Part 58 (2/2)

”Villain, Ralph----”

”Yes, villain, mother. Squire Paget is the blackest-hearted wretch in Westville.”

”What's this, and to me!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the squire.

”Yes, to you, Squire Paget, you mean, contemptible coward!” returned the boy, boldly. ”Look at him, mother, and see him quail while I tell you of all he has done.”

”I have done nothing,” faltered the squire, but he looked as if he wished to sink through the floor.

”He hired two men to throw me over the cliff on Tree Top Island, and when they failed, he got one of the men to follow me to New York and try to put me out of existence there.”

”Oh, Ralph, I cannot believe it!”

”It is all true, mother. Here is Mr. Kelsey, and he will tell you the same.”

”This is preposterous----” began the squire, faintly, but Ralph cut him short.

”It is all true. The man who followed me to New York was Martin Thomas. He is now in jail and has confessed all.”

The squire tottered as if struck a blow. He tried to speak, but the words would not come.

”And do you know why he did it?” went on Ralph. ”He had the missing papers, and wished to get hold of our property here. But the missing papers we have found----”

”Found!”

The squire managed to gasp out the single word.

”Yes, found. They were in a registered letter sent by Squire Paget to some friend in New York. They were stolen by the post office thieves, who are now in custody. And, by the way, squire, shall I tell you who the thieves were? Dock Brady, a man named Ca.s.sidy, and a boy named Percy Paget.”

It was a final and telling blow. The squire fell back, pale and trembling.

Ralph faced him dauntlessly, while the others stood around, holding their breath.

Squire Paget could not answer. He wanted to speak, but not a word would his tongue utter. He looked about for his silk hat, and, finding it, dashed out of the house as if a legion of demons were after him.

We will pa.s.s over the immediate scenes that followed. Mrs. Nelson could not let Ralph leave her side for the rest of the day, and Horace Kelsey undertook to follow the squire and bring him to terms.

But the exposure had been too much for Squire Paget. He disappeared that night, leaving his business affairs just as they were. It was not until a year afterward that he was heard from as living in an obscure state in a little town in Canada.

On the strength of his confession, Ralph did not appear against Martin Thomas, and the man got off with a very light sentence. Toglet took time by the forelock, and fled to the Southwest.

The post office robbers were all heavily punished, although Percy Paget, on account of his years, received a lighter sentence than his older companions.

It was not long before the papers which had been missing were turned over to Mrs. Nelson. Under Ralph's advice, the entire question of property was placed in Horace Kelsey's charge.

The insurance agent was not long in finding out what Squire Paget had intended to do with the land along the lake front. Part of it was to be turned over to a syndicate for a factory site, and the balance was to be cut up and sold as town lots. The plan was carried out later on for Mrs.

Nelson's benefit, and the sum of seventy thousand dollars was eventually realized out of the transaction.

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