Knowing that the young folks were usually very hungry when they got home and that they always enjoyed home cooking, their mothers had prepared quite a spread for them. Mrs. Tom Rover had gone downtown to meet her husband, and now she came back in a flutter of excitement.
“Hello, Ma! Where is Dad?” questioned Randy, as he ran up and gave her a hug and a kiss, followed by his twin.
“He’s downtown, up to his ears in that Liberty Loan business,”answered Mrs. Tom Rover. “Oh, dear! I never saw such a busy man! Half a dozen men are coming in and going out all the time, wanting to know what to do next and asking him if he won’t make another speech here, there, or somewhere else. They want him to talk at two Liberty Loan meetings to-night and one Liberty Loan meeting and a Red Cross meeting to-morrow afternoon.”
“Isn’t he coming home at all?” questioned both of the twins in a breath.
“Oh, yes. He’ll be here in a little while. But he won’t be able to stay long,” returned the mother.
When Tom Rover arrived he looked rather tired out, but he greeted all the boys with a smile and gave each of the girls the kiss he knew they were expecting.
“Oh, I’m in it neck deep,” he answered, in reply to his sons’questions. “They must think I can talk just like a coffee-grinder grinds out coffee. And the nerve of some of them!” he continued. “Here they have asked me to go somewhere uptown and meet a lot of bankers and tell them how some of the work on the Liberty Loan is to be done! As if those bankers don’t know as much about it as I do, and maybe more!”
“You’ve bought some of the bonds yourself, haven’t you, Dad?”questioned Randy.
“Yes, Son—twenty thousand dollars’ worth, and The Rover Company, as a company, has taken twice that amount.”
“And my father has taken twenty thousand dollars’ worth, too,” said Mary.
“And so has mine,” added Martha.
“All told, I think we’re doing pretty well by Uncle Sam!” cried Jack.“Just the same, Uncle Tom, I think it’s a shame that they are going to make you stay behind to run the business.”
“I won’t stay behind if things get much warmer!” burst out Tom Rover suddenly. “I’ll put somebody in my place and grab a gun and go after those Huns.”
“Hurrah! that’s the way to talk,” cried Andy enthusiastically.
“Would you really, Dad?” burst out Randy, his eyes shining.
“Do you want me to go, Son?” demanded the father, catching him by the shoulder.
“Of course I do! I don’t think you ought to stay behind with Uncle Dick and Uncle Sam going.”
“It doesn’t seem right,” added his twin.
“And it isn’t right! But what am I going to do?” asked their father somewhat helplessly. “We’ve all our money locked up in our various business deals. Those deals have got to be looked after. Who is going to do it if we all go away?”
“Oh, you can get somebody!”
“This getting somebody that you can trust absolutely is not so easy,”answered Tom Rover. “I did think of getting one gentleman we know very well—a Mr. Allen Charter, who graduated from Brill College a year after your uncles and I were admitted to the institution. Mr. Charter is a very fine business man, and understands the deals we are in perfectly.”
“Well, then, why didn’t you get Mr. Allen Charter to take hold?”questioned Randy.
“He was going to take hold, but at the last minute he declined, stating that he had made up his mind to volunteer for the army.”
“Well, there must be somebody else.”
“There was another student at that college, named Stanley Browne. He is a cousin of Colonel Colby. We were very good friends, and I thought sure that we could get him to take charge. But Browne has also gone into the United States service.”
“Oh, if that isn’t a shame—every one of them going in and you left behind!” grumbled Randy. “I don’t think it’s fair at all!”
“Well, I suppose I’ve got to make the best of it,” answered Tom Rover. But as he spoke he heaved a mountainous sigh. This being left behind while his brothers and his best friends went to the front was going to almost break his heart.
CHAPTER XII
AT THE ROVER COMPANY OFFICES
“Well, we’re off at last! Good-bye to everybody!”
The words came from Dick Rover as the last call was given for the volunteers who were going to Camp Huxton to entrain.
“Don’t forget to write regularly!” came from Sam Rover.
“Oh, we’ll do that—don’t fear!” answered his wife Grace. “And don’t you forget to answer every letter.”
“And please, please, both of you be careful, and don’t get hurt!”murmured Martha.
“Oh, say, Martha! don’t put a wet blanket on things that way,”whispered her brother. “Don’t you know you have to send them away with a smile?”
“And I’m going to,” she answered quickly, and then began to smile, even though the tears were forming in her pretty eyes.
“I know you will take good care of things while we are away, Tom,”said Dick Rover to his brother.
“You can rest assured of that,” answered Tom Rover. “Just the same, I wish I were going along.”
“So do I, now that the time has come.”
“We may never have to go to France,” put in Sam Rover. “The war may be over before that time.” Yet, as he spoke, he knew in his heart that such was not likely to be the case. But he wanted to say something to ease the minds of his wife and the other womenfolks.
There were quite a number of volunteers to entrain, and friends and relatives were hurrying this way and that to see them off. Among the Rovers there was much handshaking and not a few kisses, and then Dick Rover and Sam entered the train, which, a few seconds later, glided from the station.
