It was hot work, no doubt, and there were pleasanter things to be done in
summer time than stirring with a long spoon in a kettle full of steaming
fruit; but it was a source of great satisfaction to the girls to feel
that they were making money as well now as when school and music pupils
occupied their time, and it was certainly a far more entertaining way
than that. The preserving days at Glen Arden proved to be the gayest of
the summer; and Roger Madison, hearing about them from his sister,
deliberately remained away from his law office one morning and,
presenting himself at Glen Arden, begged for something to do, upon which
they set him to stemming currants, with strict injunctions not to taste.
The week which followed the robbery passed away in this wise, and then
one morning came the information that the stolen silver had been traced.
Some of the articles had been found in a pawn-shop in Boston, having been
left there by a young man—almost a boy, in fact—of slight figure, and
with very light tow-colored hair. His eyes were peculiar, and would
probably lead to his detection. They had a way of shifting uneasily, and
of not meeting those of the person to whom he spoke.
This description fitted Dave exactly, with the exception of the part
referring to the eyes. Dave had very good eyes, the Starrs thought, and a
perfectly straightforward manner.
“Probably, since he did this dreadful thing,” said Victoria, sadly, “his
eyes have changed.”
“I don’t believe he did it,” said Peter, stubbornly. “I shall never
believe it unless he tells me so himself.”
Within a very short time, the suspected burglar was arrested, and it was
found that his name was Carney! Roger Madison went to the jail to see
him, and there, to his astonishment, found that it was James, and not
David Carney. This young man closely resembled him, to be sure, but he
was older, and his face had a totally different expression. He was
David’s brother. His accomplice was also arrested, a much older man than
himself, and most of the stolen property was recovered.
The question now was, where was Dave? Was he also implicated, and had he
for that reason run away? At all events, he had completely disappeared,
and as the summer days passed by, and still there was no word of him, the
Starrs gave up all hope of ever seeing him again. They did not wish,
however, that any search should be made for him.
The elder Carney confessed that he had entered the house by way of the
second-story window, which proved that Sophy had not dreamed that he went
through the room, while his close resemblance to his brother easily
accounted for the mistake of thinking that it was Dave. The only wonder
was, that no one had remembered the brother before, but as he had been
seen only by Peter and Sophy, perhaps that was not surprising.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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