CHAPTER XVIII.
FRANKLIN MAKES A NEW MOVE.
It was soon evident that the new superintendent, Joseph Mombray, was the right man in the right place. He was a constant and conscientious worker, and under his management the electrical fan works took on a new lease of life. In the course of a few weeks many of the old workmen—those who were of small account—were discharged, and their places were filled by a better class of men.
This was especially apparent in the department in which Franklin was employed. The discharge of Felter, Nolan, and Jackson had been followed almost by a clean sweep, only Franklin, Harry Leclair, who, recovered sooner than expected, and two others remaining of the old force. The new boys were all manly fellows, and the young electrician soon made several fast friends among them.
Early in March, Franklin's uncle was able to get up from his sick bed, and this was cheering news from home. Mr. Bell, and Franklin's aunt Martha, wished the boy to come home again, stating that they now thought they would be able to get along once more without the money he was in the habit of sending. But Franklin was fascinated too much with electricity to quit the shop, especially now, when he had a good chance of stepping higher, and he told them on his Sunday visit that he thought he would remain and work his way up.
"Well, just as you think best, Franklin," said Mr. Bell. "You have your own way to make, for I am in no position to help you just now, excepting it be to give you a home here with us."
While on this visit to his relatives' home, Franklin learned that a detective had been put on the track of Andy Gresson, the fellow who had robbed Mrs. Mace of her diamond rings, but that so far the fellow had not been captured. He also learned, and this made him very indignant, that Mrs. Mace still suspected that he might be the guilty party, although she did not dare to say so for fear of offending her brother, Belden Brice.
"She will not believe I am innocent until Andy Gresson is caught and made to confess," thought Franklin, bitterly, when on his way back to Paterson. "Even then she may think I was in league with him. It seems I can't keep out of some sort of scrape, no matter how hard I try!"
A few days later Franklin was surprised to receive a note from Belden Brice, asking him to come up to the speculator's residence that evening at eight o'clock. The note was delivered to Franklin by private messenger, as the young electrician was quitting work, and an immediate answer was requested. Of course, Franklin said he would be on hand, and at the appointed hour presented himself.
The speculator had been called away suddenly just previous to his arrival, and, until he came back, Franklin was entertained by little Cora, whom he had not seen for several weeks. The little girl was delighted to meet him, and did all in her power to make the time pass pleasantly.
"Papa says you are bound to be an electrician," she said. "Do you like electricity so very much?"
"Indeed I do," returned Franklin, enthusiastically. "There is nothing I take to so much. I only wish I could learn faster."
"It's pretty hard to learn, isn't it?"
"Not so very hard, only there is so much of it, and new things are coming up every day."
"Well, I hope you soon learn everything. Then you can make a lot of money and be rich."
"Thank you for your good wishes," said the young electrician, smiling at the little maiden's frankness.
When Belden Brice came in, he paused for a moment in the hallway, to listen to what the pair were saying. He was not displeased.
"That boy is ambitious, and I don't think I will lose anything by giving him a chance to advance himself," he thought, and the next moment entered the parlor.
Five minutes later, Franklin and the speculator, were seated in the latter's library alone, little Cora having been surrendered to the charge of the housekeeper. Belden Brice had closed the door, and now he saw to it that the windows were also shut.
"Franklin," he began, "how would you like to go to Chicago for me?"
"To Chicago!" ejaculated the young electrician in surprise.
"Hush, not so loud! Yes, to Chicago."
"Well—I—I don't know. This is a surprise."
"I presume it is. The truth of the matter is I did not know of the business on hand, until this morning, and I wish a representative of mine to be in Chicago, by next week Monday at the latest. I cannot go myself, and would really prefer to send some one in my place. I know I can trust you, and that you will carry out my orders to the letter."
"Thank you, Mr. Brice, for those words. But how about my position at the works here?"
"I will see Mr. Mombray about that, and make it all right. Then, you will go?"
"If you think I can do the business for you, yes, sir. But I didn't really expect to leave Paterson, for some time to come."
"I suppose not. This trip to Chicago must be made in secret. No one here must know, that you are going out there for me."
"I would like to tell my relatives that I am going west."
"You may do that, but caution them to say nothing of it. There are spies here in Paterson, who, if they heard I had sent you to Chicago, would at once telegraph to certain parties there, and ruin my prospects of accomplishing what I desire."
