CHAPTER XXI.
A DENIAL.
Robert left the superintendent's office in deep thought. He understoodvery well that it would be impossible to enforce his claim without moresatisfactory testimony than his father's letter. If any one had beencognizant of the transaction between Mr. Davis and his father it wouldhave helped matters, but no one, so far as he knew, was even aware thathis father had possessed so large a sum as five thousand dollars. HadCaptain Rushton inclosed the receipt, that would have been sufficient,but it had probably gone to the bottom with him. But, after all, was itcertain that his father was dead? It was not certain, but our hero wasforced to admit that the chances of his father's being alive wereextremely slender.
Finding himself utterly at a loss, he resolved to call upon his firmfriend, Squire Paine, the lawyer. Going to his office, he was fortunateenough to find him in, and unengaged.
"Good-morning, Robert," said the lawyer, pleasantly.
"Good-morning, sir. You find me a frequent visitor."
"Always welcome," was the pleasant reply. "You know I am your banker,and it is only natural for you to call upon me."
"Yes, sir," said Robert, smiling; "but it is on different business thatI have come to consult you this morning."
"Go on. I will give you the best advice in my power."
The lawyer listened with surprise to the story Robert had to tell.
"This is certainly a strange tale," he said, after a pause.
"But a true one," said Robert, hastily.
"I do not question that. It affords another illustration of the oldsaying that truth is stranger than fiction. That a letter committed tothe deep so many thousand miles away should have finally reached itsdestination is very remarkable, I may say Providential."
"Do you think there is any chance of my father being yet alive?"
"There is a bare chance, but I cannot encourage you to place muchreliance upon it."
"If he had been picked up by any vessel I suppose he would havewritten."
"You would doubtless have seen him at home before this time in thatcase. Still there might be circumstances," added the lawyer, slowly,"that would prevent his communicating with friends at home. Forinstance, his boat might have drifted to some uninhabited island out ofthe course of ordinary navigation. I don't say it is at all probable,but there is such a probability."
"Is there any chance of making Mr. Davis return the money my fatherdeposited with him?"
"There again there are difficulties. He may demand the return of hisreceipt, or he may continue to deny the trust altogether."
"Won't the letter prove anything?"
"It may produce a general conviction that such a deposit was made,since, admitting the letter to be genuine, no one, consideringespecially the character of your father, can readily believe that in theimmediate presence of death he would make any such statement unlessthoroughly reliable. But moral conviction and legal proof are quitedifferent things. Unless that receipt is produced I don't see thatanything can be done."
"Perhaps my father might have put that in a bottle also at a laterdate."
"He might have done so when he became satisfied that there was no chanceof a rescue. But even supposing him to have done it, the chances areten to one that it will never find its way to your mother. The receptionof the first letter was almost a miracle."
"I have no doubt you are right, Mr. Paine," said Robert; "but it seemsvery hard that my poor father's hard earnings should go to such anunprincipled man, and my mother be left destitute."
"That is true, Robert, but I am obliged to say that your only hope is inawakening Mr. Davis to a sense of justice."
"There isn't much chance of that," said Robert, shaking his head.
"If you will leave the matter in my hands, I will call upon himto-night, and see what I can do."
"I shall feel very glad if you will do so, Squire Paine. I don't want toleave anything undone."
"Then I will do so. I don't imagine it will do any good, but we can buttry."
Robert left the office, making up his mind to await the report of thelawyer's visit before moving further.
That evening, the lawyer called at the house of the superintendent. Mrs.Davis and Halbert were in the room. After a little unimportantconversation, he said:
"Mr. Davis, may I ask the favor of a few minutes' conversation with youin private?"
"Certainly," said the superintendent, quite in the dark as to thebusiness which had called his guest to the house. He led the way intoanother room, and both took seats.
"I may as well say to begin with," commenced the lawyer, "that I call inbehalf of the family of the late Captain Rushton."
The superintendent started nervously.
"That boy has lost no time," he muttered to himself.
"I suppose you understand what I have to say?"
"I presume I can guess," said the superintendent, coldly. "The boy cameinto my office this morning, and made a most extraordinary claim, whichI treated with contempt. Finding him persistent I ordered him out of myoffice. I need not say that no sane man would for a moment putconfidence in such an incredible story or claim."
"I can't quite agree with you there," said the lawyer, quietly. "Thereis nothing incredible about the story. It is remarkable, I grant, butsuch things have happened before, and will again."
"I suppose you refer to the picking up of the bottle at sea."
"Yes; I fail to see what there is incredible about it. If thehandwriting can be identified as that of the late Captain Rushton, andRobert says both his mother and himself recognized it, the story becomescredible and will meet with general belief."
"I thought you were too sensible and practical a man," said thesuperintendent, sneering, "to be taken in by so palpable a humbug. Why,it reads like a romance."
"In spite of all that, it may be true enough," returned the lawyer,composedly.
"You may believe it, if you please. It seems to me quite unworthy ofbelief."
"Waiving that point, Robert, doubtless, acquainted you with thestatement made in the letter that Captain Rushton, just before sailingon his last voyage, deposited with you five thousand dollars. What haveyou to say to that?"
"What have I to say?" returned the superintendent. "That Captain Rushtonnever possessed five thousand dollars in his life. I don't believe hepossessed one quarter of the sum."
"What authority have you for saying that? Did he make you hisconfidant?" asked the lawyer, keenly.
"Yes," said the superintendent, promptly. "When last at home, he calledat my house one day, and in the course of conversation remarked thatsailors seldom saved any money. 'For instance,' said he, 'I havefollowed the sea for many years, and have many times resolved toaccumulate a provision for my wife and child, but as yet I have scarcelydone more than to begin.' He then told me that he had little more than athousand dollars, but meant to increase that, if possible, during hiscoming voyage."
To this statement Squire Paine listened attentively, fully believing itto be an impromptu fabrication, as it really was.
"Did he say anything about what he had done with this thousand dollarsor more?" he asked.
"A part he left for his wife to draw from time to time for expenses; therest, I suppose, he took with him."
Mr. Paine sat silent for a moment. Things looked unpromising, hecouldn't but acknowledge, for his young client. In the absence of legalproof, and with an adroit and unscrupulous antagonist, whose interestswere so strongly enlisted in defeating justice, it was difficult to seewhat was to be done.
"I understand then, Mr. Davis," he said, finally, "that you deny thejustice of this claim?"
"Certainly I do," said the superintendent. "It is a palpable fraud. Thisboy is a precocious young swindler, and will come to a bad end."
"I have a different opinion of him."
"You are deceived in him, then. I have no doubt he got up the letterhimself."
"I don't agree with you. I have seen the letter; it is in CaptainRushton
's handwriting. Moreover, I have seen the letter of the owners,which accompanied it."
The superintendent was in a tight place, and he knew it. But there wasnothing to do but to persist in his denial.
"Then I can only say that Captain Rushton was a party to the fraud," hesaid.
"You must be aware, Mr. Davis, that when the public learns the facts inthe case, the general belief will be the other way."
"I can't help that," said the other, doggedly. "Whatever the publicchooses to think, I won't admit the justice of this outrageous claim."
"Then I have only to bid you good-evening," said the lawyer, coldly,affecting not to see the hand which the superintendent extended. Thelatter felt the slight, and foresaw that from others he must expectsimilar coldness, but there was no help for it. To restore the moneywould be ruin. He had entered into the path of dishonesty, and he wasforced to keep on in it.
Brave and Bold; Or, The Fortunes of Robert Rushton Page 21