THE SHERIFF IS INTERVIEWED.
While this pleasant recognition of old acquaintances was taking place
in the jail, the sheriff was sitting in his office and submitting to be
interviewed by a young man who had introduced himself as a reporter from
one of the great New York dailies. He was a pleasant young man, very
fluent of speech, and he treated the sheriff with a flattering deference.
He explained that while in the village on other business he had
incidentally heard of the important arrest made that morning and thought
that if the sheriff would kindly give him a few particulars he might
collect material for a good story. Pleased with the idea of having his
name appear in a New York paper the sheriff readily acceded to this
request and gave his visitor all the information he possessed. The young
man was so interested, and took such copious notes of everything the
sheriff said, that the latter was finally induced to relax somewhat of his
customary caution, and take from his safe the leather bag that had been
captured on the person of the alleged horse-thief. The sheriff had opened
this bag when he first received it, and had glanced at its contents, of
which he intended to make a careful inventory at his first leisure moment.
As this had not yet arrived, he was still ignorant of what the bag really
contained. He knew, however, that its contents must be of great value and
produced it to prove to the reporter that the young prisoner whom they
were discussing was something more than a mere horse-thief.
While the sheriff was still fumbling with the spring-catch of the bag,
and before he had opened it, there came the sounds of a fall just outside
the door, a crash of breaking china, and a cry in his mother's voice.
Forgetful of all else, the man dropped the bag, sprang to the door, and
disappeared in the hall beyond, leaving his visitor alone. In less than
two minutes he returned, saying that his mother had slipped and fallen on
the lowest step of the stairway she was descending. She had broken a cup
and saucer, but was herself unhurt, for which he was deeply grateful. As
the sheriff made this brief explanation, he cast a relieved glance at the
leather bag that still lay on the floor where he had dropped it, and at
some distance from the chair in which the young man was sitting.
Again he took up the bag to open it, and again he was interrupted. This
time the interruption came in the shape of a messenger from the telegraph
office, bringing the startling news of the recent train robbery and the
daring escape of its perpetrator. The sheriff first read this despatch
through to himself, and then handed it to his visitor, who had watched his
face with eager interest while he read it. The moment he had glanced
through the despatch, the young man started to his feet, exclaiming that
such an important bit of news as that would materially alter his plans.
Then he begged the sheriff to excuse him while he ran down to the
telegraph office, and asked his paper for permission to remain there a few
days longer. He said that he should like nothing better than a chance to
assist in the capture of this desperate train robber, which he had no
doubt would be speedily effected by the sheriff. He also promised to call
again very shortly for further information, provided his paper gave him
permission to remain.
The sheriff was not at all sorry to have his visitor depart, as the
despatch just received had given new direction to his thoughts, and he was
wondering if there could be any connection between the train robber, the
young horse-thief, and the bag of valuables that lay unopened on his desk.
He glanced curiously at it, and determined to make a thorough examination
of its contents as soon as he had written and sent off several despatches
containing his suspicions, asking for further information and requesting
the presence at the jail of such persons as would be able to identify the
train robber.
As he finished these, his mother, who had been preparing a fresh cup of
coffee for Rod, entered the office full of her discovery in connection
with the young prisoner and of the startling information he had given her.
She would have come sooner but for the presence of her son's visitor,
before whom she did not care to divulge her news.
Although the sheriff listened with interest to all she had to say, he
expressed a belief that the young prisoner had taken advantage of her
kindly nature, to work upon her sympathies with a plausible but easily
concocted story.
"But I tell thee, Robert, I recognize the lad as the same who helped me on
the train the last time I went to York."
"That may be, and still he may be a bad one."
"Never, with such a face! It is as honest as thine, Robert. Of that I am
certain, and if thee will only talk with him, I am convinced thee will
think as I do. Nor will thee relock the door that I left open?"
"What!" exclaimed the sheriff; "you haven't left his cell-door unlocked,
mother, after the strict charges I gave you concerning that very thing?"
"Yes, I have, Robert," answered the old lady, calmly; "and but for the
others I would have left the corridor-door unlocked also. I was mindful of
them, though, and of thy reputation."
"I'm thankful you had that much common-sense," muttered her son; "and now,
with your permission, I will take that cup of coffee, which I suppose you
intend for your young _protege_, up to him myself."
"And thee'll speak gently with him?"
"Oh, yes. I'll talk to him like a Dutch uncle."
Thus it happened that when the door at the end of the jail corridor was
swung heavily back on its massive hinges, and Rod Blake, who had been
gazing from one of the corridor windows, looked eagerly toward it, he was
confronted by the stern face of the sheriff instead of the placidly sweet
one of the old lady, whom he expected to see.
"What are you doing out here, sir? Get back into your cell at once!"
commanded the sheriff in an angry tone.
"Oh, sir! please don't lock me in there again. It doesn't seem as though I
could stand it," pleaded Rod.
The sheriff looked searchingly at the lad. His face was certainly a very
honest one, and to one old lady at least he had been kindly considerate.
At the thought of the ready help extended by this lad to his own
dearly-loved mother in the time of her perplexity, the harsh words that
the sheriff had meditated faded from his mind, and instead of uttering
them he said:
"Very well; I will leave your cell-door open, if you will give me your
promise not to attempt an escape."
And Rod promised.