CHAPTER XXVI.
WHAT MARY VERN HAD TO TELL.
When returning from the fire, Larry told his captain of what had occurred. Captain Barwick listened with keen interest.
“You ought to have those rascals locked up, Larry,” was what he said, when our hero had finished.
“You are right, captain; but I must find them first. Will you let me off today?”
“Yes.”
As soon as he had changed his clothing, Larry got a mouthful to eat and started off for the tenement where Check Sluggers lived. He thought the rascal might possibly go home, but he was doubtful.
When he got to the tenement a surprise awaited him. Mrs. Sluggers had left her husband for a prolonged stay with some relatives in Brooklyn. The home was broken up and the furniture sold, and what had become of Check Sluggers nobody knew.
Then Larry went back to where the fire had occurred, and by diligent inquiries learned that it was really Sluggers who had rented the top rooms, although he had done so under an assumed name.
“It was a pre-arranged plot, no doubt of that,” muttered our hero to himself. “Now, as I escaped, he’ll take good care to keep out of sight, and so will Lank Possy.”
Larry’s next move was to write to Gus Romer, his old friend at Ferryville, telling him of what Possy had done, and asking that the bully be arrested on sight.
To this, word came back that Possy was wanted in Ferryville for having stolen some money from the Printing Press Works’ bookkeeper, and that nobody there knew what had become of the bully.
Here Larry was compelled to rest the case, for there seemed nothing more to do. The police were, however, notified, and they said they would keep a lookout for Sluggers and Possy.
Our hero felt morally certain that Martin Pollox was at the bottom of the whole affair, but how was he to prove it?
“He is rich and influential, and if I get him into court without a clear case, he’ll only make trouble for me,” was the way Larry reasoned. “I’ll lay low and try to get to the bottom of this case before I do anything openly.”
Larry was anxious to learn how Mary Vern was faring, and one day, when there was a special excursion to Asbury Park and Ocean Grove, he had Kate take in the trip.
“It will do you good,” he said. “And I wish you would hunt up Mary Vern, if you can.”
“I certainly shall,” answered Kate.
The excursion left Jersey City at eight o’clock in the morning and came back at ten in the evening, thus giving the excursionists about five hours at the beach.
It was Larry’s evening off, and he went over to Jersey City to meet his sister on her return.
He found Kate much disturbed, and with good reason.
“Did you see Mary Vern?” he asked, eagerly.
“I did.”
“And what did she have to say?”
“She said at first that she never wanted to see or hear of you again.”
“What?” and Larry was so amazed he was afraid he had not heard aright.
“Larry, did you send her several letters lately?” asked Kate, anxiously.
“I—I don’t know as I ever sent her a letter.
“There! I was sure I was right!” and Kate’s face brightened.
“But what is the matter?”
“At first Mary didn’t want to talk of you; but I had better start at the beginning, hadn’t I?”
“Of course. But don’t make it too long, Kate; I want to find out about the letters.”
“Well, in the first place, after I got to Asbury Park I had hard work to find the girl. She and Laura Pollox had moved to a private boarding house called the Silver Spray Home, on Third Avenue.”
“But you found her?”
“After looking around for over an hour. Then, when I got to the boarding house, I met Laura Pollox, and as soon as she found out who I was, she said I couldn’t see Mary under any circumstances. She said your conduct was disgraceful, and I mustn’t see her on that account.”
“But you did see her, you said. You had that picture from the paper, didn’t you?”
“How impatient you are! Not in the boarding house. I met her on the board walk, fronting the ocean, by accident.”
“Wasn’t she glad to see you?”
“Not at first. She said she never wanted to see you or hear of you again, as I told you at first.”
“But why not—don’t keep me in suspense any longer, Kate,” pleaded our hero.
“It came out after a while, although she didn’t want to talk about it at first. It seems she got several letters, signed with your name. She didn’t have the letters with her, but she said they were very common kind of letters, in which the writer wanted her to leave Asbury Park and join a theatrical company playing some sort of fire play on the road. The letters were written in the style calculated to make her disgusted with you, and, of course, Laura Pollox had gotten hold of them, and given Mary a lecture for corresponding with you, and all that.”
“Didn’t you tell her I wasn’t in the theatrical business; that I was still a fireman, and expected to remain one?”
“I did, and she couldn’t understand it.”
“It’s another one of Martin Pollox’s schemes to get me out of his way,” cried Larry, wrathfully. “I wish I could send her word and tell her the truth.”
“You can, Larry. I told her I was sure you hadn’t sent the letters. Then she said, if you had not, you could write her a letter about it, and send the letter in care of May’s stationery store on Asbury Avenue. If you do that, it won’t fall in the Polloxs’ hands.”
“I’ll write her this very night. Did she say anything about how the Pollox were treating her?”
“She said Laura Pollox watched her very closely, so that it was hard work to get away from her.”
“It will be harder than ever, now you have been down there, I am afraid. I tell you Martin Pollox is playing a deep game all around. I wish I could expose him.”
“All in good time, Larry; you mustn’t be impatient,” answered Kate, trying to cheer him up.
As soon as they reached their home, our hero sat down and penned a long letter to Mary, telling her of what Kate had said, and stating that he knew absolutely nothing of any letters being sent to her heretofore in his name. He also told of the attempt that had been made upon his life at the tenement house fire, and mentioned the case of Caleb Backstay, and the old sailor’s mysterious disappearance. He did not hesitate to lay all the fault upon Martin Pollox, and warned the girl to beware. He added that if she needed a friend she must not hesitate to call upon him.
Then he posted the letter, never dreaming of the strange results which were to follow in the wake of this communication.