by Morgan Scott
CHAPTER VII
YOUNG SPORTS.
After shivering for more than half an hour beneath a tree across thestreet from Mrs. Chester's home, Sleuth Piper finally decided to make amove. Since seeking the hiding shelter of that tree he had seen fourboys ascend the widow's steps, ring the bell and obtain admission. Itwas now some time since the last one had disappeared within the house,and Piper believed no more were to follow.
There was a light in Osgood's room on the second floor, but the shadeswere closely drawn at the windows. Sleuth would have given much had hebeen able to look through those windows, but being prevented from doingso, he had decided on a bold move.
Swiftly crossing the road, he softly mounted the steps and hastily gavea single ring at the bell. After a few moments the summons was answeredby a maid, and the boy boldly entered the moment the door swung open.
"I'm to see Osgood," he said in a low tone. "I'm a little late. Ipresume the other fellows are ahead of me?"
"Mr. Osgood has several friends with him in his room," said the girl."He's expecting you, isn't he?"
"Why, sure," returned Piper, although even in his "professionalcapacity" his conscience was troubled by the falsehood, which surely wassomething quite surprising in a detective.
By the muffled hall light the boy deliberately mounted the carpetedstairs. He heard the maid retire, and the sound of the door closingbehind her was most gratifying to his ears.
There was little trouble in finding the door of Osgood's room, for frombehind it came the subdued murmur of voices; and, listening, Piper heardat intervals a queer, soft, irregular clicking sound. But when he wouldhave taken a peep through the keyhole, he was much disappointed to findit either plugged or covered on the inside by something that baffledhim.
"And that proves there's something queer going on," he whispered tohimself. "They're not talking loud, either; they're keeping their voicesdown. A lot of fellows who get together and chat free and easy don'tbother to talk that way. Wish I could hear something more."
After a time, growing desperate through the intensity of his increasingcuriosity, he placed his hand gently on the knob of the door with hisear close to the panel, and, when the talk seemed to be a bit moregeneral inside, he softly and slowly turned the knob.
The door was locked!
"That settles it," he mentally exclaimed. "There's something off colortaking place here."
Still with the utmost caution, he permitted the spring slowly to forcethe catch back into place and removed his hand from the knob.
"There's just one thing to do now," he decided; "I've got to put on abold front. It's the only play for me to make."
Lifting his hand, he knocked softly upon the door.
Immediately the hum of voices ceased, and after a little Sleuth fanciedhe heard some one whisper within the room.
He knocked again.
There was the sound of a person stirring, and the key turned in thelock. The door was opened the tiniest crack, and the voice of Osgoodasked:
"Who is it? What's wanted?"
"Hello, Ned," called Sleuth, as he again grasped the knob and gave thedoor a push which flung it wide open. "Thought I'd come round for alittle call this---- Why, you've got company! Excuse me."
The scene beheld by Piper's eyes caused them to grow unusually big andround. Within the room four boys remained seated around a table coveredby a green cloth and lighted by a shaded suspension lamp. On that tablewere red, white and blue poker chips and some cards. In each fellow'shand were also the cards which he had held when play had beeninterrupted by Sleuth's knock. The young gamesters looked somewhatstartled, an expression which gave way to annoyance as they recognizedthe unwelcome caller.
"How the dickens did you get into the house?" exclaimed Osgood, in amanner that was, for him, unusually rude.
"Why," returned Sleuth instantly, "I just said I came round to make youa little call. But if I'm not welcome----"
"Old Pipe always has his nose into everything," laughed Chipper Cooper,one of the quartet at the table. "As long as he's here to call, bringhim in and let him do his calling in the game."
The other three were Charley Shultz, Roy Hooker and Phil Springer.Shultz was scowling darkly and Hooker did not seem exactly pleased; but,like Cooper, Springer appeared to accept the situation good-naturedly.
"Bub-bub-bet he hasn't any coin with him," said Phil.
"Come in, Billy," invited Osgood. "Your unexpected appearance ratherupset us. I thought it might be Mrs. Chester or the maid, although wehaven't been making any noise."
Piper was only too willing to accept the invitation. "You seem to behaving a rather nice little game," he said, as he entered the room andOsgood relocked the door. "What's the limit?"
"Oh, we're just playing for amusement," assured the host. "It's nothingbut penny-ante, with a ten-cent limit; just enough to make itinteresting, you know. Do you play?"
Now one of Sleuth's weaknesses was cards, although his limited financeshad never allowed him to play much for money. On this particularoccasion, however, he happened to have in his pocket between two andthree dollars, and, although he protested that he did not wish to buttin, he was more than willing to take a hand.
