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“like one,”
- calling me up, I’d like to know?
-- HAPPY
‘DAYS
The letter astonished the boy, of course,
and then he began to think it might be a
joke some one Was trying to play on him,
as the signature was to all appearances. a
facetious one,
He thought the matter over, put the let-
ter in his- pocket and at length made up
his mind to keep the peculiar appointment.
lenny was nat his desk, and the boy
snow asked
~ oy nere i is Tea eby’ 's Boathouse, Denny?”
« av Groove street,"on ther river-
a Now «another question:
Where does Governor Stanton live?”
an, ther big mansion out on Linden
oa
“Can you tell me, where om Darrell
spends most of his ti
“Aisy; in ther billiard -room ‘an’ cafe av
ther Mansion - House.
“Have. your boys ever had any trouble
with the | boys of Vigilant No..1?” asked
‘ran’
“Yes; he is in the next ‘room:” *
. “The tell him to keep the man talk-
ing. That may give me time to.get there
to your assistance,
The _b dropped the receiver and
dashed downstairs, putting on his hat
and rushing o1 Denny thought he had
suddenly- gone, “crany, .
was a private automobile. going
by slowly, and Frank rushed up to it and
said to the chauffeur
“Vil give you five dollars if you will
rush me at lightning Speed to the resi-
dence of Governor Stat
“Jump in!” replied then man, eagerly.
“Tt isn't often I can make a stake like
hat for eiving a fellow a ride in this
machine.”
Frank was qpeside him. before he fin-
ished speakin, .
“Go like fury!” he panted. - :
The chauffeur nodded, and the next in-
stant. the machine was whizzing along
Main street at a speed of forty miles an
“Sure an’ there’: 's a taste av a rivalry be- | hour.
chune our tw o brigades,” answered De: enny,
drily, an’ it’s manys ther shindy we’ve
had wid. ther loikes av thim. er see,
most ay the Salamanders are sons av ther
poor, an’ most av ther Vigilants are ther
~ sons av ther rich. As they are all proud
fellers, an’ looks down on us, an’ we
thinks we are as
ye! Sure, if it’s rainin’ whin
a foire breaks out, some av thim dudes
won’t go out fer fear av gittin’ wet. I
niver knowed av a foire which we didn’t
raich forst.”
ins are the Vigilants euppoited by the
publi,
‘Niver a bit! Faith, they supports thim-
selves.”
Frank quizzed Denny about many other
matters with which he had not yet be-
_ come familiar, and then went upstairs to
the clubroom with some of the boys to
ave a game 0: rd
He told them about’ his encounter with
the mysterious man. in black, an le-
scribed him as closely as possible; then
he asked, eagerly:
spo any of you fellows know who ‘he
The ey all declared that they had néver
seen the fellow, and one of the boys even
went so far as to say in positive tones:
“He doesn’t even belong in Redbank. I
know pretty nearly every one here by
odd-looking man that, once he was seen,
one could hardly fail to remember him.”
“It was mighty queer how he knew I
was running after him,” said Frank, “for
I made scarcely any noise, as I was on
the gras:
ad doesn’t appeal to'me as a mystery,”
said one of the other young firemen. “If
he had a small mirror in his hand while
he was walking away from you, he could
have held it up so he could see what was
going on behind his bac! The mome nt
you started to run he would have seen it.
y Jove, you must be right,” exclaimed
Prank. “I never thought of that. And
now, what do you think of the way he
vanished in Jackson’s Alley and at the fire
ruin of the old factory
soil the boys ventured % guess at it, but
e of them gave a very plausible ex-
planation, so Frank was not enlightened on
this poin
“He looked like a lunatic, and he acted
sai But, on the other
hand, he might have been merely an ec-
centric fellow. At any rate, if he hangs
around this town long enough, he vu be
sure to get captured sooner or lat
“If he-set the bank afire,” Said, ‘another
of the boys, “it is very dangerous to have
him running around loose, for he may take
it into his head to set fire to some other
building before long.”
