TERRIBLE SHOCK
Herbert arose much earlier than usual the next morning, for he had
a keen appreciation of the important character of the work that lay
before him. He had hardly finished his breakfast when there was a ring
at the door and the landlady brought up a card which bore upon its
glazed surface the simple inscription “M. Short.” Herbert wondered who
this could be, but directed that he be sent up to his room at once. A
few minutes later he was greeting a short-set, stockily-built man, with
sharp eyes and a sad expression of countenance.
“Well, Mr. Short,” said Herbert, “what can I do for you?”
The bright eyes of the little man twinkled merrily as he responded:
“I fear that I will have to put the shoe on the other foot and kindly
inquire what I can do for you.”
“Why,” said Herbert, “I never met you before.”
“Probably not,” replied the other, still smiling; “but I was ordered
to report to you this morning, and told that you would give me
directions how to proceed.”
“Oh!” exclaimed Herbert, a light breaking in on him, “you are the
detective.”
“Yes,” said the other mildly, “that is my business, and I am now at
your service.”
After a conversation of ten or fifteen minutes, the reporter and the
detective came to a thorough understanding. They were to meet at the
main post office shortly before noon, and their movements after that
were to depend entirely upon circumstances. Herbert was pleased with
the character of man who had been sent to assist him, and mentally
congratulated himself upon what now appeared to be the certain success
of many days of hard labor. The end was already in view.
A few minutes after the detective had taken his leave, Herbert received
a square cornered envelope, containing his name and address. He tore it
open quickly and read as follows:
“DEAR HERBERT:
“Father, mother and I have removed to New York for the winter,
and would be glad to have you call at the earliest opportunity.
We understand that you are engaged in your newspaper work in the
evening, so that if you care you are quite welcome to call in the
morning, or at any other time that may suit your convenience.
“Very sincerely yours,
“MARY BLACK.”
Herbert looked at his watch. He had nearly three hours to spare before
it would be time to keep his appointment with the detective in the
post office, and he quickly decided to utilize it by making a hurried
call on the Blacks. The address given was that of a house on West 69th
Street, and in a very short time, by making use of the sub-way, Herbert
found himself at the address indicated.
Mary Black, who responded to his call, was delighted to see her old
friend and schoolmate, and in a few minutes he was also talking with
Mr. and Mrs. Black. The family, distressed by the continued absence of
the son and brother, had determined to stay in New York for some months
in the hope of obtaining some clue to the runaway. A financial friend
of Mr. Black, who had gone to Europe for the winter, had insisted upon
his occupancy of the house during the time that he was absent from
the country. Although the suggestion had been made only a fortnight
before, the little family was already comfortably installed in the 69th
Street house. They were all delighted with their new surroundings, and
Mary was very much pleased and interested with the sights of the big
city; but over it all there was a certain sadness caused by the sorrow
which was felt on account of the erring one. The father was almost
completely crushed at the domestic affliction which overshadowed their
hearthstone. He had lost the coldness and haughtiness for which he
was distinguished while at Cleverly, and in broken tones expressed to
Herbert the sorrow he felt at the injustice which he had done to his
old friend, David Harkins. He said that if an opportunity should ever
come whereby he would be enabled to remedy the ill that had been caused
through his thoughtless words, he would cheerfully do so.
Time passed so rapidly and so pleasantly in the company of Mary Black
that Herbert was loath to leave. A look at his watch, however, showed
that he had less than an hour before the time would arrive for keeping
his appointment, so he bade good-by to Mr. and Mrs. Black and hurried
towards the door. Mary accompanied him there, and he noticed from her
constrained manner that she had something on her mind and was anxious
to speak to him privately. Being a man, he felt that it was incumbent
upon him to break the ice, so he said gently:
“Mary, is there anything I can do for you or your father or mother? If
so, don’t hesitate to speak to me frankly.”
“There is something, Herbert,” she said, “and it has been weighing upon
my mind for a long while. It is about Arthur. I want you to promise me
that you will be a friend to my brother. I do not believe that he is a
bad boy at heart; but unfortunately, he has fallen into bad company and
has been led astray. Promise me that if the opportunity ever presents
itself, you will give him a helping hand. This chance may come, or it
may never come; but tell me that you will not forget what I have said
to you.”
Herbert took her by the hand, and said with much solemnity:
“Mary, if I ever meet Arthur and have the opportunity of befriending
him, I promise you that I shall do so.”
Her eyelashes were wet with tears; but at his words, her eyes sparkled
with satisfaction, and she exclaimed eagerly:
“Oh, I thank you so much for saying that, because I know that I can
trust you, and I know that you mean what you say.”
A few minutes later Herbert was once more in the sub-way, speeding
towards the Park Row station, which was within a short distance of the
main post office building. He reached that busy spot at ten minutes of
twelve o’clock and found the detective awaiting him. The two men held a
hurried interview with the clerk of the box department, who informed
them that he knew the young man who was in the habit of calling for the
letters for the swindling concern which they now had under suspicion.
He said that he would remain at his post for the next fifteen or twenty
minutes and as soon as he identified the fellow he would give the two
men a signal by holding up his right hand. The details of the plan
having been arranged, the reporter and the detective set themselves to
wait for the critical moment. It proved to be a great strain on all
concerned. The hands of the big clock moved around so slowly that they
could almost have shrieked out with impatience and anxiety. A great
crowd was hurrying to and fro and opening and closing the letter boxes,
which reached almost from the pavement to the ceiling all along the
great corridor, but the moments dragged by and the clerk had made no
signal.
Presently a man wearing a long ulster and a derby hat stooped down on
one knee and began opening the letter box which contained the mail
belonging to the china painting concern. He entered so quickly that
neither Herbert nor the detective caught a glimpse of his face. The box
clerk inside the office became very much excited when the man stooped
down, and getting a good look at his face, raised his hand and shook
it in the air as a signal to those on the outside. It said just as
clearly as if the words had been spoken:
“There is your man. Nab him.”
The detective moved to one side so that he could arrest his man the
minute he arose from his sitting position. Herbert, who was becoming
quite nervous from the strain, motioned the detective to step back a
few yards. When this had been done, the young reporter got immediately
in the rear of the kneeling man so that when he arose he could face him
and make his accusation as dramatically as possible. He felt that this
was to be a great occasion in his journalistic life, and he wanted it
to come off successfully and without the slightest slip.
The man in the ulster was terribly slow about his work. His head and
his face were so close to the box that it was impossible to get a
glimpse of his countenance. Besides he fingered each letter separately
as if to feel and mentally calculate the amount of money enclosed in
each of the envelopes. The action did not escape Herbert’s attention,
and caused him to curl his lips up in a look of unutterable scorn.
“Calculating his stealings,” he muttered to himself indignantly;
“considering how much money he has filched from poor girls and women
who have scarcely enough to buy food to eat.”
The kneeling figure, however, knew nothing of the contempt with which
he was being regarded by the warm-blooded young man behind him.
Presently he finished his examination of the letters and had put them
all in the little leather gripsack which he had beside him. He arose
very slowly, and then turned around and came face to face with the
young reporter.
The sight that met the gaze of Herbert Harkins caused him to become as
pale as a sheet. His head seemed to be reeling around him, and he felt
as if he could scarcely stand without support.
He looked again. The second glance only confirmed what he had seen at
first.
The youth who stood before him was Arthur Black!