It was a sober crowd that returned to the Rover homes, even Andy and Randy being subdued. No one felt like talking. Poor Martha seemed to be the most affected, and had she attempted to speak she would certainly have broken out crying.
“Well, I suppose we’ve got to get back to Colby Hall to finish out the term,” remarked Jack, after Tom Rover had departed for the offices in Wall Street.
“Gee! I wish I could volunteer and go to that camp,” sighed Fred.
“Well, we’ll get a touch of camp life soon,” returned Jack.
He referred to the annual encampment of the Colby Hall students. Every year the cadets of the school were marched away to some place either in the mountains or on the seashore, there to erect their tents and live under canvas for several weeks. During this encampment the cadets were given a taste of real military life, with strenuous drills and marches, target and bayonet practice, and usually ending with a thrilling sham battle.
“Well, we can’t get under canvas any too quick to suit me,” announced Randy. “I’d rather be out in the open air than in the Hall.”
It was arranged that the young folks should return to Haven Point on the following morning. Andy and Randy wanted to see as much of their father as possible, and so decided to run down to Wall Street late in the afternoon and come home with him.
“And you fellows can come along, if you want to,” said Randy to his cousins.
“That suits me,” answered Jack. “I’d like to see how things look at the offices. I haven’t been down there in a long time.”
“I’d like to go, too,” came from Fred. “Maybe we can cheer Uncle Tom up a bit. He certainly deserves it—having all this business thrust on his shoulders!”
It did not take the four boys long to reach Wall Street, and then they hurried down to one of the small but better-class office buildings in that vicinity.
The Rover Company occupied the entire fourth floor of this building. There was a large general office and a counting room and three private offices, one for each of the brothers. Th
e office help numbered about twenty, and the place during business hours was usually a busy one.
They found Tom Rover in his private office at a large desk piled high with sheets and documents. He was hard at work signing his name to a number of sheets, but smiled pleasantly when he saw who his visitors were. The boys, of course, were well known to most of the employees, and so had passed in without being questioned.
“Come to help me out, I suppose,” said the father of the twins, with a grin. “All right. Take off your coats, roll up your sleeves and pitch in. There is plenty to do.”
“If that is the case, Uncle Tom, I guess you don’t want us to disturb you,” said Jack quickly.
“I’ll be through here in less than half an hour,” announced Tom Rover.“Just make yourselves at home for that length of time, and then I’ll be with you.”
This was a gentle hint that he must get through with his work, and the boys lost no time in backing out of his office. They went into the offices usually occupied by Dick Rover and Sam Rover, looking over a number of books, magazines and pamphlets.
“Let’s go down in the street for a while and take a look around,”suggested Andy, who always liked to be on the go.
As there was nothing particular for them to do in the offices, the others agreed to this, and so, telling the twins’ father that they would come back at the end of the half hour, they walked out into the corridor opening upon the elevators and the stairway.
As they waited at one of the elevators for a chance to go down, the elevator came up and stopped to let out a messenger boy. Then it continued on its way upward.
“Say, did you notice who was in that elevator?” cried Randy quickly.
“I thought I saw Mr. Martell,” answered Fred.
“Yes, it was Martell, and Nappy was with him.”
“Well, there is nothing strange about that,” came from Andy. “Probably he wants to see his father now he is in New York again.”
“I’d like to know what Nappy has told his father about us,” went on Fred. “You can wager it’s nothing good.”
“I don’t care what he says, so long as he leaves us alone,” said Jack.
Another elevator appeared, and the four boys descended to the ground floor of the office building. Here half a dozen people were waiting to go up, while several others were at the rear of the corridor, talking earnestly.
“Hello! there are Slugger Brown and his father,” exclaimed Fred, pointing down the corridor. “Now, what do you know about that!”
“They must be in this building to visit the Martells,” returned Jack.
“They are talking to two men,” put in Randy. “I wonder who they can be?”
“Oh, some friends or business acquaintances, I suppose,” answered the oldest of the Rover boys.
Ordinarily none of the Rover boys considered eavesdropping honorable, but they thought it a different thing when dealing with their enemies, and Andy, being naturally inquisitive anyway, sauntered down the corridor and passed the group that was talking so earnestly. The backs of both Mr. Brown and Slugger were toward him, so neither noticed the lad.
“And if you will do that, Mr. Brown, you will make very good money by it,” Andy heard one of the strange men say. He spoke with a strong German accent.
“You will make far more money that way than you ever did in your business,” added the other stranger.
“Yes, but I’ll be running a big risk,” Mr. Brown replied. “Those things are getting more dangerous every day.”
“Say, Pop, why don’t you go up and see Mr. Martell about this?” put in the son.
“Yes, I think we ought to go up and see Nelson Martell,” answered Mr. Brown.
“I have already seen him,” said one of the strangers.
“Well, it won’t do any harm to talk it over again,” returned Slogwell Brown. “Come on; his offices are up on the fifth floor.”
The party of four turned, and as they did so Andy raised his hand and made a quick motion to the other boys to get out of sight. Then, as Slugger Brown and the men passed him, he turned quickly and, bending down, pretended to fix the lace of his shoe. Thus he was passed without being recognized. A few seconds later the four were in the elevator, going up.
