“How dare you speak to me like that?” exclaimed the old army officer with a frown. “Leave my room this instant. I destroyed that paper because it had my name on it and I will not have you going around showing it to every one and repeating a silly, baseless story. I had a right to destroy it as one of the men involved in your father’s affairs. Now go!”
He pointed to the door.
Tom hesitated. He might create a scene, raise a disturbance and carry the matter to the superintendent. Tom did not think the part Captain Hawkesbury had played in his father’s estate gave him a right to thus summarily destroy any document he pleased.
But Tom reflected quickly. Captain Hawkesbury, who had a certain power, might make matters appear so that Tom would seem to be in the wrong. Tom might even be dismissed. He could not afford to suffer that.
“And, after all,” Tom reflected, “the paper isn’t of any value. It isn’t as if it were the real deed. I guess I’d better let the matter drop. But he is an insufferable cad! I—I’d like to—fight him!”
Tom felt a wild rage in his heart, which was natural enough under the circumstances. He swallowed a lump in his throat, looked unfalteringly into the eyes of the old army officer, and, saluting stiffly, turned and went out.
Tom fancied Captain Hawkesbury breathed a sigh of relief. Was it fancy?
Tom had staked his little all, and he had, apparently, lost. What would be the next move?
Tom’s immediate need was to get money for his mother, and this problem was unexpectedly solved for him. His chum, Sam, had guessed right, and, making bold, urged Tom to tell the truth.
“Look here old man,” he said, bruskly but very kindly, “won’t you let me help you out? I think I’ve guessed.”