CHAPTER XXIII
ON THE EAST SIDE
"If Royce began to cry there must have been something radically wrongwith him," declared Tom. "Dora, do you think he had been drinking?Sometimes when men drink they break down and cry, you know."
"I don't know anything about that, Tom; but I do know that he actedthe strangest. I asked him if he was working, and he said no--that hehad been unable to get a job of any kind. Then I questioned him aboutwhy he had left Hope, and he said it was because he could not getalong with some of the hired help and with Miss Harrow."
"Say!" cried Sam. "Did he say anything about that four-hundred-dollardiamond ring that was missing?"
"Why, no, Sam. I didn't mention it, and he didn't say anything aboutit either. Perhaps he didn't know it was missing."
"Oh, he must know about it," broke in Tom. "It was talked about allover the place."
"Well, what happened next?" questioned Dick.
"I talked to him for awhile, and I found out that he was out of workand also out of money. I felt sorry for him, and I offered to lend himten dollars," answered Dora. "I hope you don't think I did wrong," shewent on, anxiously.
"You meant well, Dora, I'm sure of that," was Dick's quick reply, "butwhether the money will do this fellow Royce any good or not, is aquestion. If he is a drinking man, he'll drink it up very quickly andthat will be the end of it."
"Did he tell you where he was staying?" asked Tom.
"Why, yes, he gave me a slip of paper with his name and addresswritten on it," answered Dora. "You see, I asked him to do thatbecause I felt so sorry for him, and I thought that possibly you mightbe able to get him something to do;" and she handed the slip of paperover to her husband.
"'The Golden Oak House,'" read Dick from the slip. "I suppose it isone of those cheap lodging houses on the East Side," he added. "I'llkeep this, although I don't see how we can help Royce. And besidesthat I am not certain that he deserves help. If he had remainedstrictly sober he might have kept his job at the seminary. But I'llthink it over," he added, hastily, as he saw that Dora was muchdistressed.
"Did you see the moving picture again?" questioned Tom, as allprepared to go downstairs for dinner.
"Oh, yes!" and the young wife brightened a little. "It certainly issplendid, Tom! All of you ought to go and see it before they take itaway."
"All right, we'll do it!" said Tom. "That is, Sam and I will go. Howabout it, Dick?"
"Oh, I don't know," hesitated the older brother, with a look at Dora.
"You just go, Dick," she cried, quickly. "I am going to stay here andwrite some letters. You go with Tom and Sam and enjoy yourself;" andso it was arranged.
The boys found the moving picture theater pretty well crowded, andthey had to take seats almost in the rear. Tom and Sam were once moreenjoying the spectacle of looking at themselves when they suddenlyheard a young man behind them utter an exclamation.
"Hello, I know those two fellows!"
They looked around and saw sitting there Barton Pelter. He was gazingat the play on the screen with great interest.
"Come to see us in the movies, did you?" questioned Tom, as he leanedback and touched Barton Pelter on the arm. "What do you think of it?"
"Oh, so you are here!" was the reply. "Say, I didn't know you weremovies' actors."
"We are not. We got into that picture quite accidentally," explainedTom. And then, as the scenes of the drama progressed, he and hisbrothers turned their attention to what was going on.
At the end of the photo drama there was a short intermission, duringwhich a number of persons went out and an even larger number came in.There was a seat vacated beside the Rovers, and Barton Pelter tookthis.
"How are you fellows making out at your offices?" asked the young man.
"Oh, we are doing as well as can be expected," answered Dick. "Youknow this sort of thing is rather new to us."
"How about those missing bonds; have you located them yet?"
"No."
"That's too bad," and the young man's face showed his concern. "Haveyou any idea where they went to?"
"Not the slightest in the world, Pelter. It is a complete mystery,"answered Tom.
"The loss of such an amount must hurt you a whole lot," venturedBarton Pelter, after a slight pause. "It would ruin some folks."
"It does hurt us a whole lot," broke in Sam. "Unless we get thosebonds back--or at least a part of them--we are going to have prettyhard sledding to pull through."
"It's a shame! I wish I could do something to help you, for what youdid for me," returned Barton Pelter; and his voice had a ratherwistful ring in it. Then the theater was darkened and the next photodrama began.
