“I would have taken the car and got away,” muttered the strange man. “This is far enough away but it might not be safe for all that and the sooner I get away the better.”
“The car will be missed and advertised,” replied Jack, “and you would be taken. Where were you going?”
“Out West somewhere. It is not safe around here nowadays.”
“If you had lived a decent life it would have been safe for you anywhere, George Williamson,” said Jack.
“Sh! not a word! they don’t know me and I don’t want them to,” cautioned the man, looking anxiously about him. “What you say may be true but it’s too late now. Don’t you feel sorry for your father, Jack?”
“You are not my father and I wish that neither my mother nor I had ever seen you. You made her life miserable, wasted the money my father had left her, ill-treated and abused her and then showed yourself what you were, a burglar and thief! Is it any wonder that my mother should want to take her first husband’s name again when we moved as far away as we could from the scene of your evil deeds?”
“Maybe not,” said the other carelessly. “Have you any money, Jack? I would like to have some to get me to the nearest seaport town.”
“You said you were going west.”
“Well, to some good and far away town, then. That will do.”
“I have very little money with me but I could get it if I thought you would go away never to see my mother again. There is little use in asking you to promise for you have promised before.”