A PLAN TO CATCH THE THIEF
"That settles it!"
Fred was saying these three words over several times to himself as he
stood and stared at the seven little opals. They had appeared rather
pretty when he looked at them in Miss Muster's best room, on the
occasion of his visit there in company with Bristles. They gave him a
shiver now; just because he knew that they had tempted weak Gabe
Larkins to commit a terrible wrong.
What had he better do about it?
Fred had, in fact, about made up his mind that there was only one
course open to him in case he found the opals. This was to go to Miss
Muster at once, and let her know what had come to pass.
She would be glad, for the sake of Bristles and his parents--yes, Fred
began to believe the old maid really had a heart of her own, and would
herself rejoice over the vindication of her nephew.
But should he take the opals along with him? He decided against this as
unwise. To fully prove his case, he should be able to catch Gabe in the
act of handling the precious stones, and with a witness present.
So he put the small cardboard box back into the cavity of the hollow
oak, just as near where he had found it as he could. Then, with a
cautious look along the trail, to make sure Gabe was not already
returning, Fred hurried away.
He was unusually quiet at lunch time, his mother and sister noticed.
They even asked him if he felt unwell; but Fred laughingly replied that
he never was better in all his life.
A little while later Fred took his way to the large house in which Miss
Muster lived. His heart beat high with satisfaction, because of the
fact that he had in so brief a time fully proved the innocence of
Bristles.
At sight of Fred it was remarkable what a sudden look of expectation
flashed over the thin face of Bristles' aunt. Apparently, then, she had
come to place considerable confidence in the boy, whose manly bearing
must have impressed her, as it did nearly everyone with whom Fred came
in contact.
"You are bringing me news, Fred!" she exclaimed, as she put out her
hand toward him. "Your smiling face tells me that, for you cannot hide
it. Oh! I hope I am not mistaken. Have you found my opals?"
"Yes, ma'am, the whole seven that you said you'd lost," he answered,
promptly.
"That is good news," the lady went on; "but tell me more; have you
learned who the thief is, Fred?"
A vein of anxiety might have been noticed now in her voice; for she
could not help fearing that after all it might prove to be her nephew.
"I saw him take a little cardboard box out of the hollow of a tree,"
Fred started to say, "look at what it held, and then stick it back.
After he went away, ma'am, I examined that same box, and found the
opals there."
"W--who was the boy?" she faltered, her hands shutting tightly as she
kept her eyes fastened on Fred.
"Gabe Larkins, ma'am!"
"Oh! the butcher's boy!" and she gave a great sigh, as of relief.
"Yes, ma'am. On the way home from the shop to get his lunch, he had to
stop and take a look at his treasures," Fred continued.
"He did not see you watching him, I suppose, Fred?"
"Oh! not a bit of it," replied the boy, smiling. "I looked out for
that."
"Have you the opals with you now, my dear boy?" she asked.
"No, ma'am," replied Fred. "You see, I thought it would be better if
you could see Gabe handling the things, and know by the evidence of
your own eyes he was the guilty one."
"That sounds very clever of you, Fred," Miss Muster remarked, with a
look of sincere admiration. "Perhaps now you may even have figured out
some sort of plan that would allow of my doing such a thing?"
"I have; that is, if you don't think it too much bother," he answered.
"Too much bother?" she echoed; "after what I have done in my haste to
bring sorrow into the happy home of my niece, nothing could ever be too
much trouble for me to attempt. And, besides, I should really like to
face that unhappy boy, to reproach him for his wrongdoing. I know his
mother, and she is a very good woman. Yes, tell me, Fred, what is your
plan?"
"It's simple enough, to be sure," observed the boy. "Just give Gabe an
extra chance to-morrow morning to slip into that parlor again. He's got
the habit, I guess, and can't resist, if he sees an opening. Then, at
noon, on his way home, why, of course, he'll stop at the big oak to add
what he took to the others. You will be hiding right there with me and
we can give Gabe the surprise of his life."
