"Don't you remember one morning a few weeks ago when you were in a
railroad station, and dropped your purse, and I picked it up, and you gave
me a quarter for seeing you safely on the train? Don't you? I'm sure you
must remember."
The old lady was nervously wiping her spectacles. As she again adjusted
them and gazed keenly at the boy, a flash of recognition lighted her face
and she exclaimed, "Of course I do! Of course I do! Thee is that same
honest lad who restored every cent of the money that but for thee I might
have lost! But what does it all mean? And how came thee here in this
terrible place?"
Rod was only too thankful to have a listener at once so interested and
sympathetic as this one. Forgetful of his hunger and the waiting breakfast
beside him, he at once began the relating of his adventures, from the time
of first meeting with the dear old lady down to the present moment. It was
a long story and was so frequently interrupted by questions that its
telling occupied nearly an hour.
At its conclusion the old lady, who was at once smiling and tearful, bent
over and kissed the boy on his forehead, saying:
"Bless thee, lad! I believe every word of thy tale, for thee has an honest
face, and an honest tongue, as well as a brave heart. Thee has certainly
been cruelly rewarded for doing thy duty. Never mind, thy troubles are now
ended, for my son shall quickly summons the friends who will not only
prove thy innocence and release thee from this place, but must reward thy
honest bravery. First, though, thee must eat thy breakfast and I must go
to fetch a cup of hot coffee, for this has become cold while we talked."
So saying the old lady bustled away with a reassuring little nod and a
cheery smile that to poor Rod was like a gleam of sunlight shining into a
dark place. As she went, the old lady not only left his cell door unlocked
but wide open for she had privately decided that the young prisoner should
not be locked in again if she could prevent it.
CHAPTER XXVII.
THE SHERIFF IS INTERVIEWED.
While this pleasant recognition of old acquaintances was taking place
in the jail, the sheriff was sitting in his office and submitting to be
interviewed by a young man who had introduced himself as a reporter from
one of the great New York dailies. He was a pleasant young man, very
fluent of speech, and he treated the sheriff with a flattering deference.
He explained that while in the village on other bu
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