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Page 55
Bart Stirling drew from his pocket the receipt signed by old Ben Travers
on the afternoon express less than two hours previous.
Stuart adjusted his eyeglass and superciliously regarded the document.
Then he turned and gasped:
"What--what is this?" he spluttered.
"A receipt for the delivery of the basis of your criminal prosecution,"
said Bart simply. "Mrs. Colonel Harrington's trunk is safe and sound on
its way to its destination."
"Hurrah!" irresistibly shouted Darry Haven.
CHAPTER XXII
BART STIRLING, AUCTIONEER
It was "busy times" at the little express office at Pleasantville.
Bart had made home and lunch in half the noon hour, and entered upon a
renewal of his duties with a brisk hail to his subordinates and
assistants, Darry and Bob Haven.
On that especial day the services of both had been required. They had
arranged to give their full time, and Bart noted that never were there
more industrious and enthusiastic colleagues.
There was the sound of active hammering as Bart entered the office,
which Darry suspended long enough to remark:
"How's that for the audience?"
The office space proper containing the desk and the safe had been railed
off, the express stuff in and out packed conveniently in one corner,
and thus three-quarters of the room was given up solely to the
requirements of the day.
A dozen rough benches filled in half the space. Its other half, also
railed off, held a heap of packages, bundles, boxes, barrels, a mass of
heterogeneous plunder, packed up neatly, and convenient for handling.
Beside it was a raised platform, and this in turn held a rough board
table on which lay a home-made gavel, and beside this was a high desk
holding a blank book and a tin box.
What was "coming off" was the much advertised unclaimed package sale of
the express company.
Bart had followed out the instructions received from Mr. Leslie, the
superintendent, when he first took charge of the office at
Pleasantville, and the sale and its details had been quite an element in
his life during the past three weeks.
The various small offices in the division had sent in their uncalled for
express matter, and this was now grouped under the present roof.
Mr. Haven, an ex-editor, had written up a good "puff" for a local paper,
inserted gratis an exciting comment and anticipation in reference to the
impending sale, and Darry and Bob had printed fifteen hundred dodgers on
their home press, very neat and presentable in appearance, and these
had been judiciously distributed for miles around, and posted up in
stores and depots.
Bart had heard nothing further from the Harringtons--not even the echo
of a "thank you" had reached him. Pleasantville for a day or two had
been full of rumors as to the express robbery, but Bart decided to say
very little about it, and only his intimate friends knew the actual
circumstances.
McCarthy, the night watchman, however, accidentally spread Bart's fame
in the right direction. He had a cousin working for the express company
in the city to whom he told the story. It got to the ears of the
superintendent of the express company.
Bart received a letter from Mr. Leslie the next day, requiring a
circumstantial report of the stolen trunk. He answered this and received
a prompt reply, directing him thereafter to always report such
happenings at once, but his zeal and shrewdness were heartily commended,
and a check for twenty-five dollars for extra services was inclosed.
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