“To see by,” answered the ready Miss Peirce. It was accepted as final.
Further discussion was temporarily interrupted by the discovery that Hedrick had fallen asleep in his chair.
“Don’t bother him, Cora,” said his mother. “He’s finished eating—let him sleep a few minutes, if he wants to, before he goes to school. He’s not at all well. He played too hard, yesterday afternoon, and hurt his knee, he said. He came down limping this morning and looking very badly. He oughtn’t to run and climb about the stable so much after school. See how utterly exhausted he looks!—Not even this excitement can keep him awake.”
“I think we must be careful not to let Mr. Madison suspect anything about the burglar,” said Miss Peirce. “It would be bad for him.”
Laura began: “But we ought to notify the police——”
“Police!” Hedrick woke so abruptly, and uttered the word with such passionate and vehement protest, that everybody started. “I suppose you want to kill your father, Laura Madison!”
“How?”
“Do you suppose he wouldn’t know something had happened with a squad of big, heavy policemen tromping all over the house? The first thing they’d do would be to search the whole place——”
“Oh, no,” said Mrs. Madison quickly. “It wouldn’t do at all.”
“I should think not! I’m glad,” continued Hedrick, truthfully, “that idea’s out of your head! I believe Laura imagined the whole thing anyway.”