Ben Stone at Oakdale

by Morgan Scott

  CHAPTER XXIX.

  SLEUTH’S CLEVER WORK.

  Beneath the battery of wondering eyes turned upon him Sleuth borehimself proudly, for he felt that at last his hour had come—the hour inwhich he would demonstrate to the confusion of those who had sneered athim that he really possessed the keen, penetrating, analytical mind ofa great detective. He had long yearned for this opportunity, and atlast, circumstances providing it, he was confident he had risen to theoccasion. Indeed, there was an expression of dignity and sagacity inPiper’s face which surprised those who knew him best and led more thanone to fancy it possible he had underrated the lad.

  Having been sworn, Sleuth cast a reassuring glance in the direction ofBen Stone, who was watching him intently, following which his eyeswandered to Spotty’s face, who once more suddenly fell to shivering,touched by the chill hand of apprehension and dread.

  Silence fell on the room. Bernard Hayden leaned forward a trifle, thathe might watch the witness the better, and anyone looking at him musthave fancied that in his eyes there was an expression of anxiety whichhe could not wholly conceal, even if he sought to do so.

  “Piper,” said Lawyer Marsh, “I wish you to tell His Honor in your ownlanguage, and as concisely and clearly as possible, what you know aboutthis case. Go on, my lad.”

  Sleuth cleared his throat. “Your Honor and gentlemen of the jury,” hebegan; and then he stopped short, realizing there was no jury. Theslight titter that ran through the room did not disturb him, however.“Your Honor,” he commenced once more, “being personally acquainted withthe parties of the first part and the parties of the second partinvolved in this case——”

  “I presume,” interrupted the justice, repressing any inclination tosmile that he may have felt, “you are referring to the prisoner and theplaintiff.”

  “Yes, Your Honor,” bowed Sleuth; “in the language of the law, they arethe parties under consideration. Being personally acquainted with thebefore-mentioned parties, what was more natural than that, on hearingthat this heinous crime had been committed, I should become profoundlyinterested in the case and should resolve to give it my earnestattention with the determination of solving the deep, dark mysteryappertaining thereunto?”

  In the silence following Sleuth’s pause at the end of this roundedperiod Chipper Cooper was distinctly heard as he whispered in the earof Charlie Tuttle:

  “Say, Chub, old Sleuthy is slinging English some, isn’t he?”

  The judge rapped for silence, requesting the witness to endeavor totell his story in the simplest language he could command. Stillunruffled, Piper proceeded:

  “Unfortunately, Your Honor, I was not present at the time the apartmentof Benjamin Stone was searched by the representative of the law. Had Ibeen present, doubtless, witnessing the discovery of the loot and themessage penciled by the agitated hand of the unfortunate prisoner atthe bar would have aided me greatly in drawing a correct and accuratededuction. Nevertheless, upon learning something of what had takenplace I set forth to obtain precise knowledge as far as possible ofevery detail. I sought the fountain head of knowledge, our esteemed andhighly efficient deputy sheriff, Mr. Pickle, but found him unwilling toaccept my assistance upon the case, even though I gave him my generousassurance that I would solve the mystery. He was in a hurry; hewouldn’t talk about it; he told me to get out and stop bothering him.

  “I then proceeded to interview my fellow schoolmate, the plaintiff,Bernard Hayden; but he likewise received me with extremeungraciousness, informing me that I had better mind my own business.Although thus repulsed, I was in no whit discouraged and I vowed Iwould not be baffled.

  “It was later in the evening that I fell in with one Timothy Davis anddrew him into conversation concerning the topic which was then uponevery tongue. The said Davis seemed more than willing to discuss thematter and was surprisingly well informed upon certain points I desiredto know. Up to that time I had not met anyone who had even dropped afurtive word concerning the discovery of the seemingly self-accusingmissive penned by the hand of the before-mentioned defendant. Thebefore-mentioned Davis knew about it, and, upon being closelyinterrogated, he declared he had obtained his information direct fromthe before-mentioned plaintiff. To me it seemed very remarkable indeedthat the latter—by which, if you please, I refer to BernardHayden—should impart such information to Spotty Davis, with whom he hadnever been on terms of close comradeship, while withholding the desiredknowledge from me. Upon my making further inquiries in a careless,offhand manner, Davis told me how the loot had been found hiddenbeneath the mattress—two watches, two rings, and the exact sum of ninedollars and sixty-eight cents, including a five dollar bill and a twodollar bill.”

