It just happened. A little after you telephoned me he
called up and asked for mother, and the next I knew she said he was
coming up to spend the evening. And then I said you were coming."
"And what did she say?"
Irene hesitated. "Please don't make me tell you," she whispered at
length.
"Don't hesitate from any fear of hurting me," he said, with a laugh.
"I know I have failed to make a hit with your mother. On your account
I could wish I had been more successful, but perhaps she will be fairer
when she knows me better. What did she say?"
"She just said, 'That cow _puncher_.' And I just told her that you
were the man who put the punch in the Conward & Elden firm--you see I
am learning your slang--and that everybody says so, and a few more
things I told her, too."
But Dave had dropped into a sudden reverie. It was not so remarkable
as it seemed that Conward should have telephoned Mrs. Hardy almost
immediately after he had used the line. Conward's telephone and Dave's
were on the same circuit; it was a simple matter for Conward, if he had
happened to lift the receiver during Dave's conversation with Irene, to
overhear all that was said. That might happen accidentally; at least,
it might begin innocently enough. The fact that Conward had acted upon
the information indicated two things; first, that he had no very
troublesome sense of honour--which Dave had long suspected--and second,
that he had deliberately planned a confliction with Dave's visit to the
Hardy home.
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