Frank Roscoes Secret | Page 9

not
recognize.
"Here comes--" began another of the first-year lads, when a companion
cautioned him with:
"No names!"
"This way!" someone called, and in obedience to the summons, those
carrying Ned turned to the right. They went down a short lane, and, a
moment later, Ned saw a doorway over his head. He was carried into a
building and laid down on a pile of bags in one corner of a room. It was
quite dark.
The captive heard his enemies running away, and then he knew their
trick was complete. They had carried him away--had kidnapped him in
fact--and taken him to some building where they left him bound and
helpless.
For a few moments Ned did not stir. He was not uncomfortable, as it
was a warm evening, and the pile of bags was soft. The cords hurt his
hands somewhat, and his legs were cramped. By the smell of lime and
mortar Ned could tell he was in some new building, one probably near
completion.
He went over in his mind the location of all the new structures going up
in Darewell. There were several, in different parts of the town, and so
he could not decide where he was. Then, as he listened, he could hear
the sound of running water, and he knew he must be near the river. All
at once the locality became plain to him. He was in a new house, one of
several in a row, on a street leading down to the stream.
"Now to get loose," said Ned, as he tugged and strained at his bonds.
He felt the cords about his wrists giving somewhat and he redoubled
his efforts. In their haste the boys had not used much skill tying the
knots, and, in about five minutes, Ned was free. He rubbed his arms
and legs to restore the circulation, and started to leave the building. As
he did so he heard someone coming in, and noted the sound of voices.

"They're coming back!" thought Ned. "I'd better hide until they go.
Then I'll hurry back to the dinner!"
The footsteps and voices sounded nearer. Some persons came into the
house. They stumbled about in the darkness. Then a voice asked:
"Are you sure it's safe to talk here?"
"Those are not high school pupils!" Ned said softly to himself. "They're
men!"
"It's the safest place in the world," someone replied, in answer to the
first question. "No one here but ourselves. Now then, how far have you
got with the plans?"
"I had a letter from the lawyers in New York. It seems they have heard
from Wright & Johnson and they're going to fight us. Wright &
Johnson have written to Frank, so I've heard, but he's puzzled over the
whole affair and don't know what to do. Oh, it's safe enough. We've
only got the boy to look after and he will never know how to proceed.
Besides, old Dent, his uncle, has the wool pulled over his own eyes so
thick he'll never make any trouble. I tell you it's safe, and in a few
months the property will be ours."
"Where is his--" but Ned could not catch the end of the sentence before
the other man replied:
"Good quiet place. In a sanitarium on--"
Just then a door shut, and Ned was unable to hear any further talk of the
men, who had so strangely come to the vacant house. He could
distinguish the hum of their voices, but that was all.
"I wonder what that means?" he asked himself, as he stood there in the
darkness. "It sounds as if there was going to be trouble for Frank."
CHAPTER V

SUSPICIONS AROUSED
The voices of the men had sounded from a front room downstairs. Ned
was in an apartment across the hall from them. They had shut the door
leading from the hall to the room where they were. This gave Ned a
chance to come out of the apartment into which he had been taken and
he tiptoed to the closed door to see if he could hear any more.
But either the men were conversing in whispers or they had moved
back to some remote corner where their voices could not be heard.
"I guess I'd better get out of here while I have the chance," Ned thought,
and moving softly he left the building.
As he hurried along the street toward Fenn's house, determined to join
his friends at the dinner, he could not help thinking of what he had
overheard. It drove all thoughts of his capture from his mind.
"Wright & Johnson," Ned murmured to himself. "I've heard that name
before, or else I've seen it somewhere. I wonder where. Wright &
Johnson? Did I see their sign