CHAPTER XV
IN TROUBLE
By inquiring from a policeman Ned found which elevated road to take inorder to get to his uncle's residence. As he found the station was closeto the office of the oil company, he decided he would go direct to Mr.Kenfield's home and arrange later to have his trunk sent up. He knew hisuncle had a telephone, and thought the baggage could be sent for by anorder over the wire. This would save him a long trip back to thestation.
When Ned reached the address on West Forty-fourth street he was admittedby a maid, who asked him whom he wished to see.
"Is my uncle in?" asked Ned.
"Oh, so you're the little lad from Darewell," the girl exclaimed, with asmile, though Ned did not think he quite came under the category of"little." The maid asked him to come in and, as soon as he entered thehall, he saw that the place was in confusion. Several trunks stoodabout, some half full, others empty, while on chairs and sofas in thereception hall and parlor were piles of clothing.
"Is anything the matter?" asked Ned.
"Mr. Kenfield has suddenly been called to Europe," the girl said. "Hehas to go aboard the steamer to-night, and he must pack up at once. Hehas gone down town on a matter of business but he'll soon be back. Youraunt is expecting you. She's upstairs. I'll show you."
The girl led Ned to Mrs. Kenfield's room.
"Oh, Ned, I had forgotten all about you!" his aunt exclaimed. "I'm soglad to see you, but I'm sorry we're so upset. However, it will be overin a few hours, and when your uncle is off on the steamer you and I cansit down and talk. I want you to tell me all about Darewell and how yourfather is. I haven't seen him in so long! My! but you're the perfectimage of him. How are you?"
"Very well, aunt," Ned replied. "Can I do anything to help you?"
"No, we are almost packed, or, rather your uncle is. He has to takequite a lot of things, as he doesn't know how long he may have to stay.Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll see about another trunk."
Mr. Kenfield returned to the house in about an hour and warmly welcomedhis nephew. He expressed regret at the necessity which so unexpectedlycalled him abroad, and said his trip could not be postponed.
"But you will have a good time with your aunt," he added with a smile."She knows as much about New York as I do, and will have moreopportunities to take you around."
"Perhaps I had better telegraph the other boys not to come," suggestedNed. "It may inconvenience you."
"No, no; let them come and welcome!" exclaimed Mrs. Kenfield. "I loveboys. We'll have a fine time. I have lots of room, and I want you andyour chums to enjoy this visit to New York."
That night Mr. Kenfield, bidding his wife and nephew good-bye, wentaboard the vessel which was to sail early in the morning to takeadvantage of the tide.
"Well, I suppose your uncle is well out on the ocean by this time,"remarked Mrs. Kenfield, after a somewhat late breakfast which she andNed ate alone in the handsome dining room. "Now, Ned, will you excuse mefor a few hours? I have some shopping to do, and I know you wouldn'twant to be going through the stores while I stop at the bargaincounters," and she laughed. "Try and make yourself at home here. Marywill get lunch for you, in case I am not back in time. To-morrow yourchums will be here, and we must plan to entertain them."
Ned said he would be glad to take a rest during the morning, and, afterhis aunt had left he went to the library to read. He could not getinterested in books, however, with the big city of New York at hand.
"I think I'll go out and get a paper, and see how my oil stock isgetting along," he said. "Maybe it's advanced some more."
Telling Mary, the maid, where he was going, and remarking that he wouldsoon be back, Ned went out into the street. It was rather cold, but thesun was shining brightly and most of the snow had been cleared away. Nedgot a paper and turned to the financial page. There, sure enough was thename, Mt. Olive Oil, and it was quoted at one dollar a share. Ned didnot notice that it was in the column of "unlisted securities," togetherwith other stock of corporations, some selling as low as ten cents ashare.
"I'm getting rich," Ned murmured to himself. "Guess I'll take anotherlook at that certificate."
