The words sent an idea to Jed"s mind, and bidding the shop-keeper a hasty good-bye, he hied himself to the Ransom House, where he made many inquiries about the former soldier. At first he made little headway; but just as he was giving up in despair, he saw another old comrade.
"Say, what"s the matter with you Rivertown folks?" asked this man. "Have you come down to see Bill Hawkins, too? Ned Snooks visits him about once a month."
At the mention of the Rivertown butcher, the crippled veteran gasped.
Then he remembered that bad feeling had sprung up between the butcher and Mr. Watson over a real estate deal in which the former maintained that he had been swindled-and Jed immediately concluded that Ned Snooks was at the bottom of the charges against Harry"s father.
But it was one thing to believe this, and quite another to prove it-yet with that perseverance which had distinguished him as a soldier in the ranks, Jed set about obtaining evidence; and finally succeeded in extracting a confession from Hawkins, that, acting for the butcher, he had forged the name of Snooks to some checks, and managed to lay the blame on Amos Watson.
Elated, Jed again approached the influential men who had refused to intercede for their fellow townsman, and after convincing them of the truth of the confession, received their aid in obtaining Mr. Watson"s release from prison, and subsequent exoneration from the charge of forgery.
Ignorant of the illness of Harry, the old veteran did not report on his progress, and the first news the boy had of the change in his father"s condition was when a telegram was brought to him.
With trembling fingers he opened it, then uttered a faint cry of joy, as he read:
"Harry Watson, Rivertown.
Charges against me proven false. I want you to come to Lawrenceburgh to spend Sunday with me.
Father."
Better than any tonic or care was the news to Harry, and though he was not able to go to his father, Mr. Watson came to him, bringing good old Jed Brown with him, and happy, indeed, was the reunion.
Despite his villainy, Mr. Watson refused to prosecute Ned Snooks; but public opinion was so aroused against the butcher that he sold his property, and moved away from Rivertown, while the man he had so wronged decided to live in the town, and in due course opened a real estate office.
"But didn"t Pud know about this forgery from the first?" asked Harry, of his parent, one day.
"I think not, my son," replied Mr. Watson. "Mr. Snooks was a man who kept his affairs to himself. Had Pud known he would have taunted you long before he did."
"It was grand of old Jed Brown to act as he did," murmured our hero. "We owe him a great deal."
"He is to live with me and your Aunt Mary after this," said the father.
"He is going to help me in my real estate business. As he is getting old, I shall let him take it as easy as he pleases." And so it was arranged.
When Harry returned to Rivertown High he was given an ovation that made him blush like a girl. The only person who remained in the background was Elmer Craven. He had nothing to say; and when, during the following Fall, the Craven family moved to Boston, Elmer was glad to go along, so he would not have to return to a school where he was in such bad odor.
Harry continued at Rivertown High School for the full term of four years; and when he graduated he did so at the top of his cla.s.s. Then he went into the real estate business with his father, and both made money rapidly. His friendship for Viola ripened into a much more tender feeling; and it is reported that some day the pair will be married. But though Harry was successful as a land dealer he never became tired of talking about his high-school days.
"We had some great times," he said, one day, to Paul.
"We sure did!" replied his chum. "In my opinion there is no better school in all the world than Rivertown High!"
"Right you are!" responded Harry. "And as matters have turned out I am very glad that I came here."