"Yes, ma'am."

Not without something of an effort, Mrs. Parloe affixed her signature to the paper. Then Nat handed the doc.u.ment to John, and told him where to place his own name in full, and also his address. In a minute the matter was concluded, and Mrs. Parloe told the hired man to go, and he did so.

"I trust Mr. Garwell has no further difficulty in this matter," said the old lady, as Nat stowed the doc.u.ment away in his pocket.

"He told me to say that he is going to put it through just as soon as he can," answered Nat. "I don't know anything more about it than that."

"Are you one of his clerks?"

"Yes, ma'am--his private clerk."

"You are rather young for such a position."

"I suppose I am, but Mr. Garwell seems to like me, and I am doing what I can to please him."

"Mr. Garwell is a good man," said the old lady, and there the interview came to an end, and Nat left the room. He was just going to leave the house when the dark-eyed man stepped into the lower hallway, and caught him by the arm.

CHAPTER XX

RUFUS CAMERON'S BOLD MOVE

"What do you want?" demanded our hero. He did not like the idea of being detained, now that his business was concluded.

"I want to talk to you a minute," said the man. "Come into the parlor."

"I am in something of a hurry, Mr.----"

"My name is Rufus Cameron. Mrs. Parloe is my aunt. I must talk to you.

Come in."

Rufus Cameron caught a firm hold of our hero and almost forced him into the parlor. Then he shut the door tightly and stood in front of it.

"What do you want?" demanded Nat. He did not like the looks of Rufus Cameron. The fellow's face was dissipated.

"You got my aunt to sign a certain doc.u.ment, didn't you?"

"What if I did?"

"I want to see that paper."

"If you do, you'll have to see my employer about it."

"You've got the paper right here. Why can't you show it to me?"

"Because I have no authority for so doing," answered our hero, firmly.

"Humph! It won't hurt you to let me look over the paper," growled Rufus Cameron.

"I have my orders."

"Did John Garwell tell you not to show me the paper?"

"He told me to have it signed, and to bring it right back."

"Well, I want to see it, and I'm going to do it before you leave this house."

"Are you going to take the paper away from me!" cried Nat, in alarm.

"I only want to look at it. As soon as I've read it, I'll give it back to you."

"I can't allow the paper to go out of my possession, Mr. Cameron."

"Mrs. Parloe isn't entirely responsible for what she does. I must see to it that everything is all right."

"Well, you had better call on Mr. Garwell."

"No, I must see the doc.u.ment while you have it here. Come! hand it over."

"I will not."

Nat had scarcely spoken when Rufus Cameron caught him roughly by the shoulder.

"Look here, boy, I am not a man to be trifled with!" he whispered, fiercely. "Let me see the paper, and it will be all right. But if you won't, I'll make a whole lot of trouble for you."

"Let go of me!" and Nat tried to pull himself away.

"You stole this ring while you were upstairs," said Rufus Cameron, quickly, and, putting his hand in Nat's side pocket, he brought it out again with a diamond ring.

"I--I never saw that ring before," gasped Nat.

"You stole it, I say, and unless you behave yourself, I'll have you arrested," went on Rufus Cameron, coldly.

Nat was dumfounded, but like a flash he saw through the trick that the man wanted to play on him.

"You can't fool me, Mr. Rufus Cameron," said he, sharply. "Let me go, or I'll have you hauled up in court for this. Your dirty trick won't work with me."

Rufus Cameron fell back, crestfallen. He had not antic.i.p.ated such bravery on our hero's part. He was a coward at heart, and too much liquor had somewhat muddled his brain.

"Then you won't show me the doc.u.ment?" he muttered.

"No."

As Nat uttered the word, Rufus Cameron picked up a sea sh.e.l.l lying on a mantelshelf, and swung it behind his head.

"If you don't let me see that----" he began.