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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0274986 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #54529 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/54529) diff --git a/old/54529-0.txt b/old/54529-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index fc6c59e..0000000 --- a/old/54529-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8100 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Phoebe Daring, by L. Frank Baum - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Phoebe Daring - A Story for Young Folk - -Author: L. Frank Baum - -Illustrator: Joseph Pierre Nuyttens - -Release Date: April 10, 2017 [EBook #54529] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PHOEBE DARING *** - - - - -Produced by Mary Glenn Krause, Aunt Julie Turner and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - -The Daring Twins Series - -Phoebe Daring - - - - -[Illustration: “Shame on you all!” she cried, glaring around with -righteous indignation. “How dare you attack one who is more unfortunate -than yourselves!”] - - - - - Phoebe Daring - A Story for Young Folk - - By - L. Frank Baum - - Author of “The Daring Twins,” The Oz Books, “The Sea - Fairies” and Other Tales - - [Illustration] - - Illustrated by Joseph Pierre Nuyttens - - The Reilly & Britton Co. - Chicago - - - - - Copyright, 1912 - by - The Reilly & Britton Co. - - PHOEBE DARING - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - I HOW TOBY CLARK LOST HIS JOB 9 - - II HOW MRS. RITCHIE DEMANDED HER PROPERTY 20 - - III HOW THE DARINGS PLANNED 33 - - IV HOW PHOEBE BECAME WORRIED 44 - - V HOW PHOEBE INTERVIEWED THE LAWYER 57 - - VI HOW TOBY CAME TO GRIEF 70 - - VII HOW TOBY FOUND A FRIEND 83 - - VIII HOW PHOEBE CONSPIRED 93 - - IX HOW PHOEBE PLAYED DETECTIVE 109 - - X HOW THE MARCHING CLUB WAS ORGANIZED 122 - - XI HOW THE CLUB RECEIVED A DONATION 135 - - XII HOW THE GOVERNOR ARRIVED 147 - - XIII HOW TOBY SAW THE GREAT MAN 160 - - XIV HOW THE CONSTABLE ARGUED HIS CASE 169 - - XV HOW THE BAND PLAYED 179 - - XVI HOW MRS. RITCHIE CHIDED HER LAWYER 189 - - XVII HOW PHOEBE SURPRISED A SECRET 196 - - XVIII HOW MR. SPAYTHE CONFESSED 208 - - XIX HOW TOBY CLARK FACED RUIN 220 - - XX HOW PHOEBE DEFENDED THE HELPLESS 229 - - XXI HOW PHOEBE TELEGRAPHED THE GOVERNOR 236 - - XXII HOW SAM PARSONS EXPLAINED 246 - - XXIII HOW A WRONG LOOKED RIGHT 256 - - XXIV HOW THE MYSTERY CLEARED 266 - - XXV HOW TOBY WON HIS HERITAGE 280 - - XXVI HOW PHOEBE’S CONSPIRACY TRIUMPHED 291 - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - - “Shame on you all!” she cried, glaring around - with righteous indignation. “How dare you - attack one who is more unfortunate than - yourselves!” _Frontispiece_ - - “Then,” said Phoebe, “we must organize a - conspiracy, we three, and help Toby without - his ever suspecting it.” _Page_ 68 - - Lawyer Kellogg came up, triumphantly waving - his hand, in which was clasped an oblong - packet. “We’ve got it!” he cried, his round - fat face well depicting his joy. _Page_ 224 - - “I’m not going to undertake that trial for - nothing, Mrs. Ritchie. If you want Toby - Clark imprisoned for stealing your box - you’ve got to pay handsomely for it.” _Page_ 282 - - - - -Phoebe Daring - -CHAPTER I - -HOW TOBY CLARK LOST HIS JOB - - -“It’s a shame!” cried Becky Daring, indignantly shaking her scraggly -red locks for emphasis. - -“So say we all of us,” observed her brother Don in matter-of-fact -tones. “But that won’t help it, Beck.” - -“Wasn’t it all Judge Ferguson’s fault?” asked little Sue, listening -with round, solemn eyes. - -“Why, the poor old judge couldn’t help dying, you know,” said Don, -judicially. “And he hadn’t an idea his candle would flicker out so -soon. Old Mr. Ferguson liked Toby Clark and I’m sure, if he’d thought -his own end was so near, he’d have fixed it so his clerk wouldn’t be -left out in the cold.” - -“And now Toby hasn’t any job, or any money, or any friends,” remarked -Sue, sighing deeply. - -“Yes, he has!” declared Becky. “He has me for a friend, for one, and -all the village to back me up. But friends ain’t bread-an’-butter -and I guess a poor cripple out of work is as bad off as if he hadn’t -a friend in the world. That’s why I say it’s a shame Judge Ferguson -didn’t leave him any money. It’s worse than a common shame--it’s just a -_howling_ shame!” - -“Dear me,” said Phoebe, entering the room with a smiling glance at her -younger sisters and brother, “what’s wrong now? What’s a howling shame, -Becky?” - -“The way Judge Ferguson treated Toby Clark.” - -Phoebe’s smile vanished. She went to the window and stood looking out -for a moment. Then she turned and seated herself among the group. - -“You’ve heard the news, then?” she asked. - -“Yes. Doris Randolph told us the Fergusons read the will this morning, -and Toby wasn’t mentioned in it,” replied Don. - -“That is not strange,” said Phoebe, thoughtfully. “Toby Clark was not a -relative of the Fergusons, you know; he was just a clerk in the judge’s -law office.” - -“But he’s a cripple,” retorted Becky, “and he was made a cripple by -saving Judge Ferguson’s life.” - -“That is true,” admitted Phoebe. “Judge Ferguson went into -grandfather’s vault, where he suspected all the Daring money had -been hidden by old Elaine, our crazy housekeeper, and while he was -in there, in company with Toby and the constable, old Elaine tried -to shut the heavy door and lock them all up. Had she succeeded they -would soon have suffocated; but Toby stopped the door from closing, -with his foot, which was badly crushed, and so by his quick wit and -bravery saved three lives--including his own. The judge was grateful to -him, of course, and had he lived Toby would have remained in his law -office until in time he became a partner. That his friend and patron -suddenly died and so deprived Toby of further employment, was due to -the accident of circumstances. I do not think anyone can be blamed.” - -They were silent a moment and then Sue asked: “What’s going to become -of Toby now, Phoebe?” - -“I don’t know. He hasn’t any father or mother; they both died years -ago, long before Judge Ferguson took the boy to work for him. The -Clarks owned a little cabin down by the river--a poor place it is--and -there Toby has lived and cooked his own meals while he studied law in -the judge’s office. He lives there yet, and since the judge died, a -week ago, he has done nothing but mourn for his friend and benefactor. -But Toby will find some other work to do, I’m sure, as soon as he -applies for it, for everyone in the village likes him.” - -“Can’t we do something?” asked Becky earnestly. “We owe Toby a lot, -too, for he helped the judge to save grandfather’s fortune for us.” - -“We will do all we can,” replied Phoebe, positively, “but we can’t -offer Toby charity, you understand. He is very proud and it would hurt -him dreadfully to think we were offering him alms. I’ll ask the Little -Mother about it and see what she thinks.” - -That ended the conversation, for the time, and the younger Darings -all ran out into the crisp October air while Phoebe went about her -household duties with a thoughtful face. She and her twin, Phil, were -the real heads of the Daring family, although the orphans had a “Little -Mother” in Cousin Judith Eliot, a sweet-faced, gentle young woman who -had come to live with them and see that they were not allowed to run -wild. But Phil was now in college, paving the way for mighty deeds in -the future, and Phoebe knew her twin would be deeply grieved over the -sudden death of their father’s old friend, Judge Ferguson. The judge -had also been their guardian and, with Cousin Judith, a trustee of the -Daring estate--a competence inherited from their grandfather, Jonas -Eliot, who had been one of the big men of the county. The fine old -colonial mansion in which the Darings lived was also an inheritance -from Grandpa Eliot, and although it was not so showy as some of the -modern residences of Riverdale--the handsome Randolph house across the -way, for instance--it possessed a dignity and beauty that compelled -respect. - -The loss of their guardian did not worry the young Darings so much as -the loss of their friend, for the shrewd old lawyer had been very kind -to them, skillfully advising them in every affair, big or little, that -might in any way affect their interests. Mr. Ferguson--called “Judge” -merely by courtesy, for he had always been a practicing lawyer--had -doubtless been the most highly esteemed member of the community. For -a score of years he had been the confidential adviser of many of the -wealthiest families in that part of the state, counseling with them -not only in business but in family affairs. In his dingy offices, -which were located over the post office in Riverdale, many important -transactions and transfers of property had been consummated, and the -tall wooden cupboard in the lawyer’s private room contained numerous -metal boxes marked with the names of important clients and containing -documents of considerable value. Yet, in spite of his large and varied -practice, Mr. Ferguson attended to all his clients personally and only -a young boy, Toby Clark, had been employed as a clerk during the past -few years. - -At first Toby swept out the office and ran errands. Then he developed -an eagerness to study law, and the judge, finding the young fellow -bright and capable, assisted his ambition by promoting Toby to copying -deeds and law papers and laying out for him a course of practical -study. In many ways Toby proved of value to his employer and Mr. -Ferguson grew very fond of the boy, especially after that adventure -when Toby Clark heroically sacrificed his foot to prevent them both -from being hermetically sealed up in old Mr. Eliot’s mausoleum, where -they would soon have perished from lack of air. - -Knowing ones declared that so strong was the affection between the -old lawyer and his youthful clerk that Toby would surely inherit the -fine law business some day. But no one realized then that the grizzled -old lawyer’s days were numbered. He had been so rugged and strong in -appearance that it was a shock to the entire community when he was -suddenly stricken by an insidious heart disease and expired without -a word to even the members of his own family. Many grieved at Judge -Ferguson’s death, but none more sincerely than his office boy and daily -companion, Toby Clark. He had no thought, at the time, of his own -ruined prospects, remembering only that his one staunch friend had been -taken from him. - -Except that the lawyer’s friendship had distinguished him, Toby was a -nobody in Riverdale. The Clarks, who were not natives of the town but -had strayed into it years before, had been not only poor and lowly -but lacking in refinement. They had not even been considered “good -citizens,” for the man was surly and unsociable and the woman untidy. -With such parents it was wonderful that the boy developed any ability -whatever, and in his early days the barefooted, ragged urchin was -regarded by the villagers with strong disapproval. Then his mother -passed away and a year or so later his father, and the boy was left to -buffet the world alone. It was now that he evinced intelligence and -force of character. Although still considered a queer and unaccountable -little fellow, his willingness to do any odd job to turn an honest -penny won the respect of the people and many gave him a day’s -employment just to help him along. That was how the waif came under -Judge Ferguson’s notice and the old lawyer, a shrewd judge of humanity, -recognized the latent force and cleverness in the boy’s nature and took -him under his wing. - -Toby wasn’t very prepossessing in appearance. At nineteen years of -age he was so small in size that he seemed scarcely fifteen. His hair -was unruly and of a dull tow color, his face freckled and red and his -nose inclined to turn up at the point. He was awkward and shuffling -in manner and extremely silent and shy of speech, seldom venturing -any remark not absolutely necessary. The eyes redeemed the boy in -many ways. They were not large nor beautiful, but they were so bright -and twinkled in such a merry, honest fashion that they won him many -friends. He had a whimsical but engaging expression of countenance, -and although a bad conversationalist he was a good listener and so -alert that nothing seemed to escape his quick, keen glance or his big -freckled ears. - -“If Toby said all he knows,” once remarked Will Chandler, the -postmaster and village president, “he’d jabber night an’ day. It’s -lucky for us his tongue don’t work easy.” - -The only thing Toby inherited from his shiftless parents was a shanty -down by the river bank, on property that no one had any use for, and -its contents, consisting of a few pieces of cheap, much-used furniture. -His father, who had won the reputation of being too lazy to work, -often fished in the river, partly because it was “a lazy man’s job” -and partly to secure food which he had no money to purchase. The -villagers said he built his shanty on the waste ground bordering the -stream--at a point south of the town--for two reasons, one, because he -was unsociable and avoided his fellows, the other, because it saved -him a walk to the river when he wanted to fish. The house seemed good -enough for Toby’s present purposes, for he never complained of it; but -after entering Mr. Ferguson’s office the boy grew neater in appearance -and always wore decent clothes and clean linen. Living simply, he could -afford such things, even on the small weekly wage he earned. - -The boy was ambitious. He realized perfectly that he was now a nobody, -but he determined to become a somebody. It was hard to advance much in -a small town like Riverdale, where everyone knew his antecedents and -remembered his parents as little better than the mud on the river bank. -The villagers generally liked Toby and were willing to extend a helping -hand to him; but he was odd--there was no doubt of that--and as he -belonged directly to nobody he was wholly irresponsible. - -It is a mystery how the waif managed to subsist before Judge Ferguson -took charge of him; but he got an odd job now and then and never begged -nor whined, although he must have been hungry more than once. - -With his admission to the law office Toby’s fortunes changed. The -representative of a popular attorney was entitled to respect and Toby -assumed a new dignity, a new importance and a new and greater ambition -than before. He read in the law books during every leisure moment and -found his mind easily grasped the dry details of jurisprudence. The -boy attended court whenever he was able to and listened with absorbed -interest to every debate and exposition of the law. Not infrequently, -during the last few months, he had been able to call Mr. Ferguson’s -attention to some point of law which the learned and experienced -attorney had overlooked. Toby seemed to live in every case his employer -conducted and in his quiet way he noted the management of the many -estates held in trust by the old judge and the care with which every -separate interest was guarded. The boy could tell the contents of -nearly every one of the precious metal boxes arranged on the shelves -of the oak cupboard, for often the lawyer would hand him the bunch of -slender steel keys and tell him to get a paper from such or such a box. - -This trusteeship was the largest part of Mr. Ferguson’s business, for -not many legal differences came to court or were tried in so small and -placid a district. There were other prominent lawyers in neighboring -towns and a rival in Riverdale--one Abner Kellogg, a fat and pompous -little man who had signally failed to win the confidence Judge Ferguson -inspired but was so aggressive and meddlesome that he managed to make a -living. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -HOW MRS. RITCHIE DEMANDED HER PROPERTY - - -Toby Clark was inexpressibly shocked when one morning he learned that -his dear friend and patron had been found dead in his bed. At once the -lame boy hobbled over to the Ferguson home, a comfortable house at the -far end of Riverdale, to find Mrs. Ferguson prostrated with grief, and -Janet, the only daughter, weeping miserably and rejecting all attempts -to comfort her. So he crept back to town, mounted the stairs to the -homely law offices over the post office and sat down to try to realize -that the kindly face he loved would never brighten its dingy gray walls -again. - -All the morning and till past noon Toby sat in the silent place, -where every object reflected the personality of his departed master, -bemoaning his loss and living over in memory the happy days that were -past. Early in the afternoon steps sounded on the stairs. A key turned -in the outer door and Will Chandler, the postmaster, entered the -office, accompanied by a stranger. - -Toby knew that Chandler, who owned the building, usually kept Judge -Ferguson’s office key. Whenever the old judge, who was absent-minded -at times, changed his trousers at home he would forget to change the -contents of the pockets. So, to avoid being obliged to return home for -his key on such occasions, he was accustomed to leave it in Chandler’s -keeping, where it might be conveniently found when needed. Of late -years the judge had seldom required the key to the outer door, for Toby -Clark was always on hand and had the offices swept, dusted and aired -long before his master arrived. Mr. Chandler was a reliable man and as -fully trusted by Mr. Ferguson as was Toby. - -“Oh, you’re here, eh?” exclaimed the postmaster, in surprise, as his -eyes fell upon the boy. - -Toby nodded his reply, staring vacantly. - -“The Fergusons have been inquiring for you,” continued Chandler. “I -believe Janet wants you at the house.” - -Toby slowly rose and balanced himself on his crutch. Then he cast a -hesitating glance at the stranger. - -“You’ll lock up, sir, when you go away?” he asked. - -“Of course,” replied Will Chandler. “I only came to show this -gentleman, Mr. Holbrook, the offices. He’s a lawyer and has been in -town for several days, trying to find a suitable place to locate. As -poor Ferguson will not need these rooms hereafter I shall rent them to -Mr. Holbrook--if they suit him.” - -The stranger stepped forward. He was a young man, not more than -twenty-five years of age, handsome and prepossessing in appearance. -He had a dark moustache and dark, expressive eyes, and his face was -cheery and pleasant to look at. In the matter of dress Mr. Holbrook was -something of a dandy, but neat and immaculate as was his apparel there -was little cause to criticise the young man’s taste. - -“The rooms need brightening a bit,” he said, glancing around him, “but -the fact that Judge Ferguson has occupied them for so long renders them -invaluable to a young lawyer just starting in business. The ‘good will’ -is worth a lot to me, as successor to so prominent an attorney. If you -will accept the same rent the judge paid you, Mr. Chandler, we will -call it a bargain.” - -The postmaster nodded. - -“It’s a fair rental,” said he; but Toby waited to hear no more. The -daughter of his old master wanted him and he hastened to obey her -summons, leaving Chandler and Mr. Holbrook in the office. - -Janet was pacing up and down the sitting room, red-eyed and extremely -nervous. In an easy-chair sat an elderly woman in black, stony-faced -and calm, whom Toby at once recognized as Mrs. Ritchie, who owned a -large plantation between Riverdale and Bayport. She was one of Judge -Ferguson’s oldest clients and the lawyer had for years attended to all -of the eccentric old creature’s business affairs. - -“This woman,” said Janet, her voice trembling with indignation, “has -come to annoy us about some papers.” - -Mrs. Ritchie turned her stolid glare upon the clerk. - -“You’re Toby Clark,” she said. “I know you. You’re the judge’s office -boy. I want all the papers and funds belonging to me, and I want ’em -now. They’re in the office, somewhere, in a tin box painted blue, -with my name on the end of it. The Fergusons are responsible for my -property, I know, but some of those papers are precious. The money -could be replaced, but not the documents, and that’s why I want ’em -now. Understand? Now!” - -Toby was puzzled. - -“I remember the blue box marked ‘Ritchie,’ ma’am,” said he, “but I -don’t know what’s in it.” - -“All my money’s in it--hard cash,” she retorted, “and all my valuable -papers besides. I could trust the judge with ’em better than I could -trust myself; but I won’t trust anyone else. Now he’s gone I must take -charge of the stuff myself. I want that box.” - -“Well,” said Toby reflectively, “the box is yours, of course, and -you’re entitled to it. But I’m not sure we have the right to remove -anything from the judge’s office until an inventory has been made -and the will probated. I suppose an administrator or trustee will be -appointed who will deliver your box to you.” - -“Shucks!” cried Mrs. Ritchie scornfully; “you’re a fool, Toby Clark. -You can’t tie up my personal property that way.” - -“The law, madam--” - -“Drat the law! The property’s mine, and I want it now.” - -Toby looked helplessly at Janet. - -“That’s the way she’s been annoying me all the afternoon,” declared -the girl, stifling a sob. “Can’t you get rid of her, Toby? Give her -anything she wants; only make her go.” - -“I’ll go when I get my property,” said Mrs. Ritchie, obstinately -settling herself in the chair. - -Toby thought about it. - -“I might ask Lawyer Kellogg’s advice,” he said. “He wasn’t Judge -Ferguson’s friend, but he knows the law and could tell us what to do.” - -“Kellogg! That fat pig of a pettifogger?” cried the old woman, sniffing -disdainfully. “I wouldn’t believe him on oath.” - -“Never mind the law; give her the box, Toby,” implored Janet. - -But Toby had a high respect for the law. - -“Do you know Mr. Holbrook?” he asked. - -“No,” said Janet. - -“Who’s Holbrook?” inquired Mrs. Ritchie. “Never heard of him.” - -“He is a young lawyer who has just come to Riverdale to practice. I -think Will Chandler has rented him our offices,” explained the boy. - -“Is he decent?” asked the old woman. - -“I--I think so, ma’am. I’ve never seen him but once, a half hour ago. -But I’m sure he is competent to advise us.” - -“Go get him,” commanded Mrs. Ritchie. - -“It will be better for you to come with me,” replied Toby, anxious to -relieve Janet of the woman’s disturbing presence. “We will go to the -hotel, and I’ll leave you there while I hunt up Mr. Holbrook. He may be -stopping at the hotel, you know.” - -The woman rose deliberately from her chair. - -“It’s getting late,” she said. “I want to get my property and drive -home before dark. Come along, boy.” - -“Thank you, Toby,” whispered Janet, gratefully, as the two passed out -of the room. - -Mrs. Ritchie’s horse was hitched to a post in front of the house. They -climbed into the rickety buggy and she drove into town and to the -rambling old clapboard hotel, which was located on the main street. It -was beginning to grow dusk by this time. - -On the hotel porch stood the man they were seeking. Mr. Holbrook was -smoking a cigarette and, with hands thrust deep in his pockets, was -gazing vacantly down the street. Turning his attention to the arrivals -the young lawyer seemed to recognize Toby. When the boy and the woman -approached him he threw away his cigarette and bowed in deference to -Mrs. Ritchie’s sex. - -“I am Judge Ferguson’s clerk, sir,” began Toby. - -“Yes; I know.” - -“And this is Mrs. Ritchie, who employed the judge as her confidential -business agent.” - -“I am glad to know you, madam. Step into the hotel parlor, please. -There we may converse with more comfort.” - -When they had entered the parlor Toby explained the situation. Mrs. -Ritchie wanted her box of private papers and Toby was not sure he had -the right to give them up without legal authority. - -“That is correct,” observed Mr. Holbrook. “You must have an order from -the Probate Court to dispose of any property left by Judge Ferguson.” - -“It’s _my_ property!” snapped the woman. - -“Very true, madam. We regret that you should be so annoyed. But you can -readily understand that your interests are being safeguarded by the -law. If anyone, without authority, could deliver your box to you, he -might also deliver it to others, in which case you would suffer serious -loss. There will be no difficulty, however, in securing the proper -order from the court; but that will require a few days’ time.” - -“There’s money in that box,” said Mrs. Ritchie. “I don’t trust those -swindling banks, so the judge kept all my ready money for me. In that -box are thousands of dollars in cold cash, an’ some government bonds -as good as cash. I need some money to-day. Can’t this boy let me into -the office so I can take what I want out of the box? I’ve got a key, if -Toby Clark will open the cupboard for me. I drove to town to-day for -money to pay off my hands with, and found the judge died las’ night, -without letting me know. A pretty pickle I’ll be in, if the law’s to -keep me from my rightful property!” - -“You have no right to touch your box, Mrs. Ritchie. The boy has no -right to allow you in Mr. Ferguson’s offices.” - -“Never mind that; no one will know, if we keep our mouths shut.” - -Mr. Holbrook smiled but shook his head. - -“I am sorry you should be so distressed,” he said gently, “but the -inconvenience is but temporary, I assure you. If you employ me to get -the order from the court I will see that there is no unnecessary delay.” - -“Humph!” said the woman, looking at him shrewdly. “Will it cost -anything?” - -“Merely my expenses to the city, a slight fee and the court charges.” - -“Merely a job to rob me, eh? You want me to pay good money to get hold -of my own property?” - -“If you are in a hurry for it. Otherwise, by allowing the law to take -its course, the property will be returned to you without charge.” - -She considered this statement, eyeing the young man suspiciously the -while. - -“I’ll think it over,” was her final verdict. “To-morrow I’ll drive into -town again. Don’t you blab about what I’ve told you is in that box, -Holbrook. If you’re goin’ to settle in this town you’ll have to learn -to keep your mouth shut, or you’ll get run out in short order. Judge -Ferguson never blabbed and you’ll do well to follow his example. Come, -Toby; I’m goin’ home.” - -“By the way,” remarked Mr. Holbrook, addressing the boy in meaning -tones, “you’d better keep out of Mr. Ferguson’s offices until after an -inventory is made by the proper authorities. If you have a key, as I -suspect--for I saw you in the office--get rid of it at once; for, if -anything is missing, you might be held responsible.” - -Toby saw the value of this advice. - -“I’ll give my key to Mr. Spaythe, at the bank, for safe keeping,” he -said. - -“That’s right,” returned the young man, nodding approval. - -“Mr. Spaythe was the judge’s best friend and I think he’ll be the -executor, under the terms of the will,” continued Toby, thoughtfully. - -“In any event, get rid of the key,” counseled Mr. Holbrook. - -“I will, sir.” - -When they were standing alone by Mrs. Ritchie’s buggy the woman asked -in a low voice: - -“So you’ve got the key, have you?” - -“Yes,” said Toby. - -“Then we’ll go to the office and get my box, law or no law. I’ll make -it worth your while, Toby Clark, and no one will ever know.” - -The boy shook his head, casting a whimsical smile at the unscrupulous -old woman. - -“No bribery and corruption for me, ma’am, thank you. I’m somewhat -inclined to be honest, in my humble way. But I couldn’t do it, anyhow, -Mrs. Ritchie, because Judge Ferguson always kept the key to the -cupboard himself, on the same ring that he kept the keys to all the -boxes.” - -“Where are his keys, then?” - -“At his house, I suppose.” - -“Tcha! That impudent girl of his has them, an’ there’s no use asking -her to give ’em up.” - -“Not the slightest use, Mrs. Ritchie.” - -“Well, I’m going home.” - -She got into the buggy and drove away. Toby stood motionless a moment, -thoughtfully leaning on his crutch as he considered what to do. -Spaythe’s Bank was closed, of course, but the boy had an uneasy feeling -that he ought not to keep the key to the office in his possession -overnight. So he walked slowly to Mr. Spaythe’s house and asked to see -the banker, who fortunately was at home. - -“I’d like you to take the key to the office, sir, and keep it until -it’s wanted,” he explained. - -“Very well,” answered the banker, who knew Toby as the trusted clerk of -his old friend Judge Ferguson. - -“There’s another key,” remarked Toby. “It belonged to the judge, but -he always left it in Will Chandler’s care.” - -“I have that key also,” said Mr. Spaythe. “Mr. Chandler sent it to -me early this afternoon, by the young lawyer who has rented the -offices--Holbrook, I think his name is.” - -“Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Spaythe.” - -“I looked in at the offices a while ago and found them in good order,” -continued the banker. Then he looked at Toby as if wondering if he had -better say more, but evidently decided not to. Toby marked the man’s -hesitation and waited. - -“Good night, my boy.” - -“Good night, Mr. Spaythe.” - -Toby hobbled slowly to his lonely shanty on the river bank, prepared -his simple supper, for he had forgotten to eat during this eventful -day, and afterward went to bed. Every moment he grieved over the loss -of his friend. Until after the funeral the boy, seemingly forgotten by -all, kept to his isolated shanty except for a daily pilgrimage to the -Ferguson house to ask Janet if there was anything he could do. - -The day following the funeral the judge’s will was read and it was -found that he had left his modest fortune to his wife, in trust for his -only child, Janet. There were no bequests to anyone. Mr. Spaythe was -named sole executor. - -Toby was present during the reading of the will, but he was not -surprised that he was not mentioned in it. The boy had never -entertained a thought that his former master would leave him money. The -judge had paid him his wages and been kind to him; that was enough. Now -that the sad strain was over and the man he had known and loved was -laid to rest, Toby Clark returned thoughtfully to his poor home to face -a new era in his life. - -The prime necessity, under the new conditions, was employment. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -HOW THE DARINGS PLANNED - - -Phoebe Daring, who was fond of Toby Clark--as were, indeed, all of -the Darings--did not forget her promise to ask the Little Mother what -could be done for the boy. This “Little Mother” was Cousin Judith -Eliot, scarcely more than a girl herself, who had come to live with -the orphaned Darings and endeavor to train her wild and rather wayward -charges in the ways they should go. The youngsters all adored Cousin -Judith, yet she had no easy task, being a conscientious young woman and -feeling deeply her grave responsibilities. Judith was an artist and -had been studying miniature painting abroad when summoned to Riverdale -by the sudden death of Mr. Daring. She painted some, still, in the -seclusion of her pretty room, but was never too busy to attend to the -children or to listen when they wished to consult her or to bewail -their woes and tribulations. - -Phoebe was no bother, for she was old enough and sufficiently mature -not only to care for herself but to assist in the management of the -younger ones. Phil, a frank, resourceful young fellow, was away at -college and working hard. Becky was perhaps the most unruly of the -lot; a tender-hearted, lovable child, but inclined to recklessness, -willfulness and tomboy traits. It was hard to keep Becky “toein’ de -chalk-line,” as old Aunt Hyacinth tersely put it, for restraint was a -thing the girl abhorred. She fought constantly with Donald, the next -younger, who always had a chip on his shoulder and defied everyone but -Cousin Judith, while the clashes between Becky and little Sue--“who’s -dat obst’nit she wouldn’t breave ef yo’ tol’ her she had to” (Aunt -Hyacinth again)--were persistent and fearful. Before Judith came, the -three younger Darings had grown careless, slangy and rude, and in spite -of all admonitions they still lapsed at times into the old bad ways. - -Judith loved them all. She knew their faults were due to dominant, -aggressive natures inherited from their father, a splendid man who had -been admired and respected by all who knew him, and that the lack of -a mother’s guiding hand had caused them to run wild for a while. But -finer natures, more tender and trustful hearts, sweeter dispositions or -better intentions could not be found in a multitude of similar children -and their errors were never so serious that they could not be forgiven -when penitence followed the fault, as it usually did. - -A few days after the conversation recorded at the beginning of this -story Phoebe went to Judith’s room, where the Little Mother sat working -on a miniature of Sue--the beauty of the family--and said: - -“I’d like to do something for Toby Clark. We’re all dreadfully sorry -for him.” - -“What has happened to Toby?” asked Judith. - -“Mr. Ferguson’s death has thrown him out of employment and it will be -hard for him to find another place,” explained Phoebe. “His bad foot -bars him from ordinary work, you know, and jobs are always scarce in -Riverdale. Besides, Toby wants to become a lawyer, and if he cannot -continue his study of the law he’ll lose all the advantages he gained -through the judge’s help and sympathy. Our dear old friend’s passing -was a loss to us all, but to no one more than to Toby Clark.” - -“Has he any money saved up?” asked Judith thoughtfully. - -“Not much, I fear. His wages were always small, you know, and--he had -to live.” - -“Won’t the Fergusons do anything for him?” - -“They’re eager to,” replied Phoebe, “but Toby won’t accept money. He -almost cried, Janet told me, when Mrs. Ferguson offered to assist him. -He’s a terribly proud boy, Cousin Judith, and that’s going to make it -hard for us to help him. If he thought for a moment we were offering -him charity, he’d feel humiliated and indignant. Toby’s the kind of boy -that would starve without letting his friends know he was hungry.” - -“He won’t starve, dear,” asserted Judith, smiling. “There’s a good deal -of courage in Toby’s character. If he can’t do one thing to earn an -honest living, he’ll do another. This morning I bought fish of him.” - -“Fish!” - -“Yes; he says he has turned fisherman until something better offers. -I’m sure that Riverdale people will buy all the fish he can catch, for -they’re good fish--we shall have some for dinner--and his prices are -reasonable.” - -“Oh, dear; I’m so sorry,” wailed Phoebe, really distressed. “The idea -of that poor boy--a cripple--being obliged to carry fish around to the -houses; and when he has the making of a fine lawyer in him, too!” - -“Toby’s foot doesn’t bother him much,” observed Judith, dabbing at her -palette. “He limps, to be sure, and needs the crutch; but his foot -doesn’t hurt him, however much he uses it. Yet I think I admire his -manly courage the more because the boy is capable of better things -than fishing. I asked him, this morning, why he didn’t apply to Lawyer -Kellogg for a position; but he said the judge never liked Kellogg and -so Toby considered it disloyal to his friend’s memory to have any -connection with the man. The chances are that he escaped a snub, for -Mr. Kellogg detests everyone who loved Judge Ferguson.” - -Phoebe nodded, absently. - -“Mr. Kellogg will have the law business of Riverdale all to himself, -now,” she said. - -“I doubt it,” replied Judith. “Toby tells me a young man named -Holbrook, a perfect stranger to Riverdale, has come here to practice -law, and that he has rented Mr. Ferguson’s old offices.” - -“Oh!” exclaimed Phoebe, surprised. “Then perhaps Mr. Holbrook will take -Toby for his clerk. That would be fine!” - -“I thought of that, too, and mentioned it to Toby,” answered Cousin -Judith; “but Mr. Holbrook said he didn’t need a clerk and refused -Toby’s application.” - -“Then he doesn’t know how bright and intelligent Toby is. Why should -he, being a stranger? If some one would go to him and tell him how -valuable the boy would be to him, after his experience with Mr. -Ferguson, I’m sure the new lawyer would find a place for him.” - -Judith worked a while reflectively. - -“That might be the best way to help Toby,” she said. “But who is to -go to Mr. Holbrook? It’s a rather delicate thing to propose, you see, -and yet the argument you have advanced is a just one. A young lawyer, -beginning business and unknown to our people, would find a clever, -capable young fellow--who is well liked in the community--of real value -to him. It seems to me that Janet Ferguson would be the best person -to undertake the mission, for she has an excuse in pleading for her -father’s former assistant.” - -“I’ll see Janet about it,” declared Phoebe, promptly, and she was so -enthusiastic over the idea and so positive of success that she went at -once to the Ferguson house to interview Janet. - -This girl was about Phoebe’s own age and the two had been good friends -from the time they were mere tots. Janet was rather more sedate and -serious-minded than Phoebe Daring, and had graduated with much higher -honors at the high school, but their natures were congenial and they -had always been much together. - -“It’s an excellent idea,” said Janet, when the matter was explained to -her. “I will be glad to call on Mr. Holbrook in regard to the matter, -if you will go with me, Phoebe.” - -“Any time you say, Janet.” - -“I think we ought to wait a few days. Mr. Spaythe is trustee of -father’s estate, you know, and he has arranged to sell the office -furniture to Mr. Holbrook. To-morrow all the papers and securities -which father held in trust for his clients will be returned to their -proper owners, and on the day after Mr. Holbrook will move into the -offices for the first time. He is staying at the hotel, right now, and -it seems to me best to wait until he is in his offices and established -in business, for this is strictly a business matter.” - -“Of course; strictly business,” said Phoebe. “Perhaps you are right, -Janet, but we mustn’t wait too long, for then Mr. Holbrook might employ -some other clerk and Toby would be out of it. Let’s go to him day after -to-morrow, as soon as he has possession of the office.” - -“Very well.” - -“At ten o’clock, say,” continued Phoebe. “There’s nothing like being -prompt in such things. You stop at the house for me at nine-thirty, -Janet, and we’ll go down town together.” - -The arrangement being successfully concluded, Phoebe went home with a -light heart. At suppertime Donald came tearing into the house, tossed -his cap in a corner and with scarcely enough breath to speak announced: - -“There’s a big row down at Spaythe’s Bank!” - -“What’s up, Don?” asked Becky, for the family was assembled around the -table. - -“There’s a blue box missing from Judge Ferguson’s cupboard, and it -belonged to that old cat, Mrs. Ritchie. She’s been nagging Mr. Spaythe -for days to give it up to her, but for some reason he wouldn’t. This -afternoon, when Spaythe cleaned out the old cupboard and took all -the boxes over to his bank, Mrs. Ritchie was hot on his trail and -discovered her blue box was not among the others. It’s really missing, -and they can’t find hide nor hair of it. I heard Mr. Spaythe tell the -old cat he did not know where it is or what’s become of it, and she was -just furious and swore she’d have the banker arrested for burglary. It -was the jolliest scrap you could imagine and there’ll be a royal rumpus -that’ll do your hearts good before this thing is settled, I can promise -you!” - -The news astonished them all, for sensations of any sort were rare in -Riverdale. - -“What do you suppose has become of the box?” asked Phoebe. - -“Give it up,” said Don, delighted to find himself so important. - -“Perhaps Mr. Ferguson kept it somewhere else; in the bank vault, or at -his house,” suggested Judith. - -“Nope. Spaythe has looked everywhere,” declared Don. “Old Ritchie says -she had a lot of money in that box, and bonds an’ s’curities to no end. -She’s rich as mud, you know, but hates to lose a penny.” - -“Dear me,” exclaimed Phoebe; “can’t she hold the Fergusons -responsible?” appealing to Cousin Judith. - -“I’m not sure of that,” replied the Little Mother, seriously, for here -was a matter that might cause their lately bereaved friends an added -misfortune. “If the box contained so much of value it would ruin the -Fergusons to replace it. The question to be determined is when the box -disappeared. If it was there when Mr. Spaythe took possession of the -office, I think he will be personally responsible.” - -“I don’t know anything about that,” said Don. “I was on my way home -when I heard Mrs. Ritchie screeching like a lunatic that her box was -stolen. I joined the crowd and we all followed to the bank, Mr. Spaythe -in his automobile with the load of boxes and Ritchie running along -beside the car jawing him like a crazy woman. She called him a thief -and a robber at ev’ry step, but he paid no attention. Eric Spaythe -had just closed the bank when we got there, but he helped his father -carry in the truck, and Mrs. Ritchie watched every box that went in -and yelled: ‘That ain’t it! That ain’t it!’ while the crowd laughed -an’ hooted. Then Mr. Spaythe tried to explain and quiet her, but she -wouldn’t listen to reason. So Eric and his father both went into the -bank and locked the woman out when she wanted to follow them. It was -lots of fun, about that time. I thought she’d smash in the glass -with her umbrella; but while she was screaming an’ threatening the -Spaythes, Lawyer Kellogg happened to come along and he drew her aside. -He whispered to her a minute an’ then they both got into her buggy -an’ drove away. That broke up the circus, but ev’ryone says there’ll -be something doing before this thing is settled, unless that lost box -turns up.” - -The information conveyed was not entirely lucid, but sufficiently so -to disturb the whole Daring family. They were not at all interested in -Mrs. Ritchie, but the Fergusons were such old and close friends that -there was a general impression that the lost box might cost them all -the judge had left and practically ruin them. - -“We know,” said Phoebe, in talking it over later, “that the judge was -honest. Mrs. Ritchie knew that, too, or she wouldn’t have put her -valuables in his keeping.” - -“But it seems very unbusinesslike, on his part, to keep her valuables -in an old wooden cupboard,” declared Judith. “Judge Ferguson was quite -old-fashioned about such matters and evidently had no fear of either -fires or burglars.” - -“They never bothered him, neither,” Don reminded her. “That old -cupboard’s been stuffed full of valuable papers and tin boxes for -years, an’ not a soul ever touched ’em.” - -“Oak doors, strong boxes and good locks,” said Phoebe; “that accounts -for their past safety. Those cupboard doors are as strong as a good -many safes, and as far as burglars are concerned, they manage to -break in anywhere if they get the chance. I don’t believe anyone but -a professional burglar could steal Mrs. Ritchie’s box, and no burglar -would take hers and leave all the others. Still, if it wasn’t stolen, -where is it? That’s the question.” - -“It’s more than a question, Phoebe,” replied Don; “it’s a mystery.” - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -HOW PHOEBE BECAME WORRIED - - -Reflecting on the astonishing information Don had conveyed, Phoebe went -to her room and sat down at a small table near the window to which was -fastened a telegraph instrument, the wire leading outside through a -hole bored in the lower part of the sash. - -A telegraph instrument is indeed a queer thing to be found in a young -girl’s room, yet its existence is simple enough when explained. -Riverdale was an out-of-the-way town, quite as unenterprising as many -Southern towns of its class. Its inhabitants followed slowly and -reluctantly in the wake of progress. They had used electric lights -since only the year before, getting the current from Canton, ten miles -away, where there was more enterprise and consequently more business. -Canton also supplied telephone service to Bayport and Riverdale, but -the cost of construction and installation was considered so high that -as yet Riverdale had but three connections: one at the post office, a -public toll station; one at Spaythe’s bank and one at the newspaper -office. The citizens thought these three provided for all needs and -so they did not encourage the Canton telephone company to establish a -local exchange for the residences of their village. - -Some were annoyed by this lack of public interest in so convenient a -utility as the telephone. The Randolphs would have liked one in their -house, and so would the Darings, the Camerons, the Fergusons and a -few others; but these were obliged to wait until there was sufficient -demand to warrant the establishment of an exchange. - -The telegraph operator of the village was a young fellow who had been -a schoolmate of both Phil and Phoebe Daring, although he was some -few years their elder. Dave Hunter had gone to St. Louis to study -telegraphy and afterward served as an assistant in several cities until -he finally managed to secure the position of operator in his home town. - -The Hunters were nice people, but of humble means, and Dave was really -the breadwinner for his widowed mother and his sister Lucy, a bright -and pretty girl of Phoebe’s age. Encouraged by her brother’s success, -Lucy determined to become a telegraph operator herself, as many girls -are now doing; but to avoid the expense of going to a school of -telegraphy Dave agreed to teach her during his leisure hours. In order -to do this he stretched a wire from his office to his home, two blocks -away, and placed instruments at either end so that Lucy could practice -by telegraphing to her brother and receiving messages in reply. - -She was getting along famously when Phoebe Daring and Nathalie Cameron -called on her one day and were delighted by her ability to telegraph to -her brother. - -“Why, it’s as good as a telephone, and much more fun,” declared Phoebe, -and Nathalie asked: - -“Why couldn’t we have telegraphs in our own houses, and get Dave to -teach us how to use them? Then we could talk to one another whenever we -pleased--rain or shine.” - -The idea appealed to Phoebe. Lucy telegraphed the suggestion to her -brother and he readily agreed to teach the girls if they provided -instruments and stretched wires between the various houses. That -would be quite an expense, he warned them, and they would have to get -permission from the village board to run the wires through the streets. - -Nothing daunted, they immediately set to work to accomplish their novel -purpose. Marion Randolph, the eldest of the Randolph children, was home -from college at this time and entered heartily into the scheme. They -were joined by Janet Ferguson, and the four girls, representing the -best families in the village, had no trouble in getting permission to -put up the wires, especially when they had the judge to argue their -case for them. - -Dave, seeing he could turn an honest penny, undertook to put up the -wires, for there was not enough business at the Riverdale telegraph -office to demand his entire time and Lucy was now competent to take his -place when he was away. He connected the houses of the Darings, the -Randolphs, the Camerons and the Fergusons, and then he connected them -with his own home. For, as Lucy was the original telegraph girl, it -would never do to leave her out of the fun, although she could not be -asked to share the expense. - -Lucy seemed a little embarrassed because Dave accepted money for his -work and for teaching the four girls how to operate. “You see,” she -said one day when they were all assembled in her room, “Dave has lately -developed a money-making disposition. You mustn’t breathe it, girls, -but I’ve an idea he’s in love!” - -“Oh, Lucy! In love?” - -“He’s been very sweet on Hazel Chandler, the postmaster’s daughter, -of late, and I sometimes think they’ve had an understanding and will -be married, some day--when they have enough money. Poor Hazel hasn’t -anything, you know, for there are so many in the Chandler family -that the postmaster’s salary and all they can make out of the little -stationery store in the post office is used up in living.” - -“It’s used up mostly by Mrs. Chandler’s social stunts,” declared -Nathalie. “She’s proud of being the leader of Riverdale society, and a -D. A. R., and several other things. But doesn’t Hazel get anything for -tending the shop and handing out the mail when her father is away?” - -“Not a cent. She’s lucky to get her board. And when she’s not in the -shop her mother expects her to do housework. Poor thing! It would be -a relief to her to marry and have a home of her own. I hope Dave’ll -manage it, and I’d love to have Hazel for a sister,” said Lucy. “Mind -you, girls, this is a secret; I’m not even positive I’m right in my -suspicions; but I wanted to explain why Dave took the money.” - -“He was perfectly right in doing so, under any circumstances,” declared -Phoebe, and the others agreed with her. - -Phoebe and Marion learned telegraphy very quickly, developing -surprising aptitude; Nathalie Cameron was not far behind them, but -Janet Ferguson, a remarkably bright girl in her studies, found the art -quite difficult to master and made so many blunders that she added -materially to the delight they all found in telegraphing to one another -on all possible occasions. When Marion went back to college the other -four continued to amuse themselves by gossiping daily over the wire; -but gradually, as the novelty of the thing wore away, they became less -eager to use their lately acquired powers and so, at the period of this -story, the click of an instrument was seldom heard except when there -was some question to ask or some real news to communicate. By concerted -arrangement they were all alert to a “call” between six and seven in -the evening and from eight to nine in the mornings, but their trained -ears now recognized the click-click! if they were anywhere within -hearing of it. - -Cousin Judith was much amused and interested in this odd diversion -of Phoebe’s, and she recognized the educational value of the -accomplishment the girl had acquired and generously applauded her -success. Indeed, Phoebe was admitted the most skillful operator of them -all. But aside from the amusement and instruction it furnished, the -little telegraph circuit was of no practical value and could in no way -be compared with the utility of the telephone. - -On this evening, after hearing the exciting news of the loss of Mrs. -Ritchie’s box, Phoebe went to her room with the idea of telegraphing -to Janet and asking about the matter. But as she sat down before the -instrument she remembered that the Ferguson household was a sad and -anxious one just now and it was scarcely fitting to telegraph to her -friend in regard to so personal and important an affair. She decided -to run over in the morning for a quiet talk with Janet and meantime to -call the other girls and ask them for further news. She got Lucy Hunter -first, who said that Dave had come home full of the gossip caused by -the missing box, but some one had come for him and he had suddenly gone -away without telling the last half of his story. - -Then Phoebe, after a long delay, got Nathalie Cameron on the wire and -Nathalie had a lot to tell her. Mr. Cameron was a retired manufacturer -who was considered quite wealthy. Several years ago he had discovered -Riverdale and brought his family there to live, that he might “round -out his life,” as he said, amid quiet and peaceful scenes. He was a -director in Spaythe’s bank, as had been Judge Ferguson. Mr. Cameron -also owned a large plantation that adjoined the property of Mrs. -Ritchie, on the Bayport road. Nathalie told Phoebe that the Cameron -box, containing many valuable papers but no money, had also been in the -judge’s cupboard, but Mr. Spaythe had reported it safe and untampered -with. Nor had any box other than Mrs. Ritchie’s been taken. So far as -they knew, the Ritchie box was the only one in Mr. Ferguson’s care -that contained money, and it seemed as if the thief, whoever he might -be, was aware of this and so refrained from disturbing any of the -others. This theory, reported Nathalie, was sure to limit the number of -suspects to a possible few and her father was positive that the burglar -would soon be caught. Mr. Cameron had been at the bank and witnessed -Mrs. Ritchie’s display of anger and indignation when her box could not -be found. He had thought Mr. Spaythe rather too cold and unsympathetic, -but the banker’s nature was reserved and unemotional. - -“Father says the woman was as good as a vaudeville,” continued -Nathalie, clicking out the words, “but not quite so circumspect--so you -can imagine the scene! She is said to be rich and prosperous, but was -furious over her loss and threatened Mr. Spaythe with so many horrible -penalties, unless he restored her property, that he had to take refuge -inside the bank and lock the door on her.” - -This was merely such gossip as Phoebe had heard from Don, but it was -interesting to have the details from another viewpoint. - -To understand the excitement caused by the disappearance of Mrs. -Ritchie’s box it is only necessary to remember that Riverdale is a -sleepy old town where anything out of the ordinary seldom happens. -In a big city such an occurrence would be a mere detail of the day’s -doings and the newspapers would not accord it sufficient importance to -mention it in a paragraph; but in Riverdale, where a humdrum, droning -life prevailed, the mysterious incident roused the entire community to -a state of wonder and speculation. The theft, or loss, or whatever it -was, became indeed the “talk of the town.” - -The principals in the scandal, moreover, were important people, or as -important as any that Riverdale possessed. Mrs. Ritchie owned one of -the largest plantations--or “farms”--in the neighborhood, left her long -ago by her deceased husband; Mr. Spaythe was the local banker; Judge -Ferguson had been known and highly respected far and wide. Therefore -the weekly newspaper in the town was sure to print several columns of -comment on the affair, provided the tipsy old compositor employed by -the editor could set so much type before the paper went to press. - -The following morning Phoebe walked over to see Janet and found that -the Fergusons were face to face with a new and serious trouble. It was -true that the Ritchie box had vanished and no one could imagine where -it had gone to. - -“Papa was very orderly, in his way,” said Janet, “and he had a book in -which he kept a complete list of all papers and securities in his care -and a record of whatever he delivered to the owners. Mrs. Ritchie’s -account shows he had received money, bonds and mortgages from her, -amounting in value to several thousand dollars, and these were kept in -a heavy tin box painted blue, with the name ‘Ritchie’ upon it in white -letters. With many similar boxes it was kept in the oak cupboard at the -office, and my father always carried the keys himself. We gave these -keys to Mr. Spaythe because we knew he was father’s executor, and he -found all the boxes, with their contents undisturbed, except that of -Mrs. Ritchie. It is very strange,” she added, with a sigh. - -“Perhaps the judge removed it from the cupboard just before his--his -attack,” said Phoebe. “Have you searched the house?” - -“Everywhere. And it is not among father’s papers at the bank. One of -the most curious things about the affair,” continued Janet, “is that -Mrs. Ritchie came to the house the very day after father’s death to -demand her box, and she was so insistent that I had to send for Toby -Clark to take her away. No one else bothered us at all; only this -woman whose property was even then missing.” - -“Are you sure she didn’t go to the office and get the box?” asked -Phoebe, suddenly suspicious of this queer circumstance. - -“Why, she hadn’t the keys; nor had Toby. Mr. Spaythe found the cupboard -properly locked. On the bunch of small keys which father carried is one -labelled ‘Ritchie,’ and it proved there was a complicated lock on the -box which could not have been picked.” - -“That’s nothing,” returned Phoebe. “Whoever took the box could break it -open at leisure. It was merely tin; a can-opener would do the job.” - -“Yes; I’m sure that was why the entire box was taken away. It was the -only one that contained money to tempt a thief. Mrs. Ritchie, for -some reason, never trusted banks. She has some very peculiar ideas, -you know. Whenever she needed money she came to father and got it out -of the box, giving him a receipt for it and taking a receipt when -she deposited money. The record book shows that she had about three -thousand dollars in currency in her box when it--disappeared; and there -were government bonds for several thousands more, besides notes and -mortgages and other securities.” - -“Can she hold you responsible for this property?” inquired Phoebe. - -“Mr. Spaythe says that she can, but he is confident she will not -attempt to collect it from us. He was here this morning and had a -long talk with mother. He assured her the box will surely be found in -time, and told her not to worry. We are liable to suffer our greatest -annoyance from Mrs. Ritchie, who won’t be patient and wait for an -investigation. The woman is very nervous and excitable and seems to -think we are trying to defraud her.” - -“I--I don’t suppose there is anything I can do?” said Phoebe helplessly. - -“No, dear; nothing at all. Mr. Spaythe says not to pay any attention to -Mrs. Ritchie and has asked us not to talk about the affair until the -mystery is solved. If anyone asks questions we must refer them to Mr. -Spaythe. So you mustn’t repeat what I’ve told you, Phoebe.” - -“I won’t. Don says Mrs. Ritchie went away with Lawyer Kellogg last -night.” - -“I suppose Mr. Kellogg would like to take her case and make us all the -trouble he can,” replied Janet bitterly. - -“Why doesn’t Mr. Spaythe see Mr. Holbrook?” asked Phoebe. - -“I don’t know. Perhaps he has seen him. Anyhow, I’m sure Mr. Spaythe -will do everything in his power to find the box. He was one of father’s -best friends and we know him to be an honorable man and very capable in -all ways. We feel that we may trust Mr. Spaythe.” - -Phoebe did not reply to this. She was wondering if anyone could be -trusted in such a peculiar complication. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -HOW PHOEBE INTERVIEWED THE LAWYER - - -Phoebe Daring returned home more mystified than ever in regard to the -missing box. The girl was by nature logical and inquiring and aside -from the interest she felt in the Fergusons the mystery appealed to her -curiosity and aroused in her a disposition to investigate it on her own -account. That day, however, there was no development in the affair. -Mrs. Ritchie kept out of sight and aside from the gossip indulged in -by the villagers concerning the discreditable scene at the bank the -night before, the excitement incident to the loss of the precious -blue box seemed to have subsided. Don and Becky reported that all the -school children were talking about the lost box and that many absurd -statements were made concerning its disappearance. - -“I had to punch one of the fellows for saying that Judge Ferguson spent -Mrs. Ritchie’s money and then committed suicide,” announced Don. “He -took it back, afterward, and said that Kellogg robbed the judge for -revenge. There may be some truth in that, for Kellogg paid his board -bill the other day. Another kid said he dreamed it was Will Chandler, -the postmaster, who cut a hole through the ceiling of the post office -and so got into the judge’s cupboard. Nearly everybody in town is -accused by somebody, they say, and I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that -I stole the box myself.” - -“I don’t believe there _was_ any box,” muttered Becky. “Ol’ Mam -Ritchie’s half crazy, an’ I guess she just imagined it.” - -“Wake up, Beck,” said Don; “you’re dreaming.” - -“That proves I’ve a brain,” retorted his sister. “No one can dream who -hasn’t a brain; which is the reason, my poor Don, you never dream.” - -“He snores, though,” declared Sue. - -“I don’t!” cried Don indignantly. - -“You snore like a pig; I’ve heard you.” - -“Never!” - -“I’ll leave it to Becky,” said Sue. - -“If she sides with you, I’ll pinch her till she’s black-an’-blue,” -promised Don angrily. - -“I dare you,” said Becky, bristling at the threat. - -“Now--now!” warned Phoebe; “there’ll be a fight in a minute, and some -one will be sorry. Cool off, my dears, and don’t get excited over -nothing. Have you got your lessons for to-morrow?” - -At nine thirty next morning Janet Ferguson stopped at the house, as she -had promised to do, and Phoebe put on her things and joined her friend -on the way to town, to interview Mr. Holbrook. - -“Any news?” asked Phoebe. - -Janet shook her head. - -“We haven’t heard from Mr. Spaythe since I saw you. Mother’s dreadfully -nervous over the thing, which followed so soon after father’s death. I -hope Mrs. Ritchie’s box will be found, for it would relieve us both of -much anxiety.” - -“I hope so, too,” replied Phoebe. - -When they arrived at the well-known stairway leading to the offices -which Judge Ferguson had occupied for so many years, Janet was rather -shocked to find a showy new sign suspended above the entrance. It bore -the words: “JOHN HOLBROOK, Attorney at Law,” and another but smaller -tin sign was tacked to the door at the head of the stairs. - -Phoebe knocked and a voice bade them enter. Mr. Holbrook was seated at -a table with several law books spread open before him. But he sat in -an easy attitude, smoking his cigarette, and both the girls decided -the array of legal lore was intended to impress any clients who might -chance to stray into the office. - -“I am Miss Ferguson,” said Janet in stiff and formal tones. He bowed -and tossed his cigarette through the open window, looking at Janet -rather curiously and then turning to Phoebe. “Miss Daring, sir.” - -He bowed again, very courteously, as he placed chairs for them. -Somehow, they felt relieved by his polite manner. Neither had -expected to find so young a man or one so handsome and well dressed -and it occurred to Phoebe to wonder why Mr. Holbrook had selected -this out-of-the-way corner, where he was wholly unknown, in which to -practice law. Riverdale was normally an exceedingly quiet town and -possessed few attractions for strangers. - -Janet began the conversation. - -“We have come to see you in regard to Toby Clark,” she said. “He was -in my father’s employ for several years, first as office boy and then -as clerk, and Judge Ferguson thought very highly of him and trusted -him fully. Toby injured his foot a year ago and limps badly, but that -doesn’t interfere much with his activity, and so we thought--we hoped--” - -She hesitated, here, because Mr. Holbrook was looking at her with an -amused smile. But Phoebe helped her out. - -“Toby is without employment, just now,” she explained, “and we believe -it will be to your advantage to secure him as an assistant.” - -“The young man has already applied to me,” said the lawyer. “I was -obliged to decline his application.” - -“I know,” said Phoebe; “but perhaps you did not realize his value. Toby -is very popular in Riverdale and knows every one of Judge Ferguson’s -former clients personally.” - -“I do not need a clerk,” returned Mr. Holbrook, rather shortly. - -“But you are a stranger here and you will pardon my saying that it is -evident you wish to secure business, or you would not have opened a law -office. Also you are anxious to succeed to Judge Ferguson’s practice, -or you would not so promptly have rented the office he had occupied. -Nothing will help you to succeed more than to employ Toby Clark, who -was the judge’s old clerk and knew a good deal about his law business. -Toby is as much a part of the outfit of this office as the furniture,” -she added with a smile. - -“I thank you for your consideration of my interests,” said Mr. Holbrook. - -Phoebe flushed. - -“I admit that we are more interested, for the moment, in Toby Clark,” -she replied. “Like everyone else in Riverdale who knows the boy, we -are fond of him, and so we want him to have the opportunity to continue -his studies of the law. He is very poor, you know, and cannot afford to -go to college just yet; so nothing would assist him more than for you -to employ him, just as Judge Ferguson did.” - -Mr. Holbrook drummed with his fingers on the table, in an absent way. -He was evidently puzzled how to answer this fair pleader. Then he -suddenly straightened up, sat back in his chair and faced the two girls -frankly. - -“I am, as you state, an entire stranger here,” said he, “and for that -reason I must tell you something of myself or you will not understand -my refusal to employ Toby Clark. I--” - -“Excuse me,” said Janet, rising; “we did not intend to force your -confidence, sir. We thought that perhaps, when you were informed of the -value of my father’s clerk, you might be glad to employ him, and we -would like to have you do so; but having presented the case to the best -of our ability we can only leave you to decide as you think best.” - -“Sit down, please, Miss Ferguson,” he replied earnestly. “It is indeed -to my advantage to make friends in Riverdale, rather than enemies, and -as I am unable to employ Toby Clark you are likely to become annoyed by -my refusal, unless you fully understand my reasons. Therefore I beg -you will allow me to explain.” - -Janet glanced at Phoebe, who had remained seated. Her friend nodded, -so Janet sat down again. The truth was that Miss Daring was curious to -hear Mr. Holbrook’s explanation. - -“I’ve had my own way to make in the world,” began the young man, in a -hesitating, uncertain tone, but gathering confidence as he proceeded. -“There was no one to put me through college, so I worked my way--doing -all sorts of disagreeable jobs to pay expenses. After I got my degree -and was admitted to the bar I was without a dollar with which to begin -the practice of law. Yet I had to make a start, somehow or other, and -it occurred to me that a small town would be leas expensive to begin -in than a city. During the past summer I worked hard. I don’t mind -telling you that I tended a soda-fountain in St. Louis and remained -on duty twelve hours a day. I earned an excellent salary, however, -and by the first of October believed I had saved enough money to -start me in business. Seeking a small and desirable town, I arrived -in Riverdale and liked the place. While hesitating whether or not to -make it my permanent location, Judge Ferguson died, and that decided -me. I imagined I might find a good opening here by trying to fill his -place. I rented these offices and paid a month’s rent in advance. I -purchased this furniture and the law library from Mr. Spaythe, the -executor, and partly paid for it in cash. My board at the hotel is paid -for up to Saturday night, and I had some letterheads and cards printed -and my signs painted. All this indicates me prosperous, but the cold -fact, young ladies, is that I have at this moment exactly one dollar -and fifteen cents in my pocket, and no idea where the next dollar is -coming from. Absurd, isn’t it? And amusing, too, if we consider it -philosophically. I’m putting up a good front, for a pauper, and I’m -not at all dismayed, because I believe myself a good lawyer. I’ve an -idea that something will occur to furnish me with a paying client in -time to save the day. But you can readily understand that under such -circumstances I cannot employ a clerk, even at a minimum salary. I -must be my own office-boy and errand-boy until my living expenses are -assured and I can see the week’s wage ahead for my assistant. And now, -Miss Ferguson and Miss Daring, you have the bare facts in the case and -I hope you will be able to forgive me for refusing your request.” - -The girls had listened in some amazement, yet there was little in Mr. -Holbrook’s ingenuous statement to cause surprise. Such a condition was -easily understood and quite plausible in this aggressive age. But the -story affected the two girls differently. Janet developed an admiration -for the bold, masterful way in which this impecunious young fellow had -established himself. Such a combination of audacity and courage could -scarcely fail to lead him to success. - -Phoebe, on the other hand, thought she detected a false note running -through the smooth recital. It seemed to her that Mr. Holbrook had -either invented the entire story on the spur of the moment or was -holding something back--perhaps both--for reasons of his own. She -did not doubt the main point of the story, that he was absolutely -penniless and dependent upon the uncertainties of his law business for -a living; but she felt sure he had not confided to them his actual -history, or any important details of his past life. She reflected -that this young fellow wore expensive clothes and that every detail -of his apparel, from the patent-leather shoes to the white silk tie -with its jeweled stick-pin, denoted extravagance rather than cautious -economy, such as he had claimed he had practiced. A silk-lined overcoat -hung upon a peg and beside it was a hat of better quality than the -young men of Riverdale wore. A taste for expensive clothes might be a -weakness with the lawyer, and while Phoebe hesitated to condemn him -for the endeavor to present a prosperous appearance she could not -help thinking he would have saved a good deal more money as soda-water -clerk had he been content with more modest attire. Imagine dapper Mr. -Holbrook a soda-water clerk! Phoebe was almost sure that was one of the -inventions. Yet she, as well as Janet, admitted the frank and winning -personality of the young lawyer and felt she knew and appreciated him -better since listening to his story. - -“Of course,” continued Holbrook, a little anxiously, “this confidence -places me at a disadvantage in your eyes. If Riverdale knows me as you -do I shall be ruined.” - -“We shall respect your confidence, sir,” said Janet, less stiffly than -before, “and we now fully understand why you cannot, at present, employ -Toby Clark. Perhaps, by and by--” - -“If I succeed, I shall give Toby the first job in my office,” he -promised earnestly. - -“Thank you, sir. Come, Phoebe.” - -But Phoebe again refused to stir. She was pondering something in her -mind and presently gave it expression. - -“Toby Clark,” said she, “injured his foot while endeavoring to serve -the family fortunes of the Darings, so we are really under serious -obligations to the boy. But he is so proud and shy, Mr. Holbrook, that -were we to offer him assistance at this crisis in his affairs, he -would be hurt and humiliated. And he would refuse to accept any help -that savored of charity.” - -Mr. Holbrook nodded, smiling at her. - -“I understand that disposition, Miss Daring,” said he, “for I have -similar qualities of independence myself.” - -“Yet something must be done for Toby,” she continued, “or else the -boy will lose all the advantages of his former association with Judge -Ferguson and perhaps starve or freeze when the cold weather comes on. -From your explanation, sir, and the promise you have just made to Miss -Ferguson, I understand your sole reason for not employing Toby is the -lack of money with which to pay his wages. Is that correct?” - -“Entirely so, Miss Daring. I appreciate the advantages of having this -young fellow with me, since he is so well acquainted hereabouts and is -somewhat posted in Mr. Ferguson’s business affairs; but--” - -“Then,” said Phoebe, “we must organize a conspiracy, we three, and -help Toby without his ever suspecting it. We Darings are not wealthy, -Mr. Holbrook, but we have more means than we absolutely require and -it will be a great pleasure to us to pay Toby Clark’s salary as your -clerk until you become prosperous enough to pay it yourself. Judge -Ferguson was not over-liberal in the matter of wages and gave Toby but -five dollars a week in money; but he also gave him a wealth of kindly -sympathy and much assistance in the study of law. I want you to hire -Toby at the same wages--five dollars a week--and try to assist him at -odd times as the judge did. No one but we three shall ever know how -the wages are supplied, and especially must the secret be guarded from -Toby. What do you say to this proposition, Mr. Holbrook?” - -Janet was filled with admiration of this clever idea and looked -appealingly at the young man. Mr. Holbrook flushed slightly, then -frowned and began drumming on the table with his fingers again. -Presently he looked up and asked: - -“Will this arrangement be a source of satisfaction to you young ladies?” - -“It will give us great pleasure,” declared Phoebe. - -“And it will be splendid for Toby,” added Janet. - -“Do you also realize that it is an assistance to me--that it will add -to the false evidences of my prosperity?” inquired the young man. - -“Oh, I was not considering you at all,” said Phoebe quickly, fearing -he might refuse. “I was only thinking of Toby; but if you find any -advantage in the arrangement I hope it will repay you for your kindness -to our friend--and to ourselves.” - -[Illustration: “Then,” said Phoebe, “we must organize a conspiracy, we -three, and help Toby without his ever suspecting it.”] - -Mr. Holbrook smiled. Then he nodded cheerfully and replied: - -“It would be very ungracious of me to say no, under such quaint -conditions, and therefore we will consider the matter as settled, Miss -Daring.” - -“I will send you a check for twenty dollars, which will be four weeks’ -wages for Toby, in advance,” she said. “And each month I will send you -twenty more, until you notify me you are able to assume the obligation -yourself.” - -He shook his head, still smiling. - -“Send me five dollars each week,” said he. “Otherwise, in my present -circumstances, I might be tempted to spend Toby’s wages on myself.” - -“Very well, if you prefer it so.” Then, half turning toward the door, -she added: “I thank you, Mr. Holbrook. Your coöperation in this little -conspiracy of mine has relieved me of a great anxiety; indeed, it will -give pleasure to all who know Toby Clark and are interested in his -welfare. I shall not forget that we owe you this kindness.” - -He bowed rather gravely in acknowledgment of this pretty speech and -then they heard hasty steps mounting the stairs and the door opened -abruptly to admit Mr. Spaythe. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -HOW TOBY CAME TO GRIEF - - -The banker of Riverdale was perhaps the most important personage in -the community, not even excepting Will Chandler. A man of considerable -wealth and sterling character, Mr. Spaythe was greatly respected by -high and low and was deemed reliable in any emergency. In character he -was somewhat stern and unyielding and his sense of justice and honor -was so strong that he was uncharitably bitter and harsh toward any -delinquent in such matters. As an old friend of the late Judge Ferguson -he had accepted the responsibilities of administering his estate and -was engaged in fulfilling his duties with businesslike celerity and -exactness when the unpleasant incident of Mrs. Ritchie’s missing box -came up to annoy him. Mr. Ferguson’s affairs were in perfect order; Mr. -Spaythe knew that the box had disappeared since his demise; but the -affair required rigid investigation and the banker had undertaken to -solve the mystery in his own way, without confiding in or consulting -anybody. - -Mr. Spaythe was usually so deliberate and unexcitable in demeanor that -his sudden entrance and agitated manner made both the girls, who knew -him well, gasp in astonishment. He seemed to be startled to find them -in young Mr. Holbrook’s office and his red face took on a deeper glow -as he stared first at one and then at the other. - -“We were just going,” said Phoebe, understanding that Mr. Spaythe had -come to see the lawyer, and then both the girls bowed and turned toward -the door. - -“One moment, please,” said the banker earnestly, as he held out an arm -with a restraining gesture. “A most extraordinary thing has happened, -in which you will doubtless be interested. Mrs. Ritchie has just had -Toby Clark arrested for stealing her box!” - -Phoebe sank into a chair, weak and trembling, and as she did so her -eyes swept Mr. Holbrook’s face and noticed that it flushed scarlet. But -the wave of color quickly receded and he turned a look of grave inquiry -upon Mr. Spaythe. - -“How absurd!” exclaimed Janet indignantly. - -“Yes, it is absurd,” agreed the banker, in a nervous manner, “but it is -quite serious, as well. I am sure Toby is innocent, but Mrs. Ritchie -has employed Abner Kellogg as her counselor and Kellogg would delight -in sending Toby to prison--if he can manage to do so.” - -“That box must be found!” cried Phoebe. - -Mr. Spaythe frowned. - -“It _has_ been found,” he rejoined bitterly. - -“Where?” - -“In a rubbish-heap at the back of Toby Clark’s shanty, down by the -river. It is Mrs. Ritchie’s box, beyond doubt; I have seen it; the -cover had been wrenched off and--it was empty.” - -The two girls stared at one another in speechless amazement. Mr. -Holbrook stood by his table, watching them curiously, but he did not -seem to share their astonishment. Mr. Spaythe sat down in a chair and -wiped his forehead with a handkerchief. - -“Who arrested Toby?” asked Janet. - -“Parsons, the constable. The warrant was issued by Powell, a justice of -the peace, on a sworn statement made by Mrs. Ritchie and Abner Kellogg.” - -“And Sam Parsons--Toby’s friend--has put him in jail?” - -“Yes; he was obliged to do that, you know.” - -Phoebe was gradually recovering her composure. - -“He can be bailed out, I suppose,” she suggested. - -Mr. Spaythe turned to the lawyer. - -“That is what I have come to see you about, Mr. Holbrook,” he said. -“Since this remarkable development in the matter of the missing box, -I shall be obliged to employ counsel. I would like to engage you to -defend Toby Clark.” - -The young man bowed. - -“I am fortunate, sir, to have so important a case brought to me so -early in my career,” he replied. “I will do my best for your protegè, I -assure you.” - -“Toby Clark is no protegè of mine,” declared the banker sternly. “But,” -he added, more mildly, “he was Judge Ferguson’s protegè and I believe -the boy incapable of this alleged theft. Therefore I propose he shall -be properly defended. I will be personally responsible for your fee, -Mr. Holbrook.” - -“That is quite satisfactory to me, sir.” - -“But about the bail,” cried Janet impatiently. “We cannot allow Toby to -remain in that dreadful jail!” - -“The county seat is at Bayport,” observed the lawyer. “We have no judge -here who is authorized to accept bail for an accused criminal. Toby -Clark must be taken to Bayport for a preliminary hearing, at which -I will appear in his behalf, instruct him to plead not guilty and -then demand his release on bail. If you will drive over with me, Mr. -Spaythe, I’ve no doubt the bail can be easily arranged.” - -“When will his case be tried?” asked the banker. - -“The next term of court is the first week in December. The trial will -of course be at Bayport.” - -“What a long time to wait!” exclaimed Janet. - -“Never mind; it will give us time to discover the real criminal,” said -Phoebe decidedly. “In that event Toby’s case will never be tried.” - -Mr. Spaythe nodded. Then he shifted uneasily in his chair a moment and -asked: - -“Ought we to employ a detective, Mr. Holbrook?” - -“Of course!” said Phoebe. “That is the first thing to be done.” - -“Pardon me, Miss Daring,” returned the lawyer seriously, “I think that -should be reserved as our final resource. Riverdale is so small a -place that the movements of every inhabitant may easily be traced. I -believe I possess some small talent in the detective way myself--a good -criminal lawyer ought to be a good detective, it is said--so if Clark -is really innocent it ought not to be difficult to discover the real -criminal.” - -“I don’t like that ‘if,’ Mr. Holbrook,” said Phoebe resentfully. - -The young man flushed again. It seemed to be one of his characteristics -to change color, on occasion, and he was aware of this failing and -evidently annoyed by it. At Phoebe’s remark he bit his lip and -hesitated a moment. Then he replied with dignity: - -“The ‘if’ was not intended to condemn your friend, Miss Daring. Even -the law holds him innocent until he is proved guilty. But you must -remember that Toby Clark is a perfect stranger to me and perhaps you -will admit that circumstantial evidence is at present against him. The -box was found on his premises, it seems, and he had the keys to this -office at the time of Judge Ferguson’s death. Even before there was a -rumor that anything was missing from the place I urged the boy to get -rid of the key--merely as a matter of ordinary precaution.” - -“I know that is true,” said Mr. Spaythe. “When Toby brought the key to -me he said you had advised him to do so.” - -“Still,” continued the lawyer reflectively, “the circumstantial -evidence, while it might influence a jury, can have no effect upon -those who know the boy’s character and believe in his honesty. The -thing for me to do, if I undertake this case, is first to discover who -knew of Mrs. Ritchie’s box--” - -“Why, everybody, nearly, knew of it,” said Phoebe. “She’s a queer old -creature and, having used the judge for a banker, was constantly coming -to him to deposit money or to get it from her box. I’ve no doubt she -imagined it was a secret, but Mrs. Ritchie’s box was a matter of public -gossip.” - -“The next thing,” continued Mr. Holbrook quietly, “is to discover who -were Toby Clark’s enemies.” - -“I don’t believe he had one in Riverdale,” asserted Phoebe. - -“The real criminal placed the rifled box on Toby Clark’s premises, -where if found it would implicate him in the theft. No one but an -enemy would have done that,” declared the young man, but he spoke -argumentatively and there was not an earnest ring to his words. “Then,” -he resumed, “we must watch and see what citizen has suddenly acquired -money. There are no professional burglars in Riverdale, I imagine, so -the thief will be unable to resist the temptation to use some of the -stolen money. Really, Mr. Spaythe, the case is so simple that I am -positive we shall have no need of a detective. Indeed, a detective in -town would be quickly recognized and his very presence would defeat us -by putting the criminal on guard. Let us proceed quietly to ferret out -the mystery ourselves. I already feel reasonably certain of success -and, when I have interviewed Toby Clark, which I shall do at once, he -will perhaps be able to furnish us with a clew.” - -This logical reasoning appealed to Mr. Spaythe and silenced even -Phoebe’s objections. The girls left the office filled with horror of -the cowardly charge brought against the poor boy they had so earnestly -sought to aid. - -On their way home Janet said: - -“Of course this will prevent Mr. Holbrook from carrying out his -agreement, for until Toby’s innocence is proved we cannot expect anyone -to give him employment.” - -“Why not?” asked Phoebe, who was trembling with nervous excitement. -“Do you suppose anyone in Riverdale would doubt Toby’s honesty, just -because that miserable Abner Kellogg and old Mrs. Ritchie accuse him? I -think it would be a clever thing for Mr. Holbrook to take him into his -office at once. It would make the lawyer lots of friends.” - -“Perhaps that is true,” answered Janet doubtfully; “but Mr. Holbrook -can’t be expected to believe in Toby as implicitly as we do. He may -think it would injure his reputation to employ one accused of stealing. -If he did, we could not blame him.” - -Phoebe made no reply. Parting from Janet at the gate she ran into -the house and straight to Cousin Judith’s room, where she first had a -crying spell and then related the startling incidents of the morning. - -The Little Mother was greatly shocked and quite as indignant as Phoebe -had been. But she tried to comfort the girl by assuring her that Toby -would be proved innocent. - -“I think Mr. Spaythe was fortunate in securing Mr. Holbrook to defend -Toby,” she added. “As this is his first case, it will be an opportunity -for him to make a fine reputation in Riverdale by winning it, and as he -seems a young man of ability and judgment we may depend on his doing -his utmost and in the end clearing Toby triumphantly.” - -That didn’t seem to reassure Phoebe. - -“I think Mr. Holbrook has both ability and judgment,” she agreed. -“He impressed me as being a very clever young man--too clever to be -altogether trusted.” - -“Oh, Phoebe!” - -“He looks honest, and talks honest,” the girl went on, “but there’s -something about him--his manner or his smile; I don’t know what--that -makes me think he is not sincere.” - -Judith looked at her thoughtfully. - -“Nevertheless,” she rejoined, “it is to his interest to free his -client, and from what you say he already believes that he can do so.” - -“I didn’t like several things he said,” remarked Phoebe. “Once he said -‘if’ Toby was innocent--just as if there could be any doubt about -it!