“You can open it if you like,” he said.
“Where is the key?”
“I haven’t got it.”
“Young man,” said the detective sternly, “I advise you not to throw any obstacles in my way. It may do you harm.”
“But,” said Bernard earnestly, “I am speaking the truth. The owner of the portmanteau no doubt has the key, but he didn’t give it to me.”
“The owner? Isn’t it yours?”
“No, sir.”
“Whose is it, then?”
“It belongs to a young man in an ulster, who handed it to me for safe keeping.”
“Where is the young man?” asked the detective searchingly.
“He got off at Newburg.”
“Leaving the portmanteau with you?”
“Yes.”
“When is he going to get it back from you?”
“I don’t know.”
“And you don’t know his name?”
“No, sir.”
“That seems a very probable story. Young man, there seems to be a good deal that you don’t know. How long have you known the young man you speak of?”
“Only since I came on board the boat.”
He drew from his pocket a bunch of keys, and finally found one that fitted the lock. Opening the portmanteau, he drew out some bonds.
“Aha!” he said, “it is as I suspected. These are some of the bonds that were stolen from Murdock & Co. yesterday.”
“Is it possible?” asked Bernard, in amazement2. “That is the robbery I was reading about in the Argus.”
“Exactly,” said the detective, with a sharp look. “Where are the rest?”
“Where are the rest? I am sure I don’t know.”
“Young man, there is no use in trying to deceive me.”
“I am not deceiving you. It is as much a mystery to me as to you.”
“Here are fifteen hundred dollars in bonds. The amount-taken was five thousand. That leaves a balance of thirty-five hundred dollars.”
“So he wore an ulster?” said the detective, who had not at first noted4 this item in Bernard’s description.
“Yes. I told you so.”
“You may be right. On such a warm day as this he would not have worn an ulster unless he had some object in it. You say he got off at Newburg?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Did he tell you he was going to do so?”
“No. He only told me to keep the portmanteau for him.”
“Then how did you know he got off there?”
“Did he look as if he had got left?”
“You positively7 know nothing of this man?”
“No, sir.”
“How do you account for his leaving the portmanteau in your charge?”
“We had sat and talked together considerably8. Perhaps he wanted to have it found on me,” suggested Bernard, with a sudden thought.
“This may be, although it looks queer. I shall have to place you under arrest.”
“Why?” asked Bernard, in alarm.
“Because I have found a portion of the missing securities in your possession.”
“But I told you how that happened.”
“Very true, and your account may be correct—or it may not.”
“You will find it is.”
“What’s your name?”
“Where are you going?”
“To New York.”
“What friends have you there?”
“His name.”
“Cornelius McCracken.”
“Are you alone on the boat?”
“No, sir. I have a friend with me—Mr. Joshua Stackpole. There he comes now.”
Mr. Stackpole looked surprised as he saw Bernard and the detective together.
“What’s all this?” he asked.
“Mr. Stackpole, I have been under the painful necessity of arresting your young friend.”
“Arresting Bernard? What on earth has he been doing?”
“I have found some of the bonds taken from Murdock & Co. in his possession.”
Mr. Stackpole looked the picture of amazement.
“Well, that beats me!” he exclaimed. “Where did you get them, Bernard?”
“A young man in an ulster gave me the portmanteau which contained them, and asked me to keep them for him.”
“That’s straight. I saw the young man myself, and I saw the portmanteau in his hand. He landed at Newburg; I saw him on the wharf.”
“Yes.”
“Why did he land without them?”
“I don’t know.”
“A part of the bonds were found in the portmanteau—a little less than one-third,” said the detective. “The rest——”
“Are probably in the young man’s possession.”
“I presume so.”
“Very well! Of course, you know your business, but it seems to me you ought to have him arrested.”
“I shall telegraph from the next landing to the chief of police at Newburg to detain him.”
“That is proper.”
“And I shall want your young friend here to testify against him.”
“I can guarantee that he will be ready. It’s a queer thing that the boy should be mixed up in this affair.”
“I think so myself,” said the detective, not wholly without suspicion.
At the next landing the detective got off, and sent the following telegram:
“Chief of Police, Newburg:
“Look for a young man about average height, wearing a brown ulster. Suspected in connection with the Murdock robbery in Albany. Search him.
“Hatch, Detective.
“Wire to me at central office, New York.”
In due time the boat reached New York. By special favor Bernard was allowed to go to the Grand union Hotel with Mr. Stackpole on the guarantee of the latter that his young charge would be ready when wanted.
“Party in ulster under arrest. Bonds have been found in inside pockets of ulster—thirty-five hundred dollars.
“Smith,
“Chief of Newburg Police.”
Detective Hatch rubbed his hands in glee. He telegraphed to Murdock & Co.: “Bonds recovered and thief in custody12.”
While upon this subject it may be stated that the thief was tried, convicted, and sentenced to a term of imprisonment13. Bernard received the following letter from Murdock & Co.:
“Bernard Brooks:
“We are apprised14 by Detective Hatch that you have aided him in securing the bonds of which we were robbed. This has occasioned you some trouble and inconvenience, and we wish to make you some acknowledgment. We send you herewith a Waltham gold watch, and hope it may please you.
“Murdock & Co.,
The watch was a very handsome one, and proved to be a good timekeeper. It was what Bernard had long desired, but had had very little hope of securing. Mr. Stackpole bought him a chain to go with it.
“This is my contribution,” he said.
Bernard had been a week in New York, and he thought it high time to call upon his guardian. He ascertained16 from the directory that Cornelius McCracken had an office in Pine Street, and he accordingly betook himself there one morning.
He went up-stairs to a room on the third floor. On a door he saw the name Cornelius McCracken, Agent.
He ventured to open the door, and found himself in a room of moderate size, provided with the usual office furniture.
At a desk in the right hand corner, beside a window, sat a man of medium size, rather portly, with scanty17 locks that had once been red, but were now sprinkled plentifully18 with gray.
“Yes,” answered the agent. “Who wants me?”
“I am your ward—Bernard Brooks.”
Mr. McCracken wheeled round in his chair quickly, and fixed20 a pair of sharp, ferret-like eyes on Bernard.
“So you have found me at last!” he said. “And now what have you to say in extenuation21 of your shameful22 conduct?”
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1
satchel
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| n.(皮或帆布的)书包 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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wharf
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| n.码头，停泊处 | |
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6
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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7
positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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8
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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9
brooks
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| n.小溪( brook的名词复数 ) | |
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10
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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11
despatch
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| n./v.(dispatch)派遣；发送；n.急件；新闻报道 | |
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12
custody
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| n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留 | |
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13
imprisonment
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| n.关押，监禁，坐牢 | |
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14
apprised
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| v.告知，通知( apprise的过去式和过去分词 )；评价 | |
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15
brokers
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| n.（股票、外币等）经纪人( broker的名词复数 )；中间人；代理商；（订合同的）中人v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的第三人称单数 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排… | |
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16
ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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17
scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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18
plentifully
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| adv. 许多地，丰饶地 | |
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19
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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20
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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21
extenuation
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| n.减轻罪孽的借口；酌情减轻；细 | |
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22
shameful
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| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
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