"I should think that would be a splendid idea, Fred," Miss Muster said,
nodding her head approvingly. "I suppose that it would be what they say
in the newspaper accounts of an arrest in the big cities, 'caught with
the goods on!'"
"Then you'll agree to do it, ma'am?" asked Fred, eagerly.
"Yes. I will give Master Gabe the finest chance he ever saw to slip
into my best room; and then about half-past eleven will meet you
wherever you say. And, Fred, after it is all over, you will have full
permission to tell Andrew; for my part, my first duty will be to go to
his home, and ask his mother to forgive a foolish old woman because of
her unjust suspicions."
The particulars were soon arranged. Fred mentioned a place where he
would be on hand the next day, rain or shine, at eleven-thirty; and
Miss Muster promised just as faithfully to keep the appointment.
After that they separated. Just as luck would have it, as Fred came out
of the house he heard his name called; and looking up saw his chum,
Bristles. Surprise was expressed upon the face of the other, to
discover Fred issuing from his aunt's home. A dozen questions could
also be seen there; but Fred put a damper on all these.
"Don't ask me a single thing, Bristles," he remarked mysteriously.
"I've taken hold of your case, and things are working splendidly. All
I'm going to tell you right now is that there's great hope you'll hear
something, say by to-morrow afternoon. You ask me when we meet, about
two or three, and perhaps I'll have some; news that'll surprise you.
Now let's talk about the race that's going to be pulled off pretty
soon. Have you had a line about what Mechanicsburg's doing?"
In this way, then, he closed his chum's mouth. Bristles was puzzled to
account for the actions of his friend; but at the same time he had so
much confidence in Fred Fenton that he accepted his explanation, and
even began to take on a more cheerful appearance.
That afternoon the boys had the benefit of a coach; for Corney's
father, the old college grad. and oarsman, gave them an hour of his
time. He corrected numerous little faults that, as amateurs, they had
naturally fallen into, and when finally Brad took his crew for a
three-mile working-out spin, he was tremendously pleased at hearing the
compliments bestowed upon them by Mr. Shays.
"You are doing finely, boys," declared the coach, in a tone as though
he meant all he said. "The improvement in your style of rowing is
decidedly worth seconds to you; and they count big in a race, you know.
I shall come out again the next time you want me, and show you some
more little faults in the way you recover after giving the stroke. I
can save several of you more or less unnecessary exertion, which in
turn means a concentration of energy for the final spurt that
accompanies every boat race."
The boys thoroughly enjoyed having so pleasant a coach, and went home
that evening convinced that their chances for victory in the coming
struggle had been increased fully twenty per cent.
"Don't forget your promise, Fred," said Bristles, rather pathetically,
as he parted from his chum where their ways separated.
"Depend on it, I just won't, Bristles," answered the other, positively.
It seemed a very long time until eleven o'clock the next morning; and
Fred kept around the house, for he did not want to run upon Bristles,
and have the other look at him in that eager way.
When he reached the place appointed for the meeting with Miss Muster he
found her there, a heavy veil hiding her face. Together they made their
way along the path that Gabe was accustomed to take as a short cut
home.
"Do you think he took another of the opals, ma'am?" Fred asked, as
they drew near the big hollow oak.
"I really had not the heart to look," she replied. "I gave him all the
opportunity he could ask; and when he talked with me later on, I
thought the boy looked confused; but I felt so sorry to think he had a
mother who would be heart-broken, that I would not go into the parlor
to examine. But guilt was written large on his face, or I am a poor
judge of boy nature. Perhaps I am, after the mistake I made about my
own nephew."
Fred soon found a spot where both of them could hide, and yet be very
close to the big tree; indeed, a few steps would carry them alongside
when the time came for action.
Then they settled down to wait. After a time the sound of bells told
that noon had come. A few minutes later, and Fred touched the arm of
his companion.
"That's Gabe coming now," he remarked.
And the trembling old maid could distinctly hear a very boisterous
whistle that kept getting louder and louder as the butcher's boy strode
jauntily along the path, heading in their direction.