--and he wouldn’t allow Mr. Spaythe to send to the city for a -detective.” - -“He may be wise in that,” affirmed Judith. “Doubtless he prefers to -wait and see what the next few days develop. If he is able to solve -the mystery himself it will be best to keep a detective out of it. The -detective would be a stranger, you know, and at their best detectives -are not infallible.” - -Phoebe sighed. - -“What a cruel thing for Mrs. Ritchie to do!” she said. “And just when -Janet and I had settled Toby’s affairs so nicely and obtained for him -just the position he would have liked best.” - -The Little Mother smiled. - -“Was I wrong to promise that we would pay Toby’s wages?” asked Phoebe -quickly. - -“No, dear; I would have agreed to your plan very willingly. But it -was placing Mr. Holbrook in a rather delicate position, after his -confession to you of his poverty, don’t you think?” - -“Perhaps so,” said the girl. “But he took it very nicely. He seems -gentlemanly and kind, Cousin Judith. I can’t say why I don’t wholly -trust him. Janet thinks he acted splendidly and I imagine she is quite -interested in her father’s successor. I don’t dislike him, myself, you -know; only, until I’ve seen more of him, I can’t exactly trust him.” - -“We cannot expect to find one able to fill Judge Ferguson’s place,” -observed Judith regretfully. - -There was great excitement among the young Darings when they came -rushing home from school. The news of Toby’s arrest had spread like -wildfire throughout the village and the inhabitants of Riverdale were -at first generally indignant and inclined to think that Toby Clark was -being unjustly persecuted. When the details were learned, however, and -it was known that Mrs. Ritchie’s blue box, battered and empty, had been -found just back of Toby’s shanty, there were some who began to believe -in the boy’s guilt, while others stoutly defended him. - -The following morning, at the request of Lawyer Kellogg, an officer -was sent over from Bayport who, in conjunction with Sam Parsons, the -Riverdale constable, made a thorough search of Toby Clark’s tumble-down -house. It was so poor a place that the door was not even locked. There -were but two rooms; that at the front, where Toby cooked and slept, and -a little den at the back, which contained only a few bits of broken, -cast-off furniture and some boxes and barrels. In this back room, -concealed beneath a pile of old newspapers, the officers found a bundle -of mortgages and other documents, the property of Mrs. Ritchie and -which were of no value to anyone but their owner. The money and bonds, -however, could not be found. - -Armed with this fresh evidence against the prisoner the officers of the -law went to the jail and urged the boy to confess. - -“Tell the truth,” said Jardyce, the Bayport policeman, “and the chances -are you’ll get a light sentence. It is foolish to continue to deny your -guilt.” - -Toby, quite broken and despondent, for he felt deeply the disgrace of -his accusation and arrest, stared at the officer in wonder. - -“Are you sure you found those papers in my room?” he asked. - -“There is no doubt of it.” - -“Then some one else put them there. Who do you suppose it could be, -Sam?” inquired Toby, addressing Parsons, the constable, who had always -been his friend. - -“Can’t imagine,” was the gruff reply; then, noting Toby’s appealing -look, he turned to the Bayport man and added: “There’s something -crooked about this thing, Jardyce. I know, as well as I know anything, -that Toby Clark had nothing to do with stealing that box.” - -“In spite of the evidence?” - -“Bother the evidence! You know, an’ I know, that lots of evidence is -cooked up.” - -“Yes, that’s true. I will say this,” continued the policeman, -thoughtfully, “that after a long experience with crooks of all sorts, -this boy don’t impress me as being guilty. But the evidence is mighty -strong against him, you’ll admit, and the chances are a jury will -convict him without argument. Too bad, if he’s innocent; but many an -innocent man is serving time because he couldn’t explain away the -circumstantial evidence against him.” - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -HOW TOBY FOUND A FRIEND - - -The discovery of the incriminating papers cost Toby the confidence of -many of his fellow townsmen. Popular opinion had been about evenly -divided, before that, but it was hard to argue innocence in the face of -such adverse evidence. Yet, even while conceding the boy’s guilt, the -Riverdale people were regretful and grieved rather than condemnatory. - -“Ye see, it’s this way,” said Tom Rathbun the grocer to a crowd that -had gathered in his store; “Toby’s a nice little chap an’ has tried -to be honest. But he comes of bad stock; his father owed me seven -dollars when he died an’ his mother were addicted to drink, as you’ll -all remember. ’Tain’t to be wondered at that with such parents Toby -inherited some desprit bad failin’s, an’ when the jedge died, an’ the -boy’s fat job was killed, he jes’ natcherly yielded to the temptation -to take Mrs. Ritchie’s box, knowin’ it were full o’ money. Seems like -if the jedge had lived Toby’d ’a’ kep’ himself honest, an’ growed up to -be a decent man; but when he lost his best friend he backslid an’ got -caught at it.” - -Rathbun’s expression voiced the sentiment of the majority, although a -few staunch friends refused to admit the evidence against Toby Clark. -Perhaps the boy’s most bitter condemnation came from Dave Hunter, -the young telegraph operator, who seemed certain of Toby’s guilt and -proclaimed his conviction everywhere and on every occasion. - -Lawyer Kellogg was jubilant over his success in “landing his bird at -the first shot,” as he proudly stated, and swaggered more pompously -than ever. Mrs. Ritchie, however did not congratulate him. The woman -seemed terribly nervous over the missing contents of her box and rated -her lawyer for not recovering them. One important paper, especially, -had disappeared, she claimed, and she laid more stress on Kellogg’s -finding that than on finding her money and bonds, although she was -notoriously careful of her money. - -“Drat the mortgages an’ deeds!” she cried angrily; “no one could turn -’em into money if they tried; it’s the negotiable stuff I want. An’ -you’ve got to get it, Abner Kellogg. The boy ain’t had a chance to -spend the money, or sell the bonds, an’ there’s no reason you can’t -make him give ’em up. Whatever else you do, though, you’ve got to find -that other paper. I want it, an’ I’m goin’ to have it! We’ve got the -thief, all right, so why don’t you get back my property?” - -“I can’t, just yet,” protested Kellogg. “The money is not on Toby’s -person and he won’t tell where he’s hid it. But be calm, Mrs. Ritchie; -be calm and trust to me. When the case comes to trial I know a way -to make Clark confess, and I’ll get every cent of your money and the -missing paper, I promise you.” - -“I don’t trust you,” declared the old woman. “I think you’re as big a -villain as Toby Clark. I hired you ’cause you agreed to catch the thief -and get my property back or you wouldn’t charge a cent. I made you sign -that agreement in black an’ white.” - -“Quite true, Mrs. Ritchie; but give me time. I’ve got the thief, and -I’ve recovered part of your property! Give me time and I’ll get the -money and the bonds. The boy can’t spend anything while he’s in jail -and sooner or later he’ll confess where he’s hid the stuff.” - -“If you hadn’t caught the thief,” rejoined Mrs. Ritchie, savagely, “I -could have held the Fergusons responsible. Now they’re out of it and -if you don’t get the money from Toby it’s gone for good. I want that -paper, too.” - -“Don’t worry; I’ll get it all; give me time,” repeated the lawyer. - -Mr. Holbrook, on the other side of the case, was proceeding very -leisurely. Orders had been received to have the prisoner brought to -Bayport for a preliminary examination, and soon after Sam Parsons had -left the jail with his charge, taking him in a buggy over to the county -seat, the young lawyer and Mr. Spaythe started for the same place in -the banker’s automobile with Eric Spaythe, the banker’s only son, -acting as driver. - -“This latest discovery looks very black for our client,” remarked -Holbrook, as they sped over the smooth country road. - -“Do you refer to the finding of those papers?” asked Mr. Spaythe. - -“Of course, sir. It’s rather damning evidence.” - -“I cannot see that it is any worse than the finding of the box,” -asserted the banker. - -“It fastens the accusation more firmly,” Holbrook stated. “With us it -can have no effect, but others will be likely to condemn our client on -the strength of such conclusive proof.” - -“I do not care what others think,” said Mr. Spaythe. - -“No; I was referring solely to the jury that will try him. These jurors -will be drawn from the entire county, and some will not be intimately -acquainted with Toby Clark or have any confidence in his record for -probity.” - -“Whoever placed the box in Toby’s yard placed the papers in his room,” -asserted Eric, speaking for the first time. “The place was never -locked, and as the real thief wanted to get rid of such dangerous -property there was no better place in all Riverdale to hide it in than -Toby’s shanty.” - -“I shall use that argument in my defense,” remarked the young lawyer in -a careless tone that annoyed Eric. - -“I trust this case will never come to trial,” resumed Mr. Spaythe after -a pause. “What steps are you taking to discover the criminal?” - -“My first idea was to prove an alibi for Clark, but that I am unable -to do. He was twice seen entering Judge Ferguson’s office, the day -following his death. I myself found him there when I went to look at -the rooms with Chandler the postmaster. When the boy left the place the -second time he carried under his arm a parcel large enough to contain -Mrs. Ritchie’s box. Finding that Kellogg had unearthed this fact and -would use it in evidence, I went to see Toby about it. He tells me it -was a package containing his personal books and possessions, which he -was removing from the office. I believe this statement, for he had the -package in plain sight when he carried the key to you, at your house.” - -“I remember,” said Mr. Spaythe. - -“But several others saw and noticed the package, and I understand that -all of these will be subpœnaed as witnesses at the trial.” - -“But about the guilty one--the person who actually took the box from -the office--have you any suspicion as to his identity?” - -Mr. Holbrook was lighting a cigarette and took time to answer. - -“Not as yet, sir. But I shall begin a thorough investigation in the -near future and try to secure a clew to guide me to success.” - -“We ought to have had a detective,” grumbled Eric, but Mr. Holbrook -ignored the remark. - -At this moment they swung around a bend and overtook the buggy in which -the constable and Toby Clark were seated. They seemed to be chatting -together in a friendly manner and as the automobile passed them Eric -cried out: - -“Cheer up, Toby! There’s nothing to worry about.” - -Toby nodded. He did not look like a thief. His eyes were still -twinkling as of old and his cheeks were fresh and rosy. He had no -smile for his friend’s greeting, for the accusation against him was -very serious, but neither did he wear a hang-dog expression nor seem -confused. - -“I want you to work earnestly on this case,” said Mr. Spaythe, when -they had passed beyond hearing. “Toby Clark must be cleared of the -unjust charge, and the only way to do it is to discover who is actually -guilty. I depend upon you, Mr. Holbrook, to do that, and without any -waste of time.” - -Holbrook colored red and waited a moment before he replied. - -“I realize,” said he, with deliberation, “that my reputation as a -lawyer depends upon my success in this, my first case in Riverdale. -Unless Toby Clark is actually guilty, and is proved so without -question, I shall lose the confidence of the community by not fastening -the guilt on the real criminal. Therefore you may rest assured that I -shall do everything in my power to vindicate my client. I cannot now -confide to you the various processes I intend to employ, for that would -be unwise; but I am conversant with the latest scientific methods of -criminal detection, having made them a study for years, and I do not -think they will fail me in the present case. If they do, I must stand -the consequences, which will not be less severe for me than for my -client.” - -Eric gave a scornful grunt, the speech was so evidently conciliatory -and noncommittal, but Mr. Spaythe forbore any comment. - -The preliminary hearing was brief. The judge knew Mr. Spaythe and gave -him a seat beside his desk. He had heard of Mr. Holbrook, the new -Riverdale lawyer, but now met him for the first time. - -Lawyer Kellogg, fat and pig-eyed, presented his evidence against the -prisoner with an air of triumph that was distinctly aggravating to the -defense. The judge listened carefully, noting each point made on his -memoranda. Then Mr. Holbrook, speaking for the prisoner, pleaded “not -guilty” and asked that a reasonable amount of bail be fixed until the -case came to trial. The judge frowned and considered. - -“The offense, if proved, is serious,” said he, “and the missing money -and bonds alone amount to many thousands of dollars in value. The -evidence is so strong and the accused so young and irresponsible, that -I hesitate to fix bail in this case and prefer to remand the prisoner -to the county jail to await his trial.” - -Kellogg grinned and rubbed his hands together gleefully. But Mr. -Spaythe, in his quiet way, leaned over the desk and said: - -“I hope, Judge, you will reconsider that decision. This boy is very -dear to many in Riverdale, where he is thoroughly respected. I myself -have a strong personal interest in his welfare and believe that in -spite of the evidence just presented to you he will be proved innocent. -To allow him to languish in jail for two months or more, only to -discover that he has been falsely accused, would be a grave injustice. -Therefore I am prepared to furnish his bail in whatever sum you demand.” - -“Ah,” said the judge, “that alters the case. Five thousand dollars.” - -Mr. Spaythe signed the bond and then turned to Toby. - -“You are to ride back with us,” he said, “for I want you to come to my -house and make it your home until this cloud has been removed from your -good name--as it surely will be, in time.” - -Toby’s eyes filled with tears. - -“You are very kind, Mr. Spaythe,” he replied brokenly, “but until I can -prove my innocence to the world I have no right to go to your house. -I’ll go--home--and work this thing out. But I thank you, sir; I thank -you with all my heart!” - -“Look here, Toby,” said Eric sharply, “you’re going to do just what the -governor says, if we have to lug you home by force. Don’t be a fool; -it’s a step in your redemption. Don’t you see how it will help, to have -father stand up for you before all the world!” - -Toby looked helplessly around the group and appealed to his lawyer. - -“What do you advise, sir?” he asked. - -“That you do as you suggest and, declining Mr. Spaythe’s kind -invitation, go directly to your own home,” answered Mr. Holbrook. - -“All right,” said Toby, a humorous twinkle in his bright eyes; “I’ll -accept your hospitality, Mr. Spaythe, and hope I won’t be too much -trouble to you.” - -“Bravo!” cried Eric, and danced a little jig over Holbrook’s -discomfiture. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -HOW PHOEBE CONSPIRED - - -Whatever happens, the sun rises and sets and the old world continues -to whirl on its axis. Toby Clark’s arrest was a huge sensation in -Riverdale for a day, and then it lost its novelty. Now and then, during -the days that followed the boy’s arraignment, the people gossiped -concerning the outcome of the case, but since nothing new developed to -bolster public interest Toby’s dilemma soon became an old story. - -Young Mr. Holbrook had acquired a certain distinction through being -employed by Mr. Spaythe for the defense. The banker’s judgment was so -reliable that the former clients of Judge Ferguson began to consult -Holbrook rather than Kellogg and while he was not as yet entrusted with -much important business the new lawyer found his practice steadily -growing. - -But Mr. Spaythe was not entirely satisfied with his attorney, although -he did not express his dissatisfaction in words. Every few days he -would go to Mr. Holbrook’s office and say: “Well?” - -“The case is progressing finely,” was the invariable reply. - -“What have you discovered?” - -“Nothing definite as yet, sir; but I am getting at the facts and will -report to you as soon as I can furnish absolute proofs.” - -That did not content Mr. Spaythe, but it silenced him and he went away. - -Toby remained quietly at the banker’s house, reading his few law books -diligently and leaving his defense to his friends, as he had been urged -to do. The Darings invited him to their home on many occasions, and so -did Janet Ferguson; but the boy refused to go, saying that until his -innocence was fully established he preferred to remain in retirement. -It was a comfort to them all that the Spaythes were caring for Toby. -The Darings, from little Sue up to Phoebe, were loud in their praise -of the banker, who had never before been known to extend such kindly -consideration to anyone. Mrs. Spaythe had died years before, when Eric -was a baby, and a prim old lady, a distant relative, kept house for the -father and son, who were both engaged at the bank during the day and -seldom passed an evening at home. So Toby practically had the house to -himself. - -One evening Eric Spaythe called on Phoebe and they had a long talk -about Toby Clark’s affairs. - -“Hasn’t Mr. Holbrook done anything yet?” asked Phoebe impatiently. - -“No; and I’ve an idea he doesn’t intend to do anything,” replied Eric. - -“What makes you think that?” - -“The way he acts. He’s letting things drag terribly. I don’t understand -Holbrook, and that’s a fact. The time for prompt action was right after -the robbery,” declared Eric. “Then everything was fresh and the trails -were clear. It wouldn’t have been any trick at all to catch the thief -then; but nearly a month has gone by and not a clew uncovered. We’re as -far from the truth as ever.” - -“Mr. Holbrook can hardly afford to make a failure of the case,” said -Phoebe, using the well-worn argument doubtfully. - -“It appeared to me that way, at first, especially as he seemed so -cocksure of himself,” returned young Spaythe. “But he once made a -remark to father that I’ve not forgotten. He said his reputation would -be injured _unless Toby Clark’s guilt was proved_ or--he found the -guilty party. I don’t like that alternative, Phoebe. Do you know, I’ve -an idea that Holbrook believes Toby is guilty?” - -“I’ve had that idea from the first,” declared Phoebe with eagerness. “I -was in his office when your father came to him with the news of Toby’s -arrest, and I watched Mr. Holbrook carefully. Even at that time I could -see he doubted Toby’s innocence, or else--or else--” - -“Or else what, Phoebe?” - -“Or else he knows who took the box and is willing to have Toby accused.” - -Eric stared at her wonderingly. - -“That’s a good deal to accuse the fellow of,” he said. “I think our -first guess is right, and in that event Toby is in a bad way. If -Holbrook believes him guilty he won’t make any honest effort to find -out who took the box. He’ll just let Kellogg prove his case. Then -Holbrook will say he did the best he could but that no one could clear -a guilty person. Most people will accept that sort of a statement and -Holbrook may be depending upon it to save himself. That’s why he’s -putting us off and taking things easy.” - -“But they can’t prove Toby guilty!” protested Phoebe, who knowing in -her heart the boy was innocent, had clung to the belief as her best -anchorage. - -“I’m not sure of that,” said Eric, gravely shaking his head. “It’s -pretty strong evidence, Phoebe, and I don’t believe it’s safe to let -the case go to trial just as it stands.” - -“Then what can we do?” she asked helplessly. - -Eric laughed. - -“You know how to put a poser,” said he. “I’ve wondered many times what -could be done, but for my part I can’t do anything. I’m tied down to -the bank so closely that I haven’t a minute to devote to Toby, much as -I long to help him. One or two evenings I’ve stayed at home and talked -with Toby, but he’s as much bewildered by the thing as we are. The fact -is, something’s got to be discovered. We can talk till we’re blind, but -unless we know more than we do now it won’t amount to anything. Here’s -the situation: Toby didn’t take Mrs. Ritchie’s box, but who did?” - -“Ah, that’s the question!” said Phoebe. - -“Yes, that’s the question--that and nothing else--and unless we can -find an answer to it poor Toby is likely to suffer for another’s crime.” - -This conversation rendered the girl very unhappy. She had previously -been content to leave Toby’s salvation to the direction of Mr. Spaythe -and Mr. Holbrook and she had not been especially uneasy over the -outcome of the affair. But Eric had destroyed her confidence in the -lawyer, and Mr. Spaythe was so silent and reserved that it appeared he -was not taking any active part in Toby’s defense. In fact, nothing was -being done to save Toby, and Phoebe told Cousin Judith that she was -getting very anxious about the poor boy’s fate. - -“That is not strange, dear, for I have been anxious from the very -beginning,” confessed Judith. “I believe that for some reason there -is a conspiracy afoot to destroy Toby Clark, and that it is likely to -succeed.” - -“Then,” retorted Phoebe, with one of her sudden decisions, “we must -organize a counter-conspiracy to save him. We’ve been idle long enough, -Cousin Judith--too long, I fear--and it’s time for us to act.” - -“To whom do you refer when you say ‘us’!” asked the Little Mother, -smiling at the girl’s earnestness. - -“To you and to myself, of course.” - -“I fear I am not a good conspirator, Phoebe; though you, I admit, seem -qualified to be one. But what may two weak, inexperienced girls do, -where a powerful banker and a clever lawyer fail?” - -“We can do lots,” asserted Phoebe. “I can’t say just what, until I’ve -thought it over; but oughtn’t the right to triumph, Cousin Judith!” - -“It ought to, Phoebe, but I fear the right is sometimes smothered in -false evidence.” - -“It mustn’t be this time,” declared the girl. “We must try to save -Toby. You think it over carefully, Cousin, and so will I, and perhaps -one or the other of us will evolve an idea.” - -Judith agreed to this, but added: - -“I’ll not be an active conspirator, dear, but the conspirator’s -assistant. I’ll help all I can, but I fear my talent for penetrating -mysteries is not so well developed as your own.” - -Phoebe went to her own room and sat down at her desk to think. She -realized that she could not expect much energetic assistance from -Cousin Judith and that whatever was accomplished she must undertake -single-handed. - -“I wish Phil was here,” she reflected, referring to her twin brother; -“he’d know just how to tackle this problem.” - -As a matter of fact Phoebe was far more resourceful than Phil, who had -always come to his sister for advice in every difficulty. But she did -not realize this. - -“I wonder why Mr. Holbrook refused to have a detective?” she mused. -“Was he so sure of his own ability to unravel the mystery, or--was he -afraid?” - -She jumped up and paced the room in sudden agitation. Then she -controlled herself and sat down again. - -“This won’t do!” she exclaimed, taking herself to task. “Unless I can -consider everything calmly I shall deceive myself and start along the -wrong road.” She took a pencil and sheet of paper and continued, -talking to herself in an argumentative way: “Let’s marshal the facts. -First, Mrs. Ritchie’s box is stolen. That’s a hard fact; you can’t -get around it. In that box was a lot of money, some bonds as good -as cash and other papers only valuable to their owner. The box was -stolen for the money and bonds; fact number two. Whoever stole it from -Judge Ferguson’s cupboard either had a key or picked the lock; anyhow -the cupboard was found locked and the box gone. Yet no one but Judge -Ferguson was supposed to have the key. Whoever it was that wanted the -money, he or she had no key to the box itself and couldn’t pick the -lock; so he or she had to carry away the box. That’s the third fact. - -“Now, then, having got the box safely away, the thief broke it open, -took the money and bonds, and then wondered what to do with the rest of -the junk. He must get rid of all telltale evidence, somehow or other, -so he took the box to the river, perhaps thinking to drown it. Perhaps -he saw Toby’s shanty and decided to put the blame on him; that would -throw the police on a false track. That was clever. Fact number--No! -that isn’t really a fact; it’s just a surmise. No, if Toby is innocent -it _must_ be a fact. I’ll call it so--Fact number four.” - -She jotted it down. - -“Now let’s see where we are at,” she continued. “Thief has the money -safe; police on a false track arrest Toby. Well, that’s as far as I -can go on that line. Now, the important question is, who is the thief? -First we must consider who knew about the box and that it contained -money. Toby knew, of course, and Judge Ferguson. But who else? Mrs. -Ritchie, but--Never mind; I’ll put her on the list. Janet knew; she -couldn’t steal it but I’ll add her to the list. If I’m going to find -out anything I must be thorough. I think Mr. Spaythe knew. I must ask -him. Meantime, here he goes on the list. I wonder if Mr. Holbrook knew -about the money? Not at first, but--Yes, I remember Janet told me that -Toby took Mrs. Ritchie away, when she came to the house, and they went -to ask Mr. Holbrook if it was lawful to give her the box. Of course the -woman blabbed what was in it, and so--Mr. Holbrook knew. The theft was -committed on the day or the night following the judge’s death, so that -lets Mr. Holbrook into the game. Down he goes on the list. Who else? -There’s Will Chandler, the postmaster; but perhaps he didn’t know. He -owns the building and kept the judge’s key to the office. Will Chandler -_might_ have known there was money in the Ritchie box, so I’ll put the -dear old boy under suspicion. Who else?” - -She reflected long and deeply, but could not think of another person -likely to know the location of the box and that it contained money. She -considered Lawyer Kellogg, but knew that he and Judge Ferguson had been -open enemies and that Kellogg had not been consulted by Mrs. Ritchie -until after the loss of the box was a matter of public knowledge. So -she reviewed her list: Mrs. Ritchie; Janet Ferguson; Mr. Spaythe; Mr. -Holbrook; Will Chandler. - -“Why, it’s nonsense!” she gasped in astonishment. “They’re every one -impossible. I--I must start another line of discovery.” - -But, try as she would, she could not get away from that list of obvious -innocents. - -“Unless some one knew the box was there, and that it contained -money--enough to make it worth stealing--he couldn’t possibly have -stolen it,” she told herself. “The list is all right, as far as it -goes; but--is it complete?” - -After more thought she put on her things and walked to Mr. Spaythe’s -residence. Of course Toby was there, for he seldom if ever went out, -and she promptly interviewed him. - -“Who knew that Mrs. Ritchie’s box was in the cupboard, and that there -was a good deal of money in it?” she demanded. - -“What’s up, Phoebe?” he asked. - -“I’m trying to sift this thing on my own account, and in secret, Toby,” -she replied. “I want you to help me--just as if I were Sherlock Holmes -or Monsieur Lecoq. Don’t ask questions; just answer them. Who knew?” - -“I knew,” said Toby, with a grin. - -“But I’m going to leave you out of it,” she replied. “This is an -investigation to prove your innocence, so I don’t want any evidence -against you.” - -“You can’t do it, Phoebe,” said the boy. “Don’t bother about me; I’m -not worth it. Let Holbrook do as he pleases.” - -“What do you mean by that?” she demanded. - -“He isn’t very anxious to clear me,” said Toby, looking at her with -a queer expression. “I don’t know why; I only know that if I were a -lawyer and had such a case I’d stir things up and find out the truth.” - -“I think you would,” replied the girl. “It’s because Mr. Holbrook is so -inactive that I’ve determined to take up the investigation myself.” - -“It’s nice of you, Phoebe; but, say--a girl can’t do much. There’s -something queer about the whole affair. I know something of law and -also I ought to be able to guess who took the box; but it’s entirely -beyond me. I can’t investigate it myself, and so--” - -“And so I’m going to do it for you,” she said. “My being a girl is no -handicap at all, Toby. What we all want is the truth, and if I can -discover that, you will be saved. Now, then, who knew about the box?” - -“Mr. Spaythe,” said the boy. - -“Why should he know?” - -“He was the closest friend Judge Ferguson had. They were together a -good deal and the judge used to tell all his affairs to his friend. -I once heard him say, jokingly, that he was a rival banker, for Mrs. -Ritchie deposited all her money with him. Mr. Spaythe asked where he -kept it, and when the judge told him he said it was foolish to trust to -oak doors and a tin box when the bank vault was fire and burglar proof.” - -“Very well; who else knew?” asked Phoebe. - -“Will Chandler, and Griggs the carpenter.” - -“Oh!” cried Phoebe, scenting a clew at last. “Griggs knew, did he? Tell -me how that happened.” - -“The cupboard doors stuck, a few months ago, and wouldn’t shut -properly. So the judge called up Will Chandler, who was his landlord, -and asked him to fix the doors. Will looked at them and said the -building must have settled a little, to make the doors bind that way, -and the best plan would be to plane off the tops of them. So he got -Griggs the carpenter and they took the doors off the hinges and planed -them. While Griggs was working and Chandler helping him, in came Mrs. -Ritchie and wanted fifty dollars. The judge took down her box and put -it on the table and took out the money. I noticed both the men were -surprised to see the box half full of bank bills and gold, for they -couldn’t help seeing it; but they said nothing and when I mentioned it -to the judge, afterward, he said they were both honest as the day is -long, and he could trust them.” - -“Do _you_ think they are honest, Toby--both of ’em?” - -“Yes.” - -“Well, who else knew?” - -Toby considered. - -“Mr. Holbrook, of course. The night I took Mrs. Ritchie to see him she -said there was currency to the amount of several thousand dollars in -the box, besides a lot of bonds.” - -“Was that before the box was stolen?” asked Phoebe. - -“I don’t know. I haven’t seen the inside of the cupboard since a few -days before Judge Ferguson died. I can’t tell when the box was stolen.” - -“But the loss wasn’t discovered until after Mr. Holbrook had talked -with Mrs. Ritchie?” - -“No. I think Mr. Spaythe discovered that the box was missing some days -afterward.” - -“Tell me who else knew.” - -“I can’t. Mrs. Ritchie might have told some one, of course; but she’s -usually too shrewd to do that. Judge Ferguson didn’t talk about his -business.” - -Phoebe referred to her list. The interview with Toby had netted just -one addition--Griggs the carpenter. - -“There was Mrs. Miller, the woman who used to wash the office windows,” -said Toby reflectively. - -“But she’s deaf and dumb,” returned Phoebe. - -“She isn’t blind, though. She’s washed the windows and cleaned the -offices every Saturday for years, and Saturday was Mrs. Ritchie’s usual -day for driving to town. I can’t remember that Mrs. Miller has ever -seen the box opened, but she might have done so.” - -Phoebe added Mrs. Miller’s name to the list. - -“The next thing I want to know is who visited Judge Ferguson’s office -the day after he died,” she said. - -“I can’t help you much in that,” said Toby. “I went there in the -morning, because I didn’t know where else to go; but no one came -in--except Will Chandler and Mr. Holbrook.” - -“Oh; they were there, then. And why?” - -“They came together, because Mr. Holbrook wanted to see the offices. He -rented them that very day, I understand. Will told me that Janet wanted -me, so I went away and left them there. Will had the key, you know.” - -“This is news,” said Phoebe, drawing a long breath. - -Toby smiled. “You’re not suspecting them, I hope?” he said. - -“I’m not suspecting anybody, as yet. All I want at present are the -facts in the case. I suppose no one else had a key to the office?” - -“No. That very day Mr. Holbrook advised Will to give his key to Mr. -Spaythe, and he advised me to get rid of my key, also. Will sent his -key to the bank by Mr. Holbrook, who was going that way, but I went -back and got my books and traps out of the office before I brought the -key here to this house and gave it to Mr. Spaythe.” - -“Was it a very complicated lock?” - -“The one on the office door? No. It was a common lock and that on the -cupboard wasn’t much better. But the boxes all had better locks, that -couldn’t be easily picked.” - -“All right. I’m going now, Toby, but I may be back for more -information. Keep your courage; I’m sure we shall get at the truth in -time.” - -But the boy, looking after her, shook his head and sighed. - -“She’ll never suspect the truth,” he muttered. “No one will ever -suspect, except those who know; and those who know will never tell.” - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -HOW PHOEBE PLAYED DETECTIVE - - -On her way home Phoebe Daring stopped at the post office and talked -with Will Chandler. He was a middle-aged man, slow and deliberate in -thought and action, yet a veritable potentate in local politics and all -affairs of a public character in Riverdale. There had been Chandlers -in the town ever since it had been established, and before it had been -named Riverdale it had been called Chandler’s Crossing, the original -Chandler having been a ferryman on the river. This Will Chandler, -the sole representative of a long and prominent line, was a steady, -straightforward fellow and greatly respected by everyone. It was said -that he was too honest ever to become rich, and to eke out a living for -a large family he kept a little stock of stationery for sale in the -post office. This was located in the front part of the room, and his -daughter, a white-faced, silent girl, waited on customers and gave out -the mail when her father was absent. - -The postmaster was on his stool behind the wicket when Phoebe -approached him. - -“Who do you think could have taken Mrs. Ritchie’s box?” asked the girl. - -“I don’t know,” said Chandler. “If I did, I’d help Toby out of his -trouble.” - -“I didn’t ask who took the box,” said Phoebe; “but who _could_ have -taken it.” - -The postmaster slowly revolved this in his mind. - -“Possible burglar?” he asked. - -“Yes.” - -“Sam Parsons, the constable.” - -“How is that?” - -“I went upstairs about noon and found Sam peeking through the keyhole -into the judge’s office. He mumbled some and went away. That night, -just before I went home to supper, I walked upstairs again, just to see -if everything was all right. I hadn’t any key, that time, but Parsons -was standing with his back to the door, silent like, as if he was -thinking.” - -“Rather curious, isn’t it?” asked Phoebe, quite astonished by this -report. - -“Can’t say,” replied Chandler. “I’d trust Sam with all I’ve got--even -with the United States mail. He’s the squarest man that ever walked.” - -“I think so, too,” she agreed. “What other possible burglar do you know -of?” - -Chandler pondered. - -“I might have done it,” said he; “but I guess I didn’t. Toby might have -done it; but I guess he didn’t. Holbrook might have done it; but I -guess--” - -“Had Mr. Holbrook any chance to take the box?” she asked quickly. - -“A chance, but a rather slim one. I took him up to see the office and -while we were there Hazel called me for something. So I left him sizing -up the furniture and law books, to see if they were worth buying, and -came down to the office. When I got back Holbrook was sitting down, -looking through the books. That was the only chance he had, as far as -I know, and I’ll swear he didn’t have the box when I locked up and we -went away.” - -“You didn’t see Mrs. Miller around that day?” - -“No.” - -“Nor Griggs the carpenter?” - -“Haw-haw! Phoebe; that’s funny. Griggs? Griggs steal the box? Why, the -old idiot won’t take the money he earns, unless you force it on him. If -there’s a soul in this world that don’t care a snap for money, it’s old -Griggs.” - -“Thank you, Mr. Chandler. Please don’t tell anyone I’ve been -questioning you.” - -He looked at her steadily. - -“I suppose you’re Toby’s friend, because he once helped your people -out of a scrape, as everybody knows--that time the Darings came near -losing their money. I wish, Phoebe Daring, you could find out who took -that box. I’ve been just miserable over Toby’s arrest; but I’m so busy -here, just now, I can’t lift a finger to help him.” - -The girl walked thoughtfully home, wondering if she had really -accomplished anything. Sitting down at her desk she made the following -memoranda, writing it neatly and carefully: - - “THOSE WHO KNEW OF THE BOX. - - “1.--Janet Ferguson.--Being the judge’s daughter and likely to - suffer more than anyone else by the theft of the box, which - the Ferguson estate was responsible for, and being a sweet and - honest girl and incapable of stealing even a pin, Janet is beyond - suspicion. - - “2.--Mrs. Ritchie.--She knew better than anyone else the value of - the box. A hard, shrewd old woman, very selfish and mean. It is - said she half starves the workmen on her farm and makes her hired - girl pay for the dishes she breaks. Her husband left her a good - deal of money, and she has made more, so she is quite rich. Never - spends anything. - - “_Question_: Did Mrs. Ritchie steal her own box? - - “_Answer_: She might be capable of doing it and then throwing - the blame on Toby. Her eagerness to have the box given up to - her as soon as she heard of the judge’s death looks suspicious. - On the other hand she couldn’t pick a lock to save her neck, and - it’s easy to trace her every movement from the time she drove - into town until she went home again. She afterward went to Mr. - Spaythe and bothered him until he decided to give her the box a - day earlier than he planned to give the other boxes up to their - owners. But when they went to the office and opened the cupboard, - the box was gone. She nearly had a fit and called Mr. Spaythe a - thief to his face. Don’t think she is clever enough to assume all - that. She afterward went to Lawyer Kellogg, whom she hates, and - employed him to help her find the thief. If she had stolen the - box herself she wouldn’t have done that. She’d have kept quiet - and obliged the Fergusons to make good any loss she claimed. - Considering all this, I don’t believe that Mrs. Ritchie stole her - own box. - - “3.--Mr. Spaythe.--A rich man who likes to make more money. Gets - all the interest he can and doesn’t spend much. Pays his son Eric - a mighty small salary; people say it’s because he’s so stingy. - He was Judge Ferguson’s best friend. Stern and severe to most - people. His own son fears him. - - “_Question_: Did Mr. Spaythe steal Mrs. Ritchie’s box? - - “_Answer_: He had the keys and could have done so. We’re not - sure the box was taken the day after the judge’s death; it might - have been several days later. It is astonishing that Mr. Spaythe - at once defended Toby; was much excited over his arrest; put - himself out to go to Bayport to give five thousand dollars bail, - and then took Toby into his own home. Mr. Spaythe isn’t usually - charitable or considerate of others; he has known Toby Clark for - years and has never taken any interest in him till now. Why has - he changed so suddenly? Is it because he himself stole the box - but doesn’t want an innocent boy to suffer for it? No answer just - now. Better watch Mr. Spaythe. He’s the biggest man around here - and considered very honorable. Always keeps his word religiously. - Is trusted with everyone’s money. Can I suspect such a man? Yes. - Somebody stole that box. I’ll put Mr. Spaythe under suspicion. - - “4.--Will Chandler.--A prominent citizen, postmaster for a good - many years and generally liked. Under bonds to the post-office - department, so he has to be honest. No Chandler has ever done - anything wrong. - - “_Question_: Did Will Chandler steal the box? - - “_Answer_: Not likely. He could have done so, but the same chance - has existed for a long time, as far as Chandler is concerned, - for the judge trusted him with his key. This key always hung on - a peg just inside the post-office window, where the judge could - reach it from the outside without bothering Chandler; but very - few people knew that and either Will or his daughter Hazel always - had the key in plain sight. Chandler had learned that there was - money in Mrs. Ritchie’s box. He may have been suddenly tempted. - Better put him under suspicion. - - “5.--John Holbrook.--Absolutely unknown here. No record of his - past. Is a lawyer and has a certificate to practice in this - state. Dresses extravagantly, lives at the hotel and claims to be - too poor to hire a clerk. - - “_Question_: Did he steal Mrs. Ritchie’s box? - - “_Answer_: This man, having little or no money, was audacious - enough to open a law office here--‘on his nerve,’ Don would say. - Boldness is therefore a trait in his character. He suddenly - learned, from the woman herself, that there was considerable - money in her box. He told Toby not to give it up, which was quite - right and good advice. But he had all that night to work in. Had - been in the office--left alone there--and if he was observing - had noticed that the locks of the door and of the cupboard were - not hard to pick. Says he knows a lot about criminal practices - and so he might have taken a wax impression of the keyholes and - made keys to fit them. I’ve read of such things being done. - Holbrook might have hidden the box in Toby’s rubbish heap and put - the papers in his room without knowing who lived in the shanty. - Was evidently disturbed by the news of Toby’s arrest. Took his - case, but hasn’t done a single thing to clear up the mystery. - Didn’t want a detective to come here. Why? Easy to guess, if Mr. - Holbrook is guilty. All his acts are strongly suspicious. Keep a - sharp eye on him. - - “6.--Joe Griggs, the carpenter.--Harmless old man, who doesn’t - care for money. Handy with tools and could pick a lock, but - wouldn’t have any desire to do so. Likes Toby and wouldn’t have - any object in hurting him; careless about money; is always poor - and contented. Joe Griggs could have stolen that box but I’ll bet - anything he didn’t. - - “7.--Mrs. Miller.--A woman who bears a doubtful character. Is - deaf and dumb, but quick-witted. Her husband a drunkard and she - supports the family by washing and cleaning. May have known there - was money in Mrs. Ritchie’s box and wouldn’t be above stealing - it. But how could she? It would be like her to hide the box and - papers on Toby’s premises, to divert suspicion from herself. None - can tell what an unscrupulous woman like Mrs. Miller might not - do, if she set about it. Suspicious. - - “8.--Sam Parsons.--Constable. That means the sole policeman and - officer of the law in Riverdale. Not very well educated but quite - intelligent and a terror to evil-doers. Sam is very kind hearted; - is married and has a happy wife and three children. Great friend - of Judge Ferguson and Toby Clark. Plays chess nearly every Monday - night with Will Chandler. Everybody likes Sam except the hoodlums. - - “_Question_: Did Sam Parsons steal Mrs. Ritchie’s box? - - “_Answer_: Seems as if one might as well suspect the law itself, - or the judge and the court and the Constitution of the United - States. But somebody stole that box and Sam Parsons was twice - seen in a compromising position. It was underhanded to peek - through the keyhole of the office door; and what was he doing, - standing with his back to it, when it was locked and no one - inside? This is the strongest clew I have found in the case, and - the hardest to follow. Either Sam did it, or he knows something - about the theft of the box; but in either case he has kept mum. - Why did he arrest Toby and put him in jail, never saying a word - in protest or defense, if he knew who really took the box? Sam - is fond of Toby and from the first said he was innocent. But - he has never hinted that he knows the guilty party. There’s a - possibility that Sam stole the box himself. I take it that a - constable is human, like other folks. Therefore I’ll watch Sam - Parsons.” - -Phoebe now reread what she had written and nodded approval. It occurred -to her that her reasoning was very logical and entirely without -personal bias. - -“I’ve made a beginning, at least,” she murmured. “I’ve narrowed down -the possible thieves to just five people: Mr. Spaythe, Will Chandler, -Mr. Holbrook, Mrs. Miller and Sam Parsons. I am positive that one of -these five is guilty, but without more evidence I can’t even guess -which it is. I believe I’ll go and report progress to the Little -Mother, my fellow conspirator.” - -Judith greeted the girl with her usual affectionate smile. - -“Well, Miss Conspirator,” she said playfully, “what news?” - -“I’ve accomplished something, I believe,” returned Phoebe with an air -of satisfaction. “Here are my present conclusions, all written out.” - -Before she read the paper, however, she related to Judith her visit to -Toby Clark and to Will Chandler. Then, slowly and deliberately, she -began to read. - -Judith listened in some surprise, for she was astonished by the girl’s -shrewdness in analyzing human character. Phoebe had struggled to -be perfectly unprejudiced and impersonal in jotting down her items, -but more than once the Little Mother had to repress a smile at some -inconsistent hypothesis. Yet there was cleverness and a degree of logic -in the entire summary. - -“You see,” concluded the girl, folding the paper carefully for future -reference, “we must seek the criminal among these five persons.” - -“Why, dear?” - -“Because, being aware of Judge Ferguson’s life and habits and of about -all that goes on in this village, I find them the only ones who knew of -the box, were able to get hold of it, or might for some reason or other -be tempted to steal it. Don’t you agree with me, Cousin Judith?” - -“Not entirely, Phoebe. I do not think any stretch of the imagination -could connect Mr. Spaythe with the crime, or even Will Chandler. From -their very natures, their antecedents and standing in Riverdale, such a -connection is impossible.” - -“Improbable, I admit, Cousin; but nothing is impossible.” - -“On the other hand,” continued Judith, “you have a strong argument in -favor of suspecting Mr. Holbrook. I myself have thought of him as the -possible perpetrator of the crime, but have been almost ashamed to -harbor such a thought. I have never seen the man, you know; but I wish -we knew something of his past history.” - -“How about Mrs. Miller?” - -“I agree with you that she might be capable of the theft, but do not -see how she could accomplish it.” - -“And Sam Parsons?” - -“There, I think, you have unearthed a real clew, but not one leading -to Sam’s identity with the thief. The constable is absolutely honest; -but he is a clever fellow, for all he seems so slow and easy, and he is -the nearest approach to a detective we have in town. My idea is that -Sam was suspicious that some one intended to rob the judge’s office, -and was hanging around to prevent it or to discover the thief. We may -conclude that he failed to do either, for had he known who took the box -he would have denounced and arrested him. It may be that Sam has some -hint of the truth and is lying in wait for the burglar. Why don’t you -have a talk with him, Phoebe, and try to discover how much he knows?” - -“I think I shall,” said the girl, musing over this suggestion. - -“And bear in mind the fact that the box might have been taken by some -person you have not yet thought of in this connection. You’ve made -progress, my dear--extraordinary progress--but, after all, you may be -far from the truth in your deductions.” - - - - -CHAPTER X - -HOW THE MARCHING CLUB WAS ORGANIZED - - -“Something’s got to be done,” said Don Daring, with emphasis, as he -addressed a circle of eager listeners. - -The children had assembled on the upper floor of the Randolph barn, a -big, roomy place intended for the storage of hay, when it was built, -but now a bare room because the automobile, which had replaced the -carriage horses, did not eat hay. The Randolphs lived directly across -the road from the Darings, in a handsome, modern structure of brick -and stone that had cost a lot of money to build. This family was -reputed the wealthiest in Riverdale, for Mr. Randolph was a clever -financier who spent most of his time in far-away Boston, where his -business interests were, and only came South to see his family on rare -occasions and for brief visits. Mrs. Randolph was a semi-invalid whose -health obliged her to live in a warmer clime than that of Boston. She -was rather selfish and worldly-minded, although professing to be much -interested in foreign missions, and it was said she occupied most of -her time in writing articles for religious papers and magazines. There -were three Randolph children: Marion, about Phoebe’s age, who attended -a college near Washington and was only home for vacations; Doris, a -demure little girl of an age to associate with Becky, and Allerton, a -boy a trifle younger than Don. - -Allerton, whose mother indulged his every whim, rather than be annoyed -by his pleading, had just received from the city an amateur printing -press and outfit and had set it up in the barn. Don and Becky had been -invited to come over and see the first “job” of printing executed, -but interest in the new and expensive plaything was divided by the -news of Toby Clark’s misfortunes. They were all four earnest friends -and admirers of Toby and having canvassed the subject in all its -phases, with growing indignation and excitement, Don wound up with the -statement: - -“Something’s got to be done!” - -“What?” asked Becky curiously. - -“Something to show we believe in Toby an’ know he’s innocent.” - -“That don’t answer my question,” insisted his sister. “Something don’t -mean anything, unless you say what the something is.” - -“He means,” announced Doris, in her prim way, “that we must undertake -to do something, to be decided later, that will show to the world that -we believe in the honesty of Toby Clark.” - -“That’s it!” cried Don approvingly; “an’ Beck ought to know it without -so much argument.” - -“All right; I’m game,” said Becky, complacently. “You can count on me -in anything that’ll help Toby.” - -“I’m afraid we four can’t do much,” remarked Allerton. “The law has -Toby in its clutches and I suppose it will hang him.” - -“Hang nothing!” retorted Don, scornfully. “They don’t hang folks for -stealing, Al; it’s only for murder.” - -“But Toby didn’t steal Mrs. Ritchie’s box,” suggested Doris. - -“No; of course not. But he’s been arrested for it and is in jail, and -nobody seems to be doing anything to help him. That’s why I think we -ought to do something. If I was in his fix I’d like my friends to fight -for me.” - -“Tell us what to do, then, and we’ll do it,” said Becky. “We’ll all -join hands, eyes right an’ chins up, an’ march on to victory!” - -“Eh?” said Don, staring at her thoughtfully; “that isn’t a bad idea, -Becky.” - -“What idea?” - -“The marching. When there’s an election the men all get together and -form a company and parade the streets with banners and a band--and -their man gets elected.” - -“It is a way to win popular favor,” said Doris. “The marching and -bands and fireworks arouse excitement.” - -“Well, that’s what we ought to do,” declared Don. “Those fool people in -the town are all shaking their heads like billygoats and saying Toby -must be guilty, just ’cause they found the empty box in his back yard. -Anyone could put the box there; it’s no proof Toby did it. Let’s get up -a Toby Clark Marching Club, to defend Toby and bring folks to the right -way of thinking. That’ll help him more than anything else.” - -“It would make ’em laugh,” said Beck, “to see two boys and two girls -marching with a banner and a band. And where in thunder will you get -that band, Don?” - -“You shut up. We’ll enlist every kid in town in our marching club. -It’ll be no end of fun--besides helping Toby.” - -“That sounds good,” said Allerton. “I’ll be the captain.” - -“I’m captain myself,” retorted Don. “It’s my idea.” - -“It was Becky’s.” - -“Nothing of the sort. What she said gave me the idea; and it’s a good -one.” - -“If you’re going to hog everything, you can get up your own marching -club, and I’ll stay out of it,” said Allerton sullenly. - -Don had a hot reply on his tongue’s end, but hesitated. He really -wanted to help Toby Clark. - -“Tell you what we’ll do, Al,” he said generously; “we’ll get up the -club together and then let all the members vote which one of us shall -be captain. Then the other can be first lieutenant.” - -“All right,” agreed Al. - -“Why don’t you both be generals?” asked Becky. “Then it would leave -some offices for us girls.” - -“Why, we can’t be expected to march in a parade, Becky,” said Doris -chidingly. “It wouldn’t be ladylike.” - -“I’m no lady, an’ I’m goin’ to march,” replied Becky, with decision. -“This isn’t politics; it’s a boom for Toby Clark, the Unjustly Accused, -and I’m in the game first, last an’ all the time.” - -“That’s the proper spirit,” said Don. - -“Tell you what,” remarked Allerton; “we’ll print a lot of cards, -inviting all the boys and girls in Riverdale to join the Toby Clark -Marching Club, and we’ll distribute them at school and call the first -meeting in our barn on Saturday forenoon.” - -“Great idea, Al! Let’s print the cards right away,” cried Don with -enthusiasm. - -They first wrote the announcement on a piece of paper, Becky doing the -writing in her scrawly hand and Doris correcting the spelling, which -was something startling as Becky employed it. Then they set the type, -the girls eagerly helping to do that, and after locking it up in the -chase they ran off the first impression. It was somewhat blurred, there -being too much ink on the roller, but Becky proudly read it aloud, as -follows: - - TAKE NOTICE! - - You are respectfully invited to become a Member of - - THE TOBY CLARK MARCHING CLUB! - - Organized for the Defense of our Unjustly Accused Fellow Citizen, - Toby Clark! And to Bring About his Release from Jail and to Clear - his Good Name from the Taint of Cowardly Slander! There will be - - UNIFORMS! BANDS! RED FIRE! and BANNERS! - - All in Favor of this will Meet at Randolph’s Barn (upstairs) on - Saturday Morning at 9 o’clock Sharp. - - ALL BOYS AND GIRLS WELCOME TO JOIN! - - Don Daring, - Al Randolph, - Doris Randolph, - Becky Daring, - Organizing Committee. - - (Al Randolph, Printer) - -“The composition doesn’t seem to be quite clear,” observed Doris, when -the applause had subsided. “It reads as if all in favor of the red fire -and banners were invited to join.” - -“Well, so they are,” maintained Don. “The red fire an’ banners mean the -Marching Club, ’cause they’re a part of it.” - -“Better leave the band out,” advised Becky. “It’s a swindle, and we -want this thing on the square.” - -“There’s going to be a band--if we have to blow on combs covered with -paper,” retorted her brother. “But this is going to be an awful big -thing, girls, and we may hire the Riverdale Cornet Band.” - -“That’d cost twenty dollars.” - -“If they’re friends of Toby Clark they’ll play for nothing. Don’t -borrow trouble. Buckle to, and make the thing a success.” - -They printed off a hundred cards and laid them upon a board to dry -overnight. Next morning Allerton brought them to the Darings and each -of the Organizing Committee took twenty-five to distribute at school. -The boys and girls of Riverdale read the announcement and became -excited over the novelty of the undertaking. Therefore the Randolph -barn was crowded on Saturday morning at 9 o’clock, when Allerton called -the meeting to order--a necessary call--and announced that Donald -Daring would explain the object of the proposed organization. - -Don had carefully prepared his speech in advance and had even committed -it to memory. Right after breakfast he had recited it to Becky without -a skip, and his usually critical sister had declared it was “simply -grand.” But Don had an attack of what is called “stage fright” and as -he faced the throng of eager listeners promptly forgot the beginning -of his address--and nearly all the rest of it. But he knew what he -wanted to talk about and after stammering through the first sentence, -progressed very well, his earnestness inspiring him to oratory. - -“Friends and fellow citizens,” he began; “you all know what a measly -shame the arrestin’ of Toby Clark was, which he’s innocent as I am -or as any of you are. You know Toby, and he’s a good fellow, and -no sneak-thief, and you can bet your oatmeal on that ev’ry time! -(Applause.) Toby’s always been a friend an’ stood by us, so now’s the -time for us to stand by him. The truth is, somebody’s tryin’ to make a -goat of Toby, and hopes to put him in jail so he’ll escape himself.” - -A Voice: “So who’ll escape? Which one of ’em, Don?” - -“So the thief that stole the box will escape, of course. That’s why -the thief put the empty box in Toby’s yard, an’ stuffed the papers -in his shanty. He hoped Toby would be arrested an’ proved guilty, so -he--the fellow that stole the box--wouldn’t be suspected.” - -Another Voice: “Who stole the box, if Toby didn’t?” - -“We don’t know who stole it. I wish we did. But we’re sure it wasn’t -Toby and so we’re going to stick up for him and force Sam Parsons an’ -the law-bugs over at Bayport to set him free. That’s what this Club’s -going to be organized for,” here Don suddenly remembered part of his -speech: “to mold public opinion into the right channels and champion -the cause of our down-trodden comrade.” - -“Hooray!” yelled Becky, and great applause followed. - -“I heard Lawyer Holbrook was stickin’ up for Toby,” said a boy. - -“Holbrook’s a stick, but he ain’t stickin’ up much,” replied Don. “He -isn’t posted on things, ’cause he’s just come to town and don’t know -the run of things. If Toby’s goin’ to be saved, this Marching Club, -organized for his benefit, is goin’ to save him, and it’ll be stacks of -fun besides. We’ll parade all through the town, with flags an’ banners -flying, an’ we’ll have a banquet, an’ perhaps a brass band, an’ so -help to set Toby Clark free.” - -“What’ll we eat at the banquet?” asked a solemn-eyed girl. - -“Food, of course,” answered Becky. “You’d better join an’ get a square -meal, for once in your life, Susan Doozen.” - -“I guess our grocery bill is as big as yours is!” cried the girl -angrily. - -“It’s bigger,” replied Becky composedly, “for we pay ours.” - -“Here, cut that out!” commanded the speaker. “We’re not here to -squabble, but to fight for Toby Clark, and we’re going to put up the -biggest fight Riverdale has ever seen. The Toby Clark Marching Club -will become famous, an’ go down in the annals of history as a--as--as--” - -“As a Marching Club,” said Allerton, helping him out. - -“With a record we’ll all be proud of,” added Don. “I can tell you -kids one thing, and that is that every boy an’ girl who don’t belong -to our marching club will be looked down on as nobodies, an’ they’ll -deserve it. This is goin’ to be the biggest thing that ever happened -in Riverdale and when Toby Clark is free and cleared of this wicked -slander I’m going to petition Congress to give every one of us a gold -medal. Now, then, the register is on that box beside the chairman, who -is Al Randolph. You’ll form in line and all walk up and sign it. It’s a -pledge to become a member of this Marching Club and to allow no one to -say Toby Clark is guilty without denying it. Also to obey the rules of -the Club and mind its officers.” - -“Who’s them?” asked a small boy. - -“We’re going to elect the officers after you’ve all signed,” replied -Don. - -It was evident that the arguments advanced had been effective. Every -boy and girl present signed the roll. When Doris had counted the -names she announced that the Toby Clark Marching Club now numbered -sixty-seven members. - -“We’ll make it an even hundred in a few days,” declared Don exultantly. -“And now we’ll have the election of officers. All in favor of me for -captain say ‘aye.’” - -“Hold on!” cried Al, jumping up. “That isn’t fair. You promised they -should vote whether you or I should be captain.” - -“That’s all right,” said Don. “If they don’t elect me they can vote for -you.” - -“Can’t anyone else be it?” asked a big boy anxiously. - -“No,” replied Don. “It was my idea, and Al printed the invitations on -his press. One of us has got to be captain and the other lieutenant. -But there’ll be lots of other officers.” - -“Listen to me,” said Becky. “I know how to run an election. I’ll give -each one a piece of paper, and each one must write ‘Al’ or ‘Don’ on -it, whichever they want for captain. Then Doris and I will collect the -papers and count ’em, and whoever has the most will be elected.” - -There being no objection to this plan it was carried out. When the -papers were counted Al had twenty-six votes and Don forty-one. - -“Are you sure you counted right?” asked Al in a disappointed tone. - -“Count ’em yourself, if you want to,” replied Becky. - -“Friends and fellow citizens,” said Don, bowing to the members of the -Marching Club, “I thank you for this evidence of your good judgment. -I’m now the captain and I’ll drill you like a regiment of soldiers, -only better. Al is first lieutenant, and I appoint Becky secretary and -Doris the treasurer.” - -“When do we get the gold medals?” asked a girl. - -Don glared at her. - -“The gold medals don’t come till after Toby is cleared. Then I said I’d -ask Congress for ’em.” - -“Who’s Congress?” inquired the girl. - -There was a laugh, at this, and then Don said they’d elect two -standard-bearers, to carry the banners, and four corporals. He didn’t -much care who filled these offices, and so allowed the members to -vote for whom they pleased. By the time the election was over Doris -and Becky brought up two great trays of cakes, while their brothers -provided a pail of lemonade, with which the entire club was served by -having recourse to constant dilutions. - -Providing these refreshments had been thought by the organizers to be -good policy and calculated to arouse enthusiasm in the Marching Club; -and so it did. After being served they all trooped out upon the lawn, -where Don and Al matched the children into pairs and arranged the order -in which they should parade. The boys and girls wanted to march through -the town at once, but their captain told them they were not ready for -a parade yet. They must be drilled, and the banners must be made and -painted. Each member was instructed to get a white sash and wear it -whenever the club met. - -They drilled until noon, growing more and more animated and -enthusiastic, and then separated to meet again after supper on the -grounds of the Daring residence. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -HOW THE CLUB RECEIVED A DONATION - - -“What were all those children doing at the Randolphs?” inquired Cousin -Judith, as Becky and Don came in to dinner, flushed and triumphant. - -“That was the Toby Clark Marching Club,” announced Don, proudly. “I’m -elected captain of it.” - -Judith seemed puzzled. - -“Tell me about it,” she said. “What’s the idea?” - -Becky at once began an excited explanation and Don broke in to -assist her, so that by listening carefully to the broken sentences -the Little Mother managed to get a fair idea of the object of the -organization. - -“You don’t mind, do you?” Becky inquired anxiously. - -“No, indeed. The Marching Club may not do Toby Clark much good, but it -certainly will do him no harm. As you say, there will be lots of fun in -parading in defense of one so unjustly accused.” - -“Becky and I are going to spend all our week’s allowance on ribbon,” -said Don, “and we will make it into badges and Al will print them this -afternoon in gold letters. He got some gold powder with his printing -outfit.” - -“Can’t I belong?” asked Sue, who had not been present at the meeting. - -“Of course,” said Becky. “Every able-bodied kid in town is welcome to -join, and I’ll bet a cookie they’ll all come in. It’s the swellest -thing in Riverdale, just now, and not to belong to the Toby Clark -Marching Club is to be just a nobody.” - -“I think I would like to contribute the ribbon for the badges,” said -Cousin Judith. “How much will you need?” - -“Oh, thank you!” they all cried gleefully, and Becky added that they -wanted enough white ribbon to make a hundred badges. - -“White’s going to be our color,” said the girl, “’cause it’s the emblem -of innocence, and we’ll stick to Toby’s innocence till the cows come -home. We’re all to wear white sashes, and I wish we could get white -caps to match; but I don’t suppose we can.” - -“I’ll see if I can make a white cap,” remarked Phoebe, who was quite -delighted with the idea of the Marching Club. “If I find I can do it, -I’ll make one for every member.” - -This encouragement delighted Becky and Don and after dinner Judith and -Phoebe went down town and purchased the ribbon for the badges and white -cotton cloth for the caps. Phoebe found it was not very difficult to -make a round cap, which consisted merely of a band and a crown, and the -first one she stitched up on the machine was pronounced a success. It -was becoming to boys and girls alike and Becky thought Al could print -“T. C. M. C.” on the front of each cap, very easily. - -It took Allerton, assisted by Don, all the afternoon to print the -badges, but they looked very pretty with their gold letters and Doris -fringed the end of each one to make it look more like a badge. Becky, -meantime, was assisting Phoebe with the caps, and so was Cousin Judith. -They managed to make thirty before evening, when the club was to meet, -and Don was told to promise each member a cap as soon as the rest could -be made. - -Nearly eighty children gathered on the lawn after supper and the new -additions all signed the roll of the club and became members. Doris and -Becky pinned a badge upon each one and told them to wear it wherever -they might go, as a mark of distinction. The thirty caps were also -distributed and some had already provided and brought with them their -white sashes. These preparations filled the youngsters with joy and -made them very proud of belonging to the new organization. Don got -them in line and marched them around the grounds awhile, but the -evenings were short at this time of the year and the children were soon -dismissed with instructions to assemble on Monday after school and to -bring as many new members as could be induced to join. - -The badges were worn even to church the next day and aroused much -curiosity; but not a boy nor girl would tell what “T. C. M. C.” meant, -as they had pledged themselves to keep the club and its object a deep -secret until they were ready to parade. - -Perhaps it was not wholly a desire to help Toby Clark that animated -these children, although after they were enrolled in the Marching Club -they one and all warmly defended him if his innocence was questioned. -What most attracted them was the club itself, with its glamour of -badges, sashes, caps, “refreshments” at meetings, its drills and -parades and the promises of brass bands and gold medals. - -Doris, a conscientious little girl, took Don Daring to task for making -those rash promises, but the boy protested that they would get a band, -somehow or other, and as for the medals he had only said he would ask -“Congress” for them and he meant to keep his word. If “Congress” -refused to present the medals it wouldn’t be his fault, anyhow. - -They drilled every afternoon during the following week. Phoebe finished -the caps and supplied sashes to those children who were unable to get -them at home. Becky wheedled Aunt Hyacinth, the black mammy who had -been with the Darings all their lives, into making a hundred cookies -one day and a hundred fried cakes the next, and with these the girls -served lemonade to the Club. Wednesday afternoon Doris again supplied -the refreshments and on Thursday Cousin Judith furnished ice cream for -the whole assemblage. Janet Ferguson, whose interest had been aroused -by the unique idea of the Toby Clark Marching Club, provided the -refreshments for Friday, and Saturday was to be the day of the first -great parade. - -But before this the Marching Club received its greatest surprise, -resulting in its greatest impetus. On Thursday Doris Randolph came -running over to the Daring place breathless with excitement and waving -a letter as she met Becky and Don. - -“Oh, dear!” she gasped; “what do you suppose has happened?” - -“The North Star has gone south,” answered Becky, laughing. - -“No; it’s something great--wonderful,” said Doris. “Just listen to this -letter; the postman brought it a minute ago.” - -She opened the letter with fluttering fingers and read as follows: - - “Miss Doris Randolph, - Treasurer of the Toby Clark Marching Club: - - “We beg to inform you that one of our customers, who wishes to - remain unknown, has placed to your credit in Spaythe’s Bank the - sum of Fifty Dollars, to be used for the promotion of the Club as - its officers deem best. Very respectfully, - Spaythe’s Bank, - by Eric Spaythe, Cashier.” - -“Well, for goodness sake!” exclaimed Becky. “Fifty dollars! Who do you -s’pose sent it, Doris?” - -“I don’t know any more than the letter tells us; but what in the world -will we do with all that money?” - -“I know,” said Don, so astonished that he had been speechless until -now; “we’ll hire the Riverdale Cornet Band for Saturday.” - -“Good idea,” said Becky. “Let’s go see Ed Collins, the leader of the -band, right away.” - -“But--wait!” cried Doris; “don’t let us do anything rash. We’d better -wait until the Club meets this afternoon and let them all vote on it.” - -“Nonsense,” said Don. “Don’t the letter say the money’s to be used as -the officers think best? Well, we’re the officers. Where’s Al?” - -“I think he is studying his lessons just at present,” said Al’s sister. - -“Never mind; we’re the majority; so let’s vote to hire the band,” -proposed Don. - -“Better let Allerton into this,” said Becky cautiously. “He’s mighty -sensitive and there’s no use having war in our own camp. As for the -others, they’re all dummies; but it won’t take more than a jiffy to -hunt Al up and get his vote on the proposition.” - -“We must all start for school very soon,” said Doris; “and, if you will -wait for us, Allerton and I will join you. Then, on our way, we can -talk it over and decide what is best to be done.” - -This being a sensible suggestion, it was adopted and Doris ran across -to her home while Becky flew upstairs to tell Phoebe and the Little -Mother the wonderful news. - -“It is certainly strange,” commented Phoebe thoughtfully. “I wonder who -could have sent this money?” - -“Never mind who sent it,” cried Becky; “we’ve got it, and we’ll hire -the band, and the whole town will go crazy over the Marching Club on -Saturday!” - -Then off she ran to talk it over with Don again, and Cousin Judith said -to Phoebe: - -“There may be a clew for you in this donation, my Lady Conspirator.” - -“That occurred to me at once,” replied the girl seriously. “No one -would donate fifty dollars to the Marching Club unless greatly -interested in the fate of poor Toby. And who so likely to be interested -in saving him as the one who really took Mrs. Ritchie’s box?” - -“In that case, the thief has a conscience and does not wish an innocent -person to suffer for his own fault,” commented Judith. “Therefore, -thinking the Marching Club may assist Toby’s case, the guilty one has -donated fifty dollars to the cause.” - -“Perhaps a part of the stolen money,” suggested Phoebe. - -“Very likely. The letter says he wishes to conceal his identity, but--” - -“The Spaythes must know who it is!” exclaimed Phoebe. - -“Of course.” - -“I’m going to see Eric right away. He wrote the letter, Cousin Judith, -and Eric knows if anyone does.” - -“But will he tell you?” - -“He is very much interested in Toby and greatly worried over the way -his case drags. Eric told me the other day he would do anything to save -Toby.” - -“Then I advise you to see him.” - -Phoebe glanced out of the window. Becky and Don and the two Randolph -children were just starting for school, eagerly canvassing the joyful -news as they went. So Phoebe put on her things and quietly followed -them, wending her way to Spaythe’s bank. - -This was a neat brick building, quite the most imposing bit of -architecture in town. At this early hour the doors had just been opened -and no customer had as yet appeared. Eric was back of the cashier’s -desk and greeted the girl with a cheery “good morning.” - -“Who gave fifty dollars to the Marching Club, Eric?” she asked. - -“Some unknown person, Miss Daring,” he replied with a smile. - -“Not unknown to the bank, however,” she said meaningly. “You see, it’s -this way,” Phoebe added, as the young man shook his head positively, -“whoever gave that money knows something, Eric, and we must find out -who it is. Perhaps--” - -“Perhaps it’s the thief himself,” returned Eric. “It struck me at -the time as a curious proceeding, in view of the circumstances,” he -continued; “but the truth is, I’m as much in the dark as you are.” - -“How _can_ you be?” she protested. - -“Yesterday afternoon the governor came in from his private office -and told me to write the letter to Doris Randolph. I worded it just -as I was instructed, but when I asked who was the donor my father -merely frowned and said he must respect the person’s wish to remain -unidentified.” - -“Then Mr. Spaythe knows?” - -“Undoubtedly. You may question him, if you like; he’s in his private -office now. But I’m sure you won’t learn anything.” - -Phoebe sighed. She believed Eric was right in this assertion. Mr. -Spaythe was a man who guarded all confidences with the utmost loyalty. -He would be likely to resent any attempt to penetrate this secret, -Phoebe well knew, and she abandoned any thought of appealing to the -banker. - -“The governor is Toby’s friend, you know,” remarked Eric, as he noted -her disappointed expression. “If he has discovered anything, through -this donation, you may be sure he will take advantage of it when the -proper time comes.” - -That thought cheered Phoebe somewhat on her way home. But just as she -reached the house another thought intruded itself and she sat down on -the porch bench to think it out. - -Mr. Spaythe, although considered far above any breath of suspicion, -actually headed her list of suspects. In other words, the banker was -one of those who knew of the box and that it contained money, and he -might have had the opportunity to steal it. She rapidly ran over in her -mind the arguments she had used for and against the probability of Mr. -Spaythe’s having taken the box, and shook her head doubtfully. There -was much that was suspicious in the banker’s actions. His astonishing -defense of Toby Clark, whom before the arrest he had scarcely noticed, -could not be easily explained. - -“The thief--the one we’re after--was a clever person,” mused Phoebe. -“I doubt if he would be reckless enough to go to Mr. Spaythe and ask -him to give that fifty dollars to the Marching Club and to keep his -name secret. Mr. Spaythe would know at once that such a person was the -guilty one. No; it wasn’t the criminal. Some one honestly interested -in Toby’s welfare gave that money, or else--or else it was Mr. Spaythe -himself!” - -She tried to consider this last possibility. Mr. Spaythe was not a -charitable man; he seldom or never espoused any cause through pure -philanthropy. There was something beneath this sudden interest in Toby -Clark, a poor and friendless boy, and that something was not mere -kindliness, Phoebe felt sure. He might be politic enough to assist a -wealthy and powerful man in trouble, but not one who, like Toby, could -make him no return. What, then, had impelled the banker to pursue this -generous course toward the accused boy? - -Phoebe went in to talk it over with Cousin Judith, but found the house -in a commotion. Old Aunt Hyacinth was sweeping the parlor vigorously, -although this was not sweeping day. Judith, in cap and apron, was -dusting and rearranging the furniture, and Phoebe looked at the -extraordinary scene in amazement. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -HOW THE GOVERNOR ARRIVED - - -“Oh; is it you?” asked Judith busily. “Come and help us, dear, for we -must have the place in apple-pie order by four o’clock, and there’s a -lot to be done.” - -“Dear me; what’s the excitement about?” asked Phoebe. - -“I’ve just had a telegram from Cousin John, the Governor, and he’ll be -here at four o’clock,” answered Judith. - -“Really?” - -“Honest for true, Phoebe. Isn’t it fine?” - -Phoebe sat down with a bewildered expression. All the Darings well -knew of Judith’s famous cousin, the governor of the state, whom they -always called the “Great Man” in discussing him; but until now none -of them had ever seen him. He was not their cousin, although he bore -that relation to Cousin Judith Eliot, whose mother had been the sister -of his mother. There was no doubt of his being a very great man, for -he had not only been twice elected governor of the state but people -declared he might some day become president of the United States, so -able and clean had been his administration of affairs. The very idea -of their entertaining so celebrated a personage made Phoebe gasp. She -looked at Cousin Judith with big eyes, trying to conceive the situation. - -“I’ve often invited him to come and see us,” continued Judith, her -voice full of glad anticipation as she worked, “but he is such a busy -man he could never find time. At last, however, he has remembered me, -and his telegram says he has been North on state affairs and finds he -can spare me a few hours to-day on his return; so he’ll be here at four -o’clock, stay all night and take the morning train on to the capitol.” - -“All night!” cried Phoebe. - -“Yes; I’m so pleased, Phoebe. You’re sure to like Cousin John and I -know the other children will adore him. It’s his custom to dine at -night, you know; so we’ll just have a lunch this noon and our dinner at -suppertime, as they do up North. The youngsters won’t mind, for once, -although it may give them indigestion.” - -Phoebe took off her hat and began to help Judith “rid up” the house. -The rooms were always so neatly kept that the girl could not see now -they might be improved, but Judith had the old-fashioned housekeeper’s -instinct in regard to cleanliness and knew just what touches the place -needed to render it sweet and fresh. - -Awe fell upon the younger Darings when they came in from school and -heard the news. Don, who had been chattering noisily of the Riverdale -Cornet Band, which had been hired for Saturday, fell silent and grave, -for the governor’s coming was an event that overshadowed all else. -Becky, serious for just a moment, suddenly began laughing. - -“The Great Man will scorn Riverdale, and especially the Darings,” -she predicted. “We’ll look like a set of gawks to him and I warn you -now, Little Mother, that if he pokes fun at me I’ll make faces. It’s -straight goods that a governor has no business here, and if he comes -he’ll have to shed his city airs and be human.” - -Judith laughed at this. - -“Don’t think of him as a governor, dear,” she said. “Just think of him -as my Cousin John, who used to be very nice to me when I was wee girl -and has never been any different since I grew up. I’m sure he is giving -us these few hours to rest his weary brain and bones, and hide from the -politicians. Not a soul in Riverdale will know the governor is here, -unless he is seen and recognized.” - -“Is he ashamed of us, then?” inquired little Sue. - -“Why should he be?” - -“Because we’re not great, like he is.” - -“But we _are_, Sue,” declared Phoebe. “The Darings are as great, in -their way, as the governor himself. We are honest and respectable, and -the votes of just such families as ours placed Judith’s cousin in the -governor’s chair and made him our leader and lawgiver.” - -“But he’s got a head on him,” remarked Don emphatically. - -“We all have heads,” answered Phoebe; “only our brains don’t lead us to -delve in politics or seek public offices.” - -“Mine do,” asserted her brother. “I’m goin’ to be awful great, myself, -some day. If the Little Mother’s cousin can be governor, there’s no -reason I shouldn’t become a--a----” - -“A policeman,” said Becky, helping him finish the sentence. “But you’ll -have to grow up first, Don.” - -This conversation did not seem to annoy Cousin Judith in the least. On -the contrary she was amused by the excitement the coming of the Great -Man caused in their little circle. - -“I wonder if the Randolphs would lend us their automobile to bring him -from the station,” mused Phoebe, at luncheon. - -“How absurd!” said Judith. “Cousin John has two feet, just like other -men, and he’ll be glad to use them.” - -“Will the band turn out?” asked Don. - -“No. You mustn’t tell anyone of this visit, for the Riverdale people -would rush to see their governor and that would spoil his quiet visit -with us. Keep very quiet about it until after he has gone--all of you.” - -“What’ll we do about the Marching Club, Don?” asked Becky. “They were -to meet on our grounds after school, but now that the Great Man is -coming--” - -“You need not alter your plans at all,” said Judith. “I want you to do -just as you are accustomed to do. Be yourselves, my dears, and treat -Cousin John as if he were one of the family, which he really is. You -mustn’t let his coming disturb you in any way, for that would embarrass -and grieve him. He has no family of his own and it will delight him to -be received here as a relative and a friend, rather than as a great -statesman.” - -It was hard work for the children to keep the secret to themselves when -at school that afternoon; but they did. It was only little Sue who -confided to a friend the fact that “the biggest man in the whole world, -’cept the kings an’ princes of fairy tales, was coming to visit them;” -but this indefinite information was received with stolid indifference -and quickly forgotten. - -Phoebe went with Judith to the station to meet the four o’clock train, -at her cousin’s earnest request, and her heart beat wildly as the train -drew in. The girl had pictured to herself a big, stalwart gentleman, -stern-visaged and grim, wearing a Prince Albert coat and a tall silk -hat, the center of a crowd of admiring observers. She was looking for -this important personage among the passengers who alighted from the -cars when Judith’s voice said in her ear: - -“Shake hands with Cousin John, Phoebe.” - -She started and blushed and then glanced shyly into the kind and -humorous eyes that gleamed from beneath the brim of a soft felt hat. -The Great Man was not great in stature; on the contrary his eyes were -about on a level with Phoebe’s own and she saw that his form was thin -and somewhat stooping. His coat was dusty from travel, his tie somewhat -carelessly arranged and his shoes were sadly in need of shining. -Otherwise there was an air of easy goodfellowship about Cousin John -that made Phoebe forget in a moment that he was the governor of a great -state and the idol of his people. - -“Bless me, what a big girl!” he cried, looking at Phoebe admiringly. -“I thought all your adopted children were infants, Judy, and fully -expected to find you wielding half a dozen nursing bottles.” - -“No, indeed,” laughed the Little Mother; “the Darings are all -stalwarts, I assure you; an army of able-bodied boys and girls almost -ready to vote for you, Cousin John.” - -“Oh-ho! Suffragettes, eh?” he retorted, looking at Phoebe mischievously. - -“Not yet,” she said, returning his smile. “The women of Riverdale -haven’t organized the army militant, I’m glad to say; for I’ve an idea -I would never join it.” - -“You’re wrong,” he said quickly. “The women of the world will dominate -politics, some day, and you mustn’t be too old-fashioned in your -notions to join the procession of progress. But I mustn’t talk shop -to-day. What’s that tree, Judith; a live oak or a hickory? What a -quaint old town, and how cosy and delightful it seems! Some day, little -Cousin, I’m going to disappear from the world and rusticate in just -such a happy, forgotten paradise as Riverdale.” - -They were walking up the street, now, heading directly for the Daring -residence. The governor carried a small traveling bag and a light -overcoat. Those who saw him looked at him curiously, wondering what -guest was visiting the Darings; but not one of the gaping villagers -suspected that this was their governor. - -Arriving at the house the Great Man tossed his bag and coat in the -hall and drew a hickory rocker to a shady spot on the lawn. Asking -permission to smoke a cigar--his one bad habit, he claimed--he braced -his feet against a tree, leaned back in his chair and began to gossip -comfortably with Judith, who sat beside him, of their childhood days -and all the queer things that had happened to them both since. When -Phoebe wanted to run away and leave the cousins together they made her -stay; so she got a bit of embroidery and sat on the grass sewing and -listening. - -The children came home from school, awkwardly greeted the Great Man, -in whom they were distinctly disappointed because he did not look the -part, and then rushed away to follow their own devices. By and by -Cousin John glanced through the trees and was astonished to observe in -the distance an army of boys and girls engaged in drilling, their white -caps and sashes and their badges giving them an impressive appearance. - -“What’s all that?” asked the Governor curiously. - -“That,” replied Judith with a laugh, “is the Toby Clark Marching Club.” - -“Toby Clark--Toby Clark,” he said musingly. “A local celebrity, Judith?” - -“Yes; a lame boy who has been arrested for stealing. These children -resent the unjust accusation and have organized the Marching Club -to express their indignation and their unfaltering loyalty to their -friend.” - -“Good!” he cried; and then, after a moment, he added: “Unjust -accusation, Judy?” - -“Absolutely unjust,” she replied. - -He took down his feet and sat up straight in his chair. - -“Tell me about it,” he said. - -“Phoebe can do that better than I,” was the answer. “She is one of Toby -Clark’s staunchest defenders.” - -“Now, then, Phoebe, fire away.” - -She told the story, quietly and convincingly, beginning with Judge -Ferguson’s sudden death and relating Mrs. Ritchie’s demand for her box, -its disappearance and the finding of evidence on the premises of Toby -Clark, who had been promptly arrested and held for trial on the charge -of stealing. She told of Mr. Spaythe’s unaccountable defense of Toby, -employing a lawyer, furnishing his bail, and then giving him an asylum -in his own house, and concluded with the donation of fifty dollars -by an unknown person-through Spaythe’s bank--for the benefit of the -Marching Club. - -The governor listened without interruption or comment to the end, -but it was evident he was interested. When Phoebe had finished he -rose to his feet and walked over to where the boys and girls were -drilling, where he stood watching Don explain the maneuvers and direct -the exercises. The Great Man noted every child’s face and marked -its expression. Then he strode among them and facing the astonished -assemblage held up his hand. - -“How many of you believe Toby Clark is innocent?” he asked. - -The yell they gave was decidedly unanimous. - -“How many of you would be willing to take his chance of going free?” -continued the governor in an earnest tone. - -There was hesitation, this time. - -“I would!” cried Don. Then he turned to the others. “All of you who -would be willing to take Toby Clark’s chance of going free, step over -here beside me.” - -Allerton and Becky, inspired by loyalty to the cause, moved over at -once. The others stood silent. - -“It is this way, sir,” said Doris, who had no idea who the strange man -was, but was impressed by his voice, nevertheless, for it was a voice -accustomed to command respectful attention: “We all know that Toby is -innocent, but we are not at all sure he will go free.” - -“Why not?” - -“Because the law is so unjust, at times,” replied the little maid, “and -a very bad man who is a lawyer is trying to prove that Toby is guilty.” - -“It looks like he was, the way they’ve figured it out,” added Becky; -“only of course he can’t be.” - -“Sometimes,” said the governor, as if to himself, “the innocent is made -to suffer for the guilty. Now, it seems to me the question is this: -If Toby Clark is innocent, who, then, is guilty? Find the guilty one -and Toby goes free. Otherwise--the law may be perverted and justice -miscarry.” - -They looked very sober at this, and Don blurted out: - -“We’re not detectives, sir, and we don’t know who is guilty. Hasn’t -the state any way of protecting its people? Isn’t there anyone whose -business it is to see that justice don’t miscarry? Our business is -just to stand by Toby Clark, ’cause we know he’s innocent, and we mean -to show ev’rybody in Riverdale that we believe Toby Clark couldn’t do -anything mean if he tried. He’s good stuff, all through, even if he is -a poor boy, and whatever happens we’ll stand by him to the last.” - -The governor nodded his approval. - -“That’s right,” he said. “Stand by your friends. There’s no better -motto than that. I wish you success.” - -Then he turned and walked away. - -“Where is Toby Clark now?” he asked when he had rejoined Phoebe and -Judith. - -“He is at Mr. Spaythe’s house. He doesn’t go out much, for this -dreadful charge against him makes him ashamed to face people,” replied -Phoebe. - -“I want to see him,” said the governor. “Will you take me to him after -dinner?” - -“Gladly!” cried Phoebe, sudden hope springing up in her breast, for the -governor was a power in the land. - -He said nothing more on the subject until after dinner. Phoebe almost -feared he had forgotten about Toby Clark, for during the afternoon he -chatted with Cousin Judith and during dinner he joked with Becky and -Don and even with Sue, the demure and big-eyed. Cousin John won the -entire family without effort, and even Aunt Hyacinth, hopping about -in the kitchen, told the tea-kettle that “dis yer guv’ner ain’t no -diff’rence f’m a plain, ever’day man. He jus’ natcherly takes to de -whole kit an’ caboodle, seein’ he’s cousin to Miss Judy an’ not stuck -up ner refrigerated a bit--no more ’n dem blessed child’ns is.” - -But after dinner he walked into the hall and picked his hat from the -rack, which Phoebe decided was a signal that he was ready to go to -Toby Clark. So she threw on a jacket and joined him, for the evenings -were getting cool of late, and together they strolled through the back -streets, avoiding the business part of the town, and so reached Mr. -Spaythe’s house. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -HOW TOBY SAW THE GREAT MAN - - -Mr. Spaythe himself opened the door and took a step backward in -astonishment. - -“Why, Governor--is it really you?” he stammered. - -“Yes. Good evening, Spaythe. I’ve called to see Toby Clark.” - -Mr. Spaythe led the way to the library, thoroughly amazed at the -suddenly apparition of the state’s chief executive. - -“I’ll call Toby,” he said briefly. - -“Do not tell him who I am, please,” cautioned the governor. “I am -simply Judith Eliot’s cousin, and am at present visiting her.” - -“I understand, sir.” - -Toby came stumping in on his crutch, with a smile for his friend Phoebe -and a frank handshake for Miss Eliot’s cousin. - -“I am a stranger here but have become interested in this unfortunate -accusation against you,” began Cousin John, in his easy, conversational -way. “No; don’t go away, Mr. Spaythe; there’s nothing private about -this interview. I merely want Toby Clark to tell me his story and -explain why they charge him with taking and rifling Mrs. Ritchie’s box.” - -“The story is easy, sir, but the explanation is difficult,” replied -Toby, and then he told in his own way the manner in which the -circumstantial evidence against him had been found. The boy’s story did -not differ materially from Phoebe’s, except that he added a few details -that she had neglected to mention. - -“I can scarcely blame them for their suspicions,” Toby concluded. -“Being poor, they decided I longed for money and would not object to -taking that which belonged to some one else. As I knew the contents -of the box and had access to Judge Ferguson’s office, the conclusion -is natural that I helped myself to Mrs. Ritchie’s money and bonds and -afterward tried to hide the useless but incriminating papers and the -box.” - -“Who discovered the box, and afterward the papers?” asked the Governor. - -“Our constable here, Sam Parsons. He is one of my best friends. But -they sent a policeman over from Bayport to help him.” - -“How did Parsons happen to search your premises for such evidence?” - -Mr. Spaythe started to answer this question, but checked himself and -remained silent. It was Toby who replied: - -“After I was arrested, on a warrant sworn out by Mrs. Ritchie, her -lawyer, a man named Kellogg, urged Parsons to search my house and yard. -He did so, and found the box. Afterward Kellogg insisted on another -search, and the papers were found.” - -The governor looked grave. - -“It is strong evidence,” said he, “and of the sort that convicts. Who -stole the box, Mr. Spaythe?” - -The banker started at the abrupt question. - -“I--I haven’t an idea, sir.” - -“Nor you, Toby?” - -“No, sir. I’ve racked my brain many times in the attempt to guess; but -I can’t suspect anyone, with justice.” - -“Well, I am sorry for your misfortune, young man. You seem to be in a -serious dilemma. It’s a peculiar case, to say the least of it, and I -can only say I hope you’ll come out on top and with colors flying. All -ready, Phoebe?” - -As they walked back to the house the girl felt sorely disappointed over -the result of the interview, from which she had hoped so much. The -governor talked on all sorts of subjects except that of Toby Clark and -she replied as cheerfully as she could. Not until they were in sight -of the Daring house did he refer to the visit, and then it was to say -absently: - -“Kellogg--Kellogg. What’s the lawyer’s other name?” - -“Abner, sir.” - -“Fine fellow?” - -“I don’t like him,” said Phoebe. - -“Ah! Judith tells me you’re investigating this case yourself; posing as -a sort of female detective.” - -“Oh, no!” she protested. “Cousin Judith and I--merely in a laughing -way and yet earnest in our desire to help Toby--organized a private -conspiracy to probe the mystery in our own way and try to discover -its solution. I suppose, sir, we are very foolish to think we can -accomplish anything, but--” - -“But you may succeed, nevertheless. I believe in girls. When they’re -sincere and determined they can accomplish wonders. By the way, keep an -eye on Abner Kellogg.” - -“The lawyer?” she asked in surprise. - -“Yes. Ask yourself this question: Why did Abner Kellogg direct the -constable to search Toby Clark’s premises? And now let us talk of -something else, for here is Judith waiting for us.” - -The governor had a jolly, restful evening. He played dominoes with -Becky, who was allowed to sit up on this important occasion, and -afterward, when the youngsters were in bed, lay back in an easy chair -and smoked a cigar while Phoebe played some simple old-fashioned -melodies on the piano which warmed his heart. Cousin John really -enjoyed his visit to Riverdale and honestly regretted it must be so -brief. - -“I’m coming again, some time,” he promised, as he prepared to walk to -the station after breakfast. “These few hours with you have rested me -wonderfully and enabled me to forget for the moment the thousand and -one worries and cares incident to my office. It is no sinecure being a -public servant, I assure you. The people insist that I earn my salary.” - -Phoebe and Judith walked down to the train with him and the secret -must have leaked out in some way for, early as it was, a throng of -villagers had assembled on the platform. The governor frowned slightly, -but then smiled and bowed in answer to the ringing cheer that greeted -his appearance. As he waited for the train to pull in he whispered -to Phoebe: “If you get snagged over that Toby Clark affair, send me -a telegram. The boy is innocent. I’ve seen and studied him, and I’ll -vouch for his honesty. But on his trail is a clever enemy, and you’ll -have to look sharp to circumvent him.” - -Then he kissed Judith, jumped on the platform of the car and waved his -hat to the cheering crowd as the train carried him away. - -“We’ve gained an added prestige through the governor’s visit--if it’s -worth anything to us,” laughed Judith, on the way home. - -“Isn’t he splendid?” cried Phoebe, enthusiastically. “He wasn’t a bit -stilted or self-important, as such a great man has the right to be, but -acted just like an old friend.” - -“Exactly what Cousin John is,” replied the Little Mother. “The great -are always human, Phoebe; sometimes the more human they are the greater -they become. And they grow to judge fame and public adulation at its -proper value and are not deceived nor unduly elated at popular acclaim. -When the next governor takes his seat the present governor will be -speedily forgotten. Cousin John realizes that, and--” - -“But he’s to be president, some day; everybody says so!” exclaimed -Phoebe protestingly. - -“They’ll forget that, too,” returned Judith, with a smile. “I wouldn’t -care to have Cousin John become president; he is tired from long -service, and deserves a rest.” - -“It’s a great honor,” sighed Phoebe. - -“It’s a compliment, certainly,” said Judith. “Yet the highest honor a -politician can win is to be known as a faithful friend to the people, -and that honor is already awarded to Cousin John.” - -Phoebe went about her duties thoughtfully. The interest shown in -Toby Clark’s fate by the governor had the effect of encouraging and -discouraging her at one and the same time. She considered especially -his advice with regard to Lawyer Kellogg, but could not understand why -he attached so much importance to Kellogg’s direction that Toby’s house -and yard be searched. It had seemed natural to her that the lawyer, who -had disliked Toby because the boy served his rival, Judge Ferguson, -had promptly suspected him of taking the box and, in Mrs. Ritchie’s -interests, had directed the search which was the simple outcome of -Toby’s arrest. - -Sam Parsons would have some idea about Mr. Kellogg’s part in the -affair. She had intended to see Sam and question him ever since Cousin -Judith advised such a course, and now she decided to lose no more time -in doing so. She had known the constable all her life and regarded him -as a trusty friend; therefore the girl had no hesitation in going that -evening to his humble home, which was only two short blocks from the -Daring house. - -“Sam’ll be in in a minute,” reported Mrs. Parsons, whose hand was too -wet to shake, for she had left her dish-washing to open the door. “Come -inside, Miss Phoebe, an’ set down.” - -She left the girl alone in the sitting room and went back to her -kitchen, and Phoebe sat down and waited. It was already more than “a -minute” and she realized she might have to wait a considerable time for -Sam, whose movements were uncertain. - -She glanced around the room. In one corner the constable had his -desk, littered with all sorts of documents, while the pigeon-holes -contained a variety of rubbish. Underneath, on the floor and directly -in the corner, was a heap of newspapers and illustrated periodicals, -irregularly piled. Phoebe stooped and reaching underneath the desk -drew out one or two papers to read while she waited. Then she gave a -suppressed cry of astonishment, for even by the dim light of the one -kerosene lamp she saw that she had uncovered a tin box painted blue, -which had been hidden by the papers. Kneeling down she lifted the box -and quickly examined it. On one end was painted the name “Ritchie” in -white letters and the lock was in perfect condition, so that she could -not lift the cover. - -Fearful of being surprised, she hastily replaced the box and laid the -papers over it, as before; then, rising to her feet, she resumed her -chair and became aware that Sam Parsons was standing just inside the -door, regarding her thoughtfully. