The Flickering Torch Mystery Part 8

"Mr. Grable, I'd like to speak very plainly to you," said Frank. "Do you trust Archibald Jenkins implicitly?"

The scientist looked shocked. "You mean he might be stealing the silkworms!

Bidiculous( 84 Ihe Flickering Torch Mystery Why, he has worked with me for years. I couldn t get along without him. That's the reason-" the elderly man stopped speaking abruptly. '' Why do you ask I''

'' From time to time we 've observed him,'' explained the Hardy boy. "Many of his actions seem peculiar."

The scientist gazed into the distance for several seconds. "I can't believe Archibald would be dishonest,'' he said at last. '' Think no more about it."

He arose, and in deep thought left the boys without saying good-by. He shuffled off down the walk, shaking1 bis head sadly. The Hardys were sorry for him.

The brothers had left d.i.c.k and his friend on guard at the tool house. They had no way of knowing if there had been any fresh developments in the neighborhood of the road construction job.

Frank and Joe evaded Aunt Gertrude's cross-examination, finished their breakfast, and hurried off to the Experimental Farm. When they reported to the underwater section, the temporary foreman came up to them.

"You lads have been transferred," he said curtly.

"Didn't we do the job here right yesterday?" asked Joe anxiously.

'' Oh, you did it well enough. We just thought we'd put you in another section. Gra.s.ses and The due with the Hole 85 Lilies. You'll see the sign about a hundred yards down the road."

He turned away. At the far end of the tanks the Hardy boys saw Boots regarding them with a triumphant grin.

"I'll bet he's behind this move," remarked Frank in an undertone.

"He didn't get us dismissed at any rate, and that was probably what he wanted. Let's go on down to Gra.s.ses and Lilies."

The foreman of this section was a gangling, good-humored man named Phelps. When the boys saw him, they knew he would be easier to get along with than Boots.

'' So you 're my new helpers, eh ? " he drawled. "Well, that's just fine, because I've been short-handed."

He showed them around the experimental plots, where various kinds of gra.s.ses were grown, and the pools for the cultivation of rare lilies. Mr. Phelps loved his plants and was very proud of them.

"Now, there," he said, indicating a strange, exotic flower, "is one of my pets. You don't often see it in this country."

"What sort of lily is that, Mr. Phelps?" asked Joe.

"It's called an African lily. The only thing wrong with its name is that it isn't a lily and it doesn't come from Africa! At a certain time of year its scent isn't much like a lily, either."

86 Phelps smiled as they regarded the plant. "The sacred lily of Africa, it's called. But at pollination time-whew! It sure doesn't seem like anything sacred. Its odor is enough to knock you out. And yet it's just on account of the awful smell that the lily reproduces itself."

"How is that!" asked Frank, interested.

"It has an odor like dead meat. And aloiig come the big carrion flies, the smell fools them, and they settle down on the lily. When they find there's no meat to feed on, off they go, but they carry the lily's pollen on their feet. Then they smell another African lily, think that that smells like dead meat, and get fooled all over again."

"Leaving the pollen of the other lily behind them."

'' Eight,'' said Phelps. " It's quite a plant.''

The African lily was only one of the fascinating specimens Mr. Phelps showed the Hardy boys. They were so interested that the morning pa.s.sed quickly, and their work scarcely seemed like work at all. After lunch, just as they were returning to the section, the superintendent called them to his office.

"Will you boys go over to the humus field, please ? I want you to take a load of earth over to the Grable greenhouses. You'll find the wagon ready."

The Hardys found a team of horses. .h.i.tched and ready. The scientist's little scheme was working smoothly!

87 The boys climbed up on the wagon seat. The animals trudged off. Archibald Jenkins met the boys when they reached the greenhouses, but the cartload of fertilizer was sufficient explanation of their presence to let them through without question.

"Mr. Grable will see you himself about this," said the a.s.sistant. "He wants wheelbarrow loads of it put down at different spots all over the place. Sounds like a queer idea to me, but he's the boss."