"Are you doing anything as yet?" questioned Tom, when, at the end ofthis play, he saw Jesse Pelter's nephew prepare to leave.
"I've got something of an offer to go on the road as a travelingsalesman for the Consolidated Cream Cracker Company," was the answer."It won't pay very much, but it will be better than nothing;" and thenthe young man left.
Several days went by and the Rover boys put in all their time atbusiness. There was a great deal to do in the way of protecting anumber of rather uncertain investments which Pelter, Japson & Companyhad made for Mr. Anderson Rover while they were his brokers.
"It's a mighty good thing that we got after Pelter, Japson & Companywhen we did," was Erick's comment. "If we hadn't, they would have putus in the worst kind of a hole, even if they had remained honest. Theyhad no more conception of what constitutes a good business risk thanhas a baby."
"I do hope, Dick, that we make a success of this," returned Tom.
"Oh, don't say we're going to make a fizzle of, it!" cried Sam. "We'vejust got to win out, that is all there is to it!"
"Right you are!"
On the following Monday afternoon there was but little for Tom and Samto do at the offices, and the former suggested to his younger brotherthat they walk over to the East Side and visit The Golden Oak House.
"I've always wanted to see how things look over in that part of NewYork," declared Tom, "and if we run into that Andy Royce I'm going toquestion him and see if he knows anything about that diamond ring."
"How would he know anything about that, Tom? He wasn't near the housewhen the ring was lost. And besides, if he had taken the ring, hewouldn't be so poverty-stricken. He could pawn a four-hundred-dollarring for quite some money."
"I didn't say that he might have taken the ring, Sam. But he wasaround the place, and he might have heard something said that wouldgive us a clew."
"Oh, that might be possible. Anyway, we can question him, just as yousaid."
The walk to the East Side was quite a revelation to the Rover boys.Never had they seen such a congestion of humanity. The stores, thehouses and the sidewalks seemed to be overflowing with people, whilethe streets were a jumble of wagons, trucks and push-carts. Everyconceivable sort of a thing seemed to be on sale, and they weresolicited to buy at almost every step.
"They seem to be mostly foreigners over here," was Sam's comment. "Idon't know as I would care to come through here alone at night, Tom."
"Oh, you'd be as safe here as on Broadway," was the reply. "Thesepeople are poor, but you'll find them just as honest as anybody."
The boys had with them the card that Andy Royce had given to Dora, andit did not take them long to find The Golden Oak House. It was anold-fashioned, frame building located on the corner of a narrow andexceedingly dirty alleyway. Downstairs there were a saloon and apawnshop. The so-styled office and the sleeping apartments were on thethree floors above.
"Not a very inviting place," were Sam's words, as he looked the resortover. "Tom, do you think we had better go in?"
"Oh, I don't think it will hurt us," was the answer. "Come ahead!"
Ascending the narrow and exceedingly dirty stairs, the boys passedthrough a dingy hall to where a glass door was marked "Office." Insidethey found a small counter and rail, behind which a man inshirt-sleeves sat smoking a cigar and
reading a sporting paper.
"Is there a man stopping here named Andy Royce?" asked Tom, as the mandropped his paper to look up at the newcomers.
"I think there is, but I don't believe he's in now," was the answer."Want to leave any word for him?"
Tom thought for a moment. "Yes," he answered. "I will leave amessage." And taking out one of his cards, he wrote on it: "I'll callhere Tuesday afternoon at about five o'clock to see you."
"Hope you've got work for that fellow. He needs a job the worst way,"said the hotel man, as he took the card.
"I don't know about a job for him, but perhaps I can help him,"answered Tom. And then he and Sam left the place.
They had just reached the sidewalk when they beheld Andy Royce comingtowards them. The former gardener of Hope Seminary was partly underthe influence of liquor, and several children were annoying him bypulling at his coat and calling him names.
"You go 'way an' leave me alone," mumbled the man. And then, as hecaught sight of the Rovers, he tried to brace up.
"Hello, you here!" he exclaimed.
"Yes, we want to talk to you, Royce," answered Tom. Then he motionedthe children away, and led the former gardener of the seminary towardsthe alleyway beside the hotel.