The Coming Wave; Or, The Hidden Treasure of High Rock, Oliver Optic [story read aloud TXT] 📗

317] pressing him sorely to pay their bills or notes. Two or three had already refused to give him any further credit for supplies for the hotel, the market-man among the number. It looked as though he must suspend on the first day of July.

The finding of the hidden treasure, in spite of what Leopold had said about keeping it for the possible heirs of the owner, to be discovered in the future, had given him a strong hope that it might be available to relieve him from his embarrassments. He thought only of using it to pay his debts, and restoring it if the heirs were found. But after dinner the heirs had been found in the family of Joel Wormbury. His hope from this source was, therefore, plucked away from him almost as soon as it was awakened. If the New Yorkers staid till the dreaded pay-day, even the whole of their bills would not pay the amount of his indebtedness; but it was not probable that they would remain at the house more than a day or two longer. The most that he could expect from them was enough to pay Jones, who had threatened to force him into insolvency if he was not paid.[Pg 318]

Everything, therefore looked very gloomy and dark to the landlord, when his son entered the office.

"You were in a great hurry to get rid of the money you found, Leopold," said Mr. Bennington, rather reproachfully.

"I had to be honest, father," replied the son.

"If you had kept still for a few weeks, I might have used the money, and paid it off in the fall. Of course I didn't mean to have you keep it; but if I could have had the use of it even a month, it would have saved me. As it is, I must fail," groaned the landlord. "I can't get over the first of July any way in the world."

"How much do you owe, father?" asked Leopold.

"About a thousand dollars, which I must pay right off. Mr. Hamilton's party will probably leave three or four hundred dollars with me; but that won't save me."

"Well, father, you shall have money enough to pay all you owe, except the mortgages, to-morrow night," added Leopold, lightly.

"What do you mean?" demanded the landlord, opening his eyes.[Pg 319]

"By being honest I have made some good friends. After Stumpy had paid of the mortgage on his mother's house, which Squire Moses was on the point of taking from the family, he offered to lend you all the rest of the money which the gold brings."

"Stumpy?"

"His mother agreed to it, and you will give her a note for the amount, which Mr. Hamilton promised to indorse."

"But how much money will there be?" asked Mr. Bennington, bewildered by this unexpected succor.

"Nearly eighteen hundred dollars."

"That will be more than I want."

"You need not take any more than you need; I think the hidden treasure meets your case better than if I had not found the heirs so soon."

"I declare, I feel as if a ten-ton weight had been lifted from the top of my head!" exclaimed the landlord.

"I feel better about it now than I should if I had stolen the hidden treasure," added Leopold.[Pg 320]

"So do I. But I will take only twelve hundred dollars of this money; and I am satisfied that I shall be able to pay it at the end of the season."

The next day the Orion made her excursion to Rockland, and Leopold and Stumpy were invited to join the party. Rosabel and Isabel were in excellent spirits, and, as the bay was tolerably smooth, so was Charley Redmond. Stumpy, dressed in his Sunday clothes, looked more like a gentleman than usual. Mr. Redmond tried to make fun of him before the girls, but Stumpy was too much for him, and retorted so smartly that he turned the laugh upon the fop.

Rosabel's long auburn tresses floated on the breeze, and Leopold could not help looking at her all the time, thinking that she was the prettiest girl in the whole world. He was very attentive to her, and when the yacht anchored in the harbor of Rockland, she permitted him to hand her into the boat.

Stumpy, by his assiduous devotion to Miss Belle, and especially by his sharp and witty retorts upon Mr. Redmond, had won her regard,[Pg 321] and the coxcomb had to step one side. Charley was disgusted and had to seek his companions among the older people of the party, to whom he had much to say about these "country swells."

Mr. Hamilton did his financial business in the city, disposing of the gold at two hundred and nine, as the telegraph reported the rate to be in New York.

In the afternoon the breeze freshened, and, with Leopold for a pilot, the yacht sailed up the bay, and the party enjoyed the trip till the last moment, when they landed in Rockhaven. In the evening the merchant went to Mrs. Wormbury's house, and paid her the balance of the eighteen hundred and eight dollars, which the gold had produced. With so much money in the house, the widow and her eldest son could not sleep; but early the next morning Mr. Bennington received, and gave his note for, twelve hundred dollars of it, leaving Stumpy, who was the financier on this occasion, embarrassed with six hundred more. He did not know what to do with it, and Leopold advised him to put it in Herr Schlager's safe. They[Pg 322] went to the watch-maker's for this purpose. In front of the shop they saw Deacon Bowman engaged in an earnest conversation with Squire Moses Wormbury. Stumpy heard his grandfather say something about "bonus" as he passed him.

"There's a trade," said he to Leopold, as they entered the shop. "My beloved grandad is going to gouge the deacon out of some money, I know by the looks of him."

"Deacon Bowman looks troubled," added Leopold.

"He wants to borrow money, I suppose," replied Stumpy. "Hark!"

Stumpy went out of the shop, and while he pretended to be looking at the goods in Herr Schlager's window, he listened to the conversation till the two men separated, and the deacon entered the watch-maker's shop.

