The earnestness in his tone was unmistakable, whatever its reason for being, and something about him gave Avice a feeling of confidence in his trustworthiness, notwithstanding his reputation.
He went away, awkwardly blurting out a good-by, and then darting from the room in a very spasm of shyness.
“Funny little chap,” said Avice to Eleanor Black, telling her of the interview.
“Horrid little gamin!” was the response. “I’m glad he’s going to Philadelphia; you were becoming too chummy with him altogether. And I think he’s too forward. He oughtn’t to be allowed to come in the house.”
“Don’t fuss, Eleanor. He won’t be here any more, so rest easy on that question.”
And then the two began to discuss again the question that was all-absorbing and never finished,—the subject of Kane’s arrest.
Avice had concluded not to ask Eleanor of her previous acquaintance with Landon, for they had practically joined forces in an effort to prove his innocence, and Avice wanted to keep friends with the older woman, at least until she had learned all Eleanor could tell her in friendship’s confidences.
So they talked, hours at a time, and not once had Eleanor implied by word or hint, that she had known Landon in Denver. And yet Avice was sure she had, and meant to find out sooner or later from Kane himself.
But she rarely had opportunity of seeing him, and almost never alone. On her infrequent visits to him at The Tombs, she was accompanied by Judge Hoyt, and, too, Landon, was morose and taciturn of late, so that the interviews were not very satisfactory.
He had been indicted by the Grand Jury, and was awaiting trial in a very different frame of mind from the one he had shown on his arrest.