Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-28

again set aside with my signature to the
commitment paper. Have your prisoner in
court at Go'clock, Williams"
The justice rose and went to a window,
out of which he looked thoughtfully.
Father Reardon whispered to Mr.. Warren:
Drew is very eccentric judge, as you
have seen, but he is very, very shrewd,
and / believe an innocent man is safe in
his hands. no matter how damaging the
eviderce seems to be against him."
Il have no fear, father responded Mr..
Warren: but guess I've got to thank you
for giving the justice some Information,
haven't I?''
q won't admit or deny that, Warren"
said the priest; but do hope you will not
suspect me of taving violated any, of the
sacred requirements of my calling
Certainly not" answered Mr.. Warren,
| with an emphasis that concealed his utter
lack of understanding of the priests words
and many times during the night he Won
dered what Father Reardon meant
Il hope it's all right. Nick" said Turner.
appealingly. as Williams prepared to take
| his prisoner to the lookup.
"Of course tits, Seth," responded Mr..
Warren. I've no fault to find, and Martha
| wouldn't have If she knew about it."
At the lookup Mr.. Warren submitted to
| being searched without murmur, and he
reflected with modification how differently
| he y ould have felt had he not restored
| buttons diamond to its place. He was led
| to a cell and locked in.
Shortly afterward he was led forth again
to eat a supper with several other prisoners
| in small room, where two keepers stood
on guard. Then he was returned to his
cell, and long, uneventful night began.
The painful reflections and apprehensions
that afflicted his mind may better be iinag-
ined than detailed He was confident of
his speedy release and vindication; that re-
| manned still the least of his troubles but
he could not muster confidence that those
other matters, the strange disappearance
of Elsie, the evil Swallowed by buttons
return and the general mystery of the
diamonds, in which he still maintained a
keen interest, would all adjust themselves
satisfactorily. He may have slept little
| that night. but at sunrise it seemed to him
as If he had lain awake for weeks.
1t was not yet the hour when coffee and
hard bread would be served to the prisoners
when colored man called at the lookup
and asked the officer in charge If he might
see Mr.. Warren. Greatly surprised, the
officer said he didn't know about 1t, and
asked the callers name and business.
My name is Wanga," he replied, land
my business is to tell Mr.. Warren some
thing.
His speech had little trace of dialect
and none whatever of the broad, glissande
style that characterizes a typical planta-
ton negro. 1t was rather marked by a
strong accent, such as a European might
have who had mastered the language to a
degree, and 1t interfered not at all with
his comprehensbility.
The officer hardly knew what to do. The
request was out of the usual in the matter
Of time and the fact that the prisoner was
held on SO serious a charge. He kept Wan
ga waiting few minutes until the day Off
Ger arrived.
Il guess it will be all right" said the
latter. IF we search him. We don't want
him to smuggle anything to the prisoner"
Wahsa showed not the slightest disin-
ciination to being searched. Nothing was
found on him that looked suspicious, al
though the officers were considerably
startled when the black man drew from
his pocket small dead snake and laid it
on the desk.
"You will give it back to me when
come out, won't you?" he asked coolly
Gosh. yes!' replied one of the officers.
1--WE don't want it. What do you carry
such thing around for?"
Wanga's reply was an incomprehensible
smile. He was presently conducted to a
room across the middle of which ran an
iron grating from floor to ceiling Mr..
Warren had been brought in and was
standing on the other side Of the grating
ne HIe,, was agitated with hope and fear to-
gether when he saw the colored man. but
he betrayed little emotion when he said:
What do you want to say to me?'
Wanga went close to the grating and
whispered:
Il want to tell you about your daughter.
l want to tell you about other things.
want to set you free. 1 can do it. 1 can
save you from every trouble. Send that
man away"
The speaker referred to one of the Off
GERS who fingered in the room on a pre-
terse that it was his duty to remain.
This man. said Mr.. Warren to the Of
ficer, has confidential information for me.
l believe 1 have the right to speak with
him alone"
The officer hesitated. He wasn't sure
about it They never had had this kind of
a prisoner in the lookup, but Mr.. Warren
spoke with such quiet assurance that the
officer, knowing that no plan of escape
could be put into execution, withdrew and
closed the door.