The Yacht Club Part 36

"Though I knew about it all the time, I didn't mean to say a word."

"About what?"

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE PAPERS FROM THE TIN BOX. Page 281.]

"About your tin trunk. We didn't keep any such in our store! I knew what you meant all the time; but I didn't let on that Don John had done it."

"Done what?"

"Stolen it. That day I was in the library with Don John and Hasbrook, I was discharged from Miller's, because I wanted to go away to stay over Sunday. I had a boat down by Ramsay's shop, and I went there to get off.

Well, captain, I saw Don John have the same tin trunk I saw in your library."

"Are you telling the truth?"

"Of course I am. I wouldn't go back on Don John if he hadn't tried to lay it to me. If you search his house and shop, I'll bet you'll find the tin trunk, or some of the money and papers."

Captain Patterdale was intensely grieved, even to believe Laud's statement was possibly true; but he decided to have the boat-builder's premises searched before he proceeded any further against Laud. Mr.

Beardsley was to do this unpleasant duty, and for this purpose he called on Donald the night before the great race.

The deputy sheriff did his work thoroughly, in spite of the confidence of Donald and the distress of his mother and sister. Perhaps he would not have discovered the four fifty-dollar bills concealed in the bureau if Donald had not a.s.sisted him; but he had no help in finding a lot of notes and other papers hidden under a sill in the shop. The boat-builder protested that he knew nothing about these papers, and had never seen them before in his life.

Mrs. Ramsay and Barbara wept as though their hearts would break; but Donald was led away by the sheriff.

That night Captain s.h.i.+vernock returned by the train from Portland.

CHAPTER XVI.

SAt.u.r.dAY COVE.

Mr. Beardsley, the deputy sheriff, conducted Donald to the elegant mansion of Captain Patterdale. Perhaps no one who saw them walking together suspected that the boat-builder was charged with so gross a crime as stealing the tin box and its valuable contents. Some persons do not like to walk through the streets with sheriffs and policemen; but Donald was not of that sort, for in spite of all the evidence brought against him, he obstinately refused to believe that he was guilty. Even the fact that several notes and other papers had been found in the shop did not impair his belief in his own innocence. Captain Patterdale was in his library nervously awaiting the return of the officer, when they arrived.

"Don John, I hope you will come out of this all right," said he, as they entered.

"I have no doubt I shall, sir," replied Donald. "If I don't, it will be because I can't prove what is the truth."

Mr. Beardsley reported the result of the search, and handed the captain the four fifty-dollar bills with the papers.

"I have no doubt all these were in the tin box," said the nabob, sadly.

"The bills are like those paid me by Hasbrook, and these notes are certainly mine. I don't ask you to commit yourself, Don John, but--"

"Commit myself!" exclaimed Donald, with a look of contempt, which, in this connection, was sublime. "I mean to speak the truth, whether I am committed or not."

"Perhaps you will be able to clear this thing up," added Captain Patterdale. "I wish to ask you a few questions."

"I will answer them truly. The only wrong I have done was to conceal what I thought there was no harm in concealing."

"It is not wise to do things in the dark."

"You will excuse me, sir, but you have done the same thing. If I had known that your tin box was stolen, I should have understood several things which are plain to me now."

"What, for instance?"

"If I had known it, I should have brought these bills to you as soon as Laud paid them to me, to see if they belonged to you. And I should have known why Laud was digging clams on Turtle Head."

"Laud says he paid you no money."

"He paid me three hundred and fifty dollars for the Juno--these four bills and the three I paid Mr. Leach."

"He persists that he don't own the Juno, and says that Captain s.h.i.+vernock lets him have the use of her for taking care of her,"

continued the nabob.

Donald's face, which had thus far been clouded with anxiety, suddenly lighted up with a cheerful smile, as he produced the cover of an old tuck-diary, which contained the papers of Ramsay & Son. He opened it, and took therefrom the bill of sale of the Juno, in the well-known writing of Captain s.h.i.+vernock.

"Does that prove anything?" he asked, as he tossed the paper on the desk, within reach of the inquisitor.

"It proves that Captain s.h.i.+vernock sold the Juno to you, and consequently he has not owned her since the date of this bill," replied the nabob, as he read the paper.

"Is it likely, then, that Captain s.h.i.+vernock lets Laud have the use of her for taking care of her?" demanded Donald, warmly.

"Certainly not."

"Is it any more likely that, if I own the Juno, I should let Laud use her for nothing, for he says he never paid me a dollar?"

"I don't think it is."

"Then you can believe as much as you please of the rest of Laud's story, which Mr. Beardsley related to me as we walked up," added Donald.

"He says he saw you have the tin box, Don John."

"And I saw him digging clams in the loam on Turtle Head."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I think he buried the tin box there. I saw where he had been digging, but I didn't know any tin box had been stolen then, and thought nothing of it," answered Donald.

At this moment there was a tremendous ring at the door bell, a ring that evidently "meant business." Captain Patterdale opened the door himself, and Captain s.h.i.+vernock stalked into the room as haughtily as though he owned the elegant mansion. He had been to Newport and Cape May to keep cool, and had arrived a couple of hours before from Portland.

Mrs. Sykes had told him all the news she could in this time, and among other things informed him that Captain Patterdale and the deputy sheriff had called to inquire whether Laud had the use of the boat for taking care of her. By this he knew that the tin trunk matter was under investigation. He was interested, and possibly he was alarmed; at any rate, he went to his safe, put the roll of fifty-dollar bills in his pocket, and hastened over to Captain Patterdale's house.

"When people come to my house, and I'm not at home, I don't like to have them talk to my servants about my affairs," bl.u.s.tered the strange man.

"I don't think we meddled with your affairs any further than to ask if Laud Cavendish had the use of the Juno for taking care of her,"

explained Captain Patterdale.

"It don't concern you. Laud Cavendish does have the use of the Juno for taking care of her."