Dan Carter and the Money Box Page 12

  CHAPTER 12 A Pair of Legs

  Feeling almost as if he were a suspect in a crime case, Dan followed Mr.Hatfield and the two police officers into the house.

  Captain Eggleston began the interview by asking routine questions of bothDan and Mr. Hatfield. Then abruptly he announced that a check had beenmade of the car license number noted down by the Cubs on the night of theheavy rain storm.

  "The automobile belongs to Frank Jankowski, a salesman for the V. H.Everetts Hardware Co.," he informed.

  "Mr. Jankowski!" Dan exclaimed.

  "Obviously, the boys were mistaken in thinking that the car was followingus," Mr. Hatfield said. "Imagination plays strange tricks on the mind. Ithought myself--at least for a while--that we were being followed."

  "You've given us several false steers in this investigation," CaptainEggleston said rather severely. "What are you trying to hide?"

  The question irritated Mr. Hatfield. He tried not to show resentment andkept his voice controlled as he replied:

  "Absolutely nothing."

  "You say you placed the money box in the drawer of your desk?"

  "That is correct."

  "You considered it a safe place?"

  "Safe enough. If I hadn't, I'd have made other disposition of the box."

  "Why did you delay in calling police?"

  "We've gone over all that before," Mr. Hatfield said wearily. "It waslate, and frankly, I was tired. I didn't feel equal to a long haranguewith police until I was more rested. So I waited until morning."

  "The first discovery that the box was gone was when police arrived here?"

  "That is correct."

  "And to your knowledge, no one entered or left the house in themeantime?"

  "My wife was here, of course. I don't recall anyone else, unless one ofthe Cubs dropped in."

  "No woman?"

  "Not so far as I know." Mr. Hatfield was amazed by the question. He couldtell that Captain Eggleston was leading up to a climax, but what it washe could not guess.

  The police officer withdrew an ornamental button from his pocket.Carelessly, he dropped it on the table.

  Dan noticed that the button was an unusual one of black jet, cut in adiamond shape.

  "Ever see that before?" Captain Eggleston asked.

  "I don't think so," Mr. Hatfield replied, examining the button minutely."Why?"

  "Your wife allowed us to examine the study again. We found this button inthe drawer where she said you had kept the tin box."

  "It looks like a button from a woman's dress. But I don't recall that mywife has one with jet fasteners."

  "So she said." Captain Eggleston picked up the button and dropped it intohis pocket again. "The button may or may not be a clue. It's not much togo on in any case."

  "You think the box may have been taken by a woman?" Mr. Hatfield asked inamazement.

  "This button is the only thing that points in that direction. It may havebeen in the drawer for a long while."

  "I never saw it before. At least I never noticed it."

  The policemen at last seemed to accept Mr. Hatfield's word that he hadtold them everything he knew about the disappearance. They asked Dan afew routine questions and finally left.

  "I'll be jogging along too," Dan said. "If I don't get a move on, I'll belate for supper."

  "Don't forget your roofing discs," Mr. Hatfield reminded him. "See youtomorrow. Meanwhile, don't worry about the money. Sooner or later, policewill turn up a clue."

  On his way to the door, Dan asked the Cub leader if he thought the jetbutton had any real significance.

  "I can't see it myself," Mr. Hatfield replied. "Though how the buttoncame to be in the desk is a puzzle too. This whole thing is a headache."

  "It was my fault for finding the box in the first place."

  Mr. Hatfield laughed and clapped Dan on the back. "Now, none of thattalk, Dan!" he chided. "We'll get the thing straightened out. Forgetabout it and let me do the worrying."

  Despite the Cub leader's admonition, Dan could not drive thoughts of thetin box from his mind.

  That night, from his father, he learned that it was generally known inWebster City that the Cubs had found the box. Furthermore, a number ofthoughtless persons were criticizing Mr. Hatfield for not having takenbetter care of the money.

  "It's awkward that several people have put in a claim to the cash," hisfather added.

  "At least two of 'em must be fake claims, Dad."

  "I'd judge so," agreed his father. "But to prove it may not be easy."

  On the following day, the Cubs met briefly at the church to compare noteson how they were making their suits of armor.

  Mrs. Hatfield and Mrs. Holloway both were there to help the boys with thework. Brad was the only one who had finished his suit. In a burst ofenthusiasm he had gone ahead, making a cardboard horse which could beworn over his shoulders.

