He had not done this horrible thing willfully, at least not
for money to spend. That very day a warrant was issued for his
arrest in Baxter City for embezzlement of funds which he had stolen
from the bank in which he had been employed. But the angel of death
had traveled faster than the law.
That the contractors, or one of them, who wished to benefit the
county with a modern bridge had offered Gamely pay to do this
dreadful deed of arson seemed certain. But it seemed equally certain
that the wretched boy had balked at this frightful enterprise,
putting it off from day to day, until discovery and arrest for his
other crime stared him in the face. He had waited till the very night
before the day on which his petty thefts would be revealed. Then in
frantic desperation he had taken this only means of acquiring a sum
of money quickly. No one could say this for a certainty.
But in a story where we have witnessed so many good turns may we
not dismiss poor Deadwood Gamely and his tragic end from our thoughts
with the hope, nay, even the confidence, that his second crime was not
a deed of willing choice? There was more money misappropriated by Tom,
Dick and Harry, before the new steel bridge was up than ever poor
Deadwood Gamely, with his silly clothes and hat, would have dared
to steal.
Pages:
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149