The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1897-08-28
movement as if to flee from the wrat


ssnone of that. On with the handouts.
And, Snaith, you come here and take
his arm"
Jem looked from one to the other in
something like dismay.
II amt done -nothin'," he expostu-
lated.
"Well, we'll see," said the detective;
"and you'll remember, If anything is
found on you, there are three years off
that last job that you've got to finish"
Jem's face grew dark. His hands
fidgeted strangely after his handouts,
and if it hadn't been that he was a
hardened, hopeless criminal one might
almost have fancied that his under lip
trembled.
"Well, I'm blowed if ever tries ter
cheat tn gallows agen," was his vague
and ungrammatical remark, and then
they marched on to the police station.
There, inside the bare room with its
wooden benches and square desks, with
the dingy green ledgers and musty pa
pers, Detective Hartly proceeded to turn
out the unhappy Jem's pockets. AS he
did so his eyes first opened in astonish-
ment, then screwed up in bewilder-
ment; and finally he looked as if he had
suddenly been confronted with the rid
die of the Sphinx.
Out of the depths of Jem's capacious
pockets he turned on to the table a
chicken, tin of soup, some eggs,
packet of sweets, sticky piece of can
died peel, and last, but not least, q bottle
of port.
whats the meaning of this? ?" said
the detective, sharply, feeling vaguely
that some trick was being played upon
him. "What is it? A picnic, card par
ty, or what? Apparently you're in
new line"
"Oh, 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 to-
gether by the handouts, and with .
strange, almost baffied expression on
his face.
'I'll tell yer wot," he said, raising
his head suddenly, ''if yen cum wi me
I'll show yer the bloke as put me up
ter this job. It's straight-no kiddin',
an swear as if yer does I'll cum back
quiet-I swear 1 will. Yer can bring
Snaith with yer an some more 'coppers'
if yer LIKE don't care"
The detective looked at Jem in silence
for a moment. Something about the
case struck him as peculiar. 1t was not
like Jem Brooker to steal eatables when
better things were to be got with the
same risk, and he felt desire to know
what it meant.
So. with a fine disregard for the rules
and regulations of her majesty's prison,
he bundled Jem and Snaith into cab,
and with another policeman on the box
they were driven to small and filthy
court a short distance away.
There they all three mounted the
dreary stairs to the dingy garnet where
John Endleton sat with shaking shout
ders watching his dying son.
At the sound of footsteps he raised
his head and looked round. With sud-
den establishment 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 expectantly.
WELL" he said, what now?" He
had expected to find perhaps half a
dozen roughs. He had hoped that Jem
might have given him some valuable in
formation-some clew that he had been
unable TO pick up himself; and now all
that was to be seen was a man and a
sick boy.
"What do you mean by this?" he de-
manded, turning to Jern, and the thief
pointed with his manacled hands to the
bed.
There's the little cove as started me
ON this" he said, and Hartly snortei
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 t meanin' of it," he repeated,
still pointing to the bed. Its the little
bioke there as set me on tim as is dy-'
in for things to eat. Theres'e is. S'elp
me, that's wot done it for"i
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 staring breath
lessly into the boys face.
He saw it only dimly before him, and
thensit faded away to a picture Of his
own son. Some vague establishment at
Brokers' behavior passed through his
mind-he had never expected to find q
heart under the mans rough exterior
and then he strobe suddenly across the
room to the top of the stairs.