*CHAPTER XV.*
*"WHEN THIEVES FALL OUT."*
Fortunately for Jim's peace of mind the next day was not a particularlybusy one at the police court. He and Dick sat with Mr. Broad and thetobacconist in the space reserved for witnesses, while in the publicportion of the building only a few people besides his mother and Mrs.Boden had assembled.
Presently a small side-door was opened, and the two youthful prisonerstook their places in the dock. Curly was still smiling and cheerful, buthis companion in misfortune looked even more miserable than on thepreceding night.
When the charge had been read over, Mr. Broad proceeded to make hisstatement, describing how he had marked the coins and placed them in thetill, and how, on returning to the shop, he had found they were gone.
Then Jim went into the witness-box, feeling horribly uncomfortable. Hethought the two magistrates regarded him contemptuously, and as if theythought his proper place was in the dock with the prisoners. However, hemanaged to give a connected account of what had passed, and was steppingdown again when one of the magistrates observed, "If this witness speaksthe truth, it is clear that the prisoner Peters could not have been inthe shop."
"I wasn't, sir," spoke up Curly. "I never put my foot inside it."
"We suggest that he was acting as a blind," said the inspector--"that heengaged the shop-boy's attention while the other prisoner stole themoney. I think the next witness will make that clear."
"Very well," said the magistrate; "let him he called."
"Richard Boden!"
Dick stepped into the box, took the oath, and began his story withoutthe least hesitation. As he proceeded Curly's confident smile began tofade: the witness was not leaving him a single loophole for escape. Theevidence was so clear and simple and yet so conclusive that, as oneconstable remarked in a whisper, the prisoners had not "the ghost of achance."
"Uncommon smart boy that," he added graciously. "Ought to join the forcewhen he's old enough."
When Dick had finished, Sir Thomas Arkell, the senior magistrate, atall, stout man with bristling moustache, leaning forward, said, "Icongratulate you on the way in which you have given your evidence, mylad." And the compliment was well deserved.
Martin, the tobacconist, then identified Bryant as the boy who had paidhim the marked shilling, and the officers deposed to searching theprisoners and finding the florin on Peters. No one had any doubt oftheir guilt, but several people thought Jim very lucky in not havingbeen placed with them.
However, Curly did not quite despair of getting off. Certainly he wouldleave his accomplice in the lurch, but that misfortune he was preparedto bear philosophically.
"I didn't steal the money!" he protested energetically, "and I didn'tknow it was stole. It will teach me a lesson, though, to mind who Itakes up with another time. This all comes of being pals with SamBryant. Last night I met him in West Street. He said he had won somemoney on a race, and asked me to mind a two-shilling piece. He said hedurstn't take it home for fear his father would nab it. And that's thesolemn truth, gentlemen! Why, I'd no more think of stealing a pennythan of swallowing it!"
Now, fortunately for Jim, Curly's frantic effort to save himself rousedBryant from his stupor. Hitherto he had displayed no interest in theproceedings, but now, glaring savagely at his companion, he exclaimed ina shrill voice, "Oh, that's it, is it? I am to bear all the blame, amI? Well, then, I'll just tell the truth. Curly made friends with JimHartland on purpose to get him to rob the till. Curly sounded himseveral times, but could make nothing of him, so we agreed to do itourselves. We went in two or three times before, but didn't get much.Last night seemed a good chance, and Curly agreed to get Hartland out ofthe way. I got three and ninepence altogether, and out of that Curlygave Hartland sixpence that he owed him. I ain't going to prison bymyself, when Curly Peters had more to do with it than me!"
"I told you it would come out!" whispered Dick to his chum.
The magistrates consulted together for a few minutes, and then the twoprisoners were remanded, with a view to being sent to a reformatory.
As this was the last case set down for hearing, the people began toleave the court; and Mr. Broad, turning to Jim with a smiling face,said,--
"I am glad you have come out of it so well, Hartland. I am sorry Isuspected you at all, but at one time things looked rather black againstyou, eh? However, you've had your lesson, and I hope you will profit byit. By the way, I shall be glad if you can come an hour earlier thisafternoon. This wretched business has thrown the work back a gooddeal."
"Are you going to keep me on, sir?" asked Jim, who could scarcelybelieve his own ears.
"Keep you on? Of course! Why not? You've been a pretty silly chap inchoosing your friends, but that won't happen again. There, there; don'tthank me." And the worthy stationer bustled away, leaving Jim withflushed face and sparkling eyes. This was a greater piece of goodfortune than he had dared hope for.
In the corridor he found his mother with Mrs. Boden; and directlyafterwards Dick, who had suddenly disappeared, ran up waving his cap andhardly able to keep from hurrahing.
"O my aunt!" cried he; "here's a stroke of good luck! Let's go outside,where I can tell you all about it. You'll never guess where I've been."
"You had better tell us, then," said his mother.
"So I will. Don't get too excited, now. What do you think of aninterview with Sir Thomas Arkell in the magistrates' room? I thoughtyou'd open your eyes. O my--"
"Never mind your aunt," said Jim, laughing; "we're dying to hear aboutthe interview."
