It was well on toward evening when the three chums got back from their fishing trip, for they had tramped several miles. They had good luck, and brought back several beauties.

"h.e.l.lo, Frank!" called Bart, when they were within hearing distance of the camp.

There was no answer.

"Maybe he's asleep yet," suggested Fenn.

"Hardly," commented Ned.

The boys reached the tent. The first thing they saw was the basket of provender Frank had left.

"Well, he's been to Armstrong's," remarked Bart. "h.e.l.lo, Frank!

Where are you?"

An echo was the only answer. Ned entered the tent. He came out in a hurry.

"Frank's run away!" he exclaimed.

"What makes you think so?" asked Bart, much surprised, while Fenn looked startled at the news.

"Because most of his clothes are gone."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. Look!" and he pointed to where they were missing from the small trunk in which Frank kept them.

"This is getting serious," declared Bart. "Something is wrong with Frank.

I wonder where he could have gone?"

"What's that over there?" asked Fenn, pointing to a white object at the foot of a tree.

"It's a newspaper," said Ned, picking it up. "And it is turned to display an advertis.e.m.e.nt. I wonder if Frank could have gone to answer this?" and he read the item concerning the sanitarium.

CHAPTER XXII

FRANK IS EMPLOYED

It was about seven o'clock that evening when Frank, wearing the smoked gla.s.ses, rang the bell at the front door of the Cliffside Sanitarium. He had hurried through the woods as fast as he could, munching on the way a sandwich he had made before leaving camp.

His ring was answered by a woman with iron-gray hair who inquired what he wanted. When he said he had come in answer to the advertis.e.m.e.nt, he was shown into a little room opening from the main hall, and told to wait until Dr. Hardman came.

"Guess the place is still open, or they wouldn't ask me in,"

thought Frank.

He had not been in the little room three minutes before he heard voices out in the hall. One was that of the woman who had admitted him. At the sound of the other he started.

"You'll find him in the small reception room, Dr. Hardman," the woman had said.

"Ah, yes, thank you Mrs. Robotham. I'll see him directly. I wish you'd look after ward six to-night. The regular nurse is away."

"That's the man who was at my uncle's house!" Frank thought, as he heard the doctor's voice. "That's the man who threatened me in the dark. I didn't recognize that name Hardman when I saw the advertis.e.m.e.nt, but he's the man the boys took to the woods. What shall I do? I must not tell my name, that's certain, and yet he may recognize me, from seeing me in the woods that day. But the gla.s.ses might puzzle him. It's a good thing I thought of them," and he felt to see if they were properly adjusted. He had no time to speculate further, for Dr. Hardman entered at that moment.

"So you've come to answer the advertis.e.m.e.nt," the man spoke in brisk tones. "Well, you're the first one. Help isn't as plentiful in this locality as I thought. Now we want a young man to make himself generally useful, to do as he's told, not to ask too many questions, and above all, not to talk, outside, of what he sees going on in here. For I may as well tell you, what you already know, I suppose, as everyone in this neighborhood does. This is a private lunatic asylum, and a sanitarium for the treatment of persons suffering from nervous ailments. We have only one or two violent patients, and they are looked after by special guards. Most of the men here are only mildly affected. Still, we do not like those employed here to form outside acquaintances, and if we engaged you you will have to submit to our rules."

"I will be willing to do that," Frank said, and he had great hopes of getting the place.

"I don't suppose you've had much experience in a place like this," Dr.

Hardman went on. "We don't expect that. All you will have to do is to obey orders. The pay is ten dollars a week and board. Do you think you'd like it? You seem like a strong, smart young chap. Are your eyes weak? I presume they must be or you wouldn't wear smoked gla.s.ses. Never mind, that doesn't make any difference here."

"I think I would like it very much." Frank was wondering what to say when the doctor would ask his name. He was glad the physician had not recognized him. But he was somewhat in the shadow, and Dr. Hardman appeared to be thinking of almost anything or any one than the boy before him. Besides, Frank's hair had been cut short recently and that altered his looks somewhat.

"Very well, I think I'll give you a trial. We need someone right away.

Can you begin work at once?" Dr. Hardman asked.

"Yes," replied Frank, much delighted that his plan was working so well.

"Very good. You can tell me something about yourself to-morrow, and furnish references I suppose. I see you have brought your valise with you. Your supply of clothing, I suppose?"

"Yes, I can stay here to-night."

"That's good. I'll not need to see much of you, as I am very busy. You'll be under the direction of Mrs. Robotham, my a.s.sistant. By the way, I presume you have no objection to being designated by a number?"

"By a number?" inquired Frank, somewhat puzzled.

"Yes. You see many of our patients have queer notions. Names are strange things to them. They often bring back painful memories. To avoid that we are all known by numbers here."

"I don't mind in the least." In fact Frank was glad. This might be the means of enabling him to keep his name hidden, and not necessitate him giving a false one, which he did not like to do, even to gain his ends.

"Very good, I'm number one, Mrs. Robotham is number two, and so on.

You'll be number thirty-one."

"All right," Frank answered, and he was relieved when Dr. Hardman turned away, without seeking to question him further. Clearly the red-haired physician had not recognized the boy as the one who had followed him that night in the darkness from Mr. Dent's house, nor the one he had run from in the woods.

Mrs. Robotham came in at that juncture and, as he pa.s.sed her in the doorway, Dr. Hardman announced that he had engaged the boy. He told his a.s.sistant to instruct Frank where to go and what to do.

"Come with me and I'll show you your room," said the woman, and Frank followed, wondering what he was going to do, now that he had the place at the sanitarium.

"Have you had supper?" asked Mrs. Robotham.

"Not very much," was the answer, as Frank thought of the sandwich in the woods.

"After you put your things away you can come down to the dining-room. Most of the nurses and attendants have finished, but there is plenty left."

"What are my duties?" asked Frank.