Part 50 (1/2)
”It's just as I thought,” said Dave, when he allowed his friends to read the communication ”Link Merwell told Porton about how I had coaive theain on the way to Plattsburg, and early on the followingthey set out on the return to Bear Ca?” cried Laura, when the boys appeared
”Yes, Laura, it's all cleared up!” he exclai but a faker He is the real nephew of Obadiah Jones, and the son of Jones's youngest sister I've got a doculad! so glad!” was the cry of the sister, and she threw herself into his arms and kissed him several times Then Jessie came up and kissed him too, and so did Belle, followed by Mrs Basswood, and finally Mrs Wadsworth, who held hilad for your sake, Dave,” said the wife of the jewelry manufacturer ”But if you hadn't proved to be Dave Porter, I should have been only too glad to have adopted you as my son”
It was certainly a happy return, and that evening both bungaloere lit up brightly in honor of the occasion Shadoas allowed to tell souitar, and the young folks sang one fa Sunday, passed, and then ca Dave heard a well-knohistle on the trail leading to Carpen Falls, and a little later one of the old stage coaches caalows ran out to meet the newcomers, who proved to be Dave's father, his uncle, Mr Wadsworth, and Mr Basswood
”Dad!” yelled Dave, and rushi+ng to his parent he caught hihtly in his arlad I am that this black cloud has passed away But, Dave, don't think that I believed that story I thought it was a fake from the start”
”And so did I,” said Dunston Porter ”There couldn't be any Dave Porter but you!” and he gave Dave a good-natured thump between the shoulders that nearly knocked the wind out of the youth
”We've got more news,” declared Mr Wadsworth, as he, too, came up for a handshake, followed by Ben's father ”They have collared Link Merwell at last”
”Is that so!” cried our hero
”Yes, they caught him in a pawnbroker's shop,” said Mr Basswood ”And the best part of it is that they caught hi to pawn s The pawnbroker got suspicious, and as he happened to be an honest man, he called in a detective This detective remembered the picture he had seen printed of Link at the time he and Jasniff stole the jewelry, and he at once placed Link under arrest”
”And then I went to see Link in prison,” broke in Dave's father ”I had a long talk with hilary up here, and he admitted that he had thrown all that other stuff in the hollow just to inconvenience you Then I made him confess that he and Ward Porton had concocted this sche Porton's identity between the he wouldn't tell the truth about Porton unless I aided hiainst hiree to do that”
”It won't be necessary to have Link Merwell testify against Porton,”
declared Dave ”I've got a document here that shows up Porton for just what he is;” and later on he allowed his father and the others to read the paper which he had had Obadiah L L Jones sign
”Oh, to think I's back, and Mrs Basswood is to have her silverware!” cried Laura, with satisfaction ”Isn't it perfectly lovely?”
The days to follow at Bear Ca and fishi+ng to their hearts' content, and often took the girls out in the boats or in the canoes In the meanwhile some of the men folks returned to Crumville, and Phil took his uncle home
It may be stated here that Phil's father and mother were filled with joy to have Lester Lawrence once more with them, and later on the land that the rival railroads wanted was sold to one of the roads for an even sixty thousand dollars, three-quarters of which amount went to Phil's father and the other quarter to the boy's uncle
”I don't believe Ward Porton will ever bother you again, Dave,” said Roger, one day, but the surmise of the senator's son proved incorrect
When Ward Porton learned that our hero had visited Obadiah Jones he lost no tiot back to his old tricks, and what he did will be related in another volume, to be entitled, ”Dave Porter and His Double; Or, The Disappearance of the Basswood Fortune”
When Link Meras brought to trial, his father ca he could for the ard son But it was proved beyond a doubt that Merwell had been as guilty as Jasniff, and he received an equal sentence of imprisonment
”Poor Link! I feel sorry for hiht have rowing colder every day, and soon there was a trace of snow in the air
”We'll have to leave Bear Camp very soon unless ant to be snowed in,” declared Mrs Wadsworth And then after a conference, it was decided by all hands to pack up and go horand outing!” declared Roger
”One of the best ever!” added Phil