CHAPTER XII
AN UNGRATEFUL PARENT
When his work was done the next day, Jack Danby found Dick Crawfordwaiting for him.
"Jack," said the Assistant Scout-Master, "I don't want to raise anyfalse hopes in you, but I think we're on the verge of finding outsomething about you--about who you really are, and all that."
"How, Dick? I'd give anything if that were true!"
"We were awfully stupid not to think of it last night, Jack. You knowthat pretty girl, that Miss Burton, who was on the burning launch? Shewasn't like the others--we all saw that. She wasn't their sort at all!Well, she said she was with them because she believed that they weregoing to be able to lead her to someone that her father had beensearching for."
"You mean I might be the one they were looking for, Dick?"
"I don't know, Jack, but it looks possible. Not that she might not belooking for someone else. But she was with these people, and one ofthose men had a letter about you from the lawyer up at Woodleigh. Idon't believe they really meant to lead her to you at all. I thinkthat there are people who are spending their time in making itimpossible for those who are really interested in you to get any traceof you."
"Then why should they have told her they could find me, if it really isI she's looking for?"
"They might think it better to fool her, Jack, than to let her dealwith people who would treat her honestly. If she thought they werehelping her, and trying to earn a reward, if there is one, she and herfather would be unlikely to go to anyone else. And as long as theycould convince her that they were doing their best they would be incomplete control of the situation, you see."
"That certainly sounds as if it might be right, Dick. What do youthink we'd better do?"
"Go and see Mr. Burton and his daughter right away. I'm certain of onething: that girl is all right. She's true and honest, no matter whatsort of people may have deceived her and have induced her to fall intotheir plans and ways. She thinks she's doing the right thing. Dependon that!"
"I think you're right about her, Dick. I thought she was differentfrom the others at once. She was so plucky and so cool, and she helpedPete all she could when he swam ashore with her, instead of gettingfrightened and making it harder, as the old woman did. She was allright."
"Well, we'll go there right away. They're at the Hotel Lincoln.That's the best hotel in town, you know, so I guess they're people whoare pretty well to do."
They had not long to wait at the hotel before they were asked to go upto the suite of rooms occupied by Mr. Burton and his daughter.
The girl, who looked much better, naturally, since she had had a goodrest, and a change of clothing, greeted them with a good deal offriendly interest, but her father, who walked with a stick, seemed tobe querulous and inclined to distrust them.
"A fine lot of people we've run into since we've come here!" he said."Molly, who are these people?"
"Mr. Crawford warned me against Broom and his wife, father," she said."I told you of that. And this is Jack Danby, who helped to save us allfrom the launch."
"Well, what do you want? What do you want?" asked Mr. Burton,peevishly. "Money? I'll give you some--but don't come bothering me!"
"I don't want any of your money, sir, and neither does Danby," saidDick, indignant and surprised by this reception. He looked at thegirl. She seemed to be as angry as he was himself, and had flusheduntil her face was a bright pink. He thought she looked even prettierthan before, but she also looked frightened, as if, while angry, shedared not provoke her father further by seeming to resent what he said.
"We came here," said Dick, facing the old man, "because we have an ideathat we can help you in your search. You are looking for a boy, areyou not?"
"Yes, yes!" said the old man. "It's a wild goose chase--we'll neverfind him! It's a cousin of Molly's--my daughter--and my nephew. Aworthless young scamp, probably, even if he's alive. No use lookingfor him--let him stay lost, I say! He's less trouble that way."
"The reason I say that I think we may be able to help you, sir, is thatwe think the gang that had your daughter with them yesterday are on thetrail of the boy you are looking for. Can you not tell us what youknow of his movements?"
"I don't see why I should! You're probably just another of theblackmailing crowd that's been after my money since I was fool enoughto allow myself to be persuaded to look for the boy. He was stolenfrom my brother's house when he was a very small boy. We had reason tosuspect a man who had a grudge against my brother. That's the onlyclue we have."
"That's not worth very much by itself, sir. But it happens that I knowof a boy who was mysteriously brought up by an old man. He knowsnothing of his parentage. But he does know, and his friends know,also, that there are people who know all about him, and that thesepeople are very anxious to keep him from learning the truth abouthimself. And these people who have been trying to locate this boylately are connected with the ones who were with your daughter lastnight--people with whom no young woman ought ever to be trusted by herfather!"
