Construction industry -- Fiction; Labor unions -- Fiction; New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction; Strikes and lockouts -- Fiction
The contractor's eyes snapped, and Tom expected hot words. But none
came. "Don't get hot under the collar," Mr. Driscoll advised, running
his comforting finger under his own. "Come, what's your side of the
story?"
Tom was of half a mind to give a curt refusal. But his wrong was too
great, too burning, for him to keep silent upon it. He would have talked
of it to any one--to his very walls. He took a turn in the cell, then
paused before his old employer and hotly explained his innocence and
Foley's guilt.
While Tom spoke Mr. Driscoll's head nodded excitedly.
"Just what I said!" he cried when Tom ended, and brought his fist down
on his knee. "Well, we'll show him!"
"Show him what?" Tom asked.
Mr. Driscoll stopped his fist midway in another excited descent. He
stood up, for he saw the officer's scowling face at the grated front of
the cell. "Oh, a lot of things before he dies. As for you, keep your
courage up. What else's it for?"
He held out his hand. Tom took it with bewildered perfunctoriness.
Mr. Driscoll passed through the door, held open by the officer. Outside
he turned about and growled through the bars: "Now don't be blowing up
any more buildings!"
Tom, stung anew, would have retorted in kind, but Mr. Driscoll's
footsteps had died away down the corridor before adequate words came to
him.
It was about an hour later that the officer appeared before his cell
again and unlocked his door. "Come on," he said shortly.
Tom, supposing he was at length to be removed to the county jail, put on
his hat and stepped outside the cell. He had expected to find policemen
in the corridor, and to be handcuffed. But the officer was alone.
Two cells away he saw Jake's malignant face peering at him through the
bars. "I guess this puts us about even!" Jake called out.
Tom shook his fist. "Wait till the trial! We'll see!" he cried
vengefully.
"Shut up, youse!" shouted the surly watchman. He pushed Tom through the
corridor and up a stairway. At its head Tom was guided through a door,
and found himself in the general hall of the police station.
"Here youse are," said the officer, starting for the sergeant's desk.
"Come on and sign the bail bond."
Tom caught his arm. "What's this mean?" he cried.
"Don't youse know? Youse're bailed out."
"Bailed out! Who by?"
"Didn't he tell youse?" Surprise showed in the crabbed face of the
officer. "Why, before he done anything he went down to talk it over with
youse."
"Not Mr. Driscoll?"
"I don't know his name. That red-faced old geezer in the glasses.
Huh!--his coin comes easier'n mine."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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