HAPTER XXI

A MISSING DOCUMENT OF VALUE

As soon as Nat returned to the office he sought out Mr. Garwell, and
handed him the document in the envelope.

"Did you have any trouble getting Mrs. Parloe's signature?" asked the
real estate broker.

"I had no trouble getting the signature, but I had trouble getting away
from the house," answered Nat.

"Trouble getting away? What do you mean?"

"I was stopped by her nephew, a man named Rufus Cameron. He handled me
rather roughly."

"Did he try to get the document away from you?" And now John Garwell was
all attention.

"He hauled me in the parlor, and demanded that I let him look at the
paper. I refused, and then he threatened me."

"And what happened after that?"

"He put his hand in my pocket and brought out a diamond ring. He said I
had stolen it."

"Of course you hadn't, Nat?"

"I had never seen the ring before. But that wasn't the worst of it. He
picked up a sea shell and hit me with it and knocked me senseless."

After that our hero told his story in detail, relating also what Rufus
Cameron had said on assisting him to the street car. The real estate
broker listened with keen interest.

"That man is a scoundrel!" he exclaimed, when Nat had concluded his
story. "I pity Mrs. Parloe. He is doing his best to get all her money
from her."

"It was a mean trick to say I took the ring," declared Nat.

"He did that thinking to get you in his power, my boy. Are you sure he
didn't look at the document?"

"I can't say what he did while I was senseless, Mr. Garwell."

"I'll take a look at the paper and see if he made any alterations in the
text."

John Garwell looked at the document and began to read it.

"Why, this is not the paper I gave you, Nat," he ejaculated.

"Not the same?"

"No. It's some old thing that I know nothing about."

"If that's the case, Mr. Cameron substituted this paper for the real
one!" exclaimed our hero. "He could easily have done that during the
time I was knocked out."

"I'll see about this without delay," said John Garwell, decisively. "I
will show that fellow that he can't carry matters with quite such a high
hand."

"What can he do with that paper, Mr. Garwell?"

"He can cause me a great deal of trouble. The paper refers to a piece of
property in which Mrs. Parloe held an interest. I have been trying to
get a free and clear title to the land for a client of mine, and another
real estate dealer named Andrew Shanley has