Dick was furious by this time at the way in which Mr. Burton treatedhim, and he forgot, for the moment, the respect due to age andinfirmity. He regarded Burton as a careless father, who should be madeto understand that he had been criminally careless in allowing sobeautiful a girl to be left in the power of wretches like those who hadbeen on the boat when it took fire, and he had no mind to be polite anddiplomatic.
"Get out of my room, you impudent young rascal!" shouted Mr. Burtonwhen he realized what Dick was saying. "Don't you think I can seethrough your game, eh?"
He shook his stick threateningly at Dick.
"I'm not afraid of you, sir," said Dick. "I told the truth, and Ithink you know it. We're not going to stay here--but I warn you thatyou may be sorry before this business is cleared up. You'll trust ascoundrel like Broom, and yet, when we come to you with an offer tohelp you in your search, you insult us!"
Molly Burton, frightened and distressed by the turn matters had taken,tried to make peace, but her efforts were of no avail. Her fatherordered the two of them out of his rooms, and they could do nothing butgo.
"Well, we didn't gain much by going there," said Dick. "I'm sorry Ilost my temper, Jack, but it would have been pretty hard not to, whenhe was talking and acting that way."
"I wonder if he can really be my uncle, though, Dick. I don't knowthat I'd be so crazy to have him for a relative, but I would like tothink that pretty girl was my cousin!"
"She's all right, isn't she, Jack? But we have gained something, atany rate. We've got some sort of a starting point. Now, if we can getCaptain Haskin to help us, we may be able to start with the time whenyou turned up at Woodleigh, and trace some of Old Dan's movements. Inthat way, you see, it may be possible to get at the truth. It's alittle more than we knew before we went to see them, at any rate."
"I think if we could see Miss Burton alone, Dick, she would treat usbetter, and tell us anything she knew."
"I'm sure of that, Jack. I'll try to see her, too. It seems wrong totry to do anything of that sort without letting her father know, but wehaven't any choice. He certainly wouldn't allow her to see me if heknew that she was planning anything of that sort. I'll try that in themorning."
But in the morning when Dick went to the hotel, he was told that Mr.Burton and his daughter were gone, and that they had left no address.No one at the hotel could give him any idea of where they might befound, and they had left no orders, it was said, about the forwardingof any letters that might come for them. Dick, resourceful as he was,felt that he was facing a blind wall. There was nothing more for himto do. He could only wait, and trust that chance, or the detectiveabilities of Captain Haskin, would enable him to pick up the trailagain.
Jack Danby, needless to say, was bitterly disappointed when he heardwhat Dick had to tell him the next evening, after his fruitless effortto see the Burtons again. Jack had never wavered in his belief thatsome time he would settle
the mystery of his birth, that had worriedhim ever since he had been able to understand that he was set apartfrom others. To see a chance now and then just as he felt that he wasabout to read the secret have that chance vanish, was doubly hard. Itwas worse than if he had never had the hope of success.
But he tried hard not to let Dick Crawford see how badly the incidentmade him feel. Dick had done what he had for the best, and he hadhonestly thought that there was a chance for Jack's great ambition tobe realized. He felt as disappointed as did Jack himself.
"Gee, Jack," he said, "who'd ever guess that a sweet girl like thatwould have such an old curmudgeon of a father? He's the limit! Butthere's nothing we can do right away. I think Captain Haskin will beable to find out where they came from, and where they've gone towithout any trouble--that's the sort of thing detectives are supposedto be able to do."
"But if the old gentleman won't help us at all it's going to be prettyhard to get anything done. I've seen crusty old fellows like thatbefore. When they've been deceived in a person it takes a long timebefore they're willing to trust anyone else--and, of course, you can'tblame them so very much, at that.
"I'm not going to give up, Dick, anyhow. I'm surer than ever now thatthe secret of who I am is worth a lot of trouble, and I'll find outwhat it is if I never do anything else!"
"At that rate you're bound to win, Jack. Keep on trying."