CHAPTER XXXII.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 220, 17 September 1887, Page 8

CHAPTER XXXII.

AN ARREST. Maium Tlowlvxi), as she was known in the suburban city where she resided, was a very proud and wealthy woman — or so considered try people who only knew her in a general way. t>hc had belonged to one of the oldest families of Baltimore ; had boon regarded a.s a beauty and a belle in hor early life ; had been married twice, each time to a rich and cultivated gentleman, and had naturally held herself with all the prido which usually attend- biu'h unexceptional birth and position. She had no children — though ropoit said that^he had lost, Ncais ago, one idolized son— and lived alone in her grandeur, with only ncr sc: vants about her, was considered exceedingly exclusive and cold-hearted by fociei/, though it. v. as whis-peied among iho poor that her piuse and heart wcio alwa\-open to theii needs and .supplication.^. WaUer called at her door every morning duiin_ the week after her accident, to inquiu foi h"r, and was glad to learn that she w.ts doing vjiy well, although her injuries had been of a serious nair.ie. Her light n list and aim had been bioken in t'.ui places, beside-, being badly Ivuised, while the left ha.id had been shockingly laeeLiittd, though no bonea woe bioken m •it. .V: tiv end of a week Walter wa- in\i:ed to entoi, bei'i^ told that madam de-iied to see lv TIo \ .is avidujted toherprhate pailoui —a beautiful 100 m in the .second loom of the -e< ond stuiy oi the house, wlk'C !ic found her .sitting in a huge hualid-ehah. both hand? bandaged and helpless, and lookinu somewhat worn from the pain tli it .she h A biitleied, but .still beaiing hd-^lf pumdh', and with the distinguished ait that !i id -o uttiaetud Waiter when he riiat rTiW liCl. She -Janeedup, asheenteicd, in al'igli!" and „r imated a\ ay, s i> iug : " \\ ell, young man, you find me still cilpnkd, <i*nd i imagine it Mill be -ome oi-iK Nit ivfoie T -.hall be able to shake thai good i i_;ht hand of yours that did me -v.oh efneirn* ,ci \ ice. Howevci, I wanted to see \. hi. So diaw a chair neai to me, and talk to ane foi a little while." «dter obeyed, remarking", as ke Mt Jo.mi, that he \va- glad to find lur -o much rnoie ( omroi table than when he raw her last. " V.'-, if you call it comfoi table t > X- a li oral t \an.ple of what it is to ha\ ? yuur lr "xUfied," 5-hc ie-ponded, lauirhin^ly. She r.-^ a cl)..iming old lady, and /w\t? rand l;er young gue~t bulliantly iui h;lf an hour, and, iunoiing herself, 'jiadua!!y h I him to talk about hi-, own I'fi. qae-.ioncd him about his business, a'"l at la-t u f l' - i;iily manaoed to draw fioni h : m tjim thin.; of lii -^ histoiv. He . a^ .fij much att'aet^d by hei, i . > r 1 was >.ni pi i-ed at (he interest she manite-t'-d in bin. '■ \\ '-at can Ido to toward \ou for your lcindn--^ to me':" .^he askeii, with *i '•(<- nr> n..'j*- -mile, when he finally ,iu.-o to leave '"Pi aj n'j\er mention the matter again in th..t w..>', madam,'' Walter refunded, tlu. '.:!•;,, and (hawing himself np a tii'le p "oi. 11 \ . "1 am only too glad tluit I was able ie be ot -ef\ ice to jou, and 1 hope if there l- anj thing th.it I can do at an\ ti.no you v\ill comm.xnd me." " Tlnnk you, and I shall take you at youv void instantly, "' madam leplitd, .-iuilm.l,. "You can be of u-e to me. for yi'ii 1 p .' eheoi cd me v. onderfully thi- moi ning, ai>d I -hall command that you come to CJ i! ' iften." '■ r J ii'U is a \ct i > agreeable oider, and c.ie which I am Hue I hhall take pleasure in o'.iom*,";," AVallei ictumcd, .smiling al-o. Mi > looked at him earnestly a mumeat, thc>i -..id . " f liki- you. young man ; you mak i. me tl.ii'k of--of some one whom I w~cd to know; and it will do me good toLr.., a yo mg f.ier in tli° house. So, pl< a-.c, chop in t'cjutiuly whilj you remain in the cit\. ' " I will, thank you," he replied, heartily, feeling t)))t it would be delightful to h^^e the pi r ill _ re.r c. He ippi.j ichcil the door as ho -poke, but i. w.i. opened befoie ho could reach it by a "ii.mi, who came in looking pale and statll. -I She c.i-t a fii^htcned look an Wfit°r as ~ho ]).i '•ed Ir.n, and going to hor mistie ->, .so-'d in a lov, tone : •'?i kim^, theie is an ofiiecr bilowv. ho ) '"An oi"cir!" interiupted Madam 110\ k - loiul, i.i a tone of siupilse. "What em he pe-.