Nat rushed at him, and pushed him to one side. Then our hero made for the door. He was just opening it when the seash.e.l.l was sent whizzing forward. It hit Nat on the head, and the boy dropped unconscious across an easy chair.
For the instant Rufus Cameron was startled. Then rushing to the door, he locked it, and also locked some folding doors leading to a rear apartment.
"I hope I didn"t hurt him much," he muttered. "What a young fool he was not to let me see the paper."
He propped Nat up in the easy chair, and placed his hand in the boy"s inside pocket. Soon he had the doc.u.ment in his possession, and was looking over it rapidly.
"Just as I thought. I"m glad I got it. Now, we"ll see if Shanley and I can"t outwit Mr. John Garwell."
Nat was already coming to his senses, and Rufus Cameron lost no time in hurrying to the library of the house. Here he obtained an old doc.u.ment of no consequence, but which still bore his aunt"s signature. Rushing back, he placed this in the envelope which had held the other paper of importance.
Nat was just returning to his senses when he found himself being taken out of the house by Rufus Cameron. The man supported him as far as the corner and there placed him on a stone step leading to a church.
"Wha--what did you hit me for?" stammered our hero, feebly.
"I didn"t mean to do that; really I didn"t," said Rufus Cameron, smoothly. "The sh.e.l.l slipped. I am very sorry--very sorry, indeed."
"It was a mean thing to do."
"It was an accident, I give you my word on it."
Nat felt in his pocket to learn if the doc.u.ment was still there.
"Did you look at that paper?" he questioned.
"No, I didn"t. On second thought I have concluded to let my aunt do just as she pleases in this matter."
Nat felt in no condition to argue. He took out the doc.u.ment, glanced at it, and shoved it back into the envelope and then in his pocket.
"I"m sorry this happened. I was excited for the minute. Come and have a drink with me. It will do you good," went on Rufus Cameron.
"I don"t drink."
"Shall I show you to the car then?"
"Yes."
When Nat got up the rascal supported him, and thus they made their way to the car line running to the Bridge. Here, our hero boarded a car, and Rufus Cameron watched him ride out of sight.
"That was easy after all," muttered Rufus Cameron to himself. "I only hope it don"t make too much trouble in the future. I"ll have to let Shanley have this doc.u.ment without delay, and I"d better get out of sight until the affair blows over."
Making his way to a neighboring cafe, Rufus Cameron treated himself to a drink of strong liquor and a black-looking cigar. Then he returned to his aunt"s home. He lived with her, and was doing his best to get certain of her properties away from her.
"Aunt Jane, what did that young man want?" he asked, as he entered her room.
"He came to see me on private business, Rufus," was the quiet answer.
Mrs. Parloe did not fancy her nephew"s habits, and had often warned him that he must reform.
"Was there anything I could do for you?"
"No, Rufus."
"Do you know, Aunt Jane, I"ve been thinking of taking a trip to the West," he went on, after a pause.
"So you said before."
"I"d go in a minute if I had the money."
"How much do you want?"
"Two or three hundred dollars at least."
"Is the money gone that I let you have last month?"
"Yes, I had to pay some back bills with that."
"You are very extravagant, Rufus."
"Oh, a young man must spend something."
"But not as much as you spend."
"I don"t spend any more than the rest of the fellows in my set. I have got to keep up appearances, you know."
"Your set is altogether too fast a one to suit me."
"Will you let me have the money?"
"How long do you expect to be gone?"
"That depends upon what you will give me. If you"ll let me have five hundred dollars, I"ll make a trip of two or three months."
Mrs. Parloe thought for a moment, and at last consented to give her nephew the five hundred. She had her check book handy, and soon the check was pa.s.sed over to the nephew.
"When shall you start?" she asked.
"I don"t know. I"ve a good notion to start to-night. But if you want me to do anything for you before I go----"
"There is nothing, Rufus. Only, if you want to please me, don"t get into any bad habits while you are gone."
"Oh, I"m going to turn over a new leaf when I leave Brooklyn," said the hypocrite. "Then, I can leave to-night?"
"Yes."
"In that case, I"ll pack my trunk at once," said Rufus Cameron; and a little later he did so. Then he had the trunk taken away, bid his aunt good-by, and was off.
"That was easy," he said to himself, when away from the house. "Now to see Shanley and to arrange for keeping out of sight, in case John Garwell kicks up a fuss."