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -HOW THE CONSTABLE ARGUED HIS CASE - - -Phoebe turned first white and then red, consumed with shame at being -caught prying into the affairs of others. But the constable merely -nodded and sat down in a rocker, which thereafter he kept moving in a -regular, deliberate manner. - -“Evenin’, Phoebe. Lookin’ at the Ritchie box?” - -“That can’t be the Ritchie box, Sam,” she replied. - -“Why not?” - -“The box--the other box--the one they found in Toby’s rubbish-heap--was -bent and battered out of shape, and the lock smashed. I saw it myself.” - -“M--m. O’ course. So did I. And here’s another Ritchie box in good -shape. You’ve seen that, too.” - -“I--I was going to read one of the papers, while I waited, and -I--I--uncovered the box by accident.” - -“It’s all right, little girl. No harm done. But can you tell me which -is the real Ritchie box--this or the other?” - -“Is one an imitation, Sam?” - -“Must be. Judge Ferguson only kept one Ritchie box in his cupboard. -Them boxes are kept in stock at the hardware store, an’ the judge -bought ’em when he needed ’em. They’re heavy sheet tin, over a steel -frame, an’ the locks are the best there is made. The boxes are all -black, when they’re new, but for some reason--p’raps so’s to tell it -easy--the judge had ’em painted different colors, with the names on -’em. The Ritchie box was blue. I s’pose, Phoebe, it wouldn’t be much of -a trick to buy a box, an’ paint it blue, an’ put ‘Ritchie’ on the end -of it; would it?” - -He spoke lightly, but there was an anxiety underlying the lightness -that did not escape Phoebe’s notice. - -“Which is the real Ritchie box, Sam?” she asked breathlessly. - -“I don’t know, Phoebe.” - -“Where did you get this one?” - -“I--can’t--tell--you. That’s my private business, an’ I’ll ask you not -to mention to a soul on earth that you’ve seen it.” - -She looked at him with a puzzled expression. Then she asked: - -“Sam, does Lawyer Kellogg buy those boxes at the hardware store?” - -“So they tell me,” he replied, shifting uneasily in his chair. -“Kellogg’s got a few clients, you know, and he keeps his papers in a -good deal the same way as the judge did--only he’s got a big safe to -put the boxes in.” - -“I suppose no one else in Riverdale ever buys such boxes?” she -continued. - -“I don’t know. Might, if they had any use for ’em,” he replied. - -She sat silent for a time. - -“Sam, are they going to convict Toby of this crime?” she presently -asked. - -He hesitated. - -“Looks like it, Phoebe. Looks confounded like it, to me, and I’ve had a -good deal of experience in such things.” - -“Won’t you save him, Sam?” - -“Who? Me? How can I?” - -“I thought you were Toby’s friend.” - -“So I am. I’d give a year o’ my life to save Toby from prison, if -I could; but--it’s out o’ the question, girl; I can’t!” he said -emphatically. - -“You can!” - -“What do you mean, Phoebe Daring?” - -“Sam Parsons, you know who stole Mrs. Ritchie’s box.” - -He looked at her steadily and not a muscle of his face changed -expression. - -“Think so?” - -“I know it. And, unless you save Toby of your own accord, I’ll make you -go on the witness stand and confess the whole truth.” - -“How can you do that--if I don’t know?” he asked slowly. - -“You _do_ know. I’ll tell the judge at the trial how you were caught -twice in the hall before Judge Ferguson’s door--once looking through -the keyhole; I’ll tell how I found a blue Ritchie box hidden in your -home, and how you found another in Toby’s rubbish heap; and the judge -will make you explain things.” - -The constable gave a low whistle; then he laughed, but not merrily; -next he rubbed his chin in a puzzled and thoughtful way while he -studied the young girl’s face. - -“Phoebe,” said he, “I used to tote you on my back when you were a wee -baby. Your mother called me in to see you walk alone, for the first -time in your life--it was jus’ two steps, an’ then you tumbled. You -used to ride ’round the country with me in my buggy, when I had to -serve papers, and we’ve been chums an’ good friends ever since.” - -“That’s true, Sam.” - -“Am I a decent fellow, Phoebe? Am I as honest as most men, and as good -a friend as many?” - -“I--I think so. I could always trust you, Sam. And so could my father, -and Judge Ferguson.” - -“If that’s the case, why do you think I’d let my friend Toby Clark -serve a term in prison for a felony he didn’t commit, when I could save -him by tellin’ what I know?” - -“I can’t understand it, Sam. It’s so unlike you. Tell me why.” - -He sighed at her insistence. Then he said doggedly. - -“Our secret, Phoebe? You’ll keep mum?” - -“Unless by telling I can save Toby.” - -He reflected, his face very grave. - -“No; you couldn’t save Toby by telling, for no power on earth can make -Sam Parsons speak when he’s determined to keep his mouth shut. It’s for -you I’m goin’ to speak now, an’ for no one else. I’d like to explain to -you, Phoebe, because we’re old friends, an’ we’re both fond of Toby. -It’ll be a sort of relief to me, too. But no judge could make me tell -this.” - -“Then I’ll promise.” - -He rocked to and fro a while before he began. - -“It worries me, Phoebe, to think that you--a mere child--have found -out what I don’t want found out. If my secret is so loosely guarded, -it may not be a secret for long, and I can’t let others know all that -I know. The truth is, Phoebe, that I don’t know for certain sure who -took the box, not seein’ it taken with my own eyes; but I’ve a strong -suspicion, based on facts, as to who took it. In other words, I’ve made -up my mind, firmly, as to the thief, and for that reason I don’t want -any detective work done--any pryin’ into the secret--by you or anyone -else; for I mean to let Toby Clark take the punishment and serve his -term in prison for it.” - -“And Toby innocent!” - -“And Toby as innocent as you or I.” - -“But that’s a dreadful thing to do, Sam!” - -“It is, Phoebe; it’s dreadful; but not so dreadful as telling the -truth. I’m only a plain man, my child, without education or what you -call ‘gloss’; I’m just a village constable, an’ likely to be that same -until I die. But I’ve got a heart, Phoebe, an’ I can feel for others. -That’s the only religion I know; to do to others as I’d like ’em to do -to me. So I figure it out this way: To bring the--the--person--who took -Mrs. Ritchie’s box to justice, to tell the whole world who the criminal -is, would bring grief an’ humiliation to some of the kindest and -truest hearts in all Riverdale. It would bow them with shame and ruin -their lives--not one, mind you, but several lives. It wouldn’t reform -the--the one--who did it, for the--the person--wouldn’t do such a thing -again; never! It was a case of sudden temptation and--a sudden fall. -Prison would wreck that life beyond redemption, as well as the lives of -the relations and--and friends, such as I’ve mentioned. - -“On the other hand, evidence points to Toby Clark, and unless the -real--person--who took the box is discovered, Toby will be convicted on -that evidence. That’s the horror of the thing, Phoebe; but horror is -sure to follow crime, and a crime has been committed that some one must -suffer the penalty for. Who is Toby Clark? A poor boy without a single -relative in the world to be shamed by his fate. Friends, yes; a plenty; -you and I among ’em; but no friend so close that the prison taint -would cling to ’em; _not even a sweetheart has Toby_. So it’s Hobson’s -choice, seems to me. I’m dead sorry for the lad; but it’s better--far -better--an’ more Christianlike to let him suffer this fate alone, than -to condemn many others to suffering--people who have done no wrong, no -more ’n Toby has. He’s just one, an’ a boy; the others are--sev’ral, -and I consider it best to let Toby redeem ’em. That’s all, Phoebe. Now -you understand me, and I know you’ll stand by me and say I’m right.” - -The girl had followed these arguments in wonder and perplexity. She -felt that Sam Parsons might be right, in a way, but rebelled against -the necessity of letting the innocent suffer. - -“I know Toby,” she said softly; “but the others I don’t know.” - -“Yes; you do,” he contended. “You know ’em, but you don’t know who they -are. What diff’rence does that make?” - -“Who took the box, Sam?” - -“I’ll never tell.” - -“My friends and relations are all responsible for me, in a way, and -I am responsible to them,” said Phoebe reflectively. “One thing that -would keep me from willfully doing wrong is the knowledge that I would -grieve others--those near and dear to me.” - -“To be sure!” replied Sam, rubbing his hands together; “you’re arguin’ -on my side now, Phoebe. S’pose in a moment of weakness you yielded -to temptation? We’re all so blamed human that we can’t be sure of -ourselves. S’pose you had a hankerin’ for that money of Mrs. Ritchie’s, -an’ s’pose on a sudden you got a chance to take it--an’ took it before -you thought? Well; there you are. Prison for you; shame and humiliation -for all that are dear to you. Eh? Toby Clark? Well, it’s too bad, but -it won’t hurt Toby so very much. He couldn’t expect much in life, -anyhow, with his poverty, his bad foot, an’ the only man that could -push him ahead dead an’ gone. But what’s one ruined career as compared -to--say--half a dozen? Toby’ll take his sentence easy, ’cause he’s -strong in his innocence. The others would be heartbroken. It’s far -better to let Toby do the penance, seems to me.” - -Phoebe could not answer him just then. She was too bewildered. The girl -understood perfectly Sam’s position and realized that in opposing it -she expressed less charity and kindliness than the constable. - -“I’m going to think about it,” she said to him. “I’m so surprised and -confused right now by what you’ve told me that my senses have gone -glimmering. But it strikes me, Sam, that we ought to find a way to save -Toby without implicating the guilty one at all.” - -He shook his head negatively. - -“That would be fine, but it can’t be done,” he replied. “We’ve got -to produce the thief to get Toby out of the mess, for otherwise the -evidence will convict him.” - -“Can’t we destroy the evidence--upset it--prove it false?” inquired the -girl. - -“Not with safety to--the other party. But do as you say; go home an’ -think it over. The more you think the more you’ll feel I’m right, an’ -that your best course is to lie low an’ let Toby take his medicine. -The life in prison ain’t so bad; plenty to eat, a clean bed and work to -occupy his time.” - -“But afterward? If he lives to come out he will be despised and avoided -by everyone. No one cares to employ a jail-bird.” - -“I’ve thought of that, Phoebe. Here in Riverdale Toby couldn’t hold his -head up. But it’s a big world and there are places where his past would -never be discovered. I’ll look after the lad, if I’m alive when he gets -free, and try to help him begin a new life; but, anyhow, he must face -this ordeal and make the best of it.” - -Phoebe went home discouraged and rebellious. She kept telling herself -that Sam Parsons was right, all the time resenting the fact that the -common, uneducated man looked at this unfortunate affair in a broader, -more philanthropic light than she could, and was resolved to do his -duty as his simple mind conceived it. The girl’s heart, stifle it as -she would, cried out against the injustice of the plan of sacrifice. -Sam knew all the parties concerned, and could therefore judge more -impartially than she; but even that argument did not content her. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -HOW THE BAND PLAYED - - -Ed Collins, the leader of the Riverdale Cornet Band, was much amused -when the four children--two Darings and two Randolphs--came to him in -breathless excitement and wanted to hire his band to parade with the -Marching Club on Saturday afternoon. Ed kept a tailor shop and was a -good-natured, easy-going fellow who was fond of children and liked to -humor them, but this proposition seemed so absurd that he answered with -a smile: - -“Bands cost money. The boys won’t tramp the streets for nothing, you -know.” - -“We’ll pay,” said Don, offended that he was not taken seriously. “I -said we wanted to _hire_ your band. Their business is to play for -money, isn’t it?” - -“Sometimes,” said Ed; “and sometimes they play for fun.” - -“This’ll be fun,” suggested Becky. - -“Not for the band, I guess. You’d want us to play every minute,” said -the tailor. - -“Of course; that’s what bands are for. When they don’t play, nobody -pays any attention to them,” declared the girl. - -“They have to get their breaths, once in awhile,” suggested Ed. - -“Let ’em do it when they’re not parading, then. You can’t expect us to -pay ’em to breathe,” said Becky. - -“We have money,” said Doris, with dignity, thinking it time to -interfere. “What is your lowest price?” - -The leader looked at her in surprise. - -“You’re in earnest?” he demanded. - -“Of course!” they cried in a chorus. - -“How many men do you want?” - -“All you’ve got,” said Don; “and they must wear their new uniforms.” - -“We’ve twelve men, altogether, and when we’re hired for an afternoon we -get three dollars apiece.” - -“That is thirty-six dollars,” replied Doris. “Very well; do you wish -the money now?” - -The tailor was amazed. - -“What’s it all about, anyhow?” he inquired. - -“We’ve organized the Toby Clark Marching Club--over a hundred boys -and girls--the best lot in the village,” explained Don. “We want to -show everybody in Riverdale that we don’t believe--not for a single -minute--that Toby ever stole Mrs. Ritchie’s box, and we’re going to -carry signs an’ banners an’ march through the streets with the band -playing.” - -Collins stared a minute, and then he laughed. - -“That’s great!” he exclaimed. “I’m with you in this deal, for it’s a -shame the way they’re treating Toby. Perhaps I can get the boys to play -for two dollars apiece, on this occasion.” - -“We’ve got fifty dollars,” announced Doris, the treasurer. “It was -given us by some one anxious to befriend Toby Clark and we’re to spend -it just as we please.” - -“Oh. Do you want fifty dollars’ worth of music, then?” asked the -tailor, with an eye to business. - -“No,” said Don; “that is, not all at once. If your twelve men will -play for twenty-four dollars, we could hire them twice. If this first -parade’s a success, I want to take all the Club and the band over to -Bayport, and make a parade there.” - -“Dear me!” said Becky, to whom this idea was new; “how’ll we ever get -such a mob over to Bayport?” - -“It can’t be done,” declared Allerton. - -“Yes, it can,” persisted Don. “If we wake up the folks in Riverdale -we must wake ’em up in Bayport. That’s the county seat and the trial -will be held there, so it’s a good point to show the Bayporters what we -think of Toby Clark.” - -“How’ll you get us there--walking?” asked Becky. - -“We’ll hire carryalls, an’ rigs of all sorts,” said Don. - -“We can’t hire much if we spend all our money on bands,” Allerton -replied. - -“We’ll get more money. P’raps the Unknown will fork over another wad -for the good of the cause.” - -“Tell you what I’ll do,” said Collins, catching some of the children’s -enthusiasm, “I’ll play for nothing, myself, and perhaps some of the -other men will. Those that insist on money will get two dollars apiece.” - -Becky took her badge from her pocket and pinned it on the tailor’s coat. - -“You’re the right stuff, Ed,” she remarked. “But don’t show your badge -to anyone until Saturday; and don’t blab about the parade, either. We -want to surprise folks.” - -The band appeared in force at one o’clock on Saturday afternoon, -meeting the Marching Club on the Daring grounds, as had been arranged. -The musicians wore their best uniforms and looked very impressive -with their glittering horns and their drums. Ed whispered to Don and -Allerton that seven of the twelve had agreed to donate their services, -so the total cost of the band would be but ten dollars. - -This was good news, indeed. The youthful officers quickly formed their -ranks, for every boy and girl was excited over the important event and -very proud to be a member of the Marching Club. - -Judith and Phoebe came out to see the parade start and they thought -these bright and eager young folks could not fail to impress their -belief in Toby Clark’s innocence on all who witnessed this day’s -demonstration. - -The children had “chipped in” whatever money they could command to pay -the village sign painter for lettering in big black letters on white -cloth three huge banners, which had been framed and were to be carried -in the parade. The first, which the butcher’s big boy carried just in -front of the band, read: - - “THE TOBY CLARK MARCHING CLUB.” - -The second, which was borne in the center of the procession, said: - - “WE KNOW THAT TOBY CLARK IS INNOCENT.” - -The third sign, carried in the rear ranks, was as follows: - - “JOIN US IN DEMANDING JUSTICE FOR TOBY. - YOU MIGHT BE FALSELY ACCUSED YOURSELF - SOME DAY.” - -This last was so big that it required two to carry it, and four -guy-ropes, gayly decorated with colored ribbons, were held by four of -the girls to give it more steadiness. In addition to these, two big -American flags were carried in the line. - -Don took his place at the head of the First Division, just behind the -band. Allerton commanded the Second Division. Doris and Becky walked -at either side, armed with bundles of handbills which Allerton had -printed, urging the public to defend Toby Clark in every possible way, -because he was helpless to defend himself. - -Then the band struck up a spirited march tune and started down the -street with the Marching Club following in splendid order and keeping -fairly good step with the music. The white sashes and caps gave the -children an impressive appearance and their earnest faces were very -good to behold. - -To most of the Riverdale people the parade was a real surprise and all -were astonished by the numbers and soldierly bearing of the youthful -participants. Many a cheer greeted them in the down-town districts, -where numerous farmers and their families, who had come to Riverdale -for their Saturday shopping, helped to swell the crowd of spectators. - -“They ought to told us ’bout this,” said Tom Rathbun the grocer to the -group standing outside his store. “We’d ’a’ decorated the town, to -give the kids a send-off. I’ve got a sneakin’ notion, myself, as Toby -is guilty, but that don’t cut no ice if it amuses the kids to think as -he’s innercent.” - -“Pah!” returned Griggs the carpenter, with scornful emphasis, “I’m -’shamed o’ you, Tom Rathbun. Can you look in the faces o’ them -children, who all know Toby better’n we grown-ups, an’ then say the -boy’s guilty?” - -“They ain’t got no sense; they’re jest kids,” retorted the grocer. - -“Sense? They’re full o’ sense, ’cause they ain’t prejudiced an’ -stubborn, like us old ones,” claimed the carpenter. “Children has -intuitions; they’ve a way of tellin’ the true from the false in a -second, without any argyment. You might fool one youngster, p’raps, -but when you see a whole crowd like this declarin’ the innercence of -one who they knows through an’ through, you can bet your bottom dollar -they’re right!” - -A good many thought and argued as old Griggs did; those who had -formerly condemned Toby became thoughtful and began to reconsider -their judgment; even the most rabid believers in the boy’s guilt were -silent in the face of this impressive demonstration and forbore any -remarks that might irritate the youthful champions. - -The one exception was Dave Hunter, who had developed so strong an -antipathy toward Toby that nothing seemed to mollify it. The telegraph -office was at the railway station and as Dave stood outside with -Wakefield, the station agent, watching the parade pass, he said -sneeringly: - -“The little fools! What good can they do? We’re not the judge and jury, -and if we were we wouldn’t be influenced by a lot of crazy little -beggars marching.” - -“You’re ’way off, Dave,” replied Wakefield. “Nothing influences one -more than the pleading of children. We can’t tell yet who the jury will -be, but if any of them happen to see this parade to-day you can gamble -that the opinion of these marchers will have a lot of weight with them.” - -“There’s nothing sound in their opinion; it’s mere sentiment,” growled -Dave. - -“Sentiment? Well, that counts for a good deal in this world,” observed -Wakefield, an older and more experienced man. “These children are dear -to a lot of folks, who will side with them first and last; not through -cold reason, but through sentiment.” - -Indeed, almost every parent in Riverdale had a boy or girl in the -parade and was proud to own it. Parents usually stand by their children -when they evince generosity and loyalty and it is certain that the -effect of this great parade helped the cause of Toby Clark more than -its organizers suspected. - -Don and Becky Daring and the Randolphs believed firmly in Toby’s -innocence, but were animated as much by the novelty and excitement of -promoting the Marching Club as by the belief that they could assist -their friend by its means. Yet the fun of the undertaking did not lead -them to forget the original cause and when the parade reached Mr. -Spaythe’s house it halted and gave three rousing cheers for Toby Clark, -afterward standing at attention while the band played through an entire -tune. The crowd that had assembled called loudly for Toby, but the -poor boy was hidden behind the curtains of a window, trying to see his -loyal army through the blinding tears that streamed from his eyes. Toby -couldn’t have spoken a word had he appeared, there was such a hard lump -in his throat; but he kept repeating to himself, over and over again: - -“It’s worth it all! It’s worth anything that can happen to know I am so -loved and respected by all the boys and girls. I don’t care, now. Let -’em do their worst. I’m happy!” - -After more cheers the procession moved on and as the sound of the -music died away in the distance, Toby Clark, in the seclusion of his -room, fell on his knees and earnestly thanked God for giving him such -friends. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -HOW MRS. RITCHIE CHIDED HER LAWYER - - -The parade was the one topic of conversation in the village. The editor -of the _Riverdale News_, Mr. Fellows, interviewed Don and Allerton, got -the name of every member of the Marching Club and published the list -incident to a two-column article in his paper, in which he sided with -the children and strongly espoused the cause of Toby Clark. Mr. Fellows -always liked to side with popular opinion and he shrewdly guessed -that the children voiced the sentiment of the majority of Riverdale -citizens. The editor rendered Sam Parsons very uneasy by concluding -his article with a demand that the guilty person be discovered, so as -to free Toby from any further suspicion, and he stated that if Mr. -Holbrook, the lawyer defending Toby, and the village officers--meaning -of course the constable--were unable to find the real criminal -and bring him to justice, then outside aid should be summoned and -detectives brought from the city. - -In this demand poor Mr. Fellows found he had gone a step too far. -Mr. Spaythe, angry and resentful, called on him and requested him not -to publish any more such foolish ideas. Sam Parsons called on him -and politely but firmly requested him to mind his own business. Mr. -Holbrook called on him and sarcastically asked if he preferred to -undertake the case, with its responsibilities, rather than trust to the -judgment of a competent attorney. The bewildered editor tore up the -article he had written for the next edition and resolved to keep silent -thereafter, as a matter of policy. - -Lawyer Kellogg was also keeping very quiet, relying upon the evidence -he had on hand to convict the accused. He was greatly annoyed at times -by Mrs. Ritchie, who drove to town every few days--usually in the -evenings--and urged him to get back her money and the missing paper. -This the lawyer was unable to do, even when she offered him a thousand -dollars for the recovery of the paper alone. - -“What was the paper?” he asked. - -“That don’t concern you,” she retorted. - -“It does, indeed, Mrs. Ritchie,” protested the man. “How can I find -a paper if I am totally ignorant of its character? Was it a deed, a -mortgage, or what?” - -She looked at him uneasily. - -“I wish I could trust you,” she muttered; “but you’re such a lyin’ -scoundrel that I’ve no confidence in you.” - -“I’m honest to my clients, at all times, and as honest as most men in -other ways,” he assured her. “I’ve often observed that those who can’t -trust their lawyers are not honest themselves.” - -“Meaning me, sir?” - -“Yes.” - -“Well, you’re right. That paper might cause me trouble if it got into -the wrong hands,” she frankly stated. “Even Judge Ferguson never knew -what it was, for I kept it sealed up in a long yellow envelope just -marked ‘private’ on the outside. When the box was stolen the envelope -and all disappeared.” - -“What was the paper?” he asked again. - -“A--a will.” - -“Oh! Mr. Ritchie’s will?” - -“No. But it was a will, giving me power over property. If you run -across it, and see my name, don’t read the paper but bring it straight -to me and the thousand dollars is yours--with the understanding you -keep your mouth shut forever.” - -He smiled at her complacently. Here was a streak of good luck that well -repaid the unscrupulous attorney for undertaking Mrs. Ritchie’s case -and submitting to all her abuse. She admitted she was not an honest -woman. She admitted the lost will would be damaging evidence against -her. Very well, she was now in his power and as she was a rich woman he -could extort money from her whenever he pleased, by simply resorting to -threats. - -Mrs. Ritchie read the smile correctly and nodded with grim -comprehension. - -“I’ve told you this for two reasons,” she said. “One is so you can -identify the paper if you find it, and bring it to me. The other reason -is because I can put you in jail if you try to blackmail me.” - -“Oh; you can?” - -“Easy. It was you that put that box in Toby Clark’s rubbish heap, so -the police could find it there. You got a box, painted it blue, to look -like mine, put my name on the end, and then smashed the lock, battered -the box all up an’ carried it to the rubbish heap.” - -“Did I?” - -“Yes. I found the blue and white paints in your office closet. I’ve -seen several such boxes in your possession when you opened your safe. -The lock of the box found in Toby’s yard won’t fit my key, for there -were two keys to my box and I carried one and Judge Ferguson the other. -Last of all, I was driving home one night when I saw you sneaking -along the dark road. I got out of my buggy an’ followed you, an’ I saw -you go into Toby’s yard an’ hide the box.” - -“Why did you say nothing of this until now?” - -“Because I’d like to see Toby go to prison. It’s a dead sure thing -he stole my box, for no one else would have taken just that yellow -envelope and hid the other papers where they might be found. So I mean -to make him do time for that trick, behind prison bars, and the sort of -evidence you fixed up will help send him there. But I want that paper -back, and I want the money, an’ you’ve got to get ’em for me, Abner -Kellogg. If you don’t, I’ll tell about the box. That act of yours was -conspiracy, accordin’ to law, and it’ll mean state’s prison for you.” - -Mr. Kellogg, rather uneasy to find the tables turned on him so -cleverly, took time to rearrange his thoughts. Then he said: - -“I didn’t hide your papers in the boy’s room. I received an anonymous -letter, telling me where to look for them. Did you write that letter?” - -“Don’t be a fool. If I’d known, I’d have got the papers myself. I don’t -accuse you of hiding the papers, but I do know you manufactured that -box evidence.” - -“Yes, for a purpose. If I had known the papers would be found I -wouldn’t have bothered about the box, for the papers are really the -strongest proof against young Clark. But I wonder why, when he hid the -other papers, he kept out the yellow envelope containing the will.” - -“He wanted to keep that,” she said. - -“Then you think he intended the other papers to be discovered? -Nonsense! You’re more clever than that, Mrs. Ritchie.” - -She frowned. - -“Well, what then, sir?” she asked. - -“This case is more complicated than you dream of,” he replied. “I’ve a -notion that others besides Toby Clark are implicated. If you were not -so anxious for that paper, I’d say the safest plan we can follow is to -convict Toby, put him in prison, and then let the matter drop. What -harm will the loss of the paper do? No one would dare use it, for it -would proclaim him the accomplice of the thief. If it’s a will, a legal -document, it has been probated and recorded, so no one will question -your right to the property it conveys. Keep quiet about the loss and -you will be safe. It seems to me that the only danger is in stirring -things up.” - -She thought this over. - -“Find it if you can,” she said, rising to go, “but don’t mention -to a soul that it’s a will you’re looking for. Try and get Toby to -confess; that’s the best plan. Promise him a light sentence; promise -him anything you like if he’ll give up the yellow envelope, or tell -you where it is. When we’ve got our hands on it we can forget all our -promises.” - -The lawyer nodded, with an admiring smile for his confederate. - -“I’ll try,” he said, but with a doubtful accent. - -“A thousand dollars for you if you succeed,” she repeated, and went -away. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -HOW PHOEBE SURPRISED A SECRET - - -While Phoebe freely applauded the generous efforts of the children on -behalf of Toby Clark, she realized that it would require something more -than Marching Clubs to save the boy from prison. - -According to Sam Parsons, Toby ought to go to prison, as a scapegoat -for others; but Phoebe could not reconcile herself to the decree of so -dreadful a fate for a helpless and innocent waif--just because he had -no near relatives to grieve over his sacrifice. - -She had promised Sam not to tell his secret, unless by telling it she -could save Toby, yet after much earnest thought she decided to relate -an abstract case to Cousin Judith and ask her advice. So, outlining -just how much she dared say and still be true to her promise, she went -one afternoon to the Little Mother’s room, taking her sewing with her, -and while Judith painted, Phoebe led the conversation toward Toby Clark. - -“I’m afraid,” she remarked, after pursuing the subject for a time, -“that we’re not helping Toby as energetically as we ought. No one -seems so much interested as we are, for neither Mr. Spaythe nor Lawyer -Holbrook appear to be doing anything to find the real criminal. If -things jog along this way, December will soon arrive and Toby will be -tried and convicted before we realize it.” - -“True,” said Judith. “I can’t account for the seeming inactivity of Mr. -Holbrook and Mr. Spaythe; yet it may be all seeming, Phoebe. Have you -conceived any idea on the subject?” - -“I’ve speculated about it, of course. Suppose, Cousin, these men should -not wish to discover the real criminal. Suppose they know who took -the box, but want to shield the guilty one from disgrace, and so are -willing to let Toby suffer?” - -“Why, Phoebe, what a queer notion that is!” - -“But it isn’t impossible, is it? Suppose one with many friends and -relatives--a prominent and respectable person, you know--in a moment -of weakness stole Mrs. Ritchie’s box. To save that person from the -consequences, false evidence against Toby was manufactured. We know it -is false evidence if Toby is innocent. Wouldn’t those in the secret -think it better to let a poor and friendless boy suffer the disgrace -and the prison sentence, rather than denounce one whose disgrace would -drag down many others?” - -Judith looked at her with a startled expression. - -“Really, my dear, you may possibly have stumbled upon the truth,” she -said slowly. “That is quite a reasonable hypothesis. How did you happen -to think of it?” - -Phoebe flushed at the necessity of dissimulating. - -“Some one is guilty,” she replied evasively, “and there seems to be a -conspiracy to defend the guilty one from discovery. But would it be -right and just for them to do that, Cousin Judith? Would it be honest -to let an innocent boy suffer for another’s crime?” - -Judith reflected before answering. - -“I think not,” she said. “Certainly not unless the innocent one -willingly and voluntarily undertook to shield the guilty. There have -been such instances of generous self-sacrifice, which all the world has -applauded; but to condemn the innocent without his knowledge or consent -seems to me as great a crime as the theft of the box--even a greater -crime.” - -“That is exactly how it seems to me!” cried Phoebe eagerly. “If I knew -of such a thing, Cousin, and was able to foil the plot, would I be -justified in doing so?” - -The Little Mother looked at the girl thoughtfully. - -“I suppose, Phoebe, that you have discovered something that warrants -this suspicion, but are not ready to confide in me wholly at the -present time,” she said. - -“I’m so sorry, Cousin Judith; but----” - -“Never mind. I am not offended, Phoebe. I know your frank and true -nature and can trust you to do right, as you see the right. But move -cautiously in this matter, my dear. Study the arguments on both sides -of the question very carefully; then boldly follow the dictates of your -heart. Without knowing more than I do of the matter, I should consider -two courses of action open to you--if, indeed, you prove to be right in -your surmise. One is to let Toby himself decide.” - -“Oh; but that would settle it at once!” exclaimed Phoebe. “Toby is -generous to a fault and, although he is proud, he keenly realizes his -humble position. To ask him to suffer that another might be saved would -be the same as thrusting him into prison. I know he wouldn’t refuse; -and you know it, too, Cousin Judith.” - -“Yet under some conditions it might be best, even then,” asserted -Judith. “Best, I mean, from a politic point of view. But that would -depend largely on who the guilty person is. The other alternative is -to obtain proof against the real criminal, of a character sufficient -to clear Toby, and then let the punishment fall where it belongs, -regardless of consequences. That would be strict justice, for those who -err should alone pay the penalty.” - -“How about the friends who would share the disgrace?” - -“That should prevent one from committing a fault, but once the fault is -perpetrated it is no argument for mercy. Nor do I think that anyone is -really disgraced because a friend or relative does wrong. People never -condemn a woman because her husband is a drunkard; rather do they pity -her. Nor is a relative properly held responsible for one’s crime. It is -true that the taint of crime and prison attaches--unjustly--to one’s -children and frequently ruins their lives, for many believe in heredity -of disposition. Such belief is, in my opinion, erroneous.” - -“Suppose the guilty one fell in a moment of weakness and is now -sincerely sorry?” suggested Phoebe. - -“The more reason he should bravely bear whatever punishment the law -provides. Really, Phoebe, in the abstract I can see but one way to look -at this thing. There may be exceptional circumstances that would induce -us to sacrifice Toby Clark to avoid a greater evil; but such an act -would not be just; it could only claim policy as its excuse.” - -Cousin Judith’s ideas coincided with those of Phoebe. The girl tried -to argue on the side of Sam Parsons, but could not convince herself -that he was right. Sam doubtless believed he was acting nobly and -generously, and he knew more than did Phoebe about the case, but she -resented injustice in any form and finally determined to sift the -affair to the bottom, if possible, and save Toby at any cost. Was not -his good name as precious to him as her own was to herself? What right -had anyone to destroy it, that some weak offender of the law might -escape? - -Having once firmly decided her course of action, Phoebe resumed -her careful, painstaking methods of deduction, such as she had -formerly employed. In the light of her latest information many of her -conclusions must be modified. Mr. Spaythe was not the guilty one, -assuredly, for he had but one relation, his son Eric, and no close -friends since the death of Judge Ferguson. Mr. Holbrook was such an -utter stranger to Riverdale that Sam Parsons’ clemency could not -apply to him. Will Chandler was the next on the list; a man of large -family, a postmaster by the grace of the president of the United States -himself, one of the village council, a highly respected citizen, a -leading churchman and a warm personal friend of the constable. Both -Sam Parsons and Will Chandler were officers of the local lodge--an -argument that Phoebe did not appreciate the importance of. But it was -impossible to suspect Will Chandler. Had his nature been weak enough to -succumb to temptation, he might have robbed the post office at any time -during the past twenty years of sums far greater than that contained -in Mrs. Ritchie’s box. Mrs. Miller, the charwoman, was a person of so -little reputation that Sam would never think of shielding her had she -stolen the box. - -There remained, then, of all Phoebe’s list of suspects, only Sam -Parsons himself. If he had stolen the box--which she had discovered -in his possession--the arguments he had advanced to induce her to -keep silent would be just such as might be expected from a shrewd but -uncultured man. - -Yet Phoebe’s knowledge of character was sufficient to induce her -instantly to abandon any thought of connecting the constable with the -crime. It was absolutely impossible for Sam Parsons to be guilty of the -theft of money. She knew that intuitively. The man was an honest man, -if honest men exist. - -Phoebe soon came to realize that she must seek the guilty party outside -the circle of probabilities she had formerly outlined. She knew, at -least by sight and reputation, practically every inhabitant of the -village. So she began to consider which one might have an object in -taking the money, which one was a member of a large and respectable -family, and which was weak enough in character to yield to sudden -temptation. Sam had hinted at an unexpected chance to rifle the box, -which chance had furnished the temptation resulting in the theft; but -Phoebe knew nothing of such a sudden opportunity and, after puzzling -her brain for several days over the problem, she decided to start out -and attempt to secure some additional information which, in view of her -recent discoveries, might guide her to the truth. - -Many girls develop a native talent for unraveling mysteries and, -both in modern journalism and in secret service, women have proved -themselves more intelligent investigators than men. There was nothing -abnormal in Phoebe Daring’s desire to discover the truth underlying the -complex plot of which Toby Clark seemed the innocent victim. She was -sufficiently interested in the unfortunate boy to have a sincere desire -to assist him, and she furthermore felt under deep obligations to Toby -for his past services to her family, at a time when the Darings were -in much trouble. It was her bounden duty, she considered, to save him -if she could, for his interests seemed to be sadly neglected by those -who should have strained every effort in his behalf. So she constituted -herself his champion and the disappointments and rebuffs she met with -only made her the more determined to persevere. In a little town like -Riverdale she could go and come without comment and, as a matter of -fact, the young girl’s investigations were conducted very quietly and -secretly. No one but Cousin Judith was in her secret; even the children -had no idea that Phoebe was “playing detective” in Toby’s interest. She -might have to be a little more bold and aggressive than before, if she -was to succeed, but she felt that tact and a cool head would carry her -through any emergency and these qualities she believed she possessed. - -It would be useless to deny the fascination inherent in the task -of solving a mystery such as this and although Phoebe Daring had -sufficient reasons for undertaking it she became so intensely -interested that the desire to succeed often overshadowed her primary -object to help Toby Clark. - -For one thing, she was anxious to know why Mr. Holbrook had shown so -little interest in clearing his client of the accusation against him. -The young lawyer scarcely knew Toby Clark and could not be personally -inimical to his interests; so she determined to interview him again. - -This time she induced Nathalie Cameron to accompany her. Nathalie was -one of Toby’s strongest sympathizers and without letting her suspect -her real purpose Phoebe frankly told her friend that she wanted to -bring Mr. Holbrook to book for not being more strenuous in the defense -of his client. - -The girls found the lawyer in his office and he received them with his -usual polite deference. - -“I’d like to know,” said Phoebe, “what your plans are for destroying -the evidence against Toby, at the coming trial.” - -The young man smiled and then looked grave. He saw that the girl was -quite serious and, unwarranted as her interference might be, her -position in Riverdale was sufficiently important to render it impolitic -to deny her an answer. - -“There is little we lawyers can do, in such a peculiar case as this, -in advance of the trial,” said he. “I have selected a number of -witnesses whom I shall call to testify to young Clark’s fine record -and his good standing in the community. But I count largely on the -cross-examinations of the witnesses for the prosecution, and I shall -appeal to the jury not to condemn a man on circumstantial evidence, -which is so often misleading.” - -“Then you are unable to disprove the evidence?” asked Phoebe -indignantly. - -“There is no way to do that, I fear. The incriminating box, for -instance, was found on Toby Clark’s premises.” - -“Are you sure of that?” she inquired. - -“We can’t deny it. The regular officers of the law discovered it, where -it was hidden. We can, and shall, deny that the accused placed it -there, and--” - -“And also we shall deny that it was Mrs. Ritchie’s box,” she added. - -He stared at her, not understanding. - -“I will give you a hint, to assist you,” she continued. “Ask them to -prove it was Mrs. Ritchie’s box they found.” - -“Why, it had her name painted on the end,” said Holbrook. - -“I know that. I believe I could myself paint a name on a tin box, such -as the hardware store keeps in stock for Judge Ferguson and Mr. Kellogg -to use when they required them.” - -“Kellogg?” he asked thoughtfully. - -“Yes; he uses the same kind of boxes for valuable papers that Judge -Ferguson did. But none of the locks of those boxes are ever duplicated; -the keys are all different. At the trial, if you ask Mrs. Ritchie to -produce her key, which must match the key kept by Judge Ferguson and -now in the possession of Mr. Spaythe, you will find it will not fit -the lock of the box discovered in Toby Clark’s back yard.” - -Mr. Holbrook leaped from his chair and paced up and down the room, -evidently excited. - -“Good!” he cried. “Excellent, Miss Daring. That is exactly the kind -of information I have been seeking--something that will disprove the -evidence. But are you sure of your statement?” - -“I have seen the genuine box,” said Phoebe quietly. - -“Since it was stolen?” - -“Yes.” - -He sat down again and glanced into her face curiously. - -“Yet you do not care to say where you have seen it?” he asked in a -hesitating voice. - -“No, sir.” - -Mr. Holbrook drew a long sigh, as of relief. - -“You are quite right to keep the secret,” he asserted firmly. Then, -after a moment, he added in a low tone: “Has she told you everything, -then?” - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -HOW MR. SPAYTHE CONFESSED - - -It was Phoebe’s turn to start and draw a long breath, but she managed -to stifle her surprise and retain her self-possession. In an instant -she knew that the young man, deceived by her reference to the box, had -inadvertently committed himself and she determined to take advantage of -his slip. Mr. Holbrook’s question was so astonishing that for a moment -it fairly bewildered her, yet the pause before she answered might well -be mistaken for a natural hesitation. - -“Not everything,” she calmly replied. “But I had no idea you--knew--so -much--of the truth, Mr. Holbrook,” she continued, with a searching look -into his face. - -“I admit that I have been in a quandary how to act,” he said -confidently, yet in an eager tone. “But it gives me great relief -to know that you, who are in the secret, can understand my motives -and sympathize with my dilemma. At the very outset of my career -in Riverdale I have a case thrust upon me that bids fair to ruin -my prestige in the town, for unless I can disprove the evidence -against young Clark, without implicating the real criminal, I shall -be considered an unsuccessful lawyer. You and I realize that I can’t -implicate the guilty person, for that would arouse the indignation -of all Riverdale; and unless I clear Clark, who has the sympathy of -all, I shall be generally condemned. Just see what an impression that -parade of the children made! I’ve puzzled over the matter continually, -striving to find a solution, but until you came with your hint about a -substituted box I was completely at a loss what to do. Can you tell me -anything more?” - -“I should not have told you so much, sir,” she answered. - -“I understand. We must be cautious what we say, we who know.” - -“How did you discover that--she--took the box?” Phoebe asked, breathing -hard as she pronounced the word “she” but outwardly appearing calm. - -The lawyer glanced at Nathalie, who had remained silent but amazed. - -“Your friend knows?” he asked Phoebe. - -“Not all,” she said. “Not--the name.” - -“Oh. Well, I’ll avoid the name,” he continued, evidently eager to -explain. “I was sauntering along the deserted street late at night--it -was the night before the judge died, you remember--engaged in -considering whether I should settle in Riverdale and undertake the -practice of law, when two lawyers were already in the field, when my -attention was arrested by a flash of light from the upper windows of -the building opposite me--this building. It was not a strong light; not -an electric light; more like a match that flickered a moment and then -went out. I stood still, but was not particularly interested, when the -flash was repeated, shaded this time and not so bright. It occurred -to me there was something suspicious about that. The electric lights -at the street corners proved that the current was still on and if it -were Judge Ferguson, visiting his office so late, there was no reason -he should not turn on the incandescents. If not the judge, some one -else was in his office--some one who did not want too much light, which -might be noticed, but enough for a certain purpose. - -“I waited and saw the third match struck, which flickered a moment, -like the others, and then went out. The doorway of the drug store, -just opposite here, was quite dark; so I withdrew into its recess and -watched the stairway of this building. Presently--she--came down, -glanced cautiously into the street, and finding it deserted began -walking hastily toward the east. She carried something under her arm, -hugged tightly but too large to be completely hidden. I slipped out -of the doorway and followed, keeping in the shadows. As she passed -under the light at the corner I saw that what she held was an oblong -box painted blue. I could even discover some white letters on the end -but was unable to read what they spelled. Being quite positive, by -this time, that there was something wrong in the stealthy actions of -the--person, I kept her in sight during her entire journey, until she -reached her home and let herself into the dark house with a latchkey. - -“At that time I did not know who lived in the place; indeed, it was -not until the Ritchie box was reported missing that I cautiously -inquired and found out who it was I had caught pilfering. Toby’s arrest -followed, and the discovery of the evidence against him. Then, to my -regret, Mr. Spaythe engaged me to defend Clark and my worries and -troubles began, as you may easily guess, Miss Daring. I had no idea, -until now, that another box had been substituted; but if that was done, -then the evidence that was meant to convict my young client will do -much to prove a conspiracy against him and therefore his innocence.” - -Phoebe had listened with intense interest to every word of Mr. -Holbrook’s explanation, which he made under the impression that she -knew the whole truth concerning the theft of the box. She regretted -that in order to lead him on to talk freely she had been obliged to -say that Nathalie did not know the name of the mysterious “she”; for -otherwise he might inadvertently have mentioned it, and she would have -been in possession of the entire truth. - -But Phoebe had learned a great deal; more than she had ever dreamed of, -and she left the lawyer’s office greatly elated over her discovery. - -Nathalie, completely bewildered by Mr. Holbrook’s admissions, as well -as by Phoebe’s reference to a duplicate box, began to ply her friend -with questions as soon as they were on the street; but Phoebe earnestly -begged her to wait patiently until she could tell her all. - -“I’m as ignorant as you are, Nathalie, as to who the ‘she’ is whom -Mr. Holbrook saw take the box,” she declared. “He got an impression, -somehow, that I know more than I really do, and spoke so frankly on -that account that he let me into his secret--in part--unawares. I shall -now be obliged to ferret out the rest of the mystery, but with my -present knowledge to guide me that ought not to be very difficult.” - -“Why should he have such a strong desire to shield her?” asked Nathalie -thoughtfully. - -“I don’t know. She may be some very respectable woman.” - -“Would a respectable woman steal?” - -“Well she might yield to some extraordinary temptation to do so,” -replied Phoebe, thinking of Sam Parsons’ plea. - -“And the box was stolen before Judge Ferguson died,” said Nathalie, -wonderingly. - -“Yes; so it seems. The general impression has been that it was taken -afterward, as the result of his death. I wonder how this affair would -have turned out had the dear old judge lived. He was worth any ten -common lawyers and a dozen detectives.” - -“So he was,” replied Nathalie. “Mr. Holbrook seems an honest and -gentlemanly fellow, but he never can fill Judge Ferguson’s place.” - -Phoebe, after parting from her girl friend, reflected that her feelings -toward the young lawyer had changed under the light of to-day’s -discoveries. She could imagine his perplexity when called upon to -defend Toby, and could see how his desire to shield the guilty female -or his fear of denouncing her would account for his lack of activity -in the case. Doubtless Mr. Holbrook agreed with Sam Parsons--of whose -opinion he was wholly ignorant--that it was better to let Toby suffer -than to accuse the guilty one. These two men, Phoebe reflected, were -influenced alike by motives of gallantry or consideration for the -female sex; for, had not the guilty one been a woman--or perhaps a -young girl--neither man would have undertaken to shield him from the -consequences of his crime. - -But Phoebe was inclined to condemn one of her own sex as frankly as -she would a man. She was even indignant that an honest boy was to be -sacrificed for a dishonest woman. She became more firmly resolved than -ever to prevent such a miscarriage of justice. - -She was greatly pleased, however, with Mr. Holbrook’s assertion that -by proving the box found on Toby’s premises a fraud, the defense would -stand a good chance of winning the trial. If that evidence fell down, -all the rest might well be doubted, and for a time the girl seriously -considered the advisability of abandoning any further attempt to bring -the guilty party to justice, relying upon the lawyer to free his -client. But the thought then occurred to her that merely to save Toby -Clark from conviction would not be sufficient to restore to him his -good name. Some would still claim that justice had miscarried and the -suspicion would cling to him for all time. The only thing that could -reinstate the accused in the eyes of the world was to prove beyond -doubt that some one else had committed the crime. - -Forced to reconstruct all her former theories, Phoebe abandoned her -“list of suspects” and wrote a new memorandum. It outlined the facts -now in her possession as follows: - -“1--The guilty one was a woman or a girl, of respectable family. -2--Some one deliberately attempted to incriminate Toby Clark by placing -a fraudulent box in the boy’s rubbish heap. 3--Sam Parsons now had the -genuine box in his possession and wouldn’t tell how he got it. 4--The -theft was committed on the night before Judge Ferguson’s sudden death. -5--Both Sam and Mr. Holbrook knew the identity of the criminal but -would not disclose it; therefore information must be sought elsewhere.” - -After taking a day or two to consider these points Phoebe suddenly -decided to see Mr. Spaythe and have a talk with him. The banker was -now freed of any suspicion that might attach to him and he was the one -person in Riverdale who had boldly defied public opinion and taken the -accused boy under his personal protection. Therefore she might talk -freely with Mr. Spaythe and his judgment ought to assist her materially. - -She decided to go to the bank rather than to the Spaythe residence, -where Toby might be in the way, so late in the afternoon she waited -on the banker, who was in his private office. This was a room quite -separate from the bank proper, which it adjoined and with which it was -connected. - -Mr. Spaythe admitted Phoebe at once and placed a chair for her with an -inquiring look but no word of question. The girl knew him well, for her -twin brother, Phil Daring, had once worked in Spaythe’s Bank and, in -common with many others in Riverdale, the Darings had cause to respect -the banker very highly. - -“I am trying hard, Mr. Spaythe, to solve the mysterious disappearance -of Mrs. Ritchie’s box,” she began. “I am not posing as a detective, -exactly, but as an interested investigator. My object is to bring the -guilty one to justice and so clear Toby’s good name. It seems like a -very complicated affair and I’ve an idea you can assist me to untangle -it.” - -Mr. Spaythe, leaning back in his chair with his eyes fixed full upon -the girl’s face, was silent for a time, evidently in deep thought. He -was thinking of the time when Phoebe had handled another difficult -matter in so delicate and intelligent a way that she had saved him a -vast deal of sorrow and humiliation. He was a reserved man, but Phoebe -Daring was the banker’s ideal of young womanhood. Finally he said -quietly: - -“What do you wish to know?” - -“Who stole the box, for one thing,” she said, smiling at him. “But in -default of that information I will welcome any detail bearing on the -theft.” - -He considered this a moment, gravely. - -“I stole the box, for one,” said he. - -Phoebe gave a great start, staring wide-eyed. - -“_You_, Mr. Spaythe!” - -“Yes, Phoebe.” - -“But--Oh, it’s impossible.” - -“It is quite true, my dear. Some of the contents of the box are still -in my possession.” - -She tried to think what this admission meant. - -“But, Mr. Spaythe, I--I--don’t--understand!” - -“Of course you don’t, my child; nor do I. Let me explain more fully. -On the afternoon following Judge Ferguson’s death I wanted to see Toby -Clark on a matter connected with the funeral, of which I had assumed -charge because I believed I was the judge’s closest friend. I did not -know where to find Toby, but thinking he might be in the office I -walked over there and entered, the door being unlocked. The place was -vacant. Seeing the door of the smaller room ajar I walked in and found -lying upon the table Mrs. Ritchie’s box. It was open and the lid was -thrown back. I saw it was empty except for a yellow envelope with the -end torn off and a legal document. This last attracted my attention at -once, because of the names written on it. I knew that Mrs. Ritchie -had been accustomed to keep many valuables in her box and had often -warned Judge Ferguson that it was not wise to make a safety deposit -vault of his law office; therefore the circumstance of finding the -practically empty box on his table made me fear something was amiss. -I tried the cupboard, but found it locked; so I wrapped the box in an -old newspaper and carried it away to this office, without mentioning -the fact to anyone. At my leisure I examined the paper found in the box -and deciding it was of great importance I put it away in the bank safe, -where it is still in my keeping. I may as well add that I believe this -is the missing paper which Mrs. Ritchie is so anxious to regain--and I -well understand her reasons for wanting it.” - -His voice grew harsh as he said this and he paused, with a frown, -before resuming in a more gracious tone: - -“Later in the day, on my visit to the Ferguson house, Janet handed me -her father’s keys. When I returned to the office I found the key that -fitted Mrs. Ritchie’s box and locked it, although there was nothing -then in it but the yellow envelope which once contained the paper I -had seized. Soon after I was called into the bank a moment and when I -returned, the box which had been lying on this table, had disappeared.” - -“Stolen!” cried Phoebe in a hushed voice. - -“Evidently. Stolen for the third time, I imagine. I did not see it -again until it was found hidden in Toby Clark’s rubbish heap.” - -“Oh!” exclaimed the girl and then checked herself. She knew it was not -the same box, but a moment’s thought warned her not to mention that -fact just yet. Sam Parsons must have stolen the box from Mr. Spaythe’s -office and hid it in his own home. Did Sam believe Mr. Spaythe the -thief and was it the banker he was trying to protect? The bank was the -repository of all the money in the village; to arrest the banker for -theft would create a veritable panic and perhaps cause much suffering -and loss. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -HOW TOBY CLARK FACED RUIN - - -While the girl was revolving these bewildering thoughts in her brain -there came a knock at the door of the private office and a boy from -the bank brought in an envelope and laid it upon the table before Mr. -Spaythe, retreating again immediately. - -“Stop!” called the banker, after a glance at the envelope. “Who left -this letter?” - -“I don’t know, sir; we’ve just found it in the mail box. Must have been -pushed in from outside, sir; but it wasn’t there at one o’clock, when I -took in the afternoon mail.” - -“You may go,” said Mr. Spaythe briefly. Then he sat staring at the -envelope. “I’m almost afraid to open this, Phoebe,” he declared in a -low, uncertain voice. “Once before I received just such a missive and -it said: ‘Look among the newspapers in the back room of Toby Clark’s -house for the property stolen from Mrs. Ritchie.’ It was not signed and -the awkward writing was evidently disguised. I paid no attention to -that note but some one else must have received the same hint, for the -house was searched by the police and all the documents found except the -one I took myself.” - -“But not the money or the bonds,” said Phoebe. - -“No. Now, here is another anonymous letter, for I recognize the same -cramped writing. Shall we open it, Phoebe?” - -“I think so, sir,” she replied, for she was curious. - -He opened the envelope very carefully, using a paper-cutter. Then he -unfolded a sheet of common note paper and read the contents aloud: - -“‘Between the mattress and the straw tick on Toby Clark’s bed in his -old house you will find the money and bonds he stole from Mrs. Ritchie -and hid there.’” - -That was all. The banker lifted his eyebrows and smiled. - -“Ah, they’re giving up the money now,” said he. “They realize there is -danger in keeping it.” - -“Whom do you mean by ‘they’?” asked Phoebe. - -“The original thieves.” - -“Were there more than one?” - -“I don’t know. There was one, at least, before me, and some one stole -the box from this office--with a purpose. How shall we treat this -suggestion, Phoebe?” - -“Let us go and get the money at once, sir, and restore it to Mrs. -Ritchie.” - -“She will demand an explanation.” - -“Then we will show this letter.” - -Mr. Spaythe reflected a moment. - -“You are right,” he decided. “It will be best that the money is -restored by me, acting on behalf of Judge Ferguson’s estate, rather -than by some one else. The only thing I fear is that they will claim I -induced Toby to give it up.” - -“Won’t they accept your word--and mine--and the letter, sir?” - -“Perhaps. We will risk it. Will you come with me now? It’s growing -late.” - -Phoebe rose with alacrity. Mr. Spaythe took his hat from a hook, locked -the door leading into the bank and, when they were outside, locked the -street door also. - -“Since the disappearance of that box I am growing cautious,” he said. - -The old Clerk shanty stood quite beyond the village at a bend in the -river, but even at that the distance was not so great that a fifteen -minute walk would not cover it. Mr. Spaythe and Phoebe walked briskly -along, both silent and preoccupied, and presently had left the village -and turned into a narrow but well trodden path that led across the -waste lands or “downs,” as they were called, to the shanty. - -But before they reached it a group of men came rushing out of Toby’s -house, gesticulating and talking together in an excited manner. Among -them were Lawyer Kellogg and Sam Parsons, the constable. - -Mr. Spaythe stopped short, an angry frown upon his face. Phoebe halted -beside him, feeling so disappointed she was near to crying. They waited -for the others to approach. - -“Do--do you think they got a letter, too?” asked the girl. - -“Of course; just as before; and they’ve lost no time in acting upon -it,” was the grim response. - -Lawyer Kellogg came up, triumphantly waving his hand, in which was -clasped an oblong packet. - -“We’ve got it!” he cried, his round fat face well depicting his joy. -“We’ve found the money and bonds where Clark hid ’em.” - -“Clark?” replied Phoebe, coldly. “How dare you make such a statement? -Toby Clark had nothing to do with hiding that money, and you know it.” - -“He’ll get his stripes for it, just the same,” declared the little -lawyer. “I’ve got plenty of witnesses, and the finding of this property -will settle Toby Clark’s case for good and all. There’s no power on -earth can save him now.” - -The banker was staring fixedly at Sam Parsons, the only one of -Kellogg’s party who was not jubilant. - -“Well?” he asked. - -“The money was there, all right,” growled the constable; “but Toby -didn’t put it there.” - -“Of course not,” said Phoebe; “no more than he put that blue box in the -rubbish heap.” - -It was a chance shot but the little lawyer turned upon her with a -fierce gesture, his hands clenched, his eyes ablaze with anger and fear. - -“What do you mean by that?” he demanded. - -“Nothing at all, sir,” said Sam Parsons quickly, as he cast a warning -look at the girl. “Miss Daring is a friend of Toby Clark, that’s all, -and she’s annoyed over this new discovery.” - -“You must excuse Miss Daring,” added the banker smoothly. “She is -naturally agitated. Come, my dear,” he added, tucking her arm beneath -his own, “let us return.” - -They followed behind the others, who were mostly eager to get to the -village and spread the news, and Sam Parsons remained with them. Phoebe -was ready to bite her tongue with vexation for letting Mr. Kellogg -suspect she knew about the substituted blue box. She saw that she might -have destroyed all Toby’s chance of acquittal by putting the lawyer on -his guard. When they were alone she expected her companions to reproach -her for her indiscretion, but they both remained silent. - -[Illustration: Lawyer Kellogg came up, triumphantly waving his hand, in -which was clasped an oblong packet. “We’ve got it!” he cried, his round -fat face well depicting his joy.] - -“Kellogg came for me and I had to go,” explained Sam, as they reëntered -the village. - -Mr. Spaythe merely nodded. - -“It’s a hard blow for Toby,” added the constable, with a sign. - -“It is merely a part of the conspiracy against him,” asserted Phoebe -indignantly. - -“I know. But they can prove their charge, having now evidence enough -to satisfy a jury, and Toby can’t disprove anything. This thing spells -ruin to the boy, to my notion,” said the constable. - -He left them at the bank and Phoebe again entered the office with Mr. -Spaythe. - -“Will you let me take that anonymous letter, sir?” she asked. - -“If you like,” said he; “but the writing is purposely disguised.” - -“I know; but I’d like to study it, just the same.” - -The banker handed her the letter. Then he said: - -“Wait a moment and I’ll get you the other.” - -He unlocked a drawer of his desk and found it, holding the two together -a moment for comparison. - -“Just as I thought,” he said. “The same person wrote them both.” - -“Was it a man or a woman?” inquired Phoebe. - -“That I am unable to determine. Preserve these letters, for we may need -them as evidence.” - -“I will, sir.” - -She carried them home and placed them in her desk, for as it was nearly -suppertime she had no opportunity to examine them at present. That -evening she related to Cousin Judith the latest evidence found against -Toby Clark; “manufactured evidence” the girl called it, for she knew -Toby had never touched the contents of Mrs. Ritchie’s box. She also -told the Little Mother of Mr. Spaythe’s confession, laying stress on -his assertion that at least three different persons, including himself, -had stolen the box. - -“But Mr. Spaythe did not really steal it, you know,” she added. “When -he found it open on the office table, and the cupboard locked, he -merely took the box away for safe keeping.” - -“He took Mrs. Ritchie’s document, however, and is still holding it, -without her knowledge or consent,” returned Judith thoughtfully. “I -wonder why?” - -“I am sure he had a good reason for that,” declared Phoebe. “The fact -that Mrs. Ritchie is making such a fuss over that one paper, and -that Mr. Spaythe is carefully guarding it, makes me think it is more -important than the money.” - -“That is probably true,” said Judith; “yet I fear there is nothing in -that fact to save Toby. For, if Mr. Spaythe admits all the truth--so -far as he knows it--at the trial, it will not clear Toby of the -accusation that he first rifled the box of its contents.” - -“No,” answered Phoebe, “and for that reason I must continue my search -for the criminal. I had hoped that we had information to upset the -entire evidence, until that dreadful development of to-day. It is the -strongest proof against Toby they have yet secured, and I see no hope -for the boy unless we can discover the guilty one.” - -“Perhaps Mrs. Ritchie will refuse to prosecute Toby, now that she has -recovered all her property but one paper,” suggested Judith. - -“That would be worse for Toby than to stand his trial,” answered -Phoebe, with conviction. “If he hopes again to hold up his head in the -world he must prove his innocence--not be allowed to go free with the -suspicion of his guilt constantly hanging over him.” - -“Goodness me! what a staunch champion you are, Phoebe,” said Judith, -smiling. “You must have thought very deeply on this subject to have -mastered it so well.” - -“It is a very interesting subject,” answered the girl, blushing at -the Little Mother’s praise. “I seem to love a mystery, Cousin, for -it spurs me to seek the solution. But I fear I’ve been neglecting my -household duties of late and throwing the burden on your shoulders, -Little Mother.” - -“No, dear; I cannot see that you are at all lax in your duties; but, if -you were, I would consider it excusable under the circumstances. I hope -that in some manner you may light upon the truth and manage to solve -your complicated problem.” - -But when Phoebe went to her room to think over the discoveries of that -eventful day, she was in a quandary how to act. The mystery seemed to -have deepened, rather than cleared, and nothing had transpired to give -her a clew of any sort. - -Except the anonymous letters. - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -HOW PHOEBE DEFENDED THE HELPLESS - - -For some time Phoebe had intended to make a study of the anonymous -letters which Mr. Spaythe had lent her, so one morning when she was not -likely to be disturbed she went to her room, took the letters from her -desk and sat down to examine them carefully. - -The handwriting was purposely made to sprawl this way and that, -slanting first to the right and then to the left. The grammar was -good enough and the spelling correct except for one word. In the -second letter received by Mr. Spaythe the word “mattress” was spelled -“mattrass”; but that did not seem to her of any importance, for it was -a likely error. There was nothing to indicate that a woman rather than -a man had written the letters, but Phoebe had reasons for guessing -it was the former. In the first place, she now knew that a woman had -stolen the box. Mr. Holbrook had seen her take it from the office to -her home. She must have replaced it, the next day, empty save for one -paper inadvertently overlooked--the most precious paper of all to Mrs. -Ritchie. In her agitation she had forgotten to lock the office door -behind her, so that Mr. Spaythe was able to enter. The woman, Phoebe -argued, must have observed Mr. Spaythe taking away the box and, fearing -discovery through it, had stealthily followed him and as soon as he -had left his office crept in and taken it again. Then Sam Parsons had -discovered the box in her possession and made her give it up, after -exacting a confession and promising to shield her. Or else Sam had -himself taken the box from Mr. Spaythe’s office, thinking he would -thus protect the banker from suspicion. That part of the story was at -present too involved for her to determine the exact truth. - -But returning to her argument that a woman, or at least a girl, had -written these letters, and also written duplicates of them for Mr. -Kellogg, Phoebe felt that so rash a proceeding might only be attributed -to one of her own sex. A man would have realized the danger they might -evoke and so have refrained from sending them. - -What was the danger? she asked herself. The irregular penmanship was so -cleverly executed that there was nothing to guide one to a discovery -of the writer. She laid the two sheets of notepaper side by side. -They were of the same cheap quality that one may buy at any store. No -watermark. Nothing distinctive about the envelopes. - -She went over the words letter by letter. Although written at different -periods the writing was equally well disguised. But the same person -wrote them, for the capital “T” that appeared in both, in the name -“Toby Clark,” had a peculiar curl at the beginning of it. This “T” -slanted one way in the first letter and the opposite way in the second, -but the little curl was in both. - -Suddenly the girl realized that here was a clew to the writer. That -peculiarity in forming the letter “T” must be characteristic and the -same curl would doubtless be found in the normal writing. - -With the idea that it might be some girl whom she intimately knew -Phoebe went through her desk and examined the capital T’s in every -scrap of correspondence it contained, but without finding any -indication of the telltale curl. It was late when she finished this -task and so she went to bed feeling that she had accomplished nothing -of value. - -After this the days passed rapidly without any further developments. -Public opinion in Riverdale was again undergoing a change and although -the Marching Club paraded several times and once took the band to -Bayport--with money left from the mysterious donation--people viewed -the demonstrations with good-humored tolerance but were not impressed -as they had been at first. There was a general feeling that Toby -Clark’s case was hopeless and Phoebe was greatly annoyed by reports -that Tom Rathbun and Dave Hunter, with some others, had openly -denounced Toby as a thief, saying it was all nonsense to claim he was -innocent when he had been “caught with the goods.” - -Young Hunter, Lucy’s brother and Phoebe’s instructor in telegraphy, -was the most bitter of these assailants and seemed to take pleasure -in sneering at Toby on every possible occasion. This surprised Phoebe -the more because she had always considered Dave a kindly, manly young -fellow, usually generous in his criticism of others. Something had -doubtless turned him against Toby Clark and aroused his enmity, for -Dave had condemned the boy out of hand almost from the moment of his -arrest. - -One dismal, cloudy afternoon, when Phoebe had been down town and was -hastening home to supper, she turned up a side street and saw before -her a crowd of children who were jeering and hooting at the top of -their voices. These were not the children of good families, such as -were members of the Marching Club, but the ragged, neglected gamins -that are to be found on the streets of every Southern village; both -white and black; mischievous, irresponsible youngsters who delight in -annoying anyone and anything they dare attack, from a stray dog to a -country woman driving to market. - -Phoebe well knew the tribe and, as she heard shouts of “Robber!” -“Thief!” “Jailbird!” ring out, at once suspected the truth. With rising -anger she ran toward the group and reaching the outskirts of the little -crowd she hurled the mockers right and left, whereby she came face to -face with Toby Clark. The boy, leaning on his crutch, was cowering with -bowed head before the jeers of his assailants. - -“Shame on you all!” she cried, glaring around with righteous -indignation. “How dare you attack one who is more unfortunate than -yourselves--a poor, weak cripple, who needs friends more than you need -soap-and-water?” - -They shrank away, sullen and resenting her interference, and those who -refused to run she threatened with her umbrella until they were driven -off and she was left alone with their victim. - -“Come, Toby,” she then said, with assumed cheerfulness; “let’s go home. -You mustn’t mind those dreadful creatures; they’re ignorant of common -decency.” - -“I--I’d no business to come out,” he replied in a sad voice. “But I’d -been in the house so long, and I wanted the air, and--” - -“You’ve as much right on the streets as any other decent citizen,” -Phoebe said warmly. - -“Not at present,” returned Toby. “Those children think I am a thief, -and so do many other people, and because I cannot prove that I am -honest they consider it right to revile me.” He was hobbling along at -her side as he spoke. “Isn’t it queer, Phoebe, that a mere suspicion -can blot out one’s reputation, won by years of right living, and force -one to defend himself and prove he is not a rascal?” - -“It’s all wrong, Toby, and the law is greatly to blame for it, I think. -It’s an absurd idea that anyone can swear out a warrant for another -person’s arrest, charging him with any dreadful crime, just because -that person has a suspicion he is guilty, and makes complaint against -him. Any good, honest citizen may be thus disgraced and forced to prove -his innocence before he is free again; and even then the smirch clings -to him for a long time. It’s an unjust law and ought to be changed. -No one should ever be arrested without proof of his crime. The one -who makes the complaint should furnish such proof, and not oblige the -innocent person to defend himself.” - -Toby looked up at her with an admiring smile. - -“I’ve studied law some, you know,” he said, “and what you propose is -a revolution. It is more just than the present law, which ruins many -lives and furnishes no redress, but I fear it would permit many guilty -ones to escape.” - -“You won’t pay any attention to what those children said?” she pleaded. - -“Not more than I can help. They’ve heard others say I am a thief, so -we mustn’t blame them too severely. They don’t know any better--poor -little things.” - -She left him at Mr. Spaythe’s house and proceeded toward home in a very -depressed mood. It was dreadful to know that Toby was subjected to such -insults whenever he showed himself on the streets, and yet this was -nothing to the humiliation and disgrace he must endure if they fastened -the theft upon him and condemned him to a prison sentence. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -HOW PHOEBE TELEGRAPHED THE GOVERNOR - - -The day set for the trial was drawing so near that presently Phoebe -became greatly worried. Winter had suddenly set in and the weather was -so cold and disagreeable that she could not get out as frequently as -before. She saw Mr. Holbrook once or twice but found him despondent. - -“They’ve got us practically between two millstones,” he said, “and -since we are unable to use our knowledge of the truth for defense, we -shall be obliged to take our chances of defeat. I’m sorry, but it can’t -be helped.” - -Phoebe, however, thought it could. She asked herself how far she -was bound to respect the various confidences reposed in her, when -they meant the ruin of an innocent young life. She knew enough, she -believed, to save Toby if she were allowed to go upon the stand and -tell it all; but she felt that she was so inexperienced in legal -matters that if she acted on mere impulse she might make a failure. - -Meantime she kept studying the anonymous letters and one day decided -to find out where the notepaper had been bought, if possible, as that -might put her in the way of determining who had bought it. So she went -to town and made her way to the post office. - -Hazel Chandler waited upon her at the little stationery shop in -the office, and Phoebe thought the young girl looked pale and -worn. “They’re working her too hard again,” she reflected, and yet -Hazel’s duties were no more onerous than those which many shop-girls -voluntarily undertook. She also had the advantage of working for her -father and running the little store as she pleased, although she was -obliged to leave her counter for the post office whenever Will Chandler -was out, as was often the case. Besides being one of the village -council the postmaster was interested in several other things which -required his attention outside, so that Hazel as assistant postmaster -waited on most of those who came to the office for their mail. - -There was no one but Phoebe in the place just now and she asked to look -at some notepaper. - -“No, not the box sort, Hazel; just the common kind,” she added. - -The girl laid several qualities before her and soon Phoebe recognized -the kind she was looking for. She bought a few sheets and Hazel began -to wrap them up. - -“Have you heard much about--about Toby Clark’s case--lately?” the girl -asked in a hesitating way. - -“No,” replied Phoebe. - -“It’s pretty black against him, isn’t it?” continued Hazel anxiously. - -“It looks black, just now,” admitted Phoebe. - -“I--I’m sorry for Toby,” said Hazel, with a sigh. “We--we’re all--very -fond of him.” - -Phoebe bristled with indignation. - -“Your sweetheart, Dave Hunter, doesn’t seem very fond of him,” she -retorted. “He takes every opportunity to denounce Toby and blacken his -character.” - -Hazel shrank back as if frightened by such vehemence. She bowed her -head over the parcel she was tying, but Phoebe could see that her pale -skin had flushed red. - -“I--I’m not responsible for--for what Dave says, Phoebe,” she murmured -pleadingly; and then to the other girl’s astonishment she put both -hands before her face and began to cry, sobbing in a miserable way that -was pitiful to listen to. - -At once Phoebe became penitent. - -“Forgive me, Hazel,” she said. “I know you are not responsible for -Dave,” and then she took her parcel and went away, to give the girl a -chance to recover her composure. - -“The poor thing is almost a nervous wreck,” she mused, “and Dave’s -bitterness toward Toby must have annoyed her more than I suspected. -She probably loves Dave devotedly and hates to have him behave so -ungenerously. I must ask Lucy when they are to be married. That would -relieve her of the confining work in the post office and enable her to -recover her health and strength.” - -At the drug store opposite she found more of that identical notepaper, -and the stationery counter at Markham’s dry goods store had it also. It -was a grade so common that everyone kept it and therefore Phoebe was -forced to acknowledge that her quest had been a failure. - -She was in the dumps next day, wondering if she had done all she -could for Toby, when suddenly she remembered the governor’s parting -injunction. “If you need me, send me a telegram,” he had said, and this -brainy, big-hearted man was just the one she needed in her present -emergency. At once she decided to telegraph Cousin John, for she -believed that his advice, coupled with her knowledge--which she would -frankly confide to him--might yet save the day for Toby Clark. - -She would not say anything to Cousin Judith, at present, for if the -busy governor found himself obliged to ignore her summons she wanted no -one to be disappointed but herself. - -Very carefully she worded the telegram, in order to present the case -as strongly as possible without committing the secrets she guarded in -advance of his coming. She wrote and rewrote it several times, until -finally she was satisfied with the following: - -“Please come and help me save Toby Clark. I believe I know the truth, -but without your assistance Toby will be condemned on false evidence. A -woman stole Mrs. Ritchie’s box and there is a conspiracy to shield her -from discovery and wickedly sacrifice Toby in her stead. Will tell you -all when you arrive. Come quickly, if you can, for time is precious.” - -She signed this “Phoebe Daring” and putting on her wraps, carried it -down to the station. Dave Hunter was in the little telegraph office, on -duty but not busy. He laid down a newspaper as Phoebe entered his room -and nodded rather ungraciously. - -“Here’s a telegram, Dave, which I want you to send at once.” - -“Day message, or night?” he inquired, taking it from her hand and -beginning to count the words. - -“Oh, day, of course,” she replied. - -Suddenly he paused, with his pencil poised above the telegram, and a -wave of red swept over his face and then receded, leaving it a chalky -white. He did not lift his eyes, for a time, but seemed to study the -telegram, reading it twice very slowly from beginning to end. Then he -pushed the paper toward Phoebe and said in a hard, arrogant voice: - -“I can’t send that.” - -“Why not?” she asked in astonishment. - -“I--it’s libelous,” he returned, rising from his chair before the table -on which the telegraph instrument stood and facing the girl defiantly. - -“It is not libelous!” she indignantly exclaimed. - -“Well, I can’t send it; it’s against the rules of the office.” - -Phoebe looked into his face searchingly and he half turned away. She -remembered now Dave’s rabid enmity toward Toby Clark and concluded that -he refused the telegram because he feared it would assist Toby’s case. -But she would not be balked by such a ridiculous pretext and as her -anger increased she grew more quiet and determined. - -“You’re talking nonsense,” she said. “This is a public telegraph office -and you, as the operator, are obliged to accept and send any message -that is presented and paid for. It isn’t your place to decide whether -it is libelous or not, and I demand that you send this telegram at -once.” - -“I won’t,” he said firmly. “I’m going out, Miss Daring, and must lock -up the office; so I’ll trouble you to go.” - -She regarded the young fellow questioningly as he took his hat and -stepped to the door, waiting for her with his hand on the knob. Then -she slipped into his seat at the table and placed her hand on the -instrument. - -“Here!” he called fiercely. “What are you doing, girl?” - -“If you won’t telegraph the governor, I will!” she declared. “Stand -back, Dave Hunter, and don’t you dare to touch me or interfere. I’ll -save Toby Clark if I have to put you behind the bars in his place, and -perhaps there’s where you belong.” - -As she spoke she was clicking the little instrument, calling the state -capitol. Dave himself had taught her how to do this. The operator now -stood motionless beside her, looking down at the courageous girl with -unmistakable terror in his eyes. Perhaps her threat awed him; perhaps -he had other reasons for not venturing to prevent her extraordinary -action. - -The answer came in a moment. Fortunately the wire had been free and as -soon as she got her connection she began clicking out the message--as -dexterously as the regular operator himself might have done. - -Dave listened, as motionless as if turned to stone. She demanded a -“repeat” and from the other end came the repetition of the message, -exactly as the girl had sent it. She answered: “O K,” rose from her -chair and calmly asked: - -“What are the charges?” - -The young man drew his hand across his eyes with a despairing gesture -and limply sank into the chair. - -“Go away, please,” he replied. - -Phoebe picked up the rate book and figured the cost of the telegram. -As she did so her eyes fell on a railway order which Dave Hunter had -written on a blank form and after staring at it a moment she stealthily -folded it and slipped it into her pocket. Then she laid the exact -change on the table and walked out of the office. As she closed the -door softly behind her she noticed that the operator had dropped -his head on his outstretched arms and seemed to have forgotten her -existence. - -A sudden horror and aversion for the young man welled up within her, -but she felt elated and triumphant, as well. She had sent the message -in spite of all opposition and--she had made a discovery! - -The writer of the anonymous letters was none other than Dave Hunter. - -Phoebe could scarcely wait to get home before examining the order she -had taken from the telegraph office. Once within her own room she -eagerly spread it out before her and studied it with care. It was a -simple railway order addressed to the supply agent at St. Louis, and -said: “Twenty beds with mattrasses and pillows for laborers at Section -9 without delay.” It was signed by the Division Superintendent but was -in Dave’s handwriting and had doubtless been dictated to him to be -wired to the agent. - -But within it lay the proof Phoebe had so long and vainly sought. Not -only was the word “mattress” misspelled as in the anonymous letter, but -the capital “T” in “Twenty” had the same preliminary curl to it that -she had observed in both letters, wherever “Toby” had appeared. - -This discovery positively amazed the girl. She had never suspected -Dave, whom she now believed had hidden both the papers and the money in -Toby’s house, on different occasions, with the evident determination to -incriminate the boy. Then, by means of the anonymous letters, Dave had -told where the stolen property could be found. - -But Dave had not stolen the box. A woman did that. She sighed as -she thought of Lucy, an ambitious girl, and of Mrs. Hunter, who was -prominent in all the social affairs of Riverdale and an earnest church -member. It was easy enough to understand now why Dave had denounced -Toby. - -Cousin Judith knocked at her door. - -“A telegram for you, Phoebe.” - -She tore it open, while Judith watched her face curiously. It flushed -with joy. - -“The governor will be here in the morning,” she said. “You don’t mind, -do you, Cousin Judith?” - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - -HOW SAM PARSONS EXPLAINED - - -“You caught me just right, my dear,” said the governor, smiling -cheerily into the girl’s anxious face. “I had nothing of importance -on hand at this time, so I ran away from half a hundred unimportant -demands and--here I am.” - -He came for breakfast and was as eager for Aunt Hyacinth’s peerless -flapjacks as any of the youngsters, laughing and chatting with the -entire family like a boy just out of school. But afterward he sat with -Phoebe and Judith in the cosy sitting room and listened gravely to -every detail of the young girl’s story. - -Phoebe was very frank in her relation, concealing nothing that she had -discovered or that had been confided to her. “I am supposed to keep -some of these things secret,” she said; “but I believe this secrecy on -the part of Toby’s friends, and their failure to get together, is going -to send the boy to prison unless we take advantage of our knowledge and -accomplish something practical. Anyhow, I can see no harm in confiding -in you, Cousin John, even if no good comes of it.” - -The governor nodded approval. - -“That’s right, Phoebe,” he said encouragingly. “Dust all the shelves -and let the grime settle where it will.” - -Before this man had been drawn into politics and became first a senator -and then twice governor of his state, he had been a lawyer of unusual -prominence. His keen intellect followed the girl’s recital with -comprehension and even “read between the lines.” During the story he -saw probabilities she had never guessed. But he said: - -“You have shown admirable intelligence, Phoebe, and I see you have -quickly recognized the important points of your discoveries. With the -information you have given me I believe I can put my finger on the -identical woman who is responsible for Toby Clark’s tribulations.” - -“Oh; can you, sir?” she exclaimed. “Then I must have been very stupid.” - -He turned to Judith with his whimsical smile. - -“You see, she won’t admit that a rival detective has any talent.” - -“Yes, I will,” said Phoebe. “I didn’t mean it that way at all. But -I can see no ‘identical’ woman in the case, as yet. A mysterious -woman stole the box, and of course it is a member of Dave Hunter’s -family--his mother or sister--or perhaps his sweetheart, Hazel -Chandler. Which of the three do you mean, sir?” - -“None of those,” replied the governor, musingly. “The woman whom I -think has been the cause of your friend Toby’s past misfortunes and -present danger is--Mrs. Ritchie.” - -Both Judith and Phoebe stared at him in amazement. - -“Did she steal her own box, then?” said Phoebe. - -“No, indeed; but she accused Toby Clark with a purpose, and she intends -to get him a long prison sentence--also with a purpose.” - -“What purpose, sir?” - -“I don’t know. That is still dark. But we shall turn the light on it. -Perhaps Mr. Spaythe knows, by this time.” - -“Mr. Spaythe?” - -“To be sure,” replied Cousin John blandly. “Why do you suppose he -appropriated that paper of Mrs. Ritchie’s, to which he had no legal -right, unless it contained something that required investigation?” - -“Oh; I never thought of that.” - -“Mr. Spaythe knew that Mrs. Ritchie had no right to the paper, and was -not acting squarely in regard to it. So he put the paper in a safe -place until he could discover the truth. It doesn’t take much of a -detective to figure that out, Phoebe. It’s the science of deduction. -Let’s go a little further: The paper concerns Toby Clark. That explains -why this reserved banker took the boy to his own home, to safeguard his -person or his interests until the truth could be learned. It’s as plain -as a pikestaff, Miss Conspirator. You had all the pieces of the puzzle, -but could not fit them together.” - -“But--the woman who stole the box?” asked Judith, eagerly. - -“Bother the woman who stole the box! What do we care about her?” -retorted Cousin John. “It is true she stirred up this mess, but the -stew may prove a savory one for Toby Clark, in the end. In that case we -cannot be too thankful that the poor creature yielded to temptation. -She has gained no material benefit, for the stolen property is all -restored; but fate had used her to right a grievous wrong. Let us treat -her with grateful consideration.” - -Phoebe drew a long breath, striving to reconcile the governor’s view -of this mysterious case with the prejudices she had so long encouraged -in her own mind. She could not yet see by what process he arrived at -the astonishing solution of the problem he now advanced, but the keen -lawyer was quite satisfied that he had “nailed the truth.” Judith was -fully as perplexed as Phoebe and after a pause she inquired: - -“Will Mr. Spaythe’s discovery, then, clear Toby Clark of the charge -against him?” - -“Eh? Perhaps not. I’ve no idea what the discovery is and we must have -more information on that subject. My idea is that Mrs. Ritchie will be -forced to withdraw her charge; but the case might be taken up by the -public prosecutor and young Clark condemned, unless we manage to get -the case out of court altogether.” - -“Even then,” said Phoebe, “Toby’s good name will not be cleansed. -Many people will say he escaped paying the penalty of his crime, but -was really guilty. The evidence they have brought against him is very -strong.” - -“Cleverly argued, Phoebe. I see your point. We must not be content with -whitewashing the young man; we must restore him to his friends as sweet -and clean as before. So, after all, we can’t quite ignore the woman -whose folly caused all the mischief; nor even your friend Dave Hunter, -who obtained possession of the contents of the box and tried to throw -the blame onto Toby in order to save one whom he loved.” - -“That’s it, sir. I think that was Dave’s motive.” - -“Well, the sooner we begin to burrow the sooner we shall unearth the -truth. I want to see Sam Parsons, first of all.” - -“I will send Don for him,” proposed Judith. - -“If you please, Cousin.” - -It was Saturday and Don chanced to be within hailing distance. He -accepted the mission with joy and lost no time in running to the -constable’s house. - -“Hurry up, Sam,” he said: “The governor’s at our place and wants to see -you.” - -Sam sat down in his rocker. - -“Now?” he inquired. - -“Right away. He came this morning, you know. Perhaps he’s goin’ to -promote you; make you Chief of Police or Grand Marshal. The governor -can do anything, Sam.” - -Sam shook his head. He rocked to and fro, thinking deeply and dreading -the governor with a cowardly sinking of the heart. - -“Well, what are you going to do? Mutiny?” asked Don impatiently. - -The constable sighed. Then he rose and picked up his hat, walking -slowly in the wake of his eager conductor to face the man he most -feared. - -“Good morning, Parsons. I know you well,” said the governor. “You’re an -honest man and a good officer. Who took Mrs. Ritchie’s box from Judge -Ferguson’s office?” - -“I--I----” - -“Who stole the box?” more sternly. - -“Sir, a--a----” - -“Parsons!” - -“Hazel Chandler, sir.” - -“Thank you. I thought so. Now, then, sit down and tell me about it.” - -Perspiration was oozing from the constable’s forehead. He wiped it away -and sat down, staring stupidly at the great man and wondering how he -had come to admit a fact that he had sworn to keep secret to his dying -day. - -“There is nothing to tell, sir,” he said weakly. - -“Begin at the beginning, stating why you spied in the hallway, outside -of Judge Ferguson’s door.” - -“The night before, sir, I had seen--seen----” - -“Hazel.” - -“I had seen Hazel carrying the box home. She passed under a light and -I was in the shadow. It was Mrs. Ritchie’s blue box. The next day I -watched. She brought the box down to the post office with her, wrapped -in a cloak to make the bundle look round, and then covered with paper. -Everyone was excited over the judge’s death, that day. The girl watched -her chance and in the afternoon stole upstairs with the box, put it on -the office table and hurried away. I sneaked up afterward and looked -through the keyhole, but I found Hazel had forgotten to lock the door -behind her, although she had carried off the key. I went in and looked -at the box. It was unlocked and empty, except for a paper or two, which -I did not touch. I left it there and went into the post office; but -Will Chandler, Hazel’s father, said she had run over to the Ferguson -house on an errand.” - -“By the way, Phoebe,” said Cousin John, “can you get Janet Ferguson for -me?” - -“Yes; I can telegraph to her from my room.” - -“Thank you.” - -Phoebe ran up to telegraph Janet, asking her to come over at once to -see the governor. Meantime Sam Parsons resumed his story. - -“You still watched the office?” asked Cousin John. - -“Yes, sir. After Hazel returned, Will Chandler took the office key -to Holbrook and asked him to hand it to Mr. Spaythe, and not long -afterward the banker came over and went up to the office. Will had -caught me a couple of times in the hallway, so I didn’t dare stay -there any longer. I went up to our lodge room, over the drug store, -which is just opposite, and from the window there I could see into -the windows of Judge Ferguson’s offices. I saw Mr. Spaythe go in and -examine the box. He read a paper that was in it and then put the paper -in his pocket. Afterward he wrapped up the box and took it away to his -office. I was in deadly fear, sir, that Hazel’s theft of the box would -be discovered. I imagined Mr. Spaythe had taken it away to hold for -evidence; so I followed to his office.” - -“Why did you fear Hazel’s discovery?” asked the governor. “Is it a -constable’s duty to shield a criminal?” - -“I wasn’t a constable then, sir; I was just a man. Hazel has always -been a favorite of mine, from babyhood,” said Sam. “Her father, Will -Chandler, is my best friend. We play chess together and he belongs to -my lodge. But aside from that the Chandlers are rated the proudest -and most respectable family in Riverdale--bar none. Their ancestors -came over in the Mayflower, and then founded this village. Will is the -government’s trusted agent. If Hazel’s foolish act is discovered, the -disgrace will kill Mrs. Chandler, who is a very proud woman and in -delicate health, and there are six little brothers and sisters whose -lives will be ruined.” - -“She should have thought of that,” said the governor. - -“And Hazel herself is engaged to be married to Dave Hunter, one of the -finest young men in the village,” continued Sam. “I think if Dave knew -what she had done it would mar all his future life; and he has a sister -and mother depending on him. That was why I shielded her, sir; it was -better to let Toby Clark suffer alone than to overwhelm so many honest -folks with disgrace.” - -“You took the box from Mr. Spaythe?” asked the governor, without -commenting upon the man’s excuses. - -“Yes, sir. He left it on the office table and went into the bank, and -I went in and got it. I carried it home and hid it, to save Hazel, and -afterward I was astonished to find another box, just like it, in Toby -Clark’s back yard. I decided it was put there with a purpose--to prove -Toby was guilty--so I kept quiet about it.” - -“Wasn’t that very irregular, Parsons?” - -“Very, sir. I’ll lose my star, and perhaps I’ll be prosecuted. But I’m -glad I did it.