"I will caution them, sir. But what is this work you wish me to do?"
"I am the owner of a medical battery, known as the Bliss Thermo-Galvanic, of which I purchased the rights some five years ago, from an inventor in Chicago—a clever fellow, but dissipated—for three thousand dollars. The battery is now manufactured by the H. Y. Smith Co. of Chicago, under royalty. When old Smith himself was alive, the royalty was promptly paid, but since he died, and his sons took hold of the business, matters have taken a different course. I have it pretty straight that they put out more batteries, yet my income from the royalty is smaller."
"You mean to say that they are cheating you out of part of the royalty?" questioned Franklin, with deep interest.
"That's the plain English of it, although I wouldn't dare say so until I could prove it."
"And what do you wish me to do?"
"I want you to go to Chicago, and watch them. Note what shipment they make—how many cases they purchase to place the batteries in, and all that. I will give you full instructions before you start. You can either apply to them for a position in the shipping department, or watch them from the outside."
"And how long do you wish me to remain there?"
"Until I tell you to come away. You can send a report to me every day, or as often as you think necessary. You need not hurry yourself in the affair. Matters have gone wrong so long, that a month or so more won't hurt much."
They talked the matter over for some time longer, and it was finally decided that Franklin should take the first train for Chicago, on the following Monday morning. In the meantime he was to have the balance of the week, in which to prepare for the trip.
"Of course, Mr. Brice was to pay all the expenses of the trip. In addition to this, he promised Franklin a weekly salary of fifteen dollars, with a corresponding raise at the electrical fan works when he came back.
"This is a strange kind of luck, thought the young electrician, as he left the speculator's house just as the clock was striking ten. "Here I am to go to Chicago as a sort of spy, and I am to have a raise in salary, and all of my expenses paid."
Franklin hardly knew if he would like his forthcoming task or not. He would have preferred it, had he been sent to the city, by the lakes, to fill some regular position. But he was proud to think, Belden Brice trusted him, and had such confidence in his ability, and he resolved to do the best he could for his employer.
On the following day Franklin left Paterson, and went to Orange, to remain there until the time should come for him to take his departure for the west. Mr. Brice had given him full instructions to what was to be done, and had placed an even hundred dollars in his hand, a sum which the young electrician had divided into two parts, and placed away in the inner pockets of his clothing.
Franklin's brief stop at his uncle's house was thoroughly enjoyed. He saw many of his old school chums, Will Charleigh and Charley Moore among the rest. They wanted to know of his plans, but he put them off, doing it so nicely, however, that none of them were offended.
On the Sunday evening before he was to leave the young electrician attended church, going where he had worshipped so often before. He heard a sermon which interested him deeply, it being upon the title. "Be Honest, No Matter What the Cost," and heresolved to profit thereby, come what might.
It was a beautiful moonlight night, and after seeing his cousins home, Franklin resolved to take a little walk before retiring.
"I may not get back to Orange for some time," he thought. "And I don't want to forget how the old place looks."
He passed along block after block, until the business portion of the city was left behind, and the Orange mountains, bathed in the light of the silvery moon, lay before him. Then he came to a pause and surveyed the scene.
He stood there for several minutes, and then gave a sudden start. Not far down a little side street stood a lonely cottage, and he remembered it was the one in which Andy Gresson had lived, ere he had taken his hasty flight.
"I wonder if he ever came back to see his wife," thought Franklin. "How awful it must be, to be compelled to remain away for fear of arrest! Perhaps he has often wished that he had never taken those two rings."
There was a dim light burning in the kitchen of the cottage, and, led on by sheer curiosity, the young electrician moved towards the dilapidated building.
He had hardly taken a dozen steps, when he saw a figure dart out from behind a tree on the other side of the road. Franklin stopped short, wondering who it was.
The figure approached the cottage, and then the young electrician heard a sharp rap on the door of the front room, where it was dark. A moment later the door opened.
"Andy!" cried a woman's voice.
"Hush, Mary! Are you alone?" came in return from Andy Gresson.
"Yes."
"Then let me in, and shut the door quick before any one sees me."
The woman stepped back, and on the instant the plunderer of Mrs. Mace's jewel casket, darted into the cottage. Then the door was shut once more and bolted.