Just then there came the jingle of the,
telephone bell dovtnstairs, and a moment
later Denny yelled:
“Hey, Frank, come down here;
wanted! at ther ’phone!”
“Me?” muttered the surprised boy.
that I am here and b
Qn
yer
“Who ean know
He hurried down to the desk and picked
the frantic
ed. -
ame
¢ front
voice of Ruth Stanton. “Is that
“Why, .Ruth!” he exclaimed, in pleased
tones, “Fam delighted to hear your voice
again, even if it is only over the tele-
phone, and——”
“IT am at home, locked in a room by a
madman who is in the library, threatening
the life of my father.’
“Explain moré, quick!
“I think the fellow is an " anarchist.
1
None of the servants are here, and the|}
villain forced an entrance and attacked
le swears he will kill my father un-
less he tells the combination of our safe,
which contains a large sum of money and
some valuable securities.”
“Can you communicate with your fa-
ther?”
leegi
“Yow ve in an awful hurry, sir,”
the_ chauffeur.
“Tam racing to save a man’s life!” grit-
ted Frank. “Now you know what is at
stake, I hope you will | put on every ounce
of power and get m 0 the Governor’s
house as quick as you ean.”
“YN have you there in two minutes,
sir!” and the man incréased the speed of
the auto until it fairly flew.
Luckily there were no vehicles or people
.in.its way, and scant attention was paid
to the policeman who yelled .at the driver
to slacken speed as they shot around into
Linden ad.
The Governor’s mansion stood in a small
park on the right- hand side, and proved
to.be an imposing edifice of wood, with
broad veran
In at the carriage drive rushed the ma-
chine, and in a» moment _paused at the
great portico of the building.
rank handed the driver a bill and,
thanking | him, leaped out.
Bet a light shining through one of
the windows and, peerin, ig in, he caught
sight of a tragic scene in the big library.
There sat the Governor, bound hand and
oot in an arm-chair, and in front of him
stood a tall man, whom Frank recognized
said
at a glance as the thief who had robbed I
the bank.
He was aiming a pistol at the old man,
while he kept his glance fixed upon a
clock on the mantel
Frank readily understood the situation.
The scoundrel had evidently given his
victim a certain length of time to tell him
how to get into the safe.
the Governor til refused, it wa:
clear that the: rascal meant to shoot him,
CHAPTER VI.
BASE INGRATITUDE.”
Crash! bang! went the window as Frank
flung it up, and the boy gave a leap and
vaulted right into the room
he man in black glanced around over
his shoulder and Frank expected to get
a bullet into his body as he shouted;
“Drop that pistol, you scoundrel!”
But the mysterious thief suddenly made
a flying leap that carried him behind a
big Japanese Sereen and vanished from
view.
Across the room ran the boy in pursuit!
of him, and the Governor cried, in anx-
ious tones:
ogome back! “Come back and release
Sat Frank paid no heed to him,
He was intent upon capturing the man
he. was after.
hind the screen he hurried, but the
han was not there.
n open window. showed how he had
made his escape, and the boy came to an
abrupt pause, uttering. an angry excla-
mation,
“It would be folly to try to catch him
now!” he muttere
“Help! Help!” roared Mr. Stanton at
this moment.
Frank returned to him and said, *
disgusted tones
“He has eseaped me, sir!”
“To thunder with him!” snorted the old
man, “Why don’t you release me of these | Ri
bonds? I am half-
Pulling out his pocketknife, Frank cut
his _bonds.
“Where’s your daughter?”
manded while he was doing
“In that room, ” answ' ered the ‘Governor,
pointing toa T.-
Frank harried. over .to it, unlocked it
and passed: through,
Ruth, pale and trombling, stood leaning
against the wall close to the telephone.
ut the moment she saw Frank a glad
smile lit up her pretty face and, holding
out both 7 er little hands, she cried:
“Oh, +1 am so glad you came!
Is papa uninjured?”
enne man in black
he de-
escaved out a windov
“Tle is quite safe.