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - -HOW A WRONG LOOKED RIGHT - - -Janet Ferguson came in a moment later, having promptly answered -Phoebe’s summons. After greeting her in his kindly way the governor -said: - -“I’m puzzled about your father’s keys. What happened to them the day -following his death? Tell me, please?” - -Janet tried to remember. - -“Usually he left his office key at the post office, but carried the -bunch of small keys on his person,” she replied. “Father was very -absent-minded at times, and I think he was not feeling quite himself -the evening before--before his attack. For it seems he hung his key -ring, containing all the keys, on the peg inside the post office -window, instead of leaving just the office key. But the next morning -Hazel Chandler discovered the keys and brought them to me--all except -the office key, which was left hanging upon the peg. That key Mr. -Chandler afterward turned over to Mr. Spaythe, to whom Toby Clark also -gave his office key.” - -“And the smaller keys--the ones that unlocked the cupboard and the -private boxes, such as Mrs. Ritchie’s?” - -“When Hazel brought them to me I asked her to carry them to Mr. -Spaythe, and I understand she did so. She delivered them to him on her -way back to the post office.” - -“Of course. It is all very clear and comprehensive now, Miss Ferguson. -I thank you. I am not making an official investigation of this case, -you understand. Phoebe and I have concocted a little conspiracy to -arrive at the truth and we are doing our best to clear up the mystery -of Mrs. Ritchie’s lost box--for personal reasons only.” - -“I know that Phoebe has been anxious to save Toby Clark,” said Janet -earnestly; “and I am also anxious. Can I assist you in any way?” - -“Not at present. If we need you again we will let you know.” - -So Janet went away and the governor also dismissed Sam Parsons, telling -the constable he might continue to guard his secret until otherwise -instructed. Then Cousin John briskly rose and said to Phoebe: - -“Let us go and call on Dave Hunter.” - -The girl dreaded that interview, remembering her last defiant visit to -the telegraph operator; but she knew it could not be avoided. Already -she was amazed at the ease with which the governor fitted together -the pieces of her puzzle, and she was eager to see what link in the -evidence Dave could furnish. - -They found the young fellow alone in his office. He recognized the -governor at a glance, for through the exchange of telegrams the -operator knew he was due to arrive in Riverdale that morning and -why he had come. At once Dave’s face hardened and his jaws locked -together with firm obstinacy. But the governor, noting these signs of -opposition, merely smiled. - -“Hunter, my lad,” said he, “I’d like to dance at your wedding. I’m not -sure you’ll invite me, and I’m not sure I could come if invited; but -what I mean to assert is that I’d really like to help you celebrate -that important event. Eh?” - -Dave seemed confused. He had no answer ready for this form of attack. - -“There appear to be certain complications, however, which at present -stand in the way of your ambition,” continued the governor in an -amiable tone. “Hazel has a fine nature and a gentle heart, but her -character isn’t fully developed yet and, in a late emergency, she -allowed herself to be led astray. She knew there was a great deal of -money in Mrs. Ritchie’s box; her father had once seen it and talked -of it in the family circle; so when the judge carelessly left all his -keys in the post office, one evening, Hazel was tempted and didn’t -stop to consider consequences. She was sick and tired of the drudgery -she was enduring and knew she could not be married to you until you -had acquired more money; so she foolishly yielded to the temptation -and at night, when she locked up her store and the post office, she -visited Judge Ferguson’s office, unlocked the cupboard, took down Mrs. -Ritchie’s box and carried it home. In the seclusion of her room she -found the key to the box, opened it and dumped the contents on the -bed. The last thing to tumble out was a long yellow envelope marked -‘Private,’ and Hazel hastily tore this open, with the idea that it -contained money. Finding it to be merely a legal document, in which -she was not interested, she tossed it back into the box. Understand, -Hunter, I won’t vouch for the accuracy of every detail of this story; -but in the main you know it is correct.” - -Dave’s eyes were fairly bulging from their sockets as he stared at the -governor and heard him lay bare a secret he thought had been faithfully -guarded. - -“You--you’ve seen Hazel?” he stammered. - -“No; not yet. But let me continue. That night, perhaps fearing -interruption, the girl had no chance to examine the contents of the -box, which she hid somewhere in her room. Next day she took the box -down town with her, wishing to get rid of it, and managed during the -afternoon to return it to Judge Ferguson’s office. But she had no time -to put it back in the cupboard, because she had left the post office -downstairs alone. So she simply placed it on the table and afterward -got rid of the keys as soon as possible. - -“No one suspected her. Toby Clark was suspected, but not Hazel -Chandler. Yet Hazel was in a quandary. She had in her possession a -great deal of money, some valuable bonds, and a lot of useless papers -belonging to Mrs. Ritchie. Naturally she confided in her sweetheart, -not realizing even yet the seriousness of her offense, but rather -exulting in the fact that this money would hasten her wedding day. The -young man to whom she was engaged, however, listened to her story with -horror and despair. He realized the enormity of the girl’s crime and -knew that its discovery meant prison for her, a broken heart for him, -and ruined lives for them both.” - -Dave’s stern features had gradually relaxed to an expression of abject -misery. At the vivid scene conjured up by his accuser he sobbed aloud -and dropped his face in his hands. But the governor quietly continued: - -“The young man’s plight was indeed pitiful, but his poignant sorrow -blurred his reason and led him to a subterfuge so cruel and unmanly -that his error was scarcely less iniquitous than Hazel’s. To save the -girl he loved he endeavored to throw the burden of guilt on an innocent -person, a friendless boy and a cripple. He was not the first to accuse -Toby Clark, but Toby’s arrest gave him the idea. Forcing Hazel to give -to him the entire contents of the rifled box, he selected all the -papers that were of no value to anyone but the owner and hid then in -the back room of the shanty. Then, to make sure they would be found, -he wrote anonymous letters to two parties whom he thought would be -interested in the search, telling where the papers were hidden.” - -The governor paused a moment. - -“I am not sure,” said he, “why you retained the money and bonds, -Hunter. You may have had some vague idea of keeping them, at the time; -but afterward I am sure you thought better of it, for you gave up the -stolen money, again implicating Toby Clark.” - -“I--I wanted to give it all up in the beginning,” groaned Dave, in -broken, pleading accents; “but I was bewildered, then--I’ve been -bewildered ever since, I think--and the thought came to me that if -Hazel should be arrested I would need money to defend her. I didn’t -much care what I did, if only I could manage to save Hazel. But--after -a time--I thought the danger had passed and no one would now connect -her with the theft; so I wanted to get rid of the money, which was a -horror to me. I thought the best way was to put it in Toby’s house, as -I did the papers.” - -“I follow your argument,” said the governor. “Had you been more -experienced in crime you would have known that the greatest danger -of discovery lay in those anonymous letters. Such things are very -easily traced. Do you know that Phoebe Daring was able to connect you -with this crime by means of those very letters? As a matter of fact, -however, they did not lead to the discovery that Hazel Chandler took -Mrs. Ritchie’s box. Two different people saw her carry it home; yet I -suppose she has imagined she escaped observation.” - -“She--she seemed quite sure of that, sir.” - -“No doubt. The criminal is always blind. If the time ever comes when -everyone realizes that the law is more clever than the individual, -that justice is rampant and will not be denied and that punishment -follows an undiscovered crime as surely as if it were discovered, then -indeed humanity may shrink from committing lawless acts. The more -inexperienced and simple-minded the offender, the more certain he or -she is of outwitting all the rest of the world. As a consequence, our -prisons are crowded and our trial courts cost us millions of dollars -annually. It is so much more simple and safe to obey the laws of -humanity and of nations, that I wonder people do not prefer to walk -uprightly.” - -Dave had no reply to this, although there is no doubt he frankly -admitted its truth. He now knew that the governor and Phoebe, and -doubtless others, were in possession of the secret he had guarded so -jealously, and in this crisis his thoughts were all of the girl he -loved and had sought to shield. - -“Sir,” he said after a moment, “is there any way in which I can assume -all the punishment? Suppose that I confess that I stole Mrs. Ritchie’s -box; will you and Phoebe help me to carry out the deception and take -Toby Clark’s place?” - -“Why, that is what you should have done in the beginning,” said Cousin -John. “Now it is too late for such vicarious atonement.” - -Again Dave groaned. - -“Mrs. Ritchie has all her property now,” he asserted. “Don’t you -suppose she could be induced to save Hazel?” - -“No; I do not.” - -“It--it’s going to wreck a lot of lives, sir--the publicity and -disgrace. The poor girl didn’t know what she was doing; indeed, sir, -that is the truth. She--she’s sorry enough now. We’ve both suffered -bitterly and--and been severely punished already. But I’ll take more -punishment; I’ll do anything, sir, to keep Hazel out of it and save her -and her people from infamy.” - -“I can’t promise you anything, Hunter,” said the governor, evident -sympathy in his tone. “I’m sorry for you. You were drawn into this -thing merely because you are fond of the girl, and I admire you for -standing by your sweetheart, through thick and thin. The faults you -have committed, in striving to compel an innocent boy to suffer, are -far from admirable; yet you have not a strong nature and there are -many who might have acted just as you did. I will say this: if it can -be arranged to clear Toby Clark in the eyes of all the world without -condemning Hazel Chandler, I shall try to do so. Our first care will be -to save Toby; afterward I will do what I can for Hazel.” - -Dave was grateful for this promise and seized the governor’s hand in -both his own to press it warmly. - -“At present,” said Cousin John, “Phoebe and I alone are in possession -of all the facts I have related. The two persons who saw Hazel take -the box seem as anxious to shield her from public condemnation as you -are. So I think you may hope for the best.” - -With this they left the telegraph office and walked up the street. - -“Where next?” asked Phoebe curiously. She had, by this time, so supreme -a confidence in Cousin John’s ability to pick up scattered threads and -smooth out all tangles that in her heart she believed the truth had -now been laid bare in its entirety and thought nothing remained but to -confirm the facts already gathered. - -“We will see Mr. Spaythe next,” the great man replied. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - -HOW THE MYSTERY CLEARED - - -It was only a few minutes walk to the bank and Mr. Spaythe received -them in his private office, expressing little surprise at seeing the -governor again in Riverdale but welcoming him with frank cordiality. - -When they were seated the banker looked at his visitors with polite -inquiry. - -“I’m helping Phoebe get the facts in this Toby Clark case,” said the -governor, speaking easily and as to an equal, for he knew Mr. Spaythe’s -record and reputation. “In her confidences to me concerning the -peculiar circumstances surrounding this affair, which seems to have -worn a veil of mystery from the first, she has mentioned the paper you -found in the Ritchie box.” - -The banker bowed but remained silent. - -“There has been raised a great hue and cry for that paper, on the part -of Mrs. Ritchie and her attorney,” continued the speaker; “therefore we -may consider the document of prime importance to the old lady. When it -fell into your hands you hypothecated it and carefully locked it in -your safe; further evidence of its importance. Phoebe has concluded, -from your unconditional defense of the accused boy, that you believe -him innocent, in the first place, and also that the document referred -to is in some way connected with--Toby Clark.” - -Mr. Spaythe smiled. - -“It’s difficult to keep a secret from Phoebe,” he replied. - -“For my own part,” the governor resumed, “I have figured from your -long silence regarding the paper that you have been investigating its -validity or for some reason have been seeking outside information -concerning it. I hope I am not in any way forcing your hand by asking -if my surmise is correct and if you have yet received the information -you desire.” - -“Allow me to add that it is difficult to keep a secret from the -governor,” laughed Mr. Spaythe. “Really, sir, you and Phoebe have -guessed so much that you are entitled to know more, and fortunately my -first information of value concerning this paper reached me but a few -hours ago, in the morning’s mail.” - -“Through my interest in my Cousin Judith I became acquainted with -Phoebe Daring,” said Cousin John. “Through my interest in Phoebe I -became acquainted with the sad plight of Toby Clark, and my interest -in humanity at large induced me to ‘play hookey’ from the business of -governing this exacting state, long enough to run down here and help -things to a climax. So, sir, as my time is limited, I----” - -“It will afford me pleasure to confide in you with the utmost -frankness,” said the banker. “I would like you to know all that I know.” - -“Thank you. I may say that we have finally run down the guilty party -and are now certain that Toby Clark’s case will never come to trial.” - -“Indeed!” exclaimed Mr. Spaythe. “Then you have solved a very -perplexing mystery.” - -“Have you had no hint of the truth?” inquired the governor. - -“Not the slightest, although I have several times suspected my lawyer, -a man named Holbrook.” - -“And a very well meaning young fellow,” added the governor. “I think, -from the information I have received, that Holbrook has conducted -himself in a manly way that is distinctly creditable. But may I ask -how you expected to save Toby Clark from prison without knowing who -committed the fault of which he stands accused, and in the face of a -mass of incriminating evidence against him?” - -“Yes; I expected to save him through Mrs. Ritchie.” - -“You can compel her to withdraw the charge?” - -“Mrs. Ritchie is completely in my power. Would you mind telling me who -first took the box from the judge’s cupboard?” - -“A weak and thoughtless girl--Hazel Chandler--who was tempted to steal -the money that she might sooner wed the young man to whom she was -engaged.” - -“Dear me. Hazel Chandler! How unfortunate.” - -“There is a general disposition, among those who know the facts, -to shield her,” suggested the governor. “The girl has already been -punished--through fear, personal remorse and the reproaches of her -fiancé. I can see no benefits to the public at large nor to the -interest of justice to be gained by casting this foolish girl into -prison. Her redemption, if redemption is still needed, may be better -accomplished in other ways.” - -“I quite agree with you, sir; and I think that between us we may find -a way to restore Toby Clark’s reputation to its former purity without -drawing Hazel Chandler into the mire. When Mrs. Ritchie knows that her -treachery and embezzlements have been discovered, I think she can be -induced to sign a statement that her box was not stolen at all.” - -“I see your point, Mr. Spaythe. And now please tell us about that -paper.” - -The banker excused himself a moment and went into the counting room, in -the rear of which stood a large safe. From a drawer which he unlocked -he took a paper and with it returned to his private office. - -“Although this document has been for years in Judge Ferguson’s -keeping,” began Mr. Spaythe, “its character and contents were unknown -to him, for before she placed it in her box Mrs. Ritchie enclosed it in -a heavy yellow envelope which she sealed and marked ‘private.’ The girl -who took the box tore open the envelope, perhaps thinking it contained -money, and so enabled me to make a discovery that otherwise might never -have come to light. The moment I saw this paper I became interested, -for it is a will, properly probated and attested, and on the outside it -is docketed: ‘Last Will and Testament of Alonzo Clark.’” - -“Alonzo Clark?” echoed Phoebe; “why, who was he, sir?” - -“The father of Toby Clark. I knew him very slightly during the years -preceding his death, when he lived at Riverdale. He once attempted to -borrow some money from the bank on some mining stock which I considered -worthless; so I refused him. He was a relative of Mrs. Ritchie.” - -“I never knew that!” cried Phoebe, surprised. - -“Nor I, until recently,” replied the banker. “This document which I now -hold bequeaths to Alonzo Clark’s only child, Toby Clark, all of his -interest in that mining stock, making Mrs. Ritchie the executor and -providing that in case the stock becomes valuable and pays dividends it -must not be sold or otherwise disposed of, but the proceeds shall be -devoted to the education of Toby and the balance reserved until he is -of age, when it is all to be turned over to him. During the minority -of Toby, Mrs. Ritchie is to properly educate and clothe him and she -is authorized to retain ten per cent of the income in payment for her -services as trustee.” - -“You say the stock is worthless?” asked the governor. - -“I thought it was, at the time Alonzo Clark brought it to me; but -when first I saw this paper I found that the will had been probated -and Mrs. Ritchie duly appointed executor and trustee under its terms. -That fact, and the woman’s eagerness to recover the paper, led me to -suspect that the stock had become valuable; so I retained the will and -began to investigate both the mine and the history of Alonzo Clark. As -I told you, the first important report of these investigations reached -me to-day. I will briefly relate to you their purport, rather than ask -you to wade through the verbose mass of evidence submitted.” - -“That will be best, I think,” agreed the governor. - -“Alonzo Clark was a mining engineer of education and ability, who was -employed by large corporations as an expert, to examine mines and -report upon their value. He successfully pursued this vocation for -several years and came to be regarded as a reliable judge of both -copper and gold mines. Then he met with a misfortune. While in a rough -mining camp in Arizona he fell in love with a plump, pretty girl--the -daughter of one of the superintendents--and married her. She became -Toby’s mother and proved far beneath her husband in both refinement and -intellect. At about the same time that he married, Clark conceived what -he thought a clever idea to make his fortune. Being sent to examine an -outlying mine that had never been developed, he found it to contain -the richest deposit of copper he had ever known of--so rich, in fact, -that it was destined to become one of the greatest copper mines in -America. A company of capitalists would purchase and develop this mine -if Clark reported on it favorably. He forwarded them some very ordinary -specimens of ore and said he believed the mine would pay a fair profit -if worked economically, but he predicted no big things of it. Then -he set to work to invest every dollar he had in the world in stock of -this very mine, and he was able to secure a large quantity because his -discouraging report had failed to inspire the promoters with any degree -of enthusiasm. Then the schemer became properly punished, for the men -who had formed the company got possession of another mine that promised -better, but in which Clark had no interest, and devoted their exclusive -attention to working that. Clark dared not argue the matter with them, -for he had declared the rich mine to be unimportant, so he was obliged -to wait until the company was ready to develop it, when he knew it -would speedily make him rich. - -“This affair ruined the engineer’s life--that, and his wife’s dissolute -habits, for she became addicted to drink and her companionship was not -pleasant. Clark had beggared himself by his large purchase of stock -and his vain dreams of wealth speedily destroyed his usefulness in his -profession. In a few years he lost all ambition, became discredited in -mining circles and finally drifted here, perhaps being attracted to -Riverdale by the fact that a distant cousin--the only relative I have -been able to trace--lived near here in the person of Mrs. Ritchie, a -widow with a large and prosperous farm. - -“It seems that Mrs. Ritchie, however, would do nothing to assist the -impoverished Clarks, who had brought their little son Toby with them. -She even doubted the man’s story about his rich mine, which he declared -would some day bring him a fortune. She is very shrewd in business -matters and knew that mining stock is dangerous to gamble on. Clark -did a little work in the village, but not much, for he was incapable -of steady manual labor. He fished a good deal in the river and won the -name of being lazy, surly and unsocial. As a matter of fact he was a -disappointed man and had fallen rapidly in the social scale. His wife -soon drank herself to death and a year or so afterward Clark contracted -pneumonia on the river and soon passed away, having previously made his -will and given it to Mrs. Ritchie for safe keeping. - -“Toby was a much neglected boy, as you may imagine,” continued Mr. -Spaythe, after a brief pause. “Mrs. Ritchie ignored his very existence -and after his father’s death the little fellow continued to reside in -the shanty by the river--a ragged, barefooted urchin whom everyone -liked because he was so sunny natured and agreeable. He inherited his -father’s intellect but not his misanthropic ideas. Toby was not only -willing, but glad to work and earned a modest living by doing odd jobs -until, finally, Judge Ferguson noticed him and took charge of the boy. -I think, governor, I have now given you the entire Clark history.” - -“But the mine?” said the governor, greatly interested in the story. - -“By a queer whim of fate the mine was developed soon after Alonzo -Clark’s death and its enormous wealth became a seven days’ wonder. -I believe it is to-day reputed one of the best paying mines on this -continent, which proves that the engineer knew what he was doing when -he invested his all in its stock. Mrs. Ritchie evidently heard of the -great mine, for she had Clark’s will probated and applied for letters -of administration, which were granted her. For several years she has -been receiving dividends on the stock--which is worth a fortune to -Toby, by the way--and yet the woman has kept her secret and the money -to herself. Never a penny has been applied to Toby’s needs or to his -education.” - -“Oh, how dreadful!” exclaimed Phoebe, who was really shocked at this -recital of Mrs. Ritchie’s perfidy. - -“Her intention. I suppose,” said the banker, “was to continue to retain -these receipts for herself. Toby had no other relatives to interfere in -his behalf; he was too young at the time of his father’s death to know -anything about the mine, and I doubt if he knew--or yet knows--that -he is in any way related to Mrs. Ritchie. The deception might have -continued indefinitely had not the box been stolen and so, by a chain -of curious accidents, the will of Alonzo Clark discovered by those -interested in Toby.” - -After the banker had concluded his relation all three were silent for a -time, pondering on the remarkable discovery. Then Phoebe said: - -“I cannot understand, in view of the fact that Mrs. Ritchie was -deliberately robbing Toby, why she was so bitter against him, or why -she had him arrested and is even now trying to send him to prison.” - -“That is a natural sequence, my dear,” replied the governor. “The woman -has been greatly worried over the loss of this document, which, falling -into certain hands--such as those of Mr. Spaythe--would perhaps lead to -the discovery of her perversion of trust funds, which is a very serious -crime. Perhaps she thinks that in some way Toby Clark has himself -gained possession of the will, but believes that if he is discredited -and put in prison he cannot appear against her. Without Mr. Spaythe’s -exhaustive researches no one in Riverdale would be likely to know that -the mine described in the elder Clark’s will had become valuable. -The will itself would mean little or nothing to Toby unless he had -opportunity to investigate his father’s bequest. There was a fair -chance of Mrs. Ritchie’s evading detection, even with the will missing; -but Toby in prison would be more safe to her interests than Toby at -liberty.” - -“Toby mustn’t go to prison,” declared Phoebe, with energy. - -“Certainly not,” replied Mr. Spaythe. “The boy must regain the position -in society to which he is fully entitled.” - -“Can’t we do anything to Mrs. Ritchie?” she asked. - -“We’ll try,” said the governor, looking at his watch. “Just now dinner -is waiting at the Daring mansion and I promised Judith I’d not forget -it. But this afternoon I’d like to drive over with you, Mr. Spaythe, to -see the woman.” - -“I will be glad to accompany you,” replied the banker. “We close at one -o’clock on Saturday, you know; so at two, if you will be ready, I will -call for you with my motor car.” - -“That will be quite satisfactory,” said the governor, rising. Then he -hesitated a moment. “May we take Phoebe with us?” he asked. “She has -been so interested in this affair and has already accomplished so much -in Toby’s behalf that I think she is entitled to be present at the -climax.” - -“I think so, too,” answered Mr. Spaythe readily. “Do you care to go, -Phoebe?” - -“Yes, if you please.” - -Then she and Cousin John went home to dinner and the youngsters, who -suspected something important was under way, were able to drag no -information from their big sister beyond mysterious looks and sundry -shakes of the head, which of course aroused their curiosity to the -highest pitch. - -“I think you might tell us, Phoebe,” pouted Sue, disconsolately. “I -always tell you _my_ secrets.” - -Cousin John laughed. - -“Listen, then,” said he. “We’ve discovered that Toby Clark is innocent -and that we can prove it; so he is no longer in danger of prison. -That’s more than Toby Clark knows yet. Furthermore, we have discovered -that Toby is not a mere nobody, as everyone has considered him, but the -owner of considerable valuable property. I say ‘we’ have discovered -this, but really it was Phoebe who solved the whole mystery. Now, if -you can keep this secret for a few days, until the newspaper prints the -complete story, I’ll take you into my confidence the next time I know a -secret.” - -Don cheered and Becky clapped her hands in delight, while Sue cried -ecstatically: “Bully for Toby!” and was promptly repressed by Phoebe, -who was annoyed by such a wild demonstration in the presence of the -great man. But Cousin John seemed to enjoy the outburst. - -Judith has listened gravely and seemed surprised. - -“Is this indeed the truth?” she asked. - -“Part of it,” replied the governor. “When Phoebe and I return from a -little trip this afternoon you shall have the entire story, with all -the details. You see, we’re rehearsing a little show of our own. The -play isn’t entirely finished yet, for the last act is on and we must -corner the villain before the final curtain falls.” - -This contented them for the time, for they really believed they had -been taken into the great man’s confidence; but when Mr. Spaythe’s -automobile drew up at the door and Phoebe and the governor entered it, -they were followed by envious looks and much speculation among the -Darings as to their errand. - -“I hope,” said Sue, anxiously, “the villain won’t hurt Phoebe.” - -“Pshaw!” returned Don, with scorn, “villains never amount to anything; -they’re only put in a play to be knocked out in the last round.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXV - -HOW TOBY WON HIS HERITAGE - - -Mrs. Ritchie was hoeing that afternoon in her vegetable garden, which -adjoined the spacious farmhouse where she resided. She was attired in a -faded calico dress and a weatherworn sunbonnet, and her heavy leather -shoes were rusty and clogged by constant contact with the soil. - -There were several servants upon the plantation, and they were afforded -an excellent example of industry by their mistress, who “worked like -a hired man” herself and made everyone around her labor just as -energetically. - -The arrival of Lawyer Kellogg on his bicycle, which he had ridden over -from Riverdale, did not interrupt Mrs. Ritchie’s task. She merely gave -her attorney an ungracious nod and said: “Well?” - -“I’ve come over to see you about the trial,” he announced. “It begins -next Thursday, at Bayport, and I must know exactly what you want to do -about Toby Clark.” - -“Give him a long sentence--the longer the better.” - -“He is sure to get that if we prove him guilty.” - -She looked at him suspiciously. - -“Why do you say ‘if’?” she asked. - -Kellogg smiled. - -“Any trial is uncertain, Mrs. Ritchie,” said he. “Unexpected things are -liable to happen to change the probable verdict. I think we have enough -evidence against Toby to prove our case, but those terrible children -have greatly influenced popular opinion by means of their parades and -we can’t tell who the jury will be, or whether we can depend on them.” - -“Can’t the jury be fixed?” asked the woman, after some thought. - -“It would cost a lot of money, and it isn’t a safe thing to do,” -returned her lawyer, standing beside her as she hoed. “And that reminds -me to speak of my own expenses and fees.” - -“Well, what about ’em?” - -“You promised me a hundred dollars if I recovered the contents of your -box. I’ve returned to you all your money, bonds and papers; but you -haven’t paid me yet.” - -“There’s a paper missing.” - -“One. I do not suppose you intend to withhold my money on that -account.” - -“Why not?” - -“Because I should then sue you for it and the court would award me -damages.” - -She gave a contemptuous snort. - -“Do you want that matter of the box aired?” she asked. - -“Do you want that will investigated--the paper which is missing?” he -retorted. - -Mrs. Ritchie laughed. - -“I’ll give you fifty dollars now, and fifty when you get that last -paper,” said she. - -“You’ll give me a hundred now. The price of the paper was a thousand -dollars.” - -“Have you got track of it yet?” she asked quickly. - -“No. I’m not going to undertake that trial for nothing, Mrs. Ritchie. -There’ll be a lot of work and expense about it and, if you want Toby -Clark imprisoned for stealing your box, you’ve got to pay handsomely -for it.” - -“How much?” - -“I want a hundred dollars in advance and two hundred more if I win.” - -“You’re a thief!” she snarled. - -“No other lawyer would undertake the case at any price. It will make me -very unpopular to prosecute Toby Clark.” - -“You’re not much of a favorite now,” said Mrs. Ritchie. “Very well, I’ll -give you a hundred dollars.” - -[Illustration: “I’m not going to undertake that trial for nothing, Mrs. -Ritchie. If you want Toby Clark imprisoned for stealing your box you’ve -got to pay handsomely for it.”] - -“I want two hundred to-day. A hundred for recovering your property and -a hundred in advance for the trial.” - -She dropped her hoe and stared at him. Then she sighed. - -“Come into the house. You’re a scoundrel, Abner Kellogg, and you ain’t -earned half the money; but I’ll be generous.” - -“No; you’ll be sensible,” he said, following her up the path. “You’ve -got some secret that’s worth money to you, Mrs. Ritchie, and which you -don’t care to have discovered; and it’s connected with Toby Clark.” - -“That’s a lie.” - -She ushered him into the front room and left him there while she went -to get the money. When she returned she placed four fifty-dollar bills -in his hand. - -“Oh; cash, is it?” he said in a pleased tone. - -“I don’t trust banks; they’re tricky. That’s all the ready money I’ve -got in the house. The rest is in a new box with Miles Hubbard, over in -Bayport.” - -“Why didn’t you put it in my care?” asked Kellogg. - -“Because you’re a dishonest cur.” - -He reddened a little. - -“Then why don’t you employ Hubbard to prosecute Toby Clark?” - -“He wouldn’t take the case.” - -“I see. Well, I’ve raised my price, Mrs. Ritchie. I want a hundred more -in advance.” - -“You can’t have it.” - -“I think I can.” - -“I won’t be bled, Abner Kellogg!” - -“No; you prefer to bleed others.” - -“You insolent pettifogger! What do you mean by that?” - -“I mean that I want another hundred dollars--before I make a single -move in this case.” - -While she sat glaring at him an automobile stopped in the road before -the house. The woman turned her head and through the window saw Phoebe -Daring, Mr. Spaythe and a stranger alight and enter the gate. - -“Tell ’em I ain’t at home, Kellogg,” she exclaimed in a half frightened -voice. - -“Better face the music,” said the lawyer, who had noted the arrivals. -“If there’s danger, as I suspect, face it boldly. You can’t save the -day by running away.” - -“You stand by me, then, Kellogg. I’ll give you the other hundred when -they’re gone.” - -He smiled grimly, but there was no time for reply. The bell rang and -Mrs. Ritchie went to the door. - -“May we speak with you--on business--Mrs. Ritchie?” asked Mr. Spaythe. - -“I’m busy with my lawyer. You’ll have to come again.” - -“I’m glad your lawyer is here,” said the banker gravely. “I think you -will need his advice.” - -“What about?” - -“If you will permit us to enter, I will explain.” - -“Who’s this other man?” she asked curtly. - -“The governor of the state.” - -Mrs. Ritchie fell back and they all entered the parlor. - -“Good afternoon, your Excellency,” said Kellogg, with a low bow. The -governor did not know the man but he nodded to him. - -“Well?” asked the woman in harsh, rasping tones. - -“I have called to see you in regard to the Alonzo Clark will,” said Mr. -Spaythe. - -She sank into a seat, but the cold, hard look never left her face. If -she was at all startled she retained her self-possession wonderfully. - -“Who was Alonzo Clark?” she asked, as if to gain time. - -“Toby Clark’s father; your second-cousin.” - -“What about his will?” - -“You are the administrator.” - -“Well, that’s my business.” - -“Not entirely,” remarked the governor, calmly. “Your letters of -administration require you to fulfill the terms of the will--or the -property will be taken out of your hands by the court. Also you are -personally responsible for any--shall we say ‘irregularities’?--you -have committed.” - -“Well?” - -“You have not fulfilled the terms of the will,” said Mr. Spaythe -sternly. - -“Who says so?” - -“The will itself.” - -“Somebody stole it.” - -“That does not matter. There is a copy on file in the probate’s office. -You have criminally disobeyed the injunctions of that will, Mrs. -Ritchie, and applied such moneys as you have received, to your own -personal use, instead of to the support and education of Toby Clark.” - -“Toby Clark’s a thief, and he’ll go to prison for stealing my box,” she -snapped. - -“We will not discuss Toby now,” said Mr. Spaythe. “Your own case -demands your first attention. The governor will tell you the legal -penalty for embezzling trust funds.” - -“State’s prison,” said the governor. - -“Shucks! Tell him he lies, Abner Kellogg,” cried the woman. - -“The governor is entirely correct, madam,” answered the wily attorney. -“I trust, gentlemen,” he added, “you will acquit me of any complicity -in this affair. I am merely hired by Mrs. Ritchie to prosecute the case -of Toby Clark and know nothing of her past history or criminal acts.” - -“Oh, you turn against me, do you?” she inquired angrily. - -“I cannot defend you from so grave an offense, Mrs. Ritchie,” said -Kellogg. “These gentlemen would not accuse you without proof, and the -proof will send you to prison.” - -She studied by turn the stern faces confronting her. - -“What else have you got to say?” she asked. “If you wanted to send me -to prison you would have me arrested, without taking the trouble to -come here.” - -“That is true,” returned Mr. Spaythe. “I will explain. By chance the -will of Alonzo Clark fell into my hands and on behalf of Toby Clark I -caused an investigation to be made. During the past seven years there -has been paid to you, as administrator of the estate of Toby Clark, a -minor, in dividends on stock, the total sum of forty-eight thousand, -four hundred and eighty dollars, up to the first of last month. You -were entitled to retain ten per cent of this, provided you had -performed your duties according to law; but since you have failed to do -this the entire amount must now be paid over to the new administrator -whom the court will appoint. And this payment must be made whether you -go to prison or not.” - -Kellogg was amazed. He looked at Mrs. Ritchie with a glint of -admiration in his eyes. Forty-eight thousand, and she still grubbing -with a hoe! Phoebe was also amazed by the immensity of the sum. She had -not thought it would be nearly so large. She mentally figured that it -meant an income of about seven thousand a year, which would make Toby -quite independent. - -Mrs. Ritchie did not deny Mr. Spaythe’s assertion. She knew it would be -useless. - -“That will is my property,” she said sullenly. “I can have you arrested -for stealing it.” - -“I will return the will,” said Mr. Spaythe. “It is no longer of use to -me--nor to you, madam. Unless you voluntarily resign your trusteeship -it will be taken from you, after a rigid investigation which will prove -you guilty of embezzlement.” - -“Suppose I refuse to give up the money?” said she. “You don’t know -where it is, and you can’t find it. You can take this farm away from -me, if you like, but it’s only worth about fifteen thousand. If I go to -jail I can keep the cash I’ve put away--and have it to use when I get -free again.” - -“I believe,” said the governor, “you might be able to do that, and so -defeat justice. But let us consider what it would mean. My experience -enables me to state that your term of imprisonment would be no less -than twenty years, and perhaps more. I doubt if, at your age, you would -live for twenty years in a prison--you who are so used to the open -air. So your stolen money would be of no benefit to you. On the other -hand, you might effect a compromise with us and so keep the matter out -of court. You have here sufficient property for all your needs and the -income from your plantation gives you more than a living. It occurs to -me, Mrs. Ritchie, that you will find it more comfortable to end your -days in freedom.” - -She dropped her eyes in thought and stared at the carpet for a time. -Then she asked gruffly: - -“What do you demand?” - -“First,” replied Mr. Spaythe, “you must resign as administrator and -petition the probate court to appoint some one in your place. You -must furnish an exact statement of the money received and turn over -the entire amount to the new administrator, for the sole benefit of -Toby Clark. In addition to this, we demand that you sign a statement, -for publication, saying that your blue box was not stolen, but merely -mislaid, and that you have recovered the entire contents. You will add -that Toby Clark has been unjustly accused. I have prepared a statement -to this effect which is all ready for you to sign, and the governor -will witness it, so that it will never be questioned.” - -“But somebody stole that box,” cried the woman, “and whoever it was -ought to suffer for it.” - -“Somebody stole Toby Clark’s inheritance,” replied Mr. Spaythe. “I do -not think it necessary for one to suffer for either crime, if amends -are fully made and no lasting evil can result.” - -Mrs. Ritchie frowned. She looked from one to another and saw no signs -of relenting in any face. Even Kellogg’s fat face wore a sneer as he -regarded her. - -So she surrendered. - -“I’ll sign the papers,” she said. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI - -HOW PHOEBE’S CONSPIRACY TRIUMPHED - - -As they rode homeward Phoebe said thoughtfully: - -“Who will break the news to Toby?” - -Mr. Spaythe and the governor exchanged glances. - -“I think that must be your task, Phoebe,” said the latter. “No one has -done so much for Toby Clark as you, nor has anyone been so instrumental -in establishing his good fortune.” - -“I--I don’t think I could do it!” exclaimed Phoebe. “Toby is so proud -and sensitive that he--he might make a fuss, and that would break me -all up.” - -Said Mr. Spaythe, after a moment’s thought: - -“I’ll make it easy for you, Phoebe. I’ll give a little dinner party at -my house, in Toby’s honor, on Wednesday evening and invite all those -friends who have stood by him during his time of need. Then you can -make a speech and announce the good news.” - -“Just the thing,” commented the governor. “Wednesday. That will give -me time to accomplish something I have in mind.” - -And so the matter was arranged. - -Toby Clark had grown more restless as the day approached when he was -to be tried for stealing Mrs. Ritchie’s box. He knew of the recent -evidence against him--the finding of the money and bonds in his -house--and fully realized that his guilt would appear conclusive to a -jury. He was ashamed to go out of the house except for a brief walk -after dark and whenever he met Mr. Spaythe or Eric at mealtime he would -study their faces for some sign that would indicate hope. They seemed -cheerful enough and laughed and talked as if no tragedy was pending; -but both father and son refrained from mentioning Toby’s trial in any -way. The boy had not seen Phoebe since she had rescued him from the -hoodlums; Sam Parsons kept out of sight; Mr. Holbrook, who used to -visit him regularly, now remained absent, and so poor Toby imagined -himself deserted and neglected by all his friends. - -Wednesday noon the banker said at luncheon: - -“Toby, I’m giving a little dinner party to-night and I want you to be -present.” - -“Oh, sir! I--I----” - -“Not a word, Toby. I won’t listen to any excuses. You will find the -guests old friends and must be prepared to assist me and Eric to -entertain them.” - -The boy was astonished. He had never known Mr. Spaythe to entertain -anyone before and this dinner party, given on the eve of Toby’s trial, -seemed to him a cruel mockery. But he could not refuse Mr. Spaythe’s -request, having been a guest in the banker’s house for so long and knew -he must face these people as bravely as he could. He wondered, vaguely, -who would come to the Spaythe dinner party, and toward evening grew -very uneasy and despondent. - -The first arrival was Janet Ferguson, and the sight of his old -employer’s daughter did much to relieve his nervousness. Then came -Nathalie Cameron and Lucy Hunter and following them closely he heard -the eager voices of “the Daring tribe,” including Miss Eliot, Phoebe, -Becky and Don. These were first greeted by Mr. Spaythe and Eric and -then engaged Toby in conversation, surrounding him in a group--as if -he were the hero of the occasion, he reflected bitterly, instead of an -accused criminal in danger of a prison sentence! - -From his seat in the long drawing-room Toby saw Mr. Holbrook arrive, -and then Sam Parsons and Will Chandler--surely a mixed assemblage. Mr. -Spaythe had refrained from inviting Hazel Chandler and Dave Hunter, -thinking the ordeal would be too severe for them. Finally came Doris -and Allerton Randolph and then Mr. Fellows, the editor, and with these -the list of guests seemed complete, for they were all straightway -ushered into the dining-room to partake of an elaborate feast. - -Toby was in a daze. He could not understand it at all. On all sides -were bright and happy faces and no one seemed to remember that on the -morrow he was to be tried in open court as a thief. - -With the dessert Mr. Spaythe looked up and said casually, but in a -voice loud enough for all to hear: - -“I believe Phoebe Daring has a few remarks to make to us, and this -seems a good opportunity to hear her.” - -Phoebe rose from her seat, rather red and embarrassed at first, as she -marked the sudden silence around the table and the earnest looks turned -upon her. But she resolved not to falter in the task she had undertaken. - -“This is a joyful occasion,” she began, very solemnly--so solemnly -that Becky giggled. “We have met, at Mr. Spaythe’s kind invitation, to -extend congratulations to our friend Toby Clark.” - -Don thought this a good time to yell “Bravo!” but the reproachful look -of his sister promptly “squelched” him. Toby stared at Phoebe in -wonder, but she refused to meet his pleading gaze. - -“It is a joyful occasion,” she resumed, “because the absurd charge -trumped up against Toby has been withdrawn, as perhaps you all know.” -It was news to Toby, indeed! “Mrs. Ritchie has issued a signed -statement, which Mr. Fellows is going to print in the paper, saying -that she was mistaken about her box being stolen, as it was merely -mislaid. Her property has all been recovered and she is very sorry that -poor Toby was ever accused of a crime that neither he nor anyone else -ever committed.” - -There was something of a sensation around the table, for few had known -of this statement until now. Toby was trying hard to comprehend his -good fortune. He could no longer see Phoebe because his eyes were full -of tears. - -“Just before I came here this evening,” continued the girl, “I -received a telegram from our governor, dated from the state capital. -I will read it to you.” She unfolded a telegram and read in a clear, -deliberate voice: “‘Probate Judge Fordyce to-day appointed Duncan -Spaythe administrator of the estate of Toby Clark, and his guardian. -Congratulations to all concerned.’” - -An intense silence followed. A secret was here disclosed that had been -unknown by any but Phoebe and the banker. Curious looks were cast upon -the girl and then upon Toby. The lame boy half rose from his chair, -pallid and shaking in every limb. - -“I--I haven’t any estate,” he said. “It’s all a--a--cruel--joke! I----” - -“Sit down, please,” said Phoebe. “I believe you were as ignorant as the -others--as we all have been until recently--concerning this estate, -which was bequeathed you by your father, Alonzo Clark. The preposterous -charge against you led us to a rigid investigation of the Clark family -history, and we--your friends--discovered that a certain mining -property once owned by your father and left to you by his will, had -become very valuable and for the past seven years has been paying you -big dividends. So in your case trouble has led to prosperity. As you -are not yet of age, it was necessary that an administrator and guardian -for you be appointed by the court. The governor kindly interested -himself in this matter, with the result that Mr. Spaythe is now your -guardian and the custodian of all the money belonging to you.” - -Phoebe, quite breathless now, sat down. Mr. Spaythe rose from his chair -and was greeted with cheers. - -“Around this table,” said he, “are gathered only loyal friends of Toby -Clark--those who have supported him and watched over his interests -during the past two months, the darkest period in his young life. -Especially do I wish to congratulate Phoebe Daring and the energetic -organizers and officers of the Toby Clark Marching Club for their -good work on behalf of our young friend, who has so unjustly suffered -because of a false accusation. But Toby’s troubles are over, now; for -all time, I hope. Once more his good name stands unsullied in the eyes -of the world. He has proved his mental caliber and courage by the manly -way in which he has faced the wicked charge brought against him. With -ample means, such as he now possesses, to back his highest ambitions, I -predict that Toby Clark will in time become a great man and a power in -our little community.” - -The banker stood bowing until the thunderous applause that greeted his -speech subsided. Becky smashed a plate by pounding it upon the table -and no one reproved her. Then she pinched Don’s leg and his howl merely -increased the sounds of jubilation. When, at last, comparative quiet -reigned, Mr. Spaythe said: - -“We will now hear from Toby Clark.” - -Toby, still bewildered but trying to grasp the reality of the good -fortune that had befallen him, responded in a few broken words: - -“You won’t hear much from me,” he said, “because my heart is too full -for anything but gratitude for the kind friends who have done so much -for me. I wasn’t worth all your interest in me and trouble on my -account, you know; but I’ll try to be more worthy in the future. I--I’m -very happy and--I--I thank you all!” - -More wild applause, and then Don’s voice was heard asking: - -“Say, who gave the Marching Club that fifty dollars?” - -“I did,” replied Mr. Spaythe, “and it was the best fifty I ever -invested. But,” he added with a smile, “I’ve an idea of charging it to -the account of Toby Clark.” - -Here Mr. Holbrook rose to his feet. - -“Toby Clark once applied to me for a position in my office,” he said, -“and I was obliged to refuse him. But as my business is growing nicely -I would now like to have him for my clerk.” - -“No,” said Toby, with something of his old-time whimsical humor, -“I must refuse the nomination, with thanks. I’m going to college. -Some day, though, I’ll be a lawyer, too, Mr. Holbrook, and then--who -knows?--we may go into partnership together.” - - - - -Azalea - -_By_ ELIA W. PEATTIE - -The first book of the “Blue Ridge” Series - -Azalea is the heroine of a good, wholesome story that will appeal to -every mother as the sort of book she would like her daughter to read. -In the homy McBirneys of Mt. Tennyson, down in the Blue Ridge country, -and their hearty mountain neighbors, girl readers will find new friends -they will be glad to make old friends. - -This book marks a distinct advance in the quality of books offered for -girls. No lack of action--no sacrifice of charm. - - _Four half-tone illustrations from drawings by Hazel Roberts. - Attractive cover design, $1.00._ - -[Illustration: Azalea] - -The second title in THE BLUE RIDGE SERIES will be published in 1913 - - Publishers The Reilly & Britton Co. Chicago - - - - -_Exhilarating Books for Girls of Today_ - -The Flying Girl Series - - _By_ EDITH VAN DYNE - _Author of “Aunt Jane’s Nieces” Series_ - -Capital up-to-the-minute stories for girls and young people, in which -the author is at her very best. Thrilling and full of adventure, but -of that wholesome type parents are glad to put in the hands of their -daughters. Two titles: - -The Flying Girl - - Orissa Kane, self-reliant and full of sparkling good nature, - under-study for her brother, prospective inventor and aviator - whose experiments put the Kane family into great difficulties, in - the crisis proves resourceful and plucky, and saves the day in a - most thrilling manner. - - [Illustration] - - -The Flying Girl and Her Chum - - This story takes Orissa and her friend Sybil through further - adventures that test these two clever girls to the limit. A - remarkably well told story. - -_12mo. Bound in extra cloth with design stamping on cover and -fancy jacket. Printed on high grade paper. Illustrated in black -and white._ - -_Price 60 cents each. Postage 12 cents._ - - Publishers The Reilly & Britton Co. Chicago - - - - -The Aunt Jane’s Nieces Series - - BOOKS FOR GIRLS - _By_ EDITH VAN DYNE - -SEVEN TITLES - - _Aunt Jane’s Nieces_ - _Aunt Jane’s Nieces Abroad_ - _Aunt Jane’s Nieces at Millville_ - _Aunt Jane’s Nieces at Work_ - _Aunt Jane’s Nieces in Society_ - _Aunt Jane’s Nieces and Uncle John_ - _Aunt Jane’s Nieces on Vacation_ - - * * * * * - -DISTINCTLY girls’ books and yet stories that will appeal to _brother_ -as well--and to older folk. Real and vital--rousing stories of the -experiences and exploits of three real girls who do things. Without -being sensational, Mrs. Van Dyne has succeeded in writing a series of -stories that have the tug and stir of fresh young blood in them. Each -story is complete in itself. - -_Illustrated 12mo. Uniform cloth binding, stamped in colors, with -beautiful colored inlay. Fancy colored jackets. Price 60 cents -each._ - - Publishers The Reilly & Britton Co. Chicago - - - - -The Boys’ Big Game Series - -[Illustration] - - =THE GIANT MOOSE.= The monarch of the big Northwest; a story - told over camp fires in the reek of cedar smoke and the - silence of the barrens. - - =THE WHITE TIGER OF NEPAL.= The weird story of the man-killer - of the foothills. Tinged with the mysticism of India, - dramatic and stirring. - - =THE BLIND LION OF THE CONGO.= A story of the least known - part of the earth and its most feared beast. A gripping - tale of the land of the white pigmies. - - =THE KING BEAR OF KADIAK ISLAND.= A tale or the bully of the - Frozen North and his mysterious guardian. A game-and-man-story - that makes a good boy-story. - -_The topnotch of production in boys’ books. Remarkable covers and -four-color jackets. Illustrations and cover designs by Dan Sayre -Groesbeck._ - -Price, 60 cents each - -THE REILLY & BRITTON CO. PUBLISHERS, CHICAGO - - - - -The Boy Scouts of the Air Books - -_By_ GORDON STUART - -[Illustration] - -Are stirring stories of adventure in which real boys, clean-cut and -wide-awake, do the things other wide-awake boys like to read about. - -_Four titles, per volume, 60 cents_ - - THE BOY SCOUTS OF THE AIR AT EAGLE CAMP - THE BOY SCOUTS OF THE AIR AT GREENWOOD SCHOOL - THE BOY SCOUTS OF THE AIR IN INDIAN LAND - THE BOY SCOUTS OF THE AIR IN NORTHERN WILDS - -_Splendid Illustrations by Norman Hall_ - - Publishers The Reilly & Britton Co. Chicago - - - - -[Illustration: The Famous AIRSHIP BOYS SERIES] - -_By_ H. L. SAYLER - -_SEVEN TITLES_ - - 1. THE AIRSHIP BOYS Or, The Quest of the Aztec Treasure - - 2. THE AIRSHIP BOYS ADRIFT Or, Saved by an Aeroplane - - 3. THE AIRSHIP BOYS DUE NORTH Or, By Balloon to the Pole - - 4. THE AIRSHIP BOYS IN THE BARREN LANDS Or, The Secret of the - White Eskimos - - 5. THE AIRSHIP BOYS IN FINANCE Or, The Flight of the Flying Cow - - 6. THE AIRSHIP BOYS’ OCEAN FLYER Or, New York to London in - Twelve Hours - - 7. THE AIRSHIP BOYS AS DETECTIVES Or, On Secret Service - in Cloudland - -Fascinating stories of that wonderful region of invention where -imagination and reality so nearly meet. There is no more interesting -field for stories for wide-awake boys. Mr. Sayler combines a remarkable -narrative ability with a degree of technical knowledge that makes these -books correct in all airship details. Full of adventure without being -sensational. - -_The make-up of these books is strictly up-to-date and fetching. -The covers are emblematic, and the jackets are showy and in -colors. The illustrations are full of dash and vim. Standard -novel size, 12mo. Price $1.00 each._ - - Publishers The Reilly & Britton Co. Chicago - - - - -_The Best Aviation Stories for Boys_ - -[Illustration] - -The Aeroplane Boys Series - - _By_ - ASHTON LAMAR - -[Illustration] - -These are the newest and most exciting books of aeroplane adventure. A -special point is the correctness of the aviation details. - - _1. IN THE CLOUDS FOR UNCLE SAM - Or, Morey Marshall of the Signal Corps_ - - _2. THE STOLEN AEROPLANE - Or, How Bud Wilson Made Good_ - - _3. THE AEROPLANE EXPRESS - Or, The Boy Aeronaut’s Grit_ - - _4. THE BOY AERONAUTS’ CLUB - Or, Flying for Fun_ - - _5. A CRUISE IN THE SKY - Or, The Legend of the Great Pink Pearl_ - - _6. BATTLING THE BIGHORN - Or, The Aeroplane in the Rockies_ - - _7. WHEN SCOUT MEETS SCOUT - Or, The Aeroplane Spy_ - - * * * * * - -_Fully illustrated. Colored frontispiece. Cloth, 12mo. 60 cents each._ - - * * * * * - - Publishers The Reilly & Britton Co. Chicago - - - - -ANNABEL - -_By_ SUSANNE METCALF - -A girls’ book with a clever, quick-moving plot is unusual. ANNABEL -is that kind. The heroine is a lovable girl, but one with plenty of -snap--her red hair testifies to that. Her friend, Will Carden, too, is -a boy of unusual qualities as is apparent in everything he does. He and -Annabel make an excellent team. - -[Illustration] - -The two, the best of chums, retrieve the fortunes of the Carden family -in a way that makes some exciting situations. The secret of the -mysterious Mr. Jordan is surprised by Annabel, while Will, in a trip -to England with an unexpected climax, finds the real fortune of the -Cardens. - -ANNABEL is a book whose make-up is in keeping with the high quality of -the story. - -_Beautiful cover and jacket in colors, 12 mo. Illustrated by -Joseph Pierre Nuyttens. Price 60 cents_ - - Publishers The Reilly & Britton Co. Chicago - - - - -Transcriber’s Note: - -Punctuation has been standardised. Changes to the original publication -are as follows: - - Page 76 - spoke argumentively and there _changed to_ - spoke argumentatively and there - - Page 135 - Don broke in the assist her _changed to_ - Don broke in to assist her - - Page 185 - look in the faces o’ them childern _changed to_ - look in the faces o’ them children - - Page 269 - fiancè. I can see no _changed to_ - fiancé. I can see no - - Page 280 - and there were afforded an _changed to_ - and they were afforded an - - Fourth page of book catalogue - designs by Dan Sayre Grosbeck _changed to_ - designs by Dan Sayre Groesbeck - - Seventh page of book catalogue - Aero-Plane _changed to_ - Aeroplane - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Phoebe Daring, by L. 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Frank Baum - </title> - <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> - <style type="text/css"> - body {margin: 0 10%;} - .chapter, .section {page-break-before: always;} - h1,h2 {text-align: center; clear: both;} - h2 {font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 2em;} - p {margin-top: 1em; text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 1em; text-indent: 1em;} - .p110 {font-size: 1.1em;} - .p120 {font-size: 1.2em;} - .p130 {font-size: 1.3em;} - .p140 {font-size: 1.4em;} - .p180 {font-size: 1.8em;} - .p200 {font-size: 2.2em;} - em, cite {font-style: italic;} - - /* General */ - .noi {text-indent: 0;} - .center {text-align: center; text-indent: 0;} - .right1 {text-align: right; padding-right: 2em;} - .right2 {text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;} - .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} - .smallcap {font-size: .8em;} - .mt3 {margin-top: 3em;} - .word-spacing2 {word-spacing: 2em;} - .spaced {letter-spacing: .1em; word-spacing: .4em;} - .nmt {margin-top: 0em;} - .nmb {margin-bottom: 0em;} - .underlined {text-decoration: underline;} - - /* Block centre */ - .block-line-top {border-top: thin solid #dcdcdc;} - .block-line-bottom {border-bottom: thin solid #dcdcdc;} - .block-container {text-align: center; margin: 0;} - .block-center {display: inline-block; text-align: left;} - .block-center .names {margin: .5em 0em;} - .block-center .line {text-indent: -3em; padding-left: 3em;} - .block-center .indent {margin-left: 1em;} - - /* Book list */ - .book-list-container {max-width: 30em; margin: auto;} - .booklist {max-width: 20em; margin: auto;} - .dropcap {font-size: 2.8em; float: left; line-height: 0.85em; height: 0.85em; padding: 0 .02em 0 0; font-weight: normal;} - .hang {margin-left: 0em; padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;} - .hang3 {margin-left: 0em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} - .floatleft {float: left; clear: left; padding-right: 2em;} - .floatright {float: right; clear: right; padding-left: 2em;} - .clear-left {clear: left;} - - /* Table */ - table {margin: auto; border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 40em;} - th {font-size: .8em;} - td {padding: .2em;} - .tdl {text-align: left; margin-left: 1em; padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;} - .tdr {text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;} - .tdr2 {text-align: right; padding-left: 1em;} - - /* Horizontal rules */ - hr {width: 60%; margin: 2em 20%; clear: both;} - hr.divider {width: 65%; margin: 4em 17.5%;} - hr.divider2 {width: 45%; margin: 4em 27.5%;} - hr.small {width: 2em; margin: 3em 48% 0 48%;} - hr.full {width: 100%; margin: 0em;} - hr.tb {width: 40%; margin: 2em 30%; clear: both;} - - /* Page numbers */ - .pagenum {position: absolute; right: 2%; text-indent: 0em; - text-align: right; font-size: x-small; - font-weight: normal; font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; - letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; - color: #999; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid; - background-color: inherit; padding: .01em .4em;} - - /* Images */ - img {max-width: 100%; width: 100%; height: auto;} - .figcenter {clear: both; margin: 2em auto; text-align: center; max-width: 100%;} - .width180 {width: 180px;} - .width200 {width: 200px;} - .width400 {width: 400px;} - .caption {margin: 1em; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1em; max-width: 90%;} - - /* Notes */ - ins {text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted #dcdcdc;} - .tn {width: 60%; margin: 2em 20%; background: #dcdcdc; padding: .5em 1em;} - ul {list-style: square;} - ul.nobullet {list-style: none; text-align: left;} - li {margin-bottom: .5em;} - - @media handheld { - body {margin: .5em; padding: 0; width: 98%;} - p {margin-top: .1em; text-align: justify; margin-bottom: .1em; text-indent: 1em;} - hr.divider, hr.divider2 {border-width: 0; margin: 0;} - img {max-width: 100%; width: auto; height: auto;} - table {width: 96%; margin: 0 2%;} - .tn {width: 80%; margin: 0 10%; background: #dcdcdc; padding: 1em;} - a {color: inherit; text-decoration: inherit;} - .hidehand {display: none; visibility: hidden;} - .book-list-container {width: 70%; margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%;} - .floatleft {float: left; clear: left; padding-right: 2em;} - .floatright {float: right; clear: right; padding-left: 2em;} - .clear-left {clear: left;} - .word-spacing2 {word-spacing: .2em;} - .caption {max-width: 70%; margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%;} - } - </style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Phoebe Daring, by L. Frank Baum - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Phoebe Daring - A Story for Young Folk - -Author: L. Frank Baum - -Illustrator: Joseph Pierre Nuyttens - -Release Date: April 10, 2017 [EBook #54529] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PHOEBE DARING *** - - - - -Produced by Mary Glenn Krause, Aunt Julie Turner and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<hr class="divider" /> -<p class="center p140">The Daring Twins Series</p> - -<hr class="small" /> - -<h1>Phoebe Daring</h1> -<hr class="divider2" /> - -<div class="hidehand"> -<div class="figcenter width400"> -<img src="images/i_cover.jpg" width="432" height="600" alt="Cover" /> -</div></div> - -<div class="section"> -<hr class="divider2" /> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter width400"> -<a name="frontispiece" id="frontispiece"></a> -<a href="#frontis"><img src="images/i_004.jpg" width="400" height="582" alt="Frontispiece" /></a> -<div class="caption">“Shame on you all!” she cried, glaring around with -righteous indignation. “How dare you attack one who is more unfortunate -than yourselves!”</div> -</div> - - - - -<div class="section"> -<hr class="divider2" /> -</div> -<p class="center p180">Phoebe Daring<br /> -<br /> -A Story for Young Folk</p> - - -<p class="center mt3"><span class="p110">By</span><br /> -<span class="p140">L. Frank Baum</span></p> - -<p class="center"><small>Author of “The Daring Twins,” The Oz Books, “The Sea<br /> -Fairies” and Other Tales</small></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 180px;"> -<img src="images/colophon.png" width="180" height="96" alt="Colophon" /> -</div> - -<p class="center p120">Illustrated by Joseph Pierre Nuyttens</p> - - -<p class="center p130 mt3">The Reilly & Britton Co.<br /> -Chicago</p> - - - - -<div class="section"> -<hr class="divider2" /> -<p class="center mt3">Copyright, 1912<br /> -by<br /> -The Reilly & Britton Co.</p> - -<p class="center mt3">PHOEBE DARING</p> -</div> - - - -<div class="section"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<h2><a name="contents" id="contents"></a>CONTENTS</h2> -</div> - -<table summary="Contents"> -<tr> -<th class="tdr">CHAPTER</th> -<th> </th> -<th class="tdr2">PAGE</th> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">I</td> -<td class="tdl smcap">How Toby Clark Lost His Job</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#i">9</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">II</td> -<td class="tdl smcap">How Mrs. Ritchie Demanded Her Property</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#ii">20</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">III</td> -<td class="tdl smcap">How the Darings Planned</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#iii">33</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">IV</td> -<td class="tdl smcap">How Phoebe Became Worried</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#iv">44</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">V</td> -<td class="tdl smcap">How Phoebe Interviewed the Lawyer</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#v">57</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">VI</td> -<td class="tdl smcap">How Toby Came to Grief</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#vi">70</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">VII</td> -<td class="tdl smcap">How Toby Found a Friend</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#vii">83</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">VIII</td> -<td class="tdl smcap">How Phoebe Conspired</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#viii">93</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">IX</td> -<td class="tdl smcap">How Phoebe Played Detective</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#ix">109</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">X</td> -<td class="tdl smcap">How the Marching Club Was Organized</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#x">122</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">XI</td> -<td class="tdl smcap">How the Club Received a Donation</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#xi">135</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">XII</td> -<td class="tdl smcap">How the Governor Arrived</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#xii">147</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">XIII</td> -<td class="tdl smcap">How Toby Saw the Great Man</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#xiii">160</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">XIV</td> -<td class="tdl smcap">How the Constable Argued his Case</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#xiv">169</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">XV</td> -<td class="tdl smcap">How the Band Played</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#xv">179</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">XVI</td> -<td class="tdl smcap">How Mrs. Ritchie Chided her Lawyer</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#xvi">189</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">XVII</td> -<td class="tdl smcap">How Phoebe Surprised a Secret</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#xvii">196</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">XVIII</td> -<td class="tdl smcap">How Mr. Spaythe Confessed</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#xviii">208</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">XIX</td> -<td class="tdl smcap">How Toby Clark Faced Ruin</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#xix">220</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">XX</td> -<td class="tdl smcap">How Phoebe Defended the Helpless</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#xx">229</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">XXI</td> -<td class="tdl smcap">How Phoebe Telegraphed the Governor</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#xxi">236</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">XXII</td> -<td class="tdl smcap">How Sam Parsons Explained</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#xxii">246</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">XXIII</td> -<td class="tdl smcap">How a Wrong Looked Right</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#xxiii">256</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">XXIV</td> -<td class="tdl smcap">How the Mystery Cleared</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#xxiv">266</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">XXV</td> -<td class="tdl smcap">How Toby Won his Heritage</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#xxv">280</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">XXVI</td> -<td class="tdl smcap">How Phoebe’s Conspiracy Triumphed</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#xxvi">291</a></td> -</tr> -</table> - - - - -<div class="section"> -<hr class="divider2" /> -<h2><a name="illustrations" id="illustrations"></a>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> -</div> - -<table summary="Illustrations"> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">“Shame on you all!” she cried, glaring around -with righteous indignation. “How dare you -attack one who is more unfortunate than -yourselves!”</td> -<td class="tdr2"><a href="#frontispiece"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">“Then,” said Phoebe, “we must organize a -conspiracy, we three, and help Toby without -his ever suspecting it.”</td> -<td class="tdr2"><i>Page</i> <a href="#p68">68</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Lawyer Kellogg came up, triumphantly waving -his hand, in which was clasped an oblong -packet. “We’ve got it!” he cried, his round -fat face well depicting his joy.</td> -<td class="tdr2"><i>Page</i> <a href="#p224">224</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">“I’m not going to undertake that trial for -nothing, Mrs. Ritchie. If you want Toby -Clark imprisoned for stealing your box -you’ve got to pay handsomely for it.”</td> -<td class="tdr2"><i>Page</i> <a href="#p282">282</a></td> -</tr> -</table> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">9</a></span> -</div> - -<p class="center p200"><strong>Phoebe Daring</strong></p> - -<h2><a name="i" id="i"></a>CHAPTER I<br /> -<small>HOW TOBY CLARK LOST HIS JOB</small></h2> - - -<p>“It’s a shame!” cried Becky Daring, indignantly shaking her scraggly -red locks for emphasis.</p> - -<p>“So say we all of us,” observed her brother Don in matter-of-fact -tones. “But that won’t help it, Beck.”</p> - -<p>“Wasn’t it all Judge Ferguson’s fault?” asked little Sue, listening -with round, solemn eyes.</p> - -<p>“Why, the poor old judge couldn’t help dying, you know,” said Don, -judicially. “And he hadn’t an idea his candle would flicker out so -soon. Old Mr. Ferguson liked Toby Clark and I’m sure, if he’d thought -his own end was so near, he’d have fixed it so his clerk wouldn’t be -left out in the cold.”</p> - -<p>“And now Toby hasn’t any job, or any money, or any friends,” remarked -Sue, sighing deeply.</p> - -<p>“Yes, he has!” declared Becky. “He has me for a friend, for one, and -all the village to back<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">10</a></span> me up. But friends ain’t bread-an’-butter -and I guess a poor cripple out of work is as bad off as if he hadn’t -a friend in the world. That’s why I say it’s a shame Judge Ferguson -didn’t leave him any money. It’s worse than a common shame—it’s just a -<em>howling</em> shame!”</p> - -<p>“Dear me,” said Phoebe, entering the room with a smiling glance at her -younger sisters and brother, “what’s wrong now? What’s a howling shame, -Becky?”</p> - -<p>“The way Judge Ferguson treated Toby Clark.”</p> - -<p>Phoebe’s smile vanished. She went to the window and stood looking out -for a moment. Then she turned and seated herself among the group.</p> - -<p>“You’ve heard the news, then?” she asked.</p> - -<p>“Yes. Doris Randolph told us the Fergusons read the will this morning, -and Toby wasn’t mentioned in it,” replied Don.</p> - -<p>“That is not strange,” said Phoebe, thoughtfully. “Toby Clark was not a -relative of the Fergusons, you know; he was just a clerk in the judge’s -law office.”</p> - -<p>“But he’s a cripple,” retorted Becky, “and he was made a cripple by -saving Judge Ferguson’s life.”</p> - -<p>“That is true,” admitted Phoebe. “Judge Ferguson went into -grandfather’s vault, where he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">11</a></span> suspected all the Daring money had -been hidden by old Elaine, our crazy housekeeper, and while he was -in there, in company with Toby and the constable, old Elaine tried -to shut the heavy door and lock them all up. Had she succeeded they -would soon have suffocated; but Toby stopped the door from closing, -with his foot, which was badly crushed, and so by his quick wit and -bravery saved three lives—including his own. The judge was grateful to -him, of course, and had he lived Toby would have remained in his law -office until in time he became a partner. That his friend and patron -suddenly died and so deprived Toby of further employment, was due to -the accident of circumstances. I do not think anyone can be blamed.”</p> - -<p>They were silent a moment and then Sue asked: “What’s going to become -of Toby now, Phoebe?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know. He hasn’t any father or mother; they both died years -ago, long before Judge Ferguson took the boy to work for him. The -Clarks owned a little cabin down by the river—a poor place it is—and -there Toby has lived and cooked his own meals while he studied law in -the judge’s office. He lives there yet, and since the judge died, a -week ago, he has done nothing but mourn for his friend and benefactor. -But Toby will find some other work to do, I’m sure,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">12</a></span> as soon as he -applies for it, for everyone in the village likes him.”</p> - -<p>“Can’t we do something?” asked Becky earnestly. “We owe Toby a lot, -too, for he helped the judge to save grandfather’s fortune for us.”</p> - -<p>“We will do all we can,” replied Phoebe, positively, “but we can’t -offer Toby charity, you understand. He is very proud and it would hurt -him dreadfully to think we were offering him alms. I’ll ask the Little -Mother about it and see what she thinks.”</p> - -<p>That ended the conversation, for the time, and the younger Darings -all ran out into the crisp October air while Phoebe went about her -household duties with a thoughtful face. She and her twin, Phil, were -the real heads of the Daring family, although the orphans had a “Little -Mother” in Cousin Judith Eliot, a sweet-faced, gentle young woman who -had come to live with them and see that they were not allowed to run -wild. But Phil was now in college, paving the way for mighty deeds in -the future, and Phoebe knew her twin would be deeply grieved over the -sudden death of their father’s old friend, Judge Ferguson. The judge -had also been their guardian and, with Cousin Judith, a trustee of the -Daring estate—a competence inherited from their grandfather, Jonas -Eliot, who had been one of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">13</a></span> the big men of the county. The fine old -colonial mansion in which the Darings lived was also an inheritance -from Grandpa Eliot, and although it was not so showy as some of the -modern residences of Riverdale—the handsome Randolph house across the -way, for instance—it possessed a dignity and beauty that compelled -respect.</p> - -<p>The loss of their guardian did not worry the young Darings so much as -the loss of their friend, for the shrewd old lawyer had been very kind -to them, skillfully advising them in every affair, big or little, that -might in any way affect their interests. Mr. Ferguson—called “Judge” -merely by courtesy, for he had always been a practicing lawyer—had -doubtless been the most highly esteemed member of the community. For -a score of years he had been the confidential adviser of many of the -wealthiest families in that part of the state, counseling with them -not only in business but in family affairs. In his dingy offices, -which were located over the post office in Riverdale, many important -transactions and transfers of property had been consummated, and the -tall wooden cupboard in the lawyer’s private room contained numerous -metal boxes marked with the names of important clients and containing -documents of considerable value. Yet, in spite of his large and varied -practice, Mr. Ferguson attended<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">14</a></span> to all his clients personally and only -a young boy, Toby Clark, had been employed as a clerk during the past -few years.</p> - -<p>At first Toby swept out the office and ran errands. Then he developed -an eagerness to study law, and the judge, finding the young fellow -bright and capable, assisted his ambition by promoting Toby to copying -deeds and law papers and laying out for him a course of practical -study. In many ways Toby proved of value to his employer and Mr. -Ferguson grew very fond of the boy, especially after that adventure -when Toby Clark heroically sacrificed his foot to prevent them both -from being hermetically sealed up in old Mr. Eliot’s mausoleum, where -they would soon have perished from lack of air.</p> - -<p>Knowing ones declared that so strong was the affection between the -old lawyer and his youthful clerk that Toby would surely inherit the -fine law business some day. But no one realized then that the grizzled -old lawyer’s days were numbered. He had been so rugged and strong in -appearance that it was a shock to the entire community when he was -suddenly stricken by an insidious heart disease and expired without -a word to even the members of his own family. Many grieved at Judge -Ferguson’s death, but none more sincerely than his office boy and daily -companion, Toby<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">15</a></span> Clark. He had no thought, at the time, of his own -ruined prospects, remembering only that his one staunch friend had been -taken from him.</p> - -<p>Except that the lawyer’s friendship had distinguished him, Toby was a -nobody in Riverdale. The Clarks, who were not natives of the town but -had strayed into it years before, had been not only poor and lowly -but lacking in refinement. They had not even been considered “good -citizens,” for the man was surly and unsociable and the woman untidy. -With such parents it was wonderful that the boy developed any ability -whatever, and in his early days the barefooted, ragged urchin was -regarded by the villagers with strong disapproval. Then his mother -passed away and a year or so later his father, and the boy was left to -buffet the world alone. It was now that he evinced intelligence and -force of character. Although still considered a queer and unaccountable -little fellow, his willingness to do any odd job to turn an honest -penny won the respect of the people and many gave him a day’s -employment just to help him along. That was how the waif came under -Judge Ferguson’s notice and the old lawyer, a shrewd judge of humanity, -recognized the latent force and cleverness in the boy’s nature and took -him under his wing.</p> - -<p>Toby wasn’t very prepossessing in appearance.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">16</a></span> At nineteen years of -age he was so small in size that he seemed scarcely fifteen. His hair -was unruly and of a dull tow color, his face freckled and red and his -nose inclined to turn up at the point. He was awkward and shuffling -in manner and extremely silent and shy of speech, seldom venturing -any remark not absolutely necessary. The eyes redeemed the boy in -many ways. They were not large nor beautiful, but they were so bright -and twinkled in such a merry, honest fashion that they won him many -friends. He had a whimsical but engaging expression of countenance, -and although a bad conversationalist he was a good listener and so -alert that nothing seemed to escape his quick, keen glance or his big -freckled ears.</p> - -<p>“If Toby said all he knows,” once remarked Will Chandler, the -postmaster and village president, “he’d jabber night an’ day. It’s -lucky for us his tongue don’t work easy.”</p> - -<p>The only thing Toby inherited from his shiftless parents was a shanty -down by the river bank, on property that no one had any use for, and -its contents, consisting of a few pieces of cheap, much-used furniture. -His father, who had won the reputation of being too lazy to work, -often fished in the river, partly because it was “a lazy man’s job” -and partly to secure food which he had no money to purchase. The -villagers said<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">17</a></span> he built his shanty on the waste ground bordering the -stream—at a point south of the town—for two reasons, one, because he -was unsociable and avoided his fellows, the other, because it saved -him a walk to the river when he wanted to fish. The house seemed good -enough for Toby’s present purposes, for he never complained of it; but -after entering Mr. Ferguson’s office the boy grew neater in appearance -and always wore decent clothes and clean linen. Living simply, he could -afford such things, even on the small weekly wage he earned.</p> - -<p>The boy was ambitious. He realized perfectly that he was now a nobody, -but he determined to become a somebody. It was hard to advance much in -a small town like Riverdale, where everyone knew his antecedents and -remembered his parents as little better than the mud on the river bank. -The villagers generally liked Toby and were willing to extend a helping -hand to him; but he was odd—there was no doubt of that—and as he -belonged directly to nobody he was wholly irresponsible.</p> - -<p>It is a mystery how the waif managed to subsist before Judge Ferguson -took charge of him; but he got an odd job now and then and never begged -nor whined, although he must have been hungry more than once.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">18</a></span> -With his admission to the law office Toby’s fortunes changed. The -representative of a popular attorney was entitled to respect and Toby -assumed a new dignity, a new importance and a new and greater ambition -than before. He read in the law books during every leisure moment and -found his mind easily grasped the dry details of jurisprudence. The -boy attended court whenever he was able to and listened with absorbed -interest to every debate and exposition of the law. Not infrequently, -during the last few months, he had been able to call Mr. Ferguson’s -attention to some point of law which the learned and experienced -attorney had overlooked. Toby seemed to live in every case his employer -conducted and in his quiet way he noted the management of the many -estates held in trust by the old judge and the care with which every -separate interest was guarded. The boy could tell the contents of -nearly every one of the precious metal boxes arranged on the shelves -of the oak cupboard, for often the lawyer would hand him the bunch of -slender steel keys and tell him to get a paper from such or such a box.