Bound to Succeed; or, Mail Order Frank's Chances

by Robert Sidney Bowen

  CHAPTER XXII

  GOOD NEWS

  Frank kept a close watch on Purnell. He had reason to do so. Upon whathe might by threats or persuasion compel this man to divulge, hung allthe future prospects of his mother ever recovering her stolen fortune.

  When Frank’s step-father died, this person, one of his former associates,had produced notes and deeds apparently giving him the ownership toeverything that Mr. Ismond owned.

  There were many flaws to his claim. Mrs. Ismond’s lawyer, Mr. Beach,discovered two arrant forgeries. Before any action at law could betaken, however, Purnell transferred all the property to “an innocentpurchaser,” Dorsett.

  Mrs. Ismond brought suit against the latter, but even Mr. Beach did notbelieve the law would force him to restore what he claimed to havebought for a valid consideration. Their only hope seemed to be to findPurnell, who had disappeared. If through him they could connect Dorsettwith a conspiracy, Mrs. Ismond would win her case.

  This was the first time since he had fled from Greenville that Frank hadseen this man. Now he forgot his sample case, Markham, and the wholemail order business amid the keen importance of keeping track of theslippery fugitive, and forcing from him a confession.

  Purnell approached the party of young ladies, still acting the exquisiteand playing the foreign count he pretended to be. He bowed and smirked,and backed away to Frank.

  Instantly his face lost its mask. With a scowl he dropped his affectedforeign drawl.

  “You will have it out, here and now, will you?” he growled, grinding histeeth viciously.

  “Yes, I’ll have it out, or you in,” responded Frank pointedly.

  “Then come to my room.”

  The false count led the way into the hotel, hurried up a staircase, and,unlocking a door on the second floor, ushered Frank into a room. He litthe gas and threw himself into a chair, glaring at Frank in a savage anddesperate way.

  “You’re a determined young man, you are,” he observed.

  “Why not?” demanded Frank. “It has been the resolve of my life to huntyou down. If you escape me this time, I shall find you later. You aremasquerading here under false pretences. I can expose you. Should Itelegraph Mr. Beach, he would at once send an officer to arrest you.”

  “That won’t help your case any,” observed the man.

  “I don’t care. It will prove that Dorsett had a criminal for a partner,and that will influence the court when my mother’s suit comes to trial.”

  “Name your terms,” spoke Purnell suddenly.

  “Very well,” said Frank gravely: “you helped rob my mother of the estateher husband left her. What you got out of it I don’t know, but it seemsto have made it necessary for you to continue the career of a fugitiveand a fraud.”

  “What I got!” snapped out Purnell, springing to his feet in hot anger.“I got what everybody gets who deals with that old rascal--the bad endof the trade, drat him!”

  “I’ll leave you alone to your own devices,” said Frank. “I’ll promise tosee that you get some money when my mother recovers hers, if you willwrite out, sign and swear to the facts of your conspiracy with Dorsettagainst my mother.”

  “All right,” answered Purnell, after a moment of thought. “I’ve gotsome papers that apply to the matter. They are in my sitting room. I’llget them.”

  The speaker walked to a door, turned a key and disappeared beyond thethreshold. Frank sat awaiting his return. He congratulated himself onthe ease with which he had intimidated the man to his purposes.

  Two minutes passed by, and Frank became impatient, five, and hissuspicions were aroused. He walked to the door and knocked, tried it,pushed it open, and found himself, not in a connecting room, but in aside corridor.

  “Well, he has slipped me,” instantly decided Frank.

  He realized that he had been tricked badly. Frank went to the hoteloffice to make some inquiries, made a tour of the grounds, and, finallysurmising that the object of his search had fled for good, regained hissample tray and returned to the town.

  Frank did not stay all night at the local hotel, although he went thereto ask for mail. He had given his mother a list of the hotels in thevarious towns he expected to visit, secured from a guide book.

  There was a brief note from his mother. It imparted no particular news,saying only that she was attending to orders as they came in.

  Frank found a cheap lodging, and was back at the hotel at the lake bysix o’clock the next morning. A brief talk with the clerk convinced himthat Purnell would not be likely to return to that hostelry.

  He had gone, owing a week’s bill, and the two valises left in his roomwere found to be filled with bricks.

  “I’ve missed my man this time,” reflected Frank, as he hitched up thehorse an hour later. “I may as well go right on my route. I’ll find himagain, some time.”

  At Derby, Frank upon his arrival went to the telegraph office. He sent amessage to the reformatory at Linwood, asking if one Richard Welmore wasstill an inmate of that institution. He asked, further, if one DaleWacker had ever been a prisoner there.

  He went on selling in the town, with fair returns, until mid-afternoon.A reply to his message awaited him on his next visit to the telegraphoffice. It read:

  “Dale Wacker paroled on bond of his uncle. Richard Welmore escaped about six months since. One hundred dollars reward for his capture. If know his whereabouts, wire at once.”

  “That upsets one of my theories,” thought Frank. “Markham has not beencaptured for the reward.”

  Brandon was his next town. The day following he made Essex. He waspretty tired as he drove to its livery stable, about eight o’clock inthe evening.

  After supper he went to the local hotel, and asked if there was any mailfor Frank Newton.

  “No,” replied the clerk whom he questioned, “but here’s a telegram beenwaiting here for you since noon.”

  “Thank you for your trouble,” said Frank, rather anxiously tearing openthe yellow envelope.

  “That’s all right,” nodded the hotel clerk. “Good news, I reckon?” hesmiled, as Frank’s face lit up magically at a hasty perusal of themessage.

  “I should say so!” declared Frank.

  The message was from Darry Haven, at Pleasantville, and it read:

  “Come home at once. Money found.”