Part 51 (1/2)

A telegram was sent to the Poole family, and the next day came a reply that some men would come to take Wilbur Poole away to a sanitarium. It was established beyond a doubt that he had used the dynamite to blow up the dining-room of Sparr's hotel, and, consequently, our hero and his chums were cleared of that charge, much to their satisfaction.

”I wonder if Nat will come back?” said Shadow. ”I should think he would hate to do it.”

”I don't think he will,” said Luke.

”What will you do if he does come back, Phil?” asked Gus.

”I don't know, Gus. Of course, I'll let him know what I think of him for spoiling my plans for a spread. But I hate to be hard on him, because of this disgrace about his uncle.”

”Yes, that's a terrible thing,” was Chip Macklin's comment. ”I'd hate to have a crazy man in my family.”

”Well, such things can't be helped,” put in Polly Vane. ”The Poole family will have to make the best of it.”

It was several days later when Nat Poole showed himself. Phil and Dave did not see him until later, and both were struck by the change in his appearance. He looked haggard and much older, and his arrogance was completely gone.

”Got back, eh?” said Phil, walking up to him.

”Yes,” returned the money-lender's son, and his voice sounded hollow.

”What have they done with your uncle, Nat?” asked Dave, kindly.

”Put him in another sanitarium, where he will have the best of care and doctoring.”

”I hope he gets well.”

”We all hope that.” Nat swallowed a lump in his throat and then looked gloomily at Phil. ”Well, you got the best of me,” he said, shortly.

”How the best of you?” demanded the s.h.i.+powner's son.

”I understand you found out about that spread.”

”I did.”

”Well, I'll pay for the damage done--as soon as I get the money. I haven't any now--Dad's got too much to pay on Uncle Wilbur's account.”

Nat swallowed another lump in his throat. ”I'm sorry I did it now, Phil, honest I am,” he went on, brokenly.

”Well, if that's the case, let us drop the matter, Nat,” was the instant reply. ”I don't believe in hitting a fellow when he is down.

You haven't got to pay me anything. The whole thing is past and gone,--and that ends it.”

”Thank you.” Nat wanted to say something more, but his voice suddenly broke and he turned away to hide his emotion, and then walked away.

”He's. .h.i.t and hit hard,” said Roger, in a low voice.

”And you did well to drop that matter, Phil,” added Dave. ”Maybe Nat has learned a lesson he won't easily forget.”

Dave was right about the lesson Nat Poole had learned. He was deeply humiliated, both by the exposure concerning the feast and by what had been learned concerning his insane uncle, and for a long time was quite another boy.

It may be added here that at a new sanitarium, and under first-cla.s.s medical treatment, a marked change came over Wilbur Poole, and in less than a year he was completely cured of his weakmindedness. With a nurse as a companion he went into the country to rest both body and mind, and later on came out into the world again as well as anybody.