University of Virginia Library

40. CHAPTER XL.
MINOR CHARACTERS OF THE DRAMA.

When Tim Trudge received his note from Washington,
he ran with it open in his hand over to Timothy Hay, and
was followed by Betty, who declared that she deserved the
thanks; for it was owing to her prudence that the “old
trash” had been preserved. And she would not relinquish
Tim's button until he acknowledged that she alone was entitled
to all the credit.

Now it so happened that when the above important communication
was exhibited by Tim, Dick Sutly was in
the orchard of Timothy Hay, for the purpose of buying
some young game cocks on speculation. He had an offer
in the city, which he considered extravagant; nevertheless
he was haggling with the farmer about five cents. The
moment, however, that he learned the purport of the letter,
he struck a bargain and departed hastily. He did not
pause to ascertain whether or not the matter was to be kept
a secret by Tim and his friend; but pushed directly on for
the boat which was to leave Summerton in a few minutes
for the city. He was just in time.

When Dick presented himself before Radley, the unscrupulous
practitioner was already engaged in the execution
of his orders from Washington. He had been instructed
by Mallex to offer a reward of a thousand dollars for a certain
certificate of marriage, and that he deemed a very
liberal price for so small a document, in a country so full
of resources that an instrument of any prescribed character
or required authenticity, might be obtained for half the

money. Radley would not commit a forgery himself for
a thousand dollars, knowing as he did the danger; but that
did not prevent him from offering a few hundreds to a certain
wretched scrivener of his acquaintance, for the production
of such a document as was required. He would
not share the danger—for how could he know that the scrivener
would fabricate the instrument?—but he would divide
the reward!

“I know all about it!” said Radley, when Dick had delivered
his news.

“Yes, after I've told you!” said Dick, indignantly.

“No. I knew it before. It is in the newspapers, and
is the common gossip of the city. But I'm glad to see you.
I shall need your presence. I shall have something very
important to say to you—and it will please you. But I
must see Mr. Fawner first. He is back from Washington.
Be good enough to find him, and bring him here. Don't
lose a minute, Dick, my fine fellow!”

Dick stepped into the street, elated by the expressions of
the lawyer, but inextricably puzzled as to the nature of the
villainy on foot. He was up to cheating in the cock-pit, or
even in the stool pigeon game, and had been one at a nocturnal
sacking of a jeweller's shop; but in the game of
titles, and in the war of opposing manuscripts, he had never
supposed it possible for him to be called on to play an
important part. But he was to execute the orders of
the lawyer, and so he enquired for Fawner at the office on
Third street, and learning that he was not there proceeded
to the mansion of Mallex. Fawner had arrived that day,
but had departed again for the country. Dick, supposing
he had gone to the secretary's country house, unhesitatingly
pursued him thither. At the country house Mrs. Carpenter
informed him that Fawner had just gone over to see
one of the neighbours, she could not tell which, but if Dick
would remain and take some refreshment, she was sure Mr.
F. would return. This Dick consented to do; and the
more willingly upon learning that Tom Denny was absent
in New York attending to some matters for Mallex, and
would not return for two days. So Dick was the only
male person upon the premises, and enjoyed the privilege
of wandering about the grounds and through the rooms at

pleasure, while the careful Fawner, now in the full tide of
accumulation, was in treaty for the purchase of a valuable
farm on his own account.

“What can that be for?” soliloquized Dick, as he cast
his eyes up at the window of the prison-room. “Them
shutters is double, and as full of iron as a jail door.” Saying
this, he threw a pebble against them. “Hello! what's
that?” said he, listening, and supposing he had heard something
resembling a half-smothered howl within. “I'll try
you again,” he continued, throwing another pebble against
the shutter. “Twist my buttons!” cried he, “if I didn't
hear it again! Don't I know that howl? I'll see!” Making
a hasty reconnoisance of the position of the closed
chamber, he entered the building and soon found his way
to the door of the prison-room.

“Who's in here?” cried he, through the key-hole.

“Marcy on me! ain't that you, Dick?” was the response.

“Well, it is, old woman! How the dickens did you come
to be locked up in here?”

“Mr. Mallex done it, Dick.”

“What for?”

“He was afraid I'd blow on him.”

“And no wonder. You was always getting drunk and
running after him for more money. He served you
right!”

“Oh, Dick, don't say that to your own mammy. Aint
you a-going to let me out?”

“I've not got the key.”

“Is anybody with you?”

“No; I found you out accidently. But who feeds
you?”

“The hump-back. And sometimes he don't give me
fresh vittals but twice a week. Oh, Dick, can't you break
open the door!”

“No. It's too strong for one man, but I'll get some
help and come back to-night, seeing as how you are my
mammy. But you hadn't ought to plagued Mr. Mallex so
much. It'll be a lesson for you herearter.”

