Ned listened in wonder. He thought of his two hundred shares, and of the certificate in his pocket. He wondered if, by any possibility, he could be the one wanted.
“Who is this young fellow?” some one in the crowd asked.
“That’s what we’d like to find out,” the inspector replied. “He only got into New York yesterday, so one of my detectives informs me. Came from up state, or out west I hear. He’s the one I want, for he can tell a lot about this business. If I can lay hands on him I’ll clap him into a cell quicker than he can say Jack Robinson.”
“I wonder if he can mean me?” Ned thought, and his heart beat rapidly. “I came from up state yesterday. I got into New York yesterday, and I have two hundred shares of the Mt. Olive stock—at least I paid for ’em. But I don’t know any more about this business than the man in the moon. Still they may not believe me. I wonder if they would arrest me? Maybe it was against the law to buy the stock of a fraudulent concern. I wonder what I’d better do?”
“Yes, sir,” the inspector went on, speaking to the angry and defrauded investors, “once let me get my hands on this young fellow who has those two hundred shares and I’ll clear up some of this mystery. He and Skem & Skim worked the trick among themselves and now you gentlemen can whistle for your money.”
“I’d like to get one chance at that young fellow!” exclaimed the man who had lost the thousand dollars.
“So would I!” chimed in the others.
“They wouldn’t even give me an opportunity to explain,” thought Ned. “They’d lock me up at once, though I’m entirely innocent. I’m going to get away from here!”
Then, while the angry men were still talking to the postal inspector, Ned turned and hurried off. He was afraid to go down in the elevator lest the attendant might recognize him as the youth who was at the offices the day before, so he walked down the ten flights of stairs.
“I must hurry and tell my aunt all about it,” Ned thought. “She will know what I ought to do.”