The chief said, “Of course you realize these boys have to give an account of themselves, Mr. Blakeley. Maybe this young fellow here is mistaken about seeing them, but——”
“He isn’t mistaken,” I said. I could just hear my own voice as if I was speaking all alone in the world, and I was awful nervous. “Westy and I climbed out of that window after dark last night, but we didn’t set fire to the place and we never thought about such a thing.”
“You were there?” my father said. Gee, he seemed to be all flustered. “What do you mean? You mean you were in Mr. Slausen’s shop after the place had been closed up and came out through a side window?”
I just said, “Yes, sir.”
For about half a minute nobody spoke at all, only Mr. Slausen kept drumming with his fingers on the arm of the chair.
Then the chief said, “What were you doing there?”
“I won’t tell you,” I said.
My father said, very sober like, “What do you mean, Roy? You won’t tell? This is a very serious matter. Tell Mr. O’Day what you went there for.”
I didn’t say anything; I just stood there.
My father just said, very anxious, “Well?”