I did not know till this moment that you were in America."
"You might have inferred it from the intimation in my last letter.
Why did you not cable me the news?"
"Because," replied Duncan awkwardly, "I did not wish to spoil your
pleasure, and thought from day to day that the box would turn up."
"You were very sparing of my feelings," said Armstrong, dryly--
"too much so. I am not a child or an old woman, and it was your
imperative duty, in a matter so nearly affecting my interests,
to apprise me at once."
"I may have erred in judgment," said Duncan meekly, "but I beg
you to believe that I acted as I supposed for the best."
"Leaving that out of consideration at present, let me know what
steps you have taken to find out how the box was spirited away,
or who was concerned in the robbery."
"I think that you will admit that I acted promptly," said the bank
president complacently, "when I say that within twenty-four hours I
arrested a party on suspicion of being implicated in the robbery,
and tried him myself."
"Who was the party?" asked the capitalist, not betraying the
knowledge he had already assessed on the subject.
"A boy in the village named Luke Larkin."
"Humph! What led you to think a boy had broken into the bank?
That does not strike me as very sharp on your part."
"I had positive evidence that the boy in question had a tin box
concealed in his house--in his mother's trunk. His poverty made
it impossible that the box could be his, and I accordingly had
him arrested.
Pages:
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113