Part 14 (2/2)

And Jimmy did fly. He again took the garden route and in a minute was at the telephone with the receiver at his ear.

”h.e.l.lo! Is that you, Miss Central? This is me,” he howled into the transmitter. ”Gimme Miss Minerva's beau. I don't know his number, but he's got a office over my papa's bank.”

His father being out of town, the little boy shrewdly decided that Miss Minerva's beau was the next best man to help capture the robber.

”Miss Minerva what lives by me,” he shrieked.

Fortunately Central recognized his childish voice and was willing to humor him, so as she too knew Miss Minerva's beau. The connection was quickly made.

”h.e.l.lo! Is that you, Major? This is me. If you don't want Mr. Algernon Jones to be robbering everything Miss Minerva's got you better get a move on and come right this minute. You got to hustle and bring 'bout a million pistols and guns and swords and tomahawks and all the mans you can find and dogs. He's the fiercest robber ever was, and he's already done tie Billy to a bath-room chair and done eat up 'bout a million cold biscuits, I spec'. All of us is 'bout to be slewed. Good-bye.”

The plump, round gentleman at the other end of the wire heard this amazing message in the utmost confusion and consternation. He frantically rang the telephone again and again but could get no answer from the Garners' home so he put on his hat and walked the short distance to Miss Minerva's house.

Jimmy was waiting to receive him at the front gate, having again eluded Sarah Jane's vigilance.

”Hus.h.!.+” he whispered mysteriously, ”he's in the dining-room. Ain't you bringed n.o.body else? Get your pistol and come on.”

Mr. Algernon Jones, feeling safe and secure for the next hour and having partaken of a light lunch, was in the act of transferring some silver spoons from the sideboard to his pockets when a noise at the dining-room door caused him to look in that direction. With an oath he sprang forward, and landed his fist upon the nose of a plump gentleman standing there, bringing a stream of blood and sending him sprawling to the floor. Mr. Jones overturned a big-eyed little boy who was in his way and, walking rapidly in the direction of the railroad, the erstwhile plumber was seen no more.

Jimmy quickly recovered himself and sprang to his feet. Seeing the blood streaming down the white s.h.i.+rt front of Miss Minerva's unconscious beau, he gathered his wits together and took the thread of events again into his own little hands. He flung himself over the fence, careless of Sarah Jane this time, mounted a chair and once more rang the telephone.

”h.e.l.lo! Is that you, Miss Central? This is me some more. Gimme Doctor Sanford's office, please.”

”h.e.l.lo! Is that you, Doctor? This is me. Mr. Algernon Jones done kilt Miss Minerva's beau. He's on her back-porch b.l.o.o.d.y all over. He's 'bout the deadest man they is. You 'd better come toreckly you can and bring the hea.r.s.e, and a coffin and a clean s.h.i.+rt and a tombstone. He's wounded me but I ain't dead yet. Good-bye.”

Doctor Sanford received Jimmy's crazy message in astonishment. He, too, rang the telephone again and again but could hear nothing more, so he walked down to Miss Minerva's house and rang the door-bell. Jimmy opened the door and led the way to the back-porch, where the injured man, who had just recovered consciousness, was sitting limply in a chair.

”What does all this mean? Are you hurt?” asked the Doctor as he examined Mr. Jones's victim.

”No, I think I'm all right now,” was the reply; ”but that scoundrel certainly gave me a severe blow.”

Billy, shut up in the bath-room and listening to all the noise and confusion, had been scared nearly out of his senses. He had kept as still as a mouse till now, when, thinking he heard friendly voices he yelled out, ”Open the do' an' untie me.”

”We done forgot Billy,” said the little rescuer, as he ran to the bath-room door and opened it. He was followed by the Doctor, who cut the cords that bound the prisoner.

”Now, William,” commanded Doctor Sanford as they grouped themselves around the stout, plump gentleman in the chair, ”begin at the beginning, and let us get at the bottom of this affair.”

”Mr. Algernon Jones he come to the gate,” explained the little boy, ”an'

he say he goin' to fix the water pipe an' he say he's a plumber. He's a very 'greeable man, but I don't want Aunt Minerva to marry him, now. I was plumb tickled at him an' I tuck him to the bath-room an' fust thing I knowed he grabbed holter me an' shuck me like what you see a cat do a mouse, an' he say--”

”And he'd more 'n a million whiskers,” interrupted Jimmy, who thought Billy was receiving too much attention, ”and he--”

”One at a time,” said the Doctor. ”Proceed, William.”

”An' he say he'll bust my brains outer my head if I holler, an' I ain't a-goin' to holler neither, an' he tie me to a chair an' tie my mouth up an' lock the do'--”

”And I comed over,” said Jimmy eagerly, ”and I run home and I see Mr.

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