CHAPTER 5 Two Claimants
Dan was midway through breakfast the next morning when the telephonerang.
"Will you answer it, please?" his mother called from the kitchen whereshe was frying ham.
Absently, Dan reached for the instrument which was tucked into a shelfnook beside the breakfast table.
"Hello," he half-mumbled, his mouth filled with toast.
"Is that you, Dan?" asked a familiar voice.
Dan came to life then, for it was Sam Hatfield at the other end of theline. Something must be up, else the Cub leader wouldn't call him soearly in the morning! Like as not the police were wanting to question himabout the money box.
"Dan, can you come over right away?" Mr. Hatfield asked.
"Why, sure. That is, I guess so, unless Mom's got work lined up for me.Anything wrong?"
Dan was certain from Mr. Hatfield's tone that something urgent had comeup. More than ever, he was convinced the matter concerned the money box.
"Well, yes, I am a little disturbed," the Cub leader answered hisquestion. "I'm asking all the boys to come over to my place as soon aspossible."
"The money box hasn't been taken?"
"Oh, no! Nothing like that Dan. Just come over as soon as you can."
Completely mystified, Dan bolted the remainder of his breakfast.
Fifteen minutes later he presented himself at the Hatfield home whereChips and Red already had gathered.
"What's up?" Dan asked the pair.
"Search me," Chips shrugged. "Mr. Hatfield asked us to come over rightaway, so we did."
"He hasn't explained yet," Red added in an undertone, "but he seemsplenty worried."
In a few minutes Babe Bunning arrived at the house. Close upon his heelscame Brad, who reported that Midge Holloway would be a little late.
"He told me to report he has to do some work at home," the Den Chief toldMr. Hatfield.
"We'll go on without him," the Cub leader said. "Boys, now don't get mewrong. I didn't call you here to make accusations or scold. I'm notblaming anyone--"
"What's wrong, Mr. Hatfield?" Brad cut in anxiously.
"Well, somehow the news leaked out about us finding the money box."
The Cubs were dumbfounded.
"Then someone must have babbled!" Chips exclaimed. "It sure wasn't me!"
"Or me," echoed Red.
"I can't understand how anyone would blab the secret," said Brad slowly."Every Cub has real ideals or he wouldn't be in the organization. Cubsare Square--they keep their promises. And we all promised not to mentionthe box until after you had time to talk to the police about it."
"That's right," Mr. Hatfield agreed. "You put it well, Brad. I can'tbelieve, either, that anyone would tell--at least not intentionally."
"How do you know the information got out?" Dan asked thoughtfully.
"Through a visitor. I was eating breakfast this morning when EverettWilson, owner of the Elite Dry Cleaning Co., came to the door. He's not amember of the church, but does attend irregularly. Any of you fellowsknow him?"
All of the Cubs except Babe shook their heads.
"I know him when I see him," Babe said. "We take our dry cleaning to hisplace. We're quitting though. Last time my Dad left a pair of trousersthere, he shrunk 'em an inch and wouldn't make good."
"You say Mr. Wilson heard about us finding the money box?" Dan asked theCub leader.
"It's worse than that. He not only heard about it, but he's put in aclaim for the money."
"But how did he happen to hide it in the coal bin?" Dan demanded inperplexity.
"That's what I asked him. He didn't have a very satisfactory answer.Furthermore, he wasn't able to tell me how much he had in the box."
"Then maybe it wasn't his!" Chips exclaimed.
"I thought of that right away, Chips. I had a feeling that perhaps he wasputting in a false claim. At any rate, I refused to turn the money overto him."
"Have you called the police yet?" Dan questioned.
"Yes, I telephoned the station immediately after Mr. Wilson was here. Aman is on his way out now. I'll turn the money over when he comes, and beglad to get rid of it."
"It's sure funny about Mr. Wilson claiming the cash," Dan remarked. "Howcould he have known about us finding the box?"
"Someone must have told," Chips replied before the Cub leader couldspeak.
His gaze fastened hard upon Babe, who unconcernedly was chewing agumdrop.
The other Cubs looked at Babe too. He had been in the Den only a fewweeks and as yet hadn't been promoted from a Bobcat to a Wolf.
True, he had repeated the Cub Promise: "I promise to do my best, to beSQUARE, and OBEY the law of the Cub Pack."
Also, he had learned the Cub sign and the handclasp, the salute and theLaw of the Cub Pack. At least, he had said the words correctly. But hadthey really burned in?
"Babe, did you tell anyone about the money box?" Chips demanded bluntly.
Babe swallowed the gumdrop and stared. "Who, me?" he asked.
"Yes, you! You're the only one who knew Mr. Wilson."
"I didn't tell him. I didn't tell anyone!" Babe's blue eyes flashedangrily.
"Never mind, Chips," Mr. Hatfield said. His tone made it clear that thediscussion must end. "We're not accusing anyone. A Cub's word is goodenough for me."
"Remember that face at the window?" Dan reminded the group. "Someone sawus looking at the money. Maybe that's how the story got out!"