  "We ought to have the best Round Table of any of the Dens," Dan declared,his enthusiasm at high pitch.

  At that moment Babe uttered a loud wail. In the act of painting a coat ofarms on a banner, he had upset a can of red paint.

  "Dope!" Chips scolded the younger boy. "Why don't you watch what you'redoing?"

  "I'm sorry," Babe mumbled. "I accidentally kicked the can with my feet."

  "Just look what you've done to the carpet. The church will be making uspay for it! The trustees will say the Cubs are just a bunch of carelessbabies who destroy property."

  "I _am not_ a baby," the younger boy said furiously. "It was anaccident."

  "Of course it was," interposed Mrs. Hatfield. "One we're quite preparedfor too!"

  While the Cubs watched in admiration, she wiped up the paint, and cleanedthe carpet with turpentine.

  "There, every trace is gone," she assured the crestfallen Babe. "Chips, aknight should practice chivalry, don't you think?"

  "What's that?" he demanded suspiciously.

  "It means being polite and courteous to others."

  "Well, Babe was awkward," said Chips angrily.

  "So are we all at times, Chips. Speaking of a Knight's code of honor, ourDen should have one. Any suggestions?"

  "We already have one rule," Dan recalled. "Be Always Ready."

  "Let's work out some others," suggested Mrs. Hatfield. "Everyone thinkhard."

  "Keep away from deep water!" Red offered eagerly.

  Several of the Cubs snickered. Mrs. Hatfield, however, nodded her headapprovingly.

  "An excellent safety rule, Red. I think, though, we may find others whichfit in a little better with knighthood."

  "Knights did a lot of fighting," Midge said reflectively.

  "Which leads us to this thought," suggested Mrs. Hatfield. "Be preparedalways to fight in defense of right, or your own country."

  "How about doing good for others?" proposed Brad.

  "Excellent. Now we have three rules for our knights to follow: 'Be AlwaysReady. Be Prepared. And Do Good Unto Others.'"

  "They're easy rules to remember," Dan said. "But to follow 'em may not bequite so simple."

  The Cubs worked a while longer on their armor. As they began to growtired, Mrs. Hatfield said it was time to break up the meeting. Before theCubs left the church, she reminded them to keep working on their pledgelist for the building fund.

  "The money isn't coming in as fast as we'd like," she declared. "We'reespecially short from the persons we expected to give fairly largeamounts. So during the next few days dig in and really do your best."

  Dan and Brad were the last to leave, lingering behind to help Mrs.Hatfield and Mrs. Holloway clean up the litter.

  "I guess you meant us, Mrs. Hatfield," Brad remarked as they closed thechurch doors. "Dan and I haven't been very lucky in signing up our bestprospects. Especially Mr. Merrimac."

  "You've worked hard I know," she praised him. "All the same, it might beworth while to call on Mr. Merrimac again. He might change his mind ifyou use your best powers
of persuasion."

  "I doubt that, knowing him," Brad replied gloomily. "We can try though."

  After leaving Mrs. Hatfield, the two boys walked on to the Merrimac home.Neither of them had any enthusiasm for the interview ahead.

  "Well, let's get it over with," Brad sighed, as he shoved hard on thedoorbell. "He can't do any worse than turn us down again."

  Mr. Merrimac kept the boys waiting. Repeatedly, Brad jabbed his finger onthe doorbell.

  "He's in there," Dan insisted. "I can hear him moving around."

  "Like as not he's seen us from a window and is hiding out," Brad returnedin disgust. "Merrimac is playing hard to get."

  Annoyed because the elderly gentleman refused to come to the door, hepunched the doorbell two or three times in rapid succession and then gaveup.

  "Makes me sick," he complained. "Mr. Merrimac at least ought to see us.That's only common courtesy."

  In leaving the premises, the boys walked around toward the rear of thehouse.

  "Why, the kitchen window is wide open!" Dan observed in surprise.

  Mr. Merrimac, they both knew, was no fresh air fiend. Furthermore, theweather was far too cold for one comfortably to keep a window wide open.

  "That's funny!" Brad said, stopping short. "S-a-y!"

  As the two Cubs stared in utter amazement, a pair of legs protruded fromthe window.

  Before either Dan or Brad could recover from astonishment, a man leapedlightly to the ground. Seeing the two boys, he ducked his head and rantoward the alley.