“It will so, indeed! Dick, I'll take your advice after
I get out.”

“Is it dark in there, mammy?”

“It was. But I've larned to see some in the dark. I
thought I should a died at first; but I've got better, because
I hadn't any liquor. I don't shake so much as I
used to. Dick when you come, be sartin to fetch a lantern,
for I've lost a dimon pin in the straw.”

“Good bye, old woman—look out for me to-night!”
said Dick, retiring from the door and descending to the
lawn.

“Where are you going!” asked Mrs. Carpenter, seeing
him hastening away.

“I'll be back,” was his only response.

“Dick hurried to the city with the determination to procure
the assistance of some of his old cronies and release
his mother from confinement. But it was to be done in a
clandestine manner, so that his agency in the business
should not be known, for fear of having the stipend, regularly
received by him from the banker, cut off.

Failing to meet with any of his city accomplices, Dick
crossed over to Camden and rattled up to Summerton in
the cars. His appeal to Tim and Timothy was promptly
responded to, as he had foreseen. The captivity of his
aged mother could not be justified in the opinion of the
honest farmers, and they resolved to liberate her. So,
without hesitation they accompanied Dick down to Camden
in the 8½ o'clock train.

Without pausing on the way they passed through the
city, and proceeded out the road towards the old stone
mansion; where Dick assured them his mother was detained
a prisoner. Their arrival in the vicinity was announced
by the dog. Dick preceded his companions, and
appeased the animal. During the last few months he had
been at the mansion several times, and had, as usual, embraced
the opportunity to cultivate the good graces of the
watch-dog.

“Is that you, Dick?” asked Mrs. Carpenter, looking
stealthily from the hall door. Why, Mr. Fawner came
back soon after you left. But he's gone, now. He went
to the city, and said you must follow him there. He
wants to see you very much.”

“Yes, this is me. I'm going to the city soon.”

“What in the world are you chaining the dog for. We
always turn him loose at night. I wouldn't stay here for
any money, if he wasn't to guard the house.”

“I'm chaining him to keep him from biting me, or my
friends. Now, Mrs. Carpenter,” he continued, as he entered
the hall, “come with me a minute into the library.”

“What do you want?”

“Come; it's a mighty important thing I want to tell
you.”

When they entered the library, Dick turned about and
locked the old woman within.

“What've you done that for?” exclaimed she.

“Nothing,” said Dick. “It's only a trick to keep you
from seeing my friends. It's all right—Mr. Mallex's
orders, you know.”

Dick then returned to the hall door and called the honest
farmers in. Taking up a lamp and axe, he led the way to
the prison-room.

“Here we are, mammy,” said Dick, through the key-hole.

“Is that you, Dick?” she asked. “I didn't think you'd
come so soon. You're a good boy; a mighty dutiful son!”

“That's her!” said Tim.

“Yes, she's his mother,” said Timothy Hay. “Let's
stave in the door and let her out!”

They applied the axe alternately without making much
progress. The padlock yielded to their blows, but not the
main fastening of the door. The door itself was of great
thickness, and strengthened with heavy irons.

Meantime the screams of Mrs. Carpenter were heard,
and the dog recommenced a furious barking. The one,
however, was locked within the library, and the other
chained to a post. But the rescuers might have heard the
sound of a man's voice, had not their own operations deafened
them to all other sounds. It was Radley, calling for
Dick. He had waited impatiently for his return during the
day; and when Fawner could give no satisfactory account
of him, the nature of his business was of such urgent importance
that he resolved to seek him at that unseasonable
hour himself.

Radley released Mrs. Carpenter, and the old woman in

gratitude, procured him a light, and instructed him how
to find the door of the prison-room, which the three liberators
were endeavouring to batter down.

“Hold on!” said Dick, crouching behind Timothy,
when he saw Radley approaching.

“By gonny!” said Tim, “if it's the one who's fastened
your mammy in here, let's make him undo her!”

“Dick Sutly!” said Radley, “I've good news for you.
Let the old woman alone, and I will explain everything.
Don't be frightened; I'll not trouble you. I didn't know
she was here, nor why she was confined, until last week—
but I'll explain everything to your satisfaction. Come
with me into the next room.”

Dick followed, while the Tims awaited the result of the
conference.

“Dick,” said Radley, “you know that old Daniel L.
Parke died without heirs, leaving more than a hundred
thousand dollars.”

“I never heard edzactly how much, but they say it was
a sight of cash.”

“And you know that Ned Lorn couldn't get it.”

“No. He can't prove he didn't die in the house of refuge.
But he writes, as I told you, that they'll get it for
Susan. If I was a widower, I'd buck up to her.”

“She wont get it, Dick. Old Daniel L. Parke was not
an old bachelor; he did not die without leaving a son and
heir.”

“He didn't?”

“No.”

“Who's his son?”

“I know him. And I'm going to get his fortune for
him.”

