You're in luck, young feller."
"I ha'n't got anything to pay for it with," faltered Lemuel.
"Guess they'll trust you," said the man. "Any-rate, I got orders to
leave it." He passed on, and Lemuel gathered up his breakfast, and
arranged it on the shelf where he had slept; then he knelt down
before it, and ate.
An hour later an officer came and unbolted his door from the
outside. "Hurry up," he said; "Maria's waiting."
"Maria?" repeated Lemuel innocently.
"Yes," returned the officer. "Other name's Black. She don't like to
wait. Come out of here."
Lemuel found himself in the corridor with four or five other
prisoners, whom some officers took in charge and conducted upstairs
to the door of the station. He saw no woman, but a sort of omnibus
without windows was drawn up at the curbstone.
"I thought," he said to an officer, "that there was a lady waiting
to see me. Maria Black," he added, seeing that the officer did not
understand.
The policeman roared, and could not help putting his head in at the
office door to tell the joke.
"Well, you must introduce him," called a voice from within.
"Guess you ha'n't got the name exactly straight, young man," said
the policeman to Lemuel, as he guarded him down the steps. "It's
Black Maria you're looking for. There she is," he continued,
pointing to the omnibus, "and don't you forget it.
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