“I will,” offered Larry. “It was a natural mistake, as I think you will agree.”
He then detailed the circumstances; how Mr. Meldron had seen the boy fleeing down the road, pursued by the tramps, and carried into the lonely house.
“Mr. Meldron met me by accident,” Larry went on, “and as I am working on the Androletti case for a newspaper, I naturally, as did he, jumped to the conclusion that we had stumbled on a kidnapping case.”
“So you have,” spoke an actor, “only it wasn’t the right kind. I’m sorry we disappointed you.”
“So am I,” admitted Larry ruefully. He then told how the raid had been planned, and its unexpected outcome was apparent to all.
“My wife and son and I have a small theatrical troupe for making moving-picture plays,” explained the head actor, who proved to be a Mr. Blake. “We go to different places about the country in the vicinity of New York, to get the proper scenic background.
“A play, involving the capture of a boy, and his attempt to escape from some tramps, was needed. I heard of this old house here, and, as it had the right kind of surroundings, and was lonely enough, I brought my troupe here. We have been sort of camping out, for we needed a day or two to rehearse the scenes before we took the pictures. That’s what we’ve been doing, and we are about finished. I don’t blame you gentlemen for thinking it was the real thing. It’s a credit to our acting. If we had known you were coming we could have arranged to work you into a scene. Maybe it’s not too late yet. You might be a rescue party. Will you?”
“I think not,” said Larry. “We’ve been disappointed enough as it is, and these gentlemen want to get home to their dinners. We’ll leave you to finish your play in peace.”
“Sorry we can’t have a real kidnapped boy for you,” went on Mr. Blake, “but I can’t spare Edgar,” and he nodded toward his son.
“No, indeed!” exclaimed the lad’s mother. “Oh, but I am so sorry for Mrs. Androletti! I know her slightly, and I do hope you succeed in finding her son for her,” she said to Larry.