"How about his hat?" questioned Lance. "And his suit? The labels, I mean."
"The hat was brand new," said Chet, "and was bought right here in Centerport. Oh, the hospital folks have been trying through the police to find out something about him. Nothing doing, they say."
"Why," said Mr. Belding thoughtfully, "there must be some way of discovering who the unfortunate is, even if he cannot remember himself."
"Who do you mean, Pa, by "the unfortunate"?" demanded his son. "I should think I was the unfortunate. Especially if that bank-note is phony."
"But you did not get a broken leg--and a broken head--out of it," his father said dryly.
"That"s all right," muttered Chet "But I am likely to have a broken pocketbook, all right all right!"
CHAPTER VII
SOMETHING EXCITING
Mr. Belding was not unmindful of his son"s anxiety regarding the odd bank-note that Chet had taken over the counter in the jewelry store.
Besides, Laura sat herself upon the arm of his big Morris chair after dinner that Monday evening, and said:
"You know, dear Pa, Chet is a pretty good boy. And fifty dollars is much more money than he can afford to lose--all in one bunch."
"Indeed?" said her father indignantly. "And how about me? With my expensive family, do you think I can afford to lose fifty dollars? And the boy is careless."
"I deny it," said Laura briskly.
"Chet! not careless?"
"Only thoughtless."
"What is the difference?"
"Academic, or moral?" demanded Mother Wit, looking at him slyly.
"Oh, well, it doesn"t pay to split hairs with you," declared her father, pinching a warm cheek until it was rosier than ever. "But what"s the big idea, as Chet himself would say?"
"Why, now, Pa Belding----"
"Out with it! What do you want me to do?"
"I--I thought if you"d make Chet pay only half of the fifty dollars, that perhaps you lost----"
"Well?" he growled, in apparent indignation still.
"Why, I would pay the other twenty-five!" burst out Laura hurriedly. "Only you must promise not to tell Chet."
"What do you mean? To pay half his fine?"
"Well, you don"t need to halloo so about it, Pa dear," she pouted.
"I wouldn"t let you!"
"Oh, yes you would. You know it is going to be awfully hard on Chet to take that money out of the bank to pay you."
"There, there!" said Mr. Belding gruffly. "We won"t talk about it--yet.
Perhaps we"ll find the bank-note is all right."
But he said afterward to his wife that evening: "What are we going to do with such children, Mother? You can"t punish one without hurting the other right to the quick."
"We have been blessed in our children, Henry," said Mrs. Belding proudly.
"And--really--Chet should not be too much blamed."
"There, there!" exclaimed her husband in a disgusted tone of voice. "You"re every whit as bad as Laura."
Mr. Monroe did not return to the bank for several days; and meanwhile other important and interesting things were happening. The three boys who seemed to have secret knowledge about the accident on Market Street refused to answer the questions of their girl friends as to the ident.i.ty of the car that had run the victim down.
"You are just the meanest boys!" flared out Bobby Hargrew, as they all trooped down to Lake Luna to take almost the last look at the roped-off arena before the carnival would twinkle its lights that evening at six o"clock.
"I don"t know, Bobby," drawled Chet. "I believe we really could be meaner if we tried."
"No you couldn"t!" snapped Clara Hargrew with finality.
"Oh, girls!" gasped Laura suddenly, "tell me what this is coming up the hill? Or am I seeing something that you folks don"t?"
"Gee!" exclaimed the slangy Bobby, forgetting her indignation with Chet and the other boys. "Is it? Can it be?"
"Pretty Sweet!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Jess, beginning to laugh. "And he is in his forest green hunting suit. _I_ call it his "Robin Ridinghood" suit."
"It just matches him, all right," said Lance. "He"s verdant green and so is the suit. And look how he is carrying that gun, will you?"
The gun was in its case, but the boy in question was carrying the shotgun in a most awkward manner. Without a doubt he was half afraid of it.
"And I bet he hasn"t had a charge in it all the time he"s been out. Who did he go with?" asked Chet.
"Some of the East Siders. They cater to him a lot, and you know," said Lance, with disgust, "tight as Purt is with money, if you flatter him you can pull his leg."
"Dear me!" murmured Laura, "it is not in your province to use such slang, Lance. Leave that to Chet and Bobby."
"Hey, Pretty!" Chet shouted to the very dandified lad, as he crossed the street toward them. "What luck, old top?"
Although when they had first seen him, Prettyman Sweet was undoubtedly footsore, he began to strut now and pride "fairly exuded from his countenance," as Jess whispered to her chum.
"Did you get any cottontails?" demanded Lance.
"Oh, a few--a few, muh boy," declared Pretty Sweet airily.