CHAPTER XIV

Brought to Book

"Because, Jake, old boy," replied Cal Yates to the man's question, "I happen to know where Sandy Podder and his friends got those hip flasks. And what's more important, oh, much more important, Jake! I know where they got the contents of those flasks and where they or anybody else, if they give the password, can get a lot more of the same stuff whenever they like."

Cal leaned back in his chair and met the furious stare of the little man with a laugh.

"Honest now, Jake," he said, "you wouldn't want me to tell all I know about this place, would you?"

The proprietor's face was a study. It turned a yellowish-green. He was clearly flabbergasted.

"I keep a respec'able place," he muttered.

"I grant it's much better than the general run of roadhouses. For one thing, the food is excellent," replied Cal. "But all the same, Jake, none of your customers have been known to die of thirst. I know what's in the tea cups on the tables. My eyes are good and so is my nose. Now get me right. I've no desire to poke my nose into your business. But I'm out to see justice done to Garry Grayson here, and I'm going to do it if it takes a leg or takes your license."

The greasy face grew still moister with perspiration at the mention of the word "license."

"Und it's me dot thought you vos a friend ov mine," Jake wailed. "Und now you drying to ruin mine bisness."

"Nothing of the kind, Jake," denied Cal. "There are worse fellows than you. I've got some mighty good meals in this place. I'm not asking you to do anything that isn't right. I'm just asking you to help get my friend out of a mess. You know it isn't right that any one should be framed."

"No," admitted Jake, "I vouldn't frame no one mineself. But vot udders do I cannot help. Who iss dis young feller dot I should get mixed up in his drubbles?"

"I'll tell you who he is," replied Cal. "He's the son of a lawyer, Joseph S. Grayson of Lenox. Do you know him?"

"Der vun what sent Gyp Mooney to jail?" exclaimed Jake.

"The same," assented Cal. "And the one who closed up Gyp's poolroom," he added significantly. "Oh, he's a wonder at closing up places when he gets started. I'd hate to have him close up yours, Jake."

The perspiration now stood in great beads on Jake's brow, and his hands closed and unclosed nervously.

"Listen!" he said. "I vould help dis Grayson, who seems to be a nice young feller, but vot kin I do? Vot do I know about dose hip flasks? I seen dem here, yes. Mine customers bring dem vid dem. But vot does dot prove about der framing?"

"I'll tell you what you know about this particular case," replied Cal. "Sandy Podder and his bunch were in here about a week ago. I'd been having a bite here, and went out when I'd finished. But I had forgotten my cap, and when I came back for it Sandy and his pals were boasting about how they were going to plant hip flasks with liquor in them in the desks of Garry Grayson and his friends. You were sitting at the table with them and heard every word. Now wait a minute, Jake," as the man started to protest. "I see by your eyes that you're going to say you didn't hear them. Take a fool's advice and don't say it. I know you heard them."

The little man sank back in his seat with a groan.

"Vot you want me to do?" he asked.

"Just this," replied Cal, bending forward and tapping the desk impressively. "I'm going with my friend here to Mr. Allen, the principal of the high school. I'm not going to tell him a single word about your selling liquor in this place. But I am going to tell him what I heard Sandy Podder and his pals say about framing Grayson and his friends.

"Now, Mr. Allen may think that, since I'm a friend of Garry's, I'm getting up the whole thing to help him out of a mess. He may want some one else's word to back up mine. Yours is going to be the word to do that."

"I vill be ruint!" groaned Jake.

"Not at all," Cal reassured him. "The whole thing will be kept under our hats. I'll get Mr. Allen's word for that. Your talk with him will be in private. All he wants to know, all he cares to know just now, is the truth about this framing. Once he feels sure of this, he'll call Sandy Podder and his pals in and worm the truth out of them. They're yellow, and each will probably squeal on the other in the hope of being let down easy. But your name will be kept out of it. How about it, Jake? Is it a go?"

Jake nodded his head.

"You haf me by der neck," he said glumly. "I can nudding else do."

"Atta boy!" said Cal rising. "Come along, Garry. We'll just be able to get back to town by dinner time. S'long, Jake."

"Cal, you're a wonder," said Garry, when they were once more seated in the car. "The way you handled that fellow couldn't have been beaten."

"Not so bad, not so bad," chuckled Cal, as he stepped on the gas. "I thought I could make Jake listen to reason. He isn't such a bad old skate at that."

"Well, I can never thank you enough," declared Garry warmly. "You've lifted a thousand tons from my mind."

"More than I ever lifted before," grinned Cal. "I must be a regular strong man. But I'm glad if I've been able to pay in a little way the debt I owe you on account of my father."

"How's he getting along, by the way?" asked Garry, as they sped along at a rapid rate.

"Fine as silk," replied Cal. "He's getting around all right now. Limps a little, but the doctor says that his leg will be just as good as the other one before long."

"That's fine and dandy!" said Garry.

Before long they reached Garry's home. Garry pressed his friend to come in and have dinner with the family, but Cal had another engagement and could not accept the invitation at that time, though he promised to do so before long.

