The Garotters | Page 5

his wife's
speechless astonishment: 'I went after him and took it from him.' He
sits down, and continues with resolute calm, while his wife remains
standing before him motionless: 'Agnes, I don't know how I came to do
it. I wouldn't have believed I could do it. I've never thought that I had
much courage--physical courage; but when I felt my watch was gone, a
sort of frenzy came over me. I wasn't hurt; and for the first time in my
life I realised what an abominable outrage theft was. The thought that at
six o'clock in the evening, in the very heart of a great city like Boston,
an inoffensive citizen could be assaulted and robbed, made me furious.
I didn't call out. I simply buttoned my coat tight round me and turned
and ran after the fellow.'
MRS. ROBERTS: 'Edward!'
ROBERTS: 'Yes, I did. He hadn't got half-a-dozen rods away--it all
took place in a flash--and I could easily run him down. He was
considerably larger than I--'
MRS. ROBERTS: 'Oh!'
ROBERTS: '--and he looked young and very athletic; but these things
didn't seem to make any impression on me.'
MRS. ROBERTS: 'Oh, I wonder that you live to tell the tale, Edward!'
ROBERTS: 'Well, I wonder a little at myself. I don't set up for a great
deal of--'
MRS. ROBERTS: 'But I always knew you had it! Go on. Oh, when I
tell Willis of this! Had the robber any accomplices? Were there many
of them?'
ROBERTS: 'I only saw one. And I saw that my only chance was to take
him at a disadvantage. I sprang upon him, and pulled him over on his
back. I merely said, "I'll trouble you for that watch of mine, if you
please," jerked open his coat, snatched the watch from his pocket--I
broke the chain, I see--and then left him and ran again. He didn't make

the slightest resistance nor utter a word. Of course it wouldn't do for
him to make any noise about it, and I dare say he was glad to get off so
easily.' With affected nonchalance: 'I'm pretty badly rumpled, I see. He
fell against me, and a scuffle like that doesn't improve one's
appearance.'
MRS. ROBERTS, very solemnly: 'Edward! I don't know what to say!
Of course it makes my blood run cold to realise what you have been
through, and to think what might have happened; but I think you
behaved splendidly. Why, I never heard of such perfect heroism! You
needn't tell ME that he made no resistance. There was a deadly
struggle--your necktie and everything about you shows it. And you
needn't think there was only one of them--'
ROBERTS, modestly: 'I don't believe there was more.'
MRS. ROBERTS: 'Nonsense! There are ALWAYS two! I've read the
accounts of those garottings. And to think you not only got out of their
clutches alive, but got your property back--Willis's watch! Oh, what
WILL Willis say? But I know how proud of you he'll be. Oh, I wish I
could scream it from the house-tops. Why didn't you call the police?'
ROBERTS: 'I didn't think--I hadn't time to think.'
MRS. ROBERTS: 'No matter. I'm glad you have ALL the glory of it. I
don't believe you half realise what you've been through now. And
perhaps this was the robbers' first attempt, and it will be a lesson to
them. Oh yes! I'm glad you let them escape, Edward. They may have
families. If every one behaved as you've done, there would soon be an
end of garotting. But, oh! I can't bear to think of the danger you've run.
And I want you to promise me never, never to undertake such a thing
again!'
ROBERTS: 'Well, I don't know--'
MRS. ROBERTS: 'Yes, yes; you must! Suppose you had got killed in
that awful struggle with those reckless wretches tugging to get away
from you! Think of the children! Why, you might have burst a
blood-vessel! Will you promise, Edward? Promise this instant, on your
bended knees, just as if you were in a court of justice!' Mrs. Roberts's
excitement mounts, and she flings herself at her husband's feet, and
pulls his face down to hers with the arm she has thrown about his neck.
'Will you promise?'

SCENE II: MRS. CRASHAW; MR. AND MRS. ROBERTS

MRS. CRASHAW, entering unobserved: 'Promise you what, Agnes?
The man doesn't smoke NOW. What more can you ask?' She starts
back from the spectacle of Roberts's disordered dress. 'Why, what's
happened to you, Edward?'
MRS. ROBERTS, springing to her feet: 'Oh, you may well ask that,
Aunt Mary! Happened? You ought to fall down and worship him! And
you WILL when you know what he's been through. He's been robbed!'
MRS. CRASHAW: 'Robbed? What nonsense! Who robbed