Rhinds even telephoned for the reporters, and, when they came, gave out an interview in which he stated that Mr. Farnum was satisfied that no blame over the torpedo incident could be attached to the owner of the "Thor." Farnum, when questioned by the same reporters, declared that he had nothing to say.
That night Rhinds was almost cheerful. He dined in the public dining room of the hotel, with his wife and daughter, and both appeared to be wholly proud of the man.
One thing, however, worried Rhinds a good deal. Congressman Simms did not come near him again. Later in the evening Rhinds sought the Congressman, though wholly in vain.
Rhinds breakfasted with his family, the next morning, in their rooms.
So he was still behind his private doors when a summons reached him to go to the wharf and take the launch to the "Oakland."
"What can it mean, John?" demanded his wife.
"If they want you as a witness before the investigation, you"ll be able to clear yourself quickly." predicted Helen.
"I"ll soon find out why I"m wanted," declared Rhinds, jauntily.
In fact, he was almost cheerful as he boarded the launch at the wharf.
Rhinds was at least self-possessed when he was shown into a cabin where Captain Magowan was seated at a desk.
"Oh, good morning, Mr. Rhinds," was the greeting of the president of the naval board, as he rose. "My business will take but a very few moments.
I have received definite orders from the Navy Department by wire this morning. Here is a copy of the telegram."
Rhinds took the message, and read:
_"Inform John C. Rhinds that the Department will give no further consideration, this year, to the purchase of any boats from the Rhinds Submarine Company."_
"What does this mean!" demanded Rhinds, paling, then flushing with anger.
"Just what it says," replied Captain Magowan, coolly.
"There has been some underhanded work here!" began the old man, wrathfully.
"None in the Navy Department, at all events," replied Magowan, coolly.
"I will not detain you longer, Mr. Rhinds. Good morning."
Captain Magowan, bowing, opened the door. A marine sentry stood on post just outside. There was no use in making a row. John C. Rhinds stepped out like one in a daze, and remained so until he reached the wharf and stepped ash.o.r.e.
To the railway station went Rhinds. He was ruined. The order from Washington meant that all his capital had been expended on boats that could not be sold. There might be a chance with foreign governments, but creditors would step in and seize the Rhinds shipyards before a good trade could be made abroad.
At the station Rhinds counted the money he had about him. At a bank in another city was a thousand dollars or so more. Rhinds took the train and was borne away. His wife and daughter. The former had a small private fortune of her own; wife and daughter would not starve. So the coward ran away.
That same forenoon Farnum and his submarine boys were summoned to police headquarters. There they were confronted with a rather pretty though almost poorly dressed girl.
"Is this the young woman whom you rescued at a street corner, and whom you were escorting when attacked by a gang of rowdies?" asked Chief Ward.
"I don"t know," smiled Eph. "The young woman I was walking with had on a veil."
"Oh, that"s all right," laughed the police chief. "This young woman is Katharine Pitney. She has told me the whole story, and I am satisfied that she has told me everything honestly. Miss Pitney is not a prisoner.
She has made a little mistake in becoming engaged to the wrong sort of fellow--the "Tom" from whom you tried to defend her. Now, it seems that "Tom"--which isn"t his name, had persuaded her to help him in playing a joke, as he explained it to her. So Miss Pitney was foolish enough to agree. She is wholly sorry, now she knows that it was a crime, not a joke in which she helped. And "Tom" has received his walking papers so far as Miss Pitney is concerned."
"But I beg you"ll forgive me, Mr. Somers," spoke up the girl, anxiously.
"I honestly believed it was a joke that I was helping in. As soon as Mr. Ward found me, I told him the whole truth about the matter."
"You certainly did, Miss Pitney," confirmed the chief.
"Why, I haven"t anything to forgive," laughed Eph. "It was a joke, the way it turned out."
Chief Ward escorted Miss Pitney from the room, then returned to explain:
"That"s a wholly good girl, but her fancy was too easily won by the fellow, "Tom." She knows better, now, and will have to know a whole lot more about the next man she allows to capture her affections. Now, I have another pair to show you. They"re in cells. Come downstairs, please."
Through a corridor underneath the chief led his visitors, halting, at last, before a barred door of iron.
"Look through, and see who it is," smiled the police chief.
"Why, that"s Walter C. Hodges, who sent us off on a pleasure trip in that doctored automobile!" exclaimed Jack.
"Yes; you"re right," sighed the prisoner. "I"ve been cornered, and I"ve admitted it."
"But that fellow"s daughter?" asked Jack, as the chief led them away.
"Hodges hasn"t any daughter," replied Chief Ward. "We found the young woman, but we let her go. She is an idle, vain young woman. Hodges told her the same old story--a joke he was playing, and persuaded the young woman to go along and pretend to be his daughter. In payment he bought her the fine clothes she was wearing when you saw her. And now, here"s some one you may like to see here!"
For a moment or two not a word was uttered as the submarine people found themselves gazing between bars at--Fred Radwin.
Radwin did not look depressed, but, on the contrary, jaunty and defiant.
"He"s the one I"m best pleased of all to have," chuckled Chief Ward.
"The four ruffians who attacked you boys, and held two of you in that deserted house before Benson led our party to the place, have confessed that they were acting for Radwin. And Hodges has confessed, too, that Radwin employed him, and that, between them, they put the doctored axle in the auto."
While Chief Ward was speaking Fred Radwin turned pale.
"You didn"t know all this until just this moment, did you, Radwin?"
smiled the chief.
"Oh, you needn"t think you can down me too easily," snarled the prisoner.
"I have money to fight with."
"I know," nodded Ward. "You have a little over twenty thousand dollars, Radwin. I also know where the money is. An attorney acting for the chauffeur that was hurt so badly in the automobile smash-up has already started in to attach that money in a suit for damages by the chauffeur."
It is time to turn from too disagreeable a picture. The four roughs first hired by Fred Radwin were sent to the penitentiary for a year each.
Hodges, in consideration of furnishing useful state"s evidence, was sentenced to the penitentiary for two years and a half for his share in the automobile plot.
Radwin, for conspiracy in setting on the roughs, was sentenced to three years in the penitentiary; for his part in the automobile affair five years more were added. It will be a long time, yet, ere Radwin will breathe the air as a free man.
John C. Rhinds vanished completely. True, one returned traveler reported having seen Rhinds at Nice, performing paltry services for American tourists in return for paltry "tips."
Mrs. Rhinds and her daughter, having decided to make the best of matters, are now living quietly and happily in a western town. They believe John C. to be dead.