University of Virginia Library

8. CHAPTER VIII
THE MILL MYSTERY

"Have you heard the news—great excitement—big robbery—everybody talking about it—hurry up!"

It was thus Andy Rush greeted Ned the next morning as he stopped at the latter's house on the way down town. Andy's hair was more disarranged than ever, and his blue eyes fairly shone.

"What's up?" asked Ned, who had come to the door in answer to Andy's whistle, having been met with the flow of words that startled him.

"Last night—midnight, I guess—Judson's mill—thousand dollars—great excitement—safe blown open—money taken—detectives notified—I'm off to see the fun—hurry up!"

"Hold on!" called Ned. "I saw—I know—" and then he stopped. The memory of what he had seen in the night; the light in the mill, the actions of Bill Berry, and his meeting with Noddy Nixon, who carried a square box; all this came to Ned in an instant. He was about to tell Andy, but on second thought decided that he had better keep his own counsel, at least, for a while.

"Coming along?—no time to lose!" cried Andy.

"I'll be down after I have breakfast," replied Ned, waving a farewell to Andy, and returning to the house sorely puzzled.

He ate his breakfast rapidly. He hardly knew what to do in reference to what he had witnessed during his watch at the mill. After some thought he decided to wait a little while, learn more particulars of the robbery, and then relate everything to his father.

In a little while Mr. Slade left the house and Ned soon followed. When the lad reached the centre of the town he needed no one to tell him that there was considerable excitement. In a small place like Cresville news spreads quickly even without a daily paper.

Ned soon found his chums, Bob and Jerry.

"Have you heard about it?" demanded Ned.

"Yes, Andy Rush told me," said Jerry.

"And he told me, too," put in Bob. "That fellow is as swift as his name."

"Did you hear any particulars?" demanded Ned.

"It was an old-fashioned safe, according to what the policeman told me," said Jerry, "and the burglars had little trouble in getting it open."

"Did they blow it apart?"

"No, simply took a chisel and hammer and cut the lock out. The door was only soft iron."

By this time the three boys were near the mill. There was quite a crowd about, and several policemen were on guard, preventing any one, but those having business, from entering the establishment.

"One side, please," called a man suddenly, coming up behind the three chums. "I'm in a hurry."

The boys turned aside, to give passage to short, stout fussy man, who seemed in a tremendous state of excitement.

"That's Sheriff Blackwell," said Jerry. "I suppose he thinks the robbers are here waiting for him to arrest them."

There was really little news of the robbery to be had. Mr. Judson related what particulars he knew to the police.

"I had a little more than one thousand dollars on hand late yesterday afternoon," he said to the officers. "Several people paid me some bills, and as it was late, I didn't go to the bank, but locked the money up in the safe. I seldom do this, as the iron box is no match for burglars. As far as I know the only persons who knew the money was in the safe were my son and myself. I am sure neither he nor I told any one."

"We must get right to work looking up clues," said the sheriff.

But there were apparently no clues. As has been said, the door of the safe was of soft iron. The robber, or robbers, had used a cold chisel and a hammer, and cut out a section of the door around the big clumsy lock. Then it was a comparatively easy matter to get at the cash. The thieves had left nothing behind them that would throw any light on the mystery.

Having learned all they could, and seeing that there were likely to be no developments at the mill, the three chums wandered up the street. All the while Ned was busy thinking. Finally he said:

"Boys, I've something to tell you. I want to ask your advice. It's about the robbery. Come where we can find a quiet place."

Soon the three chums were sitting comfortably beneath a big oak tree, that cast a pleasant shade from the sun, which was already hot, though it was early in the day.

"Now, let's hear the yarn," said Chunky.

Thereupon Ned told what he had seen while watching the mill the previous night.

"Well, I should say you did know something about the robbery," commented Jerry. "Why didn't you tell this to the police?"

"I did think of it," said Ned. "But I wanted to get some advice first. You see the light may or may not have had a connection with the crime."

"Yes, but it looks suspicious, seeing Bill Berry around," came from Bob.

"Are you sure it was him?" asked Jerry.

"As sure as I am that I'm talking to you now."

"And are you just as positive that it was Noddy?"

"Even more so. Wasn't I talking to him?"

"And he said he had fish bait in the square box?"

"He didn't exactly say so, but he intimated as much."

"If it was fish bait, why should he try to hide it, as you say he did?" asked Jerry.

"That's what puzzles me," replied Ned. "I only wish I had seen what Bill saw in the mill office when the light was burning."

"Maybe Bill is the robber," suggested Bob.

"I hardly think so," was Ned's opinion. "He may have had some connection with it, and may even have known about it. But, in my opinion the person who took the thousand dollars was the person who had the light in the office, and that wasn't Bill."

"Do you—do you think Noddy—er—Noddy took the money?" asked Bob in a hesitating tone. He felt rather delicate about accusing an acquaintance, even one so undesirable as Noddy, of a serious crime.

"Well, I hate to think so, but it does look suspicious," said Ned. "He certainly acted afraid because he met me."

"Could any one get out of the office any way except going through the front door?" asked Bob.

"Yes," replied Ned. "There is a back door that goes out into the mill yard. From the yard a person could pass onto the road along the river, and then come up along the north side of the mill fence, on Peterson street."

"And it was at the corner of Peterson street and Maple alley that you met Noddy, wasn't it?"

"That's just where it was."

There was silence for a few minutes among the boys. Each one was busy with disagreeable thoughts.

"Did any of you hear how the mill of lice door was opened?" asked Ned.

"The lock wasn't forced on either the back or front door," answered Jerry. "So I was told. The police think the robber used a skeleton key."

"Then it comes right down to a question. Is Noddy Nixon guilty?" asked Bob solemnly.

"It's hard to decide," replied Ned. "I'd hate to accuse any one, even when things look as suspicious as they do now. Do you think I ought to tell the police? Perhaps they will arrest both Bill and Noddy on suspicion."

"You'd have to be a witness against them, and that would not be very pleasant," suggested Jerry. "Besides their word would be as good as yours in court, and you have no proof. I think the best thing to do is to wait a while. If suspicion points more strongly to Noddy or Bill, then you can come forward and tell what you know."

"Then I'll wait a while," said Ned. "In the meantime we can, all three, have an eye on Noddy and Bill. They may do something or say something that would give us a clue."

"There's another thing I don't believe any of us have thought of," came from Jerry.

"What's that?"

"Why, you know, Mr. Nixon, Noddy's father, owns several shares in Judson's mill."

"Are you sure of that?" asked Ned.

"Positive. I heard mother saying something about it the other day. It seems the concern was made a stock company not long ago, and Mr. Judson wanted mother to invest some of her money in it. He remarked at the time that Mr. Nixon had taken ten shares of the stock, and thought it a good investment."

"That might or might not throw additional suspicion on Noddy," remarked Ned. "If he knew his father was interested, financially, in the iron mill, he hardly would take money that he knew might cause his father a loss."

"Well, all this talking don't bring matters any nearer a solution," said Jerry, finally. "I think all we can do is to wait and watch."

"And meet every day to compare notes," suggested Ned.