“You know he’s living in the same house where I went to call on Mr. Dexter,” said Bruce, “and I’ve been thinking of going up there to pay him a visit and put it to him fair and square, ‘what do you want of me, and why are you so interested in the Decker family?’”
For a moment, Weyman remained silent, evidently thinking over what the boy had said to him. Then he made answer: “Yes I think on the whole that’s the quickest and surest-way of finding out what you want to know. There’s nothing like suddenly facing a man of that sort and putting your question to him before he has time to frame some answer that might suit his own purpose. Likely as not if he knew you were coming he’d cook up some reply that would throw you off your scent but when you come upon him unexpectedly he is apt to tell the truth even when it’s contrary to his usual practice. Yes I’d go up there if I were you because if he’s hunting up for the son of Frank Decker he’s bound to come across him sooner or later. It’s funny he never came around here to ask the Chief or any of us about him, and it’s just as strange to me that he didn’t find out at headquarters that you were drawing a pension. However, I’ve noticed that these very smart and tricky fellows often over-reach themselves by trying to be too smart when they might accomplish some thing by being straightforward and honest.”
Bruce, having slept on the matter, determined to take his friend’s advice, and although it was more difficult for him to obtain leave of absence now that he had become a more useful member of the company than formerly, he soon found an opportunity to make the long journey to the upper part of the city where Mr. Dexter’s house was situated. Leaving the elevated railroad, he walked a few blocks out of his way in order to pass the gate of the great mansion in which Harry and Laura Van Kuren had lived. The house was closed now, and it was evident from the unkempt appearance of the lawn and shrubbery that its master had been away for some time.
For several minutes he stood leaning sadly upon the gate and thinking of the kind friends whom he had known there, and from whom he was now separated not only by the trackless waste of ocean, but also by something he knew not what, but which was nevertheless an invisible and impassable barrier. It was with a sad heart that he finally turned his back on the Van Kuren mansion and walked rapidly along the same highway which he had last trodden in company with the Van Kuren children and their tutor on that day when he discovered that Mr. Dexter had departed for Europe.
Once more he entered the broad gate and made his way along the winding road through the dense shrubbery to the door of the stately old colonial mansion. A servant answered his ring of the bell and said in response to his inquiry that Mr. Korwein lived there nominally but spent most of his time down town, the woman did not know where. Sometimes she did not see him for a week, and then he would appear suddenly, remain with them three or four days without quitting the house, and then disappear to be gone perhaps a week or two longer. She had no idea where his office was and did not know when Mr. Dexter would return. Having vouchsafed this information, she closed the door, and as her young visitor departed, he heard the bolt sharply snap behind him.
Before leaving the grounds, Bruce walked to the corner of the house and refreshed his memory with another long look at the old vine-clad porch which had attracted his attention on the occasion of his first visit and had suggested to his mind the long search upon which he was still engaged. There it was just as when he had last seen it, just as it was when he saw it in those long gone by childish days.
He returned in a rather disconsolate mood to the quarters and told Weyman the result of his visit.
“Never mind,” said the latter, “you mustn’t expect to learn every thing all in a hurry. Go up again there the next time you can get away for an afternoon and you may find him. Anyhow while there’s life there’s hope, and if you can’t find him there you may run across him down town some time. Keep your eyes open whenever you go about the streets, and you’ll find him some day when you’ll least expect him. I never go out without looking for him myself.”
Bruce paid two more visits to the Dexter mansion without learning anything further, and it was then that he sat down and wrote the letter to Skinny asking him how soon he expected to be back in town again, the effect of which has been shown in a preceding chapter.