Anderson Crow maintained a relentless search for the desperadoes. He refused to accept Wicker Bonner"s theory that they were safe in the city of New York. It was his own opinion that they were still in the neighbourhood, waiting for a chance to exhume the body of Davy"s mother and make off with it.
"Don"t try to tell me, Mr. Bonner, that even a raskil like him hasn"t any love fer his mother," he contended. "Davy may not be much of a model, but he had a feelin" fer the woman who bore him, an" don"t you fergit it."
"Why, Daddy Crow, he was the most heartless brute in the world!" cried Rosalie. "I"ve seen him knock her down more than once--and kick her, too."
"A slip of the memory, that"s all. He was probably thinkin" of his wife, if he has one."
At a public meeting the town board was condemned for its failure to strengthen the jail at the time Anderson made his demand three years before.
"What"s the use in me catchin" thieves, and so forth, if the jail won"t hold "em?" Anderson declared. "I cain"t afford to waste time in runnin"
desperite characters down if the town board ain"t goin" to obstruct "em from gittin" away as soon as the sun sits. What"s the use, I"d like to know? Where"s the justice? I don"t want it to git noised aroun" that the on"y way we c"n hold a prisoner is to have him commit suicide as soon as he"s arrested. Fer two cents I"d resign right now."
Of course no one would hear to that. As a result, nearly five hundred dollars was voted from the corporation funds to strengthen and modernise the "calaboose." It was the sense of the meeting that a "sweat box"
should be installed under Mr. Crow"s supervision, and that the marshal"s salary should be increased fifty dollars a year. After the adoption of this popular resolution Mr. Crow arose and solemnly informed the people that their faith in him was not misplaced. He threw the meeting into a state of great excitement by announcing that the kidnapers would soon be in the toils once more. In response to eager queries he merely stated that he had a valuable clew, which could not be divulged without detriment to the cause. Everybody went home that night with the a.s.surance that the fugitives would soon be taken. Anderson promised the town board that he would not take them until the jail was repaired.
It was almost a fortnight before Wicker Bonner was able to walk about with crutches. The wound in his leg was an ugly one and healed slowly.
His uncle, the Congressman, sent up a surgeon from New York, but that worthy approved of "Doc" Smith"s methods, and abruptly left the young man to the care of an excellent nurse, Rosalie Gray. Congressman Bonner"s servants came over every day or two with books, newspapers, sweetmeats, and fresh supplies from the city, but it was impossible for them to get any satisfaction from the young man in reply to their inquiries as to when he expected to return to the big house across the river. Bonner was beginning to hate the thought of giving up Rosalie"s readings, her ministrations, and the no uncertain development of his own opinions as to her personal attractiveness.
"I don"t know when I"ll be able to walk, Watkins," he said to the caretaker. "I"m afraid my heart is affected."
Bonner"s enforced presence at Anderson Crow"s home was the source of extreme annoyance to the young men of the town. "Blootch" Peabody created a frightful scandal by getting boiling drunk toward the end of the week, so great was his dejection. As it was his first real spree, he did not recover from the effect for three days. He then took the pledge, and talked about the evils of strong drink with so much feeling at prayer meeting that the women of the town inaugurated a movement to stop the sale of liquor in the town. As Peabody"s drug store was the only place where whiskey could be obtained, "Blootch" soon saw the error of his ways and came down from his pedestal to mend them.
Bonner was a friend in need to Anderson Crow. The two were in consultation half of the time, and the young man"s opinions were not to be disregarded. He advanced a theory concerning the motives of the leader in the plot to send Rosalie into an exile from which she was not expected to return. It was his belief that the person who abandoned her as a babe was actuated by the desire to possess a fortune which should have been the child"s. The conditions attending the final disposition of this fortune doubtless were such as to make it unwise to destroy the girl"s life. The plotter, whatever his or her relation to the child may have been, must have felt that a time might come when the existence of the real heiress would be necessary. Either such a fear was the inspiration or the relationship was so dear that the heart of the arch-plotter was full of love for the innocent victim.
"Who is to say, Miss Gray," said Bonner one night as they sat before the fire, "that the woman who left you with Mr. Crow was not your own mother? Suppose that a vast estate was to be yours in trust after the death of some rich relative, say grandparent. It would naturally mean that some one else resented this bequest, and probably with some justice. The property was to become your own when you attained a certain age, let us say. Don"t you see that the day would rob the disinherited person of every hope to retain the fortune? Even a mother might be tempted, for ambitious reasons, to go to extreme measures to secure the fortune for herself. Or she might have been influenced by a will stronger than her own--the will of an unscrupulous man. There are many contingencies, all probable, as you choose to a.n.a.lyse them."
"But why should this person wish to banish me from the country altogether? I am no more dangerous here than I would be anywhere in Europe. And then think of the means they would have employed to get me away from Tinkletown. Have I not been lost to the world for years?
Why--"
"True; but I am quite convinced, and I think Mr. Crow agrees with me, that the recent move was made necessary by the demands of one whose heart is not interested, but whose hand wields the sceptre of power over the love which tries to shield you. Any other would have cut off your life at the beginning."
"That"s my idee," agreed Anderson solemnly.
"I don"t want the fortune!" cried Rosalie. "I am happy here! Why can"t they let me alone?"
