The moment Willie was free that afternoon, he hurried to the Secret Service office and there he found Sheridan. He told him of the difficulty he was in.
“Do you think I would steal those papers?” he asked, after telling the Secret Service man his story.
“No, I don’t. But my belief in you won’t help you any. What we want to do is to find out who did take the papers. Now tell me everything that has occurred in that office since you started to work there.”
Willie reviewed in detail the story of his services to date, beginning with the first morning he went to work. He did not even neglect to tell Sheridan how Tom Smith had bullied him and threatened him, or how he, Willie, had made the ridiculous mistakes about the spittoons and other things, though evidently these things could have no possible bearing on the case. Yet he tried not to omit even the smallest details.
“That’s a good, clear statement,” commented Sheridan, when Willie had finished his story. “I have confidence in your innocence, but I’ll tell you frankly that things look bad for you. I hope the man on the case will get to the bottom of it.”
Willie stepped back aghast. “Aren’t you going to make an investigation yourself?” he cried.
“It is not for me to decide what I shall investigate,” replied the Secret Service man. “That’s up to the Chief. Besides, there’s a man already detailed to the case. I wouldn’t like to butt into another man’s job.”
“Then I’ll appeal to the Chief,” said Willie desperately. “The man that’s on the job believes I’m the thief and is trying hard to fasten the crime on me.”
“Hold on! Hold on!” said Sheridan. “United States Secret Service men don’t try to fasten crimes on any one.”
“I beg your pardon,” said Willie. “But I can’t help feeling indignant at the way he questioned me.”