Part 28 (2/2)
Suspicion jumped into Drusilla's old eyes.
”Won't you set down?” she said, rather coldly for her.
The stranger sat down.
”Did you take the place of old Dr. Smith?” Drusilla asked.
”Yes; he's had another call, to a higher land”--motioning upward-- ”and I have his charge.”
The man chatted very intelligently regarding the people in Adams, and Drusilla began to thaw. She forgot her other visitor in her enjoyment of hearing the names of the people in her old church.
”Miss Doane,” the clergyman said finally, ”we are in a little trouble in our church, and I thought that you might help us.”
Drusilla stiffened at once.
”What can I do?” she asked.
”We are trying to start a little fund to take care of some poor children of our parish, and as it is very hard to raise money in our little village, I thought you might be willing to head our subscription. I thought it better to come and see you personally instead of writing you.”
Drusilla looked at him a moment and then rose.
”Will you excuse me a minute?” she said politely, and left the room.
She went directly to the butler.
”James, telephone for the police. There's another man in there from Adams and I want him arrested.”
She left the astonished James to carry out her orders, and returned to the room.
”You say you have some children in Adams without homes?”
”Not exactly without homes, but they are dependent upon the town for support. An Irish family moved in and the father died and the mother is ill, and we want part of the fund to help the family until the mother is able to support her little family of six. We want to keep them together--instead of putting them in asylums and separating them. And there are two children who have lost both parents--at least the mother is dead and the father cannot be found--and we must take care of them. They are too small to work and we thought we could get some one to take them by paying a small sum per week and--”
He quite likely would have enumerated the rest of the charges of his parish if there had not been a discreet knock at the door, immediately followed by James, announcing:
”The men you asked for, ma'am.”
Drusilla rose as the two police officers entered the room. She said, pointing to the astonished clergyman, ”I want you to arrest this man.
He is a confidence man.”
”What--what--” sputtered the clergyman.
”I want you to take him to the police station,” said Drusilla firmly.
”Do you make a charge, ma'am?” asked one of the officers.
”Yes. I don't know what it is, but I make it. Take him to jail.”
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