CHAPTER XXIII.--WIZARD WILL'S LUCK.
As soon as he left the cell of Ellis, the kidnapper of Willie Rossmore,Wizard Will went directly home, for he was anxious about his mother.
But he was delighted to find her much better, though weak, and the ironwill of the unfortunate woman was doing much to build her up again,after her determination not to give up and leave her children alone inthe world.
"Mother, Captain Daly has increased my pay to fifty dollars a month, sowe will move to a pleasant little cottage out on Long Island, whichbelongs to him, and there is no rent to pay, and it is furnished, andhas five acres of land, with a fine garden, a cow, and a horse andbuggy.
"Then there are plenty of flowers, and chickens, and though the cottagehas but five rooms in it, it must be a lovely place, for the captain'sbrother lived there until a few days ago, when he went West, and left itto him," and Will's enthusiastic description of the little home got Mrs.Raymond quite excited over it, while Pearl was wild with joy.
"And you say there is no rent to pay, Will?" asked his mother.
"The captain said he was just going to arrange with a man living nearthere, to give him the use of the horse, cow and garden, to take care ofthe place, while he'll give it to us if we go there to live, and he canget me a pass on the railroad, so that will cost nothing, and it is nothalf an hour's run to the station where our home is, so you must cheerup, mother, for life is getting brighter for us."
"But are there any schools, my son?"
"Yes, mother! one only a hundred yards away, where Pearl can go; and thecaptain is good enough to say I can have two hours each day to studyhere in town, while he'll not put me on night work if it can be avoided,and only on special detective service then."
"That is most kind of him, Will, and I must see him and thank him."
"And mother," proceeded Will, whose enthusiasm increased as he continuedto enumerate, "Captain Daly says I'll have a chance to earn special feesif I am successful in my work, so that we need not stint ourselves inliving, and I suggested an idea to him that he was delighted with, andsaid I might carry it out."
"What was that, my son?"
"Well, you know that I am pretty well acquainted with New York, and Isaid I would like to form a league of 'Boy Detectives,' for I feel thatI could do a great deal of good with them, and he said he thought sotoo, and I should be captain."
"Ah! my son, I fear you are taking a very heavy weight upon your youngshoulders."
"I can stand it, mother."
"You've always said, mother, that brother had an old head on youngshoulders; but he's got broad shoulders, too, and can stand it," Pearlremarked in her quaint way, for she would wager her life upon herbrother being able to do anything that a man could accomplish.
"Well, Will, you are the bread-winner of our home now, and the head,young as you are, and I will not be the one to put a straw in your wayagainst success, for you seem to have a real talent for detective work."
"Thank you, mother, and they have dubbed me, on the force, Wizard Will,as they say I have done wonders as a Boy Detective."
"You have, indeed, my son, and in a few days I'll be able to move out tothe cottage, and you can then devote yourself wholly to your newcareer;" and, with the firm resolve to bury her bitter past at once, andforgetting self, to live wholly for her children, the noble, thoughsorrow-haunted woman, improved steadily each day, and one pleasantmorning Captain Ryan Daly, the good-hearted officer, called for the trioin a carriage and drove them out to the cottage, which he playfullycalled Wizard Hall.
It was a charming little cottage, with large trees upon one side, a lawnsloping down to an inlet of the Long Island Sound, a vegetable garden, astable, a meadow lot, in which an Alderney cow was grazing, a henery,with a large number of choice fowls, and beds of flowers that at oncecaught the eye of Pearl.
The place was in perfect condition, the garden flourishing, the housewell and completely furnished, and the store-room and cellar wellstocked, while the coal-bin and wood-shed were filled, the captainremarking that his brother had been a most liberal provider, and tellingthe story without a flush on his honest face, for he had placed allthere himself.
"I shall soon get well here, Captain Daly, and I know not how to thankyou for all your kindness," said Mrs. Raymond, the tears coming into herbeautiful eyes.
"It is a kindness for me, madam, to have the place occupied by goodtenants, and I must tell you that in yonder little cabin on the hilllives an old negro and his wife, who will do odds and ends for you whenyou need them for very small pay."
"Now, Wizard Will, I shall give you a week's leave to get settled inyour new home, and then you can set to work raising your League of BoyDetectives, whom I shall put great faith in," and, promising to come outand dine some Sunday with them, the noble-hearted police captain--whosedaily intercourse was with criminals, who was hourly amid desperate andtragic scenes, whose will was iron, whose nature knew no fear, but whohad the heart of a woman for deeds of kindness--took his leave andreturned to the city, leaving the mother and her children to makethemselves perfectly at home in Wizard Hall.
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