</p> - -<p>This trusteeship was the largest part of Mr. Ferguson’s business, for -not many legal differences came to court or were tried in so small and -placid a district. There were other prominent<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">19</a></span> lawyers in neighboring -towns and a rival in Riverdale—one Abner Kellogg, a fat and pompous -little man who had signally failed to win the confidence Judge Ferguson -inspired but was so aggressive and meddlesome that he managed to make a -living.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">20</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="ii" id="ii"></a>CHAPTER II<br /> -<small>HOW MRS. RITCHIE DEMANDED HER PROPERTY</small></h2> - - -<p>Toby Clark was inexpressibly shocked when one morning he learned that -his dear friend and patron had been found dead in his bed. At once the -lame boy hobbled over to the Ferguson home, a comfortable house at the -far end of Riverdale, to find Mrs. Ferguson prostrated with grief, and -Janet, the only daughter, weeping miserably and rejecting all attempts -to comfort her. So he crept back to town, mounted the stairs to the -homely law offices over the post office and sat down to try to realize -that the kindly face he loved would never brighten its dingy gray walls -again.</p> - -<p>All the morning and till past noon Toby sat in the silent place, -where every object reflected the personality of his departed master, -bemoaning his loss and living over in memory the happy days that were -past. Early in the afternoon steps sounded on the stairs. A key turned -in the outer door and Will Chandler, the postmaster, entered the -office, accompanied by a stranger.</p> - -<p>Toby knew that Chandler, who owned the building,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">21</a></span> usually kept Judge -Ferguson’s office key. Whenever the old judge, who was absent-minded -at times, changed his trousers at home he would forget to change the -contents of the pockets. So, to avoid being obliged to return home for -his key on such occasions, he was accustomed to leave it in Chandler’s -keeping, where it might be conveniently found when needed. Of late -years the judge had seldom required the key to the outer door, for Toby -Clark was always on hand and had the offices swept, dusted and aired -long before his master arrived. Mr. Chandler was a reliable man and as -fully trusted by Mr. Ferguson as was Toby.</p> - -<p>“Oh, you’re here, eh?” exclaimed the postmaster, in surprise, as his -eyes fell upon the boy.</p> - -<p>Toby nodded his reply, staring vacantly.</p> - -<p>“The Fergusons have been inquiring for you,” continued Chandler. “I -believe Janet wants you at the house.”</p> - -<p>Toby slowly rose and balanced himself on his crutch. Then he cast a -hesitating glance at the stranger.</p> - -<p>“You’ll lock up, sir, when you go away?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“Of course,” replied Will Chandler. “I only came to show this -gentleman, Mr. Holbrook, the offices. He’s a lawyer and has been in -town for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">22</a></span> several days, trying to find a suitable place to locate. As -poor Ferguson will not need these rooms hereafter I shall rent them to -Mr. Holbrook—if they suit him.”</p> - -<p>The stranger stepped forward. He was a young man, not more than -twenty-five years of age, handsome and prepossessing in appearance. -He had a dark moustache and dark, expressive eyes, and his face was -cheery and pleasant to look at. In the matter of dress Mr. Holbrook was -something of a dandy, but neat and immaculate as was his apparel there -was little cause to criticise the young man’s taste.</p> - -<p>“The rooms need brightening a bit,” he said, glancing around him, “but -the fact that Judge Ferguson has occupied them for so long renders them -invaluable to a young lawyer just starting in business. The ‘good will’ -is worth a lot to me, as successor to so prominent an attorney. If you -will accept the same rent the judge paid you, Mr. Chandler, we will -call it a bargain.”</p> - -<p>The postmaster nodded.</p> - -<p>“It’s a fair rental,” said he; but Toby waited to hear no more. The -daughter of his old master wanted him and he hastened to obey her -summons, leaving Chandler and Mr. Holbrook in the office.</p> - -<p>Janet was pacing up and down the sitting room,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">23</a></span> red-eyed and extremely -nervous. In an easy-chair sat an elderly woman in black, stony-faced -and calm, whom Toby at once recognized as Mrs. Ritchie, who owned a -large plantation between Riverdale and Bayport. She was one of Judge -Ferguson’s oldest clients and the lawyer had for years attended to all -of the eccentric old creature’s business affairs.</p> - -<p>“This woman,” said Janet, her voice trembling with indignation, “has -come to annoy us about some papers.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Ritchie turned her stolid glare upon the clerk.</p> - -<p>“You’re Toby Clark,” she said. “I know you. You’re the judge’s office -boy. I want all the papers and funds belonging to me, and I want ’em -now. They’re in the office, somewhere, in a tin box painted blue, -with my name on the end of it. The Fergusons are responsible for my -property, I know, but some of those papers are precious. The money -could be replaced, but not the documents, and that’s why I want ’em -now. Understand? Now!”</p> - -<p>Toby was puzzled.</p> - -<p>“I remember the blue box marked ‘Ritchie,’ ma’am,” said he, “but I -don’t know what’s in it.”</p> - -<p>“All my money’s in it—hard cash,” she retorted, “and all my valuable -papers besides. I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">24</a></span> could trust the judge with ’em better than I could -trust myself; but I won’t trust anyone else. Now he’s gone I must take -charge of the stuff myself. I want that box.”</p> - -<p>“Well,” said Toby reflectively, “the box is yours, of course, and -you’re entitled to it. But I’m not sure we have the right to remove -anything from the judge’s office until an inventory has been made -and the will probated. I suppose an administrator or trustee will be -appointed who will deliver your box to you.”</p> - -<p>“Shucks!” cried Mrs. Ritchie scornfully; “you’re a fool, Toby Clark. -You can’t tie up my personal property that way.”</p> - -<p>“The law, madam—”</p> - -<p>“Drat the law! The property’s mine, and I want it now.”</p> - -<p>Toby looked helplessly at Janet.</p> - -<p>“That’s the way she’s been annoying me all the afternoon,” declared -the girl, stifling a sob. “Can’t you get rid of her, Toby? Give her -anything she wants; only make her go.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll go when I get my property,” said Mrs. Ritchie, obstinately -settling herself in the chair.</p> - -<p>Toby thought about it.</p> - -<p>“I might ask Lawyer Kellogg’s advice,” he said. “He wasn’t Judge -Ferguson’s friend, but he knows the law and could tell us what to do.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">25</a></span> -“Kellogg! That fat pig of a pettifogger?” cried the old woman, sniffing -disdainfully. “I wouldn’t believe him on oath.”</p> - -<p>“Never mind the law; give her the box, Toby,” implored Janet.</p> - -<p>But Toby had a high respect for the law.</p> - -<p>“Do you know Mr. Holbrook?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“No,” said Janet.</p> - -<p>“Who’s Holbrook?” inquired Mrs. Ritchie. “Never heard of him.”</p> - -<p>“He is a young lawyer who has just come to Riverdale to practice. I -think Will Chandler has rented him our offices,” explained the boy.</p> - -<p>“Is he decent?” asked the old woman.</p> - -<p>“I—I think so, ma’am. I’ve never seen him but once, a half hour ago. -But I’m sure he is competent to advise us.”</p> - -<p>“Go get him,” commanded Mrs. Ritchie.</p> - -<p>“It will be better for you to come with me,” replied Toby, anxious to -relieve Janet of the woman’s disturbing presence. “We will go to the -hotel, and I’ll leave you there while I hunt up Mr. Holbrook. He may be -stopping at the hotel, you know.”</p> - -<p>The woman rose deliberately from her chair.</p> - -<p>“It’s getting late,” she said. “I want to get my property and drive -home before dark. Come along, boy.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">26</a></span> -“Thank you, Toby,” whispered Janet, gratefully, as the two passed out -of the room.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Ritchie’s horse was hitched to a post in front of the house. They -climbed into the rickety buggy and she drove into town and to the -rambling old clapboard hotel, which was located on the main street. It -was beginning to grow dusk by this time.</p> - -<p>On the hotel porch stood the man they were seeking. Mr. Holbrook was -smoking a cigarette and, with hands thrust deep in his pockets, was -gazing vacantly down the street. Turning his attention to the arrivals -the young lawyer seemed to recognize Toby. When the boy and the woman -approached him he threw away his cigarette and bowed in deference to -Mrs. Ritchie’s sex.</p> - -<p>“I am Judge Ferguson’s clerk, sir,” began Toby.</p> - -<p>“Yes; I know.”</p> - -<p>“And this is Mrs. Ritchie, who employed the judge as her confidential -business agent.”</p> - -<p>“I am glad to know you, madam. Step into the hotel parlor, please. -There we may converse with more comfort.”</p> - -<p>When they had entered the parlor Toby explained the situation. Mrs. -Ritchie wanted her box of private papers and Toby was not sure he had -the right to give them up without legal authority.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">27</a></span> -“That is correct,” observed Mr. Holbrook. “You must have an order from -the Probate Court to dispose of any property left by Judge Ferguson.”</p> - -<p>“It’s <em>my</em> property!” snapped the woman.</p> - -<p>“Very true, madam. We regret that you should be so annoyed. But you can -readily understand that your interests are being safeguarded by the -law. If anyone, without authority, could deliver your box to you, he -might also deliver it to others, in which case you would suffer serious -loss. There will be no difficulty, however, in securing the proper -order from the court; but that will require a few days’ time.”</p> - -<p>“There’s money in that box,” said Mrs. Ritchie. “I don’t trust those -swindling banks, so the judge kept all my ready money for me. In that -box are thousands of dollars in cold cash, an’ some government bonds -as good as cash. I need some money to-day. Can’t this boy let me into -the office so I can take what I want out of the box? I’ve got a key, if -Toby Clark will open the cupboard for me. I drove to town to-day for -money to pay off my hands with, and found the judge died las’ night, -without letting me know. A pretty pickle I’ll be in, if the law’s to -keep me from my rightful property!”</p> - -<p>“You have no right to touch your box, Mrs.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">28</a></span> Ritchie. The boy has no -right to allow you in Mr. Ferguson’s offices.”</p> - -<p>“Never mind that; no one will know, if we keep our mouths shut.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Holbrook smiled but shook his head.</p> - -<p>“I am sorry you should be so distressed,” he said gently, “but the -inconvenience is but temporary, I assure you. If you employ me to get -the order from the court I will see that there is no unnecessary delay.”</p> - -<p>“Humph!” said the woman, looking at him shrewdly. “Will it cost -anything?”</p> - -<p>“Merely my expenses to the city, a slight fee and the court charges.”</p> - -<p>“Merely a job to rob me, eh? You want me to pay good money to get hold -of my own property?”</p> - -<p>“If you are in a hurry for it. Otherwise, by allowing the law to take -its course, the property will be returned to you without charge.”</p> - -<p>She considered this statement, eyeing the young man suspiciously the -while.</p> - -<p>“I’ll think it over,” was her final verdict. “To-morrow I’ll drive into -town again. Don’t you blab about what I’ve told you is in that box, -Holbrook. If you’re goin’ to settle in this town you’ll have to learn -to keep your mouth shut, or you’ll get run out in short order. Judge -Ferguson<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">29</a></span> never blabbed and you’ll do well to follow his example. Come, -Toby; I’m goin’ home.”</p> - -<p>“By the way,” remarked Mr. Holbrook, addressing the boy in meaning -tones, “you’d better keep out of Mr. Ferguson’s offices until after an -inventory is made by the proper authorities. If you have a key, as I -suspect—for I saw you in the office—get rid of it at once; for, if -anything is missing, you might be held responsible.”</p> - -<p>Toby saw the value of this advice.</p> - -<p>“I’ll give my key to Mr. Spaythe, at the bank, for safe keeping,” he -said.</p> - -<p>“That’s right,” returned the young man, nodding approval.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Spaythe was the judge’s best friend and I think he’ll be the -executor, under the terms of the will,” continued Toby, thoughtfully.</p> - -<p>“In any event, get rid of the key,” counseled Mr. Holbrook.</p> - -<p>“I will, sir.”</p> - -<p>When they were standing alone by Mrs. Ritchie’s buggy the woman asked -in a low voice:</p> - -<p>“So you’ve got the key, have you?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” said Toby.</p> - -<p>“Then we’ll go to the office and get my box, law or no law. I’ll make -it worth your while, Toby Clark, and no one will ever know.”</p> - -<p>The boy shook his head, casting a whimsical smile at the unscrupulous -old woman.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">30</a></span> -“No bribery and corruption for me, ma’am, thank you. I’m somewhat -inclined to be honest, in my humble way. But I couldn’t do it, anyhow, -Mrs. Ritchie, because Judge Ferguson always kept the key to the -cupboard himself, on the same ring that he kept the keys to all the -boxes.”</p> - -<p>“Where are his keys, then?”</p> - -<p>“At his house, I suppose.”</p> - -<p>“Tcha! That impudent girl of his has them, an’ there’s no use asking -her to give ’em up.”</p> - -<p>“Not the slightest use, Mrs. Ritchie.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I’m going home.”</p> - -<p>She got into the buggy and drove away. Toby stood motionless a moment, -thoughtfully leaning on his crutch as he considered what to do. -Spaythe’s Bank was closed, of course, but the boy had an uneasy feeling -that he ought not to keep the key to the office in his possession -overnight. So he walked slowly to Mr. Spaythe’s house and asked to see -the banker, who fortunately was at home.</p> - -<p>“I’d like you to take the key to the office, sir, and keep it until -it’s wanted,” he explained.</p> - -<p>“Very well,” answered the banker, who knew Toby as the trusted clerk of -his old friend Judge Ferguson.</p> - -<p>“There’s another key,” remarked Toby. “It<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">31</a></span> belonged to the judge, but -he always left it in Will Chandler’s care.”</p> - -<p>“I have that key also,” said Mr. Spaythe. “Mr. Chandler sent it to -me early this afternoon, by the young lawyer who has rented the -offices—Holbrook, I think his name is.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Spaythe.”</p> - -<p>“I looked in at the offices a while ago and found them in good order,” -continued the banker. Then he looked at Toby as if wondering if he had -better say more, but evidently decided not to. Toby marked the man’s -hesitation and waited.</p> - -<p>“Good night, my boy.”</p> - -<p>“Good night, Mr. Spaythe.”</p> - -<p>Toby hobbled slowly to his lonely shanty on the river bank, prepared -his simple supper, for he had forgotten to eat during this eventful -day, and afterward went to bed. Every moment he grieved over the loss -of his friend. Until after the funeral the boy, seemingly forgotten by -all, kept to his isolated shanty except for a daily pilgrimage to the -Ferguson house to ask Janet if there was anything he could do.</p> - -<p>The day following the funeral the judge’s will was read and it was -found that he had left his modest fortune to his wife, in trust for his -only child, Janet. There were no bequests to anyone. Mr. Spaythe was -named sole executor.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">32</a></span> -Toby was present during the reading of the will, but he was not -surprised that he was not mentioned in it. The boy had never -entertained a thought that his former master would leave him money. The -judge had paid him his wages and been kind to him; that was enough. Now -that the sad strain was over and the man he had known and loved was -laid to rest, Toby Clark returned thoughtfully to his poor home to face -a new era in his life.</p> - -<p>The prime necessity, under the new conditions, was employment.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">33</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="iii" id="iii"></a>CHAPTER III<br /> -<small>HOW THE DARINGS PLANNED</small></h2> - - -<p>Phoebe Daring, who was fond of Toby Clark—as were, indeed, all of -the Darings—did not forget her promise to ask the Little Mother what -could be done for the boy. This “Little Mother” was Cousin Judith -Eliot, scarcely more than a girl herself, who had come to live with -the orphaned Darings and endeavor to train her wild and rather wayward -charges in the ways they should go. The youngsters all adored Cousin -Judith, yet she had no easy task, being a conscientious young woman and -feeling deeply her grave responsibilities. Judith was an artist and -had been studying miniature painting abroad when summoned to Riverdale -by the sudden death of Mr. Daring. She painted some, still, in the -seclusion of her pretty room, but was never too busy to attend to the -children or to listen when they wished to consult her or to bewail -their woes and tribulations.</p> - -<p>Phoebe was no bother, for she was old enough and sufficiently mature -not only to care for herself<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">34</a></span> but to assist in the management of the -younger ones. Phil, a frank, resourceful young fellow, was away at -college and working hard. Becky was perhaps the most unruly of the -lot; a tender-hearted, lovable child, but inclined to recklessness, -willfulness and tomboy traits. It was hard to keep Becky “toein’ de -chalk-line,” as old Aunt Hyacinth tersely put it, for restraint was a -thing the girl abhorred. She fought constantly with Donald, the next -younger, who always had a chip on his shoulder and defied everyone but -Cousin Judith, while the clashes between Becky and little Sue—“who’s -dat obst’nit she wouldn’t breave ef yo’ tol’ her she had to” (Aunt -Hyacinth again)—were persistent and fearful. Before Judith came, the -three younger Darings had grown careless, slangy and rude, and in spite -of all admonitions they still lapsed at times into the old bad ways.</p> - -<p>Judith loved them all. She knew their faults were due to dominant, -aggressive natures inherited from their father, a splendid man who had -been admired and respected by all who knew him, and that the lack of -a mother’s guiding hand had caused them to run wild for a while. But -finer natures, more tender and trustful hearts, sweeter dispositions or -better intentions could not be found in a multitude of similar children -and their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">35</a></span> errors were never so serious that they could not be forgiven -when penitence followed the fault, as it usually did.</p> - -<p>A few days after the conversation recorded at the beginning of this -story Phoebe went to Judith’s room, where the Little Mother sat working -on a miniature of Sue—the beauty of the family—and said:</p> - -<p>“I’d like to do something for Toby Clark. We’re all dreadfully sorry -for him.”</p> - -<p>“What has happened to Toby?” asked Judith.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Ferguson’s death has thrown him out of employment and it will be -hard for him to find another place,” explained Phoebe. “His bad foot -bars him from ordinary work, you know, and jobs are always scarce in -Riverdale. Besides, Toby wants to become a lawyer, and if he cannot -continue his study of the law he’ll lose all the advantages he gained -through the judge’s help and sympathy. Our dear old friend’s passing -was a loss to us all, but to no one more than to Toby Clark.”</p> - -<p>“Has he any money saved up?” asked Judith thoughtfully.</p> - -<p>“Not much, I fear. His wages were always small, you know, and—he had -to live.”</p> - -<p>“Won’t the Fergusons do anything for him?”</p> - -<p>“They’re eager to,” replied Phoebe, “but Toby<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">36</a></span> won’t accept money. He -almost cried, Janet told me, when Mrs. Ferguson offered to assist him. -He’s a terribly proud boy, Cousin Judith, and that’s going to make it -hard for us to help him. If he thought for a moment we were offering -him charity, he’d feel humiliated and indignant. Toby’s the kind of boy -that would starve without letting his friends know he was hungry.”</p> - -<p>“He won’t starve, dear,” asserted Judith, smiling. “There’s a good deal -of courage in Toby’s character. If he can’t do one thing to earn an -honest living, he’ll do another. This morning I bought fish of him.”</p> - -<p>“Fish!”</p> - -<p>“Yes; he says he has turned fisherman until something better offers. -I’m sure that Riverdale people will buy all the fish he can catch, for -they’re good fish—we shall have some for dinner—and his prices are -reasonable.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, dear; I’m so sorry,” wailed Phoebe, really distressed. “The idea -of that poor boy—a cripple—being obliged to carry fish around to the -houses; and when he has the making of a fine lawyer in him, too!”</p> - -<p>“Toby’s foot doesn’t bother him much,” observed Judith, dabbing at her -palette. “He limps, to be sure, and needs the crutch; but his foot -doesn’t hurt him, however much he uses it. Yet<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">37</a></span> I think I admire his -manly courage the more because the boy is capable of better things -than fishing. I asked him, this morning, why he didn’t apply to Lawyer -Kellogg for a position; but he said the judge never liked Kellogg and -so Toby considered it disloyal to his friend’s memory to have any -connection with the man. The chances are that he escaped a snub, for -Mr. Kellogg detests everyone who loved Judge Ferguson.”</p> - -<p>Phoebe nodded, absently.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Kellogg will have the law business of Riverdale all to himself, -now,” she said.</p> - -<p>“I doubt it,” replied Judith. “Toby tells me a young man named -Holbrook, a perfect stranger to Riverdale, has come here to practice -law, and that he has rented Mr. Ferguson’s old offices.”</p> - -<p>“Oh!” exclaimed Phoebe, surprised. “Then perhaps Mr. Holbrook will take -Toby for his clerk. That would be fine!”</p> - -<p>“I thought of that, too, and mentioned it to Toby,” answered Cousin -Judith; “but Mr. Holbrook said he didn’t need a clerk and refused -Toby’s application.”</p> - -<p>“Then he doesn’t know how bright and intelligent Toby is. Why should -he, being a stranger? If some one would go to him and tell him how -valuable the boy would be to him, after his experience with Mr. -Ferguson, I’m sure the new lawyer would find a place for him.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">38</a></span> -Judith worked a while reflectively.</p> - -<p>“That might be the best way to help Toby,” she said. “But who is to -go to Mr. Holbrook? It’s a rather delicate thing to propose, you see, -and yet the argument you have advanced is a just one. A young lawyer, -beginning business and unknown to our people, would find a clever, -capable young fellow—who is well liked in the community—of real value -to him. It seems to me that Janet Ferguson would be the best person -to undertake the mission, for she has an excuse in pleading for her -father’s former assistant.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll see Janet about it,” declared Phoebe, promptly, and she was so -enthusiastic over the idea and so positive of success that she went at -once to the Ferguson house to interview Janet.</p> - -<p>This girl was about Phoebe’s own age and the two had been good friends -from the time they were mere tots. Janet was rather more sedate and -serious-minded than Phoebe Daring, and had graduated with much higher -honors at the high school, but their natures were congenial and they -had always been much together.</p> - -<p>“It’s an excellent idea,” said Janet, when the matter was explained to -her. “I will be glad to call on Mr. Holbrook in regard to the matter, -if you will go with me, Phoebe.”</p> - -<p>“Any time you say, Janet.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">39</a></span> -“I think we ought to wait a few days. Mr. Spaythe is trustee of -father’s estate, you know, and he has arranged to sell the office -furniture to Mr. Holbrook. To-morrow all the papers and securities -which father held in trust for his clients will be returned to their -proper owners, and on the day after Mr. Holbrook will move into the -offices for the first time. He is staying at the hotel, right now, and -it seems to me best to wait until he is in his offices and established -in business, for this is strictly a business matter.”</p> - -<p>“Of course; strictly business,” said Phoebe. “Perhaps you are right, -Janet, but we mustn’t wait too long, for then Mr. Holbrook might employ -some other clerk and Toby would be out of it. Let’s go to him day after -to-morrow, as soon as he has possession of the office.”</p> - -<p>“Very well.”</p> - -<p>“At ten o’clock, say,” continued Phoebe. “There’s nothing like being -prompt in such things. You stop at the house for me at nine-thirty, -Janet, and we’ll go down town together.”</p> - -<p>The arrangement being successfully concluded, Phoebe went home with a -light heart. At suppertime Donald came tearing into the house, tossed -his cap in a corner and with scarcely enough breath to speak announced:</p> - -<p>“There’s a big row down at Spaythe’s Bank!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">40</a></span> -“What’s up, Don?” asked Becky, for the family was assembled around the -table.</p> - -<p>“There’s a blue box missing from Judge Ferguson’s cupboard, and it -belonged to that old cat, Mrs. Ritchie. She’s been nagging Mr. Spaythe -for days to give it up to her, but for some reason he wouldn’t. This -afternoon, when Spaythe cleaned out the old cupboard and took all -the boxes over to his bank, Mrs. Ritchie was hot on his trail and -discovered her blue box was not among the others. It’s really missing, -and they can’t find hide nor hair of it. I heard Mr. Spaythe tell the -old cat he did not know where it is or what’s become of it, and she was -just furious and swore she’d have the banker arrested for burglary. It -was the jolliest scrap you could imagine and there’ll be a royal rumpus -that’ll do your hearts good before this thing is settled, I can promise -you!”</p> - -<p>The news astonished them all, for sensations of any sort were rare in -Riverdale.</p> - -<p>“What do you suppose has become of the box?” asked Phoebe.</p> - -<p>“Give it up,” said Don, delighted to find himself so important.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps Mr. Ferguson kept it somewhere else; in the bank vault, or at -his house,” suggested Judith.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">41</a></span> -“Nope. Spaythe has looked everywhere,” declared Don. “Old Ritchie says -she had a lot of money in that box, and bonds an’ s’curities to no end. -She’s rich as mud, you know, but hates to lose a penny.”</p> - -<p>“Dear me,” exclaimed Phoebe; “can’t she hold the Fergusons -responsible?” appealing to Cousin Judith.</p> - -<p>“I’m not sure of that,” replied the Little Mother, seriously, for here -was a matter that might cause their lately bereaved friends an added -misfortune. “If the box contained so much of value it would ruin the -Fergusons to replace it. The question to be determined is when the box -disappeared. If it was there when Mr. Spaythe took possession of the -office, I think he will be personally responsible.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know anything about that,” said Don. “I was on my way home -when I heard Mrs. Ritchie screeching like a lunatic that her box was -stolen. I joined the crowd and we all followed to the bank, Mr. Spaythe -in his automobile with the load of boxes and Ritchie running along -beside the car jawing him like a crazy woman. She called him a thief -and a robber at ev’ry step, but he paid no attention. Eric Spaythe -had just closed the bank when we got there, but he helped his father -carry in the truck, and Mrs. Ritchie<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">42</a></span> watched every box that went in -and yelled: ‘That ain’t it! That ain’t it!’ while the crowd laughed -an’ hooted. Then Mr. Spaythe tried to explain and quiet her, but she -wouldn’t listen to reason. So Eric and his father both went into the -bank and locked the woman out when she wanted to follow them. It was -lots of fun, about that time. I thought she’d smash in the glass -with her umbrella; but while she was screaming an’ threatening the -Spaythes, Lawyer Kellogg happened to come along and he drew her aside. -He whispered to her a minute an’ then they both got into her buggy -an’ drove away. That broke up the circus, but ev’ryone says there’ll -be something doing before this thing is settled, unless that lost box -turns up.”</p> - -<p>The information conveyed was not entirely lucid, but sufficiently so -to disturb the whole Daring family. They were not at all interested in -Mrs. Ritchie, but the Fergusons were such old and close friends that -there was a general impression that the lost box might cost them all -the judge had left and practically ruin them.</p> - -<p>“We know,” said Phoebe, in talking it over later, “that the judge was -honest. Mrs. Ritchie knew that, too, or she wouldn’t have put her -valuables in his keeping.”</p> - -<p>“But it seems very unbusinesslike, on his part,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">43</a></span> to keep her valuables -in an old wooden cupboard,” declared Judith. “Judge Ferguson was quite -old-fashioned about such matters and evidently had no fear of either -fires or burglars.”</p> - -<p>“They never bothered him, neither,” Don reminded her. “That old -cupboard’s been stuffed full of valuable papers and tin boxes for -years, an’ not a soul ever touched ’em.”</p> - -<p>“Oak doors, strong boxes and good locks,” said Phoebe; “that accounts -for their past safety. Those cupboard doors are as strong as a good -many safes, and as far as burglars are concerned, they manage to -break in anywhere if they get the chance. I don’t believe anyone but -a professional burglar could steal Mrs. Ritchie’s box, and no burglar -would take hers and leave all the others. Still, if it wasn’t stolen, -where is it? That’s the question.”</p> - -<p>“It’s more than a question, Phoebe,” replied Don; “it’s a mystery.”</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">44</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="iv" id="iv"></a>CHAPTER IV<br /> -<small>HOW PHOEBE BECAME WORRIED</small></h2> - - -<p>Reflecting on the astonishing information Don had conveyed, Phoebe went -to her room and sat down at a small table near the window to which was -fastened a telegraph instrument, the wire leading outside through a -hole bored in the lower part of the sash.</p> - -<p>A telegraph instrument is indeed a queer thing to be found in a young -girl’s room, yet its existence is simple enough when explained. -Riverdale was an out-of-the-way town, quite as unenterprising as many -Southern towns of its class. Its inhabitants followed slowly and -reluctantly in the wake of progress. They had used electric lights -since only the year before, getting the current from Canton, ten miles -away, where there was more enterprise and consequently more business. -Canton also supplied telephone service to Bayport and Riverdale, but -the cost of construction and installation was considered so high that -as yet Riverdale had but three connections: one at the post office, a -public toll station; one at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">45</a></span> Spaythe’s bank and one at the newspaper -office. The citizens thought these three provided for all needs and -so they did not encourage the Canton telephone company to establish a -local exchange for the residences of their village.</p> - -<p>Some were annoyed by this lack of public interest in so convenient a -utility as the telephone. The Randolphs would have liked one in their -house, and so would the Darings, the Camerons, the Fergusons and a -few others; but these were obliged to wait until there was sufficient -demand to warrant the establishment of an exchange.</p> - -<p>The telegraph operator of the village was a young fellow who had been -a schoolmate of both Phil and Phoebe Daring, although he was some -few years their elder. Dave Hunter had gone to St. Louis to study -telegraphy and afterward served as an assistant in several cities until -he finally managed to secure the position of operator in his home town.</p> - -<p>The Hunters were nice people, but of humble means, and Dave was really -the breadwinner for his widowed mother and his sister Lucy, a bright -and pretty girl of Phoebe’s age. Encouraged by her brother’s success, -Lucy determined to become a telegraph operator herself, as many girls -are now doing; but to avoid the expense of going to a school of -telegraphy Dave agreed to teach<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">46</a></span> her during his leisure hours. In order -to do this he stretched a wire from his office to his home, two blocks -away, and placed instruments at either end so that Lucy could practice -by telegraphing to her brother and receiving messages in reply.</p> - -<p>She was getting along famously when Phoebe Daring and Nathalie Cameron -called on her one day and were delighted by her ability to telegraph to -her brother.</p> - -<p>“Why, it’s as good as a telephone, and much more fun,” declared Phoebe, -and Nathalie asked:</p> - -<p>“Why couldn’t we have telegraphs in our own houses, and get Dave to -teach us how to use them? Then we could talk to one another whenever we -pleased—rain or shine.”</p> - -<p>The idea appealed to Phoebe. Lucy telegraphed the suggestion to her -brother and he readily agreed to teach the girls if they provided -instruments and stretched wires between the various houses. That -would be quite an expense, he warned them, and they would have to get -permission from the village board to run the wires through the streets.</p> - -<p>Nothing daunted, they immediately set to work to accomplish their novel -purpose. Marion Randolph, the eldest of the Randolph children, was home -from college at this time and entered heartily into the scheme. They -were joined by Janet<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">47</a></span> Ferguson, and the four girls, representing the -best families in the village, had no trouble in getting permission to -put up the wires, especially when they had the judge to argue their -case for them.</p> - -<p>Dave, seeing he could turn an honest penny, undertook to put up the -wires, for there was not enough business at the Riverdale telegraph -office to demand his entire time and Lucy was now competent to take his -place when he was away. He connected the houses of the Darings, the -Randolphs, the Camerons and the Fergusons, and then he connected them -with his own home. For, as Lucy was the original telegraph girl, it -would never do to leave her out of the fun, although she could not be -asked to share the expense.</p> - -<p>Lucy seemed a little embarrassed because Dave accepted money for his -work and for teaching the four girls how to operate. “You see,” she -said one day when they were all assembled in her room, “Dave has lately -developed a money-making disposition. You mustn’t breathe it, girls, -but I’ve an idea he’s in love!”</p> - -<p>“Oh, Lucy! In love?”</p> - -<p>“He’s been very sweet on Hazel Chandler, the postmaster’s daughter, -of late, and I sometimes think they’ve had an understanding and will -be married, some day—when they have enough<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">48</a></span> money. Poor Hazel hasn’t -anything, you know, for there are so many in the Chandler family -that the postmaster’s salary and all they can make out of the little -stationery store in the post office is used up in living.”</p> - -<p>“It’s used up mostly by Mrs. Chandler’s social stunts,” declared -Nathalie. “She’s proud of being the leader of Riverdale society, and a -D. A. R., and several other things. But doesn’t Hazel get anything for -tending the shop and handing out the mail when her father is away?”</p> - -<p>“Not a cent. She’s lucky to get her board. And when she’s not in the -shop her mother expects her to do housework. Poor thing! It would be -a relief to her to marry and have a home of her own. I hope Dave’ll -manage it, and I’d love to have Hazel for a sister,” said Lucy. “Mind -you, girls, this is a secret; I’m not even positive I’m right in my -suspicions; but I wanted to explain why Dave took the money.”</p> - -<p>“He was perfectly right in doing so, under any circumstances,” declared -Phoebe, and the others agreed with her.</p> - -<p>Phoebe and Marion learned telegraphy very quickly, developing -surprising aptitude; Nathalie Cameron was not far behind them, but -Janet Ferguson, a remarkably bright girl in her studies, found the art -quite difficult to master and made<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">49</a></span> so many blunders that she added -materially to the delight they all found in telegraphing to one another -on all possible occasions. When Marion went back to college the other -four continued to amuse themselves by gossiping daily over the wire; -but gradually, as the novelty of the thing wore away, they became less -eager to use their lately acquired powers and so, at the period of this -story, the click of an instrument was seldom heard except when there -was some question to ask or some real news to communicate. By concerted -arrangement they were all alert to a “call” between six and seven in -the evening and from eight to nine in the mornings, but their trained -ears now recognized the click-click! if they were anywhere within -hearing of it.</p> - -<p>Cousin Judith was much amused and interested in this odd diversion -of Phoebe’s, and she recognized the educational value of the -accomplishment the girl had acquired and generously applauded her -success. Indeed, Phoebe was admitted the most skillful operator of them -all. But aside from the amusement and instruction it furnished, the -little telegraph circuit was of no practical value and could in no way -be compared with the utility of the telephone.</p> - -<p>On this evening, after hearing the exciting news of the loss of Mrs. -Ritchie’s box, Phoebe went to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">50</a></span> her room with the idea of telegraphing -to Janet and asking about the matter. But as she sat down before the -instrument she remembered that the Ferguson household was a sad and -anxious one just now and it was scarcely fitting to telegraph to her -friend in regard to so personal and important an affair. She decided -to run over in the morning for a quiet talk with Janet and meantime to -call the other girls and ask them for further news. She got Lucy Hunter -first, who said that Dave had come home full of the gossip caused by -the missing box, but some one had come for him and he had suddenly gone -away without telling the last half of his story.</p> - -<p>Then Phoebe, after a long delay, got Nathalie Cameron on the wire and -Nathalie had a lot to tell her. Mr. Cameron was a retired manufacturer -who was considered quite wealthy. Several years ago he had discovered -Riverdale and brought his family there to live, that he might “round -out his life,” as he said, amid quiet and peaceful scenes. He was a -director in Spaythe’s bank, as had been Judge Ferguson. Mr. Cameron -also owned a large plantation that adjoined the property of Mrs. -Ritchie, on the Bayport road. Nathalie told Phoebe that the Cameron -box, containing many valuable papers but no money, had also been in the -judge’s cupboard, but Mr.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">51</a></span> Spaythe had reported it safe and untampered -with. Nor had any box other than Mrs. Ritchie’s been taken. So far as -they knew, the Ritchie box was the only one in Mr. Ferguson’s care -that contained money, and it seemed as if the thief, whoever he might -be, was aware of this and so refrained from disturbing any of the -others. This theory, reported Nathalie, was sure to limit the number of -suspects to a possible few and her father was positive that the burglar -would soon be caught. Mr. Cameron had been at the bank and witnessed -Mrs. Ritchie’s display of anger and indignation when her box could not -be found. He had thought Mr. Spaythe rather too cold and unsympathetic, -but the banker’s nature was reserved and unemotional.</p> - -<p>“Father says the woman was as good as a vaudeville,” continued -Nathalie, clicking out the words, “but not quite so circumspect—so you -can imagine the scene! She is said to be rich and prosperous, but was -furious over her loss and threatened Mr. Spaythe with so many horrible -penalties, unless he restored her property, that he had to take refuge -inside the bank and lock the door on her.”</p> - -<p>This was merely such gossip as Phoebe had heard from Don, but it was -interesting to have the details from another viewpoint.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">52</a></span> -To understand the excitement caused by the disappearance of Mrs. -Ritchie’s box it is only necessary to remember that Riverdale is a -sleepy old town where anything out of the ordinary seldom happens. -In a big city such an occurrence would be a mere detail of the day’s -doings and the newspapers would not accord it sufficient importance to -mention it in a paragraph; but in Riverdale, where a humdrum, droning -life prevailed, the mysterious incident roused the entire community to -a state of wonder and speculation. The theft, or loss, or whatever it -was, became indeed the “talk of the town.”</p> - -<p>The principals in the scandal, moreover, were important people, or as -important as any that Riverdale possessed. Mrs. Ritchie owned one of -the largest plantations—or “farms”—in the neighborhood, left her long -ago by her deceased husband; Mr. Spaythe was the local banker; Judge -Ferguson had been known and highly respected far and wide. Therefore -the weekly newspaper in the town was sure to print several columns of -comment on the affair, provided the tipsy old compositor employed by -the editor could set so much type before the paper went to press.</p> - -<p>The following morning Phoebe walked over to see Janet and found that -the Fergusons were face to face with a new and serious trouble. It<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">53</a></span> was -true that the Ritchie box had vanished and no one could imagine where -it had gone to.</p> - -<p>“Papa was very orderly, in his way,” said Janet, “and he had a book in -which he kept a complete list of all papers and securities in his care -and a record of whatever he delivered to the owners. Mrs. Ritchie’s -account shows he had received money, bonds and mortgages from her, -amounting in value to several thousand dollars, and these were kept in -a heavy tin box painted blue, with the name ‘Ritchie’ upon it in white -letters. With many similar boxes it was kept in the oak cupboard at the -office, and my father always carried the keys himself. We gave these -keys to Mr. Spaythe because we knew he was father’s executor, and he -found all the boxes, with their contents undisturbed, except that of -Mrs. Ritchie. It is very strange,” she added, with a sigh.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps the judge removed it from the cupboard just before his—his -attack,” said Phoebe. “Have you searched the house?”</p> - -<p>“Everywhere. And it is not among father’s papers at the bank. One of -the most curious things about the affair,” continued Janet, “is that -Mrs. Ritchie came to the house the very day after father’s death to -demand her box, and she was so insistent that I had to send for Toby -Clark to take her away. No one else bothered us at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">54</a></span> all; only this -woman whose property was even then missing.”</p> - -<p>“Are you sure she didn’t go to the office and get the box?” asked -Phoebe, suddenly suspicious of this queer circumstance.</p> - -<p>“Why, she hadn’t the keys; nor had Toby. Mr. Spaythe found the cupboard -properly locked. On the bunch of small keys which father carried is one -labelled ‘Ritchie,’ and it proved there was a complicated lock on the -box which could not have been picked.”</p> - -<p>“That’s nothing,” returned Phoebe. “Whoever took the box could break it -open at leisure. It was merely tin; a can-opener would do the job.”</p> - -<p>“Yes; I’m sure that was why the entire box was taken away. It was the -only one that contained money to tempt a thief. Mrs. Ritchie, for -some reason, never trusted banks. She has some very peculiar ideas, -you know. Whenever she needed money she came to father and got it out -of the box, giving him a receipt for it and taking a receipt when -she deposited money. The record book shows that she had about three -thousand dollars in currency in her box when it—disappeared; and there -were government bonds for several thousands more, besides notes and -mortgages and other securities.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">55</a></span> -“Can she hold you responsible for this property?” inquired Phoebe.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Spaythe says that she can, but he is confident she will not -attempt to collect it from us. He was here this morning and had a -long talk with mother. He assured her the box will surely be found in -time, and told her not to worry. We are liable to suffer our greatest -annoyance from Mrs. Ritchie, who won’t be patient and wait for an -investigation. The woman is very nervous and excitable and seems to -think we are trying to defraud her.”</p> - -<p>“I—I don’t suppose there is anything I can do?” said Phoebe helplessly.</p> - -<p>“No, dear; nothing at all. Mr. Spaythe says not to pay any attention to -Mrs. Ritchie and has asked us not to talk about the affair until the -mystery is solved. If anyone asks questions we must refer them to Mr. -Spaythe. So you mustn’t repeat what I’ve told you, Phoebe.”</p> - -<p>“I won’t. Don says Mrs. Ritchie went away with Lawyer Kellogg last -night.”</p> - -<p>“I suppose Mr. Kellogg would like to take her case and make us all the -trouble he can,” replied Janet bitterly.</p> - -<p>“Why doesn’t Mr. Spaythe see Mr. Holbrook?” asked Phoebe.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know. Perhaps he has seen him.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">56</a></span> Anyhow, I’m sure Mr. Spaythe -will do everything in his power to find the box. He was one of father’s -best friends and we know him to be an honorable man and very capable in -all ways. We feel that we may trust Mr. Spaythe.”</p> - -<p>Phoebe did not reply to this. She was wondering if anyone could be -trusted in such a peculiar complication.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">57</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="v" id="v"></a>CHAPTER V<br /> -<small>HOW PHOEBE INTERVIEWED THE LAWYER</small></h2> - - -<p>Phoebe Daring returned home more mystified than ever in regard to the -missing box. The girl was by nature logical and inquiring and aside -from the interest she felt in the Fergusons the mystery appealed to her -curiosity and aroused in her a disposition to investigate it on her own -account. That day, however, there was no development in the affair. -Mrs. Ritchie kept out of sight and aside from the gossip indulged in -by the villagers concerning the discreditable scene at the bank the -night before, the excitement incident to the loss of the precious -blue box seemed to have subsided. Don and Becky reported that all the -school children were talking about the lost box and that many absurd -statements were made concerning its disappearance.</p> - -<p>“I had to punch one of the fellows for saying that Judge Ferguson spent -Mrs. Ritchie’s money and then committed suicide,” announced Don. “He -took it back, afterward, and said that Kellogg robbed the judge for -revenge. There may be some truth in that, for Kellogg paid his board<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">58</a></span> -bill the other day. Another kid said he dreamed it was Will Chandler, -the postmaster, who cut a hole through the ceiling of the post office -and so got into the judge’s cupboard. Nearly everybody in town is -accused by somebody, they say, and I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that -I stole the box myself.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t believe there <em>was</em> any box,” muttered Becky. “Ol’ Mam -Ritchie’s half crazy, an’ I guess she just imagined it.”</p> - -<p>“Wake up, Beck,” said Don; “you’re dreaming.”</p> - -<p>“That proves I’ve a brain,” retorted his sister. “No one can dream who -hasn’t a brain; which is the reason, my poor Don, you never dream.”</p> - -<p>“He snores, though,” declared Sue.</p> - -<p>“I don’t!” cried Don indignantly.</p> - -<p>“You snore like a pig; I’ve heard you.”</p> - -<p>“Never!”</p> - -<p>“I’ll leave it to Becky,” said Sue.</p> - -<p>“If she sides with you, I’ll pinch her till she’s black-an’-blue,” -promised Don angrily.</p> - -<p>“I dare you,” said Becky, bristling at the threat.</p> - -<p>“Now—now!” warned Phoebe; “there’ll be a fight in a minute, and some -one will be sorry. Cool off, my dears, and don’t get excited over -nothing. Have you got your lessons for to-morrow?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">59</a></span> -At nine thirty next morning Janet Ferguson stopped at the house, as she -had promised to do, and Phoebe put on her things and joined her friend -on the way to town, to interview Mr. Holbrook.</p> - -<p>“Any news?” asked Phoebe.</p> - -<p>Janet shook her head.</p> - -<p>“We haven’t heard from Mr. Spaythe since I saw you. Mother’s dreadfully -nervous over the thing, which followed so soon after father’s death. I -hope Mrs. Ritchie’s box will be found, for it would relieve us both of -much anxiety.”</p> - -<p>“I hope so, too,” replied Phoebe.</p> - -<p>When they arrived at the well-known stairway leading to the offices -which Judge Ferguson had occupied for so many years, Janet was rather -shocked to find a showy new sign suspended above the entrance. It bore -the words: “JOHN HOLBROOK, Attorney at Law,” and another but smaller -tin sign was tacked to the door at the head of the stairs.</p> - -<p>Phoebe knocked and a voice bade them enter. Mr. Holbrook was seated at -a table with several law books spread open before him. But he sat in -an easy attitude, smoking his cigarette, and both the girls decided -the array of legal lore was intended to impress any clients who might -chance to stray into the office.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">60</a></span> -“I am Miss Ferguson,” said Janet in stiff and formal tones. He bowed -and tossed his cigarette through the open window, looking at Janet -rather curiously and then turning to Phoebe. “Miss Daring, sir.”</p> - -<p>He bowed again, very courteously, as he placed chairs for them. -Somehow, they felt relieved by his polite manner. Neither had -expected to find so young a man or one so handsome and well dressed -and it occurred to Phoebe to wonder why Mr. Holbrook had selected -this out-of-the-way corner, where he was wholly unknown, in which to -practice law. Riverdale was normally an exceedingly quiet town and -possessed few attractions for strangers.</p> - -<p>Janet began the conversation.</p> - -<p>“We have come to see you in regard to Toby Clark,” she said. “He was -in my father’s employ for several years, first as office boy and then -as clerk, and Judge Ferguson thought very highly of him and trusted -him fully. Toby injured his foot a year ago and limps badly, but that -doesn’t interfere much with his activity, and so we thought—we hoped—”</p> - -<p>She hesitated, here, because Mr. Holbrook was looking at her with an -amused smile. But Phoebe helped her out.</p> - -<p>“Toby is without employment, just now,” she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">61</a></span> explained, “and we believe -it will be to your advantage to secure him as an assistant.”</p> - -<p>“The young man has already applied to me,” said the lawyer. “I was -obliged to decline his application.”</p> - -<p>“I know,” said Phoebe; “but perhaps you did not realize his value. Toby -is very popular in Riverdale and knows every one of Judge Ferguson’s -former clients personally.”</p> - -<p>“I do not need a clerk,” returned Mr. Holbrook, rather shortly.</p> - -<p>“But you are a stranger here and you will pardon my saying that it is -evident you wish to secure business, or you would not have opened a law -office. Also you are anxious to succeed to Judge Ferguson’s practice, -or you would not so promptly have rented the office he had occupied. -Nothing will help you to succeed more than to employ Toby Clark, who -was the judge’s old clerk and knew a good deal about his law business. -Toby is as much a part of the outfit of this office as the furniture,” -she added with a smile.</p> - -<p>“I thank you for your consideration of my interests,” said Mr. Holbrook.</p> - -<p>Phoebe flushed.</p> - -<p>“I admit that we are more interested, for the moment, in Toby Clark,” -she replied. “Like everyone else in Riverdale who knows the boy,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">62</a></span> we -are fond of him, and so we want him to have the opportunity to continue -his studies of the law. He is very poor, you know, and cannot afford to -go to college just yet; so nothing would assist him more than for you -to employ him, just as Judge Ferguson did.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Holbrook drummed with his fingers on the table, in an absent way. -He was evidently puzzled how to answer this fair pleader. Then he -suddenly straightened up, sat back in his chair and faced the two girls -frankly.</p> - -<p>“I am, as you state, an entire stranger here,” said he, “and for that -reason I must tell you something of myself or you will not understand -my refusal to employ Toby Clark. I—”</p> - -<p>“Excuse me,” said Janet, rising; “we did not intend to force your -confidence, sir. We thought that perhaps, when you were informed of the -value of my father’s clerk, you might be glad to employ him, and we -would like to have you do so; but having presented the case to the best -of our ability we can only leave you to decide as you think best.”</p> - -<p>“Sit down, please, Miss Ferguson,” he replied earnestly. “It is indeed -to my advantage to make friends in Riverdale, rather than enemies, and -as I am unable to employ Toby Clark you are likely to become annoyed by -my refusal, unless you fully<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">63</a></span> understand my reasons. Therefore I beg -you will allow me to explain.”</p> - -<p>Janet glanced at Phoebe, who had remained seated. Her friend nodded, -so Janet sat down again. The truth was that Miss Daring was curious to -hear Mr. Holbrook’s explanation.</p> - -<p>“I’ve had my own way to make in the world,” began the young man, in a -hesitating, uncertain tone, but gathering confidence as he proceeded. -“There was no one to put me through college, so I worked my way—doing -all sorts of disagreeable jobs to pay expenses. After I got my degree -and was admitted to the bar I was without a dollar with which to begin -the practice of law. Yet I had to make a start, somehow or other, and -it occurred to me that a small town would be leas expensive to begin -in than a city. During the past summer I worked hard. I don’t mind -telling you that I tended a soda-fountain in St. Louis and remained -on duty twelve hours a day. I earned an excellent salary, however, -and by the first of October believed I had saved enough money to -start me in business. Seeking a small and desirable town, I arrived -in Riverdale and liked the place. While hesitating whether or not to -make it my permanent location, Judge Ferguson died, and that decided -me. I imagined I might find a good opening here by trying to fill his -place. I rented<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">64</a></span> these offices and paid a month’s rent in advance. I -purchased this furniture and the law library from Mr. Spaythe, the -executor, and partly paid for it in cash. My board at the hotel is paid -for up to Saturday night, and I had some letterheads and cards printed -and my signs painted. All this indicates me prosperous, but the cold -fact, young ladies, is that I have at this moment exactly one dollar -and fifteen cents in my pocket, and no idea where the next dollar is -coming from. Absurd, isn’t it? And amusing, too, if we consider it -philosophically. I’m putting up a good front, for a pauper, and I’m -not at all dismayed, because I believe myself a good lawyer. I’ve an -idea that something will occur to furnish me with a paying client in -time to save the day. But you can readily understand that under such -circumstances I cannot employ a clerk, even at a minimum salary. I -must be my own office-boy and errand-boy until my living expenses are -assured and I can see the week’s wage ahead for my assistant. And now, -Miss Ferguson and Miss Daring, you have the bare facts in the case and -I hope you will be able to forgive me for refusing your request.”</p> - -<p>The girls had listened in some amazement, yet there was little in Mr. -Holbrook’s ingenuous statement to cause surprise. Such a condition was -easily understood and quite plausible in this<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">65</a></span> aggressive age. But the -story affected the two girls differently. Janet developed an admiration -for the bold, masterful way in which this impecunious young fellow had -established himself. Such a combination of audacity and courage could -scarcely fail to lead him to success.</p> - -<p>Phoebe, on the other hand, thought she detected a false note running -through the smooth recital. It seemed to her that Mr. Holbrook had -either invented the entire story on the spur of the moment or was -holding something back—perhaps both—for reasons of his own. She -did not doubt the main point of the story, that he was absolutely -penniless and dependent upon the uncertainties of his law business for -a living; but she felt sure he had not confided to them his actual -history, or any important details of his past life. She reflected -that this young fellow wore expensive clothes and that every detail -of his apparel, from the patent-leather shoes to the white silk tie -with its jeweled stick-pin, denoted extravagance rather than cautious -economy, such as he had claimed he had practiced. A silk-lined overcoat -hung upon a peg and beside it was a hat of better quality than the -young men of Riverdale wore. A taste for expensive clothes might be a -weakness with the lawyer, and while Phoebe hesitated to condemn him -for the endeavor to present<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">66</a></span> a prosperous appearance she could not -help thinking he would have saved a good deal more money as soda-water -clerk had he been content with more modest attire. Imagine dapper Mr. -Holbrook a soda-water clerk! Phoebe was almost sure that was one of the -inventions. Yet she, as well as Janet, admitted the frank and winning -personality of the young lawyer and felt she knew and appreciated him -better since listening to his story.</p> - -<p>“Of course,” continued Holbrook, a little anxiously, “this confidence -places me at a disadvantage in your eyes. If Riverdale knows me as you -do I shall be ruined.”</p> - -<p>“We shall respect your confidence, sir,” said Janet, less stiffly than -before, “and we now fully understand why you cannot, at present, employ -Toby Clark. Perhaps, by and by—”</p> - -<p>“If I succeed, I shall give Toby the first job in my office,” he -promised earnestly.</p> - -<p>“Thank you, sir. Come, Phoebe.”</p> - -<p>But Phoebe again refused to stir. She was pondering something in her -mind and presently gave it expression.</p> - -<p>“Toby Clark,” said she, “injured his foot while endeavoring to serve -the family fortunes of the Darings, so we are really under serious -obligations to the boy. But he is so proud and shy, Mr. Holbrook, that -were we to offer him assistance<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">67</a></span> at this crisis in his affairs, he -would be hurt and humiliated. And he would refuse to accept any help -that savored of charity.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Holbrook nodded, smiling at her.</p> - -<p>“I understand that disposition, Miss Daring,” said he, “for I have -similar qualities of independence myself.”</p> - -<p>“Yet something must be done for Toby,” she continued, “or else the -boy will lose all the advantages of his former association with Judge -Ferguson and perhaps starve or freeze when the cold weather comes on. -From your explanation, sir, and the promise you have just made to Miss -Ferguson, I understand your sole reason for not employing Toby is the -lack of money with which to pay his wages. Is that correct?”</p> - -<p>“Entirely so, Miss Daring. I appreciate the advantages of having this -young fellow with me, since he is so well acquainted hereabouts and is -somewhat posted in Mr. Ferguson’s business affairs; but—”</p> - -<p>“Then,” said Phoebe, “we must organize a conspiracy, we three, and -help Toby without his ever suspecting it. We Darings are not wealthy, -Mr. Holbrook, but we have more means than we absolutely require and -it will be a great pleasure to us to pay Toby Clark’s salary as your -clerk until you become prosperous enough to pay it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">68</a></span> yourself. Judge -Ferguson was not over-liberal in the matter of wages and gave Toby but -five dollars a week in money; but he also gave him a wealth of kindly -sympathy and much assistance in the study of law. I want you to hire -Toby at the same wages—five dollars a week—and try to assist him at -odd times as the judge did. No one but we three shall ever know how -the wages are supplied, and especially must the secret be guarded from -Toby. What do you say to this proposition, Mr. Holbrook?”</p> - -<p>Janet was filled with admiration of this clever idea and looked -appealingly at the young man. Mr. Holbrook flushed slightly, then -frowned and began drumming on the table with his fingers again. -Presently he looked up and asked:</p> - -<p>“Will this arrangement be a source of satisfaction to you young ladies?”</p> - -<p>“It will give us great pleasure,” declared Phoebe.</p> - -<p>“And it will be splendid for Toby,” added Janet.</p> - -<p>“Do you also realize that it is an assistance to me—that it will add -to the false evidences of my prosperity?” inquired the young man.</p> - -<p>“Oh, I was not considering you at all,” said Phoebe quickly, fearing -he might refuse. “I was only thinking of Toby; but if you find any -advantage <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">69</a></span> in the arrangement I hope it will repay you -for your kindness to our friend—and to ourselves.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter width400"> -<a name="p68" id="p68"></a> -<img src="images/i_071.jpg" width="400" height="689" alt="" /> -<div class="caption">“Then,” said Phoebe, “we must organize a conspiracy, we -three, and help Toby without his ever suspecting it.”</div> -</div> - -<p>Mr. Holbrook smiled. Then he nodded cheerfully and replied:</p> - -<p>“It would be very ungracious of me to say no, under such quaint -conditions, and therefore we will consider the matter as settled, Miss -Daring.”</p> - -<p>“I will send you a check for twenty dollars, which will be four weeks’ -wages for Toby, in advance,” she said. “And each month I will send you -twenty more, until you notify me you are able to assume the obligation -yourself.”</p> - -<p>He shook his head, still smiling.</p> - -<p>“Send me five dollars each week,” said he. “Otherwise, in my present -circumstances, I might be tempted to spend Toby’s wages on myself.”</p> - -<p>“Very well, if you prefer it so.” Then, half turning toward the door, -she added: “I thank you, Mr. Holbrook. Your coöperation in this little -conspiracy of mine has relieved me of a great anxiety; indeed, it will -give pleasure to all who know Toby Clark and are interested in his -welfare. I shall not forget that we owe you this kindness.”</p> - -<p>He bowed rather gravely in acknowledgment of this pretty speech and -then they heard hasty steps mounting the stairs and the door opened -abruptly to admit Mr. Spaythe.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">70</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="vi" id="vi"></a>CHAPTER VI<br /> -<small>HOW TOBY CAME TO GRIEF</small></h2> - - -<p>The banker of Riverdale was perhaps the most important personage in -the community, not even excepting Will Chandler. A man of considerable -wealth and sterling character, Mr. Spaythe was greatly respected by -high and low and was deemed reliable in any emergency. In character he -was somewhat stern and unyielding and his sense of justice and honor -was so strong that he was uncharitably bitter and harsh toward any -delinquent in such matters. As an old friend of the late Judge Ferguson -he had accepted the responsibilities of administering his estate and -was engaged in fulfilling his duties with businesslike celerity and -exactness when the unpleasant incident of Mrs. Ritchie’s missing box -came up to annoy him. Mr. Ferguson’s affairs were in perfect order; Mr. -Spaythe knew that the box had disappeared since his demise; but the -affair required rigid investigation and the banker had undertaken to -solve the mystery in his own way, without confiding in or consulting -anybody.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">71</a></span> -Mr. Spaythe was usually so deliberate and unexcitable in demeanor that -his sudden entrance and agitated manner made both the girls, who knew -him well, gasp in astonishment. He seemed to be startled to find them -in young Mr. Holbrook’s office and his red face took on a deeper glow -as he stared first at one and then at the other.</p> - -<p>“We were just going,” said Phoebe, understanding that Mr. Spaythe had -come to see the lawyer, and then both the girls bowed and turned toward -the door.</p> - -<p>“One moment, please,” said the banker earnestly, as he held out an arm -with a restraining gesture. “A most extraordinary thing has happened, -in which you will doubtless be interested. Mrs. Ritchie has just had -Toby Clark arrested for stealing her box!”</p> - -<p>Phoebe sank into a chair, weak and trembling, and as she did so her -eyes swept Mr. Holbrook’s face and noticed that it flushed scarlet. But -the wave of color quickly receded and he turned a look of grave inquiry -upon Mr. Spaythe.</p> - -<p>“How absurd!” exclaimed Janet indignantly.</p> - -<p>“Yes, it is absurd,” agreed the banker, in a nervous manner, “but it is -quite serious, as well. I am sure Toby is innocent, but Mrs. Ritchie -has employed Abner Kellogg as her counselor and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">72</a></span> Kellogg would delight -in sending Toby to prison—if he can manage to do so.”</p> - -<p>“That box must be found!” cried Phoebe.</p> - -<p>Mr. Spaythe frowned.</p> - -<p>“It <em>has</em> been found,” he rejoined bitterly.</p> - -<p>“Where?”</p> - -<p>“In a rubbish-heap at the back of Toby Clark’s shanty, down by the -river. It is Mrs. Ritchie’s box, beyond doubt; I have seen it; the -cover had been wrenched off and—it was empty.”</p> - -<p>The two girls stared at one another in speechless amazement. Mr. -Holbrook stood by his table, watching them curiously, but he did not -seem to share their astonishment. Mr. Spaythe sat down in a chair and -wiped his forehead with a handkerchief.</p> - -<p>“Who arrested Toby?” asked Janet.</p> - -<p>“Parsons, the constable. The warrant was issued by Powell, a justice of -the peace, on a sworn statement made by Mrs. Ritchie and Abner Kellogg.”</p> - -<p>“And Sam Parsons—Toby’s friend—has put him in jail?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; he was obliged to do that, you know.”</p> - -<p>Phoebe was gradually recovering her composure.</p> - -<p>“He can be bailed out, I suppose,” she suggested.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">73</a></span> -Mr. Spaythe turned to the lawyer.</p> - -<p>“That is what I have come to see you about, Mr. Holbrook,” he said. -“Since this remarkable development in the matter of the missing box, -I shall be obliged to employ counsel. I would like to engage you to -defend Toby Clark.”</p> - -<p>The young man bowed.</p> - -<p>“I am fortunate, sir, to have so important a case brought to me so -early in my career,” he replied. “I will do my best for your protegè, I -assure you.”</p> - -<p>“Toby Clark is no protegè of mine,” declared the banker sternly. “But,” -he added, more mildly, “he was Judge Ferguson’s protegè and I believe -the boy incapable of this alleged theft. Therefore I propose he shall -be properly defended. I will be personally responsible for your fee, -Mr. Holbrook.”</p> - -<p>“That is quite satisfactory to me, sir.”</p> - -<p>“But about the bail,” cried Janet impatiently. “We cannot allow Toby to -remain in that dreadful jail!”</p> - -<p>“The county seat is at Bayport,” observed the lawyer. “We have no judge -here who is authorized to accept bail for an accused criminal. Toby -Clark must be taken to Bayport for a preliminary hearing, at which -I will appear in his behalf, instruct him to plead not guilty and -then demand<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">74</a></span> his release on bail. If you will drive over with me, Mr. -Spaythe, I’ve no doubt the bail can be easily arranged.”</p> - -<p>“When will his case be tried?” asked the banker.</p> - -<p>“The next term of court is the first week in December. The trial will -of course be at Bayport.”</p> - -<p>“What a long time to wait!” exclaimed Janet.</p> - -<p>“Never mind; it will give us time to discover the real criminal,” said -Phoebe decidedly. “In that event Toby’s case will never be tried.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Spaythe nodded. Then he shifted uneasily in his chair a moment and -asked:</p> - -<p>“Ought we to employ a detective, Mr. Holbrook?”</p> - -<p>“Of course!” said Phoebe. “That is the first thing to be done.”</p> - -<p>“Pardon me, Miss Daring,” returned the lawyer seriously, “I think that -should be reserved as our final resource. Riverdale is so small a -place that the movements of every inhabitant may easily be traced. I -believe I possess some small talent in the detective way myself—a good -criminal lawyer ought to be a good detective, it is said—so if Clark -is really innocent it ought not to be difficult to discover the real -criminal.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t like that ‘if,’ Mr. Holbrook,” said Phoebe resentfully.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">75</a></span> -The young man flushed again. It seemed to be one of his characteristics -to change color, on occasion, and he was aware of this failing and -evidently annoyed by it. At Phoebe’s remark he bit his lip and -hesitated a moment. Then he replied with dignity:</p> - -<p>“The ‘if’ was not intended to condemn your friend, Miss Daring. Even -the law holds him innocent until he is proved guilty. But you must -remember that Toby Clark is a perfect stranger to me and perhaps you -will admit that circumstantial evidence is at present against him. The -box was found on his premises, it seems, and he had the keys to this -office at the time of Judge Ferguson’s death. Even before there was a -rumor that anything was missing from the place I urged the boy to get -rid of the key—merely as a matter of ordinary precaution.”</p> - -<p>“I know that is true,” said Mr. Spaythe. “When Toby brought the key to -me he said you had advised him to do so.”</p> - -<p>“Still,” continued the lawyer reflectively, “the circumstantial -evidence, while it might influence a jury, can have no effect upon -those who know the boy’s character and believe in his honesty. The -thing for me to do, if I undertake this case, is first to discover who -knew of Mrs. Ritchie’s box—”</p> - -<p>“Why, everybody, nearly, knew of it,” said<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">76</a></span> Phoebe. “She’s a queer old -creature and, having used the judge for a banker, was constantly coming -to him to deposit money or to get it from her box. I’ve no doubt she -imagined it was a secret, but Mrs. Ritchie’s box was a matter of public -gossip.”</p> - -<p>“The next thing,” continued Mr. Holbrook quietly, “is to discover who -were Toby Clark’s enemies.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t believe he had one in Riverdale,” asserted Phoebe.</p> - -<p>“The real criminal placed the rifled box on Toby Clark’s premises, -where if found it would implicate him in the theft. No one but an -enemy would have done that,” declared the young man, but he spoke -<a name="argumentatively" id="argumentatively"></a><ins title="Original has 'argumentively'">argumentatively</ins> and there was not an earnest ring to -his words. “Then,” he resumed, “we must watch and see what citizen -has suddenly acquired money. There are no professional burglars in -Riverdale, I imagine, so the thief will be unable to resist the -temptation to use some of the stolen money. Really, Mr. Spaythe, -the case is so simple that I am positive we shall have no need of a -detective. Indeed, a detective in town would be quickly recognized and -his very presence would defeat us by putting the criminal on guard. Let -us proceed quietly to ferret out the mystery ourselves. I already feel -reasonably certain of success<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">77</a></span> and, when I have interviewed Toby Clark, -which I shall do at once, he will perhaps be able to furnish us with a -clew.”</p> - -<p>This logical reasoning appealed to Mr. Spaythe and silenced even -Phoebe’s objections. The girls left the office filled with horror of -the cowardly charge brought against the poor boy they had so earnestly -sought to aid.</p> - -<p>On their way home Janet said:</p> - -<p>“Of course this will prevent Mr. Holbrook from carrying out his -agreement, for until Toby’s innocence is proved we cannot expect anyone -to give him employment.”</p> - -<p>“Why not?” asked Phoebe, who was trembling with nervous excitement. -“Do you suppose anyone in Riverdale would doubt Toby’s honesty, just -because that miserable Abner Kellogg and old Mrs. Ritchie accuse him? I -think it would be a clever thing for Mr. Holbrook to take him into his -office at once. It would make the lawyer lots of friends.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps that is true,” answered Janet doubtfully; “but Mr. Holbrook -can’t be expected to believe in Toby as implicitly as we do. He may -think it would injure his reputation to employ one accused of stealing. -If he did, we could not blame him.”</p> - -<p>Phoebe made no reply. Parting from Janet at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">78</a></span> the gate she ran into -the house and straight to Cousin Judith’s room, where she first had a -crying spell and then related the startling incidents of the morning.</p> - -<p>The Little Mother was greatly shocked and quite as indignant as Phoebe -had been. But she tried to comfort the girl by assuring her that Toby -would be proved innocent.</p> - -<p>“I think Mr. Spaythe was fortunate in securing Mr. Holbrook to defend -Toby,” she added. “As this is his first case, it will be an opportunity -for him to make a fine reputation in Riverdale by winning it, and as he -seems a young man of ability and judgment we may depend on his doing -his utmost and in the end clearing Toby triumphantly.”</p> - -<p>That didn’t seem to reassure Phoebe.</p> - -<p>“I think Mr. Holbrook has both ability and judgment,” she agreed. -“He impressed me as being a very clever young man—too clever to be -altogether trusted.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, Phoebe!”</p> - -<p>“He looks honest, and talks honest,” the girl went on, “but there’s -something about him—his manner or his smile; I don’t know what—that -makes me think he is not sincere.”</p> - -<p>Judith looked at her thoughtfully.</p> - -<p>“Nevertheless,” she rejoined, “it is to his interest<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">79</a></span> to free his -client, and from what you say he already believes that he can do so.”</p> - -<p>“I didn’t like several things he said,” remarked Phoebe. “Once he said -‘if’ Toby was innocent—just as if there could be any doubt about -it!—and he wouldn’t allow Mr. Spaythe to send to the city for a -detective.”</p> - -<p>“He may be wise in that,” affirmed Judith. “Doubtless he prefers to -wait and see what the next few days develop. If he is able to solve -the mystery himself it will be best to keep a detective out of it. The -detective would be a stranger, you know, and at their best detectives -are not infallible.”</p> - -<p>Phoebe sighed.</p> - -<p>“What a cruel thing for Mrs. Ritchie to do!” she said. “And just when -Janet and I had settled Toby’s affairs so nicely and obtained for him -just the position he would have liked best.”</p> - -<p>The Little Mother smiled.</p> - -<p>“Was I wrong to promise that we would pay Toby’s wages?” asked Phoebe -quickly.</p> - -<p>“No, dear; I would have agreed to your plan very willingly. But it -was placing Mr. Holbrook in a rather delicate position, after his -confession to you of his poverty, don’t you think?”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps so,” said the girl. “But he took it very nicely. He seems -gentlemanly and kind,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">80</a></span> Cousin Judith. I can’t say why I don’t wholly -trust him. Janet thinks he acted splendidly and I imagine she is quite -interested in her father’s successor. I don’t dislike him, myself, you -know; only, until I’ve seen more of him, I can’t exactly trust him.”</p> - -<p>“We cannot expect to find one able to fill Judge Ferguson’s place,” -observed Judith regretfully.</p> - -<p>There was great excitement among the young Darings when they came -rushing home from school. The news of Toby’s arrest had spread like -wildfire throughout the village and the inhabitants of Riverdale were -at first generally indignant and inclined to think that Toby Clark was -being unjustly persecuted. When the details were learned, however, and -it was known that Mrs. Ritchie’s blue box, battered and empty, had been -found just back of Toby’s shanty, there were some who began to believe -in the boy’s guilt, while others stoutly defended him.</p> - -<p>The following morning, at the request of Lawyer Kellogg, an officer -was sent over from Bayport who, in conjunction with Sam Parsons, the -Riverdale constable, made a thorough search of Toby Clark’s tumble-down -house. It was so poor a place that the door was not even locked. There -were but two rooms; that at the front, where Toby cooked and slept, and -a little den at the back,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">81</a></span> which contained only a few bits of broken, -cast-off furniture and some boxes and barrels. In this back room, -concealed beneath a pile of old newspapers, the officers found a bundle -of mortgages and other documents, the property of Mrs. Ritchie and -which were of no value to anyone but their owner. The money and bonds, -however, could not be found.</p> - -<p>Armed with this fresh evidence against the prisoner the officers of the -law went to the jail and urged the boy to confess.</p> - -<p>“Tell the truth,” said Jardyce, the Bayport policeman, “and the chances -are you’ll get a light sentence. It is foolish to continue to deny your -guilt.”</p> - -<p>Toby, quite broken and despondent, for he felt deeply the disgrace of -his accusation and arrest, stared at the officer in wonder.</p> - -<p>“Are you sure you found those papers in my room?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“There is no doubt of it.”</p> - -<p>“Then some one else put them there. Who do you suppose it could be, -Sam?” inquired Toby, addressing Parsons, the constable, who had always -been his friend.</p> - -<p>“Can’t imagine,” was the gruff reply; then, noting Toby’s appealing -look, he turned to the Bayport man and added: “There’s something<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">82</a></span> -crooked about this thing, Jardyce. I know, as well as I know anything, -that Toby Clark had nothing to do with stealing that box.”</p> - -<p>“In spite of the evidence?”</p> - -<p>“Bother the evidence! You know, an’ I know, that lots of evidence is -cooked up.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, that’s true. I will say this,” continued the policeman, -thoughtfully, “that after a long experience with crooks of all sorts, -this boy don’t impress me as being guilty. But the evidence is mighty -strong against him, you’ll admit, and the chances are a jury will -convict him without argument. Too bad, if he’s innocent; but many an -innocent man is serving time because he couldn’t explain away the -circumstantial evidence against him.”</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">83</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="vii" id="vii"></a>CHAPTER VII<br /> -<small>HOW TOBY FOUND A FRIEND</small></h2> - - -<p>The discovery of the incriminating papers cost Toby the confidence of -many of his fellow townsmen. Popular opinion had been about evenly -divided, before that, but it was hard to argue innocence in the face of -such adverse evidence. Yet, even while conceding the boy’s guilt, the -Riverdale people were regretful and grieved rather than condemnatory.</p> - -<p>“Ye see, it’s this way,” said Tom Rathbun the grocer to a crowd that -had gathered in his store; “Toby’s a nice little chap an’ has tried -to be honest. But he comes of bad stock; his father owed me seven -dollars when he died an’ his mother were addicted to drink, as you’ll -all remember. ’Tain’t to be wondered at that with such parents Toby -inherited some desprit bad failin’s, an’ when the jedge died, an’ the -boy’s fat job was killed, he jes’ natcherly yielded to the temptation -to take Mrs. Ritchie’s box, knowin’ it were full o’ money. Seems like -if the jedge had lived Toby’d ’a’ kep’ himself honest, an’ growed up to -be a decent<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">84</a></span> man; but when he lost his best friend he backslid an’ got -caught at it.”</p> - -<p>Rathbun’s expression voiced the sentiment of the majority, although a -few staunch friends refused to admit the evidence against Toby Clark. -Perhaps the boy’s most bitter condemnation came from Dave Hunter, -the young telegraph operator, who seemed certain of Toby’s guilt and -proclaimed his conviction everywhere and on every occasion.</p> - -<p>Lawyer Kellogg was jubilant over his success in “landing his bird at -the first shot,” as he proudly stated, and swaggered more pompously -than ever. Mrs. Ritchie, however did not congratulate him. The woman -seemed terribly nervous over the missing contents of her box and rated -her lawyer for not recovering them. One important paper, especially, -had disappeared, she claimed, and she laid more stress on Kellogg’s -finding that than on finding her money and bonds, although she was -notoriously careful of her money.</p> - -<p>“Drat the mortgages an’ deeds!” she cried angrily; “no one could turn -’em into money if they tried; it’s the negotiable stuff I want. An’ -you’ve got to get it, Abner Kellogg. The boy ain’t had a chance to -spend the money, or sell the bonds, an’ there’s no reason you can’t -make him give ’em up. Whatever else you do, though, you’ve<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">85</a></span> got to find -that other paper. I want it, an’ I’m goin’ to have it! We’ve got the -thief, all right, so why don’t you get back my property?”</p> - -<p>“I can’t, just yet,” protested Kellogg. “The money is not on Toby’s -person and he won’t tell where he’s hid it. But be calm, Mrs. Ritchie; -be calm and trust to me. When the case comes to trial I know a way -to make Clark confess, and I’ll get every cent of your money and the -missing paper, I promise you.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t trust you,” declared the old woman. “I think you’re as big a -villain as Toby Clark. I hired you ’cause you agreed to catch the thief -and get my property back or you wouldn’t charge a cent. I made you sign -that agreement in black an’ white.”</p> - -<p>“Quite true, Mrs. Ritchie; but give me time. I’ve got the thief, and -I’ve recovered part of your property! Give me time and I’ll get the -money and the bonds. The boy can’t spend anything while he’s in jail -and sooner or later he’ll confess where he’s hid the stuff.”</p> - -<p>“If you hadn’t caught the thief,” rejoined Mrs. Ritchie, savagely, “I -could have held the Fergusons responsible. Now they’re out of it and -if you don’t get the money from Toby it’s gone for good. I want that -paper, too.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t worry; I’ll get it all; give me time,” repeated the lawyer.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">86</a></span> -Mr. Holbrook, on the other side of the case, was proceeding very -leisurely. Orders had been received to have the prisoner brought to -Bayport for a preliminary examination, and soon after Sam Parsons had -left the jail with his charge, taking him in a buggy over to the county -seat, the young lawyer and Mr. Spaythe started for the same place in -the banker’s automobile with Eric Spaythe, the banker’s only son, -acting as driver.</p> - -<p>“This latest discovery looks very black for our client,” remarked -Holbrook, as they sped over the smooth country road.</p> - -<p>“Do you refer to the finding of those papers?” asked Mr. Spaythe.</p> - -<p>“Of course, sir. It’s rather damning evidence.”</p> - -<p>“I cannot see that it is any worse than the finding of the box,” -asserted the banker.</p> - -<p>“It fastens the accusation more firmly,” Holbrook stated. “With us it -can have no effect, but others will be likely to condemn our client on -the strength of such conclusive proof.”</p> - -<p>“I do not care what others think,” said Mr. Spaythe.</p> - -<p>“No; I was referring solely to the jury that will try him. These jurors -will be drawn from the entire county, and some will not be intimately -acquainted with Toby Clark or have any confidence in his record for -probity.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">87</a></span> -“Whoever placed the box in Toby’s yard placed the papers in his room,” -asserted Eric, speaking for the first time. “The place was never -locked, and as the real thief wanted to get rid of such dangerous -property there was no better place in all Riverdale to hide it in than -Toby’s shanty.”</p> - -<p>“I shall use that argument in my defense,” remarked the young lawyer in -a careless tone that annoyed Eric.</p> - -<p>“I trust this case will never come to trial,” resumed Mr. Spaythe after -a pause. “What steps are you taking to discover the criminal?”</p> - -<p>“My first idea was to prove an alibi for Clark, but that I am unable -to do. He was twice seen entering Judge Ferguson’s office, the day -following his death. I myself found him there when I went to look at -the rooms with Chandler the postmaster. When the boy left the place the -second time he carried under his arm a parcel large enough to contain -Mrs. Ritchie’s box. Finding that Kellogg had unearthed this fact and -would use it in evidence, I went to see Toby about it. He tells me it -was a package containing his personal books and possessions, which he -was removing from the office. I believe this statement, for he had the -package in plain sight when he carried the key to you, at your house.”</p> - -<p>“I remember,” said Mr. Spaythe.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">88</a></span> -“But several others saw and noticed the package, and I understand that -all of these will be subpœnaed as witnesses at the trial.”</p> - -<p>“But about the guilty one—the person who actually took the box from -the office—have you any suspicion as to his identity?”</p> - -<p>Mr. Holbrook was lighting a cigarette and took time to answer.</p> - -<p>“Not as yet, sir. But I shall begin a thorough investigation in the -near future and try to secure a clew to guide me to success.”</p> - -<p>“We ought to have had a detective,” grumbled Eric, but Mr. Holbrook -ignored the remark.</p> - -<p>At this moment they swung around a bend and overtook the buggy in which -the constable and Toby Clark were seated. They seemed to be chatting -together in a friendly manner and as the automobile passed them Eric -cried out:</p> - -<p>“Cheer up, Toby! There’s nothing to worry about.”</p> - -<p>Toby nodded. He did not look like a thief. His eyes were still -twinkling as of old and his cheeks were fresh and rosy. He had no -smile for his friend’s greeting, for the accusation against him was -very serious, but neither did he wear a hang-dog expression nor seem -confused.</p> - -<p>“I want you to work earnestly on this case,” said Mr. Spaythe, when -they had passed beyond<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">89</a></span> hearing. “Toby Clark must be cleared of the -unjust charge, and the only way to do it is to discover who is actually -guilty. I depend upon you, Mr. Holbrook, to do that, and without any -waste of time.”</p> - -<p>Holbrook colored red and waited a moment before he replied.</p> - -<p>“I realize,” said he, with deliberation, “that my reputation as a -lawyer depends upon my success in this, my first case in Riverdale. -Unless Toby Clark is actually guilty, and is proved so without -question, I shall lose the confidence of the community by not fastening -the guilt on the real criminal. Therefore you may rest assured that I -shall do everything in my power to vindicate my client. I cannot now -confide to you the various processes I intend to employ, for that would -be unwise; but I am conversant with the latest scientific methods of -criminal detection, having made them a study for years, and I do not -think they will fail me in the present case. If they do, I must stand -the consequences, which will not be less severe for me than for my -client.”</p> - -<p>Eric gave a scornful grunt, the speech was so evidently conciliatory -and noncommittal, but Mr. Spaythe forbore any comment.</p> - -<p>The preliminary hearing was brief. The judge knew Mr. Spaythe and gave -him a seat beside his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">90</a></span> desk. He had heard of Mr. Holbrook, the new -Riverdale lawyer, but now met him for the first time.</p> - -<p>Lawyer Kellogg, fat and pig-eyed, presented his evidence against the -prisoner with an air of triumph that was distinctly aggravating to the -defense. The judge listened carefully, noting each point made on his -memoranda. Then Mr. Holbrook, speaking for the prisoner, pleaded “not -guilty” and asked that a reasonable amount of bail be fixed until the -case came to trial. The judge frowned and considered.