"It's very possible, Dan," agreed Mr. Hatfield. "Anyway, it's a relief toknow that the Cubs all kept their promises. If Mr. Wilson can establishhis claim, he's welcome to the money."
"He must have been dizzy to hide the box in a coal bin," Brad said,getting up from the davenport. "It doesn't make sense to me."
Mr. Hatfield told the Cubs that he considered it most important that noone reveal the exact amount of cash that had been found.
"Brad, Dan, Fred and myself are the only ones who know the correcttotal," he said. "But the rest of you have a pretty fair idea. The thingis--keep it to yourselves. If the amount should become known, well, itmight make it easier for Mr. Wilson to prove a claim."
"You can depend on us, Mr. Hatfield," Brad said, speaking for the others."How about you, Babe?"
"Oh, sure," the youngest member of the Den returned carelessly. "I forgetnow how much it was we counted at the church."
"Midge isn't here, but I'll stop at his house and warn him," Dan offered.
The matter of the cash box having been thoroughly discussed, Mr. Hatfieldtold the boys his real purpose in calling them was to remind them tostart working on the church building fund pledge cards.
"Call on your prospects as soon as you can," he advised. "Today ifpossible. We want to get that money rolling in."
"What about our plans for the Crusade?" Brad reminded him.
"You'll hear more about that at our next meeting," Mr. Hatfield promised."Meanwhile, dig up anything you can for costumes."
"I have an idea--" Dan began.
What it was no one learned, for just then the front doorbell rang.
"That must be Midge," Brad said. "Or maybe the police."
But it was neither.
Instead, when Mr. Hatfield went to the door he found Edgar Brakschmidtstanding there, hat in hand.
The Cub leader knew the man only slightly, having seen him occasionallyat church services.
"I beg your pardon--you're Mr. Hatfield," the visitor asked.
"Yes, I am." The Cub leader moved aside so that the man might enter."Come on in. We're having a Cub meeting."
"Oh, I don't want to break it up," the visitor apologized. "Nevertheless,the matter I came to talk about happens to concern the Cubs." Mr.Brakschmidt laughed self-consciously.
"They haven't been in any mischief, I trust."
"Oh, no! Nothing like that. May I speak with you in private, Mr.Hatfield?"
"We can go into the study if you like. However, if the
matter concernsthe Cubs, why not tell them about it also?"
"Well--all right, I may as well come right out with it. I lost some moneyrecently--a rather large sum. Information has come to me that this moneycontained in a metal box, was found at the church by one of the Cubs."
The boys were listening intently, amazed expressions mirrored on theirfaces. First Mr. Wilson, and now a second claimant!
"How much did you lose, Mr. Brakschmidt?" the Cub leader asked.
"I can't rightly say. For months I had been saving it. The amount wasconsiderable."
"And where was this money lost, Mr. Brakschmidt?"
"Why, in the church. I--I went in there a few days ago--day beforeyesterday to be exact--to see the pastor. I was taking the money with meto deposit in the bank. The minister wasn't there. I must have put thebox down and forgot it, because I didn't discover my loss until later."
"Really, Mr. Brakschmidt, I never knew you to be so careless with money,"remarked the Cub leader. "Where did you think you left the box?"
"In one of the seats," the visitor replied after a slight hesitation.
"That wasn't where we found the box!" Chips exclaimed. "Dan found it--"
Brad gave him a kick in the ankle, a warning not to tell everything heknew.
"May I ask how you learned that the Cubs had come upon a box of money?"Mr. Hatfield inquired.
"Why, the news is everywhere."
Brad was disgusted. So were the other Cubs, who couldn't imagine how theword had spread.
"Babe, 'fess up," Red whispered in the younger boy's ear. "Did you spillit?"
"I did not," he retorted indignantly. "Cross my heart and hope to die!"
"Midge wouldn't tell," Red said. "All the other Cubs have given theirword. It's mighty funny--"
Mr. Hatfield was speaking again. "Since the news is everywhere as yousay, Mr. Brakschmidt, I may as well admit that the Cubs did find a littlemoney. We expect to turn it over to police. If you have any claim, you'llhave to take it up with them."
"You still have the money here in the house?"
"Yes," the Cub leader admitted reluctantly.
"Then why put me to the trouble of having to go through the police andperhaps the courts to prove my claim? The money is mine. If you return itto me, I'll give the Cubs a suitable reward, a very generous one infact."
Mr. Hatfield had begun to lose patience.
"I am sorry, Mr. Brakschmidt," he said. "You'll have to take the matterup with police."
Mr. Brakschmidt argued for a while longer. Then, convinced that he wasmaking no headway, he rather angrily departed.
"That's the limit!" Fred sputtered. "Two claimants for the money. Whatdid you think of him, Dad?"
"I barely know either Mr. Brakschmidt or Mr. Wilson," his father replied."Obviously, both can't own the money. Before the real owner of that boxis found, I'm afraid we're in for an unpleasant time."