For several days Colonel Ritter went frequently to confer with the
police, but it was not until two weeks later that they succeeded in
getting results. One evening, when the Colonel returned to his home,
he told the members of his family that the thief had been captured,
and that it was, as Mrs. Ritter had surmised, the joiner's own brother
George. He had been living in the near-by hotels, confident that no
one had seen him in his home town, because he had passed through in
the night.
He denied knowing anything about the affair when he was first
arrested, but when told that Colonel Ritter had weighty evidence
against him, he inferred that he must have been recognized after all.
He lost his temper, and said that of course those "aristocrats" would
like to make trouble for him. In answer to questions he said that he
had just returned from service in the Neapolitan War; and that he had
intended to go to his brother to borrow some money, but finding him
with the large sum before him, he saw the opportunity to get it all.
It had been his intention merely to knock his brother senseless, so
that he could make his escape, and he protested that he had never
wished to kill him.
Fortunately, most of the money was still in George's possession. It
was recovered, and he was put in prison.
This story caused quite a commotion in the little town, especially
among the school children.
Several nights after George had been arrested, Otto came home very
much excited. Although Joggi had been set free as soon as George had
confessed, he was still too frightened to take advantage of his
liberty. He thought that he should be killed if he went out. Finally
the police authorities turned him out by force, but he ran quickly to
a near-by barn where he hid himself in the farthest corner. Here he
had remained for three days, and the farmer had threatened to take the
pitchfork to him if he did not go away soon.
"That is very sad indeed," said Mrs. Ritter, when Otto had finished
telling her about it. "The poor fellow suffers because his mind is too
feeble to understand what is said to him. It is hard that an innocent
man should be made so miserable. If you had told me that night about
what had happened to Miezi, we should not have caused Joggi so much
suffering. You had better try to do something for him, since you might
have spared him all this."
"I will give him my red candy rooster," said Miezi, sympathetically.
"A red candy rooster to a grown-up man!" laughed Otto. "You had better
keep it, since you are so fond of it."
"They say he has had no food, mother," Otto continued. "I shall be
glad to take him some dinner."
Mrs. Ritter gave her consent, so the children packed a basket with
good things to eat, and started for the barn to find Joggi. He was
there, crouched in the corner as they had supposed.
Otto opened the basket for him to see and said, "Come out here, Joggi,
and you shall have all there is in this basket."
Joggi did not move.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account