Part 22 (1/2)

Grace understood and she and Sam s.h.i.+elded Nellie and carried her to a campus bench. Then Songbird arrived with a cup of water from a well.

Just as he handed it over, Nellie opened her eyes.

”Oh! I--I--what happened?” she murmured. ”Oh, I remember now!” And a look of pain crossed her face.

”Take a drink of water, dear,” said her sister, and held the cup.

Nellie took a sip and then Grace bathed her forehead with some water poured on a handkerchief that Sam pa.s.sed over. Soon the girl sat up straight.

”I--I'm all right now,” she faltered. ”It--it was such a--a shock.

Oh, Sam, do you really think Tom is bound for Alaska?”

”It looks like it, Nellie,” he answered. ”I'll tell you all about it, if you'll walk down the road, away from those other students.” And then, as they walked away slowly, Sam and Songbird told their story, the two girls hanging on their every word.

”It's awful, terrible!” murmured Grace. ”Poor Tom, he must be clear out of his mind!”

”That's the only explanation,” answered Sam. ”He'd never do such a thing if he was in his right senses.”

”Oh, but he may lose his mind entirely,” gasped Nellie. ”I've read of such cases in the newspapers. A person wanders off and forgets who he is, or where he came from, and all that! Supposing Tom went to Alaska and that happened to him! Why, we might never be able to find him!”

And the tears began to course down Nellie's cheeks.

”We'll find him,” answered Sam, st.u.r.dily. ”Why, we've got to do it!”

”But Alaska is so big, Sam! And think of going out to those mining camps, and out in that snow and ice! Oh, I can't stand it!” And Nellie's tears started afresh.

”We'll have to catch him before he has a chance to leave St. Paul or Seattle,” returned the youth.

”I think they had better telegraph ahead and set somebody on the watch,” said Songbird. ”It will cost money to send a description of Tom, but it may pay to do it.”

”Yes, yes! Do that, Sam! Anything to find Tom!” pleaded Nellie.

”We'll do what we can, Nellie, you can be sure of that,” was the reply.

The boys remained with the girls a short time longer and then took their departure.

”Take care of yourself, Sam,” said Grace, on parting. ”If you go West don't get into any trouble.”

”I won't get into any more trouble than I can help,” he replied. ”But we are bound to find Tom and bring him back.”

It was dark when the boys got back to Brill, and while Songbird prepared to go to supper, Sam hurried to the office of the head of the inst.i.tution. He found Doctor Wallington pouring over some teacher's reports. He listened with a troubled face to what Sam had to tell and shook his head slowly.

”Too bad, Rover, and I sympathize with you and your family from the bottom of my heart. Clearly that blow on the head has put your brother completely out of his mind. I am glad that Richard is coming to Ashton to aid you. What you had better do next is a problem.”

”I think we'll send word West about Tom and then try to follow him,”

answered Sam. ”That is why I came here--to notify you that I'd have to leave.”

”I shall be sorry to lose you, Samuel. Let us hope that you'll be able to come back in a few days--and that Thomas's case will not prove as bad as we think. I agree that it is best for you to move at once, for there is no telling what your missing brother may do. Can I aid in any way?”

”You may cash a check for me--I may need some ready money,--if d.i.c.k doesn't happen to have enough with him.”

”I'll do that with pleasure. Anything else?”