It was plain that Jenkins was accustomed to eccentricities on the part of his employer.

But to the Hardy boys the order was not as eccentric as it seemed. By distributing the soil to various corners of the property, they would have a good opportunity of examining all parts of the place.

Asa Grable came up. He peered at them through his spectacles. "You're the two boys who were over here the other day, aren't you?"

"Yes, sir."

"Funny they couldn't have sent a man," grumbled the scientist, pretending to be disappointed. '' Well, you '11 have to do. You can unload the earth down behind the greenhouses, and then I'll tell you where I want it put."

The plan worked perfectly. Archibald Jenkins, apparently satisfied that there was nothing suspicious about the matter, went away and disappeared into one of the large greenhouses. Asa Grable chuckled.

"Kow," he said, "you can have the run of 88 the place and no one will be any the wiser."

"Any further clues about last night's robbery!" asked Frank.

"Nothing. Nothing at all," answered the elderly man seriously. "I've searched the place high and low. I don't think you boys will find anything either."

The Hardys set to work. They unloaded the special humus. With the aid of the wheelbarrow, they carried loads of the fine soil to various parts of the property. They took their time, examining every hole and corner of the place. But the more they searched, the more puzzled they were as to how the thief or thieves could have gained entrance to the greenhouses.

"No gla.s.s broken, no burglar alarm sounded. I can't figm-e it out," said Frank, baffled.

"And yet those valuable silkworms were stolen."

Joe kicked absently at a piece of wood on the ground. He bent down and picked it up.

"This is odd," he said, examining the object closely.

At first glance it seemed like an ordinary fragment of wood, but upon closer inspection the boy saw that it was shaped like a club and that there was a hole in the end of it.

"Do you think it's a clue?" asked Frank.

"Somehow," said his brother slowly, "I think this might be the clue we've been looking for."

He reached in his pocket and took out a 89 match. He lit the match and applied it to the head of the piece of wood. Frank stared at this performance, openmouthed.

" A clue!" he exclaimed. '' Then why are you trying to destroy it!"

CHAPTEE XI.

THE LOST MONEY.

"don't worry," said Frank. "I'm not trying to burn up the evidence-if it is evidence." He held the head of the piece of wood directly in the flame. "In fact, I don't think it will burn."

The match stayed lighted to the end. He tossed it away and lit another. But the head of the club did not ignite.

"Fireproof I" exclaimed Joe.

'' Something like that. It has been treated so it won't burn.''

"That's queer. You wouldn't think anyone wxmld go to that much trouble with a mere stick of wood. Perhaps that hole isn't there by accident, either."

They studied the object carefully.

"I wonder if that hole was meant to hold a candle," said Frank, "or some other kind of light. When it burned down to the wood, the holder wouldn't catch fire."

"The flickering torch!" gasped Joe, excited.

"It could be."

"But if it's part of the flickering torch gang's outfit, what is it doing here! Dad said those men are mixed up in the disappearance of sup90 91 plies on government jobs. What would they want with silkworms!"

"If we could answer that, we'd probably eolve the mystery," said Frank. "And maybe we're building up this little clue into something a lot bigger than it really is.''

"Question One is," observed Joe, "who "who got in here last night? Question Two------" got in here last night? Question Two------"

"How did he get in?"

"I'm more convinced than ever that it's an inside job. Let's ask Grable about this strange piece of wood."

The boys hid the object in the wheelbarrow and sought out the elderly scientist. Quite casually Frank asked the man what the strange piece of wood was used for.

"We couldn't figure out how you would use this in the culture of silkworms," he added.

The man chuckled. "We don't. No indeed. It's an antique," he explained, taking it from Frank's hand. "This is old country around here, and unusual things turn up every once in a while. Well, you'd better get back to your work. Here comes Archibald."

The boys moved off, dumping a pile of humus at the far end of the building in which they had found Asa Grable.

