Part 24 (1/2)
In a flash Jack saw it all. Watts' offer had been a trap! A mere trap to get him into trouble, probably in revenge!
He sprang to his feet. ”It's not true! It's false! Whatever it is, it's false! I did see Watts, and he asked me to go in with them, but I only agreed so as to learn who they were, so we could capture them!”
To his utter dismay the two officers only laughed drily.
”No, no! That's quite too thin,” declared the detective. ”Read this.”
Blankly Jack took the letter, and read:
”Chief Detective,
”Middle Western R. R.
”Dear Sir: The young night operator at Midway Junction has joined the freight-stealing gang that Corry belonged to, and if you will look under the mattress in his room at the railroad boarding-house you will find a watch and chain of the lot we stole at Claxton two weeks ago. I gave it to him last Friday night. I came to Midway by the Eastfield freight, and when I saw another operator in the station office, I started up towards the boarding-house, and met Orr coming down. I mention this to show my story is all straight.
”I heard he was going to give us away as soon as he had got enough loot himself, and claim he only went in with us to get us. That is why I am showing him up.
”Yours truly,
”W. Watts.”
And the day operator _had_ worked for him that Friday evening, while he was at the landlady's daughter's birthday party! And he _had_ come down to the station at about the time the Eastfield night freight came in!
Jack sank back in the chair, completely crushed.
”Changed your mind, eh?” remarked the sheriff sarcastically.
Jack shook his head, but said nothing. What could he say!
”If it's 'false,' as you claim, how do you explain our finding the watch in your room?” demanded the detective.
”I don't know. Someone must have put it there.”
”Very likely. It wouldn't have crept up stairs and got under the bed itself. And I suppose you will deny also that you saw Watts on the night of the party, despite the fact that he could not otherwise have known the unusual hour you came down to the station that night. Eh?”
”I never saw him after the night he called here,” affirmed Jack earnestly, but hopelessly.
”Well, you will have to prove it,” declared the sheriff. And to Jack's unspeakable horror he was informed he must be taken into custody.
Needless to say, the news of Jack's arrest, and of his early trial at Eastfield, the county seat, came as a tremendous shock to Alex, at Exeter. Of course he thoroughly disbelieved in Jack's guilt, despite the net of circ.u.mstantial evidence which, according to the newspapers, had been woven about his friend; and morning and afternoon he read and re-read the papers, in the hope of something more favorable to Jack developing.
It was through this close reading that Alex finally came upon the discovery that was to draw him into the case himself, and to have so important a bearing on the outcome of the trial.
Early in the evening preceding the day set for the hearing, Alex, before starting work on his wire, was studying the paper as usual. For the second time he was reading the letter from the man Watts that had had such serious results for Jack.
Suddenly as he read Alex started, again read a portion of the letter, a moment thought deeply, and with a cry sprang to his feet and hastened to the chief despatcher's desk.
”Mr. Allen,” he said excitedly, ”in this letter Watts says he reached Midway Junction that Friday night by the Eastfield freight, and that he met and gave Jack Orr the watch after that.
”Now I remember distinctly that it was Jack reported the arrival of the Eastfield freight that night. She was twenty minutes late, and I recall asking if she was in sight yet, and his reply that she had just whistled.