Joe sighed regretfully and stood up. “All right,” he murmured. “There’s no hurry. I don’t mind seeing a little of the world while I’m at it. I dare say Toledo or Detroit is quite worth visiting.”
Young, who had started toward the door, turned. “If you try to follow me,” he said menacingly, “I’ll do for you, kid!”
“You won’t get a chance,” replied Joe simply. “I’d rather go home from here, of course, but if you want to be silly I’ll give you as far as Toledo to think it over.”
“What would you do in Toledo?” sneered the other.
“Have you arrested, of course. That’s the only thing I can do if you don’t make good before. I might have done it here, but I thought you’d prefer to keep out of trouble, and now”—he looked around the waiting-room—“there isn’t a policeman in sight.”
“Have me arrested!” jeered Young. “Try it, kid! Go ahead and try it! Why, I never saw you before in my life! Tell that yarn to a cop and see what will happen.”
“All right, let’s go out on the platform. There’s one there, I guess.”
Young’s eyes dropped, but after an instant’s hesitation he turned toward the door again. “Sure! Come on and find him!”
Joe kept close at his elbow and they passed through the door and into the throng on the long platform. The west-bound train had pulled into the station a few minutes before and outside all was bustle and confusion. Young paused and looked up and down the platform.
“There’s a cop down there,” he exclaimed. “Come on and we’ll finish this up right now.”