Two Boys and a Fortune Part 26

"No, I saw him lying on the gra.s.s as I was walking along the road. I was going to Trenton to try and get a job in the potteries there. But I'd like to find out how he gets along."

"You shall. Sit down on the porch here while I take your coat in and hang it by the stove to dry. I'll send Tim for the doctor at once."

When Mrs. Raynor returned up stairs a little later, Florence met her at the door of her brother's room, where Rex had been carried, Bert being away at boarding school.

"He's very sick, don't you think, mama?" she asked.

"I'm afraid so, my dear. I want to do all I can for him. I can't help thinking how grateful I should be to have any one do as much for our Bert."

"And see what nice clothes he wears," went on Florence in the same whispering tone. "How do you suppose he ever got into a.s.sociation with that fellow down stairs?"

"Hush, dear, "cautioned her mother. "Behind those poor clothes is a very warm heart."

"But is he going to stay, too?" went on Florence.

"He wants to. Perhaps we can find something for him to do about the garden."

"Do you think he's honest, though?"

"We must run our chances on that. He is certainly very different from most fellows of his appearance."

The doctor arrived inside of an hour. He made an examination and then reported that Rex was in for a bad case of intermittent fever.

"He may not be able to be moved for six weeks," he added.

And Rex knew nothing of it, but began to toss in the delirium of his fever, living over again some of the bitter experiences of the past few hours.

CHAPTER XXII

SEARCHING FOR REX

"What train did Rex say he would be back on, Roy?"

This was the question asked by Mrs. Pell at the breakfast table on the morning that Rex was trudging along the dusty road between New York and Philadelphia.

"He didn't say," replied Roy. "He'll surely be home by lunch, though.

Scott is going to West Chester with his mother at noon."

Lunch hour arrived and still no Reginald. But Mrs. Pell did not worry.

He had so many friends in Marley that there were plenty of places where he might have gone from the Bowmans'.

But when dinner time came and he had not yet appeared, the entire family began to speculate on the reasons for it.

"He's probably at the Minturns," said Sydney, when informed of the facts. "Charlie may have persuaded him to stay over another night with him."

"Rex should have sent us word then," rejoined his mother.

Another day pa.s.sed, and by this time Mrs. Pell began to grow seriously alarmed.

"You must go down to Marley the first thing in the morning, Roy," she said.

And Roy went, repairing first to the Bowmans'. He found Scott just about to take his mother out in his cart.

"What have you done with that brother of mine?" Roy began when greetings had been exchanged.

"And I'd like to know why that brother of yours doesn't permit himself to be heard from," returned Scott promptly. "He didn't show up Wednesday night nor send me any message explaining why he didn't come."

"Didn't come?" echoed Roy. "Do you mean to say that Rex hasn't been here?"

"Of course he hasn't, and I think it mighty shabby of him."

"Why, that's the queerest thing I ever heard of," said Roy slowly.

"Why is it?"

"Because he started to come down here Wednesday afternoon by the 5:30 express."

"He did?"

It was now Scott's turn to look astonished.

"And you say he never got here?" went on Roy.

"Of course he didn't. You don't suppose we have him smuggled away somewhere, do you?"

"Haven't you any idea where your brother is?" here interrupted Mrs.

Bowman.

"We were sure he was here, somewhere in Marley," answered Roy. "But he can't be, if he didn't come to you first."

"What could have happened to the fellow?" said Scott, beginning to see that the matter was more serious than he had at first supposed.

"I can't imagine. It's the strangest thing I ever heard of." Roy looked really worried. "I thought he might possibly be at the Minturns', but he wouldn't have gone there till he had been here."

"Let down that seat behind, jump in, and I'll drive you over there,"

said Scott.

But Charlie had not seen or heard from Rex in ten days, nor was news to be obtained of him from any other of his Marley friends. Roy went home seriously alarmed.

He hated to bring such a report to his mother, but he knew it would be better that she should be informed of all the facts.

She was somewhat stunned at first at the tidings, but quickly rallied.

"We must find him," she said. "Something has happened to him. Did you think to ask Apgar if he remembered seeing Rex on his train Wednesday night?"

Apgar was the conductor on the 5:30 express.

"No, I'll go down to the station and ask him this afternoon before he goes out."