THE POLICE ARE SUMMONED
"Well, Mrs. Myer," exclaimed a bright, chirpy voice right behind her,
"whoever would have thought of seeing you spry enough to be
out-of-doors! Won't mother be glad?" and there stood the eldest little
Outcast, smiling broadly, and holding in her chubby hand a tin bucket,
that Peggy had seen many a time before.
"You've come just in time, dear heart," said the thankful Peggy. "Do you
think you could wheel me across the street?"
"Across the street?" reiterated the girl. "Won't it tire you very much?
Let me go for you."
"I fear you are too little for my business," replied Peggy, and as she
spoke the words a new idea for accomplishing her purpose entered her
mind. "Stay, love; I'll tell you what you can do. Take me back to the
house and you shall hear."
Miss Outcast did her best, and as the burden was not great and the chair
rolled easily, after some bumping and shoving and pushing, Mrs. Myer
found herself once more in her own room.
And, as she got her breath, she said: "Have you ever been to the river,
dearie?"
"Oh, yes," answered the child, "father takes us down there every Sunday.
We love to stand on the bridge and watch the water dashing against the
piers. It's such fun; you can't think."
"Could you go there alone?"
"Course I could; what do you want to know for?"
"Jerry is working there to-day, pet, and I have something important to
tell him. If you can find your way to the mail-boat landing where he is
helping to load up, and tell him to come to me right away, you'll be
doing a good action."
"I wonder if mother will scold?"
"Tell her it was my doing, and if she will come hear my reasons she'll
be satisfied. You'll hurry, won't you, dear?"
Miss Outcast promised, and, after repeating the message several times,
started briskly off.
The river and the mail-boat were reached without trouble, but to find
Jerry was another matter. A long stream of porters carrying bags of
something reached from the wharf to the boat. Their heads were concealed
by the burden, and their bodies looked so much alike that the child was
bewildered.
She stood there, frightened and forlorn, almost forgetting why she had
come, when Jerry himself caught sight of her.
"Why, little one," he exclaimed, dropping his load, and coming toward
her. "What on earth are you doing here alone?"
Miss Outcast felt happy once more; she beamed on him. "Oh, Jerry, you
are the very man I came to see; go home just as quick as ever you can
to your wife."
"Peggy, my Peggy! Is she worse?" and the poor fellow looked the anguish
he felt.
"I don't b'lieve she's 'zackly worse," said the child, feeling very big
indeed, "but she's acting queer, and she's got something 'portant on her
mind and sent me for you."
Jerry waited to hear no more, but, seizing the child's hand, started to
run. Leaving her in her own street, he hurried on alone.
[Illustration]
His wife was watching for him, trembling and anxious. She was so
relieved when he appeared that she burst into tears.
He took her frail body in his arms: "Why, Peggy, old girl, what has
happened? Has anybody been hurting you?"
At these tender words she controlled herself and told him all that
had occurred.
He was thunderstruck. "The scoundrels!" he muttered. "They surely
wouldn't dare--but rest easy, love. We'll get ahead of them, never
fear."
He thought deeply. "The best thing, wife, is not to alarm the ladies,
but to see Mr. Morton himself. I'll go to him as fast as I can." But
even in his haste he stopped to replenish the fire, settle Peggy's
pillows more comfortably, and warm some soup for her.
Then he sought Mr. Morton's office and asked to see him privately.
Mr. Morton sent word that he was busy and did not wish to be disturbed.
"Tell him it's a serious matter," said Jerry.
Upon receiving this message Mr. Morton invited him in, and, closing the
door of the little private office where he was in the habit of holding
confidential interviews with his clients, he prepared to listen with a
bored air.
"I'm Jerry, sir," the visitor began, "Jerry Myer. You may not know me,
sir, but I know you, and your children--they call me Paddy--'Paddy on
the Turnpike.'"
"Oh, it's Paddy, is it?" said Morton, remembering.
"Yes, sir; no, sir--that is, it's Jerry, sir."
"Well, Jerry, be quick; what can I do for you this afternoon?"
And Jerry began:
"You see, sir, my wife, being poorly, has to sit all the time indoors.
Our little cottage is just across the street from your fine house, sir;
next to the convent wall with only a bit of a passway between; and
Peggy, she's my wife, overheard two men, hiding there, talking and
planning as how they would rob you to-night and drug you, and there's
no telling what else besides."
"How is this?" cried Mr. Morton, "I'm to be robbed and drugged, am I?"
and the great lawyer looked as if he thought the man was losing his
wits.
But Jerry began and told a straight tale; told it so circumstantially
and truthfully that Mr. Morton, forced to believe it, was genuinely
alarmed.
He immediately summoned the police, and, after a rapid consultation, a
plan was formed to capture the thieves.
Jerry was to unlock the big iron gates in the convent wall, where the
coal-carts were in the habit of driving in. Two of the police were to
hide there, and keep an eye on the house opposite until they saw a
burglar number one admitted by the traitorous nurse-girl. Then they were
to return at dark and guard the front of the house, so as to cut off all
retreat from that direction. Two more of the force were to hide in the
Mortons' stable, and prevent escape from the rear. Mr. Morton was to
remain inside to avert suspicion and to give the alarm in case any
violence was attempted. He was also to practise a little stratagem to
prevent any of the family from drinking the drugged coffee.
"Don't seem to do anything unusual," counselled the chief. "Go to bed,
and pretend to sleep. Let them rob you, and when they come out we will
take care of them and their booty."
"And what am I to do, sir?" asked Jerry.
"You have done enough, man; you go home and stay with your sick wife.
She will be anxious if we expose you to danger."
You see, the officers wished to put both Mr. Morton and Jerry out of
the affair, so that they could have all the glory of the capture.