</p> - -<p>“The offense, if proved, is serious,” said he, “and the missing money -and bonds alone amount to many thousands of dollars in value. The -evidence is so strong and the accused so young and irresponsible, that -I hesitate to fix bail in this case and prefer to remand the prisoner -to the county jail to await his trial.”</p> - -<p>Kellogg grinned and rubbed his hands together gleefully. But Mr. -Spaythe, in his quiet way, leaned over the desk and said:</p> - -<p>“I hope, Judge, you will reconsider that decision. This boy is very -dear to many in Riverdale, where he is thoroughly respected. I myself -have a strong personal interest in his welfare and believe that in -spite of the evidence just presented to you he will be proved innocent. -To allow him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">91</a></span> to languish in jail for two months or more, only to -discover that he has been falsely accused, would be a grave injustice. -Therefore I am prepared to furnish his bail in whatever sum you demand.”</p> - -<p>“Ah,” said the judge, “that alters the case. Five thousand dollars.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Spaythe signed the bond and then turned to Toby.</p> - -<p>“You are to ride back with us,” he said, “for I want you to come to my -house and make it your home until this cloud has been removed from your -good name—as it surely will be, in time.”</p> - -<p>Toby’s eyes filled with tears.</p> - -<p>“You are very kind, Mr. Spaythe,” he replied brokenly, “but until I can -prove my innocence to the world I have no right to go to your house. -I’ll go—home—and work this thing out. But I thank you, sir; I thank -you with all my heart!”</p> - -<p>“Look here, Toby,” said Eric sharply, “you’re going to do just what the -governor says, if we have to lug you home by force. Don’t be a fool; -it’s a step in your redemption. Don’t you see how it will help, to have -father stand up for you before all the world!”</p> - -<p>Toby looked helplessly around the group and appealed to his lawyer.</p> - -<p>“What do you advise, sir?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“That you do as you suggest and, declining Mr.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">92</a></span> Spaythe’s kind -invitation, go directly to your own home,” answered Mr. Holbrook.</p> - -<p>“All right,” said Toby, a humorous twinkle in his bright eyes; “I’ll -accept your hospitality, Mr. Spaythe, and hope I won’t be too much -trouble to you.”</p> - -<p>“Bravo!” cried Eric, and danced a little jig over Holbrook’s -discomfiture.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">93</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="viii" id="viii"></a>CHAPTER VIII<br /> -<small>HOW PHOEBE CONSPIRED</small></h2> - - -<p>Whatever happens, the sun rises and sets and the old world continues -to whirl on its axis. Toby Clark’s arrest was a huge sensation in -Riverdale for a day, and then it lost its novelty. Now and then, during -the days that followed the boy’s arraignment, the people gossiped -concerning the outcome of the case, but since nothing new developed to -bolster public interest Toby’s dilemma soon became an old story.</p> - -<p>Young Mr. Holbrook had acquired a certain distinction through being -employed by Mr. Spaythe for the defense. The banker’s judgment was so -reliable that the former clients of Judge Ferguson began to consult -Holbrook rather than Kellogg and while he was not as yet entrusted with -much important business the new lawyer found his practice steadily -growing.</p> - -<p>But Mr. Spaythe was not entirely satisfied with his attorney, although -he did not express his dissatisfaction in words. Every few days he -would go to Mr. Holbrook’s office and say: “Well?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">94</a></span> -“The case is progressing finely,” was the invariable reply.</p> - -<p>“What have you discovered?”</p> - -<p>“Nothing definite as yet, sir; but I am getting at the facts and will -report to you as soon as I can furnish absolute proofs.”</p> - -<p>That did not content Mr. Spaythe, but it silenced him and he went away.</p> - -<p>Toby remained quietly at the banker’s house, reading his few law books -diligently and leaving his defense to his friends, as he had been urged -to do. The Darings invited him to their home on many occasions, and so -did Janet Ferguson; but the boy refused to go, saying that until his -innocence was fully established he preferred to remain in retirement. -It was a comfort to them all that the Spaythes were caring for Toby. -The Darings, from little Sue up to Phoebe, were loud in their praise -of the banker, who had never before been known to extend such kindly -consideration to anyone. Mrs. Spaythe had died years before, when Eric -was a baby, and a prim old lady, a distant relative, kept house for the -father and son, who were both engaged at the bank during the day and -seldom passed an evening at home. So Toby practically had the house to -himself.</p> - -<p>One evening Eric Spaythe called on Phoebe and they had a long talk -about Toby Clark’s affairs.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">95</a></span> -“Hasn’t Mr. Holbrook done anything yet?” asked Phoebe impatiently.</p> - -<p>“No; and I’ve an idea he doesn’t intend to do anything,” replied Eric.</p> - -<p>“What makes you think that?”</p> - -<p>“The way he acts. He’s letting things drag terribly. I don’t understand -Holbrook, and that’s a fact. The time for prompt action was right after -the robbery,” declared Eric. “Then everything was fresh and the trails -were clear. It wouldn’t have been any trick at all to catch the thief -then; but nearly a month has gone by and not a clew uncovered. We’re as -far from the truth as ever.”</p> - -<p>“Mr. Holbrook can hardly afford to make a failure of the case,” said -Phoebe, using the well-worn argument doubtfully.</p> - -<p>“It appeared to me that way, at first, especially as he seemed so -cocksure of himself,” returned young Spaythe. “But he once made a -remark to father that I’ve not forgotten. He said his reputation would -be injured <em>unless Toby Clark’s guilt was proved</em> or—he found the -guilty party. I don’t like that alternative, Phoebe. Do you know, I’ve -an idea that Holbrook believes Toby is guilty?”</p> - -<p>“I’ve had that idea from the first,” declared Phoebe with eagerness. “I -was in his office when your father came to him with the news of Toby’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">96</a></span> -arrest, and I watched Mr. Holbrook carefully. Even at that time I could -see he doubted Toby’s innocence, or else—or else—”</p> - -<p>“Or else what, Phoebe?”</p> - -<p>“Or else he knows who took the box and is willing to have Toby accused.”</p> - -<p>Eric stared at her wonderingly.</p> - -<p>“That’s a good deal to accuse the fellow of,” he said. “I think our -first guess is right, and in that event Toby is in a bad way. If -Holbrook believes him guilty he won’t make any honest effort to find -out who took the box. He’ll just let Kellogg prove his case. Then -Holbrook will say he did the best he could but that no one could clear -a guilty person. Most people will accept that sort of a statement and -Holbrook may be depending upon it to save himself. That’s why he’s -putting us off and taking things easy.”</p> - -<p>“But they can’t prove Toby guilty!” protested Phoebe, who knowing in -her heart the boy was innocent, had clung to the belief as her best -anchorage.</p> - -<p>“I’m not sure of that,” said Eric, gravely shaking his head. “It’s -pretty strong evidence, Phoebe, and I don’t believe it’s safe to let -the case go to trial just as it stands.”</p> - -<p>“Then what can we do?” she asked helplessly.</p> - -<p>Eric laughed.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">97</a></span> -“You know how to put a poser,” said he. “I’ve wondered many times what -could be done, but for my part I can’t do anything. I’m tied down to -the bank so closely that I haven’t a minute to devote to Toby, much as -I long to help him. One or two evenings I’ve stayed at home and talked -with Toby, but he’s as much bewildered by the thing as we are. The fact -is, something’s got to be discovered. We can talk till we’re blind, but -unless we know more than we do now it won’t amount to anything. Here’s -the situation: Toby didn’t take Mrs. Ritchie’s box, but who did?”</p> - -<p>“Ah, that’s the question!” said Phoebe.</p> - -<p>“Yes, that’s the question—that and nothing else—and unless we can -find an answer to it poor Toby is likely to suffer for another’s crime.”</p> - -<p>This conversation rendered the girl very unhappy. She had previously -been content to leave Toby’s salvation to the direction of Mr. Spaythe -and Mr. Holbrook and she had not been especially uneasy over the -outcome of the affair. But Eric had destroyed her confidence in the -lawyer, and Mr. Spaythe was so silent and reserved that it appeared he -was not taking any active part in Toby’s defense. In fact, nothing was -being done to save Toby, and Phoebe told Cousin Judith that she was -getting very anxious about the poor boy’s fate.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">98</a></span> -“That is not strange, dear, for I have been anxious from the very -beginning,” confessed Judith. “I believe that for some reason there -is a conspiracy afoot to destroy Toby Clark, and that it is likely to -succeed.”</p> - -<p>“Then,” retorted Phoebe, with one of her sudden decisions, “we must -organize a counter-conspiracy to save him. We’ve been idle long enough, -Cousin Judith—too long, I fear—and it’s time for us to act.”</p> - -<p>“To whom do you refer when you say ‘us’!” asked the Little Mother, -smiling at the girl’s earnestness.</p> - -<p>“To you and to myself, of course.”</p> - -<p>“I fear I am not a good conspirator, Phoebe; though you, I admit, seem -qualified to be one. But what may two weak, inexperienced girls do, -where a powerful banker and a clever lawyer fail?”</p> - -<p>“We can do lots,” asserted Phoebe. “I can’t say just what, until I’ve -thought it over; but oughtn’t the right to triumph, Cousin Judith!”</p> - -<p>“It ought to, Phoebe, but I fear the right is sometimes smothered in -false evidence.”</p> - -<p>“It mustn’t be this time,” declared the girl. “We must try to save -Toby. You think it over carefully, Cousin, and so will I, and perhaps -one or the other of us will evolve an idea.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">99</a></span> -Judith agreed to this, but added:</p> - -<p>“I’ll not be an active conspirator, dear, but the conspirator’s -assistant. I’ll help all I can, but I fear my talent for penetrating -mysteries is not so well developed as your own.”</p> - -<p>Phoebe went to her own room and sat down at her desk to think. She -realized that she could not expect much energetic assistance from -Cousin Judith and that whatever was accomplished she must undertake -single-handed.</p> - -<p>“I wish Phil was here,” she reflected, referring to her twin brother; -“he’d know just how to tackle this problem.”</p> - -<p>As a matter of fact Phoebe was far more resourceful than Phil, who had -always come to his sister for advice in every difficulty. But she did -not realize this.</p> - -<p>“I wonder why Mr. Holbrook refused to have a detective?” she mused. -“Was he so sure of his own ability to unravel the mystery, or—was he -afraid?”</p> - -<p>She jumped up and paced the room in sudden agitation. Then she -controlled herself and sat down again.</p> - -<p>“This won’t do!” she exclaimed, taking herself to task. “Unless I can -consider everything calmly I shall deceive myself and start along the -wrong road.” She took a pencil and sheet of paper and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">100</a></span> continued, -talking to herself in an argumentative way: “Let’s marshal the facts. -First, Mrs. Ritchie’s box is stolen. That’s a hard fact; you can’t -get around it. In that box was a lot of money, some bonds as good -as cash and other papers only valuable to their owner. The box was -stolen for the money and bonds; fact number two. Whoever stole it from -Judge Ferguson’s cupboard either had a key or picked the lock; anyhow -the cupboard was found locked and the box gone. Yet no one but Judge -Ferguson was supposed to have the key. Whoever it was that wanted the -money, he or she had no key to the box itself and couldn’t pick the -lock; so he or she had to carry away the box. That’s the third fact.</p> - -<p>“Now, then, having got the box safely away, the thief broke it open, -took the money and bonds, and then wondered what to do with the rest of -the junk. He must get rid of all telltale evidence, somehow or other, -so he took the box to the river, perhaps thinking to drown it. Perhaps -he saw Toby’s shanty and decided to put the blame on him; that would -throw the police on a false track. That was clever. Fact number—No! -that isn’t really a fact; it’s just a surmise. No, if Toby is innocent -it <em>must</em> be a fact. I’ll call it so—Fact number four.”</p> - -<p>She jotted it down.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">101</a></span> -“Now let’s see where we are at,” she continued. “Thief has the money -safe; police on a false track arrest Toby. Well, that’s as far as I -can go on that line. Now, the important question is, who is the thief? -First we must consider who knew about the box and that it contained -money. Toby knew, of course, and Judge Ferguson. But who else? Mrs. -Ritchie, but—Never mind; I’ll put her on the list. -Janet knew; she couldn’t steal it but I’ll add her to the list. If I’m -going to find out anything I must be thorough. I think Mr. Spaythe -knew. I must ask him. Meantime, here he goes on the list. I wonder if -Mr. Holbrook knew about the money? Not at first, but—Yes, -I remember Janet told me that Toby took Mrs. Ritchie away, when -she came to the house, and they went to ask Mr. Holbrook if it was -lawful to give her the box. Of course the woman blabbed what was in -it, and so—Mr. Holbrook knew. The theft was committed on the day or -the night following the judge’s death, so that lets Mr. Holbrook into -the game. Down he goes on the list. Who else? There’s Will Chandler, -the postmaster; but perhaps he didn’t know. He owns the building and -kept the judge’s key to the office. Will Chandler <em>might</em> have known -there was money in the Ritchie box, so I’ll put the dear old boy under -suspicion. Who else?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">102</a></span> -She reflected long and deeply, but could not think of another person -likely to know the location of the box and that it contained money. She -considered Lawyer Kellogg, but knew that he and Judge Ferguson had been -open enemies and that Kellogg had not been consulted by Mrs. Ritchie -until after the loss of the box was a matter of public knowledge. So -she reviewed her list: Mrs. Ritchie; Janet Ferguson; Mr. Spaythe; Mr. -Holbrook; Will Chandler.</p> - -<p>“Why, it’s nonsense!” she gasped in astonishment. “They’re every one -impossible. I—I must start another line of discovery.”</p> - -<p>But, try as she would, she could not get away from that list of obvious -innocents.</p> - -<p>“Unless some one knew the box was there, and that it contained -money—enough to make it worth stealing—he couldn’t possibly have -stolen it,” she told herself. “The list is all right, as far as it -goes; but—is it complete?”</p> - -<p>After more thought she put on her things and walked to Mr. Spaythe’s -residence. Of course Toby was there, for he seldom if ever went out, -and she promptly interviewed him.</p> - -<p>“Who knew that Mrs. Ritchie’s box was in the cupboard, and that there -was a good deal of money in it?” she demanded.</p> - -<p>“What’s up, Phoebe?” he asked.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">103</a></span> -“I’m trying to sift this thing on my own account, and in secret, Toby,” -she replied. “I want you to help me—just as if I were Sherlock Holmes -or Monsieur Lecoq. Don’t ask questions; just answer them. Who knew?”</p> - -<p>“I knew,” said Toby, with a grin.</p> - -<p>“But I’m going to leave you out of it,” she replied. “This is an -investigation to prove your innocence, so I don’t want any evidence -against you.”</p> - -<p>“You can’t do it, Phoebe,” said the boy. “Don’t bother about me; I’m -not worth it. Let Holbrook do as he pleases.”</p> - -<p>“What do you mean by that?” she demanded.</p> - -<p>“He isn’t very anxious to clear me,” said Toby, looking at her with -a queer expression. “I don’t know why; I only know that if I were a -lawyer and had such a case I’d stir things up and find out the truth.”</p> - -<p>“I think you would,” replied the girl. “It’s because Mr. Holbrook is so -inactive that I’ve determined to take up the investigation myself.”</p> - -<p>“It’s nice of you, Phoebe; but, say—a girl can’t do much. There’s -something queer about the whole affair. I know something of law and -also I ought to be able to guess who took the box; but it’s entirely -beyond me. I can’t investigate it myself, and so—”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">104</a></span> -“And so I’m going to do it for you,” she said. “My being a girl is no -handicap at all, Toby. What we all want is the truth, and if I can -discover that, you will be saved. Now, then, who knew about the box?”</p> - -<p>“Mr. Spaythe,” said the boy.</p> - -<p>“Why should he know?”</p> - -<p>“He was the closest friend Judge Ferguson had. They were together a -good deal and the judge used to tell all his affairs to his friend. -I once heard him say, jokingly, that he was a rival banker, for Mrs. -Ritchie deposited all her money with him. Mr. Spaythe asked where he -kept it, and when the judge told him he said it was foolish to trust to -oak doors and a tin box when the bank vault was fire and burglar proof.”</p> - -<p>“Very well; who else knew?” asked Phoebe.</p> - -<p>“Will Chandler, and Griggs the carpenter.”</p> - -<p>“Oh!” cried Phoebe, scenting a clew at last. “Griggs knew, did he? Tell -me how that happened.”</p> - -<p>“The cupboard doors stuck, a few months ago, and wouldn’t shut -properly. So the judge called up Will Chandler, who was his landlord, -and asked him to fix the doors. Will looked at them and said the -building must have settled a little, to make the doors bind that way, -and the best plan would be to plane off the tops of them. So he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">105</a></span> got -Griggs the carpenter and they took the doors off the hinges and planed -them. While Griggs was working and Chandler helping him, in came Mrs. -Ritchie and wanted fifty dollars. The judge took down her box and put -it on the table and took out the money. I noticed both the men were -surprised to see the box half full of bank bills and gold, for they -couldn’t help seeing it; but they said nothing and when I mentioned it -to the judge, afterward, he said they were both honest as the day is -long, and he could trust them.”</p> - -<p>“Do <em>you</em> think they are honest, Toby—both of ’em?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Well, who else knew?”</p> - -<p>Toby considered.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Holbrook, of course. The night I took Mrs. Ritchie to see him she -said there was currency to the amount of several thousand dollars in -the box, besides a lot of bonds.”</p> - -<p>“Was that before the box was stolen?” asked Phoebe.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know. I haven’t seen the inside of the cupboard since a few -days before Judge Ferguson died. I can’t tell when the box was stolen.”</p> - -<p>“But the loss wasn’t discovered until after Mr. Holbrook had talked -with Mrs. Ritchie?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">106</a></span> -“No. I think Mr. Spaythe discovered that the box was missing some days -afterward.”</p> - -<p>“Tell me who else knew.”</p> - -<p>“I can’t. Mrs. Ritchie might have told some one, of course; but she’s -usually too shrewd to do that. Judge Ferguson didn’t talk about his -business.”</p> - -<p>Phoebe referred to her list. The interview with Toby had netted just -one addition—Griggs the carpenter.</p> - -<p>“There was Mrs. Miller, the woman who used to wash the office windows,” -said Toby reflectively.</p> - -<p>“But she’s deaf and dumb,” returned Phoebe.</p> - -<p>“She isn’t blind, though. She’s washed the windows and cleaned the -offices every Saturday for years, and Saturday was Mrs. Ritchie’s usual -day for driving to town. I can’t remember that Mrs. Miller has ever -seen the box opened, but she might have done so.”</p> - -<p>Phoebe added Mrs. Miller’s name to the list.</p> - -<p>“The next thing I want to know is who visited Judge Ferguson’s office -the day after he died,” she said.</p> - -<p>“I can’t help you much in that,” said Toby. “I went there in the -morning, because I didn’t know where else to go; but no one came -in—except Will Chandler and Mr. Holbrook.”</p> - -<p>“Oh; they were there, then. And why?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">107</a></span> -“They came together, because Mr. Holbrook wanted to see the offices. He -rented them that very day, I understand. Will told me that Janet wanted -me, so I went away and left them there. Will had the key, you know.”</p> - -<p>“This is news,” said Phoebe, drawing a long breath.</p> - -<p>Toby smiled. “You’re not suspecting them, I hope?” he said.</p> - -<p>“I’m not suspecting anybody, as yet. All I want at present are the -facts in the case. I suppose no one else had a key to the office?”</p> - -<p>“No. That very day Mr. Holbrook advised Will to give his key to Mr. -Spaythe, and he advised me to get rid of my key, also. Will sent his -key to the bank by Mr. Holbrook, who was going that way, but I went -back and got my books and traps out of the office before I brought the -key here to this house and gave it to Mr. Spaythe.”</p> - -<p>“Was it a very complicated lock?”</p> - -<p>“The one on the office door? No. It was a common lock and that on the -cupboard wasn’t much better. But the boxes all had better locks, that -couldn’t be easily picked.”</p> - -<p>“All right. I’m going now, Toby, but I may be back for more -information. Keep your courage; I’m sure we shall get at the truth in -time.”</p> - -<p>But the boy, looking after her, shook his head and sighed.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">108</a></span> -“She’ll never suspect the truth,” he muttered. “No one will ever -suspect, except those who know; and those who know will never tell.”</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">109</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="ix" id="ix"></a>CHAPTER IX<br /> -<small>HOW PHOEBE PLAYED DETECTIVE</small></h2> - - -<p>On her way home Phoebe Daring stopped at the post office and talked -with Will Chandler. He was a middle-aged man, slow and deliberate in -thought and action, yet a veritable potentate in local politics and all -affairs of a public character in Riverdale. There had been Chandlers -in the town ever since it had been established, and before it had been -named Riverdale it had been called Chandler’s Crossing, the original -Chandler having been a ferryman on the river. This Will Chandler, -the sole representative of a long and prominent line, was a steady, -straightforward fellow and greatly respected by everyone. It was said -that he was too honest ever to become rich, and to eke out a living for -a large family he kept a little stock of stationery for sale in the -post office. This was located in the front part of the room, and his -daughter, a white-faced, silent girl, waited on customers and gave out -the mail when her father was absent.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">110</a></span> -The postmaster was on his stool behind the wicket when Phoebe -approached him.</p> - -<p>“Who do you think could have taken Mrs. Ritchie’s box?” asked the girl.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know,” said Chandler. “If I did, I’d help Toby out of his -trouble.”</p> - -<p>“I didn’t ask who took the box,” said Phoebe; “but who <em>could</em> have -taken it.”</p> - -<p>The postmaster slowly revolved this in his mind.</p> - -<p>“Possible burglar?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Sam Parsons, the constable.”</p> - -<p>“How is that?”</p> - -<p>“I went upstairs about noon and found Sam peeking through the keyhole -into the judge’s office. He mumbled some and went away. That night, -just before I went home to supper, I walked upstairs again, just to see -if everything was all right. I hadn’t any key, that time, but Parsons -was standing with his back to the door, silent like, as if he was -thinking.”</p> - -<p>“Rather curious, isn’t it?” asked Phoebe, quite astonished by this -report.</p> - -<p>“Can’t say,” replied Chandler. “I’d trust Sam with all I’ve got—even -with the United States mail. He’s the squarest man that ever walked.”</p> - -<p>“I think so, too,” she agreed. “What other possible burglar do you know -of?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">111</a></span> -Chandler pondered.</p> - -<p>“I might have done it,” said he; “but I guess I didn’t. Toby might have -done it; but I guess he didn’t. Holbrook might have done it; but I -guess—”</p> - -<p>“Had Mr. Holbrook any chance to take the box?” she asked quickly.</p> - -<p>“A chance, but a rather slim one. I took him up to see the office and -while we were there Hazel called me for something. So I left him sizing -up the furniture and law books, to see if they were worth buying, and -came down to the office. When I got back Holbrook was sitting down, -looking through the books. That was the only chance he had, as far as -I know, and I’ll swear he didn’t have the box when I locked up and we -went away.”</p> - -<p>“You didn’t see Mrs. Miller around that day?”</p> - -<p>“No.”</p> - -<p>“Nor Griggs the carpenter?”</p> - -<p>“Haw-haw! Phoebe; that’s funny. Griggs? Griggs steal the box? Why, the -old idiot won’t take the money he earns, unless you force it on him. If -there’s a soul in this world that don’t care a snap for money, it’s old -Griggs.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you, Mr. Chandler. Please don’t tell anyone I’ve been -questioning you.”</p> - -<p>He looked at her steadily.</p> - -<p>“I suppose you’re Toby’s friend, because he once helped your people -out of a scrape, as everybody<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">112</a></span> knows—that time the Darings came near -losing their money. I wish, Phoebe Daring, you could find out who took -that box. I’ve been just miserable over Toby’s arrest; but I’m so busy -here, just now, I can’t lift a finger to help him.”</p> - -<p>The girl walked thoughtfully home, wondering if she had really -accomplished anything. Sitting down at her desk she made the following -memoranda, writing it neatly and carefully:</p> - -<blockquote> -<p class="center smallcap">“THOSE WHO KNEW OF THE BOX.</p> - -<p>“1.—Janet Ferguson.—Being the judge’s daughter and likely to -suffer more than anyone else by the theft of the box, which -the Ferguson estate was responsible for, and being a sweet and -honest girl and incapable of stealing even a pin, Janet is beyond -suspicion.</p> - -<p>“2.—Mrs. Ritchie.—She knew better than anyone else the value of -the box. A hard, shrewd old woman, very selfish and mean. It is -said she half starves the workmen on her farm and makes her hired -girl pay for the dishes she breaks. Her husband left her a good -deal of money, and she has made more, so she is quite rich. Never -spends anything.</p> - -<p>“<em>Question</em>: Did Mrs. Ritchie steal her own box?</p> - -<p>“<em>Answer</em>: She might be capable of doing it and then throwing -the blame on Toby. Her eagerness<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">113</a></span> to have the box given up to -her as soon as she heard of the judge’s death looks suspicious. -On the other hand she couldn’t pick a lock to save her neck, and -it’s easy to trace her every movement from the time she drove -into town until she went home again. She afterward went to Mr. -Spaythe and bothered him until he decided to give her the box a -day earlier than he planned to give the other boxes up to their -owners. But when they went to the office and opened the cupboard, -the box was gone. She nearly had a fit and called Mr. Spaythe a -thief to his face. Don’t think she is clever enough to assume all -that. She afterward went to Lawyer Kellogg, whom she hates, and -employed him to help her find the thief. If she had stolen the -box herself she wouldn’t have done that. She’d have kept quiet -and obliged the Fergusons to make good any loss she claimed. -Considering all this, I don’t believe that Mrs. Ritchie stole her -own box.</p> - -<p>“3.—Mr. Spaythe.—A rich man who likes to make more money. Gets -all the interest he can and doesn’t spend much. Pays his son Eric -a mighty small salary; people say it’s because he’s so stingy. -He was Judge Ferguson’s best friend. Stern and severe to most -people. His own son fears him.</p> - -<p>“<em>Question</em>: Did Mr. Spaythe steal Mrs. Ritchie’s box?</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">114</a></span> -“<em>Answer</em>: He had the keys and could have done so. We’re not -sure the box was taken the day after the judge’s death; it might -have been several days later. It is astonishing that Mr. Spaythe -at once defended Toby; was much excited over his arrest; put -himself out to go to Bayport to give five thousand dollars bail, -and then took Toby into his own home. Mr. Spaythe isn’t usually -charitable or considerate of others; he has known Toby Clark for -years and has never taken any interest in him till now. Why has -he changed so suddenly? Is it because he himself stole the box -but doesn’t want an innocent boy to suffer for it? No answer just -now. Better watch Mr. Spaythe. He’s the biggest man around here -and considered very honorable. Always keeps his word religiously. -Is trusted with everyone’s money. Can I suspect such a man? Yes. -Somebody stole that box. I’ll put Mr. Spaythe under suspicion.</p> - -<p>“4.—Will Chandler.—A prominent citizen, postmaster for a good -many years and generally liked. Under bonds to the post-office -department, so he has to be honest. No Chandler has ever done -anything wrong.</p> - -<p>“<em>Question</em>: Did Will Chandler steal the box?</p> - -<p>“<em>Answer</em>: Not likely. He could have done so, but the same chance -has existed for a long time, as far as Chandler is concerned, -for the judge<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">115</a></span> trusted him with his key. This key always hung on -a peg just inside the post-office window, where the judge could -reach it from the outside without bothering Chandler; but very -few people knew that and either Will or his daughter Hazel always -had the key in plain sight. Chandler had learned that there was -money in Mrs. Ritchie’s box. He may have been suddenly tempted. -Better put him under suspicion.</p> - -<p>“5.—John Holbrook.—Absolutely unknown here. No record of his -past. Is a lawyer and has a certificate to practice in this -state. Dresses extravagantly, lives at the hotel and claims to be -too poor to hire a clerk.</p> - -<p>“<em>Question</em>: Did he steal Mrs. Ritchie’s box?</p> - -<p>“<em>Answer</em>: This man, having little or no money, was audacious -enough to open a law office here—‘on his nerve,’ Don would say. -Boldness is therefore a trait in his character. He suddenly -learned, from the woman herself, that there was considerable -money in her box. He told Toby not to give it up, which was quite -right and good advice. But he had all that night to work in. Had -been in the office—left alone there—and if he was observing -had noticed that the locks of the door and of the cupboard were -not hard to pick. Says he knows a lot about criminal practices -and so he might have taken a wax impression of the keyholes and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">116</a></span> -made keys to fit them. I’ve read of such things being done. -Holbrook might have hidden the box in Toby’s rubbish heap and put -the papers in his room without knowing who lived in the shanty. -Was evidently disturbed by the news of Toby’s arrest. Took his -case, but hasn’t done a single thing to clear up the mystery. -Didn’t want a detective to come here. Why? Easy to guess, if Mr. -Holbrook is guilty. All his acts are strongly suspicious. Keep a -sharp eye on him.</p> - -<p>“6.—Joe Griggs, the carpenter.—Harmless old man, who doesn’t -care for money. Handy with tools and could pick a lock, but -wouldn’t have any desire to do so. Likes Toby and wouldn’t have -any object in hurting him; careless about money; is always poor -and contented. Joe Griggs could have stolen that box but I’ll bet -anything he didn’t.</p> - -<p>“7.—Mrs. Miller.—A woman who bears a doubtful character. Is -deaf and dumb, but quick-witted. Her husband a drunkard and she -supports the family by washing and cleaning. May have known there -was money in Mrs. Ritchie’s box and wouldn’t be above stealing -it. But how could she? It would be like her to hide the box and -papers on Toby’s premises, to divert suspicion from herself. None -can tell what an unscrupulous woman like Mrs. Miller might not -do, if she set about it. Suspicious.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">117</a></span> -“8.—Sam Parsons.—Constable. That means the sole policeman and -officer of the law in Riverdale. Not very well educated but quite -intelligent and a terror to evil-doers. Sam is very kind hearted; -is married and has a happy wife and three children. Great friend -of Judge Ferguson and Toby Clark. Plays chess nearly every Monday -night with Will Chandler. Everybody likes Sam except the hoodlums.</p> - -<p>“<em>Question</em>: Did Sam Parsons steal Mrs. Ritchie’s box?</p> - -<p>“<em>Answer</em>: Seems as if one might as well suspect the law itself, -or the judge and the court and the Constitution of the United -States. But somebody stole that box and Sam Parsons was twice -seen in a compromising position. It was underhanded to peek -through the keyhole of the office door; and what was he doing, -standing with his back to it, when it was locked and no one -inside? This is the strongest clew I have found in the case, and -the hardest to follow. Either Sam did it, or he knows something -about the theft of the box; but in either case he has kept mum. -Why did he arrest Toby and put him in jail, never saying a word -in protest or defense, if he knew who really took the box? Sam -is fond of Toby and from the first said he was innocent. But -he has never hinted that he knows the guilty party. There’s a -possibility<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">118</a></span> that Sam stole the box himself. I take it that a -constable is human, like other folks. Therefore I’ll watch Sam -Parsons.”</p> -</blockquote> - -<p>Phoebe now reread what she had written and nodded approval. It occurred -to her that her reasoning was very logical and entirely without -personal bias.</p> - -<p>“I’ve made a beginning, at least,” she murmured. “I’ve narrowed down -the possible thieves to just five people: Mr. Spaythe, Will Chandler, -Mr. Holbrook, Mrs. Miller and Sam Parsons. I am positive that one of -these five is guilty, but without more evidence I can’t even guess -which it is. I believe I’ll go and report progress to the Little -Mother, my fellow conspirator.”</p> - -<p>Judith greeted the girl with her usual affectionate smile.</p> - -<p>“Well, Miss Conspirator,” she said playfully, “what news?”</p> - -<p>“I’ve accomplished something, I believe,” returned Phoebe with an air -of satisfaction. “Here are my present conclusions, all written out.”</p> - -<p>Before she read the paper, however, she related to Judith her visit to -Toby Clark and to Will Chandler. Then, slowly and deliberately, she -began to read.</p> - -<p>Judith listened in some surprise, for she was astonished by the girl’s -shrewdness in analyzing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">119</a></span> human character. Phoebe had struggled to -be perfectly unprejudiced and impersonal in jotting down her items, -but more than once the Little Mother had to repress a smile at some -inconsistent hypothesis. Yet there was cleverness and a degree of logic -in the entire summary.</p> - -<p>“You see,” concluded the girl, folding the paper carefully for future -reference, “we must seek the criminal among these five persons.”</p> - -<p>“Why, dear?”</p> - -<p>“Because, being aware of Judge Ferguson’s life and habits and of about -all that goes on in this village, I find them the only ones who knew of -the box, were able to get hold of it, or might for some reason or other -be tempted to steal it. Don’t you agree with me, Cousin Judith?”</p> - -<p>“Not entirely, Phoebe. I do not think any stretch of the imagination -could connect Mr. Spaythe with the crime, or even Will Chandler. From -their very natures, their antecedents and standing in Riverdale, such a -connection is impossible.”</p> - -<p>“Improbable, I admit, Cousin; but nothing is impossible.”</p> - -<p>“On the other hand,” continued Judith, “you have a strong argument in -favor of suspecting Mr. Holbrook. I myself have thought of him as the -possible perpetrator of the crime, but have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">120</a></span> been almost ashamed to -harbor such a thought. I have never seen the man, you know; but I wish -we knew something of his past history.”</p> - -<p>“How about Mrs. Miller?”</p> - -<p>“I agree with you that she might be capable of the theft, but do not -see how she could accomplish it.”</p> - -<p>“And Sam Parsons?”</p> - -<p>“There, I think, you have unearthed a real clew, but not one leading -to Sam’s identity with the thief. The constable is absolutely honest; -but he is a clever fellow, for all he seems so slow and easy, and he is -the nearest approach to a detective we have in town. My idea is that -Sam was suspicious that some one intended to rob the judge’s office, -and was hanging around to prevent it or to discover the thief. We may -conclude that he failed to do either, for had he known who took the box -he would have denounced and arrested him. It may be that Sam has some -hint of the truth and is lying in wait for the burglar. Why don’t you -have a talk with him, Phoebe, and try to discover how much he knows?”</p> - -<p>“I think I shall,” said the girl, musing over this suggestion.</p> - -<p>“And bear in mind the fact that the box might have been taken by some -person you have not yet thought of in this connection. You’ve made<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">121</a></span> -progress, my dear—extraordinary progress—but, after all, you may be -far from the truth in your deductions.”</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">122</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="x" id="x"></a>CHAPTER X<br /> -<small>HOW THE MARCHING CLUB WAS ORGANIZED</small></h2> - - -<p>“Something’s got to be done,” said Don Daring, with emphasis, as he -addressed a circle of eager listeners.</p> - -<p>The children had assembled on the upper floor of the Randolph barn, a -big, roomy place intended for the storage of hay, when it was built, -but now a bare room because the automobile, which had replaced the -carriage horses, did not eat hay. The Randolphs lived directly across -the road from the Darings, in a handsome, modern structure of brick -and stone that had cost a lot of money to build. This family was -reputed the wealthiest in Riverdale, for Mr. Randolph was a clever -financier who spent most of his time in far-away Boston, where his -business interests were, and only came South to see his family on rare -occasions and for brief visits. Mrs. Randolph was a semi-invalid whose -health obliged her to live in a warmer clime than that of Boston. She -was rather selfish and worldly-minded, although professing to be much -interested in foreign missions, and it was said she occupied most of -her time in writing articles<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">123</a></span> for religious papers and magazines. There -were three Randolph children: Marion, about Phoebe’s age, who attended -a college near Washington and was only home for vacations; Doris, a -demure little girl of an age to associate with Becky, and Allerton, a -boy a trifle younger than Don.</p> - -<p>Allerton, whose mother indulged his every whim, rather than be annoyed -by his pleading, had just received from the city an amateur printing -press and outfit and had set it up in the barn. Don and Becky had been -invited to come over and see the first “job” of printing executed, -but interest in the new and expensive plaything was divided by the -news of Toby Clark’s misfortunes. They were all four earnest friends -and admirers of Toby and having canvassed the subject in all its -phases, with growing indignation and excitement, Don wound up with the -statement:</p> - -<p>“Something’s got to be done!”</p> - -<p>“What?” asked Becky curiously.</p> - -<p>“Something to show we believe in Toby an’ know he’s innocent.”</p> - -<p>“That don’t answer my question,” insisted his sister. “Something don’t -mean anything, unless you say what the something is.”</p> - -<p>“He means,” announced Doris, in her prim way, “that we must undertake -to do something, to be decided later, that will show to the world that -we believe in the honesty of Toby Clark.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">124</a></span> -“That’s it!” cried Don approvingly; “an’ Beck ought to know it without -so much argument.”</p> - -<p>“All right; I’m game,” said Becky, complacently. “You can count on me -in anything that’ll help Toby.”</p> - -<p>“I’m afraid we four can’t do much,” remarked Allerton. “The law has -Toby in its clutches and I suppose it will hang him.”</p> - -<p>“Hang nothing!” retorted Don, scornfully. “They don’t hang folks for -stealing, Al; it’s only for murder.”</p> - -<p>“But Toby didn’t steal Mrs. Ritchie’s box,” suggested Doris.</p> - -<p>“No; of course not. But he’s been arrested for it and is in jail, and -nobody seems to be doing anything to help him. That’s why I think we -ought to do something. If I was in his fix I’d like my friends to fight -for me.”</p> - -<p>“Tell us what to do, then, and we’ll do it,” said Becky. “We’ll all -join hands, eyes right an’ chins up, an’ march on to victory!”</p> - -<p>“Eh?” said Don, staring at her thoughtfully; “that isn’t a bad idea, -Becky.”</p> - -<p>“What idea?”</p> - -<p>“The marching. When there’s an election the men all get together and -form a company and parade the streets with banners and a band—and -their man gets elected.”</p> - -<p>“It is a way to win popular favor,” said Doris.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">125</a></span> “The marching and -bands and fireworks arouse excitement.”</p> - -<p>“Well, that’s what we ought to do,” declared Don. “Those fool people in -the town are all shaking their heads like billygoats and saying Toby -must be guilty, just ’cause they found the empty box in his back yard. -Anyone could put the box there; it’s no proof Toby did it. Let’s get up -a Toby Clark Marching Club, to defend Toby and bring folks to the right -way of thinking. That’ll help him more than anything else.”</p> - -<p>“It would make ’em laugh,” said Beck, “to see two boys and two girls -marching with a banner and a band. And where in thunder will you get -that band, Don?”</p> - -<p>“You shut up. We’ll enlist every kid in town in our marching club. -It’ll be no end of fun—besides helping Toby.”</p> - -<p>“That sounds good,” said Allerton. “I’ll be the captain.”</p> - -<p>“I’m captain myself,” retorted Don. “It’s my idea.”</p> - -<p>“It was Becky’s.”</p> - -<p>“Nothing of the sort. What she said gave me the idea; and it’s a good -one.”</p> - -<p>“If you’re going to hog everything, you can get up your own marching -club, and I’ll stay out of it,” said Allerton sullenly.</p> - -<p>Don had a hot reply on his tongue’s end, but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">126</a></span> hesitated. He really -wanted to help Toby Clark.</p> - -<p>“Tell you what we’ll do, Al,” he said generously; “we’ll get up the -club together and then let all the members vote which one of us shall -be captain. Then the other can be first lieutenant.”</p> - -<p>“All right,” agreed Al.</p> - -<p>“Why don’t you both be generals?” asked Becky. “Then it would leave -some offices for us girls.”</p> - -<p>“Why, we can’t be expected to march in a parade, Becky,” said Doris -chidingly. “It wouldn’t be ladylike.”</p> - -<p>“I’m no lady, an’ I’m goin’ to march,” replied Becky, with decision. -“This isn’t politics; it’s a boom for Toby Clark, the Unjustly Accused, -and I’m in the game first, last an’ all the time.”</p> - -<p>“That’s the proper spirit,” said Don.</p> - -<p>“Tell you what,” remarked Allerton; “we’ll print a lot of cards, -inviting all the boys and girls in Riverdale to join the Toby Clark -Marching Club, and we’ll distribute them at school and call the first -meeting in our barn on Saturday forenoon.”</p> - -<p>“Great idea, Al! Let’s print the cards right away,” cried Don with -enthusiasm.</p> - -<p>They first wrote the announcement on a piece of paper, Becky doing the -writing in her scrawly hand and Doris correcting the spelling, which -was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">127</a></span> something startling as Becky employed it. Then they set the type, -the girls eagerly helping to do that, and after locking it up in the -chase they ran off the first impression. It was somewhat blurred, there -being too much ink on the roller, but Becky proudly read it aloud, as -follows:</p> - -<blockquote> -<div class="block-line-top"> -<p class="center smallcap">TAKE NOTICE!</p> -</div> -<p class="center">You are respectfully invited to become a Member of</p> - -<p class="center smallcap">THE TOBY CLARK MARCHING CLUB!</p> - -<p class="noi">Organized for the Defense of our Unjustly Accused Fellow Citizen, -Toby Clark! And to Bring About his Release from Jail and to Clear -his Good Name from the Taint of Cowardly Slander! There will be</p> - -<p class="center"><span class="smallcap">UNIFORMS! BANDS! RED FIRE!</span> and -<span class="smallcap">BANNERS!</span></p> - -<p class="noi">All in Favor of this will Meet at Randolph’s Barn (upstairs) on -Saturday Morning at 9 o’clock Sharp.</p> - -<p class="center smallcap">ALL BOYS AND GIRLS WELCOME TO JOIN!</p> - -<div class="block-container"> -<div class="block-center"> -<div class="names"> -<div class="line">Don Daring,</div> -<div class="line">Al Randolph,</div> -<div class="line">Doris Randolph,</div> -<div class="line">Becky Daring,</div> -<div class="line indent">Organizing Committee.</div> -</div></div></div> - -<div class="block-line-bottom"> -<p class="center">(Al Randolph, Printer)</p> -</div> -</blockquote> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">128</a></span> -“The composition doesn’t seem to be quite clear,” observed Doris, when -the applause had subsided. “It reads as if all in favor of the red fire -and banners were invited to join.”</p> - -<p>“Well, so they are,” maintained Don. “The red fire an’ banners mean the -Marching Club, ’cause they’re a part of it.”</p> - -<p>“Better leave the band out,” advised Becky. “It’s a swindle, and we -want this thing on the square.”</p> - -<p>“There’s going to be a band—if we have to blow on combs covered with -paper,” retorted her brother. “But this is going to be an awful big -thing, girls, and we may hire the Riverdale Cornet Band.”</p> - -<p>“That’d cost twenty dollars.”</p> - -<p>“If they’re friends of Toby Clark they’ll play for nothing. Don’t -borrow trouble. Buckle to, and make the thing a success.”</p> - -<p>They printed off a hundred cards and laid them upon a board to dry -overnight. Next morning Allerton brought them to the Darings and each -of the Organizing Committee took twenty-five to distribute at school. -The boys and girls of Riverdale read the announcement and became -excited over the novelty of the undertaking. Therefore the Randolph -barn was crowded on Saturday morning at 9 o’clock, when Allerton called -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">129</a></span> meeting to order—a necessary call—and announced that Donald -Daring would explain the object of the proposed organization.</p> - -<p>Don had carefully prepared his speech in advance and had even committed -it to memory. Right after breakfast he had recited it to Becky without -a skip, and his usually critical sister had declared it was “simply -grand.” But Don had an attack of what is called “stage fright” and as -he faced the throng of eager listeners promptly forgot the beginning -of his address—and nearly all the rest of it. But he knew what he -wanted to talk about and after stammering through the first sentence, -progressed very well, his earnestness inspiring him to oratory.</p> - -<p>“Friends and fellow citizens,” he began; “you all know what a measly -shame the arrestin’ of Toby Clark was, which he’s innocent as I am -or as any of you are. You know Toby, and he’s a good fellow, and -no sneak-thief, and you can bet your oatmeal on that ev’ry time! -(Applause.) Toby’s always been a friend an’ stood by us, so now’s the -time for us to stand by him. The truth is, somebody’s tryin’ to make a -goat of Toby, and hopes to put him in jail so he’ll escape himself.”</p> - -<p>A Voice: “So who’ll escape? Which one of ’em, Don?”</p> - -<p>“So the thief that stole the box will escape, of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">130</a></span> course. That’s why -the thief put the empty box in Toby’s yard, an’ stuffed the papers -in his shanty. He hoped Toby would be arrested an’ proved guilty, so -he—the fellow that stole the box—wouldn’t be suspected.”</p> - -<p>Another Voice: “Who stole the box, if Toby didn’t?”</p> - -<p>“We don’t know who stole it. I wish we did. But we’re sure it wasn’t -Toby and so we’re going to stick up for him and force Sam Parsons an’ -the law-bugs over at Bayport to set him free. That’s what this Club’s -going to be organized for,” here Don suddenly remembered part of his -speech: “to mold public opinion into the right channels and champion -the cause of our down-trodden comrade.”</p> - -<p>“Hooray!” yelled Becky, and great applause followed.</p> - -<p>“I heard Lawyer Holbrook was stickin’ up for Toby,” said a boy.</p> - -<p>“Holbrook’s a stick, but he ain’t stickin’ up much,” replied Don. “He -isn’t posted on things, ’cause he’s just come to town and don’t know -the run of things. If Toby’s goin’ to be saved, this Marching Club, -organized for his benefit, is goin’ to save him, and it’ll be stacks of -fun besides. We’ll parade all through the town, with flags an’ banners -flying, an’ we’ll have a banquet, an’ perhaps<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">131</a></span> a brass band, an’ so -help to set Toby Clark free.”</p> - -<p>“What’ll we eat at the banquet?” asked a solemn-eyed girl.</p> - -<p>“Food, of course,” answered Becky. “You’d better join an’ get a square -meal, for once in your life, Susan Doozen.”</p> - -<p>“I guess our grocery bill is as big as yours is!” cried the girl -angrily.</p> - -<p>“It’s bigger,” replied Becky composedly, “for we pay ours.”</p> - -<p>“Here, cut that out!” commanded the speaker. “We’re not here to -squabble, but to fight for Toby Clark, and we’re going to put up the -biggest fight Riverdale has ever seen. The Toby Clark Marching Club -will become famous, an’ go down in the annals of history as a—as—as—”</p> - -<p>“As a Marching Club,” said Allerton, helping him out.</p> - -<p>“With a record we’ll all be proud of,” added Don. “I can tell you -kids one thing, and that is that every boy an’ girl who don’t belong -to our marching club will be looked down on as nobodies, an’ they’ll -deserve it. This is goin’ to be the biggest thing that ever happened -in Riverdale and when Toby Clark is free and cleared of this wicked -slander I’m going to petition Congress to give every one of us a gold -medal. Now, then, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">132</a></span> register is on that box beside the chairman, who -is Al Randolph. You’ll form in line and all walk up and sign it. It’s a -pledge to become a member of this Marching Club and to allow no one to -say Toby Clark is guilty without denying it. Also to obey the rules of -the Club and mind its officers.”</p> - -<p>“Who’s them?” asked a small boy.</p> - -<p>“We’re going to elect the officers after you’ve all signed,” replied -Don.</p> - -<p>It was evident that the arguments advanced had been effective. Every -boy and girl present signed the roll. When Doris had counted the -names she announced that the Toby Clark Marching Club now numbered -sixty-seven members.</p> - -<p>“We’ll make it an even hundred in a few days,” declared Don exultantly. -“And now we’ll have the election of officers. All in favor of me for -captain say ‘aye.’”</p> - -<p>“Hold on!” cried Al, jumping up. “That isn’t fair. You promised they -should vote whether you or I should be captain.”</p> - -<p>“That’s all right,” said Don. “If they don’t elect me they can vote for -you.”</p> - -<p>“Can’t anyone else be it?” asked a big boy anxiously.</p> - -<p>“No,” replied Don. “It was my idea, and Al printed the invitations on -his press. One of us<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">133</a></span> has got to be captain and the other lieutenant. -But there’ll be lots of other officers.”</p> - -<p>“Listen to me,” said Becky. “I know how to run an election. I’ll give -each one a piece of paper, and each one must write ‘Al’ or ‘Don’ on -it, whichever they want for captain. Then Doris and I will collect the -papers and count ’em, and whoever has the most will be elected.”</p> - -<p>There being no objection to this plan it was carried out. When the -papers were counted Al had twenty-six votes and Don forty-one.</p> - -<p>“Are you sure you counted right?” asked Al in a disappointed tone.</p> - -<p>“Count ’em yourself, if you want to,” replied Becky.</p> - -<p>“Friends and fellow citizens,” said Don, bowing to the members of the -Marching Club, “I thank you for this evidence of your good judgment. -I’m now the captain and I’ll drill you like a regiment of soldiers, -only better. Al is first lieutenant, and I appoint Becky secretary and -Doris the treasurer.”</p> - -<p>“When do we get the gold medals?” asked a girl.</p> - -<p>Don glared at her.</p> - -<p>“The gold medals don’t come till after Toby is cleared. Then I said I’d -ask Congress for ’em.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">134</a></span> -“Who’s Congress?” inquired the girl.</p> - -<p>There was a laugh, at this, and then Don said they’d elect two -standard-bearers, to carry the banners, and four corporals. He didn’t -much care who filled these offices, and so allowed the members to -vote for whom they pleased. By the time the election was over Doris -and Becky brought up two great trays of cakes, while their brothers -provided a pail of lemonade, with which the entire club was served by -having recourse to constant dilutions.</p> - -<p>Providing these refreshments had been thought by the organizers to be -good policy and calculated to arouse enthusiasm in the Marching Club; -and so it did. After being served they all trooped out upon the lawn, -where Don and Al matched the children into pairs and arranged the order -in which they should parade. The boys and girls wanted to march through -the town at once, but their captain told them they were not ready for -a parade yet. They must be drilled, and the banners must be made and -painted. Each member was instructed to get a white sash and wear it -whenever the club met.</p> - -<p>They drilled until noon, growing more and more animated and -enthusiastic, and then separated to meet again after supper on the -grounds of the Daring residence.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">135</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="xi" id="xi"></a>CHAPTER XI<br /> -<small>HOW THE CLUB RECEIVED A DONATION</small></h2> - - -<p>“What were all those children doing at the Randolphs?” inquired Cousin -Judith, as Becky and Don came in to dinner, flushed and triumphant.</p> - -<p>“That was the Toby Clark Marching Club,” announced Don, proudly. “I’m -elected captain of it.”</p> - -<p>Judith seemed puzzled.</p> - -<p>“Tell me about it,” she said. “What’s the idea?”</p> - -<p>Becky at once began an excited explanation and Don broke in -<a name="to" id="to"></a><ins title="Original has 'the assist'">to assist</ins> -her, so that by listening carefully to the broken sentences -the Little Mother managed to get a fair idea of the object of the -organization.</p> - -<p>“You don’t mind, do you?” Becky inquired anxiously.</p> - -<p>“No, indeed. The Marching Club may not do Toby Clark much good, but it -certainly will do him no harm. As you say, there will be lots of fun in -parading in defense of one so unjustly accused.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">136</a></span> -“Becky and I are going to spend all our week’s allowance on ribbon,” -said Don, “and we will make it into badges and Al will print them this -afternoon in gold letters. He got some gold powder with his printing -outfit.”</p> - -<p>“Can’t I belong?” asked Sue, who had not been present at the meeting.</p> - -<p>“Of course,” said Becky. “Every able-bodied kid in town is welcome to -join, and I’ll bet a cookie they’ll all come in. It’s the swellest -thing in Riverdale, just now, and not to belong to the Toby Clark -Marching Club is to be just a nobody.”</p> - -<p>“I think I would like to contribute the ribbon for the badges,” said -Cousin Judith. “How much will you need?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, thank you!” they all cried gleefully, and Becky added that they -wanted enough white ribbon to make a hundred badges.</p> - -<p>“White’s going to be our color,” said the girl, “’cause it’s the emblem -of innocence, and we’ll stick to Toby’s innocence till the cows come -home. We’re all to wear white sashes, and I wish we could get white -caps to match; but I don’t suppose we can.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll see if I can make a white cap,” remarked Phoebe, who was quite -delighted with the idea of the Marching Club. “If I find I can do it, -I’ll make one for every member.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">137</a></span> -This encouragement delighted Becky and Don and after dinner Judith and -Phoebe went down town and purchased the ribbon for the badges and white -cotton cloth for the caps. Phoebe found it was not very difficult to -make a round cap, which consisted merely of a band and a crown, and the -first one she stitched up on the machine was pronounced a success. It -was becoming to boys and girls alike and Becky thought Al could print -“T. C. M. C.” on the front of each cap, very easily.</p> - -<p>It took Allerton, assisted by Don, all the afternoon to print the -badges, but they looked very pretty with their gold letters and Doris -fringed the end of each one to make it look more like a badge. Becky, -meantime, was assisting Phoebe with the caps, and so was Cousin Judith. -They managed to make thirty before evening, when the club was to meet, -and Don was told to promise each member a cap as soon as the rest could -be made.</p> - -<p>Nearly eighty children gathered on the lawn after supper and the new -additions all signed the roll of the club and became members. Doris and -Becky pinned a badge upon each one and told them to wear it wherever -they might go, as a mark of distinction. The thirty caps were also -distributed and some had already provided and brought with them their -white sashes. These preparations<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">138</a></span> filled the youngsters with joy and -made them very proud of belonging to the new organization. Don got -them in line and marched them around the grounds awhile, but the -evenings were short at this time of the year and the children were soon -dismissed with instructions to assemble on Monday after school and to -bring as many new members as could be induced to join.</p> - -<p>The badges were worn even to church the next day and aroused much -curiosity; but not a boy nor girl would tell what “T. C. M. C.” meant, -as they had pledged themselves to keep the club and its object a deep -secret until they were ready to parade.</p> - -<p>Perhaps it was not wholly a desire to help Toby Clark that animated -these children, although after they were enrolled in the Marching Club -they one and all warmly defended him if his innocence was questioned. -What most attracted them was the club itself, with its glamour of -badges, sashes, caps, “refreshments” at meetings, its drills and -parades and the promises of brass bands and gold medals.</p> - -<p>Doris, a conscientious little girl, took Don Daring to task for making -those rash promises, but the boy protested that they would get a band, -somehow or other, and as for the medals he had only said he would ask -“Congress” for them and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">139</a></span> he meant to keep his word. If “Congress” -refused to present the medals it wouldn’t be his fault, anyhow.</p> - -<p>They drilled every afternoon during the following week. Phoebe finished -the caps and supplied sashes to those children who were unable to get -them at home. Becky wheedled Aunt Hyacinth, the black mammy who had -been with the Darings all their lives, into making a hundred cookies -one day and a hundred fried cakes the next, and with these the girls -served lemonade to the Club. Wednesday afternoon Doris again supplied -the refreshments and on Thursday Cousin Judith furnished ice cream for -the whole assemblage. Janet Ferguson, whose interest had been aroused -by the unique idea of the Toby Clark Marching Club, provided the -refreshments for Friday, and Saturday was to be the day of the first -great parade.</p> - -<p>But before this the Marching Club received its greatest surprise, -resulting in its greatest impetus. On Thursday Doris Randolph came -running over to the Daring place breathless with excitement and waving -a letter as she met Becky and Don.</p> - -<p>“Oh, dear!” she gasped; “what do you suppose has happened?”</p> - -<p>“The North Star has gone south,” answered Becky, laughing.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">140</a></span> -“No; it’s something great—wonderful,” said Doris. “Just listen to this -letter; the postman brought it a minute ago.”</p> - -<p>She opened the letter with fluttering fingers and read as follows:</p> - -<blockquote> -<p class="noi nmb">“Miss Doris Randolph,</p> -<p class="nmt nmb">Treasurer of the Toby Clark Marching Club:</p> - -<p class="nmt nmb">“We beg to inform you that one of our customers, who wishes to -remain unknown, has placed to your credit in Spaythe’s Bank the -sum of Fifty Dollars, to be used for the promotion of the Club as -its officers deem best. Very respectfully,</p> - -<p class="right1 nmt nmb">Spaythe’s Bank,</p> -<p class="right2 nmt">by Eric Spaythe, Cashier.”</p> -</blockquote> - -<p>“Well, for goodness sake!” exclaimed Becky. “Fifty dollars! Who do you -s’pose sent it, Doris?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know any more than the letter tells us; but what in the world -will we do with all that money?”</p> - -<p>“I know,” said Don, so astonished that he had been speechless until -now; “we’ll hire the Riverdale Cornet Band for Saturday.”</p> - -<p>“Good idea,” said Becky. “Let’s go see Ed Collins, the leader of the -band, right away.”</p> - -<p>“But—wait!” cried Doris; “don’t let us do anything rash. We’d better -wait until the Club meets this afternoon and let them all vote on it.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">141</a></span> -“Nonsense,” said Don. “Don’t the letter say the money’s to be used as -the officers think best? Well, we’re the officers. Where’s Al?”</p> - -<p>“I think he is studying his lessons just at present,” said Al’s sister.</p> - -<p>“Never mind; we’re the majority; so let’s vote to hire the band,” -proposed Don.</p> - -<p>“Better let Allerton into this,” said Becky cautiously. “He’s mighty -sensitive and there’s no use having war in our own camp. As for the -others, they’re all dummies; but it won’t take more than a jiffy to -hunt Al up and get his vote on the proposition.”</p> - -<p>“We must all start for school very soon,” said Doris; “and, if you will -wait for us, Allerton and I will join you. Then, on our way, we can -talk it over and decide what is best to be done.”</p> - -<p>This being a sensible suggestion, it was adopted and Doris ran across -to her home while Becky flew upstairs to tell Phoebe and the Little -Mother the wonderful news.</p> - -<p>“It is certainly strange,” commented Phoebe thoughtfully. “I wonder who -could have sent this money?”</p> - -<p>“Never mind who sent it,” cried Becky; “we’ve got it, and we’ll hire -the band, and the whole town will go crazy over the Marching Club on -Saturday!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">142</a></span> -Then off she ran to talk it over with Don again, and Cousin Judith said -to Phoebe:</p> - -<p>“There may be a clew for you in this donation, my Lady Conspirator.”</p> - -<p>“That occurred to me at once,” replied the girl seriously. “No one -would donate fifty dollars to the Marching Club unless greatly -interested in the fate of poor Toby. And who so likely to be interested -in saving him as the one who really took Mrs. Ritchie’s box?”</p> - -<p>“In that case, the thief has a conscience and does not wish an innocent -person to suffer for his own fault,” commented Judith. “Therefore, -thinking the Marching Club may assist Toby’s case, the guilty one has -donated fifty dollars to the cause.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps a part of the stolen money,” suggested Phoebe.</p> - -<p>“Very likely. The letter says he wishes to conceal his identity, but—”</p> - -<p>“The Spaythes must know who it is!” exclaimed Phoebe.</p> - -<p>“Of course.”</p> - -<p>“I’m going to see Eric right away. He wrote the letter, Cousin Judith, -and Eric knows if anyone does.”</p> - -<p>“But will he tell you?”</p> - -<p>“He is very much interested in Toby and greatly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">143</a></span> worried over the way -his case drags. Eric told me the other day he would do anything to save -Toby.”</p> - -<p>“Then I advise you to see him.”</p> - -<p>Phoebe glanced out of the window. Becky and Don and the two Randolph -children were just starting for school, eagerly canvassing the joyful -news as they went. So Phoebe put on her things and quietly followed -them, wending her way to Spaythe’s bank.</p> - -<p>This was a neat brick building, quite the most imposing bit of -architecture in town. At this early hour the doors had just been opened -and no customer had as yet appeared. Eric was back of the cashier’s -desk and greeted the girl with a cheery “good morning.”</p> - -<p>“Who gave fifty dollars to the Marching Club, Eric?” she asked.</p> - -<p>“Some unknown person, Miss Daring,” he replied with a smile.</p> - -<p>“Not unknown to the bank, however,” she said meaningly. “You see, it’s -this way,” Phoebe added, as the young man shook his head positively, -“whoever gave that money knows something, Eric, and we must find out -who it is. Perhaps—”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps it’s the thief himself,” returned Eric. “It struck me at -the time as a curious proceeding, in view of the circumstances,” he -continued;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">144</a></span> “but the truth is, I’m as much in the dark as you are.”</p> - -<p>“How <em>can</em> you be?” she protested.</p> - -<p>“Yesterday afternoon the governor came in from his private office -and told me to write the letter to Doris Randolph. I worded it just -as I was instructed, but when I asked who was the donor my father -merely frowned and said he must respect the person’s wish to remain -unidentified.”</p> - -<p>“Then Mr. Spaythe knows?”</p> - -<p>“Undoubtedly. You may question him, if you like; he’s in his private -office now. But I’m sure you won’t learn anything.”</p> - -<p>Phoebe sighed. She believed Eric was right in this assertion. Mr. -Spaythe was a man who guarded all confidences with the utmost loyalty. -He would be likely to resent any attempt to penetrate this secret, -Phoebe well knew, and she abandoned any thought of appealing to the -banker.</p> - -<p>“The governor is Toby’s friend, you know,” remarked Eric, as he noted -her disappointed expression. “If he has discovered anything, through -this donation, you may be sure he will take advantage of it when the -proper time comes.”</p> - -<p>That thought cheered Phoebe somewhat on her way home. But just as she -reached the house another thought intruded itself and she sat down on -the porch bench to think it out.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">145</a></span> -Mr. Spaythe, although considered far above any breath of suspicion, -actually headed her list of suspects. In other words, the banker was -one of those who knew of the box and that it contained money, and he -might have had the opportunity to steal it. She rapidly ran over in her -mind the arguments she had used for and against the probability of Mr. -Spaythe’s having taken the box, and shook her head doubtfully. There -was much that was suspicious in the banker’s actions. His astonishing -defense of Toby Clark, whom before the arrest he had scarcely noticed, -could not be easily explained.</p> - -<p>“The thief—the one we’re after—was a clever person,” mused Phoebe. -“I doubt if he would be reckless enough to go to Mr. Spaythe and ask -him to give that fifty dollars to the Marching Club and to keep his -name secret. Mr. Spaythe would know at once that such a person was the -guilty one. No; it wasn’t the criminal. Some one honestly interested -in Toby’s welfare gave that money, or else—or else it was Mr. Spaythe -himself!”</p> - -<p>She tried to consider this last possibility. Mr. Spaythe was not a -charitable man; he seldom or never espoused any cause through pure -philanthropy. There was something beneath this sudden interest in Toby -Clark, a poor and friendless<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">146</a></span> boy, and that something was not mere -kindliness, Phoebe felt sure. He might be politic enough to assist a -wealthy and powerful man in trouble, but not one who, like Toby, could -make him no return. What, then, had impelled the banker to pursue this -generous course toward the accused boy?</p> - -<p>Phoebe went in to talk it over with Cousin Judith, but found the house -in a commotion. Old Aunt Hyacinth was sweeping the parlor vigorously, -although this was not sweeping day. Judith, in cap and apron, was -dusting and rearranging the furniture, and Phoebe looked at the -extraordinary scene in amazement.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">147</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="xii" id="xii"></a>CHAPTER XII<br /> -<small>HOW THE GOVERNOR ARRIVED</small></h2> - - -<p>“Oh; is it you?” asked Judith busily. “Come and help us, dear, for we -must have the place in apple-pie order by four o’clock, and there’s a -lot to be done.”</p> - -<p>“Dear me; what’s the excitement about?” asked Phoebe.</p> - -<p>“I’ve just had a telegram from Cousin John, the Governor, and he’ll be -here at four o’clock,” answered Judith.</p> - -<p>“Really?”</p> - -<p>“Honest for true, Phoebe. Isn’t it fine?”</p> - -<p>Phoebe sat down with a bewildered expression. All the Darings well -knew of Judith’s famous cousin, the governor of the state, whom they -always called the “Great Man” in discussing him; but until now none -of them had ever seen him. He was not their cousin, although he bore -that relation to Cousin Judith Eliot, whose mother had been the sister -of his mother. There was no doubt of his being a very great man, for -he had not only been twice elected governor of the state<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">148</a></span> but people -declared he might some day become president of the United States, so -able and clean had been his administration of affairs. The very idea -of their entertaining so celebrated a personage made Phoebe gasp. She -looked at Cousin Judith with big eyes, trying to conceive the situation.</p> - -<p>“I’ve often invited him to come and see us,” continued Judith, her -voice full of glad anticipation as she worked, “but he is such a busy -man he could never find time. At last, however, he has remembered me, -and his telegram says he has been North on state affairs and finds he -can spare me a few hours to-day on his return; so he’ll be here at four -o’clock, stay all night and take the morning train on to the capitol.”</p> - -<p>“All night!” cried Phoebe.</p> - -<p>“Yes; I’m so pleased, Phoebe. You’re sure to like Cousin John and I -know the other children will adore him. It’s his custom to dine at -night, you know; so we’ll just have a lunch this noon and our dinner at -suppertime, as they do up North. The youngsters won’t mind, for once, -although it may give them indigestion.”</p> - -<p>Phoebe took off her hat and began to help Judith “rid up” the house. -The rooms were always so neatly kept that the girl could not see now -they might be improved, but Judith had the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">149</a></span> old-fashioned housekeeper’s -instinct in regard to cleanliness and knew just what touches the place -needed to render it sweet and fresh.</p> - -<p>Awe fell upon the younger Darings when they came in from school and -heard the news. Don, who had been chattering noisily of the Riverdale -Cornet Band, which had been hired for Saturday, fell silent and grave, -for the governor’s coming was an event that overshadowed all else. -Becky, serious for just a moment, suddenly began laughing.</p> - -<p>“The Great Man will scorn Riverdale, and especially the Darings,” -she predicted. “We’ll look like a set of gawks to him and I warn you -now, Little Mother, that if he pokes fun at me I’ll make faces. It’s -straight goods that a governor has no business here, and if he comes -he’ll have to shed his city airs and be human.”</p> - -<p>Judith laughed at this.</p> - -<p>“Don’t think of him as a governor, dear,” she said. “Just think of him -as my Cousin John, who used to be very nice to me when I was wee girl -and has never been any different since I grew up. I’m sure he is giving -us these few hours to rest his weary brain and bones, and hide from the -politicians. Not a soul in Riverdale will know the governor is here, -unless he is seen and recognized.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">150</a></span> -“Is he ashamed of us, then?” inquired little Sue.</p> - -<p>“Why should he be?”</p> - -<p>“Because we’re not great, like he is.”</p> - -<p>“But we <em>are</em>, Sue,” declared Phoebe. “The Darings are as great, in -their way, as the governor himself. We are honest and respectable, and -the votes of just such families as ours placed Judith’s cousin in the -governor’s chair and made him our leader and lawgiver.”</p> - -<p>“But he’s got a head on him,” remarked Don emphatically.</p> - -<p>“We all have heads,” answered Phoebe; “only our brains don’t lead us to -delve in politics or seek public offices.”</p> - -<p>“Mine do,” asserted her brother. “I’m goin’ to be awful great, myself, -some day. If the Little Mother’s cousin can be governor, there’s no -reason I shouldn’t become a—a——”</p> - -<p>“A policeman,” said Becky, helping him finish the sentence. “But you’ll -have to grow up first, Don.”</p> - -<p>This conversation did not seem to annoy Cousin Judith in the least. On -the contrary she was amused by the excitement the coming of the Great -Man caused in their little circle.</p> - -<p>“I wonder if the Randolphs would lend us their automobile to bring him -from the station,” mused Phoebe, at luncheon.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">151</a></span> -“How absurd!” said Judith. “Cousin John has two feet, just like other -men, and he’ll be glad to use them.”</p> - -<p>“Will the band turn out?” asked Don.</p> - -<p>“No. You mustn’t tell anyone of this visit, for the Riverdale people -would rush to see their governor and that would spoil his quiet visit -with us. Keep very quiet about it until after he has gone—all of you.”</p> - -<p>“What’ll we do about the Marching Club, Don?” asked Becky. “They were -to meet on our grounds after school, but now that the Great Man is -coming—”</p> - -<p>“You need not alter your plans at all,” said Judith. “I want you to do -just as you are accustomed to do. Be yourselves, my dears, and treat -Cousin John as if he were one of the family, which he really is. You -mustn’t let his coming disturb you in any way, for that would embarrass -and grieve him. He has no family of his own and it will delight him to -be received here as a relative and a friend, rather than as a great -statesman.”</p> - -<p>It was hard work for the children to keep the secret to themselves when -at school that afternoon; but they did. It was only little Sue who -confided to a friend the fact that “the biggest man in the whole world, -’cept the kings an’ princes<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">152</a></span> of fairy tales, was coming to visit them;” -but this indefinite information was received with stolid indifference -and quickly forgotten.</p> - -<p>Phoebe went with Judith to the station to meet the four o’clock train, -at her cousin’s earnest request, and her heart beat wildly as the train -drew in. The girl had pictured to herself a big, stalwart gentleman, -stern-visaged and grim, wearing a Prince Albert coat and a tall silk -hat, the center of a crowd of admiring observers. She was looking for -this important personage among the passengers who alighted from the -cars when Judith’s voice said in her ear:</p> - -<p>“Shake hands with Cousin John, Phoebe.”</p> - -<p>She started and blushed and then glanced shyly into the kind and -humorous eyes that gleamed from beneath the brim of a soft felt hat. -The Great Man was not great in stature; on the contrary his eyes were -about on a level with Phoebe’s own and she saw that his form was thin -and somewhat stooping. His coat was dusty from travel, his tie somewhat -carelessly arranged and his shoes were sadly in need of shining. -Otherwise there was an air of easy goodfellowship about Cousin John -that made Phoebe forget in a moment that he was the governor of a great -state and the idol of his people.</p> - -<p>“Bless me, what a big girl!” he cried, looking<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">153</a></span> at Phoebe admiringly. -“I thought all your adopted children were infants, Judy, and fully -expected to find you wielding half a dozen nursing bottles.”</p> - -<p>“No, indeed,” laughed the Little Mother; “the Darings are all -stalwarts, I assure you; an army of able-bodied boys and girls almost -ready to vote for you, Cousin John.”</p> - -<p>“Oh-ho! Suffragettes, eh?” he retorted, looking at Phoebe mischievously.</p> - -<p>“Not yet,” she said, returning his smile. “The women of Riverdale -haven’t organized the army militant, I’m glad to say; for I’ve an idea -I would never join it.”</p> - -<p>“You’re wrong,” he said quickly. “The women of the world will dominate -politics, some day, and you mustn’t be too old-fashioned in your -notions to join the procession of progress. But I mustn’t talk shop -to-day. What’s that tree, Judith; a live oak or a hickory? What a -quaint old town, and how cosy and delightful it seems! Some day, little -Cousin, I’m going to disappear from the world and rusticate in just -such a happy, forgotten paradise as Riverdale.”</p> - -<p>They were walking up the street, now, heading directly for the Daring -residence. The governor carried a small traveling bag and a light -overcoat. Those who saw him looked at him curiously,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">154</a></span> wondering what -guest was visiting the Darings; but not one of the gaping villagers -suspected that this was their governor.</p> - -<p>Arriving at the house the Great Man tossed his bag and coat in the -hall and drew a hickory rocker to a shady spot on the lawn. Asking -permission to smoke a cigar—his one bad habit, he claimed—he braced -his feet against a tree, leaned back in his chair and began to gossip -comfortably with Judith, who sat beside him, of their childhood days -and all the queer things that had happened to them both since. When -Phoebe wanted to run away and leave the cousins together they made her -stay; so she got a bit of embroidery and sat on the grass sewing and -listening.</p> - -<p>The children came home from school, awkwardly greeted the Great Man, -in whom they were distinctly disappointed because he did not look the -part, and then rushed away to follow their own devices. By and by -Cousin John glanced through the trees and was astonished to observe in -the distance an army of boys and girls engaged in drilling, their white -caps and sashes and their badges giving them an impressive appearance.</p> - -<p>“What’s all that?” asked the Governor curiously.</p> - -<p>“That,” replied Judith with a laugh, “is the Toby Clark Marching Club.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">155</a></span> -“Toby Clark—Toby Clark,” he said musingly. “A local celebrity, Judith?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; a lame boy who has been arrested for stealing. These children -resent the unjust accusation and have organized the Marching Club -to express their indignation and their unfaltering loyalty to their -friend.”</p> - -<p>“Good!” he cried; and then, after a moment, he added: “Unjust -accusation, Judy?”</p> - -<p>“Absolutely unjust,” she replied.</p> - -<p>He took down his feet and sat up straight in his chair.</p> - -<p>“Tell me about it,” he said.</p> - -<p>“Phoebe can do that better than I,” was the answer. “She is one of Toby -Clark’s staunchest defenders.”</p> - -<p>“Now, then, Phoebe, fire away.”</p> - -<p>She told the story, quietly and convincingly, beginning with Judge -Ferguson’s sudden death and relating Mrs. Ritchie’s demand for her box, -its disappearance and the finding of evidence on the premises of Toby -Clark, who had been promptly arrested and held for trial on the charge -of stealing. She told of Mr. Spaythe’s unaccountable defense of Toby, -employing a lawyer, furnishing his bail, and then giving him an asylum -in his own house, and concluded with the donation of fifty dollars -by an unknown person-through<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">156</a></span> Spaythe’s bank—for the benefit of the -Marching Club.</p> - -<p>The governor listened without interruption or comment to the end, -but it was evident he was interested. When Phoebe had finished he -rose to his feet and walked over to where the boys and girls were -drilling, where he stood watching Don explain the maneuvers and direct -the exercises. The Great Man noted every child’s face and marked -its expression. Then he strode among them and facing the astonished -assemblage held up his hand.</p> - -<p>“How many of you believe Toby Clark is innocent?” he asked.</p> - -<p>The yell they gave was decidedly unanimous.</p> - -<p>“How many of you would be willing to take his chance of going free?” -continued the governor in an earnest tone.</p> - -<p>There was hesitation, this time.</p> - -<p>“I would!” cried Don. Then he turned to the others. “All of you who -would be willing to take Toby Clark’s chance of going free, step over -here beside me.”</p> - -<p>Allerton and Becky, inspired by loyalty to the cause, moved over at -once. The others stood silent.</p> - -<p>“It is this way, sir,” said Doris, who had no idea who the strange man -was, but was impressed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">157</a></span> by his voice, nevertheless, for it was a voice -accustomed to command respectful attention: “We all know that Toby is -innocent, but we are not at all sure he will go free.”</p> - -<p>“Why not?”</p> - -<p>“Because the law is so unjust, at times,” replied the little maid, “and -a very bad man who is a lawyer is trying to prove that Toby is guilty.”</p> - -<p>“It looks like he was, the way they’ve figured it out,” added Becky; -“only of course he can’t be.”</p> - -<p>“Sometimes,” said the governor, as if to himself, “the innocent is made -to suffer for the guilty. Now, it seems to me the question is this: -If Toby Clark is innocent, who, then, is guilty? Find the guilty one -and Toby goes free. Otherwise—the law may be perverted and justice -miscarry.”</p> - -<p>They looked very sober at this, and Don blurted out:</p> - -<p>“We’re not detectives, sir, and we don’t know who is guilty. Hasn’t -the state any way of protecting its people? Isn’t there anyone whose -business it is to see that justice don’t miscarry? Our business is -just to stand by Toby Clark, ’cause we know he’s innocent, and we mean -to show ev’rybody in Riverdale that we believe Toby Clark couldn’t do -anything mean if he tried. He’s good<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">158</a></span> stuff, all through, even if he is -a poor boy, and whatever happens we’ll stand by him to the last.”</p> - -<p>The governor nodded his approval.</p> - -<p>“That’s right,” he said. “Stand by your friends. There’s no better -motto than that. I wish you success.”</p> - -<p>Then he turned and walked away.</p> - -<p>“Where is Toby Clark now?” he asked when he had rejoined Phoebe and -Judith.</p> - -<p>“He is at Mr. Spaythe’s house. He doesn’t go out much, for this -dreadful charge against him makes him ashamed to face people,” replied -Phoebe.</p> - -<p>“I want to see him,” said the governor. “Will you take me to him after -dinner?”</p> - -<p>“Gladly!” cried Phoebe, sudden hope springing up in her breast, for the -governor was a power in the land.</p> - -<p>He said nothing more on the subject until after dinner. Phoebe almost -feared he had forgotten about Toby Clark, for during the afternoon he -chatted with Cousin Judith and during dinner he joked with Becky and -Don and even with Sue, the demure and big-eyed. Cousin John won the -entire family without effort, and even Aunt Hyacinth, hopping about -in the kitchen, told the tea-kettle that “dis yer guv’ner ain’t no -diff’rence f’m a plain, ever’day man. He jus’ natcherly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">159</a></span> takes to de -whole kit an’ caboodle, seein’ he’s cousin to Miss Judy an’ not stuck -up ner refrigerated a bit—no more ’n dem blessed child’ns is.”</p> - -<p>But after dinner he walked into the hall and picked his hat from the -rack, which Phoebe decided was a signal that he was ready to go to -Toby Clark. So she threw on a jacket and joined him, for the evenings -were getting cool of late, and together they strolled through the back -streets, avoiding the business part of the town, and so reached Mr. -Spaythe’s house.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">160</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="xiii" id="xiii"></a>CHAPTER XIII<br /> -<small>HOW TOBY SAW THE GREAT MAN</small></h2> - - -<p>Mr. Spaythe himself opened the door and took a step backward in -astonishment.</p> - -<p>“Why, Governor—is it really you?” he stammered.</p> - -<p>“Yes. Good evening, Spaythe. I’ve called to see Toby Clark.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Spaythe led the way to the library, thoroughly amazed at the -suddenly apparition of the state’s chief executive.</p> - -<p>“I’ll call Toby,” he said briefly.</p> - -<p>“Do not tell him who I am, please,” cautioned the governor. “I am -simply Judith Eliot’s cousin, and am at present visiting her.”</p> - -<p>“I understand, sir.”</p> - -<p>Toby came stumping in on his crutch, with a smile for his friend Phoebe -and a frank handshake for Miss Eliot’s cousin.</p> - -<p>“I am a stranger here but have become interested in this unfortunate -accusation against you,” began Cousin John, in his easy, conversational -way. “No; don’t go away, Mr. Spaythe; there’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">161</a></span> nothing private about -this interview. I merely want Toby Clark to tell me his story and -explain why they charge him with taking and rifling Mrs. Ritchie’s box.”</p> - -<p>“The story is easy, sir, but the explanation is difficult,” replied -Toby, and then he told in his own way the manner in which the -circumstantial evidence against him had been found. The boy’s story did -not differ materially from Phoebe’s, except that he added a few details -that she had neglected to mention.</p> - -<p>“I can scarcely blame them for their suspicions,” Toby concluded. -“Being poor, they decided I longed for money and would not object to -taking that which belonged to some one else. As I knew the contents -of the box and had access to Judge Ferguson’s office, the conclusion -is natural that I helped myself to Mrs. Ritchie’s money and bonds and -afterward tried to hide the useless but incriminating papers and the -box.”</p> - -<p>“Who discovered the box, and afterward the papers?” asked the Governor.</p> - -<p>“Our constable here, Sam Parsons. He is one of my best friends. But -they sent a policeman over from Bayport to help him.”</p> - -<p>“How did Parsons happen to search your premises for such evidence?”</p> - -<p>Mr. Spaythe started to answer this question, but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">162</a></span> checked himself and -remained silent. It was Toby who replied:</p> - -<p>“After I was arrested, on a warrant sworn out by Mrs. Ritchie, her -lawyer, a man named Kellogg, urged Parsons to search my house and yard. -He did so, and found the box. Afterward Kellogg insisted on another -search, and the papers were found.”</p> - -<p>The governor looked grave.</p> - -<p>“It is strong evidence,” said he, “and of the sort that convicts. Who -stole the box, Mr. Spaythe?”</p> - -<p>The banker started at the abrupt question.</p> - -<p>“I—I haven’t an idea, sir.”</p> - -<p>“Nor you, Toby?”</p> - -<p>“No, sir. I’ve racked my brain many times in the attempt to guess; but -I can’t suspect anyone, with justice.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I am sorry for your misfortune, young man. You seem to be in a -serious dilemma. It’s a peculiar case, to say the least of it, and I -can only say I hope you’ll come out on top and with colors flying. All -ready, Phoebe?”</p> - -<p>As they walked back to the house the girl felt sorely disappointed over -the result of the interview, from which she had hoped so much. The -governor talked on all sorts of subjects except that of Toby Clark and -she replied as cheerfully<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">163</a></span> as she could. Not until they were in sight -of the Daring house did he refer to the visit, and then it was to say -absently:</p> - -<p>“Kellogg—Kellogg. What’s the lawyer’s other name?”</p> - -<p>“Abner, sir.”</p> - -<p>“Fine fellow?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t like him,” said Phoebe.</p> - -<p>“Ah! Judith tells me you’re investigating this case yourself; posing as -a sort of female detective.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, no!” she protested. “Cousin Judith and I—merely in a laughing -way and yet earnest in our desire to help Toby—organized a private -conspiracy to probe the mystery in our own way and try to discover -its solution. I suppose, sir, we are very foolish to think we can -accomplish anything, but—”</p> - -<p>“But you may succeed, nevertheless. I believe in girls. When they’re -sincere and determined they can accomplish wonders. By the way, keep an -eye on Abner Kellogg.”</p> - -<p>“The lawyer?” she asked in surprise.</p> - -<p>“Yes. Ask yourself this question: Why did Abner Kellogg direct the -constable to search Toby Clark’s premises? And now let us talk of -something else, for here is Judith waiting for us.”</p> - -<p>The governor had a jolly, restful evening. He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">164</a></span> played dominoes with -Becky, who was allowed to sit up on this important occasion, and -afterward, when the youngsters were in bed, lay back in an easy chair -and smoked a cigar while Phoebe played some simple old-fashioned -melodies on the piano which warmed his heart. Cousin John really -enjoyed his visit to Riverdale and honestly regretted it must be so -brief.