“Mr. Van Dorn seems so jubilant they must have made some new discoveries,” said Miss Gladden, “he never seems so happy as when he is ferreting out some fraud, or unearthing some dishonest scheme.”
“There is material enough here to make his happiness complete for some time,” said Lyle rather bitterly, “I only wish every one of the guilty parties could be brought to justice, but I doubt whether they ever will be.”
“Why?” exclaimed Miss Gladden in surprise, “do you think Mr. Houston will fail after all?”
“No, not that necessarily,” Lyle answered, “but even if he succeeds in getting his evidence together, and his friends come out from the east, I do not believe they will ever succeed in securing the ones who are most guilty, who have planned and plotted the whole thing. Over and over again, people whom they have wronged and defrauded have brought suit against them, but to no purpose; they are continually involved in litigation, but they always manage to evade the law in one way or another, I do not claim to understand how.”
“I would not think they could escape with all the evidence accumulating against them now,” said Miss Gladden thoughtfully.
“You wouldn’t think so,” replied Lyle, “but you don’t know them. Who is that?” she asked suddenly, catching sight in the dim light of a figure approaching the house.
“It looks like Haight,” said Miss Gladden, “but why is he creeping along so cautiously?”
“I believe he has been following Mr. Houston,” said Lyle, quickly, “wait a minute, keep perfectly quiet, so he will think every one is asleep up stairs,” and in an instant, she was going swiftly and noiselessly down the stairs. The door at the foot of the stairs was partially open, and Lyle could hear Haight, as, after opening the outside door very carefully, he stepped lightly toward the room occupied by Houston and Van Dorn; here he paused and listened, but evidently hearing nothing, he cautiously made his way across to the room of Mr. and Mrs. Maverick, the door of which was ajar.
“Jim!” he whispered, “Jim, wake up!”
“Who’s that? What d’ye want?” came the response in a surly tone.