“I am glad to see you, Gerald,” she said, cordially; “it is so long since you were here; and, oh! I can hardly realize all that has happened since that day,” she went on, with starting tears. “It breaks my heart, too, to think how you have been shut up in that dreadful place. Why didn’t you send me word, you bad, bad boy?”
“I did not like to trouble you, Allison—I thought you had enough to bear without adding to your burdens.”
“But it would have helped me to bear mine—it would have given me something else to think of,” said the fair girl; “and then I could have told what I knew, and you would have been set free.”
“No, that could not have been accomplished, for there was no one who would become my bondsman, and the affair had to come to trial; and, besides, Allison, I really did not think that you had overheard anything of importance that would make your testimony of any value,” Gerald explained.
“Well, you might at least have allowed me to prove my friendship for you, and show a little sympathy. I think it was just dreadful, Gerald, and I nearly cried my eyes out yesterday after I came home and had time to realize what you must have suffered. Now do tell me all about it, for I only heard a brief account of the case when I went to the bank. Mr. Phillips said that you were arrested for being found in the vault, with some valuables belonging to papa, and some jewels that were mama’s, besides doing something that I do not understand to some books. He said you were then on trial, and so I hurried away—remembering what I had heard papa say about your honesty—to see if I couldn’t help you.”
“You saved me, Allison—I should have had to serve a term in State’s prison but for you,” said the young man tremulously.
“Well, I want you to begin at the beginning and tell me all,” Allison commanded, as she seated herself upon the sofa beside her guest, and prepared to listen to his story.
Gerald began with the note which he had received from Mr. Brewster, and related all that had occurred in connection with his trouble, up to the time of the trial, while Allison hung almost breathless upon his words.
“And John Hubbard was the one who found you in the vault, and had you arrested, in spite of the fact that you had papa’s keys, and told him that he had sent you there to perform an errand for him?” she exclaimed excitedly, when he concluded.