BY WILLIAM DUDLEY PELLEY
From The Red Book
At nine o'clock this morning Sheriff Crumpett entered our New England town post-office
for his mail. From his box he extracted his monthly Grand Army paper and a letter in a
long yellow envelope. This envelope bore the return-stamp of a prominent Boston
lumber-company. The old man crossed the lobby to the writing-shelf under the Western
Union clock, hooked black-rimmed glasses on a big nose and tore a generous inch from
the end of the envelope.
The first inclosure which met his eyes was a check. It was heavy and pink and crisp, and
was attached to the single sheet of letter-paper with a clip. Impressed into the fabric of
the safety-paper were the indelible figures of a protector: Not over Five Thousand
($5000) Dollars.
The sheriff read the name of the person to whom it was payable and gulped. His gnarled
old hand trembled with excitement as he glanced over the clipped letter and then went
through it again.
Enclosed please find my personal check for five thousand dollars. It is made out to Mrs.
McBride. Never having known the lady personally, and because you have evidently
represented her with the authorities, I am sending it to you for proper delivery. I feel,
from your enthusiastic account of her recent experience, that it will give you pleasure to
present it to her.
Under the circumstances I do not begrudge the money. When first advised of Ruggam's
escape, it was hot-headed impulse which prompted me to offer a reward so large. The old
clan-blood of the Wileys must have made me murder-mad that Ruggam should regain his
freedom permanently after the hellish thing he did to my brother. The newspapers heard
of it, and then I could not retract.
That, however, is a thing of the past. I always did detest a welcher, and if this money is
going to a woman to whom it will be manna from heaven--to use your words--I am
satisfied. Convey to her my personal congratulations, gratitude and best wishes.
