Then
he drove direct to the Hardy home.
After some delay Irene met him at the door, and Dave explained the
situation in a few words. "We must take care of him, Reenie," he said.
"I feel a personal responsibility."
"Of course we will take him," she answered. "He will live here until
we have a--some place of our own." Her face was bright with something
which must be tenderness. "Bring him upstairs. We will allot him a
room, and introduce him, first, to--the bath-room. And tomorrow we
shall have an excursion down town, and some new clothes for
Charlie--Elden."
As they moved up the stairs Conward, who had been in another room in
conversation with Mrs. Hardy, followed them unseen. The evening had
been interminable for Conward. For three hours he had waited word that
his victim had been trapped, and for three hours no word had come. He
had smoked numberless cigarettes, and nibbled impatiently at his nails,
and tried to appear at ease before Mrs. Hardy. If his plans had
miscarried; if Dave had discovered the plot; well---- And here at
length was Dave, engrossed in a very different matter. Conward
followed them up the stairs.
Irene and Dave chatted with the boy for a few moments, trying to make
him feel at home in his strange surroundings; then Irene turned to some
arrangements for his comfort, and Dave started down stairs. In the
passage he was met by Conward. Conward seemed at last to have dropped
the mask; he leered insolently, triumphantly, in Dave's face.
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