“Do you mean to say that this information is not true?” asked the chief.
“I mean to say exactly that and nothing more. Now, Mr. Berry, this stranger, unknown to any one in town, comes in here and places before you some hearsay evidence that is not the truth. Instead of asking me privately my whereabouts on that day, you proceed to accept his statement as if it were the truth. I am known in this town, while he is not. You have known me a long time, and you have known my father. You have not known this man at all, nor do you know anything about him.”
The chief looked fairly at Frank, at first inclined to temper, but he bit his lip and held back whatever it was that he started to say. For a moment everything was quiet.
“Further,” said Frank, “I will answer no more questions. Any further questions I have to answer will be in a court room and will be under oath, when all other people, too, will be under oath.”
With this the young man rose to go. The chief stood and raised his hand.
“I wish you to remain right here until I have finished this hearing.”
“I will remain until you have finished your hearing, but I will decline to answer any more questions. You have no right to demand replies from me, and I will not reply.”
The chief sat only after Frank had re-taken his seat, and the hearing then became a humdrum of asking several minor questions of the others, all of which had been told before.
As they left the room, Lanky took Frank’s arm, but not a word passed between the two boys.
Ralph and Paul joined them outside, but it was plain to both the boys that Frank and Lanky did not care to talk at this time, and they contented themselves with walking along the street.