"Did they both get away?" asked some one of the postoffice inspector, for such the man in charge was.
"Yes, both Skem and Skim."
"Their names ought to be Scheme and Skin," said a man in a corner. "They skinned me out of three hundred dollars."
"Any chance of getting "em?" was the next inquiry of the inspector.
"We hope so. We are also looking for a young fellow who is supposed to hold two hundred shares of this wild-cat oil stock in the Mt. Olive well. As far as we can learn he is the only stockholder outside of Skem & Skim, and of course he"s liable if there"s any money in the concern.
He may have a lot of the cash, which the firm got on other deals, salted away somewhere. He"s the one we want as badly as we do the other two. A young chap too, but as slick as they make "em I"m told, even if he is a stranger here."
Ned listened in wonder. He thought of his two hundred shares, and of the certificate in his pocket. He wondered if, by any possibility, he could be the one wanted.
"Who is this young fellow?" some one in the crowd asked.
"That"s what we"d like to find out," the inspector replied. "He only got into New York yesterday, so one of my detectives informs me. Came from up state, or out west I hear. He"s the one I want, for he can tell a lot about this business. If I can lay hands on him I"ll clap him into a cell quicker than he can say Jack Robinson."
"I wonder if he can mean me?" Ned thought, and his heart beat rapidly.
"I came from up state yesterday. I got into New York yesterday, and I have two hundred shares of the Mt. Olive stock--at least I paid for "em.
But I don"t know any more about this business than the man in the moon.
Still they may not believe me. I wonder if they would arrest me? Maybe it was against the law to buy the stock of a fraudulent concern. I wonder what I"d better do?"
"Yes, sir," the inspector went on, speaking to the angry and defrauded investors, "once let me get my hands on this young fellow who has those two hundred shares and I"ll clear up some of this mystery. He and Skem & Skim worked the trick among themselves and now you gentlemen can whistle for your money."
"I"d like to get one chance at that young fellow!" exclaimed the man who had lost the thousand dollars.
"So would I!" chimed in the others.
"They wouldn"t even give me an opportunity to explain," thought Ned.
"They"d lock me up at once, though I"m entirely innocent. I"m going to get away from here!"
Then, while the angry men were still talking to the postal inspector, Ned turned and hurried off. He was afraid to go down in the elevator lest the attendant might recognize him as the youth who was at the offices the day before, so he walked down the ten flights of stairs.
"I must hurry and tell my aunt all about it," Ned thought. "She will know what I ought to do."
CHAPTER XVI
ADRIFT IN NEW YORK
Puzzled, worried and not a little frightened at what the outcome of his investment might be, Ned boarded an elevated train for his aunt"s home.
He was sure the inspector had referred to him, and, though he knew he had done nothing wrong, yet he admitted he was ignorant of the laws regarding stocks and bonds, and might have, unknowingly, acted illegally.
He had read of cases where the stockholders in a fraudulent concern were liable for the corporation"s debts, and, in fancy, he saw a suit started against himself. As he was a minor he thought his father would have to stand the damage. Poor Ned was in a highly nervous state when he went up the steps of his aunt"s home.
He began to imagine there might be a policeman waiting for him in the hall. He looked around as he reached the front door, expecting to see a blue-coated officer close at his heels. That there was a general alarm sent out for him he felt positive.
Something in Mary"s manner, as she opened the door in response to his ring, told him there was trouble in the house. The girl"s eyes showed she had been crying.
"Oh, Master Ned!" she exclaimed as he entered. "Isn"t it awful! To think of the trouble!"
"Why, how did you hear?" asked the boy, wondering if in the parlor there was an officer to arrest him.
"Why, "twas a message we got, to be sure."
"Then the postoffice authorities sent a letter here?" asked Ned, somewhat relieved to find he would not have to break to his aunt what he believed would be terrible news.
"No, dear," Mrs. Kenfield called down from the head of the stairs. "It wasn"t a letter from the postoffice, it was a telegram. I have received bad news."
"Oh, aunt, it wasn"t my fault at all!" burst out Ned. "I didn"t know about it, or I"d never have come to New York."
"Of course it isn"t your fault," his aunt said. "How could you know about it when I only got the telegram myself a little while ago? As for your coming to New York, that couldn"t be helped. Of course it"s too bad. But you can pay me another visit."
Ned thought she meant he must hurry away to escape arrest.
"Are you almost packed up, Mrs. Kenfield?" asked Mary.
"Yes, almost. I shall want a little help. I must go at once."
"Why--what--are you--I don"t understand--" began Ned.
"Of course, just like women, to begin at the wrong end," said Mrs.
Kenfield, and Ned"s heart beat fast. He wondered if his aunt was going to reproach him for bringing disgrace on the family. He thought she would have to flee the city too, in order to avoid arrest. How he wished his uncle was at home to advise and help them.
"Do you have to go, aunt?" he asked. "Can"t I let "em take me? I don"t mind."
"No, it"s very good of you to offer, Ned. But I must go. They need me to help nurse her."
"Help nurse," repeated Ned, wondering if he had heard aright.
"Yes, didn"t Mary tell you? We have just received a telegram from my niece Jane Alden in Chicago. She has typhoid fever and I must go to her at once. She has no other relatives living and I must take care of her.
I shall have to start at once and, as there is no telling when I will come back I must close up the house."
"Close up the house," Ned said.
"Yes, it will make lots of trouble, and I am so sorry that it will spoil the pleasure of yourself and your chums. But there is no help for it. I think you had better go back home, Ned. You and your friends can come and spend two months here next summer."
"Is Mary going too?" asked Ned.
"Mary is going to stay with some relatives in Long Island until I come back. I have sent a cablegram explaining matters to your uncle and it will be waiting for him when his ship arrives on the other side. Oh, poor dear Jane! I hope her case is not a severe one. It is lucky I know how to nurse. She never could get along without me. I am sorry for you, Ned."
Ned felt sorry for himself but he did not feel like inflicting his own troubles on his aunt. Still he did want some instructions about what he had better do. He was all upset and did not know whether to go home at once or wait until his aunt had started. He half resolved to tell her what had happened and ask her advice.
"Maybe she can send me to uncle"s lawyer and he can help me," he said to himself. His aunt came downstairs at that moment and he decided to make an attempt to gain an idea of how to proceed.
"Do you know anything about stocks, aunt?" asked Ned.