Aunt Jane's Nieces at Millville

by L. Frank Baum

  CHAPTER XI.

  THREE AMATEUR DETECTIVES.

  Puzzling her brain what to do next, Louise suddenly decided to confideher secret to her two cousins. Not that she considered them capable of agreater success than she could herself accomplish, but they might provevaluable assistants in the capacity of lieutenants. She had greatrespect for Beth's calm judgment and keen intuitions, and Patsy had away of accomplishing difficult things with ease.

  The two girls listened to Louise with expressions of mingled wonder andamusement while she confided to them her first suspicions that CaptainWegg had been murdered, and then the bits of information she hadgathered to strengthen the surmise and assure her she was justified inher efforts to untangle the web of mystery.

  "You see, my dears," she explained, impressively, as the three loungedupon the grass in the shade of the right wing of the house, "there is avery interesting story about these people that ought to guide usdirectly to a solution of the puzzle. A roving sea captain marries agirl of good family in spite of the opposition of her relatives. Hisboatswain, a confidential servant, marries the girl's maid. The nextthing we know is that a 'great trouble' causes them to flee--doubtlesssome crime committed by the captain. It may have been robbery, orperhaps piracy on the high seas; who knows? Anyhow, he steals away tothis forsaken spot, far from the sea or the railroads, and builds a finehouse on a worthless farm, showing that he has money, but thatretirement is his main object. Here the Weggs make no friends: but thewife cries her eyes out until she dies miserably, leaving a son to thetender mercies of a wicked father. So fearful is he of discovery that hewill not allow the boy to go to school, but tries to educatehim himself."

  "Probably the captain's real name was not Wegg, at all," suggestedPatsy, entering into the spirit of the relation.

  "Probably not, dear. He would assume some name, of course, so that itmight be more difficult to trace him," answered Louise. "But now--markme well, girls!--a Nemesis was on the track of this wicked sinner. Aftermany years the man Captain Wegg had wronged, or stolen from, orsomething, discovered his enemy's hiding place. He promptly killed theCaptain, and probably recovered the money, for it's gone. Old Thompson,Ethel's grandfather, happened to be present. The murderer also took hismoney, and--"

  "Oh, Louise! That isn't reasonable," objected Beth, who had beenfollowing the story carefully.

  "Why not?"

  "Because you are making the wronged party as wicked as the man whowronged him. When the avenger found his enemy he might force him to giveup his ill-gotten gains; I agree with you there; but he wouldn't beliable to rob old Thompson, I'm sure."

  "Beth is right," said Patsy, stoutly.

  "But old Thompson lost his money at the same time, you know; at leasthis money could never be found afterward. And I'm sure he was dealt someblow on the head that made him crazy," answered Louise, positively.

  They thought that over.

  "I believe I can explain it, girls," said Beth, presently. "The avengerfound Captain Wegg, all right--just as Louise has said--and when hefound him he demanded a restitution of his money, threatening to sendthe criminal to jail. That would be very natural, wouldn't it? Well,Captain Wegg had spent a good deal of the money, and couldn't pay it allback; so Ethel's grandfather, being his friend, offered to makeup thebalance himself rather than see his friend go to prison. That accountsfor the disappearance of all the money."

  "If that is so," observed Patsy, "I don't see why the man, having gothis money back, should murder one and knock the other on the head."

  It way a puzzle, they all acknowledged, and after discussing the matterfrom every conceivable standpoint they were no nearer an explanation.That's the way with mysteries; they're often hard to understand.

  "The only thing that occurs to me as being sensible," said Louise,finally, "is that after the money was paid over they got into a quarrel.Then the avenger lost his temper and committed the murders."

  "This talk about an avenger is all guess work," asserted Beth, calmly."I don't believe the facts point to an avenger at all."

  "But the old crime--the great trouble--"

  "Oh, we'll allow all that," returned Beth; "and I don't say that anavenger wouldn't be the nicest person to exact retribution from thewicked captain. But avengers don't always turn up, in real life, whenthey ought to, girls; so we mustn't be too sure that one turned up inthis case."

  "But now else can you account for the captain's murder?" objectedLouise.

  "Well, some one else might know he had money, and that Ethel'sgrandfather had money, too," was the reply. "Suppose the robbery andmurder had nothing to do with the old crime at all, but that themurderer knew this to be a deserted place where he could make a goodhaul without being discovered. The two old men sat in the right wing,quite unsuspicious, when----"

  "When in walks Mr. Murderer, chokes the captain, knocks his friend onthe brain-box, and makes off with the money!" continued Patsy,gleefully. "Oh, girls, I'm sure we've got it right this time."

  Louise reflected a moment.

  "This country is almost a wilderness," she mused, aloud, "and fewstrangers ever come here. Besides, a stranger would not know positivelythat these two men had money. If we abandon the idea of an avenger, andfollow Beth's clue, then the murderer is still right here in Millville,and unsuspected by any of his neighbors."

  "Oh, Louise!" with startled glances over their shoulders.

  "Let us be sensible, reasoning girls; not silly things trying to figureout possible romances," continued Louise, with a pretty and impressiveassumption of dignity. "Do you know, I feel that some angel ofretribution has guided us to this lonely farmhouse and put the idea intomy head to discover and expose a dreadful crime."

  "Succotash!" cried Patsy, irrelevantly. "You're romancing this minute,Louise. The way you figure things out I wouldn't be surprised if youaccused me, or Uncle John, any time during the next half hour. Adoptingyour last supposition, for the sake of argument, I'm interested to knowwhat inhabitant of sleepy old Millville you suspect."

