“Who is Bill Glass?” Mr. Folsom set down his coffee cup.
“Why do you ask, Harry?”
“Why, because you seem to know him pretty well and we think he’s a bit of a robber.” And Hal told of the disappearance of the articles from the launch and of Jack’s dory. When he had concluded Mr. Folsom shook his head.
“Harry, it’s a bad plan to judge folks by their looks. I’ve been fooled too often myself not to have learned that. There’s your mother. When I first saw her I thought she was a quiet, easy-going little woman who wouldn’t say ‘boo!’ to a fly. Well, you see how she’s turned out. Tyrannizes over me all the time; beats me; starves me to death!”
Mrs. Folsom smiled placidly as the boys laughed.
“But you’re all wrong about Bill Glass, Harry. Bill never stole in his life, and I doubt if he ever told a lie. Whoever took your things, it wasn’t Honest Bill Glass. Ever hear how he came by that name? Bill years ago sailed for Townsend; was mate and then captain. He had the Ellen T. for a couple of years and then they gave him the Massachusetts the first year she was built. Well, Bill had her off New Foundland and he got caught inside the three-mile limit by a revenue boat. Bill didn’t know he was inside the line until they nabbed him and took him to port. They libelled the boat and the case went to court. There wasn’t much of a case against him because it was pretty doubtful just where the Massachusetts had really been, owing to the fog. I guess if Bill had been willing to lie about it they’d had to release him. But when they asked Bill he told the truth. ‘Quarter of a mile inside the limit,’ said Bill. And they put on the fine and Townsend had to pay it. But that lost Bill his job. Townsend said he was a fool. Bill sailed for me as mate several years and then built himself a cabin over on the hay meadows and went to fishing. I guess he’d managed to save a little money, for I don’t think he makes much fishing, although I’ve seen him come in with a catch now and then. No, it wasn’t Honest Bill Glass who took that dory, boys.”
“I didn’t think he did, anyway,” said Bee stoutly. “At least, not lately.”
“Still, he certainly held us up good and hard for bringing us off Hog Island,” said Hal.
“Oh,” laughed Mr. Folsom when he had heard about that, “Bill probably saw you suspected him and thought he’d make you pay for it. And besides I don’t see but what four dollars was a fair enough price. When you first asked me about Bill I thought maybe you’d heard something.”