“Thank heaven he ‘did not’ hurt poor
|ment. with
papa,” she breathed, in relieved tones,
then the tears came to her eyes and
Frenk saw that she was fast weakening
after the terrible nervous strain she had
been under,
He had taken her trembling hands in
his own, and he now led her to a chair,
and as she sank down into it she burst
out erying.
“Don’t excite yourself,” said Frank,
gently. “The danger is all ov.
“Oh, Frank!” she sobbed, “E you only
knew how I have been: ‘suffering! It was
dreadful to be locked in here, unable to
go to my father’s aid. man_ hat
given him just five minutes in which to
tell how he ‘got the safe open. He threat-
ened to shoot if he did not get: the in-
formation, And here I had to remain,
counting off the minutes and hoping you
would get here in time. As it
last minute and you had not arrived, I be-
came half-frantic, for 4 expected to hear
the explosion of that pistol.”
“Well, the villain was cheated out of
his intended crimel” laughed Frank. “I
must have come in just as he was about
to fire. It was mighty lucky you had that
*phone in this room, and a great deal luck-
ier that you had the intelligence to take
advantage of i
Just then the’ Governor walked into the
room with an ugly look on his face, and
asked his daughter:
that crazy man
“No, sir. He was a little rough when
he pushed me in here, but that was all.
Papa, we owe our salvation to Frank
Freeman.
A rather mortified look swept over the
face of the man, but he > quickly recovered
his gomposure and gro
“How. did. you happen, to land here so
ceva a young m:
“Your daughter called me up on the
telephone. at the engine-houw:
“Then ave her to thank for saving
my life?” -
t ny? papa!” exclaimed Ruth, reproach-
w
“Well,” grunted the Governor, “the
thict wouldn’ t have gotten anything, even
you hadn’t called, as I would not have
tau him how to get into the safe, any-
a suppose not,” said Frank, arily. “He
had you cornered pretty bad, just the
I notify the police about the
4
&
“No!” growled the Governor.
it m™ se elf.”
well, AS, I can be of no further
sexviee here I'l
“All right, sir, ail right!”
look of shame had mantled Ruth’s
velvety cheeks, and she arose, walked dver
ti er gruff parent and, laying a han
upon his arm, she gazed earnestly up into
his eyes and asked, reproachfully
- “And hayen’t you a word of thanks for
this brave fellow who just saved you from
getting shot?
“My dear, I believe I am capable ‘of
judging what I had best do!” he an-
swered, coldly. “Please wish the young
man good-by.
‘And i this ungrateful reply he
Szode to to the hall door and passed out_of
er
The girl was deeply mortified,
Tears blinded her for a moment, and
she looked at Frank so ‘piteonsly that he
felt sorry for her, and he said, hastily:
worry over the way he is
treating me, Ruth. I haven’t yet proven
to him that I did not steal your ring, you
now. Therefore, one can hardly blame
him for still harboring malice against me.”
“It prakes me so unhappy!” she cried.
“on I was so in hopes that what
you ae i amd melt his stern, obstinate will
make him your friend. It was very
ungrateful of him—very!”
“Give him time and he will get over
his aversion to me,” lightly answered the
oy. . “The only. regret I’ve got about the
matter is that his animosity keeps me
away from you.”
d
A’ blush stole over her face, and she
gave him a shy glance of her dark-blue
eyes at this broad compliment.
Then he grasped her hand and, bending
over,.he imprinted a kiss upon her rosy
lips and started for the door With a laugh,
exclaiming
“Good by!
ith!” :
She did not answer him, and he left the } i
house with his mind in a whirl of delight,
I shall see you again soon,
or she had not resented that kiss, as he | 0a
feared she might, and it gave him to un-
derstand that she still eared for him.
e got back to the engine-house
he found all jthe boys talking about his
queer flight and wondering what occa-
sioned it.
But he did ‘not enlighten them.
“It is pretty near time for me to start
for Rigby’s boathouse to keep my appoint-
he thought, as he glanced
up at the clock
hanging on the wall.
