“Newton Edwards, I want you!”

With an exclamation of pain, the young man dropped his fishing-pole and the bucket of fish he was carrying, while a chill ran through his frame, and he shivered like an aspen in the grasp of the determined detective.

The others had now come forward, and as soon as he could recover from his astonishment, the old farmer cried out: 

“What does this mean?”

“It means,” said Robert coolly, “that we have arrested your nephew for burglary, and that he must go with us.”

[Illustration:  “Newton Edwards, I want you!”]

The moon just then came peeping from behind a cloud, and fell upon the haggard face and wild eyes of the hapless prisoner, who until then had not uttered a word.

“It is all a mistake, Uncle Ben,” faltered he; “but there is no use of making a denial here; if the blow has fallen, I must meet it like a man.”

The old man, with tears in his honest old eyes, gazed for a moment at his miserable relative, and then, putting his sturdy old arms around him, he turned to the officers: 

“Gentlemen, I suppose it is your duty.  I have no fault to find.  If the boy has done wrong, he must suffer; but bring him to the house now, and in the morning you can go your way.”

His offer was accepted, and directing the constable to return to his own home with his carriage, the others walked slowly up the lane toward the house.

But few words were spoken during the night.  The old farmer and his wife retired to their room, and during the few hours that remained, their voices could be heard as they sorrowfully discussed the painful situation.

Securing Edwards’ effects, which consisted of a small portmanteau, they learned from the honest old farmer, whose word was as true as gold, that nothing else belonging to the young man was in the house.  All attempts to induce the young man to speak were unavailing, and they finally let him alone, and during the long hours he maintained a dogged silence.  The detectives patiently awaited the dawning of the morn.  At last the eastern sky was tinged with red, and the faint beams of a new day came streaming in through the windows of the old-farm house; and then Edwards, after bidding a tearful adieu to his aged and stricken relatives, and accompanied by the officers, left the house and proceeded on his way to McDonald, to commence his journey to Chicago.

CHAPTER XI.

Newton Edwards brought back to Chicago—­Attempt to Induce a Confession—­A Visit to his Relatives—­The Burglar Broken Down.

It was in the gray dawn of the morning when the party arrived at the house of the constable, Daniel Bascom.  Here breakfast was prepared, and after full justice had been done to a bountiful repast, an examination of the effects of Newton Edwards was commenced.  Ever since his arrest the young man had maintained a rigid silence, not deigning to notice the detectives in any manner whatever.  He partook of his breakfast in a dazed, dreamy fashion, scarcely eating anything, and pushing back his plate as though unable to force himself to partake of food.  In his satchel was discovered a roll of bank-bills, which on being counted was found to contain a trifle over three thousand five hundred dollars.