“I don’t know anything about it,”
replied the other. “I only know you brought
her here, and that you’ll stay here till the
police come.”
By this time several people had come into the room,
awakened by the noise. Samuel, without a word
more, went and sank down into a chair and waited.
And half an hour later he was on his way to the station
house again—this time with a policeman on
either side of him, and gripping him very tightly.
And now the charge against him was murder!
The same corpulent official was seated behind the
desk at the police station; but on this occasion he
woke up promptly. “The chief had better
handle this,” he said, and went to the telephone.
“Where’s this chap to go?” asked
one of the policemen.
“We’re full up,” said the sergeant.
“Put him in with Charlie Swift. The chief’ll
be over in a few minutes.”
So once more Samuel was led into a cell, and heard
the door clang upon him.
He was really not much alarmed this time, for he knew
it was not his fault, and that he could prove it.
But he was sick with horror at the fate of the unhappy
girl. He began pacing back and forth in his cell.
Then suddenly from one corner growled a voice:
“Say, when are you going to get quiet?”
“Oh, I beg pardon,” said Samuel.
“I didn’t know you were here.”
“What are you in for?” asked the voice.
“For murder,” said Samuel.
And he heard the cot give a sudden creak as the man
sat up. “What!” he gasped.
“I didn’t do it,” the boy explained
hastily. “She killed herself.”
“Where was this?” asked the man.
“At the Continental Hotel.”
“And what did you have to do with it?”
“I took her there.”
“Who was she?”
“Why—she called herself Mary Smith.”
“Where did you meet her?”
“Up at ‘Fairview.’”
“At ’Fairview’!” exclaimed
the other.
“Yes,” said Samuel. “The Lockman
place.”
“Albert Lockman’s place?”
“Yes.”
“How did she come to be there?”
“Why, she was—a friend of his.
She was there to dinner.”
“What!” gasped the man. “How
do you know it?”
“I work there,” replied Samuel.
“And how did she come to go to the hotel?”
“Master Albert turned her out,” said Samuel.
“And it was raining, and so I took her to a
hotel.”
“For the love of God!” exclaimed the other;
and then he asked quickly, “Did you tell the
sergeant that?”
“No,” said the boy. “He didn’t
ask me anything.”
The man sprang up and ran to the grated door and shook
it. “Hello! Hello there!” he
cried.
“What’s the matter?” growled a policeman
down the corridor.
“Come here! quick!” cried the other; and
then through the grating he whispered, “Say,
tell the cap to come here for a moment, will you?”