</p> - -<p>“I’m coming again, some time,” he promised, as he prepared to walk to -the station after breakfast. “These few hours with you have rested me -wonderfully and enabled me to forget for the moment the thousand and -one worries and cares incident to my office. It is no sinecure being a -public servant, I assure you. The people insist that I earn my salary.”</p> - -<p>Phoebe and Judith walked down to the train with him and the secret -must have leaked out in some way for, early as it was, a throng of -villagers had assembled on the platform. The governor frowned slightly, -but then smiled and bowed in answer to the ringing cheer that greeted -his appearance. As he waited for the train to pull in he whispered -to Phoebe: “If you get snagged over that Toby Clark affair, send me -a telegram. The boy is innocent. I’ve seen and studied him, and I’ll -vouch for his honesty. But on his trail is a clever enemy, and you’ll -have to look sharp to circumvent him.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">165</a></span> -Then he kissed Judith, jumped on the platform of the car and waved his -hat to the cheering crowd as the train carried him away.</p> - -<p>“We’ve gained an added prestige through the governor’s visit—if it’s -worth anything to us,” laughed Judith, on the way home.</p> - -<p>“Isn’t he splendid?” cried Phoebe, enthusiastically. “He wasn’t a bit -stilted or self-important, as such a great man has the right to be, but -acted just like an old friend.”</p> - -<p>“Exactly what Cousin John is,” replied the Little Mother. “The great -are always human, Phoebe; sometimes the more human they are the greater -they become. And they grow to judge fame and public adulation at its -proper value and are not deceived nor unduly elated at popular acclaim. -When the next governor takes his seat the present governor will be -speedily forgotten. Cousin John realizes that, and—”</p> - -<p>“But he’s to be president, some day; everybody says so!” exclaimed -Phoebe protestingly.</p> - -<p>“They’ll forget that, too,” returned Judith, with a smile. “I wouldn’t -care to have Cousin John become president; he is tired from long -service, and deserves a rest.”</p> - -<p>“It’s a great honor,” sighed Phoebe.</p> - -<p>“It’s a compliment, certainly,” said Judith. “Yet the highest honor a -politician can win is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">166</a></span> to be known as a faithful friend to the people, -and that honor is already awarded to Cousin John.”</p> - -<p>Phoebe went about her duties thoughtfully. The interest shown in -Toby Clark’s fate by the governor had the effect of encouraging and -discouraging her at one and the same time. She considered especially -his advice with regard to Lawyer Kellogg, but could not understand why -he attached so much importance to Kellogg’s direction that Toby’s house -and yard be searched. It had seemed natural to her that the lawyer, who -had disliked Toby because the boy served his rival, Judge Ferguson, -had promptly suspected him of taking the box and, in Mrs. Ritchie’s -interests, had directed the search which was the simple outcome of -Toby’s arrest.</p> - -<p>Sam Parsons would have some idea about Mr. Kellogg’s part in the -affair. She had intended to see Sam and question him ever since Cousin -Judith advised such a course, and now she decided to lose no more time -in doing so. She had known the constable all her life and regarded him -as a trusty friend; therefore the girl had no hesitation in going that -evening to his humble home, which was only two short blocks from the -Daring house.</p> - -<p>“Sam’ll be in in a minute,” reported Mrs. Parsons,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">167</a></span> whose hand was too -wet to shake, for she had left her dish-washing to open the door. “Come -inside, Miss Phoebe, an’ set down.”</p> - -<p>She left the girl alone in the sitting room and went back to her -kitchen, and Phoebe sat down and waited. It was already more than “a -minute” and she realized she might have to wait a considerable time for -Sam, whose movements were uncertain.</p> - -<p>She glanced around the room. In one corner the constable had his -desk, littered with all sorts of documents, while the pigeon-holes -contained a variety of rubbish. Underneath, on the floor and directly -in the corner, was a heap of newspapers and illustrated periodicals, -irregularly piled. Phoebe stooped and reaching underneath the desk -drew out one or two papers to read while she waited. Then she gave a -suppressed cry of astonishment, for even by the dim light of the one -kerosene lamp she saw that she had uncovered a tin box painted blue, -which had been hidden by the papers. Kneeling down she lifted the box -and quickly examined it. On one end was painted the name “Ritchie” in -white letters and the lock was in perfect condition, so that she could -not lift the cover.</p> - -<p>Fearful of being surprised, she hastily replaced the box and laid the -papers over it, as before;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">168</a></span> then, rising to her feet, she resumed her -chair and became aware that Sam Parsons was standing just inside the -door, regarding her thoughtfully.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">169</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="xiv" id="xiv"></a>CHAPTER XIV<br /> -<small>HOW THE CONSTABLE ARGUED HIS CASE</small></h2> - - -<p>Phoebe turned first white and then red, consumed with shame at being -caught prying into the affairs of others. But the constable merely -nodded and sat down in a rocker, which thereafter he kept moving in a -regular, deliberate manner.</p> - -<p>“Evenin’, Phoebe. Lookin’ at the Ritchie box?”</p> - -<p>“That can’t be the Ritchie box, Sam,” she replied.</p> - -<p>“Why not?”</p> - -<p>“The box—the other box—the one they found in Toby’s rubbish-heap—was -bent and battered out of shape, and the lock smashed. I saw it myself.”</p> - -<p>“M—m. O’ course. So did I. And here’s another Ritchie box in good -shape. You’ve seen that, too.”</p> - -<p>“I—I was going to read one of the papers, while I waited, and -I—I—uncovered the box by accident.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">170</a></span> -“It’s all right, little girl. No harm done. But can you tell me which -is the real Ritchie box—this or the other?”</p> - -<p>“Is one an imitation, Sam?”</p> - -<p>“Must be. Judge Ferguson only kept one Ritchie box in his cupboard. -Them boxes are kept in stock at the hardware store, an’ the judge -bought ’em when he needed ’em. They’re heavy sheet tin, over a steel -frame, an’ the locks are the best there is made. The boxes are all -black, when they’re new, but for some reason—p’raps so’s to tell it -easy—the judge had ’em painted different colors, with the names on -’em. The Ritchie box was blue. I s’pose, Phoebe, it wouldn’t be much of -a trick to buy a box, an’ paint it blue, an’ put ‘Ritchie’ on the end -of it; would it?”</p> - -<p>He spoke lightly, but there was an anxiety underlying the lightness -that did not escape Phoebe’s notice.</p> - -<p>“Which is the real Ritchie box, Sam?” she asked breathlessly.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know, Phoebe.”</p> - -<p>“Where did you get this one?”</p> - -<p>“I—can’t—tell—you. That’s my private business, an’ I’ll ask you not -to mention to a soul on earth that you’ve seen it.”</p> - -<p>She looked at him with a puzzled expression. Then she asked:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">171</a></span> -“Sam, does Lawyer Kellogg buy those boxes at the hardware store?”</p> - -<p>“So they tell me,” he replied, shifting uneasily in his chair. -“Kellogg’s got a few clients, you know, and he keeps his papers in a -good deal the same way as the judge did—only he’s got a big safe to -put the boxes in.”</p> - -<p>“I suppose no one else in Riverdale ever buys such boxes?” she -continued.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know. Might, if they had any use for ’em,” he replied.</p> - -<p>She sat silent for a time.</p> - -<p>“Sam, are they going to convict Toby of this crime?” she presently -asked.</p> - -<p>He hesitated.</p> - -<p>“Looks like it, Phoebe. Looks confounded like it, to me, and I’ve had a -good deal of experience in such things.”</p> - -<p>“Won’t you save him, Sam?”</p> - -<p>“Who? Me? How can I?”</p> - -<p>“I thought you were Toby’s friend.”</p> - -<p>“So I am. I’d give a year o’ my life to save Toby from prison, if -I could; but—it’s out o’ the question, girl; I can’t!” he said -emphatically.</p> - -<p>“You can!”</p> - -<p>“What do you mean, Phoebe Daring?”</p> - -<p>“Sam Parsons, you know who stole Mrs. Ritchie’s box.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">172</a></span> -He looked at her steadily and not a muscle of his face changed -expression.</p> - -<p>“Think so?”</p> - -<p>“I know it. And, unless you save Toby of your own accord, I’ll make you -go on the witness stand and confess the whole truth.”</p> - -<p>“How can you do that—if I don’t know?” he asked slowly.</p> - -<p>“You <em>do</em> know. I’ll tell the judge at the trial how you were caught -twice in the hall before Judge Ferguson’s door—once looking through -the keyhole; I’ll tell how I found a blue Ritchie box hidden in your -home, and how you found another in Toby’s rubbish heap; and the judge -will make you explain things.”</p> - -<p>The constable gave a low whistle; then he laughed, but not merrily; -next he rubbed his chin in a puzzled and thoughtful way while he -studied the young girl’s face.</p> - -<p>“Phoebe,” said he, “I used to tote you on my back when you were a wee -baby. Your mother called me in to see you walk alone, for the first -time in your life—it was jus’ two steps, an’ then you tumbled. You -used to ride ’round the country with me in my buggy, when I had to -serve papers, and we’ve been chums an’ good friends ever since.”</p> - -<p>“That’s true, Sam.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">173</a></span> -“Am I a decent fellow, Phoebe? Am I as honest as most men, and as good -a friend as many?”</p> - -<p>“I—I think so. I could always trust you, Sam. And so could my father, -and Judge Ferguson.”</p> - -<p>“If that’s the case, why do you think I’d let my friend Toby Clark -serve a term in prison for a felony he didn’t commit, when I could save -him by tellin’ what I know?”</p> - -<p>“I can’t understand it, Sam. It’s so unlike you. Tell me why.”</p> - -<p>He sighed at her insistence. Then he said doggedly.</p> - -<p>“Our secret, Phoebe? You’ll keep mum?”</p> - -<p>“Unless by telling I can save Toby.”</p> - -<p>He reflected, his face very grave.</p> - -<p>“No; you couldn’t save Toby by telling, for no power on earth can make -Sam Parsons speak when he’s determined to keep his mouth shut. It’s for -you I’m goin’ to speak now, an’ for no one else. I’d like to explain to -you, Phoebe, because we’re old friends, an’ we’re both fond of Toby. -It’ll be a sort of relief to me, too. But no judge could make me tell -this.”</p> - -<p>“Then I’ll promise.”</p> - -<p>He rocked to and fro a while before he began.</p> - -<p>“It worries me, Phoebe, to think that you—a mere child—have found -out what I don’t want found out. If my secret is so loosely guarded, -it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">174</a></span> may not be a secret for long, and I can’t let others know all that -I know. The truth is, Phoebe, that I don’t know for certain sure who -took the box, not seein’ it taken with my own eyes; but I’ve a strong -suspicion, based on facts, as to who took it. In other words, I’ve made -up my mind, firmly, as to the thief, and for that reason I don’t want -any detective work done—any pryin’ into the secret—by you or anyone -else; for I mean to let Toby Clark take the punishment and serve his -term in prison for it.”</p> - -<p>“And Toby innocent!”</p> - -<p>“And Toby as innocent as you or I.”</p> - -<p>“But that’s a dreadful thing to do, Sam!”</p> - -<p>“It is, Phoebe; it’s dreadful; but not so dreadful as telling the -truth. I’m only a plain man, my child, without education or what you -call ‘gloss’; I’m just a village constable, an’ likely to be that same -until I die. But I’ve got a heart, Phoebe, an’ I can feel for others. -That’s the only religion I know; to do to others as I’d like ’em to do -to me. So I figure it out this way: To bring the—the—person—who took -Mrs. Ritchie’s box to justice, to tell the whole world who the criminal -is, would bring grief an’ humiliation to some of the kindest and -truest hearts in all Riverdale. It would bow them with shame and ruin -their lives—not one, mind you, but several lives. It wouldn’t<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">175</a></span> reform -the—the one—who did it, for the—the person—wouldn’t do such a thing -again; never! It was a case of sudden temptation and—a sudden fall. -Prison would wreck that life beyond redemption, as well as the lives of -the relations and—and friends, such as I’ve mentioned.</p> - -<p>“On the other hand, evidence points to Toby Clark, and unless the -real—person—who took the box is discovered, Toby will be convicted on -that evidence. That’s the horror of the thing, Phoebe; but horror is -sure to follow crime, and a crime has been committed that some one must -suffer the penalty for. Who is Toby Clark? A poor boy without a single -relative in the world to be shamed by his fate. Friends, yes; a plenty; -you and I among ’em; but no friend so close that the prison taint -would cling to ’em; <em>not even a sweetheart has Toby</em>. So it’s Hobson’s -choice, seems to me. I’m dead sorry for the lad; but it’s better—far -better—an’ more Christianlike to let him suffer this fate alone, than -to condemn many others to suffering—people who have done no wrong, no -more ’n Toby has. He’s just one, an’ a boy; the others are—sev’ral, -and I consider it best to let Toby redeem ’em. That’s all, Phoebe. Now -you understand me, and I know you’ll stand by me and say I’m right.”</p> - -<p>The girl had followed these arguments in wonder<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">176</a></span> and perplexity. She -felt that Sam Parsons might be right, in a way, but rebelled against -the necessity of letting the innocent suffer.</p> - -<p>“I know Toby,” she said softly; “but the others I don’t know.”</p> - -<p>“Yes; you do,” he contended. “You know ’em, but you don’t know who they -are. What diff’rence does that make?”</p> - -<p>“Who took the box, Sam?”</p> - -<p>“I’ll never tell.”</p> - -<p>“My friends and relations are all responsible for me, in a way, and -I am responsible to them,” said Phoebe reflectively. “One thing that -would keep me from willfully doing wrong is the knowledge that I would -grieve others—those near and dear to me.”</p> - -<p>“To be sure!” replied Sam, rubbing his hands together; “you’re arguin’ -on my side now, Phoebe. S’pose in a moment of weakness you yielded -to temptation? We’re all so blamed human that we can’t be sure of -ourselves. S’pose you had a hankerin’ for that money of Mrs. Ritchie’s, -an’ s’pose on a sudden you got a chance to take it—an’ took it before -you thought? Well; there you are. Prison for you; shame and humiliation -for all that are dear to you. Eh? Toby Clark? Well, it’s too bad, but -it won’t hurt Toby so very much. He couldn’t expect much in life,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">177</a></span> -anyhow, with his poverty, his bad foot, an’ the only man that could -push him ahead dead an’ gone. But what’s one ruined career as compared -to—say—half a dozen? Toby’ll take his sentence easy, ’cause he’s -strong in his innocence. The others would be heartbroken. It’s far -better to let Toby do the penance, seems to me.”</p> - -<p>Phoebe could not answer him just then. She was too bewildered. The girl -understood perfectly Sam’s position and realized that in opposing it -she expressed less charity and kindliness than the constable.</p> - -<p>“I’m going to think about it,” she said to him. “I’m so surprised and -confused right now by what you’ve told me that my senses have gone -glimmering. But it strikes me, Sam, that we ought to find a way to save -Toby without implicating the guilty one at all.”</p> - -<p>He shook his head negatively.</p> - -<p>“That would be fine, but it can’t be done,” he replied. “We’ve got -to produce the thief to get Toby out of the mess, for otherwise the -evidence will convict him.”</p> - -<p>“Can’t we destroy the evidence—upset it—prove it false?” inquired the -girl.</p> - -<p>“Not with safety to—the other party. But do as you say; go home an’ -think it over. The more you think the more you’ll feel I’m right, an’ -that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">178</a></span> your best course is to lie low an’ let Toby take his medicine. -The life in prison ain’t so bad; plenty to eat, a clean bed and work to -occupy his time.”</p> - -<p>“But afterward? If he lives to come out he will be despised and avoided -by everyone. No one cares to employ a jail-bird.”</p> - -<p>“I’ve thought of that, Phoebe. Here in Riverdale Toby couldn’t hold his -head up. But it’s a big world and there are places where his past would -never be discovered. I’ll look after the lad, if I’m alive when he gets -free, and try to help him begin a new life; but, anyhow, he must face -this ordeal and make the best of it.”</p> - -<p>Phoebe went home discouraged and rebellious. She kept telling herself -that Sam Parsons was right, all the time resenting the fact that the -common, uneducated man looked at this unfortunate affair in a broader, -more philanthropic light than she could, and was resolved to do his -duty as his simple mind conceived it. The girl’s heart, stifle it as -she would, cried out against the injustice of the plan of sacrifice. -Sam knew all the parties concerned, and could therefore judge more -impartially than she; but even that argument did not content her.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">179</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="xv" id="xv"></a>CHAPTER XV<br /> -<small>HOW THE BAND PLAYED</small></h2> - - -<p>Ed Collins, the leader of the Riverdale Cornet Band, was much amused -when the four children—two Darings and two Randolphs—came to him in -breathless excitement and wanted to hire his band to parade with the -Marching Club on Saturday afternoon. Ed kept a tailor shop and was a -good-natured, easy-going fellow who was fond of children and liked to -humor them, but this proposition seemed so absurd that he answered with -a smile:</p> - -<p>“Bands cost money. The boys won’t tramp the streets for nothing, you -know.”</p> - -<p>“We’ll pay,” said Don, offended that he was not taken seriously. “I -said we wanted to <em>hire</em> your band. Their business is to play for -money, isn’t it?”</p> - -<p>“Sometimes,” said Ed; “and sometimes they play for fun.”</p> - -<p>“This’ll be fun,” suggested Becky.</p> - -<p>“Not for the band, I guess. You’d want us to play every minute,” said -the tailor.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">180</a></span> -“Of course; that’s what bands are for. When they don’t play, nobody -pays any attention to them,” declared the girl.</p> - -<p>“They have to get their breaths, once in awhile,” suggested Ed.</p> - -<p>“Let ’em do it when they’re not parading, then. You can’t expect us to -pay ’em to breathe,” said Becky.</p> - -<p>“We have money,” said Doris, with dignity, thinking it time to -interfere. “What is your lowest price?”</p> - -<p>The leader looked at her in surprise.</p> - -<p>“You’re in earnest?” he demanded.</p> - -<p>“Of course!” they cried in a chorus.</p> - -<p>“How many men do you want?”</p> - -<p>“All you’ve got,” said Don; “and they must wear their new uniforms.”</p> - -<p>“We’ve twelve men, altogether, and when we’re hired for an afternoon we -get three dollars apiece.”</p> - -<p>“That is thirty-six dollars,” replied Doris. “Very well; do you wish -the money now?”</p> - -<p>The tailor was amazed.</p> - -<p>“What’s it all about, anyhow?” he inquired.</p> - -<p>“We’ve organized the Toby Clark Marching Club—over a hundred boys -and girls—the best lot in the village,” explained Don. “We want to -show everybody in Riverdale that we don’t believe—not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">181</a></span> for a single -minute—that Toby ever stole Mrs. Ritchie’s box, and we’re going to -carry signs an’ banners an’ march through the streets with the band -playing.”</p> - -<p>Collins stared a minute, and then he laughed.</p> - -<p>“That’s great!” he exclaimed. “I’m with you in this deal, for it’s a -shame the way they’re treating Toby. Perhaps I can get the boys to play -for two dollars apiece, on this occasion.”</p> - -<p>“We’ve got fifty dollars,” announced Doris, the treasurer. “It was -given us by some one anxious to befriend Toby Clark and we’re to spend -it just as we please.”</p> - -<p>“Oh. Do you want fifty dollars’ worth of music, then?” asked the -tailor, with an eye to business.</p> - -<p>“No,” said Don; “that is, not all at once. If your twelve men will -play for twenty-four dollars, we could hire them twice. If this first -parade’s a success, I want to take all the Club and the band over to -Bayport, and make a parade there.”</p> - -<p>“Dear me!” said Becky, to whom this idea was new; “how’ll we ever get -such a mob over to Bayport?”</p> - -<p>“It can’t be done,” declared Allerton.</p> - -<p>“Yes, it can,” persisted Don. “If we wake up the folks in Riverdale -we must wake ’em up in Bayport. That’s the county seat and the trial<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">182</a></span> -will be held there, so it’s a good point to show the Bayporters what we -think of Toby Clark.”</p> - -<p>“How’ll you get us there—walking?” asked Becky.</p> - -<p>“We’ll hire carryalls, an’ rigs of all sorts,” said Don.</p> - -<p>“We can’t hire much if we spend all our money on bands,” Allerton -replied.</p> - -<p>“We’ll get more money. P’raps the Unknown will fork over another wad -for the good of the cause.”</p> - -<p>“Tell you what I’ll do,” said Collins, catching some of the children’s -enthusiasm, “I’ll play for nothing, myself, and perhaps some of the -other men will. Those that insist on money will get two dollars apiece.”</p> - -<p>Becky took her badge from her pocket and pinned it on the tailor’s coat.</p> - -<p>“You’re the right stuff, Ed,” she remarked. “But don’t show your badge -to anyone until Saturday; and don’t blab about the parade, either. We -want to surprise folks.”</p> - -<p>The band appeared in force at one o’clock on Saturday afternoon, -meeting the Marching Club on the Daring grounds, as had been arranged. -The musicians wore their best uniforms and looked very impressive -with their glittering horns and their drums. Ed whispered to Don and -Allerton<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">183</a></span> that seven of the twelve had agreed to donate their services, -so the total cost of the band would be but ten dollars.</p> - -<p>This was good news, indeed. The youthful officers quickly formed their -ranks, for every boy and girl was excited over the important event and -very proud to be a member of the Marching Club.</p> - -<p>Judith and Phoebe came out to see the parade start and they thought -these bright and eager young folks could not fail to impress their -belief in Toby Clark’s innocence on all who witnessed this day’s -demonstration.</p> - -<p>The children had “chipped in” whatever money they could command to pay -the village sign painter for lettering in big black letters on white -cloth three huge banners, which had been framed and were to be carried -in the parade. The first, which the butcher’s big boy carried just in -front of the band, read:</p> - -<p class="center smcap">“The Toby Clark Marching Club.”</p> - -<p>The second, which was borne in the center of the procession, said:</p> - -<p class="center smcap">“We Know That Toby Clark Is Innocent.”</p> - -<p>The third sign, carried in the rear ranks, was as follows:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">184</a></span></p> - -<p class="center smcap">“Join Us in Demanding Justice for Toby.<br /> -You Might Be Falsely Accused Yourself<br /> -Some Day.”</p> - -<p>This last was so big that it required two to carry it, and four -guy-ropes, gayly decorated with colored ribbons, were held by four of -the girls to give it more steadiness. In addition to these, two big -American flags were carried in the line.</p> - -<p>Don took his place at the head of the First Division, just behind the -band. Allerton commanded the Second Division. Doris and Becky walked -at either side, armed with bundles of handbills which Allerton had -printed, urging the public to defend Toby Clark in every possible way, -because he was helpless to defend himself.</p> - -<p>Then the band struck up a spirited march tune and started down the -street with the Marching Club following in splendid order and keeping -fairly good step with the music. The white sashes and caps gave the -children an impressive appearance and their earnest faces were very -good to behold.</p> - -<p>To most of the Riverdale people the parade was a real surprise and all -were astonished by the numbers and soldierly bearing of the youthful -participants. Many a cheer greeted them in the down-town districts, -where numerous farmers and their families, who had come to Riverdale -for their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">185</a></span> Saturday shopping, helped to swell the crowd of spectators.</p> - -<p>“They ought to told us ’bout this,” said Tom Rathbun the grocer to the -group standing outside his store. “We’d ’a’ decorated the town, to -give the kids a send-off. I’ve got a sneakin’ notion, myself, as Toby -is guilty, but that don’t cut no ice if it amuses the kids to think as -he’s innercent.”</p> - -<p>“Pah!” returned Griggs the carpenter, with scornful emphasis, “I’m -’shamed o’ you, Tom Rathbun. Can you look in the faces o’ them -<a name="children" id="children"></a><ins title="Original has 'childern'">children</ins>, -who all know Toby better’n we grown-ups, an’ then -say the boy’s guilty?”</p> - -<p>“They ain’t got no sense; they’re jest kids,” retorted the grocer.</p> - -<p>“Sense? They’re full o’ sense, ’cause they ain’t prejudiced an’ -stubborn, like us old ones,” claimed the carpenter. “Children has -intuitions; they’ve a way of tellin’ the true from the false in a -second, without any argyment. You might fool one youngster, p’raps, -but when you see a whole crowd like this declarin’ the innercence of -one who they knows through an’ through, you can bet your bottom dollar -they’re right!”</p> - -<p>A good many thought and argued as old Griggs did; those who had -formerly condemned Toby became thoughtful and began to reconsider -their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">186</a></span> judgment; even the most rabid believers in the boy’s guilt were -silent in the face of this impressive demonstration and forbore any -remarks that might irritate the youthful champions.</p> - -<p>The one exception was Dave Hunter, who had developed so strong an -antipathy toward Toby that nothing seemed to mollify it. The telegraph -office was at the railway station and as Dave stood outside with -Wakefield, the station agent, watching the parade pass, he said -sneeringly:</p> - -<p>“The little fools! What good can they do? We’re not the judge and jury, -and if we were we wouldn’t be influenced by a lot of crazy little -beggars marching.”</p> - -<p>“You’re ’way off, Dave,” replied Wakefield. “Nothing influences one -more than the pleading of children. We can’t tell yet who the jury will -be, but if any of them happen to see this parade to-day you can gamble -that the opinion of these marchers will have a lot of weight with them.”</p> - -<p>“There’s nothing sound in their opinion; it’s mere sentiment,” growled -Dave.</p> - -<p>“Sentiment? Well, that counts for a good deal in this world,” observed -Wakefield, an older and more experienced man. “These children are dear -to a lot of folks, who will side with them first and last; not through -cold reason, but through sentiment.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">187</a></span> -Indeed, almost every parent in Riverdale had a boy or girl in the -parade and was proud to own it. Parents usually stand by their children -when they evince generosity and loyalty and it is certain that the -effect of this great parade helped the cause of Toby Clark more than -its organizers suspected.</p> - -<p>Don and Becky Daring and the Randolphs believed firmly in Toby’s -innocence, but were animated as much by the novelty and excitement of -promoting the Marching Club as by the belief that they could assist -their friend by its means. Yet the fun of the undertaking did not lead -them to forget the original cause and when the parade reached Mr. -Spaythe’s house it halted and gave three rousing cheers for Toby Clark, -afterward standing at attention while the band played through an entire -tune. The crowd that had assembled called loudly for Toby, but the -poor boy was hidden behind the curtains of a window, trying to see his -loyal army through the blinding tears that streamed from his eyes. Toby -couldn’t have spoken a word had he appeared, there was such a hard lump -in his throat; but he kept repeating to himself, over and over again:</p> - -<p>“It’s worth it all! It’s worth anything that can happen to know I am so -loved and respected by all the boys and girls. I don’t care, now. Let -’em do their worst. I’m happy!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">188</a></span> -After more cheers the procession moved on and as the sound of the -music died away in the distance, Toby Clark, in the seclusion of his -room, fell on his knees and earnestly thanked God for giving him such -friends.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">189</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="xvi" id="xvi"></a>CHAPTER XVI<br /> -<small>HOW MRS. RITCHIE CHIDED HER LAWYER</small></h2> - - -<p>The parade was the one topic of conversation in the village. The editor -of the <cite>Riverdale News</cite>, Mr. Fellows, interviewed Don and Allerton, got -the name of every member of the Marching Club and published the list -incident to a two-column article in his paper, in which he sided with -the children and strongly espoused the cause of Toby Clark. Mr. Fellows -always liked to side with popular opinion and he shrewdly guessed -that the children voiced the sentiment of the majority of Riverdale -citizens. The editor rendered Sam Parsons very uneasy by concluding -his article with a demand that the guilty person be discovered, so as -to free Toby from any further suspicion, and he stated that if Mr. -Holbrook, the lawyer defending Toby, and the village officers—meaning -of course the constable—were unable to find the real criminal -and bring him to justice, then outside aid should be summoned and -detectives brought from the city.</p> - -<p>In this demand poor Mr. Fellows found he had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">190</a></span> gone a step too far. -Mr. Spaythe, angry and resentful, called on him and requested him not -to publish any more such foolish ideas. Sam Parsons called on him -and politely but firmly requested him to mind his own business. Mr. -Holbrook called on him and sarcastically asked if he preferred to -undertake the case, with its responsibilities, rather than trust to the -judgment of a competent attorney. The bewildered editor tore up the -article he had written for the next edition and resolved to keep silent -thereafter, as a matter of policy.</p> - -<p>Lawyer Kellogg was also keeping very quiet, relying upon the evidence -he had on hand to convict the accused. He was greatly annoyed at times -by Mrs. Ritchie, who drove to town every few days—usually in the -evenings—and urged him to get back her money and the missing paper. -This the lawyer was unable to do, even when she offered him a thousand -dollars for the recovery of the paper alone.</p> - -<p>“What was the paper?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“That don’t concern you,” she retorted.</p> - -<p>“It does, indeed, Mrs. Ritchie,” protested the man. “How can I find -a paper if I am totally ignorant of its character? Was it a deed, a -mortgage, or what?”</p> - -<p>She looked at him uneasily.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">191</a></span> -“I wish I could trust you,” she muttered; “but you’re such a lyin’ -scoundrel that I’ve no confidence in you.”</p> - -<p>“I’m honest to my clients, at all times, and as honest as most men in -other ways,” he assured her. “I’ve often observed that those who can’t -trust their lawyers are not honest themselves.”</p> - -<p>“Meaning me, sir?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Well, you’re right. That paper might cause me trouble if it got into -the wrong hands,” she frankly stated. “Even Judge Ferguson never knew -what it was, for I kept it sealed up in a long yellow envelope just -marked ‘private’ on the outside. When the box was stolen the envelope -and all disappeared.”</p> - -<p>“What was the paper?” he asked again.</p> - -<p>“A—a will.”</p> - -<p>“Oh! Mr. Ritchie’s will?”</p> - -<p>“No. But it was a will, giving me power over property. If you run -across it, and see my name, don’t read the paper but bring it straight -to me and the thousand dollars is yours—with the understanding you -keep your mouth shut forever.”</p> - -<p>He smiled at her complacently. Here was a streak of good luck that well -repaid the unscrupulous attorney for undertaking Mrs. Ritchie’s case -and submitting to all her abuse. She admitted<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">192</a></span> she was not an honest -woman. She admitted the lost will would be damaging evidence against -her. Very well, she was now in his power and as she was a rich woman he -could extort money from her whenever he pleased, by simply resorting to -threats.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Ritchie read the smile correctly and nodded with grim -comprehension.</p> - -<p>“I’ve told you this for two reasons,” she said. “One is so you can -identify the paper if you find it, and bring it to me. The other reason -is because I can put you in jail if you try to blackmail me.”</p> - -<p>“Oh; you can?”</p> - -<p>“Easy. It was you that put that box in Toby Clark’s rubbish heap, so -the police could find it there. You got a box, painted it blue, to look -like mine, put my name on the end, and then smashed the lock, battered -the box all up an’ carried it to the rubbish heap.”</p> - -<p>“Did I?”</p> - -<p>“Yes. I found the blue and white paints in your office closet. I’ve -seen several such boxes in your possession when you opened your safe. -The lock of the box found in Toby’s yard won’t fit my key, for there -were two keys to my box and I carried one and Judge Ferguson the other. -Last of all, I was driving home one night when I saw<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">193</a></span> you sneaking -along the dark road. I got out of my buggy an’ followed you, an’ I saw -you go into Toby’s yard an’ hide the box.”</p> - -<p>“Why did you say nothing of this until now?”</p> - -<p>“Because I’d like to see Toby go to prison. It’s a dead sure thing -he stole my box, for no one else would have taken just that yellow -envelope and hid the other papers where they might be found. So I mean -to make him do time for that trick, behind prison bars, and the sort of -evidence you fixed up will help send him there. But I want that paper -back, and I want the money, an’ you’ve got to get ’em for me, Abner -Kellogg. If you don’t, I’ll tell about the box. That act of yours was -conspiracy, accordin’ to law, and it’ll mean state’s prison for you.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Kellogg, rather uneasy to find the tables turned on him so -cleverly, took time to rearrange his thoughts. Then he said:</p> - -<p>“I didn’t hide your papers in the boy’s room. I received an anonymous -letter, telling me where to look for them. Did you write that letter?”</p> - -<p>“Don’t be a fool. If I’d known, I’d have got the papers myself. I don’t -accuse you of hiding the papers, but I do know you manufactured that -box evidence.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, for a purpose. If I had known the papers would be found I -wouldn’t have bothered about<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">194</a></span> the box, for the papers are really the -strongest proof against young Clark. But I wonder why, when he hid the -other papers, he kept out the yellow envelope containing the will.”</p> - -<p>“He wanted to keep that,” she said.</p> - -<p>“Then you think he intended the other papers to be discovered? -Nonsense! You’re more clever than that, Mrs. Ritchie.”</p> - -<p>She frowned.</p> - -<p>“Well, what then, sir?” she asked.</p> - -<p>“This case is more complicated than you dream of,” he replied. “I’ve a -notion that others besides Toby Clark are implicated. If you were not -so anxious for that paper, I’d say the safest plan we can follow is to -convict Toby, put him in prison, and then let the matter drop. What -harm will the loss of the paper do? No one would dare use it, for it -would proclaim him the accomplice of the thief. If it’s a will, a legal -document, it has been probated and recorded, so no one will question -your right to the property it conveys. Keep quiet about the loss and -you will be safe. It seems to me that the only danger is in stirring -things up.”</p> - -<p>She thought this over.</p> - -<p>“Find it if you can,” she said, rising to go, “but don’t mention -to a soul that it’s a will you’re looking for. Try and get Toby to -confess; that’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">195</a></span> the best plan. Promise him a light sentence; promise -him anything you like if he’ll give up the yellow envelope, or tell -you where it is. When we’ve got our hands on it we can forget all our -promises.”</p> - -<p>The lawyer nodded, with an admiring smile for his confederate.</p> - -<p>“I’ll try,” he said, but with a doubtful accent.</p> - -<p>“A thousand dollars for you if you succeed,” she repeated, and went -away.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">196</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="xvii" id="xvii"></a>CHAPTER XVII<br /> -<small>HOW PHOEBE SURPRISED A SECRET</small></h2> - - -<p>While Phoebe freely applauded the generous efforts of the children on -behalf of Toby Clark, she realized that it would require something more -than Marching Clubs to save the boy from prison.</p> - -<p>According to Sam Parsons, Toby ought to go to prison, as a scapegoat -for others; but Phoebe could not reconcile herself to the decree of so -dreadful a fate for a helpless and innocent waif—just because he had -no near relatives to grieve over his sacrifice.</p> - -<p>She had promised Sam not to tell his secret, unless by telling it she -could save Toby, yet after much earnest thought she decided to relate -an abstract case to Cousin Judith and ask her advice. So, outlining -just how much she dared say and still be true to her promise, she went -one afternoon to the Little Mother’s room, taking her sewing with her, -and while Judith painted, Phoebe led the conversation toward Toby Clark.</p> - -<p>“I’m afraid,” she remarked, after pursuing the subject for a time, -“that we’re not helping Toby<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">197</a></span> as energetically as we ought. No one -seems so much interested as we are, for neither Mr. Spaythe nor Lawyer -Holbrook appear to be doing anything to find the real criminal. If -things jog along this way, December will soon arrive and Toby will be -tried and convicted before we realize it.”</p> - -<p>“True,” said Judith. “I can’t account for the seeming inactivity of Mr. -Holbrook and Mr. Spaythe; yet it may be all seeming, Phoebe. Have you -conceived any idea on the subject?”</p> - -<p>“I’ve speculated about it, of course. Suppose, Cousin, these men should -not wish to discover the real criminal. Suppose they know who took -the box, but want to shield the guilty one from disgrace, and so are -willing to let Toby suffer?”</p> - -<p>“Why, Phoebe, what a queer notion that is!”</p> - -<p>“But it isn’t impossible, is it? Suppose one with many friends and -relatives—a prominent and respectable person, you know—in a moment -of weakness stole Mrs. Ritchie’s box. To save that person from the -consequences, false evidence against Toby was manufactured. We know it -is false evidence if Toby is innocent. Wouldn’t those in the secret -think it better to let a poor and friendless boy suffer the disgrace -and the prison sentence, rather than denounce one whose disgrace would -drag down many others?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">198</a></span> -Judith looked at her with a startled expression.</p> - -<p>“Really, my dear, you may possibly have stumbled upon the truth,” she -said slowly. “That is quite a reasonable hypothesis. How did you happen -to think of it?”</p> - -<p>Phoebe flushed at the necessity of dissimulating.</p> - -<p>“Some one is guilty,” she replied evasively, “and there seems to be a -conspiracy to defend the guilty one from discovery. But would it be -right and just for them to do that, Cousin Judith? Would it be honest -to let an innocent boy suffer for another’s crime?”</p> - -<p>Judith reflected before answering.</p> - -<p>“I think not,” she said. “Certainly not unless the innocent one -willingly and voluntarily undertook to shield the guilty. There have -been such instances of generous self-sacrifice, which all the world has -applauded; but to condemn the innocent without his knowledge or consent -seems to me as great a crime as the theft of the box—even a greater -crime.”</p> - -<p>“That is exactly how it seems to me!” cried Phoebe eagerly. “If I knew -of such a thing, Cousin, and was able to foil the plot, would I be -justified in doing so?”</p> - -<p>The Little Mother looked at the girl thoughtfully.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">199</a></span> -“I suppose, Phoebe, that you have discovered something that warrants -this suspicion, but are not ready to confide in me wholly at the -present time,” she said.</p> - -<p>“I’m so sorry, Cousin Judith; but——”</p> - -<p>“Never mind. I am not offended, Phoebe. I know your frank and true -nature and can trust you to do right, as you see the right. But move -cautiously in this matter, my dear. Study the arguments on both sides -of the question very carefully; then boldly follow the dictates of your -heart. Without knowing more than I do of the matter, I should consider -two courses of action open to you—if, indeed, you prove to be right in -your surmise. One is to let Toby himself decide.”</p> - -<p>“Oh; but that would settle it at once!” exclaimed Phoebe. “Toby is -generous to a fault and, although he is proud, he keenly realizes his -humble position. To ask him to suffer that another might be saved would -be the same as thrusting him into prison. I know he wouldn’t refuse; -and you know it, too, Cousin Judith.”</p> - -<p>“Yet under some conditions it might be best, even then,” asserted -Judith. “Best, I mean, from a politic point of view. But that would -depend largely on who the guilty person is. The other alternative is -to obtain proof against the real criminal, of a character sufficient -to clear Toby,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">200</a></span> and then let the punishment fall where it belongs, -regardless of consequences. That would be strict justice, for those who -err should alone pay the penalty.”</p> - -<p>“How about the friends who would share the disgrace?”</p> - -<p>“That should prevent one from committing a fault, but once the fault is -perpetrated it is no argument for mercy. Nor do I think that anyone is -really disgraced because a friend or relative does wrong. People never -condemn a woman because her husband is a drunkard; rather do they pity -her. Nor is a relative properly held responsible for one’s crime. It is -true that the taint of crime and prison attaches—unjustly—to one’s -children and frequently ruins their lives, for many believe in heredity -of disposition. Such belief is, in my opinion, erroneous.”</p> - -<p>“Suppose the guilty one fell in a moment of weakness and is now -sincerely sorry?” suggested Phoebe.</p> - -<p>“The more reason he should bravely bear whatever punishment the law -provides. Really, Phoebe, in the abstract I can see but one way to look -at this thing. There may be exceptional circumstances that would induce -us to sacrifice Toby Clark to avoid a greater evil; but such an act -would not be just; it could only claim policy as its excuse.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">201</a></span> -Cousin Judith’s ideas coincided with those of Phoebe. The girl tried -to argue on the side of Sam Parsons, but could not convince herself -that he was right. Sam doubtless believed he was acting nobly and -generously, and he knew more than did Phoebe about the case, but she -resented injustice in any form and finally determined to sift the -affair to the bottom, if possible, and save Toby at any cost. Was not -his good name as precious to him as her own was to herself? What right -had anyone to destroy it, that some weak offender of the law might -escape?</p> - -<p>Having once firmly decided her course of action, Phoebe resumed -her careful, painstaking methods of deduction, such as she had -formerly employed. In the light of her latest information many of her -conclusions must be modified. Mr. Spaythe was not the guilty one, -assuredly, for he had but one relation, his son Eric, and no close -friends since the death of Judge Ferguson. Mr. Holbrook was such an -utter stranger to Riverdale that Sam Parsons’ clemency could not -apply to him. Will Chandler was the next on the list; a man of large -family, a postmaster by the grace of the president of the United States -himself, one of the village council, a highly respected citizen, a -leading churchman and a warm personal friend of the constable. Both -Sam Parsons and Will<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">202</a></span> Chandler were officers of the local lodge—an -argument that Phoebe did not appreciate the importance of. But it was -impossible to suspect Will Chandler. Had his nature been weak enough to -succumb to temptation, he might have robbed the post office at any time -during the past twenty years of sums far greater than that contained -in Mrs. Ritchie’s box. Mrs. Miller, the charwoman, was a person of so -little reputation that Sam would never think of shielding her had she -stolen the box.</p> - -<p>There remained, then, of all Phoebe’s list of suspects, only Sam -Parsons himself. If he had stolen the box—which she had discovered -in his possession—the arguments he had advanced to induce her to -keep silent would be just such as might be expected from a shrewd but -uncultured man.</p> - -<p>Yet Phoebe’s knowledge of character was sufficient to induce her -instantly to abandon any thought of connecting the constable with the -crime. It was absolutely impossible for Sam Parsons to be guilty of the -theft of money. She knew that intuitively. The man was an honest man, -if honest men exist.</p> - -<p>Phoebe soon came to realize that she must seek the guilty party outside -the circle of probabilities she had formerly outlined. She knew, at -least by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">203</a></span> sight and reputation, practically every inhabitant of the -village. So she began to consider which one might have an object in -taking the money, which one was a member of a large and respectable -family, and which was weak enough in character to yield to sudden -temptation. Sam had hinted at an unexpected chance to rifle the box, -which chance had furnished the temptation resulting in the theft; but -Phoebe knew nothing of such a sudden opportunity and, after puzzling -her brain for several days over the problem, she decided to start out -and attempt to secure some additional information which, in view of her -recent discoveries, might guide her to the truth.</p> - -<p>Many girls develop a native talent for unraveling mysteries and, -both in modern journalism and in secret service, women have proved -themselves more intelligent investigators than men. There was nothing -abnormal in Phoebe Daring’s desire to discover the truth underlying the -complex plot of which Toby Clark seemed the innocent victim. She was -sufficiently interested in the unfortunate boy to have a sincere desire -to assist him, and she furthermore felt under deep obligations to Toby -for his past services to her family, at a time when the Darings were -in much trouble. It was her bounden duty, she considered, to save him -if she could, for his interests seemed to be sadly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">204</a></span> neglected by those -who should have strained every effort in his behalf. So she constituted -herself his champion and the disappointments and rebuffs she met with -only made her the more determined to persevere. In a little town like -Riverdale she could go and come without comment and, as a matter of -fact, the young girl’s investigations were conducted very quietly and -secretly. No one but Cousin Judith was in her secret; even the children -had no idea that Phoebe was “playing detective” in Toby’s interest. She -might have to be a little more bold and aggressive than before, if she -was to succeed, but she felt that tact and a cool head would carry her -through any emergency and these qualities she believed she possessed.</p> - -<p>It would be useless to deny the fascination inherent in the task -of solving a mystery such as this and although Phoebe Daring had -sufficient reasons for undertaking it she became so intensely -interested that the desire to succeed often overshadowed her primary -object to help Toby Clark.</p> - -<p>For one thing, she was anxious to know why Mr. Holbrook had shown so -little interest in clearing his client of the accusation against him. -The young lawyer scarcely knew Toby Clark and could not be personally -inimical to his interests; so she determined to interview him again.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">205</a></span> -This time she induced Nathalie Cameron to accompany her. Nathalie was -one of Toby’s strongest sympathizers and without letting her suspect -her real purpose Phoebe frankly told her friend that she wanted to -bring Mr. Holbrook to book for not being more strenuous in the defense -of his client.</p> - -<p>The girls found the lawyer in his office and he received them with his -usual polite deference.</p> - -<p>“I’d like to know,” said Phoebe, “what your plans are for destroying -the evidence against Toby, at the coming trial.”</p> - -<p>The young man smiled and then looked grave. He saw that the girl was -quite serious and, unwarranted as her interference might be, her -position in Riverdale was sufficiently important to render it impolitic -to deny her an answer.</p> - -<p>“There is little we lawyers can do, in such a peculiar case as this, -in advance of the trial,” said he. “I have selected a number of -witnesses whom I shall call to testify to young Clark’s fine record -and his good standing in the community. But I count largely on the -cross-examinations of the witnesses for the prosecution, and I shall -appeal to the jury not to condemn a man on circumstantial evidence, -which is so often misleading.”</p> - -<p>“Then you are unable to disprove the evidence?” asked Phoebe -indignantly.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">206</a></span> -“There is no way to do that, I fear. The incriminating box, for -instance, was found on Toby Clark’s premises.”</p> - -<p>“Are you sure of that?” she inquired.</p> - -<p>“We can’t deny it. The regular officers of the law discovered it, where -it was hidden. We can, and shall, deny that the accused placed it -there, and—”</p> - -<p>“And also we shall deny that it was Mrs. Ritchie’s box,” she added.</p> - -<p>He stared at her, not understanding.</p> - -<p>“I will give you a hint, to assist you,” she continued. “Ask them to -prove it was Mrs. Ritchie’s box they found.”</p> - -<p>“Why, it had her name painted on the end,” said Holbrook.</p> - -<p>“I know that. I believe I could myself paint a name on a tin box, such -as the hardware store keeps in stock for Judge Ferguson and Mr. Kellogg -to use when they required them.”</p> - -<p>“Kellogg?” he asked thoughtfully.</p> - -<p>“Yes; he uses the same kind of boxes for valuable papers that Judge -Ferguson did. But none of the locks of those boxes are ever duplicated; -the keys are all different. At the trial, if you ask Mrs. Ritchie to -produce her key, which must match the key kept by Judge Ferguson and -now in the possession of Mr. Spaythe, you will find it will<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">207</a></span> not fit -the lock of the box discovered in Toby Clark’s back yard.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Holbrook leaped from his chair and paced up and down the room, -evidently excited.</p> - -<p>“Good!” he cried. “Excellent, Miss Daring. That is exactly the kind -of information I have been seeking—something that will disprove the -evidence. But are you sure of your statement?”</p> - -<p>“I have seen the genuine box,” said Phoebe quietly.</p> - -<p>“Since it was stolen?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>He sat down again and glanced into her face curiously.</p> - -<p>“Yet you do not care to say where you have seen it?” he asked in a -hesitating voice.</p> - -<p>“No, sir.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Holbrook drew a long sigh, as of relief.</p> - -<p>“You are quite right to keep the secret,” he asserted firmly. Then, -after a moment, he added in a low tone: “Has she told you everything, -then?”</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">208</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="xviii" id="xviii"></a>CHAPTER XVIII<br /> -<small>HOW MR. SPAYTHE CONFESSED</small></h2> - - -<p>It was Phoebe’s turn to start and draw a long breath, but she managed -to stifle her surprise and retain her self-possession. In an instant -she knew that the young man, deceived by her reference to the box, had -inadvertently committed himself and she determined to take advantage of -his slip. Mr. Holbrook’s question was so astonishing that for a moment -it fairly bewildered her, yet the pause before she answered might well -be mistaken for a natural hesitation.</p> - -<p>“Not everything,” she calmly replied. “But I had no idea you—knew—so -much—of the truth, Mr. Holbrook,” she continued, with a searching look -into his face.</p> - -<p>“I admit that I have been in a quandary how to act,” he said -confidently, yet in an eager tone. “But it gives me great relief -to know that you, who are in the secret, can understand my motives -and sympathize with my dilemma. At the very outset of my career -in Riverdale I have a case thrust upon me that bids fair to ruin -my prestige<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">209</a></span> in the town, for unless I can disprove the evidence -against young Clark, without implicating the real criminal, I shall -be considered an unsuccessful lawyer. You and I realize that I can’t -implicate the guilty person, for that would arouse the indignation -of all Riverdale; and unless I clear Clark, who has the sympathy of -all, I shall be generally condemned. Just see what an impression that -parade of the children made! I’ve puzzled over the matter continually, -striving to find a solution, but until you came with your hint about a -substituted box I was completely at a loss what to do. Can you tell me -anything more?”</p> - -<p>“I should not have told you so much, sir,” she answered.</p> - -<p>“I understand. We must be cautious what we say, we who know.”</p> - -<p>“How did you discover that—she—took the box?” Phoebe asked, breathing -hard as she pronounced the word “she” but outwardly appearing calm.</p> - -<p>The lawyer glanced at Nathalie, who had remained silent but amazed.</p> - -<p>“Your friend knows?” he asked Phoebe.</p> - -<p>“Not all,” she said. “Not—the name.”</p> - -<p>“Oh. Well, I’ll avoid the name,” he continued, evidently eager to -explain. “I was sauntering along the deserted street late at night—it -was the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">210</a></span> night before the judge died, you remember—engaged in -considering whether I should settle in Riverdale and undertake the -practice of law, when two lawyers were already in the field, when my -attention was arrested by a flash of light from the upper windows of -the building opposite me—this building. It was not a strong light; not -an electric light; more like a match that flickered a moment and then -went out. I stood still, but was not particularly interested, when the -flash was repeated, shaded this time and not so bright. It occurred -to me there was something suspicious about that. The electric lights -at the street corners proved that the current was still on and if it -were Judge Ferguson, visiting his office so late, there was no reason -he should not turn on the incandescents. If not the judge, some one -else was in his office—some one who did not want too much light, which -might be noticed, but enough for a certain purpose.</p> - -<p>“I waited and saw the third match struck, which flickered a moment, -like the others, and then went out. The doorway of the drug store, -just opposite here, was quite dark; so I withdrew into its recess and -watched the stairway of this building. Presently—she—came down, -glanced cautiously into the street, and finding it deserted began -walking hastily toward the east. She carried something<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">211</a></span> under her arm, -hugged tightly but too large to be completely hidden. I slipped out -of the doorway and followed, keeping in the shadows. As she passed -under the light at the corner I saw that what she held was an oblong -box painted blue. I could even discover some white letters on the end -but was unable to read what they spelled. Being quite positive, by -this time, that there was something wrong in the stealthy actions of -the—person, I kept her in sight during her entire journey, until she -reached her home and let herself into the dark house with a latchkey.</p> - -<p>“At that time I did not know who lived in the place; indeed, it was -not until the Ritchie box was reported missing that I cautiously -inquired and found out who it was I had caught pilfering. Toby’s arrest -followed, and the discovery of the evidence against him. Then, to my -regret, Mr. Spaythe engaged me to defend Clark and my worries and -troubles began, as you may easily guess, Miss Daring. I had no idea, -until now, that another box had been substituted; but if that was done, -then the evidence that was meant to convict my young client will do -much to prove a conspiracy against him and therefore his innocence.”</p> - -<p>Phoebe had listened with intense interest to every word of Mr. -Holbrook’s explanation, which he made under the impression that she -knew the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">212</a></span> whole truth concerning the theft of the box. She regretted -that in order to lead him on to talk freely she had been obliged to -say that Nathalie did not know the name of the mysterious “she”; for -otherwise he might inadvertently have mentioned it, and she would have -been in possession of the entire truth.</p> - -<p>But Phoebe had learned a great deal; more than she had ever dreamed of, -and she left the lawyer’s office greatly elated over her discovery.</p> - -<p>Nathalie, completely bewildered by Mr. Holbrook’s admissions, as well -as by Phoebe’s reference to a duplicate box, began to ply her friend -with questions as soon as they were on the street; but Phoebe earnestly -begged her to wait patiently until she could tell her all.</p> - -<p>“I’m as ignorant as you are, Nathalie, as to who the ‘she’ is whom -Mr. Holbrook saw take the box,” she declared. “He got an impression, -somehow, that I know more than I really do, and spoke so frankly on -that account that he let me into his secret—in part—unawares. I shall -now be obliged to ferret out the rest of the mystery, but with my -present knowledge to guide me that ought not to be very difficult.”</p> - -<p>“Why should he have such a strong desire to shield her?” asked Nathalie -thoughtfully.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know. She may be some very respectable woman.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">213</a></span> -“Would a respectable woman steal?”</p> - -<p>“Well she might yield to some extraordinary temptation to do so,” -replied Phoebe, thinking of Sam Parsons’ plea.</p> - -<p>“And the box was stolen before Judge Ferguson died,” said Nathalie, -wonderingly.</p> - -<p>“Yes; so it seems. The general impression has been that it was taken -afterward, as the result of his death. I wonder how this affair would -have turned out had the dear old judge lived. He was worth any ten -common lawyers and a dozen detectives.”</p> - -<p>“So he was,” replied Nathalie. “Mr. Holbrook seems an honest and -gentlemanly fellow, but he never can fill Judge Ferguson’s place.”</p> - -<p>Phoebe, after parting from her girl friend, reflected that her feelings -toward the young lawyer had changed under the light of to-day’s -discoveries. She could imagine his perplexity when called upon to -defend Toby, and could see how his desire to shield the guilty female -or his fear of denouncing her would account for his lack of activity -in the case. Doubtless Mr. Holbrook agreed with Sam Parsons—of whose -opinion he was wholly ignorant—that it was better to let Toby suffer -than to accuse the guilty one. These two men, Phoebe reflected, were -influenced alike by motives of gallantry or consideration for the -female<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">214</a></span> sex; for, had not the guilty one been a woman—or perhaps a -young girl—neither man would have undertaken to shield him from the -consequences of his crime.</p> - -<p>But Phoebe was inclined to condemn one of her own sex as frankly as -she would a man. She was even indignant that an honest boy was to be -sacrificed for a dishonest woman. She became more firmly resolved than -ever to prevent such a miscarriage of justice.</p> - -<p>She was greatly pleased, however, with Mr. Holbrook’s assertion that -by proving the box found on Toby’s premises a fraud, the defense would -stand a good chance of winning the trial. If that evidence fell down, -all the rest might well be doubted, and for a time the girl seriously -considered the advisability of abandoning any further attempt to bring -the guilty party to justice, relying upon the lawyer to free his -client. But the thought then occurred to her that merely to save Toby -Clark from conviction would not be sufficient to restore to him his -good name. Some would still claim that justice had miscarried and the -suspicion would cling to him for all time. The only thing that could -reinstate the accused in the eyes of the world was to prove beyond -doubt that some one else had committed the crime.</p> - -<p>Forced to reconstruct all her former theories,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">215</a></span> Phoebe abandoned her -“list of suspects” and wrote a new memorandum. It outlined the facts -now in her possession as follows:</p> - -<p>“1—The guilty one was a woman or a girl, of respectable family. -2—Some one deliberately attempted to incriminate Toby Clark by placing -a fraudulent box in the boy’s rubbish heap. 3—Sam Parsons now had the -genuine box in his possession and wouldn’t tell how he got it. 4—The -theft was committed on the night before Judge Ferguson’s sudden death. -5—Both Sam and Mr. Holbrook knew the identity of the criminal but -would not disclose it; therefore information must be sought elsewhere.”</p> - -<p>After taking a day or two to consider these points Phoebe suddenly -decided to see Mr. Spaythe and have a talk with him. The banker was -now freed of any suspicion that might attach to him and he was the one -person in Riverdale who had boldly defied public opinion and taken the -accused boy under his personal protection. Therefore she might talk -freely with Mr. Spaythe and his judgment ought to assist her materially.</p> - -<p>She decided to go to the bank rather than to the Spaythe residence, -where Toby might be in the way, so late in the afternoon she waited -on the banker, who was in his private office. This was a room quite -separate from the bank proper,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">216</a></span> which it adjoined and with which it was -connected.</p> - -<p>Mr. Spaythe admitted Phoebe at once and placed a chair for her with an -inquiring look but no word of question. The girl knew him well, for her -twin brother, Phil Daring, had once worked in Spaythe’s Bank and, in -common with many others in Riverdale, the Darings had cause to respect -the banker very highly.</p> - -<p>“I am trying hard, Mr. Spaythe, to solve the mysterious disappearance -of Mrs. Ritchie’s box,” she began. “I am not posing as a detective, -exactly, but as an interested investigator. My object is to bring the -guilty one to justice and so clear Toby’s good name. It seems like a -very complicated affair and I’ve an idea you can assist me to untangle -it.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Spaythe, leaning back in his chair with his eyes fixed full upon -the girl’s face, was silent for a time, evidently in deep thought. He -was thinking of the time when Phoebe had handled another difficult -matter in so delicate and intelligent a way that she had saved him a -vast deal of sorrow and humiliation. He was a reserved man, but Phoebe -Daring was the banker’s ideal of young womanhood. Finally he said -quietly:</p> - -<p>“What do you wish to know?”</p> - -<p>“Who stole the box, for one thing,” she said,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">217</a></span> smiling at him. “But in -default of that information I will welcome any detail bearing on the -theft.”</p> - -<p>He considered this a moment, gravely.</p> - -<p>“I stole the box, for one,” said he.</p> - -<p>Phoebe gave a great start, staring wide-eyed.</p> - -<p>“<em>You</em>, Mr. Spaythe!”</p> - -<p>“Yes, Phoebe.”</p> - -<p>“But—Oh, it’s impossible.”</p> - -<p>“It is quite true, my dear. Some of the contents of the box are still -in my possession.”</p> - -<p>She tried to think what this admission meant.</p> - -<p>“But, Mr. Spaythe, I—I—don’t—understand!”</p> - -<p>“Of course you don’t, my child; nor do I. Let me explain more fully. -On the afternoon following Judge Ferguson’s death I wanted to see Toby -Clark on a matter connected with the funeral, of which I had assumed -charge because I believed I was the judge’s closest friend. I did not -know where to find Toby, but thinking he might be in the office I -walked over there and entered, the door being unlocked. The place was -vacant. Seeing the door of the smaller room ajar I walked in and found -lying upon the table Mrs. Ritchie’s box. It was open and the lid was -thrown back. I saw it was empty except for a yellow envelope with the -end torn off and a legal document. This last attracted my attention at -once, because of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">218</a></span> names written on it. I knew that Mrs. Ritchie -had been accustomed to keep many valuables in her box and had often -warned Judge Ferguson that it was not wise to make a safety deposit -vault of his law office; therefore the circumstance of finding the -practically empty box on his table made me fear something was amiss. -I tried the cupboard, but found it locked; so I wrapped the box in an -old newspaper and carried it away to this office, without mentioning -the fact to anyone. At my leisure I examined the paper found in the box -and deciding it was of great importance I put it away in the bank safe, -where it is still in my keeping. I may as well add that I believe this -is the missing paper which Mrs. Ritchie is so anxious to regain—and I -well understand her reasons for wanting it.”</p> - -<p>His voice grew harsh as he said this and he paused, with a frown, -before resuming in a more gracious tone:</p> - -<p>“Later in the day, on my visit to the Ferguson house, Janet handed me -her father’s keys. When I returned to the office I found the key that -fitted Mrs. Ritchie’s box and locked it, although there was nothing -then in it but the yellow envelope which once contained the paper I -had seized. Soon after I was called into the bank a moment and when I -returned, the box which had been lying on this table, had disappeared.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">219</a></span> -“Stolen!” cried Phoebe in a hushed voice.</p> - -<p>“Evidently. Stolen for the third time, I imagine. I did not see it -again until it was found hidden in Toby Clark’s rubbish heap.”</p> - -<p>“Oh!” exclaimed the girl and then checked herself. She knew it was not -the same box, but a moment’s thought warned her not to mention that -fact just yet. Sam Parsons must have stolen the box from Mr. Spaythe’s -office and hid it in his own home. Did Sam believe Mr. Spaythe the -thief and was it the banker he was trying to protect? The bank was the -repository of all the money in the village; to arrest the banker for -theft would create a veritable panic and perhaps cause much suffering -and loss.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">220</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="xix" id="xix"></a>CHAPTER XIX<br /> -<small>HOW TOBY CLARK FACED RUIN</small></h2> - - -<p>While the girl was revolving these bewildering thoughts in her brain -there came a knock at the door of the private office and a boy from -the bank brought in an envelope and laid it upon the table before Mr. -Spaythe, retreating again immediately.</p> - -<p>“Stop!” called the banker, after a glance at the envelope. “Who left -this letter?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know, sir; we’ve just found it in the mail box. Must have been -pushed in from outside, sir; but it wasn’t there at one o’clock, when I -took in the afternoon mail.”</p> - -<p>“You may go,” said Mr. Spaythe briefly. Then he sat staring at the -envelope. “I’m almost afraid to open this, Phoebe,” he declared in a -low, uncertain voice. “Once before I received just such a missive and -it said: ‘Look among the newspapers in the back room of Toby Clark’s -house for the property stolen from Mrs. Ritchie.’ It was not signed and -the awkward writing was evidently disguised. I paid no attention to -that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">221</a></span> note but some one else must have received the same hint, for the -house was searched by the police and all the documents found except the -one I took myself.”</p> - -<p>“But not the money or the bonds,” said Phoebe.</p> - -<p>“No. Now, here is another anonymous letter, for I recognize the same -cramped writing. Shall we open it, Phoebe?”</p> - -<p>“I think so, sir,” she replied, for she was curious.</p> - -<p>He opened the envelope very carefully, using a paper-cutter. Then he -unfolded a sheet of common note paper and read the contents aloud:</p> - -<p>“‘Between the mattress and the straw tick on Toby Clark’s bed in his -old house you will find the money and bonds he stole from Mrs. Ritchie -and hid there.’”</p> - -<p>That was all. The banker lifted his eyebrows and smiled.</p> - -<p>“Ah, they’re giving up the money now,” said he. “They realize there is -danger in keeping it.”</p> - -<p>“Whom do you mean by ‘they’?” asked Phoebe.</p> - -<p>“The original thieves.”</p> - -<p>“Were there more than one?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know. There was one, at least, before me, and some one stole -the box from this office—with a purpose. How shall we treat this -suggestion, Phoebe?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">222</a></span> -“Let us go and get the money at once, sir, and restore it to Mrs. -Ritchie.”</p> - -<p>“She will demand an explanation.”</p> - -<p>“Then we will show this letter.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Spaythe reflected a moment.</p> - -<p>“You are right,” he decided. “It will be best that the money is -restored by me, acting on behalf of Judge Ferguson’s estate, rather -than by some one else. The only thing I fear is that they will claim I -induced Toby to give it up.”</p> - -<p>“Won’t they accept your word—and mine—and the letter, sir?”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps. We will risk it. Will you come with me now? It’s growing -late.”</p> - -<p>Phoebe rose with alacrity. Mr. Spaythe took his hat from a hook, locked -the door leading into the bank and, when they were outside, locked the -street door also.</p> - -<p>“Since the disappearance of that box I am growing cautious,” he said.</p> - -<p>The old Clerk shanty stood quite beyond the village at a bend in the -river, but even at that the distance was not so great that a fifteen -minute walk would not cover it. Mr. Spaythe and Phoebe walked briskly -along, both silent and preoccupied, and presently had left the village -and turned into a narrow but well trodden path that led across the -waste lands or “downs,” as they were called, to the shanty.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">223</a></span> -But before they reached it a group of men came rushing out of Toby’s -house, gesticulating and talking together in an excited manner. Among -them were Lawyer Kellogg and Sam Parsons, the constable.</p> - -<p>Mr. Spaythe stopped short, an angry frown upon his face. Phoebe halted -beside him, feeling so disappointed she was near to crying. They waited -for the others to approach.</p> - -<p>“Do—do you think they got a letter, too?” asked the girl.</p> - -<p>“Of course; just as before; and they’ve lost no time in acting upon -it,” was the grim response.</p> - -<p>Lawyer Kellogg came up, triumphantly waving his hand, in which was -clasped an oblong packet.</p> - -<p>“We’ve got it!” he cried, his round fat face well depicting his joy. -“We’ve found the money and bonds where Clark hid ’em.”</p> - -<p>“Clark?” replied Phoebe, coldly. “How dare you make such a statement? -Toby Clark had nothing to do with hiding that money, and you know it.”</p> - -<p>“He’ll get his stripes for it, just the same,” declared the little -lawyer. “I’ve got plenty of witnesses, and the finding of this property -will settle Toby Clark’s case for good and all. There’s no power on -earth can save him now.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">224</a></span> -The banker was staring fixedly at Sam Parsons, the only one of -Kellogg’s party who was not jubilant.</p> - -<p>“Well?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“The money was there, all right,” growled the constable; “but Toby -didn’t put it there.”</p> - -<p>“Of course not,” said Phoebe; “no more than he put that blue box in the -rubbish heap.”</p> - -<p>It was a chance shot but the little lawyer turned upon her with a -fierce gesture, his hands clenched, his eyes ablaze with anger and fear.</p> - -<p>“What do you mean by that?” he demanded.</p> - -<p>“Nothing at all, sir,” said Sam Parsons quickly, as he cast a warning -look at the girl. “Miss Daring is a friend of Toby Clark, that’s all, -and she’s annoyed over this new discovery.”</p> - -<p>“You must excuse Miss Daring,” added the banker smoothly. “She is -naturally agitated. Come, my dear,” he added, tucking her arm beneath -his own, “let us return.”</p> - -<p>They followed behind the others, who were mostly eager to get to the -village and spread the news, and Sam Parsons remained with them. Phoebe -was ready to bite her tongue with vexation for letting Mr. Kellogg -suspect she knew about the substituted blue box. She saw that she might -have destroyed all Toby’s chance of acquittal by putting the lawyer on -his guard. When<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">225</a></span> they were alone she -expected her companions to reproach her for her indiscretion, but they -both remained silent.</p> - -<div class="figcenter width400"> -<a name="p224" id="p224"></a> -<img src="images/i_229.jpg" width="400" height="654" alt="" /> -<div class="caption">Lawyer Kellogg came up, triumphantly waving his hand, in -which was clasped an oblong packet. “We’ve got it!” he cried, his round -fat face well depicting his joy.</div> -</div> - - -<p>“Kellogg came for me and I had to go,” explained Sam, as they reëntered -the village.</p> - -<p>Mr. Spaythe merely nodded.</p> - -<p>“It’s a hard blow for Toby,” added the constable, with a sign.</p> - -<p>“It is merely a part of the conspiracy against him,” asserted Phoebe -indignantly.</p> - -<p>“I know. But they can prove their charge, having now evidence enough -to satisfy a jury, and Toby can’t disprove anything. This thing spells -ruin to the boy, to my notion,” said the constable.</p> - -<p>He left them at the bank and Phoebe again entered the office with Mr. -Spaythe.</p> - -<p>“Will you let me take that anonymous letter, sir?” she asked.</p> - -<p>“If you like,” said he; “but the writing is purposely disguised.”</p> - -<p>“I know; but I’d like to study it, just the same.”</p> - -<p>The banker handed her the letter. Then he said:</p> - -<p>“Wait a moment and I’ll get you the other.”</p> - -<p>He unlocked a drawer of his desk and found it, holding the two together -a moment for comparison.</p> - -<p>“Just as I thought,” he said. “The same person wrote them both.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">226</a></span> -“Was it a man or a woman?” inquired Phoebe.</p> - -<p>“That I am unable to determine. Preserve these letters, for we may need -them as evidence.”</p> - -<p>“I will, sir.”</p> - -<p>She carried them home and placed them in her desk, for as it was nearly -suppertime she had no opportunity to examine them at present. That -evening she related to Cousin Judith the latest evidence found against -Toby Clark; “manufactured evidence” the girl called it, for she knew -Toby had never touched the contents of Mrs. Ritchie’s box. She also -told the Little Mother of Mr. Spaythe’s confession, laying stress on -his assertion that at least three different persons, including himself, -had stolen the box.</p> - -<p>“But Mr. Spaythe did not really steal it, you know,” she added. “When -he found it open on the office table, and the cupboard locked, he -merely took the box away for safe keeping.”</p> - -<p>“He took Mrs. Ritchie’s document, however, and is still holding it, -without her knowledge or consent,” returned Judith thoughtfully. “I -wonder why?”</p> - -<p>“I am sure he had a good reason for that,” declared Phoebe. “The fact -that Mrs. Ritchie is making such a fuss over that one paper, and -that Mr. Spaythe is carefully guarding it, makes me think it is more -important than the money.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">227</a></span> -“That is probably true,” said Judith; “yet I fear there is nothing in -that fact to save Toby. For, if Mr. Spaythe admits all the truth—so -far as he knows it—at the trial, it will not clear Toby of the -accusation that he first rifled the box of its contents.”</p> - -<p>“No,” answered Phoebe, “and for that reason I must continue my search -for the criminal. I had hoped that we had information to upset the -entire evidence, until that dreadful development of to-day. It is the -strongest proof against Toby they have yet secured, and I see no hope -for the boy unless we can discover the guilty one.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps Mrs. Ritchie will refuse to prosecute Toby, now that she has -recovered all her property but one paper,” suggested Judith.</p> - -<p>“That would be worse for Toby than to stand his trial,” answered -Phoebe, with conviction. “If he hopes again to hold up his head in the -world he must prove his innocence—not be allowed to go free with the -suspicion of his guilt constantly hanging over him.”</p> - -<p>“Goodness me! what a staunch champion you are, Phoebe,” said Judith, -smiling. “You must have thought very deeply on this subject to have -mastered it so well.”</p> - -<p>“It is a very interesting subject,” answered the girl, blushing at -the Little Mother’s praise. “I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">228</a></span> seem to love a mystery, Cousin, for -it spurs me to seek the solution. But I fear I’ve been neglecting my -household duties of late and throwing the burden on your shoulders, -Little Mother.”</p> - -<p>“No, dear; I cannot see that you are at all lax in your duties; but, if -you were, I would consider it excusable under the circumstances. I hope -that in some manner you may light upon the truth and manage to solve -your complicated problem.”</p> - -<p>But when Phoebe went to her room to think over the discoveries of that -eventful day, she was in a quandary how to act. The mystery seemed to -have deepened, rather than cleared, and nothing had transpired to give -her a clew of any sort.</p> - -<p>Except the anonymous letters.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">229</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="xx" id="xx"></a>CHAPTER XX<br /> -<small>HOW PHOEBE DEFENDED THE HELPLESS</small></h2> - - -<p>For some time Phoebe had intended to make a study of the anonymous -letters which Mr. Spaythe had lent her, so one morning when she was not -likely to be disturbed she went to her room, took the letters from her -desk and sat down to examine them carefully.</p> - -<p>The handwriting was purposely made to sprawl this way and that, -slanting first to the right and then to the left. The grammar was -good enough and the spelling correct except for one word. In the -second letter received by Mr. Spaythe the word “mattress” was spelled -“mattrass”; but that did not seem to her of any importance, for it was -a likely error. There was nothing to indicate that a woman rather than -a man had written the letters, but Phoebe had reasons for guessing -it was the former. In the first place, she now knew that a woman had -stolen the box. Mr. Holbrook had seen her take it from the office to -her home. She must have replaced it, the next day, empty save for one -paper inadvertently overlooked—the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">230</a></span> most precious paper of all to Mrs. -Ritchie. In her agitation she had forgotten to lock the office door -behind her, so that Mr. Spaythe was able to enter. The woman, Phoebe -argued, must have observed Mr. Spaythe taking away the box and, fearing -discovery through it, had stealthily followed him and as soon as he -had left his office crept in and taken it again. Then Sam Parsons had -discovered the box in her possession and made her give it up, after -exacting a confession and promising to shield her. Or else Sam had -himself taken the box from Mr. Spaythe’s office, thinking he would -thus protect the banker from suspicion. That part of the story was at -present too involved for her to determine the exact truth.</p> - -<p>But returning to her argument that a woman, or at least a girl, had -written these letters, and also written duplicates of them for Mr. -Kellogg, Phoebe felt that so rash a proceeding might only be attributed -to one of her own sex. A man would have realized the danger they might -evoke and so have refrained from sending them.</p> - -<p>What was the danger? she asked herself. The irregular penmanship was so -cleverly executed that there was nothing to guide one to a discovery -of the writer. She laid the two sheets of notepaper side by side. -They were of the same cheap quality that one may buy at any store. No -watermark.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">231</a></span> Nothing distinctive about the envelopes.</p> - -<p>She went over the words letter by letter. Although written at different -periods the writing was equally well disguised. But the same person -wrote them, for the capital “T” that appeared in both, in the name -“Toby Clark,” had a peculiar curl at the beginning of it. This “T” -slanted one way in the first letter and the opposite way in the second, -but the little curl was in both.</p> - -<p>Suddenly the girl realized that here was a clew to the writer. That -peculiarity in forming the letter “T” must be characteristic and the -same curl would doubtless be found in the normal writing.</p> - -<p>With the idea that it might be some girl whom she intimately knew -Phoebe went through her desk and examined the capital T’s in every -scrap of correspondence it contained, but without finding any -indication of the telltale curl. It was late when she finished this -task and so she went to bed feeling that she had accomplished nothing -of value.</p> - -<p>After this the days passed rapidly without any further developments. -Public opinion in Riverdale was again undergoing a change and although -the Marching Club paraded several times and once took the band to -Bayport—with money left from the mysterious donation—people viewed -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">232</a></span> demonstrations with good-humored tolerance but were not impressed -as they had been at first. There was a general feeling that Toby -Clark’s case was hopeless and Phoebe was greatly annoyed by reports -that Tom Rathbun and Dave Hunter, with some others, had openly -denounced Toby as a thief, saying it was all nonsense to claim he was -innocent when he had been “caught with the goods.”</p> - -<p>Young Hunter, Lucy’s brother and Phoebe’s instructor in telegraphy, -was the most bitter of these assailants and seemed to take pleasure -in sneering at Toby on every possible occasion. This surprised Phoebe -the more because she had always considered Dave a kindly, manly young -fellow, usually generous in his criticism of others. Something had -doubtless turned him against Toby Clark and aroused his enmity, for -Dave had condemned the boy out of hand almost from the moment of his -arrest.</p> - -<p>One dismal, cloudy afternoon, when Phoebe had been down town and was -hastening home to supper, she turned up a side street and saw before -her a crowd of children who were jeering and hooting at the top of -their voices. These were not the children of good families, such as -were members of the Marching Club, but the ragged, neglected gamins -that are to be found on the streets<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">233</a></span> of every Southern village; both -white and black; mischievous, irresponsible youngsters who delight in -annoying anyone and anything they dare attack, from a stray dog to a -country woman driving to market.</p> - -<p>Phoebe well knew the tribe and, as she heard shouts of “Robber!” -“Thief!” “Jailbird!” ring out, at once suspected the truth. With rising -anger she ran toward the group and reaching the outskirts of the little -crowd she hurled the mockers right and left, whereby she came face to -face with Toby Clark. The boy, leaning on his crutch, was cowering with -bowed head before the jeers of his assailants.</p> - -<p><a name="frontis" id="frontis"></a>“Shame on you all!” she cried, glaring around with righteous -indignation. “How dare you attack one who is more unfortunate than -yourselves—a poor, weak cripple, who needs friends more than you need -soap-and-water?”</p> - -<p>They shrank away, sullen and resenting her interference, and those who -refused to run she threatened with her umbrella until they were driven -off and she was left alone with their victim.</p> - -<p>“Come, Toby,” she then said, with assumed cheerfulness; “let’s go home. -You mustn’t mind those dreadful creatures; they’re ignorant of common -decency.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">234</a></span> -“I—I’d no business to come out,” he replied in a sad voice. “But I’d -been in the house so long, and I wanted the air, and—”</p> - -<p>“You’ve as much right on the streets as any other decent citizen,” -Phoebe said warmly.</p> - -<p>“Not at present,” returned Toby. “Those children think I am a thief, -and so do many other people, and because I cannot prove that I am -honest they consider it right to revile me.” He was hobbling along at -her side as he spoke. “Isn’t it queer, Phoebe, that a mere suspicion -can blot out one’s reputation, won by years of right living, and force -one to defend himself and prove he is not a rascal?”</p> - -<p>“It’s all wrong, Toby, and the law is greatly to blame for it, I think. -It’s an absurd idea that anyone can swear out a warrant for another -person’s arrest, charging him with any dreadful crime, just because -that person has a suspicion he is guilty, and makes complaint against -him. Any good, honest citizen may be thus disgraced and forced to prove -his innocence before he is free again; and even then the smirch clings -to him for a long time. It’s an unjust law and ought to be changed. -No one should ever be arrested without proof of his crime. The one -who makes the complaint should furnish such proof, and not oblige the -innocent person to defend himself.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">235</a></span> -Toby looked up at her with an admiring smile.</p> - -<p>“I’ve studied law some, you know,” he said, “and what you propose is -a revolution. It is more just than the present law, which ruins many -lives and furnishes no redress, but I fear it would permit many guilty -ones to escape.”</p> - -<p>“You won’t pay any attention to what those children said?” she pleaded.</p> - -<p>“Not more than I can help. They’ve heard others say I am a thief, so -we mustn’t blame them too severely. They don’t know any better—poor -little things.”</p> - -<p>She left him at Mr. Spaythe’s house and proceeded toward home in a very -depressed mood. It was dreadful to know that Toby was subjected to such -insults whenever he showed himself on the streets, and yet this was -nothing to the humiliation and disgrace he must endure if they fastened -the theft upon him and condemned him to a prison sentence.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">236</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="xxi" id="xxi"></a>CHAPTER XXI<br /> -<small>HOW PHOEBE TELEGRAPHED THE GOVERNOR</small></h2> - - -<p>The day set for the trial was drawing so near that presently Phoebe -became greatly worried. Winter had suddenly set in and the weather was -so cold and disagreeable that she could not get out as frequently as -before. She saw Mr. Holbrook once or twice but found him despondent.</p> - -<p>“They’ve got us practically between two millstones,” he said, “and -since we are unable to use our knowledge of the truth for defense, we -shall be obliged to take our chances of defeat. I’m sorry, but it can’t -be helped.”</p> - -<p>Phoebe, however, thought it could. She asked herself how far she -was bound to respect the various confidences reposed in her, when -they meant the ruin of an innocent young life. She knew enough, she -believed, to save Toby if she were allowed to go upon the stand and -tell it all; but she felt that she was so inexperienced in legal -matters that if she acted on mere impulse she might make a failure.</p> - -<p>Meantime she kept studying the anonymous letters<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">237</a></span> and one day decided -to find out where the notepaper had been bought, if possible, as that -might put her in the way of determining who had bought it. So she went -to town and made her way to the post office.</p> - -<p>Hazel Chandler waited upon her at the little stationery shop in -the office, and Phoebe thought the young girl looked pale and -worn. “They’re working her too hard again,” she reflected, and yet -Hazel’s duties were no more onerous than those which many shop-girls -voluntarily undertook. She also had the advantage of working for her -father and running the little store as she pleased, although she was -obliged to leave her counter for the post office whenever Will Chandler -was out, as was often the case. Besides being one of the village -council the postmaster was interested in several other things which -required his attention outside, so that Hazel as assistant postmaster -waited on most of those who came to the office for their mail.</p> - -<p>There was no one but Phoebe in the place just now and she asked to look -at some notepaper.