  “Your Honor,” interrupted Lawyer Frances, “what bearing can all thisrambling, second-hand information have upon the case? I think we arewasting valuable time.”

  “May it please Your Honor,” said Sleuth loftily, “I have been requestedby the attorney for the defense to tell my story in my own way, and ereI have finished I will demonstrate to your satisfaction and thesatisfaction of every person present that every word I speak has abearing upon the matter and is necessary to explain the reasons whichled up to my deduction involving the before-mentioned Timothy Davis ina network of his own weaving, from which I think he will scarcelyescape with ease.”

  At this Davis betrayed such consternation that even the least acutecould perceive beyond question that he was intensely alarmed.

  “Go on, Piper,” instructed Judge Trueworthy; “but do try to cut outsome of the big words.”

  “As far as I could learn,” proceeded Sleuth, “not another personoutside of those who were present at the time of the discovery of theswag knew exactly what sum of money had been found hidden beneath thestraw mattress in the room of the defendant. It is true that, bycomparison of their losses, Bern Hayden and Roger Eliot had stated theamount of money stolen; and here comes the discrepancy which set me atwork upon a clew of vast importance. Unless the before-mentioned Haydenand Eliot were mistaken, the amount stolen from them failed tocorrespond by the sum of twenty cents to the amount recovered by therepresentative of the law, Deputy Sheriff Pickle. A trifling matter,perhaps you will say. Certainly it is true that the thief might haveretained the missing sum, but does it not seem remarkable that heshould have done so and left behind him in his flight the larger amounthidden in that room? It is likewise true that the beforesaid Davismight have learned from the before-mentioned Hayden just what sum ofmoney was recovered, but, being nonchalantly questioned regarding this,he denied it. Therefore my deduction was that Timothy Davis, knowingprecisely where the plunder was concealed, knowing accurately theamount recovered by the officer of the law, knew also more than he hadrevealed unto me. I spent some hours in meditating on this matter.Indeed, sleep scarcely visited my eyes during the night but latelypassed.

  “At break of day I rose and hastened to the gymnasium, to which Iobtained admittance by a key similar to that provided every member ofthe football team. At the gymnasium I made a close inspection of thepilfered lockers, being there to obtain a clew of some sort, a desirewhich was amply rewarded. Within the locker of the plaintiff, BernardHayden, I discovered, attached to the end of a protruding nail, a shredof cloth apparently torn from the coat-sleeve of some person who hadreached into that locker. I seized upon it with avidity, for I wasassured it would prove of vast importance in the solution of the darkand baffling mystery.”

  “Is this the shred of cloth you found there, Piper?” questioned LawyerMarsh, as he took a tiny three-cornered piece of fabric from amid theexhibits on the table and passed it to the witness.

  “That is the identical shred,” declared Sleuth positively, handing itback. “Close examination led me to the conclusion that that piece ofcloth could possibly have come from the garment of only one person inOakdale. In order, however, that I might make no error, I again soughtTimothy Davis immediately after breakfast, and, without arousing hissuspi
cions by letting him become aware of my motive, I perceived that asmall patch of cloth, corresponding in every particular with the onebefore the court, had been torn from the right sleeve of his coat.”

  Again all eyes were turned on Davis, who sat huddled upon his chair,his right arm held across his lap.

  “Davis,” called Lawyer Marsh sharply, “will you please stand up.”

  Shaking like a leaf, Spotty lifted himself upon his pins.

