Two Boys and a Fortune Part 27

Roy returned with the announcement that Apgar was sure Rex had not been on his train.

"Then there is only one other theory." Mrs. Pell looked very grave as she spoke.

"What is that, mother?"

She did not reply at once. Reginald was very dear to her. She hated to expose his failings even to his own brother. But it must be done.

"You remember, Roy," she went on, "how he teased me to let him go to New Haven with young Harrington? It is possible he may have gone after all. I wish you would go in next door and see if you can find out."

Roy instantly recalled the three dollars Rex had borrowed from him, but he said nothing of it. He went at once to make his call next door.

He asked for Mrs. Harrington, telling the servant that he wished to see her on a matter of importance. He sent up his name, Roy Pell.

"You are the young man my son speaks of," said Mrs. Harrington when she appeared in the great drawing room, and put up her lorgnette to survey her caller.

"No, that is Reginald, my brother. I called in to find out if he went off to New Haven with your son."

"What! you know nothing of his whereabouts yourselves?"

Mrs. Harrington did not seek to conceal her surprise. Roy felt humiliated, but there was nothing for it but to admit the fact.

"We are afraid he may have gone off without my mother's leave," he said. "He was very anxious to go with your son. He had an invitation to go down to Marley the same day. We thought he had gone, but we find now that he has not been there."

"Your mother did not wish him to go with Dudley, you say?"

There was a trace of severity in Mrs. Harrington's tones.

"She thought he had better not. He is much older than Rex. Do you know whether or not they went off together?"

"I heard Dudley say something about having invited young Pell to go to New Haven with him. They went to the station together."

"Then Rex must have gone. I am very sorry to have troubled you, Mrs.

Harrington." Roy now made a little bow, and he hurried off.

"Then he wanted that three dollars from me to spend on the trip," he was saying to himself. "But that wouldn't have been enough. He must have used the money he said he was saving up for mother's present. Ah, Reggie, I didn't think it of you!"

When he told the news at home there was a good deal of discussion concerning what ought to be done about it.

"Let him alone," suggested Jess. "He feels bad enough about it by this time."

"But I don't know when he will be back," said Mrs. Pell.

Eva suggested that they write him a letter in care of young Harrington and request him to come home at once, but it was Sydney's idea that was acted on.

A telegraphic dispatch was sent to Dudley Harrington, Yale, New Haven.

"Is Reginald Pell with you?" it ran.

The answer came duly, "No, he is not."

The family looked at one another, consternation depicted in their faces. Sydney tried to comfort them by explaining that doubtless Harrington was inclined to be very literal under the circ.u.mstances and that Rex was not with him because he had just started for home.

But Mrs. Pell was not content to rest under this uncertainty. Another message was sent to New Haven reading thus:

"Did Reginald Pell start away from Philadelphia with you?"

The response to this was one word, "Yes."

The Pells were now really alarmed. It was decided that Sydney should start the first thing: Sat.u.r.day morning for New Haven, but Friday night he was seized with another of his bad turns, which had been growing more and more frequent of late. Roy offered to go in his place, and Mrs. Pell consented to the subst.i.tution.

So Roy set out and reached New Haven in the course of the afternoon.

He would have enjoyed the trip if his mind had not been so worried about Rex. He found Harrington's room with little trouble.

He heard the notes of the banjo issuing from inside. He had to knock hard before he could make himself heard.

There were three fellows there, two of them in the luxuriously cushioned window seat. Roy was a little dazzled by the unexpected splendor of the room.

He knew Harrington, of course, the fellow in the blue striped blazer.

He went up to the collegian at once.

"I guess you know me," he said. "I'm Roy Pell, Rex's brother. I came up to find out what you could tell me about him."

The three fellows exchanged glances.

"Why, isn't he home?" answered Harrington.

"No. When did he leave New Haven?"

"He hasn't been to New Haven," replied Harrington slowly.

"Not been here!" exclaimed Roy. "Where did you leave him, then?"

"In New York."

"When?"

"Wednesday night"

"Was he going home?"

"I don't know," and Harrington looked confused as he made this unsatisfactory answer.

CHAPTER XXIII

A TELEGRAM

Roy saw at a glance that something was being concealed from him.