The Bail Jumper Part 27

"May it please your lords.h.i.+p," said the girl, "all I have said is true, but it is not half the truth. I watched the prisoner closely and searched his room and his effects daily for any clue that would throw light on this case, but without result. On the morning of the first of July, I searched his clothing and his trunk from top to bottom, but made no discoveries. Shortly before noon, while I was engaged in my work in one of the other rooms, I fancied I heard stealthy footsteps in the hall. I looked out, and was astonished to see Mr. Gardiner making his way silently toward Mr. Burton's room. I followed, un.o.bserved. I saw Mr.

Gardiner open Mr. Burton's trunk, which was always left unlocked, and thrust a package far down into the trunk. Mr. Gardiner then stole away as quietly as he had come. I immediately entered Mr. Burton's room and took the package out of the trunk. I identify it as the package already placed in evidence. I then--"

But Perkins had sprung to his feet. "Your lords.h.i.+p," he exclaimed, "I submit that this is very remarkable evidence. The Crown has built up a complete and logical case, entirely free from dime novel effects, but if this testimony is to be credited the structure so carefully built by the prosecution falls to the ground. It is easy for the witness to make these statements, absurd as they are on the face of it, but it is impossible for the Crown to disprove them. I ask that the evidence be not admitted."

"Unless supported by confirmatory evidence," added the judge.

"Unless supported by confirmatory evidence," agreed Mr. Perkins.

Excitement was now intense. All eyes, by one accord, had turned to Gardiner. He sat in his chair as white as chalk, and apparently on the verge of nervous collapse.

"I have provided for the point raised by the Crown prosecutor,"

continued Miss Landin, quite unruffled by the remarks of Mr. Perkins. "I examined the package, which I have identified. I then broke the two wax seals and opened the envelope. I counted the money. There were two hundred ten dollar bills, all on the same bank, new and apparently unused. The serial numbers began with B-323001 and ran to B-323200. It will be found that the package now exhibited is one bill short, and that the missing bill is B-323005. I now produce the missing bill, which I took from the package at that time, and place it in evidence." So saying she drew from her purse a bright new ten dollar bill, which she handed to the clerk. "Number B-323005," she said.

"Correct," said the clerk, when he had examined the bill.

"I then," continued Miss Landin, "replaced the package in the trunk and awaited developments. I had not long to wait. Mr. Gardiner, Mr. Graves and Mr. Burton appeared in the hall in a few minutes. They entered Mr.

Burton's room, and Mr. Graves found the package in the trunk. I watched them through the crack of the door, and did not fail to notice Mr.

Gardiner's agitation when he discovered the package had been opened. I subsequently told Mr. Graves that I had been a witness to what occurred in the room, and he thought it would be a good thing to have me appear here and give evidence. This I have done."

"Your lords.h.i.+p," said Mr. Perkins, meanwhile glowering at Gardiner and Graves, "these developments were entirely unexpected by the Crown, and place the case in an absolutely new light. I can only ask permission to withdraw the charge."

"I think it better to proceed with it," said the judge. "Do you wish to call any witnesses for the defence, Mr. Bradshaw?"

"I had intended calling witnesses to establish the previous good character of the prisoner," said Bradshaw; "but this has already been testified to by three Crown witnesses, and I now consider that unnecessary."

"And very remarkable evidence it is," said the judge. "Where testimony, even when amply supported, appears unreasonable on its face, the law naturally looks for a motive. Can you supply that in this instance?"

"_I_ can," continued Miss Landin. "Owing to-to a love affair, in which Mr. Gardiner found the prisoner here a dangerous rival, he determined to bring Mr. Burton into disgrace which would cause him to leave the country. It was a simple matter for Mr. Gardiner to remove the package from his safe and cast the suspicion upon his clerk. When this failed to have the desired effect it was another simple matter to conceal the package in Mr. Burton's trunk and drop a hint to the detective who was employed on the case."

"Then the case is closed. We will not reflect upon the intelligence of the jury by any remarks. Can the jury find a verdict without leaving the room?"

"We can," said the foreman. "All who say 'Not guilty' stand up."

Every juror rose to his feet.

"Discharge the prisoner," said the judge. "It will, of course, rest with him whether an action is taken against his traducer. But I should like to sit on the case."

Burton rose to say something, but immediately the air became alive with hands. They were thrust at him out of s.p.a.ce-from above, from below, from every side-and he found himself seized and carried bodily out of the building.

At the door he saw Miss Landin. There was a room there used for office purposes. At the moment it was unoccupied. Breaking away from his enthusiastic friends he seized the girl by the arm, drew her into the room and locked the door.

"Now tell me all," he demanded. "Tell me why you did it, how you did it, and why you kept your discovery a secret, even from the officers of the law. But first of all accept an apology for the one-time bad opinion of a boy who has been very much of a fool, and who has been saved by a miracle. You are the miracle, Polly-I mean, Miss Landin."

"Hardly that," said the girl, laughing. "And I am not sure how much I should tell you. You see, it wasn't you that engaged me."

