“Clancy and I pulled Lenning out of the water,” Frank broke in. “Possibly he would have got out himself if we had let him alone.”
“Hardly,” came the crisp protest from the colonel. “Lenning was stunned and unable to help himself. As soon as he revived, he took you to the place where he had hidden the money. Why?”
The colonel bored into Frank with his eyes as he put the question.
“Because he wanted to do the square thing,” answered Merriwell, “and because he wouldn’t stand for any thieving on the part of Shoup. Shoup was mad about it, and that’s why he hit Lenning with the paddle.”
“I’m surprised at you, Merriwell,” said Hawtrey. “That wasn’t the reason at all. Lenning wanted all that money for himself. When you got him out of the water, he—well, he—well, he ‘worked you,’ to use a slang term. He returned the money and told that yarn in order to keep out of jail. Lenning is shrewd—you ought to know that.”
Colonel Hawtrey was bitter against his once-cherished nephew. He was a stern man, and the fact that Lenning was his sister’s son in no wise tempered his merciless spirit.
“I think you’re wrong, colonel,” said Merriwell quietly.
For a few moments a silence dropped over those in the office. Merriwell had been still in doubt as to what he would do up to that very moment. The colonel’s relentless attitude brought him to a conclusion in a flash. Merriwell believed Lenning had returned the money because he wanted to do the right thing, while the colonel professed to believe that it was only a makeshift to save him from arrest. At last, Colonel Hawtrey spoke, and it was noticeable that his voice had softened.
“You stand pretty high in my regard, my lad,” said he to Merriwell, “and I recall the time when you believed in Darrel and I did not. As events proved, I was an unreasonable old fool and your judgment was correct. I have you to thank for giving me back a nephew who is in every way a credit to his family. But don’t make any mistake about Jode Lenning. He’s a thorough-paced villain, and there is not one redeeming feature in his case. It is hard for me to sit here and talk in this way, but Jode has made his own bed and must lie in it. He fooled me for a long time, and I sincerely hope, Merriwell, that you won’t let him deceive you.”
“I believe he has squared around, colonel,” insisted Frank, “and that he ought to be helped.”