CHAPTER XIII
A QUEER STORY
Whether he wanted to or not, the youth who had, as Pep and Frank both believed, been saved from a self-inflicted death, submitted himself to them, and allowed them to carry him to the beach.
"I don't want you to bother with me," he kept saying over and over again, on the little trip.
"Now that's all right," insisted Pep, in the masterful way he had. "You leave this to us, and you'll come out all right."
"Surely, yes," agreed Frank. "You tell us what's the matter, and perhaps we can help you."
"I'm afraid you can't," and the boy's voice was weak and miserable. "Mine is a strange story."
"Well, we've heard some pretty strange ones in the last two years," spoke Pep, "and it will take a pretty big story to scare us; eh, Frank?"
"That's right," agreed his chum.
By this time they had reached the beach, and set down their human burden. Several persons, who had been observing the lad out on the rock, crowded up, for the manner of Frank and Pep in bringing him ashore was novel, to say the least.
Frank observed the curiosity, and, in order that no embarrassing questions would be asked of their protege, he said, winking at Pep:
"The next time you want to go in bathing put on a suit, and you might better look up the tables of tides and see when it is high water."
"That's right," added Pep, nudging the strange lad, to indicate to him that he was thus to pretend it was all an accident that he had been out on the rock.
"Oh—yes," was the hesitating answer. "I'll be more careful next time."
"Tide comes up pretty fast, sometimes," observed a man. The others in the gathering throng accepted this implied explanation, and started to walk away.
"Might as well let them believe everything is all right," whispered Frank in the boy's ear. "You'll feel better next time you meet folks."
"Oh, I can't thank you enough for what you have done for me," said the lad; "but I feel that it isn't any use."
"Nonsense! Don't talk that way!" cried Pep. "We'll soon fix you up. Now, the first thing you need is dry clothes. Where are you stopping? We'll go with you."
"I—I'm not stopping anywhere," was the hesitating answer.
"Oh, come! You must have some place to stay—a home—a boarding house——?" He looked questioningly at the lad.
"I—I did have a place—in a small hotel," was the answer.
"Well, let's go there, and get you fixed up," offered Frank.
"But I haven't that room now," the lad said. "I—my money gave out, and I had to give it up. I have no place to go."
"Then come with us!" cried Pep, impulsively. "We've got heaps more room than we can use in the Cliff House. Come with us."
"Yes," added Frank. "And then tell us your story. What's your trouble, anyhow?"
"And who are you?" asked Pep, as he mentioned his own name and that of his chum.
"My name is Albert Jackson," was the low-voiced reply. "And, since you have been so kind to me, I will tell you my story."
"Wait just a few minutes," suggested Frank. "We can't go up to the Cliff House in this outfit," and he glanced at the bathing suits of himself and his chum. "Just wait until we change, and we'll be with you. Meanwhile you'll dry off a bit."
"I'll stay here with him until you change, and then you can wait for me," suggested Pep, with a well-concealed wink at Frank. The latter understood. Pep did not want to leave Albert alone for fear the lonesome and discouraged lad might again be tempted to do something rash, and this time be more successful.
It did not take the two chums long to make the changes, and soon, clad in their usual garments, Frank and Pep were walking with Albert toward the hotel. Frank had given a look up and down the beach on leaving the vicinity of Seal Rocks, but had not caught sight of Royston. The suspected promoter had left.
"But perhaps the hotel people won't like your bringing me in," suggested Albert.
"Why not, I'd like to know!" exclaimed Frank. "It's our room, and we can bring up what guests we like."
"But I'm so——" he paused and looked at his wet garments.
"You're nearly dry," observed Pep. "Anyhow, anyone is likely to be wet by the spray from the surf. Come along."
As the chums had expected, no one paid any attention to them as they escorted their new friend through the corridor to the elevator and up to their room. True, the elevator attendant did glance rather curiously at Albert's damp garments, but Frank forestalled any criticism by saying in loud tones:
"Next time we'll know enough not to go too near the water, with our good clothes on."
"Dat's right, boss!" chimed in the colored lad, with a friendly laugh. "De watah suah am wet!"
A little later the three boys were in the room of the motion picture chums, the newcomer had been provided with dry garments, and Pep, with a pleasant smile at Albert, said:
"Now, if you're ready to tell us your story we're only too glad to listen. Not that we want to pry into your affairs," added Pep, quickly, for he saw Albert draw back, "but perhaps we can help you."
"Oh, it wasn't that!" exclaimed Albert, quickly. "I do want you to hear my story, for you have been so kind to me. Only for you two I might not—I might not be here now," he faltered. "The only thing is that I don't want to bother you."
"Pshaw! Bother! It isn't any bother at all!" cried Pep, in his usual impetuous way. "We're only too glad to help you."
"That's right," chimed in Frank. "So don't feel that way about it, but tell us your story."
"I will," promised Albert. He considered for a moment, and then began.
"I am an orphan," said Albert, "any my only near living relative, so far as I know, is an uncle, Henry Jackson, my late father's brother. I have lived with him for a number of years, and he was almost like a father to me."
"My uncle had been in various businesses, but, of late, he did not have very good luck, until he undertook to promote several new schemes. One of these was an amusement enterprise for the fair here. He managed to secure a very valuable concession at a low price, because he made an early application, and took a place that was not thought to be of much worth. Afterward the plans of the Zone were changed, and his site became the most valuable in the whole concession space."
"I wish we had his luck," murmured Pep, with regretful thoughts of their own failure.
"He didn't have the luck long," continued Albert. "Something went wrong with him, or at least it began to go wrong, and he was likely to lose all his money, and he had obtained a considerable sum from old friends, to put through this new amusement enterprise.
"But my uncle did not give up. A short time ago he said it would be necessary for him to go to New York to see a certain man and straighten matters out, so he left for the East, and I remained behind here in our hotel.
"I had one letter from my uncle after he reached New York, in which he said he thought everything was going well. Then, most unexpectedly, I received a strange telegram from him, saying that everything was lost."
"That was too bad!" exclaimed Pep. "Still he may get it back."
"You haven't heard the worst," went on Albert. "Of course I felt very badly when I received that word from my uncle, but I felt worse when he came back here, a few days ago, a wreck of his former self. He said his ruin was even worse than he had at first thought, and that he was left without a dollar in the world."
"Well, other men have been ruined, and have 'come back,'" put in Frank.
"But it is impossible in my uncle's case," said Albert, sadly.
"Why?" Pep wanted to know.
"Because yesterday he was seized, judged as insane, and put in an asylum under an order signed by two doctors! Do you wonder I wanted to end my life?" asked Albert.