“Bah!” sneered Parloti, with a shrug of his shoulders, as he rejoined his companion. Larry turned back.
“Well?” inquired Molly, as he came up to the taxi.
“Failure,” he said briefly, and then he explained. “I guess I’d better take you back,” he went on, for the auto was in shape to run again. Molly said the wait had not seemed long, and the chauffeur had been very nice to her.
It was late when Larry got home, but he found his mother sitting up for him. He was surprised at this, as she did not usually do so.
“Why, mother!” he exclaimed. “Is anything the matter? Any of the children ill?”
“No, Larry, but something rather strange happened a while ago.”
“What was it?”
“Well, as I was sitting here, waiting until it was a little later before going to bed, I heard a step in the hall. At first I thought it was you, home rather early. I started for the door, and, as I did so a letter was thrust under.”
“A letter?”
“Yes. I picked it up, and opened the door as quickly as I could, but no one was in sight.”