Fairview Boys and their Rivals/Chapter 11
CHAPTER XI
ROBBERY
"Robbed!" echoed Mr. Bouncer, in great surprise.
"Yes, of nearly everything of value it contained."
"You amaze me," said Bob's father.
"My brother just notified me," went on Mr. Haven. "I wish you would come down to the store with me."
"Certainly, at once," replied Mr. Bouncer.
Bob was greatly excited at the news. He ran for his clothes and got them on in a hurry. Then he bounded down the stairs. By this time his father had joined Mr. Haven, and the two gentlemen were hurrying down the street towards the center of the village.
Bob started to run after them, when he saw Frank just leaving the yard of his own house. He waited till Frank came up, all in a flurry, buttoning up his coat as if he had put it on in haste.
"Frank, the store has been robbed, I heard your father say."
"Yes," replied Frank. "He's terribly worried about it. You know, he borrowed a lot of money to buy it out and start my uncle in business."
"Yes, I heard so."
"It would about ruin him if the thieves took much."
"Your father says they did."
"Oh, I hope not—my uncle may be mistaken."
As the boys, following their fathers, turned into the main business street of the town, they noticed a crowd gathered in front of the jewelry store.
Early as the hour was, the village marshal had already reached the place. The boys expected to see the windows smashed, or the doors broken in, but there was not a sign of disorder about the place. The show windows and the shelves looked as neat and orderly as usual.
Frank and Bob went inside the store. They found the marshal and the others standing in front of the large iron safe at the end of the store. Its massive doors stood open. Its drawers were pulled out and scattered on the floor, and its shelves were empty.
"Gone—all gone!" groaned Mr. Haven, turning very pale.
"Yes, they have taken everything there was in the safe," said his brother.
"When did you find it out?" asked the marshal.
"Not half an hour ago," was the reply. "I came down earlier than usual, because I had some hurry repairing orders. I let myself in and then I noticed the open safe."
"It's a weak, old-fashioned iron box," said the marshal, looking the safe over. "I often told Jones it wasn't any good. The robbers pried it open easily."
"But how did they get into the store?" asked Mr. Bouncer.
"That is the mystery," replied Frank's uncle. "The door was locked as usual, and the window-catches all in place."
"Why, then, they must have had a key," said the marshal.
"Evidently they did."
"The lost key—do you remember?" Bob whispered to Frank, in an excited tone.
"Some one found it!"
"Yes!"
"And let himself in here! Who could have done it?"
Before Bob could reply, Mr. Haven sank into a chair with a groan.
"They have taken everything," he declared, "the silverware, the watches and chains, and all the solid gold goods we carried."
"Did they amount to much?" asked the marshal.
"Over five thousand dollars."
"Too bad! My assistant watchman and myself patrolled the town all night. He reported no suspicious persons about, and I saw none."
"They got in easily, and took what they liked."
Neither Frank nor Bob ate much breakfast that morning. They were too excited to think of anything except the robbery. When they started for school the whole village was aroused over the robbery. Everybody was talking about it. When they got to the schoolhouse even the smallest scholars spoke of the event.
Frank felt pretty bad. Bob was very sorry for Mr. Haven. He told Frank so, and tried to cheer up his chum.
"The robbers must have been strangers," he said.
"I think that," returned Frank.
"The marshal has got half a dozen men started in different directions. They are bound to get some idea of the way the thieves have gone."
"I hope so. Why, they even locked the door after them when they went away! My father has offered two hundred dollars reward."
Bob did not do much studying that day. When school was over in the afternoon he went home with Frank to hear if anything had been heard of the robbers.
Mr. Haven was seated on the porch, talking gloomily with a lawyer. Mrs. Haven was about her work as usual, but looked very serious.
"What's the news, Frank?" asked Bob, after Frank had gone into the house and had seen his mother.
"They haven't caught the robbers."
"It's queer how the fellows have gotten away without being seen, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is, Bob, and that's what puzzles the marshal, my mother says."
