SOMETHING OF THE PAST.

The holidays found the Neka-Wadsworth company in Rochester. As usual with all theatrical companies the days just before Christmas were exceedingly poor ones, there being less than a third of a house at each performance. But Christmas night and the balance of the week made up for it, the theatre being so crowded that not even standing-room was obtainable.

From Rochester the company went to Geneva, Syracuse, and then to Ithaca, where they remained until the first day of February.

Neka had become so thoroughly interested in the disappearance of Daniel Bambo and Hank Maul that wherever he went he kept a sharp lookout for these unworthies.

“They are around somewhere,” he said to Longfellow Wadsworth. “I feel it in my bones.”

“It’s a great pity you can’t locate Bambo,” replied Longfellow Wadsworth. “I believe if forced to do so, he could tell lots of your past history.”

“I don’t doubt it either, and I’ll make him tell it some day,” concluded Neka, firmly.

On the afternoon of the second day in Ithaca, Neka was walking down in the vicinity of Cayuga Lake with the elocutionist, when suddenly Longfellow Wadsworth made a sudden dive into a crowd of people standing on a corner, listening to a street fakir, who was trying to sell packages of cheap jewelry.

Neka followed him with his eye, and saw Wadsworth make a grab for the fakir, who promptly dropped from his stand on a soapbox, and attempted to escape.

The fakir was Daniel Bambo!

“Bambo!” cried Neka.

“Hang the luck!” howled the ex-circus manager, and off he started on a run for the lake.

Neka tried to go after him, but was caught in the crowd. As it was, Daniel Bambo would certainly have escaped, had it not been for Longfellow Wadsworth.

But as we know, the elocutionist’s lower limbs were both long and nimble. He went after Daniel like the wind, and caught the rascal at the end of the street.

A fierce struggle followed, but Longfellow Wadsworth’s mind was made up, and he gave the ex-circus man no leeway to escape. He struck him on the arm and then tripped him up and sat on him.

“Let me go!” cried Bambo, and attempted to draw a pistol.

As the weapon came in sight, a policeman appeared, and he was followed by Neka.

“Arrest this man!” yelled Longfellow Wadsworth.

“Yes, arrest him,” put in Neka. “He is a badly wanted man.”

“Who are you?” demanded the bluecoat, as he caught hold of Bambo.

Neka and Wadsworth explained matters. Bambo tried to conceal the pistol, but the policeman promptly took the weapon away.

“I’ll arrest you for carrying concealed weapons, if nothing more,” said the officer, and marched Bambo off to jail, accompanied by Neka and the elocutionist.

Neka was greatly delighted to think Daniel Bambo was in custody at last. He made a formal charge against him, and Bambo was held until the court could take proper action in the matter.

But when Neka approached his old taskmaster, he could not induce him to talk.

“I won’t say a word,” growled Daniel Bambo. “Go, now, and do your worst.”

“But you won’t help your case by being obstinate, Bambo,” said Neka.

“I don’t care. Go on and do your worst.”

“You won’t talk about my past?”

“Not a word.”

“You won’t deny that you know a good deal?”

“I ain’t sayin’ anythin’! Now leave me alone.”

“Where is Hank Maul?”

“Find out.”

And after that Daniel Bambo would not speak again.

But from several letters found in his clothing, Hank Maul was traced by a detective from Philadelphia to Binghamton, and it was learned that Bambo and he were to meet in the latter city. A detective was sent to Binghamton, and two days later Hank Maul was captured and held there.

Neka went to see him, and a long talk ensued. At first Hank Maul was as obstinate as Daniel Bambo had been, but gradually he thawed out, and when Neka hinted it might go easier with him if he exposed Daniel Bambo, Maul agreed to make a full confession of all he knew.

“And I’ve got a heap sight more to tell of your past than you dream on,” remarked Hank Maul.

“You have!” ejaculated Neka, excitedly.

“Yes. He told me when we went into the deal against you.”

“And what of the past, Maul? Who am I?”

“I don’t know your real name--Bambo wouldn’t mention that. But you are a rich boy--or at least you ought to be if you had what’s coming to you.”

“How do you know that?”

“Got it from Bambo.”

“And where did he learn it?”

“Got it partly from old Jerry Brown afore he died, and partly from Susan Gilderoy.”

“But the Gilderoys are dead. I looked for some of them when I was in Cleveland.”

“So they are. But Bambo has all the papers--at least, he did have ’em.”

“And you say I ought to be rich?”

“Exactly.”

“Are my--my parents living?” faltered Neka.

“No, they died when you were young. That’s how the Gilderoys got hold of you.”

Neka gave a deep sigh. He had hoped that the truth would be more agreeable.

“Then I have no relatives living?”

“Oh, yes; Bambo said you had a rich sister, who has spent a pile of money in looking for her long-lost brother.”

“A sister!” Neka’s heart gave a great leap. “What is her name?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Where does she live?”

“Somewhere down East.”

“Does Bambo know her?”

“He knows of her. I don’t know if he ever spoke to her. When we captured you in New York, it was his plan to get a thousand dollars from Wadsworth first, and then squeeze your rich sister.”

“How? By promising to restore me to her for a consideration?”

“That’s it. But the hull scheme bu’sted when they came down on us and we had to skip. Then Bambo and I both took to drinking, and that’s how we got caught, I reckon.”

“Did Bambo write to my sister at all?”

“He wrote a letter, but I don’t believe he sent it. He didn’t mention your stage name, of course, but said you were having a hard time of it on the boards. He wanted to work on your sister’s sympathies.”

After this Neka questioned Hank Maul at a much greater length. He felt convinced that the man was telling the truth so far as he knew it, but could gain no additional information.

“If I have a sister, and she lives down East, I’ll find her sooner or later,” said Neka, to himself. “I must find her!” he burst out. “I must, that’s all there is to it!”

Leaving Hank Maul still in custody, Neka took an early train from Binghamton back to Ithaca, and arriving there, at once proceeded to the jail.

“Now I must bring Daniel Bambo to terms,” he said. “I must make him speak, no matter how much he wishes to remain silent!”