"It will get me on the inside with this bunch," he thought, "and ifthere's anything going on likely I'll catch a hint of it." So, to thesurprise of Springer, he displayed his money, announcing that a ten-centlimit just suited him. A place was made for him between Osgood andSpringer, and he sat down at the table.
"We'll play this hand off," said Ned; "you can come in on the next.You're dealing, Cooper, and the pot is all level. I'll take threecards."
When that hand was played off Piper was given a dollar's worth of chips,together with some advice about maintaining silence concerning what wastaking place in Osgood's room.
"The people in this village are so straightlaced and narrow," said Nedblandly, "that they would regard a little game of this sort, playedmerely for amusement, as we play it, as something bordering on thecriminal. I'm sure you won't say a word about it, Piper."
"Better impress it on him harder than that," broke in Shultzoffensively. "I'm not so sure."
"What do you take me for?" exclaimed Piper, with a touch of indignation."I'm playing in this game, ain't I? Don't I know what folks around hereare? Think I'd take a hand and then go out and shoot my face off?"
"He thinks," explained Osgood smoothly, "that you might let a carelessword drop among the fellows, not realizing that they would be likely tospread it. That's the way such things leak out; a fellow tells a friendunder pledge of secrecy, and the friend tells another, and soon thesecret is public property. We've taken pains to keep our little socialgatherings very quiet."
Sleuth was quite aware of this, and their efforts to keep the matterquiet had awakened his natural suspicions and led him to that room.
"If I'm fool enough to blow about it after playing," said he, "any oneor the whole of you will have the liberty to kick me good and hard. Ithink I can keep a secret when it's necessary."
"Sleuthy won't pup-pup-peach when he talks like that," said Springer."Go on with the gug-game."
Even though it seemed that he had done some bad guessing regarding theobject of these quiet meetings in Osgood's rooms, Piper was, after thefirst throb of disappointment, rather glad of it; for, in a way, he wasnot very popular with the boys of Oakdale. At one time they had regardedhis aspirations to become a detective with considerable amusement andhad taken no little pleasure in joshing him. But of late his ability touncover secrets and lay bare unpleasant facts concerning people withwhom he came in contact had changed ridicule to a certain respect thatwas not wholly free from apprehension, causing him to be avoided.
In desiring companionship and friends, Piper was perfectly normal, andhe had felt the coldness and slights of his fellows. Even Nelson,although regarding him valuable as an outfielder on the nine, had seemedto hold him at a distance. And so, when the turn of affairs and thesingular behavior of the Osgood
clique had seemed to point to schemingof some sort, Sleuth had not hesitated to make a bid for Jack'sappreciation and gratitude by offering to discover and reveal whatcrookedness those chaps were planning.
It now appeared that he had been misled in his reasoning, for thesecrecy of the boys who did not wish it generally known that they wereplaying poker seemed, in the light of his discovery, perfectly naturaland excusable.
As Ned skilfully rippled the cards, passed them to Cooper to cut andbegan dealing, Sleuth sat back on his chair, feeling that Fate hadserved him a good turn by getting him in with this little gathering of"sports." In these days nearly every fellow who really amounted toanything played cards, and it was surely far more interesting andshocking to play poker for pennies and dimes than to play it for matchesor beans.
The room was rather warm, and both Shultz and Hooker were in theirshirt-sleeves. Osgood wore a handsome house coat, with a collar, lapelsand cuffs of purple plush. He was really a fine-looking chap, with hisclean-cut face and his curly dark hair, a lock of which had strayed overhis forehead. His hands were shapely and well formed, and a rich sealring adorned the one that held the pack of cards. He had lighted a freshcigarette. Shultz was smoking a cigar. A thin haze of blueish tobaccosmoke floated like incense in the room.
Sleuth's swift appraising eyes had taken in the general appearance ofthat room as it could dimly be seen beyond the circle of light thrownover the table by the shaded hanging lamp. The furnishings wereunusually excellent. Beneath his feet there was a thick carpet, soft andpleasant to the tread. There was a bookcase, a couch piled withcushions, and heavy portieres hung parted at the entrance to theadjoining bedroom. There were pictures on the walls and many photographsand knick-knacks belonging to Osgood upon the old-fashioned marblemantel, which had been hidden by a drapery. There were likewise banners,boxing-gloves, dumb-bells and a tennis-racket, disposed in various wayswith a seeming carelessness that was really effective. Above the mantelhung some dim old portraits, which Sleuth immediately fancied must bethe pictures of Osgood's titled ancestors.
"It's great," Piper thought. "It was a streak of luck that threw me inwith this bunch. I'll be one of the gang after this."
He was aroused by the unpleasant voice of Shultz. "Come, wake up there,Vidocq; you haven't even anted. Shove out a white chip before you lookat your cards."