CHAPTER III
THE DIAMOND BRACELET
Frank looked at the speaker in wonder. He knew Samuel Mace, the jeweler,perfectly well. The village tradesman was greatly excited, and he glidedtoward Frank in a threatening way, as if he would walk straight over him.
What made the occasion doubly puzzling to Frank was the fact that his auntlooked more severe, shocked and alarming than ever before. He did not move,drawing upright with boyish manliness, and the jeweler halted and thenretreated a step or two.
"Your diamond bracelet, Mr. Mace?" repeated Frank in a perplexed tone; andthen, with a faint smile, glancing at the wrist of the angry visitor: "Idid not know you wore one."
"Don't you try to be funny!" stormed the jeweler, and he seized Frank bythe arm. "You young rascal, where is that bracelet you took from my store?"
Frank got a glimmering of the facts now. He was dumfounded, and listenedlike one in a dream, while Mr. Mace continued his furious tirade:
"He took it. Can't you see from his actions that he took it, Miss Brown?Nobody else could have done it--nobody else was in the store when he boughtthat stickpin he wears. After he left the shop the bracelet was missing."
"Frank, if you have the bracelet give it up," said his aunt coldly.
"See here, aunt," cried Frank, firing up instantly at this, "you don't meanto say that you imagine for one instant that I am a thief?"
"We are all sinful and tempted," returned Miss Brown in a tearful,whispering tone.
"Not me," dissented Frank--"not in that mean way, anyhow. Why, you wretchedold man!" he fairly shouted at Samuel Mace, "how dare you even so much asinsinuate that I know anything about your missing bracelet--if there is anymissing bracelet."
"You was in my store--it was gone after you left. You took it," stubbornlyinsisted the jeweler.
"I tell you I didn't take it!" cried Frank.
"You give it up, or I'll have you arrested," declared the jeweler.
"If you do, my folks will make it hot for you," declared Frank. "I am nothief."
He drew himself up proudly in his conscious innocence, and marched from theroom all on fire with resentment and just indignation.
"Why, the old curmudgeon!" exclaimed the boy as he passed out into the openair again. "How dare he make such a charge. I won't even argue it with him;it's too ridiculous."
He had cooled down somewhat after walking aimlessly and excitedly about thegarden a round or two. When he came again to the front of the house, SamuelMace was departing from the scene. As he caught sight of Frank he waved hiscane angrily at him with the words:
"I'll see about this, young man!"
Frank went into the house to find his aunt locking up the secretary in thelibrary, just as she did when there was a burglar scare in town. Her veryglance and manner accused Frank, and he could scarcely restrain himselffrom arguing with her. Then he remembered his promise to his absent parentsand that Miss Brown was a credulous, suspicious old maid. He tried toforget his troubles by going after his fishing-rod. This he had left at thespot near the river where he had met Ned Foreman. Frank swung alongwhistling recklessly, but he did not feel at all pleasant or easy.
He had returned from his errand and was putting in a miserable enough timefeeding some pet pigeons when a voice hailed him from the fence railings.
"Hey, Frank--this way for a minute."
Frank recognized a friend and crony of Samuel Mace. This was pompous,red-faced Judge Roseberry. He had once been elected by mistake a justiceof the peace, had never gotten a second term, but for some eight or tenyears had traded on his past reputation. He managed to eke out a living bygiving what he called legal advice at a cheap rate, and mixing in politics.Sometimes he collected bills for the tradesmen of the town, and in this wayhe had been useful to Mace. Most of the time, however, he hung around thevillage tavern. He looked now to Frank as if he had just come from thatfavorite resort of his. There was an unsteady gravity in the way that hepoked an impressive finger at Frank as he spoke to the youth.
"What do you want?" demanded Frank, ungraciously enough, as he half guessedthe mission of this bloated and untidy emissary of the law.
"Judicial, see?" observed Roseberry, gravely balancing against the picketfence.
"Go ahead," challenged Frank, keeping out of radius of the judge's breath.
"Come, come, young man," maundered Roseberry. "I'm too old a bird to haveto circumlocate. You know your father has great confidence in me."
"I never heard of it before," retorted Frank.
"Oh, yes," insisted Roseberry with bland unction. "Had a case of his once."
"The only case I ever knew of," returned Frank, "was a collection he gaveyou to make. I heard him tell my mother that he never saw the creditor orthe money, either, since."
"Ah--er--difficult case; yes, yes, decidedly complex, costs andcommissions," stammered the judge, becoming more turkey-red than henaturally was. "We won't retrospect. To the case in hand."
"Well?" spoke Frank, looking so open-faced and steadily at Roseberry thatthe latter blinked.
"I--that is--I would suggest an intermediary, see? The law is verybaffling, my friend. Once in its clutches a man is lost."
"But I'm not a man--I'm only an innocent, misjudged boy," burst forthFrank. "See here, Judge Roseberry, I know why you come and who sent you."
"My client, Mr. Mace--"
"Is a wicked, unjust man," flared out Frank, "and you are just as bad.Neither of you can possibly believe that I would steal. Why, I don't haveto steal. I have what money I need, and more than that. I tell you, if myfather was here I think you people would take back-water quick enough. Whenhe does come, you shall suffer for this."
Judge Roseberry looked impressed. He stared at Frank in silence. Perhapshis muddled mind reflected that the accused lad had a good reputationgenerally. Anyhow, the open, resolute way in which Frank spoke daunted him.But he shook his head in an owl-like manner after a pause and remarked:
"My function's purely legal in the case--must do my duty."
"Do it, then, and don't bother me," said Frank irritably, and started awayfrom the spot.
"Hold on, hold on," called out the judge after him. "I've a compromise tooffer."
"There is nothing to compromise," asserted Frank over his shoulder.
"Suggestion, then. Don't be foolish, young man."
"Well, what's your suggestion?" demanded Frank.
"We'll take a walk in the woods, see? I've got a ten-dollar bill in mypocket. I'll walk one way, you walk the other. No witnesses. I'll put theten-dollar bill on the stump--you'll do your part at another stump. We'llturn, pass each other. Backs to each other, see?"
"I don't know what you are driving at," declared Frank.
"As you pass my stump you take up the ten-dollar bill; it's yours. As Ipass your stump--backs to each other, mind you, no witnesses, matterpleasantly adjusted--I'll pick up the diamond bracelet."
"All right--that suits me," said Frank readily, but with a grim twinkle inhis eye.
"You agree?" inquired the judge eagerly.
"Yes."
"Good."
"Provided you furnish the bracelet," went on the boy.
"Bah!" snorted the judge in high dudgeon, marching from the spot. "Youngman, I've done my duty out of consideration for your respected family. Youwon't listen to reason, so you must take the consequences. I shall adviseMr. Mace to have you arrested at once."