"I tell you, Miss Gray, unless something happens to prevent it, that woman will some day give you back your own--your fortune and your name."
"I can"t believe it, Mr. Bonner. It is too much like a dream to me."
"Well, doggone it, Rosalie, dreams don"t last forever!" broke in Anderson Crow. "You"ve got to wake up some time, don"t you see?"
CHAPTER XXV
As the Heart Grows Older
Bonner"s eagerness to begin probing into the mystery grew as his strength came back to him. He volunteered to interest his uncle in the matter, and through him to begin a systematic effort to unravel the tangled ends of Rosalie"s life. Money was not to be spared; time and intelligence were to be devoted to the cause. He knew that Rosalie was in reality a creature of good birth and worthy of the name that any man might seek to bestow upon her--a name given in love by a man to the woman who would share it with him forever.
The days and nights were teaching him the sacredness of a growing attachment. He was not closing his eyes to the truth. It was quite as impossible for big, worldly Wick Bonner to be near her and not fall a victim, as it was for the crude, humble youth of Tinkletown. His heart was just as fragile as theirs when it bared itself to her attack. Her beauty attracted him, her natural refinement of character appealed to him; her pureness, her tenderness, her goodness, wrought havoc with his impressions. Fresh, bright, as clear-headed as the June sunshine, she was a revelation to him--to Bonner, who had known her s.e.x in all its environments. His heart was full of her, day and night; for day and night he was wondering whether she could care for him as he knew he was coming to care for her.
One day he received a telegram. It was from his mother and his sister, who had just reached Boston from Bermuda, and it carried the brief though emphatic information that they were starting to Tinkletown to nurse and care for him. Bonner was thrown into a panic. He realised in the instant that it would be impossible for them to come to Mr. Crow"s home, and he knew they could not be deceived as to his real condition.
His mother would naturally insist upon his going at once to Bonner Place, across the river, and on to Boston as soon as he was able; his clever sister would see through his motives like a flash of lightning.
Young Mr. Bonner loved them, but he was distinctly bored by the prospect of their coming. In some haste and confusion, he sent for "Doc" Smith.
"Doctor, how soon will I be able to navigate?" he asked anxiously.
"Right now."
"You don"t say so! I don"t feel strong, you know."
"Well, your leg"s doing well and all danger is past. Of course, you won"t be as spry as usual for some time, and you can"t walk without crutches, but I don"t see any sense in your loafing around here on that account. You"d be safe to go at any time, Mr. Bonner."
"Look here, doctor, I"m afraid to change doctors. You"ve handled this case mighty well, and if I went to some other chap, he might undo it all. I"ve made up my mind to have you look out for me until this wound is completely healed. That"s all right, now. I know what I"m talking about. I"ll take no chances. How long will it be until it is completely healed?"
"A couple of weeks, I suppose."
"Well, I"ll stay right here and have you look at it every day. It"s too serious a matter for me to trifle with. By the way, my mother is coming up, and I dare say she"ll want me to go to Boston. Our family doctor is an old fossil and I don"t like to trust him with this thing. You"ll be doing me a favour, doctor, if you keep me here until I"m thoroughly well. I intend to tell my mother that it will not be wise to move me until all danger of blood poisoning is past."
"Blood poisoning? There"s no danger now, sir."
"You never can tell," said Bonner sagely.
"But I"d be a perfect fool, Mr. Bonner, if there were still danger of that," complained the doctor. "What sort of a doctor would they consider me?"
"They"d certainly give you credit for being careful, and that"s what appeals to a mother, you know," said Bonner still more sagely. "Besides, it"s _my_ leg, doctor, and I"ll have it treated my way. I think a couple of weeks more under your care will put me straight. Mother has to consider me, that"s all. I wish you"d stop in to-morrow and change these bandages, doctor; if you don"t mind--"
"Doc" Smith was not slow. He saw more than Bonner thought, so he winked to himself as he crossed over to his office. At the corner he met Anderson Crow.
"Say, Anderson," he said, half chuckling, "that young Bonner has had a relapse."
"Thunderation!"
"He can"t be moved for a week or two."
"Will you have to cut it off?"
"The leg?"
"Certainly. That"s the only thing that pains him, ain"t it?"
"I think not. I"m going to put his heart in a sling," said Smith, laughing heartily at what he thought would be taken as a brilliant piece of jesting. But he erred. Anderson went home in a great flurry and privately cautioned every member of the household, including Rosalie, to treat Bonner with every consideration, as his heart was weak and liable to give him great trouble. Above all, he cautioned them to keep the distressing news from Bonner. It would discourage him mightily. For a full week Anderson watched Bonner with anxious eyes, writhing every time the big fellow exerted himself, groaning when he gave vent to his hearty laugh.
"Have you heard anything?" asked Bonner with faithful regularity when Anderson came home each night. He referred to the chase for the fugitives.
"Nothin" worth while," replied Anderson dismally. "Uncle Jimmy Borton had a letter from Albany to-day, an" his son-in-law said three strange men had been seen in the Albany depot the other day. I had Uncle Jimmy write an" ast him if he had seen anybody answerin" the description, you know. But the three men he spoke of took a train for New York, so I suppose they"re lost by this time. It"s the most bafflin" case I ever worked on."