Part 4 (1/2)
”I lost it on the road between Naddy Brook and Spruceville,” replied Earl, and gave some of the particulars The full story of his uncle's offer to Randy and himself followed, to which Mr Stone listened closely He was a fair judge of human nature, and saw at once that the two boys were no sharpers and that their story was most likely true
”Well, if you are the real Portney brothers, we are out exactly three hundred dollars,” he said, after considerable talking ”I paid over that th of the letter and the identification”
”We had nothing to do with that,” answered Earl, stoutly, feeling he hts
”Of course not, but--Just wait here a few minutes, and I'll try to find that clerk from the restaurant who identified the rascals”
Mr Stone put on a silk hat and went out, to be gone nearly or quite half an hour He returned accompanied by another man--a police official--to whoiven
”That identification was also part of the swindle,” the broker explained ”I could not find the clerk at the restaurant, and I am convinced now that he was not the man he made me believe he was”
”But what about our ht try to shi+ft the responsibility of the affair
”If you can find some reliable party known to us to identify you, I will pay the suot to be sure of the identification this time--and you can't blah
”No, we can't blame you for that,” repeated Earl, yet at the sae city who knew them
”I don't know of any one here who knows us,” put in Randy, reading his elder brother's thought ”I wish Uncle had sent the money in some other way”
”See here,” put in the police official ”Since those swindlers had the letter that was lost up near where you come from, perhaps you know the men Mr Stone, can't you describe them?”
As well as he was able the broker did so But the description was so indefinite that both Earl and Randy shook their heads
”I know a dozen ood deal like that description,” said the older brother ”It's possible they were lumbermen like ourselves”
”Yes, they did look like lumbermen,” replied Mr Stone ”That is why I was not so particular about their identification”
For another half hour thetime to close up the office for the day, Earl and Randy left, to find so possible At the corner of the block both halted
”I'm blessed if I knohat to do,” were Randy's words ”I can't think of a soul who knows us here”
”There used to be a man named Curtis Gordon who once lived at Basco--he owned the feed mill there He came to Boston and started a flour business But whether he would reht years”
”We !” cried Randy, eagerly ”Let us hunt him up in the directory”
This was done, and they found Mr Curtis Gordon's place of business after a search lasting over an hour Several clerks were in attendance who supplied the inforone to New York, and would not be back for two days
”Stuain,” murmured Randy, disive up,” answered Earl, as cheerfully as he could ”I wonder if Mrs Gordon lives in town”
”What if she does?”
”I'd call on her, and perhaps she can help us out She used to know me”
From the clerks in the store they received the Gordons' home address