"She"s your aunt, isn"t she?"
"She used to be, but she"s a bad old woman. I don"t want to see her again."
"She would be very glad to hear that," thought Mark.
"When did you come to Niagara?"
"I d"n"ow, do you? Don"t ask me any more of your fool questions,"
answered Jack with uncontrollable irritation. "Did I pay you for the drinks?" he asked, turning to the barkeeper.
"Yes, you paid me."
"Thought I did--didn"t know."
As he spoke, Jack Minton"s head fell forward on the table, and he closed his eyes. The last potation was too much for him.
"You"d better take your friend away," said the barkeeper, eying Jack without much favor. "I don"t want him to go to sleep here!"
"He"s no friend of mine," answered Mark.
"Didn"t you come in with him? Didn"t he treat you?"
"Yes, but I only accepted because he looked quarrelsome, and I was afraid he might take offense if I refused."
"If I let him stay here I shall charge him extra."
"Do as you like! I never saw him but once before, and I don"t care to have anything to do with him. I wish you would let me pay for that sarsaparilla I had. I don"t want to feel that he treated me."
"He has paid, and I can"t take pay twice."
"Then take the money and return it to him."
Mark without waiting to see if his proposal was accepted put a dime on the counter, and left the saloon. He met a newsboy with copies of a morning Buffalo paper. He bought one, and turning to New York news, his eyes fell upon a paragraph which surprised and excited him.
CHAPTER XX.
A NEWSPAPER PARAGRAPH.
THIS was the paragraph that attracted Mark"s attention:
"This morning Mrs. Rachel Mack, an old woman over seventy years of age, living in an upper room at No. 174 St. Mark"s Place, was found insensible in her room, as the result of an attack made by some person unknown. When found she seemed very much frightened and was unable to give a coherent account of what had happened.
"From marks upon her throat it was clear that her a.s.sailant had nearly strangled her. His intention was obvious. Though living in a poor room amid squalid surroundings, neighbors testified that Mrs. Mack is comparatively rich, being in fact a female miser, and this was doubtless known to her a.s.sailant. The old woman testified that she kept one hundred dollars in bills in the bureau drawer. This sum was missing, having evidently been taken by the person who attacked her.
"She was not in a condition to throw much light upon the affair, being dazed and confused. When she recovers from her temporary stupefaction she may be able to give the police a clew that will lead to the arrest of the man who robbed her."
When Mark read this paragraph he decided at once that Jack Minton, Mrs.
Mack"s nephew, was the old woman"s a.s.sailant. Jack had evidently left the city by the first outgoing train, considering that at Niagara he would be safe. So indeed he might have been but for the chance that threw Mark and himself together. So it happened that the telegraph boy held in his hand the clew to the mysterious attack. In his hand probably lay the liberty of Minton.
What should he do?
While Mark was not especially fond of the old woman, he felt indignant with her burly nephew for attacking her, and was clearly of the opinion that he ought to be punished. After a little consideration he decided to call at the office of the local police and put the matter in their hands.
He inquired the way to the police office. A pleasant-looking man in the uniform of a sergeant was on duty.
"Well, young man, what can I do for you?" he asked.
"Please read this paragraph, sir, and then I will tell you."
The sergeant read the newspaper notice attentively.
"Well?" he said inquiringly.
"The man who I think committed the a.s.sault is in a saloon only a quarter of a mile distant."
"Who is it?"
"A nephew of the old lady."
"But what makes you think he is the guilty party?"
"He has once before visited Mrs. Mack, and tried to extort money from her."
"How do you know this?"
"Because I live in the same house with Mrs. Mack. She occupies the room directly over where my mother and myself live."
"Then you live in New York?"
"Yes, sir."
"How do you happen to be here?"
"I came on business for a New York jeweler."
"What is the name of the party you suspect?"
"Jack Minton."
"Do you know anything of his character or antecedents?"
"He is a criminal. He has been confined at Sing Sing prison for a term of years."
"That alone is a ground of suspicion. Now how do you know he is here?"