es in somber background that doomed
spy hurried to his fate, and another swinging, strangling shape
expiating through hangman's device the proven crime of "high treason."

Such diversions are not conducive to cheerful reverie. His spirits droop
lower under the clammy handicap. Memory of those greetings from petulant
conductor and guying wag again intrudes.

Oswald is nearly opposite the Custom-House when just before him that
newsboy shrieks:

"All about the murder of a young girl! Body found in the river! Police
on track of the murderer!"

Tragic memories of those eventful years, augmented by petty, suggestive,
yet meaningless recent affronts, shaded by somber-hued reveries, congest
about the center of Oswald's sensitive consciousness at the parrot-like
yell of a child.

Thought that past concealments and identity known, he now is closely
trailed by New York police for the crime of Paul Lanier rouses Oswald's
fighting temper to fierce heat.

There is no doubt that under such momentary emotional pressure this
guiltless fugitive then would have incurred homicidal accounting by
resisting to the death any attempted arrest.

Little Jack's fright at that awful stare was natural.

The scared newsboy again resumes his stereotyped yell at corner of
Nassau and Wall Streets.

Oswald had turned back, intending to procure a paper and learn about
this reported murder. Returning to Trinity Church, he sees the boy,
farther down on opposite side of Broadway, waiting pay for copy then so
tenaciously gripped by that careful old financier, who had insisted upon
assurance of positive "rigor mortis" as condition precedent to purchase.

Oswald starts across in direct line to where these are standing. At
sight of Oswald, little Jack, speedily waiving payment, cuts across
Broadway, down Exchange Alley, where he jostles reveries of that
brass-buttoned official, and, through official duress, pilots him back
to the street. Here Michael Patrick O'Brien hastily fits Jack's
description of Oswald to that dazed old man, whom he pompously arrests
and valiantly escorts toward "Old Slip" police station.

At a distance of a few rods, Oswald had watched the whole proceeding,
and followed, curious to learn cause of the arrest.

Sight of that "willanous-lookin' rascal" still trailing him causes Jack
to sidle over Broadway, and ignoring Michael's loud command, disappear
at the next crossing.

Oswald concluded that there must be some mistake abo