Ned thought it was a pretty poor chance, considering his innocence of the theft, but he decided it was best not to answer. He got a pail and broom, and, taking off his coat set to work cleaning the dirty floor.

Ca.s.sidy watched him a while in silence and remarked:

"I'll be on the lookout, so don't try to sneak away."

"I'll work my seven days," Ned replied, trying to hide the tears that would persist in coming into his eyes. As he labored away the stock certificate, in his inside pocket, rustled. All his trouble dated from the acquisition of that, he reflected bitterly, and it was a dearly bought bit of experience.

All that afternoon Ned worked away, his heart like lead. He longed for a sight of the faces of his chums, and he wanted to hear from his father.

It seemed a very long time since he had left Darewell so happy and filled with expectations of the pleasures he and his friends would enjoy in New York.

"I wonder if the boys came?" Ned thought. "I wonder what my father must think? Oh, I've a good notion to write to him and ask him what to do! I can't stand it any longer!"

Ned was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He had stood about all he could, and with the poor food and the bad sleeping places, which were all he could afford, his health was in danger.

"Come now, no loafing!" exclaimed Ca.s.sidy's coa.r.s.e voice, as Ned paused a moment in his scrubbing. "When I pay a dollar and a half a day I expect good, quick work. We don't want any idlers around here."

Wearily Ned began to move the wet broom over the dirty boards. There were a number of unkempt men engaged in the same occupation.

"If my chums should see me now," thought Ned.

He expected to be allowed to go to bed early as he was tired, but when Ca.s.sidy had sent him to a near-by, cheap restaurant, in company with one of the other porters, for supper, Ned found, on his return, that he was expected to clean out the office.

"Ten o'clock's time enough to go to bed," Ca.s.sidy told him. "The work got behind when my other man left and it's got to be made up. I don't want the Board of Health here, condemning the place."

Even with all the cleaning that was done, it looked as if the Board should take some action, Ned thought.

Meanwhile William and Bart had, that same evening, visited several lodging houses. They met with no success, though the proprietors described boys who bore a resemblance to Ned, but who had only stopped one night and had then disappeared.

"We'll find him," said William, more cheerfully than he felt.

The two boys were walking down a side street, approaching a lodging-house they intended to visit. It was one they had not yet inspected. It was about eight o'clock and was blowing up cold. There was a feeling of snow in the air, and the boys b.u.t.toned their coats closely around them.

"Hope Ned doesn't have to stay out in the storm like I did," said William.

"So do I," chimed in Bart. "I hate to think about it."

"We'll try this place," William went on, as they reached the entrance to the lodging house. In the hallway a gas jet burned, and, as the lads started up the stairs, they met a red moustached man coming down. At the sight of him William cried out:

"There he is!"

"Who?" asked Bart.

"The man who took Ned away!"

The next instant the two boys were besieging Ca.s.sidy with questions. The lodging-house proprietor looked bewildered a moment, and then, gathering the import of what they wanted, he exclaimed:

"Oh, you're chums of his, eh? Belong to the same gang I s'pose? Well, you can't come any tricks on me! If that lad is your chum he stays here until he's worked out what he owes me!"

"What does he owe you?" demanded Bart. "Ned Wilding doesn't need to owe anyone anything."

"He owes me the money he stole!" Ca.s.sidy cried, "and I'm going to get it! Now, you fellows skip out of here or I'll call the police!"

"Can't we see Ned?" demanded William.

"No, you can't! He's got to stay here a week. Think I'm going to let you in and have you help him git away the way he did after he took my money?"

"He never took your money!" cried Bart.

"Clear out!" exclaimed Ca.s.sidy.

"Bart, you go get a policeman!" called William suddenly. "We'll see about this thing. Telephone for Mr. Wilding and the boys!"

"What will you do?" asked Bart.

"I'll stay on guard!" William replied, looking Ca.s.sidy straight in the face. "He's not going to get Ned away from me again!"

CHAPTER XXIX

NED IS FOUND--CONCLUSION

Bart hurried down the stairs. Ca.s.sidy looked after him, a little in doubt what to make of the proceeding. Then he glanced at William.

"Here, you get out of this!" he called roughly.

"All right," agreed William cheerfully. "It's your place, I admit, but you'll sing a different tune pretty soon. I'll get out of the hallway but the street is free, and I'll be on guard there until this thing is settled."

"You're too fresh!" spluttered Ca.s.sidy, as he turned and went back upstairs.

"That's all right! You'll get what's coming to you pretty soon," retorted William confidently, as he went down to the street to await the return of Bart with reinforcements.

Bart soon got into communication with Mr. Wilding, and with the two chums, at their hotel. They said they would hurry to the lodging house, and Mr. Wilding announced that he would bring a detective from headquarters, rather than have the boys ask a policeman to investigate the matter. Meanwhile, Mr. Wilding advised Bart to keep close watch on the lodging house.

William and Bart now took up their positions where they could observe the entrance to the place. They did not know there was a rear stairway, but, as Ca.s.sidy had no idea of spiriting Ned away, desiring, in fact, to only keep him secure, there was no need of guarding the back.

It seemed a long time before Mr. Wilding arrived with the detective.

About the same time Frank and Fenn got to the place.

"I have told the detective all about it, as far as we know the circ.u.mstances," Mr. Wilding said. "Are you sure Ned is in there, William?"

"Almost positive," was the answer. "The man admitted as much. He says Ned stole money from him and has to work to pay it back."

"We'll soon see about it," the detective put in. "I know Ca.s.sidy. He's a rough sort, but he's square I guess. Come on."

Up the stairs they went, the hearts of the boys beating with anxiety.

Mr. Wilding's face showed the strain he was under but, as for the detective, he seemed to take it all as a matter of course. He had seen too many similar scenes to be affected.