Indeed, Norton had driven his car relentlessly and carelessly, and it was much damaged.
Larry stowed the valise carefully in his auto, and then having placed Norton’s car to one side of the road, the journey back to the nearest town was begun. The two did not talk much on the trip. Norton sat with bowed head, and occasionally tears fell from his eyes. Larry was genuinely sorry for him, though he knew that punishment must follow, even though the money was recovered.
“I’m afraid—it seems a harsh thing to do—but I’m afraid I shall have to give you into custody,” said Larry gently, as they reached the outskirts of the New York town.
“Yes,” was the quiet answer. “I sha’n’t resist. I—I think perhaps to-night I may get some sleep, even though in a police cell. You—you don’t know what it is to lie awake—night after night—listening for some one to come and—and arrest you,” he faltered.
Poor, weak Norton was taken to the town jail, and, out of his own pocket, Larry arranged for better care of the prisoner than would ordinarily have been given. For Norton did not retain one cent for himself. He insisted on emptying his pockets into the valise containing most of the million.
“It all belongs to the bank,” he said simply. “I’ll make up the rest.”
“I’m sorry that I have to write unpleasant things about you,” said Larry, as he thought of the necessity of getting a story to the Leader. “But it is my duty.”
“I know,” answered the absconder simply. “I’ll tell you all that you don’t know, which isn’t much, I guess,” and he smiled sadly. “I’ll tell you how I got the money.”
Which he did. It was very simple. For a long time he had noticed that large sums were often put in the bank’s valise, to be taken by messengers to various financial institutions in New York. This valise, after being filled and locked, would be set down near the cashier’s desk, until the messengers called for it, or until the Consolidated men were ready to take it away.
It was from this that Norton got the idea that he could take this bag unobserved, and substitute for it another just like it, but containing bricks instead of bills. He resolved to take a large sum instead of a comparatively small one, and bided his time.