“Why did you motion for us to get out of the way?” demanded Jack, as soon as Andy rejoined the others.
“Because I didn’t want Slugger and his father and those other men to see you,” was the quick reply. “Do you know what I think?”
“What?” came in a chorus from the others.
“I think that whole crowd is up to no good. Both of those men look like Germans, and each of them talked with a strong German accent, even though they are both evidently very well educated.”
“What did they say?” demanded Jack; and when told, he looked grave.
“There may be something in this,” he said slowly. “Suppose we go up to the fifth floor and try to find out a little more.”
“We might get caught,” said Fred.
“I don’t see how,” went on the oldest Rover boy. “Martell doesn’t occupy the whole floor. He has the front offices only. There are several other firms in the rear. We might be calling on them, you know,” and he winked.
The boys talked the matter over for a minute or so, and then, as an elevator came down, they entered and got out at the fifth floor. The little corridor here was empty, for which they were thankful.
“Of course there may not be a thing in this,” announced Jack. “It may be some ordinary business deal which is perfectly legitimate.”
“Not by the way those two German-looking fellows talked,” said Andy.“I didn’t like their looks at all. Unless I miss my guess, they are a slick pair.”
The two strangers had looked to be about forty years of age. Each was tall and rather stout, with a clean-shaven, florid face and close-cut, sandy hair. Their eyes had had a shifty snake-like look, and this it was, as much as anything, which set Andy against them.
The doors to the Martell offices were two in number, one marked“Private” and the other, “Entrance.” The boys waited for a few seconds, and then walked softly over to the latter door. They heard a murmur of voices, but could not make out what was being said.
“Perhaps they are in the office marked ‘Private,’” whispered Jack, and tiptoed his way in that direction, followed by his cousins.
In front of the door to this office they could hear slightly better. The murmur of voices was at times quite distinct, and they caught the words: “Supplies,” “Canned goods,” “Immediate delivery,” “Motor trucks,” “Machinery,” “Cash payment,” “Night work,” and a number of others. Then the murmur of voices grew a little more animated, and finally they heard Nelson Martell exclaim: “I think we ought to have a thousand dollars at least in advance!”
“Better make it two thousand,” came from Slogwell Brown.
There was an exclamation from the strange men, and then the voices sounded lower so that the Rovers could not hear what was being said. Suddenly, however, one of the strangers cried out:
“Oh, I forgot! I have an important engagement in less than half an hour. I must go at once.”
“I guess it’s time we got out of here!” exclaimed Jack, and started to retreat, as did the others.
The Rover boys had just reached a place in front of the elevators when the door to one of the back offices opened and much to their surprise Nappy Martell and Slugger Brown came out. Evidently they had been sent off by their fathers while their parents had been doing business with the two strange men.
“Hello! what are you fellows doing here?” grumbled Nappy, gazing at them suspiciously.
“Did my father come up here?” questioned Randy, before the others could speak. “We want to see him,” continued the quick-witted Rover.“Maybe he’s in Mr. Benson’s office, fellows,” he added. “Come o
n.”
There was a Mr. Benson on that floor with an office in the rear. Without saying another word to Nappy or Slugger, the Rover boys marched to the door of the Benson place, knocked, and went in.
“Say, that was a neat trick, all right enough,” whispered Jack to Randy. “But now you’ve got us into it, you’ll have to get us out.”
“Humph! that’s easy enough,” was the ready reply. “Just leave it to me.”
A clerk came up, looking inquiringly at the boys.
“Excuse me, but did my father come up here?” questioned Randy innocently. And then, as the clerk looked puzzled, he added: “I am Randy Rover. My father is Thomas Rover of The Rover Company.”
“Oh, I see!” and the clerk smiled. “No, I don’t think your father came up here, but I’ll ask Mr. Benson.” The clerk disappeared into an inner office, to reappear a moment later. “Sorry, but your father hasn’t been up here to-day.”
“Thank you,” returned Randy; and then he and the others backed themselves out.
The stairway was close at hand, and a few seconds later the four Rover boys were on the fourth floor. Here they waited for the elevator, and soon found themselves on the ground floor, and from that walked to the street.
“Let’s hang around and see if that fellow really goes away,” advised Fred.
This they did, and in a few minutes saw the two German-looking men come from the building. They seemed to be in a great hurry, and lost no time in disappearing up Wall Street in the direction of Broadway.
“I wonder if we hadn’t better follow them?” said Fred.
“It might be rather a long-winded job, and we haven’t time,” answered Jack.
“Let us stay around until my father is at leisure,” said Randy. “Then we can tell him what we have heard and see what he thinks of it.” And so it was decided.
CHAPTER XIII
FUN AT THE RAILROAD STATION
“There may be a good deal in this, and there may be nothing at all,”were Tom Rover’s words, after he had listened to the story the boys had to tell. “This may be a perfectly legitimate business transaction, although, as I have said before, Nelson Martell has been known to go into more than one shady transaction here in Wall Street. Generally, however, he just manages to escape falling into the clutches of the law.”
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