A Debt of Honor

“You are mistaken! I hope you will not compel me to use a harsher word. I appeal to the officers of this boat to prevent an outrage upon an unoffending man.”

Bradley Wentworth was handsomely dressed, and looked to be a man of wealth and standing, and his testimony had great weight. The Yankee was poorly dressed, and from all appearances a laboring man. The fickle crowd changed at once and such cries were heard as “It’s a shame!” “It’s an outrage!” Samuel Standish was released. The tide had turned and he was safe.

“Sir,” he said, turning to Bradley Wentworth, “I thank you for your manly words. You have saved my life. You are a stranger to me, but hereafter I shall always remember you in my prayers.”

“Thank you,” answered Wentworth, “but I don’t deserve your gratitude. What I have done has been in the interest of justice; for I feel no interest in you except as a man unjustly treated. I would have done as much for any of my fellow passengers.”

These words created a very favorable impression and completely cleared Standish from suspicion, except in the minds of the Yankee passenger, Gerald and Noel Brooke.

“I believe Standish was the man,” said Brooke when they were by themselves, “and Mr. Wentworth’s interference in his favor leads me to think there is something between them.”

“But why should he give such an alarm?” asked Gerald puzzled.

“To get a chance to enter our stateroom.”

“I don’t quite understand why he should enter our stateroom rather than any other?”

“Gerald,” said his friend significantly, “he was after your papers. He thought you might keep them in the stateroom.”

“Do you really think that, Mr Brooke?”

“I think it altogether likely, and that he has been engaged for the purpose by your friend, Mr. Bradley Wentworth. Unless I am greatly mistaken, we shall see more of Mr. Standish after we land.”

“I believe you are right, Mr. Brooke,” said Gerald thoughtfully. “I shall most certainly adopt your suggestion, and copy the papers as soon as I reach St. Louis.”

The steamer arrived about three o’clock in the afternoon. Noel Brooke and Gerald went to the Lindell House and registered. An hour later, in the lobby of the hotel, looking, it must be confessed, rather out of place in his elegant surroundings, they recognized the familiar figure of Samuel Standish.

CHAPTER XXV

GERALD HAS AN UNPLEASANT ADVENTURE

It was certainly a matter of surprise that a man like Standish should put up at a high-priced and fashionable hotel like the Lindell. Moreover Gerald soon learned that he had a room very near them. There was but one between. One thing more that looked suspicious was that Standish, though he frequently passed Gerald and his companion, appeared to take very little notice of them.

“I am afraid Mr. Standish is cutting us, Mr. Brooke,” said Gerald laughing.

“Perhaps we are not up to his standard,” returned Brooke. “I suppose there is no help for it. If you think a little social attention would conciliate him – ”

“Such as lending him a five-dollar bill,” suggested Gerald.

“I see you have some knowledge of human nature, Gerald. I confess I should like to find out the man’s object in following us, for it is evident that our being at this hotel is the attraction for him.”

“I will engage him in conversation,” said Gerald, “on the first opportunity.”

“Do so.”

That evening Gerald met Mr. Standish in the lobby of the hotel.

“I believe we met on the steamer coming down the river,” began Gerald politely.

“Yes,” answered Standish promptly. “You are with an Englishman.”

“Yes.”

“I recognized you both, but I did not wish to intrude. Do you remain long in this city?”

“I don’t know. Mr. Brooke is making a leisurely tour of the States, and it depends upon him.”

“If you are not expected to spend all your time with him, I should like to go about a little with you.”

“Then you are going to spend some time in St. Louis?” Gerald ventured to inquire.

“That depends on circumstances. I am here on a little matter of business. I am a traveling salesman.”

“Indeed! In what line?”

“I travel for a house in Chicago,” said Mr. Standish vaguely. “I would answer your questions, but our house is peculiar, and requires its agents to be very close-mouthed.”

“Oh, that’s all right. I didn’t wish to be inquisitive.”

“You can imagine how absurd it was for a man of my standing to be accused of raising the alarm of fire on the boat.”

“Yes,” answered Gerald non-commitally.

In his own mind he was convinced that Standish did raise the alarm, but did not consider it necessary to say so.

“You are much indebted to the gentleman who came to your assistance,” he said instead.

“Yes, he is a gentleman! I believe you know him?”

“Yes. Is he staying in St. Louis?”

“I think he went on to New Orleans.”

“But he left the boat.”

“Yes, for a day or two. I have not seen him since.”

“Your room is near ours.”

“Is it? I hadn’t noticed.”

Gerald knew better than this, for he had seen Standish standing in front of their door and scrutinizing it curiously.

The next morning he noticed something else. In the vicinity of the Southern Hotel he saw Samuel Standish and Bradley Wentworth walking together in close conference. It might have been their first meeting, so he found an opportunity some hours later of saying to Standish: “I thought I saw Mr. Wentworth in the street to-day.”

“Indeed! Where?”

Gerald returned an evasive answer.