“The cold-blooded old wretch!” burst out Leslie, indignantly. “But see here, Dick, how do you happen to know all this?”
“For the simple reason that Amos Nocker’s young widow, and the child, little Billy, are over at our house right now!” came the astonishing answer that staggered the listener, and caused him to gasp as he stared at Dick.
CHAPTER V
SETTING THE FOX TRAP
“That’s a queer thing you’re telling me, Dick!” was what Leslie Capes finally observed, scanning the face of his chum closely.
“After all it isn’t so very strange,” explained the other. “My mother once knew a Matilda Smith, and corresponded with her for some years. She married and was Tilly’s mother, it turned out, and Tilly is the girl Amos Nocker married. So among her mother’s letters Tilly found the address of our folks, and seeing it was Cliffwood, where her unforgiving father-in-law lived, she wrote on.”
“Oh! Then your mother had her come here and to her house, did she, Dick?”
“Just what happened, though I didn’t get wind of the secret till she arrived today,” Dick hastened to explain.
“But what’s the game?” questioned Leslie, eagerly. “Your mother and Grandpop Horner must have something up their sleeves.”
“Just what they have,” admitted Frank, with flashing eyes. “And say, after seeing what a dandy little darling that Billy is I reckon it might have a ghost of a chance of succeeding; though lots of people would laugh at the idea of a child breaking through into the flinty old heart of Jed Nocker.”
“Go on and tell me what’s up,” urged Leslie, almost consumed with curiosity.