The more he weighed the
various circumstances connected with this case, the more firm did this
conclusion become, until at last he experienced a firm conviction that
this young man knew more about the matter than he had yet related.
It seemed strange to him that a young, strong and active man like
Pearson should not have manifested even ordinary courage in a crisis
like this. He was behind the desk when the attack was made upon Miss
Patton at the door, and saw what was transpiring before the second
assailant had time to reach him. Even if powerless to defend her, it
seemed reasonable that he could have raised an alarm, which would have
attracted the attention of the passers by; or, failing in that, he
could, at least, have hastily closed the vault doors, and thus have
saved the money of the bank. He knew that these doors were open, and
that within the vault were nearly thirty thousand dollars, for which he
was indirectly responsible. But a moment's time would have sufficed to
close these doors and adjust the combination, and yet he made no effort
to prevent a robbery which he knew was intended.
The ordinary promptings of manhood would, it was thought, have induced
him to make some show of resistance, or to have gone to the rescue of a
young and delicate girl; but none of these things did he do, and, if the
story related was true, the young man had acted like a base coward at
the best, and submitted without a murmur to the outrages that were
perpetrated in his presence.
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