"You are driving a hard trade, with Squire Moses," said Stumpy, following the deacon into the shop.

"Did you hear it?" asked Deacon Bowman, with a troubled expression.

"I heard part of it. Squire Moses is to lend you six hundred dollars, and you are to give[Pg 323] him a note and mortgage on your house for seven hundred—a bonus of one hundred, besides the interest," added Stumpy.

"I did not agree to it, but I want the money very badly. My son, who is in business in Portland, is in trouble, and I am raising this money for him," replied the deacon, with a shudder. "If I don't furnish it, my son will be—Did you hear the rest?"

"No, sir, I did not, and I don't want to hear it."

"I'm glad you don't."

The deacon's son had forged an indorsement, and if the note was not paid, exposure was certain; and Squire Moses was taking advantage of the circumstances.

"Make the note and mortgage for six hundred dollars to Sarah Wormbury, administratrix, and here is the money," added Stumpy, taking the balance of the proceeds of the hidden treasure from his pocket, rejoiced to be able to help the worthy deacon, and at the same time to head off a mean act of his grandfather.

Deacon Bowman had heard all about the good fortune which had come to Joel Wormbury's[Pg 324] family, and he readily comprehended where the money in the hands of the young man came from.

"I promised to meet Squire Moses here in an hour, and give him my final answer," added he. "I will have the papers ready as soon as I can."

Herr Schlager put the money in his safe, as requested; but in less than an hour Deacon Bowman came with his papers, the mortgage and note duly signed, acknowledged, and witnessed. He received the money, and his heart seemed to be glad. By the time the business was finished, Squire Moses arrived, satisfied that the unfortunate deacon would be compelled to accept his hard conditions.

"I shall not want the money, Squire Moses," said Deacon Bowman.

"Not want it!" exclaimed the old skinflint, taken all aback by this announcement.

Squire Moses was very anxious to re-invest the sum he had received for the mortgage of Joel's place, and he was greatly disappointed to lose so good a speculation as that he had proposed to the deacon.[Pg 325]

"I shall not want it; in fact I have been able to make a better arrangement," replied Deacon Bowman.

"Where did you get the money?" demanded the squire.

"Your grandson, here, loaned it to me on his mother's account."

If Squire Moses was disappointed before, he was mad now. He looked daggers at Stumpy, who was not afraid of him, now that the debt was paid.

"Of course you told him about your son," sneered the money-lender.

"I did not," replied the deacon sadly.

"People will be likely to know all about it now."

"They will be likely to know at the same time that somebody required me to mortgage my place for seven hundred dollars, in order to obtain six hundred," added the deacon, sharply.

Squire Moses was startled, for he valued his reputation more than his character as known to God and himself.

"Perhaps neither of us had better say anything," said he, biting his lip, and leaving the shop.[Pg 326]

"We will keep still till Squire Moses lets on," said Stumpy; and everybody except the usurer was pleased.

Stumpy went home, and told his mother what he had done in her name, with which she was entirely satisfied. In due time the release and the mortgage were recorded; Mrs. Wormbury was re-appointed administratrix and guardian of her children, and all other necessary legal steps were taken to prevent any future difficulty, if Squire Moses was disposed to question the widow's proceedings.

The first of July came. The New York party were still at the Sea Cliff House, though nearly every day they made an excursion in the Orion. They were still enjoying themselves to the utmost, and the hotel grew in favor with them the longer they stayed. Mr. Bennington had quietly paid every bill presented to him, without informing any one that he was "in funds." Squire Moses had not been near him; in fact, the old man had been to Bangor to look out for a piece of property on which he held a mortgage, and about which there was "a hitch." In his absence, the landlord's creditors, seeing[Pg 327] that he was doing a good business, did not disturb him. Even Jones kept away till the first day of the month; but when he presented himself, his note was promptly paid.

While he was still in the office of the hotel, Squire Moses, who had just returned from Bangor, entered, with his mortgage note in his hand. He was very cross and very ugly, for he was in peril of losing the whole or part of the money he had loaned on the Bangor property. As he had stirred up all the landlord's creditors, he was confident that Mr. Bennington would not be able to pay him.

"I want the interest money to-day," said he, sharply as he stepped up to the counter, behind which the landlord stood.

"Can't you wait till next week? When these New York folks leave, I shall have more money than I have now," replied Mr. Bennington, who, knowing just what his hard creditor wanted, was disposed to thorn him a little.

"I must have the money to-day," added Squire Moses more mildly, for he began to feel that the business was in just the condition he wished it to be.[Pg 328]

"It has been a pretty tight time with me for money," pleaded Mr. Bennington.

"It has with everybody; but if you can't pay me my interest money, say so."

"But suppose I can't pay it; you won't be hard with me—will you?"

"I expect folks to do just what they agree to do. I don't want any long stories about it," added Squire Moses, who was secretly happy.

"Waiting till next week won't make any difference with you."

"I think I know my own business best. I understand you to say you can't pay. Here is Jones, and in his presence, as a witness, I demand the money."

"Just so," replied the landlord; "but if—"

"No buts about it, Mr. Bennington. I don't want to talk all day about nothing. You can't pay; that's enough;" and the squire moved