Dan Carter And The Money Box Part 24

"I don't remember the date. It was the same morning Mr. Hatfield reported he lost the money. I'd have told him about it, only it didn't register on me until yesterday that there might be any connection."

"So far as I know no one lives at the Hatfield house except Sam, his wife, and Fred," Dan said, deeply puzzled. "Who could the old lady have been?"

"It was no one I knew. She kept the shawl over her head, either to hide her face or protect it from the cold air."

"Which way did she go?" Dan asked.

"I didn't notice. As I say, at the time I thought nothing about seeing her."

"I think Mr. Hatfield should know about this, and maybe the police," said Dan. "So far, the only clue found is a black jet b.u.t.ton. Apparently, it came from a woman's dress. But how could a woman have known about the box?"

The milkman did not try to answer. Already late on his route, he started toward his wagon.

"I won't get a chance to talk to Mr. Hatfield until late tonight," he called over his shoulder. "If you think what I told you means anything, Dan, let him know for me."

"I'll do it right away," the boy promised.

Even before the milk wagon was out of sight, he had gathered up his materials.

"Mom, how about rus.h.i.+ng breakfast?" he asked, carrying both the milk and his work into the kitchen. "I want to see Mr. Hatfield before I go to school."

"I'll set the food right on," his mother promised.

Dan ate on the fly. "Don't look for me after school tonight," he advised as he banged out the door. "The Cubs are having a cook-out."

At the Hatfield home, Dan found the Cub leader, his wife, and Fred eating their own breakfast.

"Have a roll and some chocolate with us," Mrs. Hatfield invited.

"I've had my breakfast," Dan replied, eyeing the sugary hot roll with a greedy eye.

"Oh, a growing boy always can eat a little more," Mrs. Hatfield laughed, offering him a chair. "Do have something with us, Dan."

Thus urged, the boy slid into the seat by the window. As he sipped hot chocolate, he told Mr. Hatfield what the milkman had reported.

"An elderly woman in black!" Mrs. Hatfield exclaimed. "I can't imagine!"

"You've had no cleaning woman?" asked Dan.

"Not in weeks, Dan. And no visitors at such an early hour of the morning."

"I locked all the doors that night we brought the box here," Mr. Hatfield said slowly.

"The one opening into the cellar?" his wife asked him.

"Well-I'm not sure."

"Which means you didn't," Mrs. Hatfield said. "Oh, Sam, you _were_ careless."

"I'm afraid so," the Cub leader admitted. "After all the preaching I've done to the Cubs too."

"It wasn't your fault," Dan said loyally. "Until lately, it's never been necessary to lock a house up tight to keep one's belongings safe."

"This always has been a good neighborhood," Mr. Hatfield agreed. "That fact gave me a false sense of security, I'm afraid."

"If the milkman saw a woman leaving the house, that's obviously where the money box went," Mrs. Hatfield declared, refilling Dan's cup with chocolate. "It explains too why the police found a jet b.u.t.ton near where the box had been hidden."

"But who could the woman have been?" Mr. Hatfield murmured. "So far as we know, the only person besides the Cubs who knew about the box was that man caught peeping into the church."

"He must have told others," Mrs. Hatfield reasoned. "We can be fairly certain of that because so many claims were put in for the money."

"Learning about this woman convinces me of one thing," said Mr. Hatfield.

"I'm positive none of the Cubs told about the box. The leak came from another source."

"Will you tell police?" Dan questioned.

"Yes, Dan. This clue may be the most important one yet. I've begun to think though, that the money never will be recovered. In that case, if the rightful claimant can prove his a.s.sertion, I'll make good the loss."

"That doesn't seem fair, Mr. Hatfield," Dan protested.

"I a.s.sumed responsibility for the money, Dan. Seemingly it was lost through my carelessness. I couldn't face the Cubs if I didn't make good."

Dan said no more. He knew that Mr. Hatfield, being a man of honor, would keep his word. However, he realized also that the Hatfields were only moderately well fixed and could not afford to lose so much of their savings.

"Now don't worry about it, Dan," Mr. Hatfield said as they all arose from the breakfast table. "You're taking this matter entirely too seriously.

Everything will come out in the wash."

"If the money isn't found, we'll give up that new car we had intended to buy," declared Mrs. Hatfield. "Expensive automobiles are an unnecessary luxury."

Dan looked so troubled that Mr. Hatfield, to take his mind off the money box, said quickly:

"All set for the cook-out tonight?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Remind all the Cubs to meet here at my house right after school. Now you and Fred had better get along to school, or you'll be late."

Dan thanked the Hatfields for the breakfast, and gathering up his books, went off with Fred.

Later, after school had been dismissed for the day, all the Cubs met at Mr. Hatfield's home for the hike and cook-out.

No more was said about the missing tin box, for the Cub leader felt that the matter had been too much discussed. He preferred to have the boys center thoughts on the Knight Crusade and their own activities.

Nevertheless, Dan fell into step with Brad as they set off for the marsh area, again bringing up the recent incident at Mr. Merrimac's home. So far as either boy knew, police had not been able to catch the man who had fled from the dwelling.

"Brad, do you suppose there could be any connection between that thief and the woman who took the tin box?" Dan speculated.

"Search me," Brad returned, s.h.i.+fting his knapsack to the other shoulder.