“Poor fellow!” commented Ralph, as the man picked himself up, wiping the blood from his injured face with an old ragged handkerchief.
“That’s the way you treat an old friend after getting all you can out of him, is it?” shrieked the injured man, waving his fists wildly after his assailant. “I’ll fix you for this. I’ll get even with you.”
The incident passed out of Ralph’s mind as he sought for and found the home of the lawyer. As he entered its gate he glanced back down the street. The two men who had followed him stood at the next corner. Soon they turned and retraced the way they had come. Apparently they were satisfied in the proceedings, their mission having been to locate Ralph’s destination.
Ralph found the wife of the lawyer at home. It took only a few minutes for a bright businesslike boy and a woman who interested herself in her husband’s professional duties to understand one another. Ralph explained the object of his call.
“I am very glad to welcome you,” said the lady. “And I am glad of the good news you bring. My husband and I are deeply interested in Mr. Glidden’s business affairs. My husband had an urgent professional call to the next town, but he will be back at eight o’clock this evening. He was preparing to arrange for some kind of a bond tomorrow morning, but it looked dubious. The money will settle everything.”
Ralph noticed a small safe in the room where he sat, and turned the thousand dollars over to the lawyer’s wife for safe keeping.
“That is better so,” said the lady. “Dorsett, the man who is making all this trouble, has employed three or four rough loafers in his service, and they have been watching every move my husband has made.”
“I think two of them followed me here,” explained Ralph.
“I hope you will watch out for yourself,” warned the lawyer’s wife anxiously. “Perhaps you had better remain here until my husband returns.”
“Oh, I am not a bit afraid,” said Ralph. “I want to look around town and perhaps go as far as the factory. Is it in operation?”