The next day, at half-past eight o'clock in the morning, on his waydown Broadway, Willis Ford dropped into the Grand Central Hotel, andwalked through the reading room in the rear. Here sat Jim Morrisonand Tom Calder, waiting for him by appointment.
Ford took a chair beside them.
"Good-morning," he said, cheerfully.
"Have you brought the money?" asked Morrison, anxiously.
"Hush! don't speak so loud," said Ford, cautiously. "We don't wanteverybody to know our business."
"All right," said Morrison, in a lower voice; "but have you broughtit?"
"Yes."
"You're a trump!" said Morrison, his face expressing his joy.
"That is to say, I've brought what amounts to the same thing."
"If it's your note," said Morrison, with sharp disappointment, "Idon't want it."
"It isn't a note. It's what will bring the money."
"What is it, then?"
"It's government bonds for six hundred dollars."
"I don't know anything about bonds," said Morrison. "Besides, theamount is more than six hundred dollars."
"These bonds are worth a hundred and twelve, amounting in all to sixhundred and seventy-two dollars. That's forty more than I owe you. Iwon't make any account of that, however, as you will have to disposeof them."
"I may get into trouble," said Morrison, suspiciously. "Where didthey come from?"
"That does not concern you," said Ford, haughtily. "Don't I givethem to you?"
"But where did you get them?"
"That is my business. If you don't want them, say the word, and I'lltake them back."
"And when will you pay the money?"
"I don't know," answered Ford, curtly.
"Maybe he'll sell 'em for us himself," suggested Tom Calder.
"Good, Tom! Why can't you sell 'em and give me the money? Then youcan pay the exact sum and save the forty dollars."
"I don't choose to do so," said Ford. "It seems to me you aretreating me in a very strange manner. I offer you more than I oweyou, and you make no end of objections to receiving it."
"I am afraid I'll get into trouble if I offer the bonds for sale,"said Morrison, doggedly. "I don't know anybody in the businessexcept you."
"Yes, you do," said Ford, a bright idea occurring to him.
"Who?"
"You know the boy in our office."
"Grant Thornton?" said Tom.
"Yes, Grant Thornton. Manage to see him, and ask him to dispose ofthe bonds for you. He will bring them to our office, and I willdispose of them without asking any questions."
"First rate!" said Tom. "That'll do, won't it, Jim?"
"I don't see why it won't," answered Morrison, appearing satisfied.
"I would suggest that you see him some time today."
"Good! Hand over the bonds."
Willis Ford had already separated the bonds into two parcels, sixhundred in one and four hundred in the other. The first of these hepassed over to Jim Morrison.
"Put it into your pocket at once," he said. "We don't want anyone tosee them. There is a telegraph boy looking at us."
"I'm going to see if it is all there," muttered Morrison; and hedrew from the envelope the two bonds, and ascertained, by a personalinspection, that they were as represented.
"It's all right," he said.
"You might have taken my word for it," said Willis Ford, offended.
"In matters of business I take no one's word," chuckled theconfidence man.
"I wonder what they're up to," said the little telegraph boy tohimself. "I know one of them fellers is a gambler. Wonder who thatfeller with him is? Them must be gov'ment bonds."
Johnny Cavanagh was an observing boy, and mentally photographed uponhis memory the faces of the entire group, though he never expectedto see any of them again.
When Grant was hurrying through Wall Street about noon he came uponTom Calder and Morrison.
"Hello, there, Grant," said Tom, placing his hand upon his shoulder.
"What's the matter, Tom? I'm in a hurry," said Grant.
"Jim Morrison's got a little business for you."
"What is it?"
"He wants you to sell gov'ment bonds for him."
"You'd better take them round to our office."
"I haven't got time," said Morrison. "Just attend to them, like agood fellow, and I'll give you a dollar for your trouble."
"How much have you got?"
"Six hundred--a five hundred and a one."
"Are they yours?"
"Yes; I've had 'em two years, but now I've got to raise money."
"What do you want for them?"
"Regular price, whatever it is."
"When will you call for the money?"
"Meet me at Fifth Avenue Hotel with it tomorrow morning at nineo'clock."
"I shall have to meet you earlier--say half-past eight."
"All right. Here's the bonds."
Grant put the envelope into his pocket, and hurried to the Exchange.
When he returned to the office he carried the bonds to Willis Ford.
"Mr. Ford," he said, "an acquaintance of mine handed them to me tobe sold."
"Some one you know?" queried Ford.
"I know him slightly."
"Well, I suppose it's all right. I'll make out a check to yourorder, and you can collect the money at the bank."
Grant interposed no objection, and put the check in his pocket.
