Airship Andy Or The Luck of a Brave Boy Part 18

"Got you, did they?" spoke the man. "Sorry, Andy."

"Yes, I am sorry, too, just at this time. Of course you know, I'm not the kind of a fellow to burn down a man's barn."

"Know it-guess I know. I can prove--" began Chase, so excitedly, that Andy stared at him in some wonder. "See here," continued Chase, controlling himself, "I've got something to say to you later on. Just for the present, you count on me as your friend. I'll see you get the best going in this dismal place."

"Thank you, Mr. Chase," said Andy.

"You needn't sleep in any cell. I'll let you have a cot in my room,"

continued Chase with earnestness and emotion. "Andy--" and there the speaker choked up, and he grasped Andy's hand, and turning away trembled all over. "You're a blessed good boy, and you've got a true friend in me, and remember what I tell you-they will never find you guilty of burning down Jones' barn."

Andy returned the pressure of the hand of the man whom he was meeting under peculiar circ.u.mstances, feeling sure that his avowed friendship was genuine. He had good reason to believe this.

When Andy had come to Princeville, Chase was a worthless drunkard, who worked rarely and who was in the lockup most of the time. One winter's night, as Andy was returning from taking a customer to the lake, he lined a swampy stretch and noticed a huddled-up figure lying at its half-frozen edge.

Andy got out of the automobile and discovered a man, his body and clothes half frozen down into the reeds and gra.s.s. It was Chase, sodden with drink and fast perishing.

Andy managed to get the poor fellow in the tonneau and drove home. It was late, and Talbot had left the garage for the night. Andy dragged his helpless guest into his little den of a room and hurried for a doctor.

He was a favorite with the physician, for whom he had done many little favors, and the latter worked over the half-frozen Chase for nearly two hours. He refused to think of taking any pay, and at Andy's request promised to say nothing about the incident.

Andy kept his little oil stove going all night and plied the patient with warm drinks. When morning came Chase was awake and sober, but he was so weak and full of pain he could hardly move.

All that day and into the next Andy managed to house and care for Chase without detection. Talbot finally discovered the intruder, however. He stormed fearfully. He was for at once sending for an officer and having Chase sent to jail or the workhouse.

Andy pleaded hard for the poor refugee. Talbot declared that his wet garments had spoiled the automobile cushions. Andy got Chase to agree that he would work this out when he got well, and Talbot was partly mollified.

When Chase got about he did some drudgery at Talbot's home. Then one day he came to tell Andy that Talbot had got him a position. Chase was well acquainted with prison ways. Talbot had quite some political influence, and the forlorn old wreck was installed as lockup-keeper at the town jail.

Once a week regularly he came to visit Andy at the garage. It was usually Sat.u.r.day nights, after the others had gone home. Chase would bring along some dainty for Andy to cook, and they would have quite a congenial time. During all this time Chase never touched a drop of liquor. He told Andy he had received the lesson of his life, leaving him crippled in one limb, and that he would show Andy his grat.i.tude for his rescue by keeping the pledge.

"Mr. Chase," now said Andy, "there is something you can do for me, if you will."

"Speak it out, Andy," responded the lockup keeper eagerly.

"I want to send a telegram to a friend right away. They have taken all my money from me, but the message can go collect."

Chase hobbled down the corridor rapidly to return with paper and pencil.

"Write out your message, Andy," he said. "I'll see that it goes without delay."

Andy wrote out a telegram to John Parks. It ran:

"Under arrest on a false charge. I want to see you on important business."

Chase took the message, put on his hat, and going to the barred door tapped on it.

The turnkey appeared and unlocked the door. As Chase pa.s.sed out, Andy observed that someone pa.s.sed into the cell room. It was Seth Talbot.

"I want a little talk with you, Andy Nelson," spoke the garage owner, "and it will pay you to listen to what I have to say."

CHAPTER XVI-BAIL WANTED

The garage owner moved a few feet away from the grated door of the cell room and sat down on a bench. He beckoned to Andy.

"No, I'll stand up," said our hero.

"All right, I won't be long. Short and sweet is my motto. To begin with, Andy Nelson, I've been a second father to you."

"I never knew it," observed the boy.

"Don't get saucy," replied Talbot. "It don't show the right spirit. I gave you a job when you didn't have any, and took on myself a big responsibility-agreeing to look after you like a regular apprentice.

What is the result? Ingrat.i.tude."

Andy was silent, but he looked at Talbot, marveling that the man, mean as he was, could imagine that he meant what he said.

"You've brought me lots of trouble," pursued Talbot in an aggrieved tone. "The worst of all is that it's led to my son running away from home."

The speaker evidently thought that Andy knew all about this, while in reality Andy only guessed it.

"Oh, I'm responsible for that, too, am I?" observed Andy.

"Yes, you are. You left me in the lurch, and while Gus was off with a customer some one robbed the money drawer. I was mad and accused Gus of taking it. Gus got mad and left home."

"What did I have to do with that?"

"Why, if you'd stayed where you belonged it wouldn't have happened, would it?"

Andy actually laughed outright at this strange reasoning.

"What!" he cried. "Me, the firebug, me, the thief you accuse me of being!"

"Well, anyhow, you've been a lot of expense and trouble to me. Now you're in a hard fix. You are dead sure to go to the reformatory until you are twenty-one years of age, unless some one steps in and saves you."

"You think so, do you, Mr. Talbot?"

"I am certain of it."

"Who's going to step in and save me?" inquired Andy innocently.

"I'm the only man who can."

"Oh!"

"And I will, if you're willing to do your share."

"What is my share?" demanded Andy.