  "Don't get flighty, Patricia," admonished Beth. "This is a seriousmatter, and Louise is in earnest. If we're going to help her we mustn'ttalk rubbish. Now, it isn't a bad suggestion that we ought to looknearer home for the key to this mystery. There's old Hucks."

  "Hucks!"

  "To be sure. No one knew so well as he the money affairs of the two menwho were robbed."

  "I'm ashamed of you," said Patsy.

  "And the man's smile is a mask!" exclaimed Louise.

  "Oh, no!" protested Patsy.

  "My dear, no person who ever lived could smile every minute, winter andsummer, rain or shine, day and night, and always have a reason forthe smile."

  "Of course not," agreed Beth. "Old Hucks is a curious character. Irealized that when I had known him five minutes."

  "But he's poor," urged Patsy, in defense of the old man. "He hasn't apenny in the world, and McNutt told me if we turned Thomas and Nora awaythey'd have to go to the poorhouse."

  "That is no argument at all," said Louise, calmly. "If we consider thefact that Old Hucks may be a miser, and have a craving for money withoutany desire to spend it, then we are pretty close to a reason why heshould bide his time and then murder his old master to obtain the richeshe coveted. Mind you, I don't say Hucks is guilty, but it is our duty toconsider this phase of the question."

  "And then," added Beth, "if Hucks should prove to be a miser, it is easyto guess he would hide his wealth where he could secretly gloat over it,and still continue to pose as a pauper."

  "I don't believe it," said Patsy, stoutly.

  "You'll never make a successful detective if you allow your personalfeelings to influence you," returned Louise. "I, too, sincerely hopethat Thomas is innocent; but we are not justified in acquitting himuntil we have made a careful investigation and watched his actions."

  "I'm quite sure he's connected with the mystery in some way," said Beth."It will do no harm to watch Old Hucks, as Louise suggests."

  "And you
might try to pump him, Patsy, and see if you can get him totalk of the murder. Some careless remark might give us just the clue weneed and guide us to the real criminal. That would free Thomas from allsuspicion, you see."

  "But why do you ask me to do this?" demanded Patsy. "Thomas and I aregood friends, and I'd feel like a traitor to try to get him to confessa murder."

  "If he is innocent, you have done no harm," said her eldest cousin; "andif he is guilty you don't want him for your friend."

  "He likes you, dear," added Beth, "and perhaps he will tell you franklyall we want to know. There's another person, though, Louise, who mighttell us something."

  "Who is that?"

  "The little man with the golf-ball eyes; McNutt."

  "Now, there's some sense in suspecting him," exclaimed Patsy. "We knowhe's a robber, already, and a man who is clever enough to sell UncleJohn three 'Lives of the Saints' would stick at nothing, I'm sure."

  "He hasn't enough courage to commit a great crime," observed Beth.

  "But he may be able to give us some information," Louise asserted; "so Ipropose we walk over to the town tomorrow morning and interview him."

  This was promptly agreed to, for even Patsy, the least enthusiasticdetective of the three, was eager to find some sort of a solution of theWegg mystery. Meantime they decided to watch Old Hucks very carefully.

  Beth happened to be present when Uncle John paid Thomas his weekly wagethat evening, and was interested to notice how the old man's handtrembled with eagerness as he took the money.

  "How much are you accustomed to receive?" Uncle John had asked.

  "Nothing 'tall, sir, since Cap'n Wegg died," was the reply. "We was gladenough to have a home, Nora an' me, 'thout 'spectin' wages."

  "And there was no one here for you to serve," mused Uncle John. "But inCaptain Wegg's day, how much did he give you?"

  Thomas hesitated, and his smile wavered an instant.

  "My old master was also my old friend," said he, in a low voice; "an' Iast him fer little money because my needs were little."

  "Well, the conditions are now different," remarked Uncle John,carelessly; "and while you are in my employ you shall have your wagesregularly. Will ten dollars a week be satisfactory?"

  "Oh, sir!"

  "And five for Nora."

  "You are too good, sir. I--I--"

  "Never mind, Thomas. If you want more at any time let me know."

  It was then, as the old man took the fifteen dollars extended to him,that Beth noted a flash in the mild blue eyes and a trembling of thehorny hands. Hucks was very glad to get the money; there was littledoubt of that.

  She spoke of this incident to Louise, and the following morning theytested the man again. All three girls being present, Beth tendered OldHucks two dollars, saying it was intended as a slight mark of herappreciation of his attention. Thomas demurred at first, but on beingurged took the money with the same eager gesture he had beforedisplayed. Louise followed with a donation of a like sum, and Patsy gavethe old man still another two dollar bill. This generosity so amazed himthat tears stood in his eyes as he tried to thank them all. It wasnoticed that the smile did not give way even to the tears, although itwas tinged with a pathetic expression that proved wonderfully affecting.He concealed the offerings with a stealthy motion, as if ashamed of hisweakness in accepting them, and then hurried away to his work.

  "Well," said Louise, when they were alone, "is Thomas a miser or not?"

  "He clutched the money almost as if he loved it," observed Beth, in amusing and slightly regretful tone.

  "But think how poor he has been," pleaded Patsy, "and how destitute bothhe and Nora are yet. Can we blame him for being glad to earn somethingsubstantial at last?"

  Somehow that did not seem to explain fully the old man's behavior, andthe girl who had championed him sighed and then gave a sudden shiver asshe remembered the awful suspicion that had fallen upon this strangeindividual. If the proof must be accepted that Hucks had miserlyinstincts, had not Beth accidentally stumbled upon a solution of thewhole mystery?

  But Patsy would not believe it. If Thomas' open countenance lied, it washard to put faith in any one.