"Now what about Mr. Allen?" asked Cal, as he prepared to depart. "I suppose you want this thing to be cleared up right off the bat."

"You bet I do!" exclaimed Garry. "I'll see Mr. Allen in the morning and make an appointment, if I can, to see you at his office right after school closes. I'll 'phone you at noon about it. That suit you?"

"Right down to the ground," replied Cal. "Good-bye, old chap, and don't take any bad money. S'long."

The joy in the Grayson family when Garry repeated to them at the table the events of the afternoon can be imagined. They had all been immersed in gloom because of Garry's predicament, had never for an instant doubted his innocence, and had writhed under the sense of bitter injustice.

Now Mrs. Grayson's eyes were full of happy tears as were Ella's, and Mr. Grayson's voice was husky as he threw his arm over the boy's shoulder.

"You've had a hard time of it, my boy," he said, "and I know just how you must have felt. But wrong can't triumph for long, and now you've been vindicated. Let me know when you've made the appointment with Mr. Allen, and I'll run up and join you there."

"Rooster," said Garry the next morning, as he met his chums on the way to school. "How would you like to get back on the eleven?"

"Swell chance!" grunted Rooster.

"Better chance than you think," replied Garry, his eyes dancing.

"What do you mean?" came from the crowd in a chorus, as they gathered about him.

"Never mind what I mean," replied Garry, with a portentous air of mystery.

"Cut out that Sphinx stuff or I'll slug you," cried Bill. "Tell us what you mean!"

"Not yet," laughed Garry happily. "I'm beautiful but dumb."

"Dumb is right," agreed Ted heartily. "The less said about the beauty the better. Be a good fellow, Garry, and spill it."

"Be patient, little ones," retorted Garry aggravatingly. "All in good time. If you behave yourselves, I may let you into a secret, say about five o'clock this afternoon. Until then my lips are sealed."

"Your lips may be split unless you come across," threatened Nick, making a playful pass at him.

But no amount of wheedling could get anything further from Garry, and his chums passed the rest of the school day in wondering what could be the explanation of the mystery. But that it was something good, they felt assured, and that enabled them to possess their souls in more or less patience.

When the morning lessons were over Garry called upon Mr. Allen in the latter's office. The principal was bending over his desk, busy with a mass of reports. He looked up as Garry entered.

"What is it, Garry?" he asked, as he pushed back his papers and slewed his chair around.

"If you please, Mr. Allen," responded Garry, "I would like to make an appointment with you for my father and me to see you here after classes to-day."

"Why, of course," replied Mr. Allen, a little surprised, as he looked at the flushed, eager face of the boy. "Would you mind telling me what it is about?"

"It's about that hip-flask business," responded Garry. "I've found out who put them in my desk, as well as those of Bill Sherwood and Rooster Long."

"You have?" and now it was the principal whose voice was eager.

Mr. Allen had never felt easy in his mind over the penalty inflicted on the accused boys. He did not see how he could have acted other than he had, considering the weight of circumstantial evidence. The discipline of the school had to be maintained. But deep down in his heart he could not believe that Garry Grayson had lied to him. So his relief at a promised clearing up of the mystery was almost as great as that of the boys themselves.

"Yes, sir," Garry replied to the principal's question.

"Who did it?" asked Mr. Allen. "Anybody connected with the school?"

Garry nodded his head.

"But I wish you wouldn't ask me who they are just now, if you please, Mr. Allen," he said. "I don't want you to take my word for it." Here the principal flushed a little. "I'll let somebody else tell the story. Will it be all right to bring a couple of witnesses with me?"

"Perfectly right," replied Mr. Allen heartily. "And I want to tell you, Garry, that nobody will be more delighted than I if their story clears you of all connection with the matter."

Garry thanked the principal and was off to telephone Cal Yates. The latter was at home, and agreed to go out in his car, get Jake, and bring him along.

Promptly at the appointed time, Garry and his father, together with Cal Yates, were gathered in Mr. Allen's office. Jake was waiting outside, since Cal had promised to secure from Mr. Allen a pledge that Jake's name would be kept out of the matter as far as possible.

"Now, Garry," said Mr. Allen, as he settled down in his chair, "you have the floor. Bring on your witnesses."

"This is the first one," said Garry, introducing Cal.

The latter plunged at once into the story, telling the facts clearly and convincingly. Mr. Allen was visibly impressed. He put a number of questions, all of which were answered frankly and without the slightest hesitation.

"Now for the other witness," he said.

Then Cal told of the presence of Jake outside and of his anxiety to avoid publicity.

Mr. Allen conferred in low tones with Mr. Grayson, and then gave the required promise. Jake was brought in and, with much twisting and squirming, confirmed Cal's story. He was an unwilling witness, and for that reason his statements carried the more weight.

The next morning a messenger from the principal came into the junior class in Latin and spoke to Mr. Blythe in a whisper.

"Podder and Stewart," announced the Latin teacher, "you will report at once to Mr. Allen in his office!"