She caught the child’s very small hand in her own huge one and dragged him within the gate. Saksaoolov made a note of the house number and the name of the street, and went home.
IV
Saksaoolov liked to listen to the opinions of Fedota. When he returned home he told him about the boy Lesha.
“She did it on purpose,” decided Fedota. “Just think what a witch she is to take the boy such a way from home!”
“Why should she?” Saksaoolov asked.
“It’s simple enough. What can you expect of a stupid woman! She thought the boy would get lost somewhere, and some one would pick him up. After all, she’s a stepmother. What’s a homeless child to her?”
Saksaoolov was incredulous. He observed: “But the police would have found her out.”
“Of course they would; but you can’t tell, she may have meant to leave town; then find her if you can.”
Saksaoolov smiled.
“Really,” he thought, “my Fedota should be a district attorney.”