The Tin Box, and What it Contained

"What can it mean?" thought Philip, in a whirl of amazement. "I gavethem to Congreve to carry to New York, and how in the world couldGilbert have got hold of them? There must be some mistake somewhere."

"What did Harry say when you found the bonds?" he asked.

"He denied that they were mine; said they were his."

"But where could he get them?"

"That is the question. He said they were given to him, or some suchridiculous nonsense, and his mother actually backed him up in thispreposterous statement."

"I was never so astonished in the whole course of my life!" said Philip; and he spoke the honest truth.

"You, my son, are entitled to great credit for your vigilance, and youapprising me that the boy was prowling about the house on the evening inquestion. I shall make you a present of ten dollars."

"Oh, thank you, father," said Philip, his eyes expressing his delight, as his father drew from his pocketbook two five-dollar bills and placedthem in his hand.

"At any rate, it has turned out pretty lucky for me," he thought tohimself. "All the same, it is a puzzle where those bonds came from. Congreve wouldn't go and give them to Harry? No, of course not! Well, the best I can do is to keep mum."

"There is one circumstance that rather puzzles me," said the Colonel, reflectively.

"What is it, father?"

"I only miss two hundred-dollar bonds, and I found in the boy'spossession a fifty-dollar bond in addition. That is certainlysingular."

"So it is," said Philip, showing his own surprise.

"He must have stolen that from some other party," continued the

Colonel.

"As like as not," chimed in Philip, glibly. "Have you got the bonds withyou?" he asked, after a pause. "Did you bring them back?"

"No. Rogers, the constable, said I could not take them till I had provedthem to be my property. He is a stupid old countryman, and knows nothingabout law. He was evidently prejudiced in favor of the Gilberts."

"Well, what did you do with Harry?"

"He ought to have been taken to the lockup, but the constable didn'twant to do it, and I agreed that he might stay in the house, under guardof the constable, of course, for I apprehended the boy might make aneffort to run away."

"Did he seem much frightened?" asked Philip, curiously.

"No; he seemed very indignant at being suspected. Of course, it was allput on. He was actually insolent, and defied me to take the bonds. Isuppose he thought he could put me off the scent by his bravado."

"What are you going to do to-morrow?" asked Philip.

"I shall have him taken before a magistrate, and shall formally chargehim with the theft."

"What did Uncle Obed say?" inquired Philip, suddenly.

"It really is of very little consequence what that old man said," returned Colonel Ross, stiffly. "Of course, he sided with the Gilberts, and he actually had the effrontery to say that the bonds had been in thehouse for several days."

"He couldn't have given the bonds to Harry, could he?"

"Of course not. The man is a pauper, or about the same as one. Every day

I expect he will come to me to ask pecuniary assistance."

"Will you give him any money if he does?"

"Yes; enough to get him back to Illinois. He ought never to have leftthere."

Philip went to bed in a state of wonderment, but at the same time in astate of satisfaction. Suspicion had been diverted from him, the realculprit, and the boy whom he hated more than any other was likely tosuffer for his misdeeds.

If he had had a conscience, this thought ought to have made himuncomfortable, but it did not. He thought, rather, that under cover ofthis charge made against another, he and Congreve would be free to usethe proceeds of the stolen bonds, and he began even to plan in what wayhe would spend his portion.

Meanwhile, a very different scene took place in the cottage of the

Gilberts, after the Colonel had taken his leave.

"I hope, Mr. Rogers," said Mrs. Gilbert to the constable, "you don'tbelieve my boy guilty of this base deed which the colonel charges uponhim?"

"I've always thought highly of Harry, ma'am," said the constable, "and Ican't think now he'd take anything that wasn't his; but it is ratherstrange that them bonds should be found in this house now, ain't it?"

"No, indeed. Is the Colonel the only man in town that owns bonds?"

"I expect not; though, so far as my own experience goes, I know I ain'tgot any. I always thought – begging your pardon, Mrs. Gilbert – that youwas poor, and now what am I to think?"

"You needn't think I am rich; but Harry owns those bonds, and they arethe reward of his own good conduct. Would you like to hear how he cameby them?"

"Yes, ma'am, if you don't mind telling me."

"I don't mind telling you, though I didn't choose to tell the Colonel."

Whereupon, Mrs. Gilbert related the story of the tin box secreted in thewood, and how, through Harry's prompt action, those who had purloined ithad been brought to justice.

"You've got a smart boy, Mrs. Gilbert," said the constable, admiringly. "I couldn't have done as well myself. There won't be any difficulty inclearing Harry now."

"What would you advise, Mr. Rogers?"

"Nothing at present; but if we find it necessary to-morrow, we can getthat lawyer's testimony, which will certainly clear Harry of thischarge."

CHAPTER XXXIX

HOW CONGREVE SUCCEEDED

Philip would not have felt flattered if he had been able to read thethoughts of his friend James Congreve, when the latter was riding awayfrom the village where he had been boarding, toward the great city.

"That's the last I shall ever see of the young snob, I hope," he said tohimself. "I've got all I can out of him, and now I wash my hands of him. I wish him joy of waiting for me to-night. It'll be many a long daybefore he sees me or the balance of the bonds."

James Congreve settled back in his seat, bought a paper from the paperboy on the train, and began to read in a very comfortable frame ofmind.