Even this action was not regarded rightly by most of the curious ones.
“Oh, see how bold he is!” exclaimed a gossiping woman, whom Mrs. Hardy in her life time, had often befriended. “He brazens it right out. But them Hardy folks was always uppish, and considered themselves too good to associate with common folks. I wonder what Dan’s relations would say, if they saw him now.”
“I don’t believe he has any,” replied another woman. “He is all alone in the world.”
At length the wagon came to a stop in front of the town hall, part of which was finished off into two cells, that made up the jail of Hayden. There were not often prisoners in the cells, as crime was rather infrequent in the village.
In spite of the shame and disgrace of it, Dan was rather glad to be taken into the building, as he hoped to escape the curious throng, many persons in which were making unkind remarks about him.
But in this he was doomed to disappointment. Quite a crowd followed the constables, for an arrest was a novelty in Hayden, especially one involving a village character, and on such a serious charge as this.
“Now then, you people have all got t’ git back!” ordered Constable Wolff.
“Guess this is a public place, and we’ve got a right here,” said some one.
“Wa’al, maybe ye have, at th’ trial. But ye can’t come in th’ jail, ’less ye want t’ be locked up, in which case we can oblige ye,” and the officer grinned at his joke.
Though the crowd tried to follow, to see Dan locked in a cell, the constables drove them back, and fastened the door leading to the jail part of the building. Dan shuddered when he saw before him two cages, made of steel bars.