“Where is he? Can you make anything out of him?”

“He is here. Richard Sutly Parke!”

“Hey? What! Aint that laying it on too thick? I
see! By golly! A hundred thousand dollars! Mr. Radley—if
you could do it for half, what a windfall it 'd be!
But there's old Mallex! he's—”

“Dick, he's the very one who most desires you to be the
heir.”

“He! He does? But does he want me to finger the
money?”

“No, I doubt that. His object is to keep it himself.
But, Dick, if you and I can keep our own secrets, we'll
play the rich man a clever trick. You understand? I say
if he proves you to be the son and heir of old Parke, I can
contrive it so that nothing on earth, or beneath the earth,
can prevent us from getting the whole fortune—and then
another one! Dick! he expects merely to pay me a paltry
fee, and you a few dollars per week, and keep everything
himself. Shall we play him the trick?”

“Yes, by gonny! Mum! It's all as clear as daylight.
I'll swear I'm the son and heir—”

“No. There must be other evidence. You must find a
few witnesses of the right sort, and I'll tell you what they
must prove. Be prudent now. A word to the wise is sufficient.
You must get rid of those countrymen. Send
them about their business, and afterwards we'll determine
what shall be done with your mother.”

“She could be let into the secret. She is a first rate
hand at such kind of things. I know she'll agree to it!”

“We'll see. Send away those simple farmers. It wont
do to take her into court. Nobody will believe the handsome
old lawyer ever married her—”

“That's a fact! You're right. But she'll pretend to
be dead, or do anything to help to snatch such a power of
money—”

“I have it! Let her be crazy. Send away the honest
men, and then have a talk with the old woman.”

“It's all right!” cried Dick, reappearing before the
Tims. “It's all right! Put down the axe, friends. I'm
obleeged to you. But it was all a mistake. Everything's
been explained to me. Let her alone.”

“It's a lie! It's a lie!” cried the old woman, who had
been listening. “Oh, you ondutiful and onnatural son!
Good gentlemen, don't mind him. He's been bribed to
turn agin his own born mammy!”

“Shut up, mammy!” said Dick, applying his mouth to
the keyhole. “It's all right,” he continued, in a lower
key, “and I'll tell you all about it when they're gone.”

But this promise did not satisfy the old woman; for
how could she dream of being made the widow of D. L
Parke, or of the possibility of deriving any personal benefit
from an incarceration in a dungeon?

The Tims, however, reluctantly relinquished the instruments
with which they had been striving to break open the
door; and following Dick, they descended silently to the
hall.

“It's all right!” repeated Dick. “I didn't know before
that mammy had ought to be there. It's all right. Good
night. Wont you say good night?”

The Tims, who were leaving in silent indignation, turned
about and gazed at him.

“Is that old woman your mammy, sure enough, Dick?”
asked Timothy, his habitual smile gone completely.

“Sartinly,” said Dick. “And some of these days you'll
hear news of my daddy.”

“And you say it's right to keep her fastened up in there
like a cow that's been bit by a mad dog?”

“Yes—I tell you it's all right, and that's afficient.”

“Then I will give you a good bye!” said Timothy, as
he dealt him a blow between his eyes that laid him on his
back. And when Dick exhibited symptoms of recovery,
and attempted to rise, the honest farmer sprang upon him,
and administered several additional blows which completely
disabled the undutiful son.

Then Radley came upon the scene. “Who are you?”
he demanded, dragging Timothy away from his fallen victim.

“I'm nobody among the big bugs,” replied Timothy,
smiling as usual, and displaying his array of faultless
teeth.

“Nobody? That wont answer! You have violated the
laws, and I am a lawyer. Your name, sir!”

“Timothy Hay, a farmer! I'm not ashamed of my
name or my occupation. Where are you, Tim?” he continued,
looking around, and perceiving that his friend was
not present. But a moment after Tim reappeared, emerging
from a room on the left of the hall with an iron poker
in his hand, which, however, he concealed behind him.

“Aint you the jack-legged lawyer that sent me to prison
once?” he asked, as he confronted Radley?

“Tim Trudge!” replied Radley, starting slightly, for he
had been several times punished by the innocent victims

of his cupidity. “Yes, Tim; but it was for breaking the
head of Mr. Mallex with a poker.”

“Take that, then!” And Tim aimed a blow at Radley's
head, which might have been a retainer for life if it had
not been partially arrested by his arm. Nevertheless the
force of the blow was sufficient to level the lawyer evenly
with his client.

Then the two Tims, without casting a look behind, made
the best of their way to the city; and as soon after as possible
returned to their peaceful homes in the country.

Radley and Dick called for poultices, which Mrs. Carpenter
supplied. Radley blamed Dick for being the cause
of his suffering; and Dick made a solemn declaration that
he would never again solicit the assistance of honest men.