“It’s half-past nine
no rank took the letter from his pocket
and read it again, after which he wished
the boys good-night and started off,
‘ot to the}:
hurt you, Ruth?” | a:
my unknown correspondent,”| him
Grove strect’ was-lined with residences,
and it ran stra‘ght down to the river.
As the boy strode down the tree-shaded
street ho was wondering who the man was
who called himself “Peter the Hermit.”
Hie. soon arrived at the waterfront and,
glancing around in the gloom, he caught
sight of a ramshackle little building on
piles out in the w. ter, a foot-path of
boards leading out to it.
here was a float in the water near the
hut, which was reached by a flight of
steps, and a number of rowboats weve
moored to the float.
a few moments Frank reached the
end of the boardwalk and paused in front
of the boathouse.
Not a light shone i the building, and
it had a deserte:
Nor was there a soul in sight.
The bell in the Town’ Hall ‘Soomed out
the hour of ten as Frank walked over to
the door of the boathouse and knocked.
There was a moment’s silence, only
broken by: the rippling J of the water flow-
ing along under the piles below, then a
smothered Welee inside suddenly called out: |
“Come
Turning the knob, the boy pushed the
door open, revealing a dark interior, and -
he Sung 1
“Well, who is there?”
“Come in, I tell you,” answered the
same voice in the darkness. ~
“Strike a light,” replied Frank, pausing
onthe threshold. “I am not goin
trust myself in thst place until I see w te
an up against.
‘What a coward!
of, anywa:
“Oh, I'am not afraid of you, by any
means,” answered the boy.
What are you afraid
risk any treachery.”
“I won’t eat you up, Come in here.”
. oqurike a light first.
Won't do
“Then I wi ont go in.)
“Don’t you «wy ant to get the bank’s
money back?
“T certainly do. os, I would not have an-
swered your lett
“Well, I woa’t ay a word until you are
inside of the house and the door is locked,
If you don’t accept my terms, go home.”
Frank hesitated, for the unseen man
spoke in the most decided tones, and ha
knew that the fellow meant just what ha
“TL do | said.
“There’s a good deal of risk in venturing
into that place,” he thought. “I can’t sea
him, and he may be laying for me with a
weapon,”
The man’s voice was not familiar to.
him, and the very mysteriousness of the
incident, puzzled the boy greatly.
it Finally Frank made up his mind to risk
it.
“He -was not armed, but he was prepared
for an attac K
“AML right,” he exclaimed, “I'll come in,
but I warn you that if you attempt any
treachery I yo sie you a pretty stiff
argument, old
With, this remark he walked into the
boathouse.
fhe door slammed shut behind him; he
heard the key turned in the lock, and there
followed a hoarse chuckle, which burst
into the howl of
“THoo0-hoo-hoo-o000!”
CHAPTER VII.
TEE BURNING MANSION,
Frank shivered with alarm when he
heard that well-known cry of the mysteri-
ous man in black, and - instinctively,
crouched back against the wall, expecting
an attack.
But a deathly silence foilowed the wild
shout, and it might have continued had
not the boy mastered his first alarm and |
demande:
“Well, Where is the stelen money?”
He received no reply, and waited im-
patiently for the queer fellow to maka
some move which would betray his where-
abouts,
the moments dragged by without the
least action on the part of the man, Frank
pulled a match from his pocket and lit it.
‘he tiny flame. showed him that he was
n a dirty room, the floors’of which were
itered with ropes, sails, fishing-tackle,
and many other things such as a
Boathouse usually contains.
ere was a lantern hanging’ on the
wall close fe. the boy, and he took it down
and lighted it.
© ‘There wasn’t a soul in the place but>
himself, .
The unseen speaker had vanished i in the
same queer manner im which he usually
disappeared when Frank had been after
befor
“Well, Tn ype banged!” the” boy ex-
claimed. “He'
He searched the enlace ‘carefully, but
failed to see the man, nor did he see any
way by which the fellow could ret out.
THere was only one deor in the hut, and
“But I don’t.
know who you are, and I ‘am not going to °