Part 17 (2/2)

Soon the doctor arrived and took charge of old Tony Wells, whom he knew well. As Wells was a widower, living alone, the doctor said he would take the old man to his own home, where he could have constant attention.

”He is already in a fever,” said the physician. ”We had better not try to question him at present. It will only excite him the more.” And a little later the sufferer was placed on a litter and carried to the doctor's residence.

By this time the news was circulating that the Wadsworth jewelry works had been robbed, and many persons spent the rest of the night looking for the two young men who were supposed to be guilty of the crime.

Oliver Wadsworth and an officer remained at the offices, guarding the wrecked place and looking for clews of the evildoers. But nothing in the way of evidence against the robbers was brought to light, excepting that they had used several drills and some dynamite on the two old safes, probably blowing them up simultaneously. They had taken the tool-bag with its contents with them and also another small valise, belonging to one of Mr. Wadsworth's traveling salesmen.

”I can't understand why Tony Wells didn't discover them when they first came in,” said Dave.

”Maybe he did and they made him a prisoner,” suggested Mr. Wadsworth.

”Tony was very faithful-the best watchman I ever had.”

Daylight came at last and still the search for the two robbers was kept up. In the meantime, telegrams and telephone messages had been sent in all directions. To stimulate the searchers Mr. Wadsworth offered a reward of one thousand dollars for the recovery of the jewels and this reward was later on increased to five thousand dollars.

When Tony Wells was well enough to tell his story he said he had been going the rounds of the works when he suddenly found himself confronted by two masked men. He had started to cry out and run for help when the men had seized him and thrown him down and bound him fast to a work-bench. Then the men had gone to the offices, and later on had come the explosion. He knew they were blowing open the safes and did what he could to free himself. At last he managed to get free, but found himself too weak to run for help. He had dragged himself to the telephone in the s.h.i.+pping-room and was sending his message to Mr. Wadsworth when the masked men had again appeared and knocked him down. That was all he remembered until the time he was found, as already described.

”You did not see the faces of the two men?” asked Oliver Wadsworth.

”No, sir, they were all covered with black masks. But I think the fellows was rather young-like,” answered the old watchman. ”Both of 'em was about the size of Dave Porter,-but neither of 'em was Dave,-I know that by the voices,” he went on, hastily.

”No, Dave was at home with me,” said Oliver Wadsworth. ”But he and one of his friends pa.s.sed the works just before the explosion.”

The news of the robbery had upset the Wadsworth household completely.

Mrs. Wadsworth was as much distressed as her husband, and Jessie was as pale as if seriously ill.

”Oh, Dave, supposing the jewels are not recovered!” said Jessie, when they met in the hallway. ”It will ruin father,-I heard him tell mamma so!”

”We are going to get them back-we've simply got to do it,” Dave replied.

”But how? n.o.body seems to know what has become of the robbers.”

”Oh, just wait, Jessie. We are sure to get some trace of them sooner or later.”

”What makes you so hopeful, Dave?” and now the girl suddenly clutched his arm. ”Have you a clew?”

”I think so, but I am not sure. I am going to talk to your father about it, and then I am going to take another look around Crumville and around the offices.”

Dave's father and his Uncle Dunston had been out all day, and so had Phil and Roger and Ben, and a score of others, including the officers of the law. But nothing had been seen or heard of the mysterious men with the tool-bag. Another tramp had been rounded up, but he knew absolutely nothing of the crime and was let go again.

Oliver Wadsworth's face was white and drawn and he looked as if he had suddenly grown five years older. He had a long, private conversation with Dave's father and Dunston Porter, and all three men looked very grave when the conference came to an end.

There was good cause for this seriousness. The new addition to the jewelry works had placed Mr. Wadsworth in debt. The Porters had lent him twenty thousand dollars, and, just then, could lend him no more, having a number of obligations of their own to meet.

The Carwith jewels were the property of Mr. and Mrs. Ridgeway Osgood Carwith, of Fifth Avenue, New York City. The Carwiths were now on a trip around the world, but were expected home some time in the spring. Mr.

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