-jibly want in this house V" 1 '■ lie c ays — he has come to a i rest — " the gulbv^rii, t h«.n sLop[)ed, caufu^cd, v.h'lc liCi* rl<Uir 1<Ui 3 w.mderod apprehen c ively towaul Waller. " What , nri> jou talking nl;out, S inh ?" demandci madam, excitedly. (> An olheer to ai le-t -offlo one htrt '" " Whom ' Tc;ll me instantly, ai.d cud t]i!-i su-3pe:)-c." " Tin jouug gentleman, mndain," fcltcK-l, with a dcpiecatiwg Ln^k at "Walter. The young man looked astonished. " !>id I undeiatand liglitly- that tlicie is an orhcer below v/ho asserts that he has come heie to airest me /" he a^ked, turning to the gill. " Ye=>, .sir ; so he says?." " Ho»vLvud, ' Waller continued, turning to his hot>te»s and speaking legiecfully. ''I am sorry to liave you to anno}'ed, and there surely is some mi-iake. It cannot be that I am the person for whom the officer is searching, since I have done nothing to be arrested for. I will go u[> once and have the my.steiy explained. ' "No,'' said madam, making a little authoriiathc gesture; "stay wheie you are, if you please.'' Then, turning again to tb.3 gi.l, »ho added : <5 Barah, go down and a»k the ofiicci if he will do mo fclie favour to come up stan'o. ' Walter protested against this*, for he could not endure the thought of her being anno-^J on \ x ' l 6 account ; but she insi- ted. " "<» J 6f course, it w all a i mistake," she Bald; ''but It may be a mistake tnaUvill j cause you some trouble, and I should noo rest until io was explained. Go, Sara.i. The girl retired, but soon reumiod, accompanied by an officer, who, the moment ho saw Walter, appioached him arrested him " in the name of the law.'' " What does this mean ?" the young -man inquired, looking greatly distiubed. "It moans that I have orders to take you into custody, and I am simply performing

my duty," fcho man returned, reading his prisoner's face with » searching glance. " What is the charge against him?" demanded Madam Howmnd, Tiaughtily. " I regret to say, madam, that it is — robbery," the officer returned, respectfully. " Robbery !" exclaimed both of his listeners, in one breath, while a vivid crimson shot over Walter's face, then, quickly receding, left him pale as death. "Yes, that is the charge," the man answered. " Whom have I robbed ?- what am I accused of having taken?" cried the young man, proudly. " Money and jewels." " Money and jewels ! I have no money but what I have honourably earned, and as for jewels, I have no use for them," Walter replied, with a scornful curl of his lip u . " That may bo, my young friend, still I must do my duty, and you must prove your innocence before a judge and jury," the officer answered, but not unkindly. " Pray, Mr Officer, explain what this proceeding means," madam now interposed, looking flushed and anxious. " Tin- younggentleman has been very kind to me, and I am interested in him ; he has been coining to my house nearly every day for a w eek, and he certainly does not appear like one who lias committed so grave a crime." "That is true, madam," the officer returned, studying Walter's frank, manly face, and beginning to feel very favourably disposed toward him, " but quite a sum of money and some valuable diamonds were missed a week ago to-day by a lady, Mis Robert Cordon, who i<: at present living in the house of Mr Edmund Carpenter, of Philadelphia. A thorough search was at once instituted for the mis&ing valuables — the servants and housekeeper were ques-tioned-and examined, but no clue could be discovered, and atfitst no one could account for the robbery, as the house did not have the appearance of having been forcibly entered, and nothing else was taken, though there was much in the house that was valuable which a practised cracksman would surely have made way with. Several days parsed, and then it «a& remembeted that this