Chapter IX: Timely Warning

“Hello, Frank!” exclaimed Carroll, in an astonished tone as he jumped from his wheel. “I certainly didn’t expect to find you here.”

“I am equally surprised to see you, old man,” the Camera Chap replied dryly. Then he added, a twinkle in his eye: “I didn’t know you were in the habit of going bicycle riding during office hours.”

“I don’t make a habit of it,” Carroll returned, with a guilty grin. “The fact is---- Why, hang it all, Hawley, you infernal old busybody! What business is it of yours, anyway?”

As the Camera Chap’s name was mentioned, the girl’s brown eyes opened wide with surprise, and she uttered a faint exclamation; but neither of the young men heard it.

“It’s none of my business at all, old scout,” Hawley admitted, laughing. “And, moreover, I’m going to make myself scarce immediately. I’ve got a hunch that this is one of those cases where two is company and three is a tremendously big crowd. Besides, I have a pressing engagement in town and have got to get a move on.”

“Wait just one minute, please,” cried Miss Gale, as the Camera Chap was mounting his motor cycle. “Fred, is this Mr. Hawley, the New York _Sentinel’s_ camera man? Because, if so, I am just in time.”

“Just in time for what, Melba?” inquired Carroll, while the Camera Chap stared at her wonderingly.

“To prevent him from going to Oldham,” the girl answered. “It was solely on his account, Fred, that I sent you that note asking you to meet me here. I wanted to tell you to warn Mr. Hawley of the trap which had been set for him.”

“The trap!” exclaimed Hawley and Carroll in chorus.

“Yes,” said the girl. Then, turning to the Camera Chap, she exclaimed tensely: “You spoke just now of having a pressing engagement in town, Mr. Hawley. Isn’t it your intention to take a photograph of the city hall?”

“It is,” Hawley replied. “I am on my way to get that picture now. But how in the name of all that’s wonderful, Miss Gale, do you happen to know about my assignment?”

Instead of answering his question, the girl asked him another.

“You received a telegram to-day, did you not?” she said. “A telegram supposed to have come from the managing editor of the New York _Sentinel_?”

“Supposed to have come from the managing editor!” Hawley repeated, a suspicion of the truth suddenly dawning upon him. “Do you mean to say, Miss Gale, that----”

“I mean to say that that telegram was a fake,” she declared, without waiting for him to finish. “It didn’t come from New York. It didn’t come over the wire at all. It was composed and written by my cousin on one of the typewriters in the _Chronicle_ office. It was part of the trap which my cousin and the chief of police have set for you, Mr. Hawley.”

“I see,” said the Camera Chap quietly. “Their scheme, of course, was to lure me to Oldham to take that picture, and then have me sent to jail for six months for violating the new law. Clever little plan. And it came pretty near succeeding, too. I had no suspicion that the telegram wasn’t genuine. If you hadn’t warned me, Miss Gale, I should surely have walked right into the trap. I can scarcely find words to thank you enough.”

“How did you manage to find out about it, Melba?” Carroll inquired, with a fond glance at the girl.

“Chief Hodgins was at our house last night,” she replied, “and I overheard him and my cousin discussing the plan. They didn’t know that I was listening, of course; but I managed to overhear enough to enable me to understand what they intended to do. The chief expressed doubts as to whether the scheme would work. He said that Mr. Hawley would probably hear about the new anticamera law, and would not be so foolish as to run the risk of going to jail. But my cousin said that he was confident that the telegram would do the trick. He said that Mr. Hawley had never been known to balk at an assignment, and that no amount of danger could keep the rattle-brained fool--those were the words he used--from coming after that picture if he thought the _Sentinel_ needed it.”

Carroll looked at the Camera Chap admiringly.

“That’s a mighty fine tribute to get from an enemy,” he exclaimed enthusiastically. “You ought to be proud of that compliment, Hawley, old fellow.”

“My cousin didn’t mean it for a compliment,” declared Miss Gale. “He stated it merely as a fact which would insure the success of their plan.”

“That makes it all the more of a compliment,” Carroll said. “Tell me, little girl, did you let those fellows know that you were wise to their game?”

“No, I didn’t. My first impulse was to tell my cousin just what I thought of such a contemptible trick, and warn him that if he attempted to carry it out I should certainly interfere; but upon second thought I decided to say nothing to him. I thought it would be a better plan to notify you so that you could warn Mr. Hawley to pay no attention to that fake telegram.”

“That was a much better plan,” the Camera Chap declared. “I am very glad, Miss Gale, that you didn’t say anything to your cousin. Had you done so, it would not have been possible for me to carry out the idea that has just occurred to me. I think I have a little surprise in store for those fellows.”

“You’re not contemplating taking any legal action, are you, old man?” Carroll inquired anxiously. “I suppose you could prosecute them for forgery or conspiracy, or anything of that sort. They richly deserve it, of course. But for Miss Gale’s sake I hope you won’t do it.”

“Of course not,” said Hawley indignantly. “What do you take me for, Fred? I’d be a fine specimen of humanity if I were to repay Miss Gale’s kindness by trying to send one of her family to prison. And she’d have to be the chief witness for the prosecution, too; otherwise I’d have no case. Do you think I’d be capable of that? Legal action is quite out of the question, of course, under the circumstances. Besides, I don’t like going to court.”

“Then what is this surprise which you say you are going to give them?” Carroll inquired.

The Camera Chap chuckled. “You’ll have to excuse me for not answering that question now, Fred. If I did, it would spoil the big laugh which I think I can promise you later on.”