ANOTHER ROBBERY
When the dust cleared away the blacksmith, who was rather pale, stepped
forward and clasped Dan by the hand.
“I owe my life to you,” he said, his voice trembling in spite of
himself. “I could not have gotten out of the way if you had not helped
me.”
“Oh, I guess you might have managed somehow,” replied Dan, for he did
not like to hear himself praised so highly.
“No, I could not. The frame would have held me, and I would now be
lying dead under those bricks, Dan.”
“I am glad I was here to help you.”
“I meant to have the forge chimney repaired some time ago,” went on
the blacksmith. “I noticed a large crack in it, but I kept putting
it off from time to time. This has taught me a lesson, that delay is
dangerous.”
“It will need quite some repairing now.”
“Yes, it will have to be rebuilt. And this decides me. I shall now give
up the blacksmith work for ever. I have finished all the contracts I
had, except this frame, and that can be done elsewhere.”
“What are you going to do then, Mr. Harrison?”
“I shall close up the shop until I find a purchaser for it. Then I will
repair the chimney. In the meanwhile I shall proceed with the work of
erecting my little machine shop. I have the arrangements all made, and
there is no need of delaying further. How would you like to learn to be
a machinist?”
“Very much, I think. Would I get a chance to study?”
“That would be part of your work. I should expect you to devote some of
your time to your books. My plans are not all made yet, and I may have
something to say to you, later, on this point. But the more you can
study, the better machinist you will make, and, in time, you may become
a mechanical engineer, which, I believe, you told me you would like to
be.”
“Indeed I would.”
“Very well then, now we’ll close up this shop. It seems strange to do
so, for I have made my living out of it for a number of years, and I
feel attached to it.”
“You are not going to move out of the house, are you?”
“Not at present. It is rather small, but, if you do not complain about
the cramped quarters, I’m sure I shall not.”
“I am only too glad to live there with you,” said Dan. “It is very good
of you to keep me.”
“I am not going to lose sight of you after this,” remarked Mr. Harrison
with a smile. “I may want you to save my life again,” and, though he
smiled, there was a serious note in his voice, for his escape had been
a narrow one.
“I am going to build a house near my machine shop,” the blacksmith
went on, “but it will be some time before it is done. Meanwhile we
will continue to live in the cottage. Now, Dan, come on, we will lock
up the old shop, and I do not expect to enter it again until I bring a
purchaser for it.”
The door was locked, not without a feeling of regret on the part of the
old soldier, for in spite of his hard work, there were many pleasant
associations connected with the forge that now lay in ruins.
As the two were closing up the blacksmith shop, Silas Martin, the hired
man of Dr. Maxwell’s, drove past.
“What’s th’ matter?” he asked. “Takin’ a holiday an’ goin’ fishin’, Mr.
Harrison?”
“Well, we’re taking a holiday because we have to. The forge has fallen
apart.”
“Bless my pitchfork!” exclaimed Silas, who was given to odd
expressions. “Ye don’t say so! Why that forge was built nearly fifty
years ago, I’ve heard my father say.”
“Yes, it was quite an old shop when I bought it, and that is twenty
years ago. It has seen its best days, like some of us, Silas. I suppose
you haven’t had any more robbers out your way?”
“No, an’ we don’t want ’em.”
“Have they discovered any more clues?” asked Dan anxiously, for as the
weeks went by, without any new evidence being brought out, he began to
worry about the results of his trial.
“No more clues,” replied Silas. “Doc was talkin’ th’ other day of
hirin’ a city detective, ef them constables didn’t do suthin’ pretty
soon. Between you an’ me an’ the hitchin’ post,” he went on in a
whisper, “I don’t believe them constables know beans about catchin’
burglars.”
“I agree with you,” said Mr. Harrison with a laugh.
“G’lang!” exclaimed Silas to his horse. “Got t’ hurry back,” he added,
as he drove off. “Doc’s waitin’ fer me.”
“I wonder if those robbers will ever be caught, so that I will be
cleared of suspicion?” spoke Dan, with something of a sigh.
“Don’t you worry,” advised the old soldier. “It will all come right in
time.”
Dan and his friend went to the small cottage where they lived. It was
a humble home, but neat and clean, for Dan took pride in keeping it in
order. Mr. Harrison said it was more like a home to him than it had
ever been before, for Dan had learned many housekeeping ways from Mrs.
Savage, mean as she had been to him.
Mr. Harrison lost no time in arranging to have his machine shop
finished. This necessitated him going away from home quite often during
the next few weeks, and Dan was left alone. He did not mind this as
it gave him time for studying, which he had to neglect while he was
working for Mr. Savage.
One morning as the two were at the partly completed shop, watching the
workmen, Constable Wolff came along.
“Wa’al, I s’pose ye heard th’ news?” he said in a questioning tone.
“No. What news?” asked Mr. Harrison.
“Why, Hank Lee’s store was robbed last night.”
“Mr. Lee’s store robbed!” exclaimed Dan.
“Yep,” went on the constable, as if he was delighted at it, as, indeed,
he was secretly, as it gave him a chance to do something, even if it
was not very much. “They bursted open a winder, same as they done at
Dr. Maxwell’s an’ cleaned out th’ cash drawer, besides takin’ a lot of
cigars.”
“Have you any clues?” asked the old soldier. “Do you suspect Dan of
this crime?” and he smiled a little bitterly.
“No, sir, Dan ain’t suspicioned of this. We know he didn’t have nothin’
t’ do with it, ’cause Dr. Maxwell seen th’ two men what did th’
robbing!”
“He did? Then maybe they are the same persons who robbed his place!”
exclaimed Dan. “Tell me about it, Mr. Wolff.”