Before the meal was over, Hedden came in and bent beside Mr. Howbridge to whisper into his ear.
“Oh! Has he come back again? I wondered where he went so suddenly,” said the lawyer. “Yes. Tell him I’ll come out to see him as soon as I am through.”
Neale knew that he referred to M’Graw. Bright-eyed and interested, he bent forward to say to Mr. Howbridge:
“I just told Mr. M’Graw something that I guess you’d wish to know, too, Mr. Howbridge. May I go with you when you speak to him?”
“Certainly, my boy. There’s nothing secret about it—not really. We are only puzzled about a suspicion that we have—”
“That there was somebody in the house that ought not to be here,” whispered the boy.
“That’s it. How did you know?”
“I’ll tell you later,” returned Neale O’Neil.
Agnes was glaring at him in a most indignant fashion. It always angered the second Corner House girl if Neale seemed to have any secret that she did not share.
“What’s the matter with you?” she hissed, when Neale turned away from their host. “Don’t you know it isn’t polite to whisper at table, Neale O’Neil?”