"The boy's fallen into the trap," said Willis to himself,exultantly, as he proceeded to enter the transaction on the books.
CHAPTER XVI -- GRANT FALLS UNDER SUSPICION
In furtherance of his scheme to throw suspicion upon Grant, WillisFord decided to make another call upon his stepmother the succeedingevening. It occurred to him that she might possibly connect hisvisit of the evening before with her loss, and he wished toforestall this.
"Is Mrs. Estabrook at home?" he asked of the servant.
"Yes, sir."
When the housekeeper made her appearance he carefully scrutinizedher face. She was calm and placid, and it was clear that she had notdiscovered the abstraction of the bonds.
"I dare say you are surprised to see me so soon again," hecommenced.
"I am always glad to see you, Willis," she said. "Come upstairs."
"What a pleasant room you have, mother!"
"Yes, I am very comfortable. Have you had any return of yoursickness?" she asked, anxiously.
"No, I have been perfectly well. By the way, mother, I have aspecial object in calling."
"What is it, Willis?"
"I want to speak to you about those bonds of yours. If you will onlysell them out, and invest in Erie, I am sure you will make in sixmonths a sum equal to several years interest."
"That may be, Willis, but I am very timid about taking a risk. Thosebonds represent all the property I have."
Willis Ford's conscience pricked him a little, when he heard herspeaking thus of the property he had so heartlessly stolen; but hedid not show it in his manner.
"What is the date of your bonds, mother?" he asked.
"I don't know. Does that make any difference?"
"It makes some difference. Those that have longest to run are mostvaluable."
"I can easily tell," said the housekeeper, as she rose from herchair and opened the bureau drawer, in full confidence that thebonds were safe.
It was an exciting moment for Willis Ford, knowing the sad discoverythat awaited her.
She put her hand in that part of the drawer where she supposed thebonds to be, and found nothing. A shade of anxiety overspread herface, and she searched hurriedly in other parts of the drawer.
"Don't you find them, mother?" asked Willis.
"It is very strange," said Mrs. Estabrook, half to herself.
"What is strange?"
"I always kept the bonds in the right-hand corner of this drawer."
"And you can't find them?"
"I have looked all
over the drawer."
"You may have put them, by mistake, in one of the other drawers."
"Heaven grant it!" said Mrs. Estabrook, her face white with anxiety.
"Let me help you, mother," said Willis, rising.
She did not object, for her hands trembled with nervousness.
The other drawers were opened and were thoroughly searched, but, ofcourse, the bonds were not found.
Mrs. Estabrook seemed near fainting.
"I have been robbed," she said. "I am ruined."
"But who could have robbed you?" asked Ford, innocently.
"I-don't-know. Oh, Willis! it was cruel!" and the poor woman burstinto tears. "All these years I have been saving, and now I have lostall. I shall die in the poorhouse after all."
"Not while I am living, mother," said Willis. "But the bonds must befound. They must be mislaid."
"No, no! they are stolen. I shall never see them again."
"But who has taken them? Ha! I have an idea."
"What is it?" asked the housekeeper, faintly.
"That boy--Grant Thornton--he lives in the house, doesn't he?"
"Yes," answered Mrs. Estabrook, in excitement. "Do you think he canhave robbed me?"
"What a fool I am! I ought to have suspected when---"
"When what?"
"When he brought some bonds to me to-day to sell."
"He did!" exclaimed Mrs. Estabrook; "what were they?"
"A five-hundred-dollar and a hundred-dollar bond."
"I had a five-hundred and five one-hundred-dollar bonds. They weremine--the young villain!"
"I greatly fear so, mother."
"You ought to have kept them, Willis. Oh! why didn't you? Where isthe boy? I will see Mr. Reynolds at once."
"Wait a minute, till I tell you all I know. The boy said the bondswere handed to him by an acquaintance."
"It was a falsehood."
"Do you know the number of your bonds, mother?"
"Yes, I have them noted down, somewhere."
"Good! I took the number of those the boy gave me for sale."
Mrs. Estabrook found the memorandum. It was compared with one whichWillis Ford brought with him, and the numbers were identical. Fournumbers, of course, were missing from Ford's list.
"That seems pretty conclusive, mother. The young rascal has stolenyour bonds, and offered a part of them for sale. It was certainlybold in him to bring them to our office. Is he in the house?"
"I'll go and see."
"And bring Mr. Reynolds with you, if you can find him."
In an excited state, scarcely knowing what she did, the housekeeperwent downstairs and found both parties of whom she was in search inthe same room. She poured out her story in an incoherent manner,inveighing against Grant as a thief.
When Grant, with some difficulty, understood what was the chargeagainst him, he was almost speechless with indignation.