"He told us exactly nothing," whispered Joe.

" He's a strange old chap. Maybe he's a little cracked, and just dreams that his moths and silkworms are missing."

When the boys left the greenhouses a little 92 later they were no nearer a solution to the mystery than they had been before-unless the club with the hole should lead them to something definite.

"You noted Mr. Grable didn't offer to give it back to us,'' said Joe.

By the time they returned the team and wagon to the Experimental Farm, it was six o'clock. When they reached their boarding house, they found Aunt Gertrude laying down the law to the widow. Aunt Gertrude had a habit of laying down the law in every household she visited.

"I'm telling you, Mrs. Trumper, if you don't take action right away, you're going to be cheated.''

"But he seems seems like an honest man," quavered the widow. "I do hate to offend him by like an honest man," quavered the widow. "I do hate to offend him by asking him for the money.''

"Offend him, fiddlesticks!" snorted Aunt Gertrude. " It's your money, isn 't it ? He owes it to you. Go and ask him for it. Come right out flat and say, 'Wortman, I want my money/ That's what I would do!"

"I guess I'm just not much of a business woman," sighed the widow. "I wouldn't know how to argue with him."

"You're too softhearted, that's the whole trouble." Aunt Gertrude looked at the boys. A gleam came into her eyes. Both lads knew what it portended.

"Now, Aunty," objected Frank, "after all, 93 if Mrs. Trumper doesn't want to bother Mr. Wortman about the money, it's her own affair."

"Of course it is. That's why I'm interested. I won't stand by and see her cheated. Will you? I I see no reason why one of us Hardys can't go over and collect the money for her." see no reason why one of us Hardys can't go over and collect the money for her."

The Hardy boys had no desire to get mixed up in an affair that did not concern them, but they knew their Aunt Gertrude by this time. Their resistance was feeble.

"He'd probably throw us out on our ear," said Joe.

"If he does," said their relative, "you come back and tell me. Then I'll I'll talk to him. He talk to him. He won't throw me me out on my ear." out on my ear."

After supper the boys struck out across the field for Wortman's cottage. They were not very enthusiastic about the errand, because they had hoped to spend the evening going over to the construction project and seeing d.i.c.k Ames. But orders were orders, when Aunt Gertrude issued them.

There was no one in sight as they approached the cottage. They hoped Wortman was not at home. They rapped at the door. There was no answer or any sound from within the house.

"That's just fine," said Frank cheerfully. "We've done our duty. Aunt Gertrude can't blame us if the man isn't at home."

"Better knock once more."

Frank did so. Still there was no answer. But this time the boys thought they heard a 94 sound from the interior of the cottage. Joe glanced through the front window.

He saw a cheerless room, scantily furnished. There was no one in sight. But just as he was about to turn away, he noticed a section of the flooring begin to move. Slowly it rose-a section about three feet square.

A trap door 1 As it was raised, the surly countenance of Hal Wortman came into view. He was ascending a flight of stairs into the room. When he saw Joe peering through the window, he cast a panicky glance at the open trap door, moved as if to close it, then realized that he was too late.

"I'm coming," he said loudly, and strode to the door. He opened it, and faced the boys.

"What are you doing, spying around here?" he demanded.

"Didn't you hear us knock?" asked Frank. "We thought you weren't at home, so we were just going away."

"I was down the cellar. Didn't hear you," grunted Wortman. '' Well, what do you want ?''

The boys explained that they had been sent over by Mrs. Trumper for the interest payment he owed her on his farm.

"She said you promised to make monthly interest payments, but she hasn't had anything since the down payment," said Frank. "I suppose it just slipped your mind, Mr. Wortman, but if it's convenient, she'd like to have her money."

95 Hal Wortman looked at them, surprise on his features. For a moment they expected him to order them off the property. Then he said roughly: "Oh, all right. I suppose she's got to have her money. How much is it! I can't be bothered looking it up."