant relatives of mine, depend on the finding of that old
pocketbook."
"I am very much interested, Mr. Webb," said Andy.
"You did not notice perhaps, but glued down in the big part of that
pocketbook is a thin compartment. Secreted in that is an old time-worn
sheet of paper that I spent thousands of dollars and a year's time in
locating and getting into my possession. I was on my way to my lawyer
with it, and had placed two hundred dollars in the pocketbook for costs
in the law suit, when I lost the pocketbook, as you know."
"I never dreamed there was any value in the old pocketbook," said Andy.
"I knew it was in my old clothes which I threw away at a farm near Wade,
I told you about. I remember perfectly well tossing them up on an old
shelf. Unless they have been disturbed, we will find the clothes and the
pocketbook. It was a regular old rubbish pile where I tossed them, and
out of anybody's way."
"I shall feel immensely relieved and glad when I find that document,"
declared Mr. Webb, with a sigh of anxiety.
John Parks was responsible for bringing the word to Mr. West that had
sent Mr. Webb to Princeville. The aeronaut had told the lawyer
considerable about Andy and the approaching airship race, and as they
rolled along Mr. Webb showed a great deal of interest in Andy's aviation
ambitions and asked a great many questions.
"I shall want to see you again as soon as I get that document in the
pocketbook to the lawyers," said the gentleman. "The airship race is
to-morrow?"
"Yes, sir."
"I will keep track of you through Mr. Parks, and probably meet you day
after to-morrow. I hope you win the race, Nelson, and get the prize. You
deserve it, my boy. If you fail, do not get discouraged. You have some
good friends, and I am one of them."
"You have shown that," said Andy with feeling. "I wouldn't have missed
the race for a good deal."
Andy entertained his companion considerably by a recital of his
adventures three weeks previously when he had helped the goose farmer
get his product to market.
"Just yonder is where I met him first," explained Andy, as they passed
over a bridge crossing the river. "It's a straight road to the Collins
farm now, but not very even."
"I hope we find things as you expect," said Mr. Webb.
"I think we will," answered Andy cheerfully.
It was about an hour later when they rounded a curve in a beautiful
country road.
"Just beyond that grove of trees," said Andy, "and we come in full view
of the Collins farmhouse. Now we can see it--Why,
I--don't--understand--this."
Andy slowed down in speech, with a series of wondering gasps, as he
likewise slowed down the machine.
"Why, what's the matter, Nelson?" queried Mr. Webb.
"Don't you see?" began Andy. "No, you don't see, and that's just it.
There's something wrong. The farmhouse did stand right over where that
gravelled road runs into the farm, and now----"
"Nelson," interrupted Mr. Webb almost sharply, "there has been a fire
here."
Andy stared dubiously, but in great concern. There could be no doubt of
it, this was the site of the Collins' farm. There were the white-washed
posts where the farm road began, the horse block where he bade the goose
farmer good-by, but the farmhouse itself had disappeared.