youn"" man had pa^sjd the night in the house, having been detained there by a s-ovoru storm, and having left the place vtiy early in the morning before an\ono win astii, suspicion naturally fell upon him. If, however," the man added, in conclusion, '• he can piove hi-, innocence, he will be re-lea-ed immediately." '■ This, is very dwxgiceablo," said Madam How land, turning to Walter, and regaidiiig him with a troubled look. He wmo still vciy pale, and his face wore an anxious expression, for it had suddenly Ha-hud upon him, as he lemcmbered Mrs (* onion's treatment of him, and all that Ruby had told him legarding her wishes, that she .should many Edmund Carpenter, that this might be a plot to ent ingle him and to ruin him in the eyes ol the world, and thus blast t^ cry hope of c\oi winning Rub} for his w ito. "Mts Htm land," he said, lifting his tioubled eyes and meeting her ga. c fiankly, "what the officer has told \ou is true — I did pass the night in Mr Cai pouter's house a week -igo last night. T went thcie to call upon Miss Ruby (ioidon, the lady to whom 1 am betrothed, and who is sister-in-law to Mi s dordon, who, it is as-eitul, has been lobbed. A severe thunder-atoini came up while I was thote, and I was pre\ ailed upon to reimin until morning. 1 left \ cry early, as Mr Carpenter's residence is quite a distance from the city, and I wished to catch the early ttain for Chester in oider to be on hand heie whun my men began their work. I did not leave my loom aftci entering it until I left the house, and you can testify that I came directly hithei, en that was the moining on which your accident occurred. Moie than all this," Walter added, with a disdainful look, " it is not likely that I would be guilty of robbing the sister of the lady whom 1 hope to marry." " Of course not," replied madam ; " and, Mr Oilicer, what lie says is all true ; tho tiain in which I was coming from St. Louis r -ached the station just about the time of his arrival here. I met with a severe accident just after alighting fiom the car, and he came at once to my assistance. He had not the slightest appearance of having done anything wrong then, nor since, for he has been coining heie nearly every day, and I believe 1 could vouch for his integrity under any circumstances." " Ko doubt, madam, no doubt," returned the oiiicial, blandly, "and it will probably ail come out right ; but my orders arc impemtive. I have a warrant for the young man's, arrest, and I must do my duty." ' But he can be released on bail ; I will be lesponsible to any amount," cried Madam How land, looking both excited and disti eased. " That is very kind of you, madam, and doubtless the young gentleman appieciates \our kindness; but he w ill be obliged to go bcfoie the Court for examination first. ' " Whcie will he be examined ?" " In Philadelphia, of course." "Do not be troubled on my account, Mrs Howland," Walter here interposed. "1 have no doubr that Mr Conant, my employer, w ill do all that is necessary. I thank you very much for jour kindness, but plea.se do not allow this to excite you."' '• You will let me know the result of your examination at once," pleaded the invalid, with a tremulous voice, "and if you need help of any kind do not fail to inform me. Oh, if my hands wcie not tied I would go with you now." " Pray do not mind it so much," Walter boggerl, deeply moved by her evident interest in his cause. " I cannot forget that I owe you a great deal," she said. " You owe me nothing, but you are very kind," lie answered, smiling and trying to assume a chcoiful air. Then turning to tho man, he added : " Officer, I am ready now to go with you ; I hope you will not consider it necessary to make me conspicuou- as a prisoner," " No, sir, if you'll will givo me your wonl tliat you'll make me no trouble. I am free to confess I should hate to put tho bracelets on yov." Walter coloured crimson, but lifted his head proudly. " 1 give you my word ; I will go quietly with you, he &aid, briefly ; then with a courteous bow to his hostess he turned and followed tho officer from the house.