</p> - -<p>“No, not the box sort, Hazel; just the common kind,” she added.</p> - -<p>The girl laid several qualities before her and soon Phoebe recognized -the kind she was looking for. She bought a few sheets and Hazel began -to wrap them up.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">238</a></span> -“Have you heard much about—about Toby Clark’s case—lately?” the girl -asked in a hesitating way.</p> - -<p>“No,” replied Phoebe.</p> - -<p>“It’s pretty black against him, isn’t it?” continued Hazel anxiously.</p> - -<p>“It looks black, just now,” admitted Phoebe.</p> - -<p>“I—I’m sorry for Toby,” said Hazel, with a sigh. “We—we’re all—very -fond of him.”</p> - -<p>Phoebe bristled with indignation.</p> - -<p>“Your sweetheart, Dave Hunter, doesn’t seem very fond of him,” she -retorted. “He takes every opportunity to denounce Toby and blacken his -character.”</p> - -<p>Hazel shrank back as if frightened by such vehemence. She bowed her -head over the parcel she was tying, but Phoebe could see that her pale -skin had flushed red.</p> - -<p>“I—I’m not responsible for—for what Dave says, Phoebe,” she murmured -pleadingly; and then to the other girl’s astonishment she put both -hands before her face and began to cry, sobbing in a miserable way that -was pitiful to listen to.</p> - -<p>At once Phoebe became penitent.</p> - -<p>“Forgive me, Hazel,” she said. “I know you are not responsible for -Dave,” and then she took her parcel and went away, to give the girl a -chance to recover her composure.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">239</a></span> -“The poor thing is almost a nervous wreck,” she mused, “and Dave’s -bitterness toward Toby must have annoyed her more than I suspected. -She probably loves Dave devotedly and hates to have him behave so -ungenerously. I must ask Lucy when they are to be married. That would -relieve her of the confining work in the post office and enable her to -recover her health and strength.”</p> - -<p>At the drug store opposite she found more of that identical notepaper, -and the stationery counter at Markham’s dry goods store had it also. It -was a grade so common that everyone kept it and therefore Phoebe was -forced to acknowledge that her quest had been a failure.</p> - -<p>She was in the dumps next day, wondering if she had done all she -could for Toby, when suddenly she remembered the governor’s parting -injunction. “If you need me, send me a telegram,” he had said, and this -brainy, big-hearted man was just the one she needed in her present -emergency. At once she decided to telegraph Cousin John, for she -believed that his advice, coupled with her knowledge—which she would -frankly confide to him—might yet save the day for Toby Clark.</p> - -<p>She would not say anything to Cousin Judith, at present, for if the -busy governor found himself obliged to ignore her summons she wanted no -one to be disappointed but herself.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">240</a></span> -Very carefully she worded the telegram, in order to present the case -as strongly as possible without committing the secrets she guarded in -advance of his coming. She wrote and rewrote it several times, until -finally she was satisfied with the following:</p> - -<p>“Please come and help me save Toby Clark. I believe I know the truth, -but without your assistance Toby will be condemned on false evidence. A -woman stole Mrs. Ritchie’s box and there is a conspiracy to shield her -from discovery and wickedly sacrifice Toby in her stead. Will tell you -all when you arrive. Come quickly, if you can, for time is precious.”</p> - -<p>She signed this “Phoebe Daring” and putting on her wraps, carried it -down to the station. Dave Hunter was in the little telegraph office, on -duty but not busy. He laid down a newspaper as Phoebe entered his room -and nodded rather ungraciously.</p> - -<p>“Here’s a telegram, Dave, which I want you to send at once.”</p> - -<p>“Day message, or night?” he inquired, taking it from her hand and -beginning to count the words.</p> - -<p>“Oh, day, of course,” she replied.</p> - -<p>Suddenly he paused, with his pencil poised above the telegram, and a -wave of red swept over his face and then receded, leaving it a chalky<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">241</a></span> -white. He did not lift his eyes, for a time, but seemed to study the -telegram, reading it twice very slowly from beginning to end. Then he -pushed the paper toward Phoebe and said in a hard, arrogant voice:</p> - -<p>“I can’t send that.”</p> - -<p>“Why not?” she asked in astonishment.</p> - -<p>“I—it’s libelous,” he returned, rising from his chair before the table -on which the telegraph instrument stood and facing the girl defiantly.</p> - -<p>“It is not libelous!” she indignantly exclaimed.</p> - -<p>“Well, I can’t send it; it’s against the rules of the office.”</p> - -<p>Phoebe looked into his face searchingly and he half turned away. She -remembered now Dave’s rabid enmity toward Toby Clark and concluded that -he refused the telegram because he feared it would assist Toby’s case. -But she would not be balked by such a ridiculous pretext and as her -anger increased she grew more quiet and determined.</p> - -<p>“You’re talking nonsense,” she said. “This is a public telegraph office -and you, as the operator, are obliged to accept and send any message -that is presented and paid for. It isn’t your place to decide whether -it is libelous or not, and I demand that you send this telegram at -once.”</p> - -<p>“I won’t,” he said firmly. “I’m going out,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">242</a></span> Miss Daring, and must lock -up the office; so I’ll trouble you to go.”</p> - -<p>She regarded the young fellow questioningly as he took his hat and -stepped to the door, waiting for her with his hand on the knob. Then -she slipped into his seat at the table and placed her hand on the -instrument.</p> - -<p>“Here!” he called fiercely. “What are you doing, girl?”</p> - -<p>“If you won’t telegraph the governor, I will!” she declared. “Stand -back, Dave Hunter, and don’t you dare to touch me or interfere. I’ll -save Toby Clark if I have to put you behind the bars in his place, and -perhaps there’s where you belong.”</p> - -<p>As she spoke she was clicking the little instrument, calling the state -capitol. Dave himself had taught her how to do this. The operator now -stood motionless beside her, looking down at the courageous girl with -unmistakable terror in his eyes. Perhaps her threat awed him; perhaps -he had other reasons for not venturing to prevent her extraordinary -action.</p> - -<p>The answer came in a moment. Fortunately the wire had been free and as -soon as she got her connection she began clicking out the message—as -dexterously as the regular operator himself might have done.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">243</a></span> -Dave listened, as motionless as if turned to stone. She demanded a -“repeat” and from the other end came the repetition of the message, -exactly as the girl had sent it. She answered: “O K,” rose from her -chair and calmly asked:</p> - -<p>“What are the charges?”</p> - -<p>The young man drew his hand across his eyes with a despairing gesture -and limply sank into the chair.</p> - -<p>“Go away, please,” he replied.</p> - -<p>Phoebe picked up the rate book and figured the cost of the telegram. -As she did so her eyes fell on a railway order which Dave Hunter had -written on a blank form and after staring at it a moment she stealthily -folded it and slipped it into her pocket. Then she laid the exact -change on the table and walked out of the office. As she closed the -door softly behind her she noticed that the operator had dropped -his head on his outstretched arms and seemed to have forgotten her -existence.</p> - -<p>A sudden horror and aversion for the young man welled up within her, -but she felt elated and triumphant, as well. She had sent the message -in spite of all opposition and—she had made a discovery!</p> - -<p>The writer of the anonymous letters was none other than Dave Hunter.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">244</a></span> -Phoebe could scarcely wait to get home before examining the order she -had taken from the telegraph office. Once within her own room she -eagerly spread it out before her and studied it with care. It was a -simple railway order addressed to the supply agent at St. Louis, and -said: “Twenty beds with mattrasses and pillows for laborers at Section -9 without delay.” It was signed by the Division Superintendent but was -in Dave’s handwriting and had doubtless been dictated to him to be -wired to the agent.</p> - -<p>But within it lay the proof Phoebe had so long and vainly sought. Not -only was the word “mattress” misspelled as in the anonymous letter, but -the capital “T” in “Twenty” had the same preliminary curl to it that -she had observed in both letters, wherever “Toby” had appeared.</p> - -<p>This discovery positively amazed the girl. She had never suspected -Dave, whom she now believed had hidden both the papers and the money in -Toby’s house, on different occasions, with the evident determination to -incriminate the boy. Then, by means of the anonymous letters, Dave had -told where the stolen property could be found.</p> - -<p>But Dave had not stolen the box. A woman did that. She sighed as -she thought of Lucy, an ambitious girl, and of Mrs. Hunter, who was -prominent in all the social affairs of Riverdale and an<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">245</a></span> earnest church -member. It was easy enough to understand now why Dave had denounced -Toby.</p> - -<p>Cousin Judith knocked at her door.</p> - -<p>“A telegram for you, Phoebe.”</p> - -<p>She tore it open, while Judith watched her face curiously. It flushed -with joy.</p> - -<p>“The governor will be here in the morning,” she said. “You don’t mind, -do you, Cousin Judith?”</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">246</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="xxii" id="xxii"></a>CHAPTER XXII<br /> -<small>HOW SAM PARSONS EXPLAINED</small></h2> - - -<p>“You caught me just right, my dear,” said the governor, smiling -cheerily into the girl’s anxious face. “I had nothing of importance -on hand at this time, so I ran away from half a hundred unimportant -demands and—here I am.”</p> - -<p>He came for breakfast and was as eager for Aunt Hyacinth’s peerless -flapjacks as any of the youngsters, laughing and chatting with the -entire family like a boy just out of school. But afterward he sat with -Phoebe and Judith in the cosy sitting room and listened gravely to -every detail of the young girl’s story.</p> - -<p>Phoebe was very frank in her relation, concealing nothing that she had -discovered or that had been confided to her. “I am supposed to keep -some of these things secret,” she said; “but I believe this secrecy on -the part of Toby’s friends, and their failure to get together, is going -to send the boy to prison unless we take advantage of our knowledge and -accomplish something practical.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">247</a></span> Anyhow, I can see no harm in confiding -in you, Cousin John, even if no good comes of it.”</p> - -<p>The governor nodded approval.</p> - -<p>“That’s right, Phoebe,” he said encouragingly. “Dust all the shelves -and let the grime settle where it will.”</p> - -<p>Before this man had been drawn into politics and became first a senator -and then twice governor of his state, he had been a lawyer of unusual -prominence. His keen intellect followed the girl’s recital with -comprehension and even “read between the lines.” During the story he -saw probabilities she had never guessed. But he said:</p> - -<p>“You have shown admirable intelligence, Phoebe, and I see you have -quickly recognized the important points of your discoveries. With the -information you have given me I believe I can put my finger on the -identical woman who is responsible for Toby Clark’s tribulations.”</p> - -<p>“Oh; can you, sir?” she exclaimed. “Then I must have been very stupid.”</p> - -<p>He turned to Judith with his whimsical smile.</p> - -<p>“You see, she won’t admit that a rival detective has any talent.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I will,” said Phoebe. “I didn’t mean it that way at all. But -I can see no ‘identical’ woman in the case, as yet. A mysterious -woman stole the box, and of course it is a member of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">248</a></span> Dave Hunter’s -family—his mother or sister—or perhaps his sweetheart, Hazel -Chandler. Which of the three do you mean, sir?”</p> - -<p>“None of those,” replied the governor, musingly. “The woman whom I -think has been the cause of your friend Toby’s past misfortunes and -present danger is—Mrs. Ritchie.”</p> - -<p>Both Judith and Phoebe stared at him in amazement.</p> - -<p>“Did she steal her own box, then?” said Phoebe.</p> - -<p>“No, indeed; but she accused Toby Clark with a purpose, and she intends -to get him a long prison sentence—also with a purpose.”</p> - -<p>“What purpose, sir?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know. That is still dark. But we shall turn the light on it. -Perhaps Mr. Spaythe knows, by this time.”</p> - -<p>“Mr. Spaythe?”</p> - -<p>“To be sure,” replied Cousin John blandly. “Why do you suppose he -appropriated that paper of Mrs. Ritchie’s, to which he had no legal -right, unless it contained something that required investigation?”</p> - -<p>“Oh; I never thought of that.”</p> - -<p>“Mr. Spaythe knew that Mrs. Ritchie had no right to the paper, and was -not acting squarely in regard to it. So he put the paper in a safe<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">249</a></span> -place until he could discover the truth. It doesn’t take much of a -detective to figure that out, Phoebe. It’s the science of deduction. -Let’s go a little further: The paper concerns Toby Clark. That explains -why this reserved banker took the boy to his own home, to safeguard his -person or his interests until the truth could be learned. It’s as plain -as a pikestaff, Miss Conspirator. You had all the pieces of the puzzle, -but could not fit them together.”</p> - -<p>“But—the woman who stole the box?” asked Judith, eagerly.</p> - -<p>“Bother the woman who stole the box! What do we care about her?” -retorted Cousin John. “It is true she stirred up this mess, but the -stew may prove a savory one for Toby Clark, in the end. In that case we -cannot be too thankful that the poor creature yielded to temptation. -She has gained no material benefit, for the stolen property is all -restored; but fate had used her to right a grievous wrong. Let us treat -her with grateful consideration.”</p> - -<p>Phoebe drew a long breath, striving to reconcile the governor’s view -of this mysterious case with the prejudices she had so long encouraged -in her own mind. She could not yet see by what process he arrived at -the astonishing solution of the problem he now advanced, but the keen -lawyer was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">250</a></span> quite satisfied that he had “nailed the truth.” Judith was -fully as perplexed as Phoebe and after a pause she inquired:</p> - -<p>“Will Mr. Spaythe’s discovery, then, clear Toby Clark of the charge -against him?”</p> - -<p>“Eh? Perhaps not. I’ve no idea what the discovery is and we must have -more information on that subject. My idea is that Mrs. Ritchie will be -forced to withdraw her charge; but the case might be taken up by the -public prosecutor and young Clark condemned, unless we manage to get -the case out of court altogether.”</p> - -<p>“Even then,” said Phoebe, “Toby’s good name will not be cleansed. -Many people will say he escaped paying the penalty of his crime, but -was really guilty. The evidence they have brought against him is very -strong.”</p> - -<p>“Cleverly argued, Phoebe. I see your point. We must not be content with -whitewashing the young man; we must restore him to his friends as sweet -and clean as before. So, after all, we can’t quite ignore the woman -whose folly caused all the mischief; nor even your friend Dave Hunter, -who obtained possession of the contents of the box and tried to throw -the blame onto Toby in order to save one whom he loved.”</p> - -<p>“That’s it, sir. I think that was Dave’s motive.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">251</a></span> -“Well, the sooner we begin to burrow the sooner we shall unearth the -truth. I want to see Sam Parsons, first of all.”</p> - -<p>“I will send Don for him,” proposed Judith.</p> - -<p>“If you please, Cousin.”</p> - -<p>It was Saturday and Don chanced to be within hailing distance. He -accepted the mission with joy and lost no time in running to the -constable’s house.</p> - -<p>“Hurry up, Sam,” he said: “The governor’s at our place and wants to see -you.”</p> - -<p>Sam sat down in his rocker.</p> - -<p>“Now?” he inquired.</p> - -<p>“Right away. He came this morning, you know. Perhaps he’s goin’ to -promote you; make you Chief of Police or Grand Marshal. The governor -can do anything, Sam.”</p> - -<p>Sam shook his head. He rocked to and fro, thinking deeply and dreading -the governor with a cowardly sinking of the heart.</p> - -<p>“Well, what are you going to do? Mutiny?” asked Don impatiently.</p> - -<p>The constable sighed. Then he rose and picked up his hat, walking -slowly in the wake of his eager conductor to face the man he most -feared.</p> - -<p>“Good morning, Parsons. I know you well,” said the governor. “You’re an -honest man and a good officer. Who took Mrs. Ritchie’s box from Judge -Ferguson’s office?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">252</a></span> -“I—I——”</p> - -<p>“Who stole the box?” more sternly.</p> - -<p>“Sir, a—a——”</p> - -<p>“Parsons!”</p> - -<p>“Hazel Chandler, sir.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you. I thought so. Now, then, sit down and tell me about it.”</p> - -<p>Perspiration was oozing from the constable’s forehead. He wiped it away -and sat down, staring stupidly at the great man and wondering how he -had come to admit a fact that he had sworn to keep secret to his dying -day.</p> - -<p>“There is nothing to tell, sir,” he said weakly.</p> - -<p>“Begin at the beginning, stating why you spied in the hallway, outside -of Judge Ferguson’s door.”</p> - -<p>“The night before, sir, I had seen—seen——”</p> - -<p>“Hazel.”</p> - -<p>“I had seen Hazel carrying the box home. She passed under a light and -I was in the shadow. It was Mrs. Ritchie’s blue box. The next day I -watched. She brought the box down to the post office with her, wrapped -in a cloak to make the bundle look round, and then covered with paper. -Everyone was excited over the judge’s death, that day. The girl watched -her chance and in the afternoon stole upstairs with the box, put it on -the office table and hurried away. I sneaked up<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">253</a></span> afterward and looked -through the keyhole, but I found Hazel had forgotten to lock the door -behind her, although she had carried off the key. I went in and looked -at the box. It was unlocked and empty, except for a paper or two, which -I did not touch. I left it there and went into the post office; but -Will Chandler, Hazel’s father, said she had run over to the Ferguson -house on an errand.”</p> - -<p>“By the way, Phoebe,” said Cousin John, “can you get Janet Ferguson for -me?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; I can telegraph to her from my room.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you.”</p> - -<p>Phoebe ran up to telegraph Janet, asking her to come over at once to -see the governor. Meantime Sam Parsons resumed his story.</p> - -<p>“You still watched the office?” asked Cousin John.</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir. After Hazel returned, Will Chandler took the office key -to Holbrook and asked him to hand it to Mr. Spaythe, and not long -afterward the banker came over and went up to the office. Will had -caught me a couple of times in the hallway, so I didn’t dare stay -there any longer. I went up to our lodge room, over the drug store, -which is just opposite, and from the window there I could see into -the windows of Judge Ferguson’s offices. I saw Mr. Spaythe go<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">254</a></span> in and -examine the box. He read a paper that was in it and then put the paper -in his pocket. Afterward he wrapped up the box and took it away to his -office. I was in deadly fear, sir, that Hazel’s theft of the box would -be discovered. I imagined Mr. Spaythe had taken it away to hold for -evidence; so I followed to his office.”</p> - -<p>“Why did you fear Hazel’s discovery?” asked the governor. “Is it a -constable’s duty to shield a criminal?”</p> - -<p>“I wasn’t a constable then, sir; I was just a man. Hazel has always -been a favorite of mine, from babyhood,” said Sam. “Her father, Will -Chandler, is my best friend. We play chess together and he belongs to -my lodge. But aside from that the Chandlers are rated the proudest -and most respectable family in Riverdale—bar none. Their ancestors -came over in the Mayflower, and then founded this village. Will is the -government’s trusted agent. If Hazel’s foolish act is discovered, the -disgrace will kill Mrs. Chandler, who is a very proud woman and in -delicate health, and there are six little brothers and sisters whose -lives will be ruined.”</p> - -<p>“She should have thought of that,” said the governor.</p> - -<p>“And Hazel herself is engaged to be married to Dave Hunter, one of the -finest young men in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">255</a></span> the village,” continued Sam. “I think if Dave knew -what she had done it would mar all his future life; and he has a sister -and mother depending on him. That was why I shielded her, sir; it was -better to let Toby Clark suffer alone than to overwhelm so many honest -folks with disgrace.”</p> - -<p>“You took the box from Mr. Spaythe?” asked the governor, without -commenting upon the man’s excuses.</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir. He left it on the office table and went into the bank, and -I went in and got it. I carried it home and hid it, to save Hazel, and -afterward I was astonished to find another box, just like it, in Toby -Clark’s back yard. I decided it was put there with a purpose—to prove -Toby was guilty—so I kept quiet about it.”</p> - -<p>“Wasn’t that very irregular, Parsons?”</p> - -<p>“Very, sir. I’ll lose my star, and perhaps I’ll be prosecuted. But I’m -glad I did it.”</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">256</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="xxiii" id="xxiii"></a>CHAPTER XXIII<br /> -<small>HOW A WRONG LOOKED RIGHT</small></h2> - - -<p>Janet Ferguson came in a moment later, having promptly answered -Phoebe’s summons. After greeting her in his kindly way the governor -said:</p> - -<p>“I’m puzzled about your father’s keys. What happened to them the day -following his death? Tell me, please?”</p> - -<p>Janet tried to remember.</p> - -<p>“Usually he left his office key at the post office, but carried the -bunch of small keys on his person,” she replied. “Father was very -absent-minded at times, and I think he was not feeling quite himself -the evening before—before his attack. For it seems he hung his key -ring, containing all the keys, on the peg inside the post office -window, instead of leaving just the office key. But the next morning -Hazel Chandler discovered the keys and brought them to me—all except -the office key, which was left hanging upon the peg. That key Mr. -Chandler afterward turned over to Mr. Spaythe, to whom Toby Clark also -gave his office key.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">257</a></span> -“And the smaller keys—the ones that unlocked the cupboard and the -private boxes, such as Mrs. Ritchie’s?”</p> - -<p>“When Hazel brought them to me I asked her to carry them to Mr. -Spaythe, and I understand she did so. She delivered them to him on her -way back to the post office.”</p> - -<p>“Of course. It is all very clear and comprehensive now, Miss Ferguson. -I thank you. I am not making an official investigation of this case, -you understand. Phoebe and I have concocted a little conspiracy to -arrive at the truth and we are doing our best to clear up the mystery -of Mrs. Ritchie’s lost box—for personal reasons only.”</p> - -<p>“I know that Phoebe has been anxious to save Toby Clark,” said Janet -earnestly; “and I am also anxious. Can I assist you in any way?”</p> - -<p>“Not at present. If we need you again we will let you know.”</p> - -<p>So Janet went away and the governor also dismissed Sam Parsons, telling -the constable he might continue to guard his secret until otherwise -instructed. Then Cousin John briskly rose and said to Phoebe:</p> - -<p>“Let us go and call on Dave Hunter.”</p> - -<p>The girl dreaded that interview, remembering her last defiant visit to -the telegraph operator;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">258</a></span> but she knew it could not be avoided. Already -she was amazed at the ease with which the governor fitted together -the pieces of her puzzle, and she was eager to see what link in the -evidence Dave could furnish.</p> - -<p>They found the young fellow alone in his office. He recognized the -governor at a glance, for through the exchange of telegrams the -operator knew he was due to arrive in Riverdale that morning and -why he had come. At once Dave’s face hardened and his jaws locked -together with firm obstinacy. But the governor, noting these signs of -opposition, merely smiled.</p> - -<p>“Hunter, my lad,” said he, “I’d like to dance at your wedding. I’m not -sure you’ll invite me, and I’m not sure I could come if invited; but -what I mean to assert is that I’d really like to help you celebrate -that important event. Eh?”</p> - -<p>Dave seemed confused. He had no answer ready for this form of attack.</p> - -<p>“There appear to be certain complications, however, which at present -stand in the way of your ambition,” continued the governor in an -amiable tone. “Hazel has a fine nature and a gentle heart, but her -character isn’t fully developed yet and, in a late emergency, she -allowed herself to be led astray. She knew there was a great deal of -money in Mrs. Ritchie’s box; her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">259</a></span> father had once seen it and talked -of it in the family circle; so when the judge carelessly left all his -keys in the post office, one evening, Hazel was tempted and didn’t -stop to consider consequences. She was sick and tired of the drudgery -she was enduring and knew she could not be married to you until you -had acquired more money; so she foolishly yielded to the temptation -and at night, when she locked up her store and the post office, she -visited Judge Ferguson’s office, unlocked the cupboard, took down Mrs. -Ritchie’s box and carried it home. In the seclusion of her room she -found the key to the box, opened it and dumped the contents on the -bed. The last thing to tumble out was a long yellow envelope marked -‘Private,’ and Hazel hastily tore this open, with the idea that it -contained money. Finding it to be merely a legal document, in which -she was not interested, she tossed it back into the box. Understand, -Hunter, I won’t vouch for the accuracy of every detail of this story; -but in the main you know it is correct.”</p> - -<p>Dave’s eyes were fairly bulging from their sockets as he stared at the -governor and heard him lay bare a secret he thought had been faithfully -guarded.</p> - -<p>“You—you’ve seen Hazel?” he stammered.</p> - -<p>“No; not yet. But let me continue. That<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">260</a></span> night, perhaps fearing -interruption, the girl had no chance to examine the contents of the -box, which she hid somewhere in her room. Next day she took the box -down town with her, wishing to get rid of it, and managed during the -afternoon to return it to Judge Ferguson’s office. But she had no time -to put it back in the cupboard, because she had left the post office -downstairs alone. So she simply placed it on the table and afterward -got rid of the keys as soon as possible.</p> - -<p>“No one suspected her. Toby Clark was suspected, but not Hazel -Chandler. Yet Hazel was in a quandary. She had in her possession a -great deal of money, some valuable bonds, and a lot of useless papers -belonging to Mrs. Ritchie. Naturally she confided in her sweetheart, -not realizing even yet the seriousness of her offense, but rather -exulting in the fact that this money would hasten her wedding day. The -young man to whom she was engaged, however, listened to her story with -horror and despair. He realized the enormity of the girl’s crime and -knew that its discovery meant prison for her, a broken heart for him, -and ruined lives for them both.”</p> - -<p>Dave’s stern features had gradually relaxed to an expression of abject -misery. At the vivid scene conjured up by his accuser he sobbed aloud -and dropped his face in his hands. But the governor quietly continued:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">261</a></span> -“The young man’s plight was indeed pitiful, but his poignant sorrow -blurred his reason and led him to a subterfuge so cruel and unmanly -that his error was scarcely less iniquitous than Hazel’s. To save the -girl he loved he endeavored to throw the burden of guilt on an innocent -person, a friendless boy and a cripple. He was not the first to accuse -Toby Clark, but Toby’s arrest gave him the idea. Forcing Hazel to give -to him the entire contents of the rifled box, he selected all the -papers that were of no value to anyone but the owner and hid then in -the back room of the shanty. Then, to make sure they would be found, -he wrote anonymous letters to two parties whom he thought would be -interested in the search, telling where the papers were hidden.”</p> - -<p>The governor paused a moment.</p> - -<p>“I am not sure,” said he, “why you retained the money and bonds, -Hunter. You may have had some vague idea of keeping them, at the time; -but afterward I am sure you thought better of it, for you gave up the -stolen money, again implicating Toby Clark.”</p> - -<p>“I—I wanted to give it all up in the beginning,” groaned Dave, in -broken, pleading accents; “but I was bewildered, then—I’ve been -bewildered ever since, I think—and the thought came to me that if -Hazel should be arrested I would need money<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">262</a></span> to defend her. I didn’t -much care what I did, if only I could manage to save Hazel. But—after -a time—I thought the danger had passed and no one would now connect -her with the theft; so I wanted to get rid of the money, which was a -horror to me. I thought the best way was to put it in Toby’s house, as -I did the papers.”</p> - -<p>“I follow your argument,” said the governor. “Had you been more -experienced in crime you would have known that the greatest danger -of discovery lay in those anonymous letters. Such things are very -easily traced. Do you know that Phoebe Daring was able to connect you -with this crime by means of those very letters? As a matter of fact, -however, they did not lead to the discovery that Hazel Chandler took -Mrs. Ritchie’s box. Two different people saw her carry it home; yet I -suppose she has imagined she escaped observation.”</p> - -<p>“She—she seemed quite sure of that, sir.”</p> - -<p>“No doubt. The criminal is always blind. If the time ever comes when -everyone realizes that the law is more clever than the individual, -that justice is rampant and will not be denied and that punishment -follows an undiscovered crime as surely as if it were discovered, then -indeed humanity may shrink from committing lawless acts. The more -inexperienced and simple-minded the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">263</a></span> offender, the more certain he or -she is of outwitting all the rest of the world. As a consequence, our -prisons are crowded and our trial courts cost us millions of dollars -annually. It is so much more simple and safe to obey the laws of -humanity and of nations, that I wonder people do not prefer to walk -uprightly.”</p> - -<p>Dave had no reply to this, although there is no doubt he frankly -admitted its truth. He now knew that the governor and Phoebe, and -doubtless others, were in possession of the secret he had guarded so -jealously, and in this crisis his thoughts were all of the girl he -loved and had sought to shield.</p> - -<p>“Sir,” he said after a moment, “is there any way in which I can assume -all the punishment? Suppose that I confess that I stole Mrs. Ritchie’s -box; will you and Phoebe help me to carry out the deception and take -Toby Clark’s place?”</p> - -<p>“Why, that is what you should have done in the beginning,” said Cousin -John. “Now it is too late for such vicarious atonement.”</p> - -<p>Again Dave groaned.</p> - -<p>“Mrs. Ritchie has all her property now,” he asserted. “Don’t you -suppose she could be induced to save Hazel?”</p> - -<p>“No; I do not.”</p> - -<p>“It—it’s going to wreck a lot of lives, sir—the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">264</a></span> publicity and -disgrace. The poor girl didn’t know what she was doing; indeed, sir, -that is the truth. She—she’s sorry enough now. We’ve both suffered -bitterly and—and been severely punished already. But I’ll take more -punishment; I’ll do anything, sir, to keep Hazel out of it and save her -and her people from infamy.”</p> - -<p>“I can’t promise you anything, Hunter,” said the governor, evident -sympathy in his tone. “I’m sorry for you. You were drawn into this -thing merely because you are fond of the girl, and I admire you for -standing by your sweetheart, through thick and thin. The faults you -have committed, in striving to compel an innocent boy to suffer, are -far from admirable; yet you have not a strong nature and there are -many who might have acted just as you did. I will say this: if it can -be arranged to clear Toby Clark in the eyes of all the world without -condemning Hazel Chandler, I shall try to do so. Our first care will be -to save Toby; afterward I will do what I can for Hazel.”</p> - -<p>Dave was grateful for this promise and seized the governor’s hand in -both his own to press it warmly.</p> - -<p>“At present,” said Cousin John, “Phoebe and I alone are in possession -of all the facts I have related. The two persons who saw Hazel take<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">265</a></span> -the box seem as anxious to shield her from public condemnation as you -are. So I think you may hope for the best.”</p> - -<p>With this they left the telegraph office and walked up the street.</p> - -<p>“Where next?” asked Phoebe curiously. She had, by this time, so supreme -a confidence in Cousin John’s ability to pick up scattered threads and -smooth out all tangles that in her heart she believed the truth had -now been laid bare in its entirety and thought nothing remained but to -confirm the facts already gathered.</p> - -<p>“We will see Mr. Spaythe next,” the great man replied.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">266</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="xxiv" id="xxiv"></a>CHAPTER XXIV<br /> -<small>HOW THE MYSTERY CLEARED</small></h2> - - -<p>It was only a few minutes walk to the bank and Mr. Spaythe received -them in his private office, expressing little surprise at seeing the -governor again in Riverdale but welcoming him with frank cordiality.</p> - -<p>When they were seated the banker looked at his visitors with polite -inquiry.</p> - -<p>“I’m helping Phoebe get the facts in this Toby Clark case,” said the -governor, speaking easily and as to an equal, for he knew Mr. Spaythe’s -record and reputation. “In her confidences to me concerning the -peculiar circumstances surrounding this affair, which seems to have -worn a veil of mystery from the first, she has mentioned the paper you -found in the Ritchie box.”</p> - -<p>The banker bowed but remained silent.</p> - -<p>“There has been raised a great hue and cry for that paper, on the part -of Mrs. Ritchie and her attorney,” continued the speaker; “therefore we -may consider the document of prime importance to the old lady. When it -fell into your hands<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">267</a></span> you hypothecated it and carefully locked it in -your safe; further evidence of its importance. Phoebe has concluded, -from your unconditional defense of the accused boy, that you believe -him innocent, in the first place, and also that the document referred -to is in some way connected with—Toby Clark.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Spaythe smiled.</p> - -<p>“It’s difficult to keep a secret from Phoebe,” he replied.</p> - -<p>“For my own part,” the governor resumed, “I have figured from your -long silence regarding the paper that you have been investigating its -validity or for some reason have been seeking outside information -concerning it. I hope I am not in any way forcing your hand by asking -if my surmise is correct and if you have yet received the information -you desire.”</p> - -<p>“Allow me to add that it is difficult to keep a secret from the -governor,” laughed Mr. Spaythe. “Really, sir, you and Phoebe have -guessed so much that you are entitled to know more, and fortunately my -first information of value concerning this paper reached me but a few -hours ago, in the morning’s mail.”</p> - -<p>“Through my interest in my Cousin Judith I became acquainted with -Phoebe Daring,” said Cousin John. “Through my interest in Phoebe I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">268</a></span> -became acquainted with the sad plight of Toby Clark, and my interest -in humanity at large induced me to ‘play hookey’ from the business of -governing this exacting state, long enough to run down here and help -things to a climax. So, sir, as my time is limited, I——”</p> - -<p>“It will afford me pleasure to confide in you with the utmost -frankness,” said the banker. “I would like you to know all that I know.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you. I may say that we have finally run down the guilty party -and are now certain that Toby Clark’s case will never come to trial.”</p> - -<p>“Indeed!” exclaimed Mr. Spaythe. “Then you have solved a very -perplexing mystery.”</p> - -<p>“Have you had no hint of the truth?” inquired the governor.</p> - -<p>“Not the slightest, although I have several times suspected my lawyer, -a man named Holbrook.”</p> - -<p>“And a very well meaning young fellow,” added the governor. “I think, -from the information I have received, that Holbrook has conducted -himself in a manly way that is distinctly creditable. But may I ask -how you expected to save Toby Clark from prison without knowing who -committed the fault of which he stands accused, and in the face of a -mass of incriminating evidence against him?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">269</a></span> -“Yes; I expected to save him through Mrs. Ritchie.”</p> - -<p>“You can compel her to withdraw the charge?”</p> - -<p>“Mrs. Ritchie is completely in my power. Would you mind telling me who -first took the box from the judge’s cupboard?”</p> - -<p>“A weak and thoughtless girl—Hazel Chandler—who was tempted to steal -the money that she might sooner wed the young man to whom she was -engaged.”</p> - -<p>“Dear me. Hazel Chandler! How unfortunate.”</p> - -<p>“There is a general disposition, among those who know the facts, -to shield her,” suggested the governor. “The girl has already been -punished—through fear, personal remorse and the reproaches of her -<a name="fiance" id="fiance"></a><ins title="Original has 'fiancè'">fiancé</ins>. I can see no benefits to the public at large nor to the -interest of justice to be gained by casting this foolish girl into -prison. Her redemption, if redemption is still needed, may be better -accomplished in other ways.”</p> - -<p>“I quite agree with you, sir; and I think that between us we may find -a way to restore Toby Clark’s reputation to its former purity without -drawing Hazel Chandler into the mire. When Mrs. Ritchie knows that her -treachery and embezzlements have been discovered, I think she can be -induced to sign a statement that her box was not stolen at all.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">270</a></span> -“I see your point, Mr. Spaythe. And now please tell us about that -paper.”</p> - -<p>The banker excused himself a moment and went into the counting room, in -the rear of which stood a large safe. From a drawer which he unlocked -he took a paper and with it returned to his private office.</p> - -<p>“Although this document has been for years in Judge Ferguson’s -keeping,” began Mr. Spaythe, “its character and contents were unknown -to him, for before she placed it in her box Mrs. Ritchie enclosed it in -a heavy yellow envelope which she sealed and marked ‘private.’ The girl -who took the box tore open the envelope, perhaps thinking it contained -money, and so enabled me to make a discovery that otherwise might never -have come to light. The moment I saw this paper I became interested, -for it is a will, properly probated and attested, and on the outside it -is docketed: ‘Last Will and Testament of Alonzo Clark.’”</p> - -<p>“Alonzo Clark?” echoed Phoebe; “why, who was he, sir?”</p> - -<p>“The father of Toby Clark. I knew him very slightly during the years -preceding his death, when he lived at Riverdale. He once attempted to -borrow some money from the bank on some mining stock which I considered -worthless; so I refused him. He was a relative of Mrs. Ritchie.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">271</a></span> -“I never knew that!” cried Phoebe, surprised.</p> - -<p>“Nor I, until recently,” replied the banker. “This document which I now -hold bequeaths to Alonzo Clark’s only child, Toby Clark, all of his -interest in that mining stock, making Mrs. Ritchie the executor and -providing that in case the stock becomes valuable and pays dividends it -must not be sold or otherwise disposed of, but the proceeds shall be -devoted to the education of Toby and the balance reserved until he is -of age, when it is all to be turned over to him. During the minority -of Toby, Mrs. Ritchie is to properly educate and clothe him and she -is authorized to retain ten per cent of the income in payment for her -services as trustee.”</p> - -<p>“You say the stock is worthless?” asked the governor.</p> - -<p>“I thought it was, at the time Alonzo Clark brought it to me; but -when first I saw this paper I found that the will had been probated -and Mrs. Ritchie duly appointed executor and trustee under its terms. -That fact, and the woman’s eagerness to recover the paper, led me to -suspect that the stock had become valuable; so I retained the will and -began to investigate both the mine and the history of Alonzo Clark. As -I told you, the first important report of these investigations reached -me to-day. I will briefly relate to you<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">272</a></span> their purport, rather than ask -you to wade through the verbose mass of evidence submitted.”</p> - -<p>“That will be best, I think,” agreed the governor.</p> - -<p>“Alonzo Clark was a mining engineer of education and ability, who was -employed by large corporations as an expert, to examine mines and -report upon their value. He successfully pursued this vocation for -several years and came to be regarded as a reliable judge of both -copper and gold mines. Then he met with a misfortune. While in a rough -mining camp in Arizona he fell in love with a plump, pretty girl—the -daughter of one of the superintendents—and married her. She became -Toby’s mother and proved far beneath her husband in both refinement and -intellect. At about the same time that he married, Clark conceived what -he thought a clever idea to make his fortune. Being sent to examine an -outlying mine that had never been developed, he found it to contain -the richest deposit of copper he had ever known of—so rich, in fact, -that it was destined to become one of the greatest copper mines in -America. A company of capitalists would purchase and develop this mine -if Clark reported on it favorably. He forwarded them some very ordinary -specimens of ore and said he believed the mine would pay a fair profit -if worked<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">273</a></span> economically, but he predicted no big things of it. Then -he set to work to invest every dollar he had in the world in stock of -this very mine, and he was able to secure a large quantity because his -discouraging report had failed to inspire the promoters with any degree -of enthusiasm. Then the schemer became properly punished, for the men -who had formed the company got possession of another mine that promised -better, but in which Clark had no interest, and devoted their exclusive -attention to working that. Clark dared not argue the matter with them, -for he had declared the rich mine to be unimportant, so he was obliged -to wait until the company was ready to develop it, when he knew it -would speedily make him rich.</p> - -<p>“This affair ruined the engineer’s life—that, and his wife’s dissolute -habits, for she became addicted to drink and her companionship was not -pleasant. Clark had beggared himself by his large purchase of stock -and his vain dreams of wealth speedily destroyed his usefulness in his -profession. In a few years he lost all ambition, became discredited in -mining circles and finally drifted here, perhaps being attracted to -Riverdale by the fact that a distant cousin—the only relative I have -been able to trace—lived near here in the person of Mrs. Ritchie, a -widow with a large and prosperous farm.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">274</a></span> -“It seems that Mrs. Ritchie, however, would do nothing to assist the -impoverished Clarks, who had brought their little son Toby with them. -She even doubted the man’s story about his rich mine, which he declared -would some day bring him a fortune. She is very shrewd in business -matters and knew that mining stock is dangerous to gamble on. Clark -did a little work in the village, but not much, for he was incapable -of steady manual labor. He fished a good deal in the river and won the -name of being lazy, surly and unsocial. As a matter of fact he was a -disappointed man and had fallen rapidly in the social scale. His wife -soon drank herself to death and a year or so afterward Clark contracted -pneumonia on the river and soon passed away, having previously made his -will and given it to Mrs. Ritchie for safe keeping.</p> - -<p>“Toby was a much neglected boy, as you may imagine,” continued Mr. -Spaythe, after a brief pause. “Mrs. Ritchie ignored his very existence -and after his father’s death the little fellow continued to reside in -the shanty by the river—a ragged, barefooted urchin whom everyone -liked because he was so sunny natured and agreeable. He inherited his -father’s intellect but not his misanthropic ideas. Toby was not only -willing, but glad to work and earned a modest living by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">275</a></span> doing odd jobs -until, finally, Judge Ferguson noticed him and took charge of the boy. -I think, governor, I have now given you the entire Clark history.”</p> - -<p>“But the mine?” said the governor, greatly interested in the story.</p> - -<p>“By a queer whim of fate the mine was developed soon after Alonzo -Clark’s death and its enormous wealth became a seven days’ wonder. -I believe it is to-day reputed one of the best paying mines on this -continent, which proves that the engineer knew what he was doing when -he invested his all in its stock. Mrs. Ritchie evidently heard of the -great mine, for she had Clark’s will probated and applied for letters -of administration, which were granted her. For several years she has -been receiving dividends on the stock—which is worth a fortune to -Toby, by the way—and yet the woman has kept her secret and the money -to herself. Never a penny has been applied to Toby’s needs or to his -education.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, how dreadful!” exclaimed Phoebe, who was really shocked at this -recital of Mrs. Ritchie’s perfidy.</p> - -<p>“Her intention. I suppose,” said the banker, “was to continue to retain -these receipts for herself. Toby had no other relatives to interfere in -his behalf; he was too young at the time of his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">276</a></span> father’s death to know -anything about the mine, and I doubt if he knew—or yet knows—that -he is in any way related to Mrs. Ritchie. The deception might have -continued indefinitely had not the box been stolen and so, by a chain -of curious accidents, the will of Alonzo Clark discovered by those -interested in Toby.”</p> - -<p>After the banker had concluded his relation all three were silent for a -time, pondering on the remarkable discovery. Then Phoebe said:</p> - -<p>“I cannot understand, in view of the fact that Mrs. Ritchie was -deliberately robbing Toby, why she was so bitter against him, or why -she had him arrested and is even now trying to send him to prison.”</p> - -<p>“That is a natural sequence, my dear,” replied the governor. “The woman -has been greatly worried over the loss of this document, which, falling -into certain hands—such as those of Mr. Spaythe—would perhaps lead to -the discovery of her perversion of trust funds, which is a very serious -crime. Perhaps she thinks that in some way Toby Clark has himself -gained possession of the will, but believes that if he is discredited -and put in prison he cannot appear against her. Without Mr. Spaythe’s -exhaustive researches no one in Riverdale would be likely to know that -the mine described in the elder Clark’s will had become<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">277</a></span> valuable. -The will itself would mean little or nothing to Toby unless he had -opportunity to investigate his father’s bequest. There was a fair -chance of Mrs. Ritchie’s evading detection, even with the will missing; -but Toby in prison would be more safe to her interests than Toby at -liberty.”</p> - -<p>“Toby mustn’t go to prison,” declared Phoebe, with energy.</p> - -<p>“Certainly not,” replied Mr. Spaythe. “The boy must regain the position -in society to which he is fully entitled.”</p> - -<p>“Can’t we do anything to Mrs. Ritchie?” she asked.</p> - -<p>“We’ll try,” said the governor, looking at his watch. “Just now dinner -is waiting at the Daring mansion and I promised Judith I’d not forget -it. But this afternoon I’d like to drive over with you, Mr. Spaythe, to -see the woman.”</p> - -<p>“I will be glad to accompany you,” replied the banker. “We close at one -o’clock on Saturday, you know; so at two, if you will be ready, I will -call for you with my motor car.”</p> - -<p>“That will be quite satisfactory,” said the governor, rising. Then he -hesitated a moment. “May we take Phoebe with us?” he asked. “She has -been so interested in this affair and has already accomplished so much -in Toby’s behalf that I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">278</a></span> think she is entitled to be present at the -climax.”</p> - -<p>“I think so, too,” answered Mr. Spaythe readily. “Do you care to go, -Phoebe?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, if you please.”</p> - -<p>Then she and Cousin John went home to dinner and the youngsters, who -suspected something important was under way, were able to drag no -information from their big sister beyond mysterious looks and sundry -shakes of the head, which of course aroused their curiosity to the -highest pitch.</p> - -<p>“I think you might tell us, Phoebe,” pouted Sue, disconsolately. “I -always tell you <em>my</em> secrets.”</p> - -<p>Cousin John laughed.</p> - -<p>“Listen, then,” said he. “We’ve discovered that Toby Clark is innocent -and that we can prove it; so he is no longer in danger of prison. -That’s more than Toby Clark knows yet. Furthermore, we have discovered -that Toby is not a mere nobody, as everyone has considered him, but the -owner of considerable valuable property. I say ‘we’ have discovered -this, but really it was Phoebe who solved the whole mystery. Now, if -you can keep this secret for a few days, until the newspaper prints the -complete story, I’ll take you into my confidence the next time I know a -secret.”</p> - -<p>Don cheered and Becky clapped her hands in delight, while Sue cried -ecstatically: “Bully for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">279</a></span> Toby!” and was promptly repressed by Phoebe, -who was annoyed by such a wild demonstration in the presence of the -great man. But Cousin John seemed to enjoy the outburst.</p> - -<p>Judith has listened gravely and seemed surprised.</p> - -<p>“Is this indeed the truth?” she asked.</p> - -<p>“Part of it,” replied the governor. “When Phoebe and I return from a -little trip this afternoon you shall have the entire story, with all -the details. You see, we’re rehearsing a little show of our own. The -play isn’t entirely finished yet, for the last act is on and we must -corner the villain before the final curtain falls.”</p> - -<p>This contented them for the time, for they really believed they had -been taken into the great man’s confidence; but when Mr. Spaythe’s -automobile drew up at the door and Phoebe and the governor entered it, -they were followed by envious looks and much speculation among the -Darings as to their errand.</p> - -<p>“I hope,” said Sue, anxiously, “the villain won’t hurt Phoebe.”</p> - -<p>“Pshaw!” returned Don, with scorn, “villains never amount to anything; -they’re only put in a play to be knocked out in the last round.”</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">280</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="xxv" id="xxv"></a>CHAPTER XXV<br /> -<small>HOW TOBY WON HIS HERITAGE</small></h2> - - -<p>Mrs. Ritchie was hoeing that afternoon in her vegetable garden, which -adjoined the spacious farmhouse where she resided. She was attired in a -faded calico dress and a weatherworn sunbonnet, and her heavy leather -shoes were rusty and clogged by constant contact with the soil.</p> - -<p>There were several servants upon the plantation, and -<a name="they" id="they"></a><ins title="Original has 'there'">they</ins> -were afforded an excellent example of industry by their mistress, who -“worked like a hired man” herself and made everyone around her labor -just as energetically.</p> - -<p>The arrival of Lawyer Kellogg on his bicycle, which he had ridden over -from Riverdale, did not interrupt Mrs. Ritchie’s task. She merely gave -her attorney an ungracious nod and said: “Well?”</p> - -<p>“I’ve come over to see you about the trial,” he announced. “It begins -next Thursday, at Bayport, and I must know exactly what you want to do -about Toby Clark.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">281</a></span> -“Give him a long sentence—the longer the better.”</p> - -<p>“He is sure to get that if we prove him guilty.”</p> - -<p>She looked at him suspiciously.</p> - -<p>“Why do you say ‘if’?” she asked.</p> - -<p>Kellogg smiled.</p> - -<p>“Any trial is uncertain, Mrs. Ritchie,” said he. “Unexpected things are -liable to happen to change the probable verdict. I think we have enough -evidence against Toby to prove our case, but those terrible children -have greatly influenced popular opinion by means of their parades and -we can’t tell who the jury will be, or whether we can depend on them.”</p> - -<p>“Can’t the jury be fixed?” asked the woman, after some thought.</p> - -<p>“It would cost a lot of money, and it isn’t a safe thing to do,” -returned her lawyer, standing beside her as she hoed. “And that reminds -me to speak of my own expenses and fees.”</p> - -<p>“Well, what about ’em?”</p> - -<p>“You promised me a hundred dollars if I recovered the contents of your -box. I’ve returned to you all your money, bonds and papers; but you -haven’t paid me yet.”</p> - -<p>“There’s a paper missing.”</p> - -<p>“One. I do not suppose you intend to withhold my money on that -account.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">282</a></span> -“Why not?”</p> - -<p>“Because I should then sue you for it and the court would award me -damages.”</p> - -<p>She gave a contemptuous snort.</p> - -<p>“Do you want that matter of the box aired?” she asked.</p> - -<p>“Do you want that will investigated—the paper which is missing?” he -retorted.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Ritchie laughed.</p> - -<p>“I’ll give you fifty dollars now, and fifty when you get that last -paper,” said she.</p> - -<p>“You’ll give me a hundred now. The price of the paper was a thousand -dollars.”</p> - -<p>“Have you got track of it yet?” she asked quickly.</p> - -<p>“No. I’m not going to undertake that trial for nothing, Mrs. Ritchie. -There’ll be a lot of work and expense about it and, if you want Toby -Clark imprisoned for stealing your box, you’ve got to pay handsomely -for it.”</p> - -<p>“How much?”</p> - -<p>“I want a hundred dollars in advance and two hundred more if I win.”</p> - -<p>“You’re a thief!” she snarled.</p> - -<p>“No other lawyer would undertake the case at any price. It will make me -very unpopular to prosecute Toby Clark.”</p> - -<p>“You’re not much of a favorite now,” said Mrs.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">283</a></span> Ritchie. -“Very well, I’ll give you a hundred dollars.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter width400"> -<a name="p282" id="p282"></a> -<img src="images/i_289.jpg" width="400" height="665" alt="" /> -<div class="caption">“I’m not going to undertake that trial for nothing, Mrs. -Ritchie. If you want Toby Clark imprisoned for stealing your box you’ve -got to pay handsomely for it.”</div> -</div> - -<p>“I want two hundred to-day. A hundred for recovering your property and -a hundred in advance for the trial.”</p> - -<p>She dropped her hoe and stared at him. Then she sighed.</p> - -<p>“Come into the house. You’re a scoundrel, Abner Kellogg, and you ain’t -earned half the money; but I’ll be generous.”</p> - -<p>“No; you’ll be sensible,” he said, following her up the path. “You’ve -got some secret that’s worth money to you, Mrs. Ritchie, and which you -don’t care to have discovered; and it’s connected with Toby Clark.”</p> - -<p>“That’s a lie.”</p> - -<p>She ushered him into the front room and left him there while she went -to get the money. When she returned she placed four fifty-dollar bills -in his hand.</p> - -<p>“Oh; cash, is it?” he said in a pleased tone.</p> - -<p>“I don’t trust banks; they’re tricky. That’s all the ready money I’ve -got in the house. The rest is in a new box with Miles Hubbard, over in -Bayport.”</p> - -<p>“Why didn’t you put it in my care?” asked Kellogg.</p> - -<p>“Because you’re a dishonest cur.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">284</a></span> -He reddened a little.</p> - -<p>“Then why don’t you employ Hubbard to prosecute Toby Clark?”</p> - -<p>“He wouldn’t take the case.”</p> - -<p>“I see. Well, I’ve raised my price, Mrs. Ritchie. I want a hundred more -in advance.”</p> - -<p>“You can’t have it.”</p> - -<p>“I think I can.”</p> - -<p>“I won’t be bled, Abner Kellogg!”</p> - -<p>“No; you prefer to bleed others.”</p> - -<p>“You insolent pettifogger! What do you mean by that?”</p> - -<p>“I mean that I want another hundred dollars—before I make a single -move in this case.”</p> - -<p>While she sat glaring at him an automobile stopped in the road before -the house. The woman turned her head and through the window saw Phoebe -Daring, Mr. Spaythe and a stranger alight and enter the gate.</p> - -<p>“Tell ’em I ain’t at home, Kellogg,” she exclaimed in a half frightened -voice.</p> - -<p>“Better face the music,” said the lawyer, who had noted the arrivals. -“If there’s danger, as I suspect, face it boldly. You can’t save the -day by running away.”</p> - -<p>“You stand by me, then, Kellogg. I’ll give you the other hundred when -they’re gone.”</p> - -<p>He smiled grimly, but there was no time for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">285</a></span> reply. The bell rang and -Mrs. Ritchie went to the door.</p> - -<p>“May we speak with you—on business—Mrs. Ritchie?” asked Mr. Spaythe.</p> - -<p>“I’m busy with my lawyer. You’ll have to come again.”</p> - -<p>“I’m glad your lawyer is here,” said the banker gravely. “I think you -will need his advice.”</p> - -<p>“What about?”</p> - -<p>“If you will permit us to enter, I will explain.”</p> - -<p>“Who’s this other man?” she asked curtly.</p> - -<p>“The governor of the state.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Ritchie fell back and they all entered the parlor.</p> - -<p>“Good afternoon, your Excellency,” said Kellogg, with a low bow. The -governor did not know the man but he nodded to him.</p> - -<p>“Well?” asked the woman in harsh, rasping tones.</p> - -<p>“I have called to see you in regard to the Alonzo Clark will,” said Mr. -Spaythe.</p> - -<p>She sank into a seat, but the cold, hard look never left her face. If -she was at all startled she retained her self-possession wonderfully.</p> - -<p>“Who was Alonzo Clark?” she asked, as if to gain time.</p> - -<p>“Toby Clark’s father; your second-cousin.”</p> - -<p>“What about his will?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">286</a></span> -“You are the administrator.”</p> - -<p>“Well, that’s my business.”</p> - -<p>“Not entirely,” remarked the governor, calmly. “Your letters of -administration require you to fulfill the terms of the will—or the -property will be taken out of your hands by the court. Also you are -personally responsible for any—shall we say ‘irregularities’?—you -have committed.”</p> - -<p>“Well?”</p> - -<p>“You have not fulfilled the terms of the will,” said Mr. Spaythe -sternly.</p> - -<p>“Who says so?”</p> - -<p>“The will itself.”</p> - -<p>“Somebody stole it.”</p> - -<p>“That does not matter. There is a copy on file in the probate’s office. -You have criminally disobeyed the injunctions of that will, Mrs. -Ritchie, and applied such moneys as you have received, to your own -personal use, instead of to the support and education of Toby Clark.”</p> - -<p>“Toby Clark’s a thief, and he’ll go to prison for stealing my box,” she -snapped.</p> - -<p>“We will not discuss Toby now,” said Mr. Spaythe. “Your own case -demands your first attention. The governor will tell you the legal -penalty for embezzling trust funds.”</p> - -<p>“State’s prison,” said the governor.</p> - -<p>“Shucks! Tell him he lies, Abner Kellogg,” cried the woman.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">287</a></span> -“The governor is entirely correct, madam,” answered the wily attorney. -“I trust, gentlemen,” he added, “you will acquit me of any complicity -in this affair. I am merely hired by Mrs. Ritchie to prosecute the case -of Toby Clark and know nothing of her past history or criminal acts.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, you turn against me, do you?” she inquired angrily.</p> - -<p>“I cannot defend you from so grave an offense, Mrs. Ritchie,” said -Kellogg. “These gentlemen would not accuse you without proof, and the -proof will send you to prison.”</p> - -<p>She studied by turn the stern faces confronting her.</p> - -<p>“What else have you got to say?” she asked. “If you wanted to send me -to prison you would have me arrested, without taking the trouble to -come here.”</p> - -<p>“That is true,” returned Mr. Spaythe. “I will explain. By chance the -will of Alonzo Clark fell into my hands and on behalf of Toby Clark I -caused an investigation to be made. During the past seven years there -has been paid to you, as administrator of the estate of Toby Clark, a -minor, in dividends on stock, the total sum of forty-eight thousand, -four hundred and eighty dollars, up to the first of last month. You -were entitled to retain ten per cent of this, provided<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">288</a></span> you had -performed your duties according to law; but since you have failed to do -this the entire amount must now be paid over to the new administrator -whom the court will appoint. And this payment must be made whether you -go to prison or not.”</p> - -<p>Kellogg was amazed. He looked at Mrs. Ritchie with a glint of -admiration in his eyes. Forty-eight thousand, and she still grubbing -with a hoe! Phoebe was also amazed by the immensity of the sum. She had -not thought it would be nearly so large. She mentally figured that it -meant an income of about seven thousand a year, which would make Toby -quite independent.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Ritchie did not deny Mr. Spaythe’s assertion. She knew it would be -useless.</p> - -<p>“That will is my property,” she said sullenly. “I can have you arrested -for stealing it.”</p> - -<p>“I will return the will,” said Mr. Spaythe. “It is no longer of use to -me—nor to you, madam. Unless you voluntarily resign your trusteeship -it will be taken from you, after a rigid investigation which will prove -you guilty of embezzlement.”</p> - -<p>“Suppose I refuse to give up the money?” said she. “You don’t know -where it is, and you can’t find it. You can take this farm away from -me, if you like, but it’s only worth about fifteen thousand. If I go to -jail I can keep the cash I’ve put<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">289</a></span> away—and have it to use when I get -free again.”</p> - -<p>“I believe,” said the governor, “you might be able to do that, and so -defeat justice. But let us consider what it would mean. My experience -enables me to state that your term of imprisonment would be no less -than twenty years, and perhaps more. I doubt if, at your age, you would -live for twenty years in a prison—you who are so used to the open -air. So your stolen money would be of no benefit to you. On the other -hand, you might effect a compromise with us and so keep the matter out -of court. You have here sufficient property for all your needs and the -income from your plantation gives you more than a living. It occurs to -me, Mrs. Ritchie, that you will find it more comfortable to end your -days in freedom.”</p> - -<p>She dropped her eyes in thought and stared at the carpet for a time. -Then she asked gruffly:</p> - -<p>“What do you demand?”</p> - -<p>“First,” replied Mr. Spaythe, “you must resign as administrator and -petition the probate court to appoint some one in your place. You -must furnish an exact statement of the money received and turn over -the entire amount to the new administrator, for the sole benefit of -Toby Clark. In addition to this, we demand that you sign a statement, -for publication, saying that your blue box was not stolen, but merely -mislaid, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">290</a></span> that you have recovered the entire contents. You will add -that Toby Clark has been unjustly accused. I have prepared a statement -to this effect which is all ready for you to sign, and the governor -will witness it, so that it will never be questioned.”</p> - -<p>“But somebody stole that box,” cried the woman, “and whoever it was -ought to suffer for it.”</p> - -<p>“Somebody stole Toby Clark’s inheritance,” replied Mr. Spaythe. “I do -not think it necessary for one to suffer for either crime, if amends -are fully made and no lasting evil can result.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Ritchie frowned. She looked from one to another and saw no signs -of relenting in any face. Even Kellogg’s fat face wore a sneer as he -regarded her.</p> - -<p>So she surrendered.</p> - -<p>“I’ll sign the papers,” she said.</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<hr class="divider" /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">291</a></span> -</div> - -<h2><a name="xxvi" id="xxvi"></a>CHAPTER XXVI<br /> -<small>HOW PHOEBE’S CONSPIRACY TRIUMPHED</small></h2> - - -<p>As they rode homeward Phoebe said thoughtfully:</p> - -<p>“Who will break the news to Toby?”</p> - -<p>Mr. Spaythe and the governor exchanged glances.</p> - -<p>“I think that must be your task, Phoebe,” said the latter. “No one has -done so much for Toby Clark as you, nor has anyone been so instrumental -in establishing his good fortune.”</p> - -<p>“I—I don’t think I could do it!” exclaimed Phoebe. “Toby is so proud -and sensitive that he—he might make a fuss, and that would break me -all up.”</p> - -<p>Said Mr. Spaythe, after a moment’s thought:</p> - -<p>“I’ll make it easy for you, Phoebe. I’ll give a little dinner party at -my house, in Toby’s honor, on Wednesday evening and invite all those -friends who have stood by him during his time of need. Then you can -make a speech and announce the good news.”</p> - -<p>“Just the thing,” commented the governor.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">292</a></span> “Wednesday. That will give -me time to accomplish something I have in mind.”</p> - -<p>And so the matter was arranged.</p> - -<p>Toby Clark had grown more restless as the day approached when he was -to be tried for stealing Mrs. Ritchie’s box. He knew of the recent -evidence against him—the finding of the money and bonds in his -house—and fully realized that his guilt would appear conclusive to a -jury. He was ashamed to go out of the house except for a brief walk -after dark and whenever he met Mr. Spaythe or Eric at mealtime he would -study their faces for some sign that would indicate hope. They seemed -cheerful enough and laughed and talked as if no tragedy was pending; -but both father and son refrained from mentioning Toby’s trial in any -way. The boy had not seen Phoebe since she had rescued him from the -hoodlums; Sam Parsons kept out of sight; Mr. Holbrook, who used to -visit him regularly, now remained absent, and so poor Toby imagined -himself deserted and neglected by all his friends.</p> - -<p>Wednesday noon the banker said at luncheon:</p> - -<p>“Toby, I’m giving a little dinner party to-night and I want you to be -present.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, sir! I—I——”</p> - -<p>“Not a word, Toby. I won’t listen to any excuses. You will find the -guests old friends and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">293</a></span> must be prepared to assist me and Eric to -entertain them.”</p> - -<p>The boy was astonished. He had never known Mr. Spaythe to entertain -anyone before and this dinner party, given on the eve of Toby’s trial, -seemed to him a cruel mockery. But he could not refuse Mr. Spaythe’s -request, having been a guest in the banker’s house for so long and knew -he must face these people as bravely as he could. He wondered, vaguely, -who would come to the Spaythe dinner party, and toward evening grew -very uneasy and despondent.</p> - -<p>The first arrival was Janet Ferguson, and the sight of his old -employer’s daughter did much to relieve his nervousness. Then came -Nathalie Cameron and Lucy Hunter and following them closely he heard -the eager voices of “the Daring tribe,” including Miss Eliot, Phoebe, -Becky and Don. These were first greeted by Mr. Spaythe and Eric and -then engaged Toby in conversation, surrounding him in a group—as if -he were the hero of the occasion, he reflected bitterly, instead of an -accused criminal in danger of a prison sentence!</p> - -<p>From his seat in the long drawing-room Toby saw Mr. Holbrook arrive, -and then Sam Parsons and Will Chandler—surely a mixed assemblage. Mr. -Spaythe had refrained from inviting Hazel<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">294</a></span> Chandler and Dave Hunter, -thinking the ordeal would be too severe for them. Finally came Doris -and Allerton Randolph and then Mr. Fellows, the editor, and with these -the list of guests seemed complete, for they were all straightway -ushered into the dining-room to partake of an elaborate feast.</p> - -<p>Toby was in a daze. He could not understand it at all. On all sides -were bright and happy faces and no one seemed to remember that on the -morrow he was to be tried in open court as a thief.</p> - -<p>With the dessert Mr. Spaythe looked up and said casually, but in a -voice loud enough for all to hear:</p> - -<p>“I believe Phoebe Daring has a few remarks to make to us, and this -seems a good opportunity to hear her.”</p> - -<p>Phoebe rose from her seat, rather red and embarrassed at first, as she -marked the sudden silence around the table and the earnest looks turned -upon her. But she resolved not to falter in the task she had undertaken.</p> - -<p>“This is a joyful occasion,” she began, very solemnly—so solemnly -that Becky giggled. “We have met, at Mr. Spaythe’s kind invitation, to -extend congratulations to our friend Toby Clark.”</p> - -<p>Don thought this a good time to yell “Bravo!” but the reproachful look -of his sister promptly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">295</a></span> “squelched” him. Toby stared at Phoebe in -wonder, but she refused to meet his pleading gaze.</p> - -<p>“It is a joyful occasion,” she resumed, “because the absurd charge -trumped up against Toby has been withdrawn, as perhaps you all know.” -It was news to Toby, indeed! “Mrs. Ritchie has issued a signed -statement, which Mr. Fellows is going to print in the paper, saying -that she was mistaken about her box being stolen, as it was merely -mislaid. Her property has all been recovered and she is very sorry that -poor Toby was ever accused of a crime that neither he nor anyone else -ever committed.”</p> - -<p>There was something of a sensation around the table, for few had known -of this statement until now. Toby was trying hard to comprehend his -good fortune. He could no longer see Phoebe because his eyes were full -of tears.</p> - -<p>“Just before I came here this evening,” continued the girl, “I -received a telegram from our governor, dated from the state capital. -I will read it to you.” She unfolded a telegram and read in a clear, -deliberate voice: “‘Probate Judge Fordyce to-day appointed Duncan -Spaythe administrator of the estate of Toby Clark, and his guardian. -Congratulations to all concerned.’”</p> - -<p>An intense silence followed. A secret was here disclosed that had been -unknown by any but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">296</a></span> Phoebe and the banker. Curious looks were cast upon -the girl and then upon Toby. The lame boy half rose from his chair, -pallid and shaking in every limb.</p> - -<p>“I—I haven’t any estate,” he said. “It’s all a—a—cruel—joke! I——”</p> - -<p>“Sit down, please,” said Phoebe. “I believe you were as ignorant as the -others—as we all have been until recently—concerning this estate, -which was bequeathed you by your father, Alonzo Clark. The preposterous -charge against you led us to a rigid investigation of the Clark family -history, and we—your friends—discovered that a certain mining -property once owned by your father and left to you by his will, had -become very valuable and for the past seven years has been paying you -big dividends. So in your case trouble has led to prosperity. As you -are not yet of age, it was necessary that an administrator and guardian -for you be appointed by the court. The governor kindly interested -himself in this matter, with the result that Mr. Spaythe is now your -guardian and the custodian of all the money belonging to you.”</p> - -<p>Phoebe, quite breathless now, sat down. Mr. Spaythe rose from his chair -and was greeted with cheers.</p> - -<p>“Around this table,” said he, “are gathered<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">297</a></span> only loyal friends of Toby -Clark—those who have supported him and watched over his interests -during the past two months, the darkest period in his young life. -Especially do I wish to congratulate Phoebe Daring and the energetic -organizers and officers of the Toby Clark Marching Club for their -good work on behalf of our young friend, who has so unjustly suffered -because of a false accusation. But Toby’s troubles are over, now; for -all time, I hope. Once more his good name stands unsullied in the eyes -of the world. He has proved his mental caliber and courage by the manly -way in which he has faced the wicked charge brought against him. With -ample means, such as he now possesses, to back his highest ambitions, I -predict that Toby Clark will in time become a great man and a power in -our little community.”</p> - -<p>The banker stood bowing until the thunderous applause that greeted his -speech subsided. Becky smashed a plate by pounding it upon the table -and no one reproved her. Then she pinched Don’s leg and his howl merely -increased the sounds of jubilation. When, at last, comparative quiet -reigned, Mr. Spaythe said:</p> - -<p>“We will now hear from Toby Clark.”</p> - -<p>Toby, still bewildered but trying to grasp the reality of the good -fortune that had befallen him, responded in a few broken words:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">298</a></span> -“You won’t hear much from me,” he said, “because my heart is too full -for anything but gratitude for the kind friends who have done so much -for me. I wasn’t worth all your interest in me and trouble on my -account, you know; but I’ll try to be more worthy in the future. I—I’m -very happy and—I—I thank you all!”</p> - -<p>More wild applause, and then Don’s voice was heard asking:</p> - -<p>“Say, who gave the Marching Club that fifty dollars?”</p> - -<p>“I did,” replied Mr. Spaythe, “and it was the best fifty I ever -invested. But,” he added with a smile, “I’ve an idea of charging it to -the account of Toby Clark.”</p> - -<p>Here Mr. Holbrook rose to his feet.</p> - -<p>“Toby Clark once applied to me for a position in my office,” he said, -“and I was obliged to refuse him. But as my business is growing nicely -I would now like to have him for my clerk.”</p> - -<p>“No,” said Toby, with something of his old-time whimsical humor, -“I must refuse the nomination, with thanks. I’m going to college. -Some day, though, I’ll be a lawyer, too, Mr. Holbrook, and then—who -knows?—we may go into partnership together.”</p> - - - - -<div class="section"> -<hr class="divider" /> -</div> -<div class="book-list-container"> -<p class="center p180 smcap">Azalea</p> - -<p class="center"><i>By</i> ELIA W. PEATTIE</p> - -<p class="center"><strong><small>The first book of the “Blue Ridge” Series</small></strong></p> - -<p class="noi"><span class="dropcap">A</span>ZALEA is the heroine of a good, wholesome story that will appeal to -every mother as the sort of book she would like her daughter to read. -In the homy McBirneys of Mt. Tennyson, down in the Blue Ridge country, -and their hearty mountain neighbors, girl readers will find new friends -they will be glad to make old friends.</p> - -<p>This book marks a distinct advance in the quality of books offered for -girls. No lack of action—no sacrifice of charm.</p> - -<div class="figcenter width400"> -<img src="images/i_309.png" width="400" height="470" alt="Azalea" /> -</div> - -<blockquote> -<p class="noi"><i>Four half-tone illustrations from drawings by Hazel Roberts. -Attractive cover design, $1.00.</i></p> - -<p class="center"><strong><small>The second title in THE BLUE RIDGE SERIES will be published in 1913</small></strong></p> -</blockquote> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<p class="center p120"><span class="word-spacing2">Publishers The</span> Reilly & -Britton <span class="word-spacing2">Co. Chicago</span></p> -</div> - - - -<div class="section"> -<hr class="divider" /> -</div> -<div class="book-list-container"> -<p class="center p140 underlined"><i>Exhilarating Books for Girls of Today</i></p> - -<p class="center p180">The Flying Girl Series</p> - -<p class="center p120 nmb"><i>By</i> EDITH VAN DYNE</p> - -<p class="center nmt"><small><i>Author of “Aunt Jane’s Nieces” Series</i></small></p> - -<p class="noi"><span class="dropcap">C</span>APITAL up-to-the-minute stories for girls and young people, in which -the author is at her very best. Thrilling and full of adventure, but -of that wholesome type parents are glad to put in the hands of their -daughters. Two titles:</p> - - -<p class="center p140">The Flying Girl</p> - -<p>Orissa Kane, self-reliant and full of sparkling good nature, -under-study for her brother, prospective inventor and aviator whose -experiments put the Kane family into great difficulties, in the crisis -proves resourceful and plucky, and saves the day in a most thrilling -manner.</p> - -<div class="floatleft width200"> -<img src="images/i_311.png" width="200" height="246" alt="Flying Girl and Her Chum" /> -</div> - -<p class="center p140">The Flying Girl and Her Chum</p> - -<p>This story takes Orissa and her friend Sybil through further adventures -that test these two clever girls to the limit. A remarkably well told -story.</p> - -<blockquote> -<p class="center nmb clear-left"><i>12mo. Bound in extra cloth with design stamping on cover and -fancy jacket. Printed on high grade paper. Illustrated in black -and white.</i></p> - -<p class="center nmt"><i>Price 60 cents each. Postage 12 cents.</i></p> -</blockquote> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<p class="center p120"><span class="word-spacing2">Publishers The</span> Reilly & -Britton <span class="word-spacing2">Co. Chicago</span></p> -</div> - - - - -<div class="section"> -<hr class="divider" /> -</div> -<div class="book-list-container"> - -<p class="center p180 smcap nmb">The Aunt Jane’s Nieces Series</p> - -<p class="center p120 spaced nmt">BOOKS FOR GIRLS</p> - -<p class="center"><i>By</i> EDITH VAN DYNE</p> - -<div class="floatleft width200"> -<img src="images/i_313.png" width="200" height="324" alt="Aunt Jane's Neices" /> -</div> - -<p class="center p130">SEVEN TITLES</p> - -<div class="booklist"> -<ul class="nobullet"> -<li><cite>Aunt Jane’s Nieces</cite></li> -<li><cite>Aunt Jane’s Nieces Abroad</cite></li> -<li><cite>Aunt Jane’s Nieces at Millville</cite></li> -<li><cite>Aunt Jane’s Nieces at Work</cite></li> -<li><cite>Aunt Jane’s Nieces in Society</cite></li> -<li><cite>Aunt Jane’s Nieces and Uncle John</cite></li> -<li><cite>Aunt Jane’s Nieces on Vacation</cite></li> -</ul> -</div> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p class="noi"><span class="dropcap">D</span>ISTINCTLY girls’ books and yet stories that will appeal to <em>brother</em> -as well—and to older folk. Real and vital—rousing stories of the -experiences and exploits of three real girls who do things. Without -being sensational, Mrs. Van Dyne has succeeded in writing a series of -stories that have the tug and stir of fresh young blood in them. Each -story is complete in itself.</p> - -<blockquote> -<p class="center"><i>Illustrated 12mo. Uniform cloth binding, stamped in colors, with -beautiful colored inlay. Fancy colored jackets. Price 60 cents -each.</i></p> -</blockquote> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<p class="center p120"><span class="word-spacing2">Publishers The</span> Reilly & -Britton <span class="word-spacing2">Co. Chicago</span></p> -</div> - - - - -<div class="section"> -<hr class="divider" /> -</div> -<div class="book-list-container"> -<p class="center p180 smcap">The Boys’ Big Game Series</p> - -<div class="floatright width200"> -<img src="images/i_315.png" width="200" height="268" alt="The Giant Moose" /> -</div> - -<p class="hang"><strong>THE GIANT MOOSE.</strong> The monarch of the big Northwest; a story -told over camp fires in the reek of cedar smoke and the silence -of the barrens.</p> - -<p class="hang"><strong>THE WHITE TIGER OF NEPAL.</strong> The weird story of the -man-killer of the foothills. Tinged with the mysticism of India, -dramatic and stirring.</p> - -<p class="hang"><strong>THE BLIND LION OF THE CONGO.</strong> A story of the least known -part of the earth and its most feared beast. A gripping tale of -the land of the white pigmies.</p> - -<p class="hang"><strong>THE KING BEAR OF KADIAK ISLAND.</strong> A tale or the bully of the -Frozen North and his mysterious guardian. A game-and-man-story -that makes a good boy-story.</p> - -<blockquote> -<p class="center"><i>The topnotch of production in boys’ books. Remarkable covers and -four-color jackets. Illustrations and cover designs by Dan Sayre -<a name="Groesbeck" id="Groesbeck"></a><ins title="Original has 'Grosbeck'">Groesbeck</ins>.</i></p> - -<p class="center">Price, 60 cents each</p> -</blockquote> - -<p class="center p180 nmb"><span class="smcap">The REILLY & BRITTON CO.</span></p> -<p class="center p120 nmt">PUBLISHERS, CHICAGO</p> -</div> - - - - -<div class="section"> -<hr class="divider" /> -</div> -<div class="book-list-container"> -<p class="center p180 smcap">The Boy Scouts of the Air Books</p> - -<p class="center"><i>By</i> GORDON STUART</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/i_317.png" width="400" height="459" alt="Boy Scout with Flags" /> -</div> - -<p class="noi">Are stirring stories of adventure in which real boys, clean-cut and -wide-awake, do the things other wide-awake boys like to read about.</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Four titles, per volume, 60 cents</i></p> - -<p class="hang">THE BOY SCOUTS OF THE AIR AT EAGLE CAMP</p> - -<p class="hang">THE BOY SCOUTS OF THE AIR AT GREENWOOD SCHOOL</p> - -<p class="hang">THE BOY SCOUTS OF THE AIR IN INDIAN LAND</p> - -<p class="hang">THE BOY SCOUTS OF THE AIR IN NORTHERN WILDS</p> - -<p class="hang"><i>Splendid Illustrations by Norman Hall</i></p> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<p class="center p120"><span class="word-spacing2">Publishers The</span> Reilly & -Britton <span class="word-spacing2">Co. Chicago</span></p> -</div> - - - - -<div class="section"> -<hr class="divider" /> -</div> -<div class="book-list-container"> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/i_319.png" width="400" height="155" alt="The Famous AIRSHIP BOYS SERIES" /> -</div> - -<p class="center"><i>By</i> H. L. SAYLER</p> - -<p class="center"><i>SEVEN TITLES</i></p> - -<p class="hang3">1. THE AIRSHIP BOYS Or, The Quest of the Aztec Treasure</p> - -<p class="hang3">2. THE AIRSHIP BOYS ADRIFT Or, Saved by an Aeroplane</p> - -<p class="hang3">3. THE AIRSHIP BOYS DUE NORTH Or, By Balloon to the Pole</p> - -<p class="hang3">4. THE AIRSHIP BOYS IN THE BARREN LANDS Or, The Secret of the White -Eskimos</p> - -<p class="hang3">5. THE AIRSHIP BOYS IN FINANCE Or, The Flight of the Flying Cow</p> - -<p class="hang3">6. THE AIRSHIP BOYS’ OCEAN FLYER Or, New York to London in Twelve Hours</p> - -<p class="hang3">7. THE AIRSHIP BOYS AS DETECTIVES Or, On Secret Service in Cloudland</p> - -<p class="noi">Fascinating stories of that wonderful region of invention where -imagination and reality so nearly meet. There is no more interesting -field for stories for wide-awake boys. Mr. Sayler combines a remarkable -narrative ability with a degree of technical knowledge that makes these -books correct in all airship details. Full of adventure without being -sensational.</p> - -<blockquote> -<p class="center"><i>The make-up of these books is strictly up-to-date and fetching. -The covers are emblematic, and the jackets are showy and in -colors. The illustrations are full of dash and vim. Standard -novel size, 12mo. Price $1.00 each.</i></p> -</blockquote> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<p class="center p120"><span class="word-spacing2">Publishers The</span> Reilly & -Britton <span class="word-spacing2">Co. Chicago</span></p> -</div> - - - -<div class="section"> -<hr class="divider" /> -</div> -<div class="book-list-container"> -<p class="center p180 smcap underlined"><i>The Best Aviation Stories for Boys</i></p> - -<div class="floatleft width180"> -<img src="images/i_321a.png" width="180" height="250" alt="When Scout Meets Scout" /> -</div> - -<div class="floatright width180"> -<img src="images/i_321b.png" width="180" height="250" alt="Battling the Bighorn" /> -</div> - -<p class="center p180 clear-left">The -<a name="Aeroplane" id="Aeroplane"></a><ins title="Original has 'Aero-Plane'">Aeroplane</ins> -Boys Series</p> - -<p class="center"><i>By</i><br /> -ASHTON LAMAR</p> - -<p class="noi"><span class="dropcap">T</span>HESE are the newest and most exciting books of aeroplane adventure. A -special point is the correctness of the aviation details.</p> - -<div class="booklist"> -<p class="hang3"><cite>1. IN THE CLOUDS FOR UNCLE SAM<br /> -Or, Morey Marshall of the Signal Corps</cite></p> - -<p class="hang3"><cite>2. THE STOLEN AEROPLANE<br /> -Or, How Bud Wilson Made Good</cite></p> - -<p class="hang3"><cite>3. THE AEROPLANE EXPRESS<br /> -Or, The Boy Aeronaut’s Grit</cite></p> - -<p class="hang3"><cite>4. THE BOY AERONAUTS’ CLUB<br /> -Or, Flying for Fun</cite></p> - -<p class="hang3"><cite>5. A CRUISE IN THE SKY<br /> -Or, The Legend of the Great Pink Pearl</cite></p> - -<p class="hang3"><cite>6. BATTLING THE BIGHORN<br /> -Or, The Aeroplane in the Rockies</cite></p> - -<p class="hang3"><cite>7. WHEN SCOUT MEETS SCOUT<br /> -Or, The Aeroplane Spy</cite></p> -</div> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<blockquote> -<p class="center"><i>Fully <span class="word-spacing2">illustrated. Colored</span> frontispiece.<br /> -Cloth, <span class="word-spacing2">12mo. 60</span> cents -each.</i></p> -</blockquote> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<p class="center p120"><span class="word-spacing2">Publishers The</span> Reilly & -Britton <span class="word-spacing2">Co. Chicago</span></p> -</div> - - - - -<div class="section"> -<hr class="divider" /> -</div> -<div class="book-list-container"> -<p class="center p180 smcap spaced">ANNABEL</p> - -<p class="center"><i>By</i> SUSANNE METCALF</p> - -<p class="noi"><span class="dropcap">A</span> GIRLS’ book with a clever, quick-moving plot is unusual. ANNABEL -is that kind. The heroine is a lovable girl, but one with plenty of -snap—her red hair testifies to that. Her friend, Will Carden, too, is -a boy of unusual qualities as is apparent in everything he does. He and -Annabel make an excellent team.</p> - -<div class="floatright width200"> -<img src="images/i_323.png" width="200" height="326" alt="Annabel" /> -</div> - -<p>The two, the best of chums, retrieve the fortunes of the Carden family -in a way that makes some exciting situations. The secret of the -mysterious Mr. Jordan is surprised by Annabel, while Will, in a trip -to England with an unexpected climax, finds the real fortune of the -Cardens.</p> - -<p>ANNABEL is a book whose make-up is in keeping with the high quality of -the story.</p> - -<blockquote> -<p class="center"><i>Beautiful cover and jacket in colors, 12 mo. Illustrated by -Joseph Pierre Nuyttens. Price 60 cents</i></p> -</blockquote> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<p class="center p120"><span class="word-spacing2">Publishers The</span> Reilly & -Britton <span class="word-spacing2">Co. Chicago</span></p> -</div> - - - -<div class="section"> -<hr class="divider" /> -</div> -<div class="tn"> -<p class="center p120">Transcriber’s Note:</p> - -<p class="noi">Punctuation has been standardised. Changes to the original publication -are as follows:</p> - -<ul class="nobullet"> -<li><ul><li>Page 76<br /> - spoke argumentively and there <i>changed to</i><br /> - spoke <a href="#argumentatively">argumentatively</a> and there</li></ul></li> - -<li><ul><li>Page 135<br /> - Don broke in the assist her <i>changed to</i><br /> - Don broke in <a href="#to">to</a> assist her</li></ul></li> - -<li><ul><li>Page 185<br /> - look in the faces o’ them childern <i>changed to</i><br /> - look in the faces o’ them <a href="#children">children</a></li></ul></li> - -<li><ul><li>Page 269<br /> - fiancè. I can see no <i>changed to</i><br /> - <a href="#fiance">fiancé</a>. I can see no</li></ul></li> - -<li><ul><li>Page 280<br /> - and there were afforded an <i>changed to</i><br /> - and <a href="#they">they</a> were afforded an</li></ul></li> - -<li><ul><li>Fourth page of book catalogue<br /> - designs by Dan Sayre Grosbeck <i>changed to</i><br /> - designs by Dan Sayre <a href="#Groesbeck">Groesbeck</a></li></ul></li> - -<li><ul><li>Seventh page of book catalogue<br /> - Aero-Plane <i>changed to</i><br /> - <a href="#Aeroplane">Aeroplane</a></li></ul></li> -</ul> -</div> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Phoebe Daring, by L. 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