He pulled it from his pocket, and, as he stood in the street reading itover he suddenly exclaimed:
"They've made a mistake. It's only for one hundred shares instead of twohundred. I must go right down to the office and have it straightenedout. It's probably a clerical error."
Though he said this to himself, it was with a vague feeling of uneasinessthat Ned boarded a car to go to the offices of Skem & Skim. It must be anerror, he repeated to himself, over and over again. Still he rememberedwhat his father had said about "fake" companies. But this one had seemedsubstantial, and their offices certainly indicated that they did a bigbusiness. Ned was deposited by the elevator in the corridor opposite theglittering offices of Skem & Skim. He observed a number of personsstanding before the entrance door.
"I tell you I will go in!" Ned heard one excited man exclaim. "They'vegot a thousand dollars of my money and I want it back."
"Yes, and they've got five hundred of mine," another man chimed in.
"I am sorry, gentlemen," replied a third voice. "But the offices areclosed. No one can go in until after an investigation."
"By whose orders are they closed?" asked the man who had mentioned thethousand dollars.
"By the orders of the United States postal authorities," was the answer."A fraud order has been issued against Skem & Skim, and there is awarrant for their arrest on a charge of using the mails to swindle. Theyskipped out just before we got here this morning."
"Can't we get our money?" inquired half a dozen anxious ones.
"I'm afraid not," was the reply from a small but determined looking manwho stood before the door. "My assistant and I have charge of theoffices. As soon as we can learn anything definite we will let youknow."
"Did they both get away?" asked some one of the postoffice inspector,for such the man in charge was.
"Yes, both Skem and Skim."
"Their names ought to be Scheme and Skin," said a man in a corner. "Theyskinned me out of three hundred dollars."
"Any chance of getting 'em?" was the next inquiry of the inspector.
"We hope so. We are also looking for a young fellow who is supposed tohold two hundred shares of this wild-cat oil stock in the Mt. Olivewell. As far as we can learn he is the only stockholder outside of Skem& Skim, and of course he's liable if there's any money in the concern.He may have a lot of the cash, which the firm got on other deals, saltedaway somewhere. He's the one we want as badly as we do the other two. Ayoung chap too, but as slick as they make 'em I'm told, even if he is astranger here."
Ned listened in wonder. He thought of his two hundred shares, and of thecertificate in his pocket. He wondered if, by any possibility, he couldbe the one wanted.
"Who is this young fellow?" some one in the crowd asked.
"That's what we'd like to find out," the inspector replied. "He only gotinto New York yesterday, so one of my detectives informs me. Came fromup state, or out west I hear. He's the one I want, for he can tell a lotabout this business. If I can lay hands on him I'll clap him into a cellquicker than he can say Jack Robinson."
"I wonder if he can mean me?" Ned thought, and his heart beat rapidly."I came from up state yesterday. I got into New York yesterday, and Ihave two hundred shares of the Mt. Olive stock--at least I paid for 'em.But I don't know any more about this business than the man in the moon.Still they may not believe me. I wonder if they would arrest me? Maybeit was against the law to buy the stock of a fraudulent concern. Iwonder what I'd better do?"
"Yes, sir," the inspector went on, speaking to the angry and defraudedinvestors, "once let me get my hands on this young fellow who has thosetwo hundred shares and I'll clear up some of this mystery. He and Skem &Skim worked the trick among themselves and now you gentlemen can whistlefor your money."
"I'd like to get one chance at that young fellow!" exclaimed the man whohad lost
the thousand dollars.
"So would I!" chimed in the others.
"They wouldn't even give me an opportunity to explain," thought Ned."They'd lock me up at once, though I'm entirely innocent. I'm going toget away from here!"
Then, while the angry men were still talking to the postal inspector,Ned turned and hurried off. He was afraid to go down in the elevatorlest the attendant might recognize him as the youth who was at theoffices the day before, so he walked down the ten flights of stairs.
"I must hurry and tell my aunt all about it," Ned thought. "She willknow what I ought to do."