  “Hold up your right hand,” requested the lawyer, stepping quicklytoward him and seizing his wrist. “Here, Your Honor, you may see thetorn place in this lad’s coat-sleeve, and you may also perceive beyondquestion that the shred of fabric discovered by Piper clinging to thenail in Bernard Hayden’s locker corresponds with the material of thisgarment.”

  “I never——” began Spotty chokingly; but the lawyer released him, andthe judge, rapping his desk, sternly ordered him to sit down and besilent.

  Triumphantly Piper proceeded. “By this time, Your Honor, I wasabsolutely convinced that I was on the right trail, and thenceforth Ishadowed the suspect with the persistence of a bloodhound, never onceletting him escape from beneath my hawklike eye. About an hour beforecourt opened Davis entered the store of one Theodore Welcome, who isproprietor in this town of a bazaar at which tobacco in its variousforms may be purchased. I was at his heels, lingering at a littledistance in a careless, insouciant manner; and from the open doorway ofMr. Welcome’s store I saw Davis purchasing a pack of cigarettes, forwhich he tendered a piece of silver money.

  “Then arose some discussion over the silver piece, which the proprietorof the store stated amounted only to the value of twenty cents, butwhich the before-mentioned Davis had apparently fancied was a quarter.The instant Davis departed I hurried to Mr. Welcome and asked theprivilege of examining that piece of money, which he kindly showed me.The moment my eagle eye fell upon it I knew it was a coin on whichthere was a premium, as it bore the date of 1878. This piece of money Isecured from Mr. Welcome, giving him fifty cents for it, and it is hereamong the exhibits as evidence in this case. There is upon it amutilation, a tiny cross cut or scratched by some sharp instrument.

  “Your Honor, I knew the moment my eyes fell on that mark that I hadpreviously seen that twenty-cent piece in the possession of my highlyesteemed friend, Roger Eliot, who carried it as a pocket piece.Therefore I was assured beyond doubt that it must be a part of theplunder, the sum missing when the money was recovered from its place ofconcealment. I had often heard Eliot refuse to part with that silverpiece, upon which he stated in my hearing that there was a premium oftwo dollars.”

  By this time there was a profound sensation in the courtroom. As heproceeded, the somewhat extravagant language of Piper was overlooked byall, and now, with this climax, the judge was compelled to raprepeatedly to restore quiet and order in the room.

  Lawyer Marsh, grave but well satisfied, took the piece of money fromthe table and requested Piper to identify it, which he did. Roger Eliotlikewise examined the coin, and stated that it belonged to him and hadbeen stolen, with the rest of his money and his watch, from his locker.

  “Your Honor,” said Sleuth, eager to proceed, “having learned from thelips of the said Davis that, after leaving the football field lastnight, he visited the room of the defendant while the said defendantwas absent, I immediately arrived at the deduction that——”

  “Never mind your deductions, young man,” interrupted the justice. “Ifyou have reached the end of your story you may sit down.”

  This Piper did with evident great reluctance and disappointment; and,Theodore Welcome being present, he was called to the stand, where hecorroborated the statement of the last witness and also identified thecoin as the one he had received from Davis.

  “Your Honor,” said Lawyer Marsh, “the defense, having no furtherwitnesses and desiring none, rests here, with the request that thedeputy sheriff be instructed to keep a close watch upon Timothy Davisuntil a warrant may be sworn out for his arrest.”

  A sob broke the silence; it came from Davis, who suddenly cried in ahusky, choking voice:

  “Don’t arrest me—please don’t! I’ll confess! I’ll tell everything! Itook the stuff from the lockers. I was sore on Eliot ’cause he fired meoff the eleven. I was sore on everybody, I guess—Stone, too, ’cause hehad made good. But I’d never done it if it hadn’t been for Bern Hayden.He come to me when I was changing my togs in the gym. He told me to doit, and he promised to git me back onto the team and give me tendollars to boot. He’s more to blame than I be.”

  “It’s a lie,” shouted Hayden, who had risen to his feet, “a dirty lie,and I——”

  “Order in the court!” thundered the judge, pounding the desk with hisgavel.

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