"Do you mean to say I stole your bonds?" he demanded.
"Yes, I do; and it was a base, cruel act."
"I agree with you in that, Mrs. Estabrook. It was base and cruel,but I had nothing to do with it."
"You dare to say that, when you brought the bonds to my son, Willis,to be sold to-day?"
"Is this true, Grant?" asked Mr. Reynolds. "Did you sell any bondsat the office to-day?"
"Yes, sir."
The broker looked grave.
"Where did you get them?" he asked.
"They were handed to me by an acquaintance in Wall Street."
"Who was he?"
"His name is James Morrison."
"What do you know of him? Is he in any business?"
"I know very little of him, sir."
"Have you handed him the money?"
"No, sir. I am to meet him to-morrow morning at the Fifth AvenueHotel, and pay him."
"Why doesn't he call at the office?"
"I don't know," answered Grant, puzzled. "I suggested to him tobring the bonds to the office himself, but he said he was in haste,and offered me a dollar to attend to the matter."
"This seems a mysterious case."
"Excuse me, Mr. Reynolds, but I think it is plain enough," said thehousekeeper, spitefully. "That boy opened my bureau drawer, andstole the bonds."
"That is not true, Mr. Reynolds," exclaimed Grant, indignantly.
"How did you know the bonds were offered for sale at my officeto-day, Mrs. Estabrook?" inquired the broker.
"My son--Willis Ford--told me."
"When did you see him?"
"Just now."
"Is he in the house?"
"Yes, sir. I left him in my room."
"Ask him to be kind enough to accompany you here."
The housekeeper left the room. Grant and his employer remainedsilent during her absence.
CHAPTER XVII -- THE TELLTALE KEY
Willis Ford entered the presence of his employer with an air ofconfidence which he did not feel. Knowing his own guilt, he felt illat ease and nervous; but the crisis had come and he must meet it.
"Take a seat, Mr. Ford," said Mr. Reynolds, gravely. "Yourstepmother tells me that she has lost some government bonds?"
"All I had in the world," moaned the housekeeper.
"Yes, sir; I regret to say that she has been robbed."
"I learn, moreover, that a part of the bonds were brought to myoffice for sale to-day?"
"Yes, sir."
"And by Grant Thornton?"
"He can answer that question for himself, sir. He is present."
"It is true," said Grant, quietly.
"Did you ask him where the bonds came from?"
"He volunteered the information. He said they were intrusted to himfor sale by a friend."
"Acquaintance," corrected Grant.
"It may have been so. I understood him to say friend."
"You had no suspicions that anything was wrong?" asked the broker.
"No; I felt perfect confidence in the boy."
Grant was rather surprised to hear this. If this were the case,Willis Ford had always been very successful, in concealing his realsentiments.
"How did you pay him?"
"In a check to his own order."
"Have you collected the money on that check, Grant?" asked Mr.Reynolds.
"Yes, sir."
"Have you paid it out to the party from whom you obtained thebonds?"
"No, sir; I am to meet him to-morrow morning at the Fifth AvenueHotel."
Willis Ford's countenance changed when he heard this statement. Hesupposed that Jim Morrison already had his money and was safely offwith it. Now it was clear that Grant would not be allowed to pay itto him, and his own debt would remain unpaid. That being the case,Morrison would be exasperated, and there was no knowing what hewould say.
"What do you know of this man, Grant?"
"Very little, sir."
"How does he impress you--as an honest, straightforward man?"
Grant shook his head.
"Not at all," he said.
"Yet you took charge of his business for him?"
"Yes, sir; but not willingly. He offered me a dollar for my trouble,and as I did not know there was anything wrong, I consented.Besides---" Here Grant paused.
"Well?"
"Will you excuse my continuing, Mr. Reynolds?"
"No," answered the broker, firmly. "On the other hand, I insist uponyour saying what you had in your mind."
"Having seen Mr. Ford in this man's company, I concluded he was allright."
Willis Ford flushed and looked disconcerted.
"Is this true, Mr. Ford?" asked the broker. "Do you know this man?"
"What do you say his name was, Thornton?" asked Ford, partly to gaintime.
"James Morrison."
"Yes; I know him. He was introduced to me by an intimate friend ofthat boy," indicating Grant.
Willis Ford smiled triumphantly. He felt that he had checkmated ourhero.
"Is this true, Grant?"
"I presume so," answered
Grant, coolly. "You refer to Tom Calder, doyou not, Mr. Ford?"
"I believe that is his name."
"He is not an intimate friend of mine, but we came from the samevillage. It is that boy who was with me when I first met you, Mr.Reynolds."
The broker's face cleared.