CHAPTER XXXII
ONCE MORE IN COOK’S HARBOR
Various had been the conjectures in Cook’s Harbor as to what had become of Robert Coverdale.
Upon this point the hermit was the only person who could have given authentic information, but no one thought of applying to him.
Naturally questions were put to Mrs. Trafton, but she herself had a very vague idea of Robert’s destination, and, moreover, she had been warned not to be communicative.
Mr. Jones, the landlord, supposed he had gone to try to raise the amount of his mortgage among distant relatives, but on this point he felt no anxiety.
“He won’t succeed,” said he to his wife; “you may depend on that. I don’t believe he’s got any relations that have money, and, even if he has, they’re goin’ to think twice before they give a boy two hundred dollars on the security of property they don’t know anything about.”
“What do you intend to do with the cottage, Mr. Jones?”
“It’s worth five hundred dollars, and I can get more than the interest of five hundred dollars in the way of rent.”
“Is anybody likely to hire it?”