"That's the biggest part of the mystery. Don't keep me in suspense. I haven't seen my way for the last five months; let me see it clearly now."

"I should say that your way is as clear as day. It lies straight to Mrs.

Goode's little private parlour, where somebody is waiting for you," she said, with a knowing smile. "But I suppose I owe you an explanation.

Your friends are clamouring for you at the door, so I will make it brief. Listen.

"Myrtle Vane loves you. You couldn't see it, of course, being a man, and she, being a woman, couldn't tell you. When you got into trouble there was only one person in whom she could confide, and that person was her brother Harry. She wrote him a letter-such a letter as raises the relation of brother and sister from the human to the divine. He called me to his office, as I had given him service before in other matters. He read me his sister's letter and talked with me frankly. 'I want you to go to Plainville,' he said, 'and find out all about this case. Learn the character of this young man who has gained such a hold on the affections of my sister. If he is guilty help to convict him; if he is innocent establish his innocence beyond the shadow of doubt or question. But above all, learn whether or not he is a man. See whether he can stand up under adversity-whether he can face the inevitable with clear eye and set chin. And when your investigation is complete report to my sister.'"

"Wonderful!" exclaimed Burton. "And you have reported?"

"Yes, by messenger, an hour ago. I couldn't report until you came back, you know."

"Why?"

"Why? Stupid! With all your masculine a.s.surance, you will hardly claim that your conduct, up to an hour ago, had a very heroic ring. But your return-in the nick of time-your explanations, and the course of to-day's events establish everything. I had to let you return thinking you were guilty, otherwise I should have been in doubt what to report. Now while many believed in you, only you and I and Gardiner in all this world knew you were innocent. You couldn't prove it, Gardiner wouldn't prove it, so the secret rested with me. And, in spite of my s.e.x, I have learned that there is just one way to keep a secret. I kept it."

"Even from Miss Vane?"

"Even from Miss Vane."

"Polly, you're a wonder-you're a brick." There were tears in his eyes as he spoke. "I won't forget you-I won't forget." For a moment he held her hand in his. And there were tears in her eyes, too, when she turned away.

The Grant boys almost ate him when he reappeared from the little office, but a clerk from the Sempter Trading Company forced his way to Burton.

"Mr. Sempter would like to see you in his office at once, Burton," he said.

"I will be there in ten minutes," was the answer.

Burton found Mr. Sempter in his private office at the back of the store.

The merchant received him cordially and placed a chair for him. "You might step down and get the mail for us, Miss Jones," he said to his stenographer, and as soon as the young woman had left the room he plunged into his business with Burton.

"I have no doubt, Mr. Burton, your time is limited to-day. Your friends, quite naturally, will demand the privilege of showing their elation at the happy outcome of the miserable affair with which your name was so unjustly a.s.sociated. So I will be brief and to the point. When I established this business here I was the first general merchant in Plainville. As the town grew I realised that another store was inevitable. The farmers demand compet.i.tion, and no matter how well you may use them they prefer to deal where they have a choice of stores. To meet that situation it occurred to me to start another store under another name. Gardiner was recommended to me by an Eastern business connection. I got into touch with him, and the outcome was the establishment of a store under his name, although I furnished all the capital."

Burton raised his eyebrows a trifle. "Then Gardiner was your employee?"

he interrupted.

"Nothing more or less. But the secret was well kept. Gardiner was a shrewd businessman, and not even my head clerks ever suspected my connection with the store that bore his name. Now, to arrive at the point: I paid Gardiner two thousand dollars a year and twenty per cent.

of the profits. That gave him a net income from the business of between three and four thousand yearly. His resignation is now in my hands, and the position is open to you on the same terms. What do you say?"

Burton was so much surprised by the revelation made, and by Mr.

Sempter's liberal offer, that he found it difficult to answer. But at last he managed to say something about his inexperience in mercantile business.

"It is not experience I am hiring," said Mr. Sempter. "I can hire twenty years' experience for twenty dollars a week. It's character I am bidding for now. I am an old hand on the market, and I seldom pay more than an article is worth. Can you a.s.sume your new duties to-morrow morning?"

"I can," said Burton, rising from his chair in his sudden resolve.

The old merchant and the young one clasped hands together, and at that moment Miss Jones entered with the mail.

"The clerk in the post office said there was a letter for Mr. Burton,"

she explained, "and wondered where to find him, so I brought it with me." So saying she placed an envelope in Burton's hands.

As he left the store he glanced at the post mark, and his heart jumped as he found it was that of a far western town. He nervously tore open the enclosure, and read:

"Dear Ray.-Of course I have found out all about you. Why couldn't you tell me and save all this investigation on my part?

I am addressing this letter to reach you at Plainville on the first day of the a.s.sizes. I expect you will be there to lift it; if it comes back to me undelivered another pillar of my faith in humanity will be gone. But it won't come back. And in some way justice will prevail, even if we do not see it clearly just now.