The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-07-28

On, yes" SAID Jem sullenly, i've
| stole 'em ALL"
And after that he made no remark.
He sat staring at the stone floor, with
his coarse hands clasped together by
the handouts, and with a strange, al
most baffled expression on his face.
"I'll tell yer wot," he said, raising
his head suddenly, eff yer'll cum VII
me I'll show yer the bloke That put me
up ter this job. It's str'ight-no kid
din, an swear as if yer does I'll cum
back quiet-I swear / will. Yer cen
bring Smaith with yer an some more
coppers if yer LIKE don't care"
The detective looked at Jem in 81
lence for moment. Something about
the case struck him as peculiar. 1t
was not like Jem BROKER to steal eat.
ables when better things were to be
got with the same risk, and he felt a
desire to know what it meant.
So with fine disregard of the rules
and regulations of her Majesty's prison
he bundled Jem and Smaith into a cab,
and with another policeman on the
box, they we're driven to small and
filthy court short distance away.
There they all three mounted the
dreary stairs to the dingy garnet where
John Endleton sat with shaking shoul-
ders watching his dying son.
AT the sound of footsteps he raised
his head and looked round. With sud-
den astonishment he saw that Jem was
handcuffed. He saw the policeman
and the detective, and then Hartly
stepped into the middle of the room.
He looked round expectaptly.
"Well," he said, "what now?" He
had expected to find perhaps half
dozen roughs. He ad hoped that j EN-
might have given him some valuable
nformation-some clew that he had
been unable TO pick up himself; and
now all that was to be seen was man
and sick boy.
"What do you mean by this?" he de-
manded, turning to Jem, and the thief
pointed with his manacled hand to the
bed.
"There's the little cove as started me
on this" he said; and Hartly snorted
impatiently.
"Look here, Jem Brooker," he said,
'you won't make things any better for
yourself with trickery. Now, what's
the reason for this FOOLS errand?"
Jem stood up.
"That's tn meanin' of it," he re-
peated, still pointing to the bed. cts
the little bloke there as set me on it
i'm as is dying for things to eat. There
'e is. S'elp me, that's wot 1 done it
for"
Hartly turned round sharply and
looked at the boy. Then he stepped
across the room and peered down at
the wan face that was blue with cold
and pitiful with hunger, and all at once
he became aware that there was
strange silence in the room, and when
he looked again he saw the father star
ing breathlessly into the boys face.
He saw it only dimly before him, and
then it faded away to a picture of his
own son. Some vague astonishment at
Brokers behavior passed through his
mind-he had never expected to find
heart under the mans rough exterior
and then he strobe suddenly across the
room to the:top of the.stairs.
Il say, Harrs-Harris, he shouted.
go back to the station at once and get
those things that are on the table there.
Hurry up, now. Bring the port and
the soup, and you'll find a cup and
saucer in the cupboard. Be quick.
You'd better take the cab; and, oh,
say, bring corkscrew!"
Then he went back and calmly I'M
locked the handouts on Jem's wrists.