Morgan saw that “confession and avoidance,” as the lawyers phrase it, was the only safe course left open to him.
“Well, it isn’t much, Merriwell,” he said, assuming a show of frankness.
“Whatever it is?” Frank invited.
“I did come to Yale as your enemy—your enemy before I ever saw you! That sounds strange and even mysterious, but you’ll see that there is no mystery about it; for the man you have put in prison is my uncle!”
Frank showed his surprise.
“I thought you were in his pay!” he admitted.
“Not in his pay. If I disliked and even hated you, he taught me to. He taught me, schooled me to hate you and your father—your father far worse than you. For, as perhaps you know, your father pursued my uncle nearly over the world, trying to ruin him or kill him. When he made a fortune in New York, speculating, your father took it from him by counter-speculations which were aimed solely at him. He lost the Ragged Queen Mine, and your father has taken an immense fortune out of it. But for your father he would to-day be a wealthy man, and I, as his only heir, would be the heir to a splendid fortune. As it is, he has but a beggarly pittance. He has been forced to save and scrimp in many ways to get money. He borrowed the money with which he sent me here to Yale, and I am now living on money which he furnishes me. He has been able at times to get hold of and make use of considerable sums, but mostly by borrowing. If the truth were known and payment forced, he would to-day be a pauper.”
Frank could see that Dade was telling the truth in the main. He believed that the story contained exaggerations, and some concealments, but he saw that its thread was true.
“That makes a good many things plain that were quite dark to me before,” Frank admitted.
Dade was quick to catch at the hope thus held out.