Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-02-27
be ready 1. a few minutes. and see

"Well, sir, 1 took them TO De Wndt
they call ward detectives" ventured
the butler. "and dropped the hint to
James that he'd do well to keep an eye
on them. There's things in the small
reception room, sir, as would go into a
mans pocket"
you did quite right, Willett," said
Mr.. Maclane. Brenda, my child.
suppose it's entirely useless
Absolutely. I must CO." she said.
''Then / must 60, too" he groaned
But Brenda put a firm veto upon this
proposal
"It is wholly unnecessary" she said.
with my maid and James I shall not
be afraid. even IL these men are all
that Willett says they are. There will
be the coachman and groom besides"
Her father came up to her and touch
ed the dia.Aand ornament which she
wore at her t11est.
81 would MT put unnecessary tempta-
ton in the way of the weak" he said,
with an attempt at levlty. Some of
these fellows are said to be very ex-
pert"
Brenda gave the pin to her father
and also removed ring of more than
ordinary value. which she knotted up In
a handkerchief and thrust into the
bosom OF her dress. Her maid entered
at this moment with such things as
were necessary to prepare Brenda for
the ride.
After his daughters departure Mr..
Maclaue paced the floor Of the library
for long hour In restless anxiety.
Then he received telephone message
from Brenda informing him that she
hal learned that Mr.. Alden was still
detained at the police station. which
was an injustice not to be overlooked
by his friends. The financier then un-
derstood why he had been left at
home. As a result of Brenda's pres
entation OF the case Mr.. Maclane call
ed upon his lawyer. who was near
neighbor. and the two men rode down
to the station house In cab. stopping
at q club on the way to cash a check.
Upon giving their names to the SER
geant nj the desk In the station they
were ushered into the captains room.
where. to their surprise. they found
beth the officer and his prisoner. Neale
was sitting by n desk In the corner.
He had the cramped look and the dull
eye Of man who has neither moved
nor spoken In long time. Half a
cigar with ragged end was between
his lips, and 1t seemed to have been
driven In with q hammer. Any one
who had known Neale for ten years
would have said that this was the
same cigar he had always been smok-
ing. There was a tradition that. he
had never been seen to light q fresh
one.
Alden was standing by barred win
dow looking out into q narrow, dark
court. with a dead wall on the op-
posite side. There was nothing to at
tract a rational mans eye. but Alden
continued to stare even after Maclane
and the lawyer entered the room. He
turned, however, when Captain Neale
greeted the two men by name. At the
sight OF Alden's face Maclane, who
was advancing toward him, stopped
short 1t Is not the barrier between
them which keeps the spectator In the
menagerie from intruding upon the
privacy Of the Gagged tiger; 1t In the
look In the creatures eye.
GOOD evening. SIR" said Alden
quietly. II am surprised to see you
here"
Maclane started at the sound of the
voice; It was 80 different from what he
expected.
my daughter told me there was
some sort of trouble" he began.
at was very kind of her" said AL.
den.
"You probably heard that Mr.. Alden
was under arrest" said the captain.
THAT isn't SO. He's held as witness.
There's no charge against him. He
and / had a little disagreement about
what was the right thing for him to do.
You see, he doesn't understand my po-
sition. I'm held accountable in these
cases. But I don't want to make no
trouble for no man." he went on, with
that profusion of negatives which is
often an ornament OF his language in
moments of earnestness, "and II
could see a decent way of letting him
70 without getting myself into trouble,
why, I'd be glad to oblige him and his
friends"
Permit me to consider the legal as
pect Of the case," said the lawyer, sit
ting upon a corner Of the table that
was I'm the middle of the room and fac
ing Neale, while the others were be-
hind him.
There was silence Of half a minute,
and then the lawyer got upon his feet.
at seems to be perfectly simple" be
said at last.
Tf you say so, that settles It." re-
piled Neale, rising and walking toward
the door. "Sorry to have troubled you,
Mr.. Alden. Good night"
And he bowed as the three men
walked out, Maclane weak and trem-
bling with excitement, Alden perfectly
mechanical. As they passed the SER
geant's desk the lawyer discovered
that he had left his cane In the cap
tain's room, and he returned. he was
absent about i've minutes. at the expi-
ration of which time he Joined Maclane
upon the sidewalk. Alden was not
there.
"He has gone to the hospital In our
cab" said Maclane. ""The man II In O
trance. He scarcely spoke ten words.
What detained your
"The captain was showing me
present that he had just bought for his
little boy" replied the lawyer. IT'S
one OF those iron banks. Thatu make
him thrifty, like his father said the
captain. So, to encourage the child"
sinking his voice to a whisper, II put
$500 into the bank while the captain
was looking out OF the window. Per-
haps you didn't notice that / counted
some Of my fingers as l sat on the cor
ner Of the table; not so many as ! had
but Neale was really glad to
get rid OF him. It's the easy way all
around"
"Only S300r exclaimed Maclane.
"Well. that ,oas easy"
fro BE CONTINUED
Peep Into the Future.
John Il. Clark expresses his belief