“Mary, is there anything I can do for you or your father or mother? If so, don’t hesitate to speak to me frankly.”
“There is something, Herbert,” she said, “and it has been weighing upon my mind for a long while. It is about Arthur. I want you to promise me that you will be a friend to my brother. I do not believe that he is a bad boy at heart; but unfortunately, he has fallen into bad company and has been led astray. Promise me that if the opportunity ever presents itself, you will give him a helping hand. This chance may come, or it may never come; but tell me that you will not forget what I have said to you.”
Herbert took her by the hand, and said with much solemnity:
“Mary, if I ever meet Arthur and have the opportunity of befriending him, I promise you that I shall do so.”
Her eyelashes were wet with tears; but at his words, her eyes sparkled with satisfaction, and she exclaimed eagerly:
“Oh, I thank you so much for saying that, because I know that I can trust you, and I know that you mean what you say.”
A few minutes later Herbert was once more in the sub-way, speeding towards the Park Row station, which was within a short distance of the main post office building. He reached that busy spot at ten minutes of twelve o’clock and found the detective awaiting him. The two men held a hurried interview with the clerk of the box department, who informed them that he knew the young man who was in the habit of calling for the letters for the swindling concern which they now had under suspicion. He said that he would remain at his post for the next fifteen or twenty minutes and as soon as he identified the fellow he would give the two men a signal by holding up his right hand. The details of the plan having been arranged, the reporter and the detective set themselves to wait for the critical moment. It proved to be a great strain on all concerned. The hands of the big clock moved around so slowly that they could almost have shrieked out with impatience and anxiety. A great crowd was hurrying to and fro and opening and closing the letter boxes, which reached almost from the pavement to the ceiling all along the great corridor, but the moments dragged by and the clerk had made no signal.
Presently a man wearing a long ulster and a derby hat stooped down on one knee and began opening the letter box which contained the mail belonging to the china painting concern. He entered so quickly that neither Herbert nor the detective caught a glimpse of his face. The box clerk inside the office became very much excited when the man stooped down, and getting a good look at his face, raised his hand and shook it in the air as a signal to those on the outside. It said just as clearly as if the words had been spoken:
“There is your man. Nab him.”
The detective moved to one side so that he could arrest his man the minute he arose from his sitting position. Herbert, who was becoming quite nervous from the strain, motioned the detective to step back a few yards. When this had been done, the young reporter got immediately in the rear of the kneeling man so that when he arose he could face him and make his accusation as dramatically as possible. He felt that this was to be a great occasion in his journalistic life, and he wanted it to come off successfully and without the slightest slip.