Two Boys and a Fortune Part 8

"h.e.l.lo, Rex, what under the sun?"

It was Scott Bowman. He had just come out of a trunk store in time to confront the sorry procession.

Rex wished the manhole cover over which he was pa.s.sing would suddenly give way and precipitate him under the sidewalk in theatrical trap door fashion. Scott was the last person in all the world whom he wished to see.

"Don't you come near me, Scott," he answered, "if you don't want to be disgraced. I'm under arrest."

The look of utter and complete amazement on young Bowman's face at hearing this did more to convince the officer he had the wrong person in custody than anything else. He allowed Rex to stop and parley with his friend.

The situation was explained in few words. Scott was a year older than Rex. His father was a city official with a salary of ten thousand a year. He was highly indignant when he heard of the outrage.

"This is monstrous," he said, and announcing who he was, demanded that Rex be instantly released.

"But I can't do that, Mr. Bowman, if that is really your name,"

responded the officer somewhat nettled. "Because this young gentleman happens to be a friend of yours, it doesn't make it any the less likely that he broke that window."

"'If that is really my name?'" repeated Scott, highly incensed.

"You'll find out whether that is my name or not when I report this affair to my father."

The officer smiled; so did a number in the crowd. Rex felt that his former humiliation was nothing compared to that which he was now undergoing, having caused his friend to be treated in this insulting fashion.

"Come on," said the policeman, and the line of march to Sydney's office was resumed, Scott valiantly falling into place beside Rex, vowing vengeance on the entire force of bluecoats.

"Don't stay with me, Scott," Rex implored him. "You've borne enough. I don't want to drag you down into the mire too."

"Do you suppose I'd desert a friend in a time of need like this?"

returned Scott. "I'm going to take this officer's number now while I think of it."

Scott fished a pencil out of one pocket and a railroad timetable out of the other, and glancing at the shield on the breast of the policeman made a record of the figures on it in a very conspicuous manner. But the officer did not tremble with apprehension. He simply turned to Rex and observed, "This is the place, isn't it?"

They had reached the building in which Sydney had his office.

"Yes, this is the place," replied Rex slowly. He was thinking how dreadful it would be to present himself before Syd with this crowd at his heels.

"I don't know whether he's in or not," he added. "Will you mind going up and finding out, Scott?"

"Of course I won't. I know just where the room is and I'll bring him down in a jiffy."

The policeman motioned the crowd back and he and Rex and the patient Chinaman went into the marble corridor and waited, while the throng peered in at them from the doorway and a new one began to gather from among those who pa.s.sed to and fro in the building.

"I'm glad I never knew this was going to happen to me," reflected Rex.

"I'd never have known a happy day if I had."

He had no fear of going to jail. He felt that there was justice enough in the world to ward that off.

But the ignominy of his present position was torture enough to a proud spirit like his.

Ah, here was one of the elevators coming down, with Scott looking eagerly out at him. And Syd was with him.

But was it Syd, this fellow with the pallid cheeks and deep circles under the eyes? Yes, it certainly was his brother, for he stepped out ahead of Scott and came over at once to pa.s.s his arm about Rex in gesture of protection.

Reginald gave an almost unconscious sigh of relief. Within that embrace he felt that he was safe.

"Now what is all this about?" said Sydney, in his business-like tone, addressing the officer. "It seems you have arrested my brother here for breaking a Chinaman's windows. Did you see him throw the stone?"

"No, but a gentleman did," replied the officer.

"Where's that gentleman now?"

He was not to be found. He had dropped out of the procession before it reached Chestnut Street.

"He was a bystander. He is not here now," answered the policeman. "I didn't think the boy did it myself, but he admits that he was running when the alarm was given."

"That amounts to nothing. Do you arrest everybody that runs in the street? Explain why you were running, Rex."

Rex did so, as he had already done.

"This fellow who told you that there was a runaway coming for you,"

went on Sydney; "had you seen him before?"

"Yes; he came up and spoke to me while I was looking in a store window at some bicycles."

"Did you answer him?"

"Yes."

"Pleasantly?"

Rex hesitated a moment.

"Well, I didn't exactly like his looks, so I said 'yes' or 'no, ' I forget which now, and went on."

"This seems like a clear case of the wrong man, officer," summed up Sydney. "It was that hoodlum who broke the gla.s.s just for the sake of getting my brother into trouble. You ought to see that plainly enough.

You do, don't you?"

"Yes, now. I didn't know all the story before. I beg the young gentleman's pardon. Come, John, we'll have to look elsewhere for your tormentor," and the officer took the Chinaman by the arm and walked out with him.

CHAPTER VIII

IN SYDNEY'S OFFICE

"I'm awfully sorry, Syd," began Rex, as soon as the three were left alone and had stepped into the elevator. "I never felt so disgraced in my life."

"You did nothing wrong," replied Syd, pressing his hand against his forehead for an instant as if it pained him. "But what are you doing in town?"

"I came to see you," answered Rex, and then looked at Scott, who had said that as it was so near train time he would wait and go to the station with the Pells. "But you are ill," he went on the next instant, his eyes coming back to the other's face. "What is the matter, Syd?"

"Oh, I'm all right," responded the young lawyer. He forced a smile to his lips, and turning to Scott asked when the Bowmans expected to start on their trip.