The Young Oarsmen of Lakeview Part 50

He had seen Nellie Ardell's face as the young lady walked about the apartment. As the others gazed upward Alexander Sloc.u.m appeared. He held a sheet of paper and a pen in his hands.

"He wants her to sign something," cried our hero in a low voice. "See!

see! he is going to force her."

"Leave me be, Mr. Sloc.u.m," those below heard Nellie Ardell exclaim. "I will not sign off my interest in that property. Leave me be! Oh, that somebody was at hand to help me!"

"Come on--there is no time to waste!" cried Colonel Dartwell, and pushed through the hedge.

Jerry followed, and both ran for a side door of the building, which stood open.

Here they found themselves confronted by a burly man of advanced age, evidently the proprietor of the sanitarium.

"Here, what do you want here?" he demanded, roughly.

"We want that young lady upstairs!" cried Jerry.

"You can't have her."

"We'll see about that," put in Colonel Dartwell. "You have no authority to detain her here."

"She is insane, and----"

"Help! help!" came from upstairs, and rus.h.i.+ng past the burly doctor, Jerry skipped up the stairs, three steps at a time.

The colonel came behind. The doctor was about to remonstrate when he found himself confronted by the two detectives.

Our hero and the colonel soon found the proper door. It was locked, but putting his shoulder to it the young oarsman soon burst it open.

Alexander Sloc.u.m stood at the table in the center of the room. He had Nellie Ardell by the wrist, and was endeavoring to force her to sign the paper before them.

"Leave her alone, you villain!" cried Jerry, and dragged him backward.

"Jerry Upton!" exclaimed the young woman, and her tone was full of joy.

"Oh, how thankful I am that you have come!"

"What--what is the meaning of this?" asked Sloc.u.m, turning deadly pale.

"It means that you have been found out, Alexander Sloc.u.m," replied our hero. "We have learned--"

"Darnley the boomer!" burst out Colonel Dartwell at this point. "So this is where you drifted to after the swindle at Silver Run."

"Do you know him?" queried Jerry.

"Only too well. He was in Colorado for several years under the name of Chester Darnley. He is a boomer and all-around swindler."

"It's a--a falsehood," burst from Alexander Sloc.u.m's lips, but his voice trembled as he spoke.

"I can prove all I say," said the colonel. "There are witnesses enough against you at Silver Run."

Sloc.u.m was all but overcome. He sank in a chair, and a moment later one of the detectives came up and slipped a pair of handcuffs on his wrists.

The proprietor of the so-called sanitarium was also arrested, and both prisoners were driven down to the Brooklyn police station. A hearing was had, and the prisoners were held for trial.

From Brooklyn the colonel, Nellie, and Jerry returned to New York. Nellie left the party to go home, and Jerry and the colonel continued on to Sloc.u.m's office with an officer.

The book-keeper, Casey, was found and arrested, and the office was placed in care of the authorities. The next day Jerry recovered his father's papers and also those belonging to Nellie Ardell.

The young oarsman lost no time in sending word home how matters had turned, stating that the claim was probably worth a good deal of money. He added that if his father was not well enough to come to the metropolis, Colonel Dartwell stood ready to take entire charge of the case and see that they got their rights.

An answer soon came back, written by Mrs. Upton. Mr. Upton was well enough to sit up, but that was all, and he would be glad enough to do as his son had suggested. So the necessary papers were made out, and a suit inst.i.tuted against Alexander Sloc.u.m.

In the meantime, Mr. Islen sold out his bindery, and by this turn of affairs our hero found himself out of employment. But he had had enough of the great metropolis for the present, and was glad enough to go back to Lakeview while awaiting the time when Sloc.u.m should be brought to trial.

The news of what he had accomplished had leaked out, and when he arrived he found Harry and Blumpo awaiting him at the depot.

"You're a clever one, Jerry!" cried Harry, shaking his hand warmly. "To run off on the quiet and come back with a fortune for your family."

"We haven't got the fortune yet," laughed the young oarsman. "But we hope to have it before long."

"I always said Jerry was de greatest boy dat eber was born," e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Blumpo, with his face on a broad grin.

"How is your father? Blumpo," asked Jerry, to change the subject.

"He's very well again."

"You must tell us your whole story," went on Harry. "I am dying to hear it."

"I will--but I must get home first," answered the young oarsman.

He was soon on his way to the farm, where his parents received him with open arms. A splendid dinner was awaiting him--such a repast as he had not had since leaving--but none of the food was touched until his tale was told from end to end, with all of its details as they have been presented to my readers.

"You did well, son," was Mr. Upton's comment. "I don't believe anybody could have done better."

Mrs. Upton smiled fondly and put her arms about the boy.

"He's our Jerry, father," was all she said, but the simple words meant a good deal.

His own story told, and the dinner finished, Jerry wanted to know the news around Lakeview, but his parents had little to tell.

"I have not been out since your father was taken down," said Mrs. Upton.

"You'll have to asked Harry Parker and your other friends."

"Have Si Peters and Wash Crosby been caught yet?"

"No, and I doubt if they ever do catch them," responded Mrs. Upton.