"I'll be back after supper, Frank," said Bob. "I wonder if Sammy will be over?"
"He said he would," replied Frank.
"All right, I may want you to go somewhere with me."
"What do you mean?" asked Frank.
"I'll tell you after supper."
Bob went away, very thoughtful. He was doing much thinking. At the corner of two streets he stood still for a long time, as if trying to make up his mind to something.
"It can't do any harm to follow out my idea," he said to himself and started up quickly.
Bob went straight to the home of Miss Simmons. He had not seen her since the day he had noticed the tramp leave the place. Bob found her seated in a rocking-chair on the porch, sewing.
"Why, how do you do. Bob?" said the old maid. "I thought you were coming to see me? I wanted to give you something for helping me get back those letters."
"I don't want anything for that. Miss Simmons," replied Bob, "but there's something else you can do for me, if you will."
"What is that, Bob?"
"I'd like to know if that tramp I saw here brought you back those four letters."
Miss Simmons flushed and fidgeted. Then she asked, sharply:
"Have you told anybody about the letters, Bob?"
"No, ma'am, not a soul."
"You're a good boy, Bob; a very good boy."
"Thank you, Miss Simmons."
"And about those letters"
"Yes, ma'am?"
"The man you speak of did bring them back."
"I thought that. Miss Simmons, have you seen him since the day you lost the letters?"
The old maid looked troubled. Then she glanced sharply at Bob.
"What are you asking that for?" she said.
"Because I believe he has been up to some mischief," replied the boy. "If I knew all about his dealings with you, it might help me find out what I am after."
"Well, Bob," said the lady, "he is certainly a very bad man. He found those letters, and nearly scared me to death saying he would print them if I didn't pay him to get them back. I gave him all the money I had. He wanted more."
"How much?" asked Bob.
"Sixty dollars, ten in cash."
"The rascal!"
"He made me give him a note for that fifty dollars. Then he asked me who would cash it. He got out of me that Mr. Silas Dolby did that kind of business. I suppose he placed the note with him."
"That explains how I came to see the tramp at the old miser's house the night Frank lost the key to the jewelry store," thought Bob.
"Early yesterday morning," went on Miss Simmons, "the man came to the back door here. He had another man with him."
"What kind of a man?" asked Bob, eagerly.
"A man with a green shade over one eye."
Bob could hardly keep from crying out. He was sure now that the two men he had heard talk about robbery in the bluff hide-out, had been in Fairview the day previous.
"He wanted something to eat," said the old maid. "I gave them their breakfast. Then the man asked for some money. I told him I had given him all I intended to. He acted sort of ugly, and I said I would call the marshal if he troubled me any more. Then he went away pretty quick."
"Thank you, Miss Simmons," said Bob. "You have told me just what I wanted to know."
"It won't—won't mix me in anything about those letters?" asked the old maid.
"No, indeed. I haven't mentioned about them, and I shan't. The man won't bother you any more, either, Miss Simmons."
Bob left the place with big thoughts in his mind. He was only a boy, but he felt that he had found out something that a grown man would be glad to learn.
"I'm going to do something about that robbery," said Bob to himself. "I hardly know what just yet, but I'll think out some way."
It was just after supper that Bob went over to the Haven place. Frank and Sammy were waiting for him.
"Any news of the robbers yet?" asked Bob.
"Not a word," replied Frank. "The marshal says he can't find that any tramps or strangers have been hanging around town lately."
Bob said nothing. He kept it to himself that the town marshal was mistaken.
"Well, fellows," he said, "I want you to join me in a hunt."
"Eh? What kind of a hunt?" asked Sammy, with great interest.
"Not a treasure hunt, mind you," replied Bob, with a faint smile, remembering Sammy's weakness.
"Oh," said Sammy, flushing up, "what kind of a hunt, then?"
"I want to see if we can't find the men who robbed Mr. Haven's jewelry store," replied Bob.