Grit or The Young Boatman of Pine Point 31

Grit or The Young Boatman of Pine Point 31

"Then you may as well be silent."

 

"I will follow your directions," said Carver submissively. "What do you

wish me to do?"

 

Johnson reflected a moment. Finally he said:

 

"Take the earliest morning train to Chester. I will stay here. So will

the other two men."

 

"Anything further?"

 

"Only this: Keep your eyes and ears open when you get home. If you hear

anything that will throw light on this affair, write or telegraph, or

send a special messenger, so that I may act promptly on your

information. Do you understand?"

 

"Yes, sir. Your directions shall be followed. I am as anxious as you are

to find out why we failed."

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER XXX.

 

GRIT IS BETRAYED.

 

 

In sending Grit to Boston instead of the regular messenger, President

Graves had acted on his own responsibility, as he had a right to do,

since it was a matter to be decided by the executive. He might, indeed,

have consulted the directors, but that would have created delay, and

might have endangered the needful secrecy. When, however, Grit returned

and reported to him that his mission had been satisfactorily

accomplished, he informed the directors of what had been done at a

special meeting summoned at his own house. All approved the action

except Mr. Courtney, who was prejudiced against Grit, and, moreover,

felt offended because his own counsel had not been asked or regarded.

 

"It seems to me," he said, with some heat, "that our president has acted

in a very rash manner."

 

"How do you make that out, Mr. Courtney?" interrogated that official.

 

"It was actually foolhardy to trust a boy like Grit Morris with a

package of such value."

 

"Why?" inquired Graves.

 

"Why? He is only a common boy, who makes a living by ferrying passengers

across the river."

 

"Does that prevent his being honest?"

 

"A valuable package like that would be a powerful temptation to a boy

like that," asserted Courtney.

 

"The package was promptly delivered," said Mr. Graves dryly.

 

"He says so," sneered Courtney.

 

"Pardon me, Mr. Courtney, I have had advice to that effect from the

Boston bank," said the president blandly.

 

"Well, I'm glad the danger has been averted," said Courtney, rather

discomfited. "All the same, I blame your course as hazardous and

injudicious. I suppose the boy was afraid to appropriate property of so

much value."

 

"I think, Mr. Courtney, you do injustice to Grit," said Mr. Saunders,

another director. "I am satisfied that he is strictly honest."

 

"Perhaps you'd be in favor of appointing him regular bank messenger,"

said Courtney, with a sneer.

 

"I should certainly prefer him to Ephraim Carver."

 

"I consider Carver an honest man."

 

"And I have positive proof that he is not honest," said the president.

"I have proof, moreover, that he was actually in league with the man who

plotted to rob the bank."

 

This statement made a sensation, and the president proceeded:

 

"Indeed, I have called this extra meeting partly to suggest the

necessity of appointing in Carver's place a man in whom we can repose

confidence."

 

Here he detailed briefly the conversation which Grit overheard between

the bank messenger and Colonel Johnson. It impressed all, except Mr.

Courtney.

 

"All a fabrication of that boy, I'll be bound," he declared. "I am

surprised, Mr. Graves, that you should have been humbugged by such a

palpable invention."

 

"What could have been the boy's object in inventing such a story, allow

me to ask, Mr. Courtney?"

 

"Oh, he wanted to worm himself into our confidence," said Courtney.

"Very likely he wished to be appointed bank messenger, though that

would, of course, be preposterous."

 

"Gentlemen," said President Graves, "as my course does not seem to

command entire approval, I will ask those of you who think I acted with

discretion to signify it."

 

All voted in the affirmative except Mr. Courtney.

 

"I regret, Mr. Courtney, that you disapprove my course," said the

president; "but I continue to think it wise, and am glad that your

fellow directors side with me."

 

Soon after the meeting dissolved, and Mr. Courtney went home very much

dissatisfied.

 

Nothing was done about the appointment of a new messenger, the matter

being postponed for three days.

 

When Mr. Courtney went home he did a very unwise thing. He inveighed in

the presence of his family against the course of President Graves,

though it was a matter that should have been kept secret. He found one

to sympathize with him--his son Phil.

 

"You don't mean to say," exclaimed that young man, "that Grit Morris

was sent to Boston in charge of thirty thousand dollars in bonds?"

 

"Yes, I do. That is just what was done."

 

"It's a wonder he didn't steal them and make himself scarce."

 

"That is in substance what I said at the meeting of the directors, my

son."

 

"I wish they'd sent me," said Phil. "I should have enjoyed the trip."

 

"It would certainly have been more appropriate," said Mr. Courtney, "as

you are the son of one of the directors, and not the least influential

or prominent, I flatter myself."

 

"To take a common boatman!" said Phil scornfully. "Why, Mr. Graves must

be crazy!"

 

"He is certainly a very injudicious man," said his father.

 

"Do you believe Carver to be dishonest, father?"

 

"No, I don't, though Graves does, on some evidence trumped up by the boy

Grit. He wants to supersede him, and it would not at all surprise me if

he should be in favor of appointing Grit."

 

"How ridiculous! What is the pay?" asked Phil.

 

"Six hundred dollars a year, I believe," said Courtney.

 

"Can't you get it for me?" asked Phil eagerly.

 

"I don't think it would be suitable to appoint a boy," returned

Courtney. "That is my objection to Grit."

 

"Surely I would be a better messenger than a common boy like that."

 

"Of course, you come of a very different family. Still, I prefer a man,

and indeed I am in favor of retaining Ephraim Carver."

 

Phil would really have liked the office of bank messenger. He was tired

of studying, and would have found it very agreeable to have an income of

his own. He got considerable sums from his father, but not sufficient

for his needs, or, rather, his wishes. Besides, like most boys of his

age, he enjoyed traveling about, and considered the office a light and

pleasant one.

 

"What a fool Graves must be," he said to himself, "to think of a common

boatman for such a place! He'd better stick to his boat, it's all he's

qualified for. I'd like to put a spoke in his wheel."

 

He left the house, and a short distance up the street he met Ephraim

Carver, who had come back to town in obedience to Colonel Johnson's

suggestion, to learn what he could about the mysterious package.

 

"I'll see what I can learn from him," thought Phil.

 

"Good morning, Mr. Carver," he said.

 

"Good morning, Philip."

 

"You've been to Boston lately, haven't you?"

 

"I wonder whether he has heard anything about the matter from his

father," thought Carver.

 

"Yes," he answered.

 

"You didn't happen to meet Grit Morris there, did you?" asked Phil.