Presently a man wearing a long ulster and a derby hat stooped down on one knee and began opening the letter box which contained the mail belonging to the china painting concern. He entered so quickly that neither Herbert nor the detective caught a glimpse of his face. The box clerk inside the office became very much excited when the man stooped down, and getting a good look at his face, raised his hand and shook it in the air as a signal to those on the outside. It said just as clearly as if the words had been spoken:
The detective moved to one side so that he could arrest his man the minute he arose from his sitting position. Herbert, who was becoming quite nervous from the strain, motioned the detective to step back a few yards. When this had been done, the young reporter got immediately in the rear of the kneeling man so that when he arose he could face him and make his accusation as dramatically as possible. He felt that this was to be a great occasion in his journalistic life, and he wanted it to come off successfully and without the slightest slip.
The man in the ulster was terribly slow about his work. His head and his face were so close to the box that it was impossible to get a glimpse of his countenance. Besides he fingered each letter separately as if to feel and mentally calculate the amount of money enclosed in each of the envelopes. The action did not escape Herbert’s attention, and caused him to curl his lips up in a look of unutterable scorn.
“Calculating his stealings,” he muttered to himself indignantly; “considering how much money he has filched from poor girls and women who have scarcely enough to buy food to eat.”
The kneeling figure, however, knew nothing of the contempt with which he was being regarded by the warm-blooded young man behind him. Presently he finished his examination of the letters and had put them all in the little leather gripsack which he had beside him. He arose very slowly, and then turned around and came face to face with the young reporter.
The sight that met the gaze of Herbert Harkins caused him to become as pale as a sheet. His head seemed to be reeling around him, and he felt as if he could scarcely stand without support.