"Well, while you were talking to Mr. Broad, a policeman came up andasked if I was Richard Boden. When I told him I was, he said, 'Comethis way. Sir Thomas wishes to speak to you.' He was a solemn oldchap, and marched along like a mute at a funeral. I began to feelfrightened."
"I wish I'd been there to see you, Dicky," said Mrs. Hartland.
"Well, it really was enough to make me nervous," declared Dick."However, at last he knocked at a door; some one said, 'Come in,' andthere was Sir Thomas standing with his back to the fire.
"'Ah,' said he--and he isn't half as fierce as he looks--'are youRichard Boden?'
"'Yes, sir.'
"'Well, I wanted to say I was very pleased with you this morning. Wheredo you go to school?' And when I told him, he said, 'I suppose yourmaster can give you a good character?'
"'I think he will, sir,' I answered; and then he wrote down my name andthe name of the school in a notebook.
"'I will see Mr. Holmore,' he said; 'and should the result besatisfactory, as I have no doubt it will, I shall find a berth for youin my business.'"
"O Dick!" exclaimed his mother, "it sounds too good to be true!"
"It's true enough," cried Dick gaily, throwing his cap into the air."Don't you hear the bells, 'Turn again, Richard, Lord Mayor ofBeauleigh'? Why, it's as simple as anything: just like going upstairs.Office-boy, clerk, confidential clerk, manager, partner--Arkell andBoden! We'll hang out a big signboard when that time comes. Hurrah!Trot along, Jimmy!"
"You might both run on," suggested Mrs. Hartland, "and get a cup of teaready for us."
"Rather a drop from the Lord-Mayor business, isn't it?" laughed Dickgood-humouredly. "Still, it's as well to make use of me while you can."
That afternoon has often been talked of since. Every one was in goodspirits, and Dick rattled on like a merry madcap, building, half injest, half in earnest, golden castles in the air. To judge by hisremarks when Mrs. Hartland began talking of his kindness to Jim, thewhole affair had been got up specially for his benefit.
"It's I who have to thank Jim," he laughed. "But for him I shouldn'thave had an interview with Sir Thomas!" adding solemnly, "I won't forgetyou, Jim; you shall have a ticket for my mayoral banquet, and shall sitnear me."
"Thanks," replied Jim humbly; "I shall be satisfied with a seat at thebottom of the table."
"What a rat
tle-pate you are, Dick!" laughed Mrs. Hartland. "How poorSusie would enjoy being here now!"
"Is the doctor really doing her good?" asked Dick's mother.
"He thinks so. He is trying a wonderful new discovery of some foreigndoctor, and the nurse told me on Sunday he's more than satisfied withthe result."
"Hurrah for Dr. Stewart!" cried Dick; "he's a fine fellow. I'll keep aplace for him on my visiting-list."
Thus they laughed and chattered, enjoying themselves in an innocent way,and endeavouring to banish the disagreeable incidents of the morning,until it was time for Jim to start for work.
"I may as well walk with you as far as the shop," said Dick, going outwith him; "I feel like a fish out of water, not being at school to-day.Won't there be a buzz when the fellows hear the news?"
"Too much for me. I don't think I shall go back."
"What?" Dicky turned and looked his chum full in the face. "Surely youaren't going to show the white feather, old man. Why, that would bejust giving the fellows a stick to beat you with."
"It is easy to talk," said Jim, "but I don't want to see sour looks andhear sneering remarks every day. I know what chaps like Simpson willsay."
"And I know what they'll say if you don't turn up."
For some distance the two boys walked in silence. Jim was thinking. Hischum was right, of course. It would be much braver and more manly to"face the music;" but he shrank, and perhaps naturally, from the ordeal.Besides, he would be leaving in any case at the end of a few weeks, andwhy should he go out of his way to suffer misery for the sake of a fad?
"Here we are nearly at the shop," cried Dick, stopping suddenly. "Youwill come in the morning, won't you?"
"I won't promise," said Jim slowly.
I think that at this juncture it was the boy's master who proved hisguardian angel. He greeted him cheerily, and showed by every means inhis power that he had confidence in his honesty. This absolute trustbrought back Jim's self-respect. If his employer believed in hisinnocence, why should he trouble himself about the sneers of others?His courage gradually rose; he threw off the gloom that hung about him.He determined to hold up his head and bear himself bravely, whateverhappened.
"'Twill be jolly hard, I know," he said to himself; "but I'll live itdown." And his heart grew lighter as he registered the resolve.
"By the way, Hartland," remarked his employer later in the evening, "Ihave been thinking we might make a fresh arrangement. I should like youto stay all day, and you might start on Monday."
"I'd rather not begin till the holidays, sir," said Jim, with an effort.
"Why not?"
"Because, because--well, they might say I was afraid to go back toschool."
"Well, it won't be particularly pleasant," replied Mr. Broad, "and thatis partly why I made the offer. But yours is the better plan, and I wishyou luck, my boy."
"Thank you, sir," returned Jim, brightly, though in his heart he couldnot help wishing that the next day was safely over.