“Then I’ll be careful,” promised Jimmy, with rather a frightened look on his face. “I’ll stay close to the house.”
Satisfied that he had frightened him sufficiently to make his little brother keep his promise Larry went to work. All the morning, however, his thoughts were more on the threatening cipher he had received, and on the possibility of Jimmy being kidnapped, than they were on his assignments. Every time the reporters came in from police headquarters Larry was afraid lest they bring in a story of a little boy having been stolen.
But, as the morning wore on, and there was no bad news, Larry began to feel more relieved, and he began to think the threat was an idle one, after all. Still, he recalled that the week was not yet up. He found a chance to talk with Mr. Newton in the course of the day.
“Don’t you think I’d better agree to sign the deed?” he asked.
“What’s the matter, getting frightened about that cipher?” asked Mr. Newton.
“A little.”
“Well, Larry, I don’t want you to do anything you will worry over. If you think you had better play into the hands of the gang, in order to prevent the possibility of them kidnapping your brother, don’t let me stop you. All you have to do is to insert a notice to that effect in the papers. They are probably watching for it.”
“Do you honestly think they’ll try to kidnap Jimmy?” asked Larry.
“No, I don’t. It would be a pretty serious thing for them to do, mixed up as they are in other crimes. I don’t believe Jimmy is in any danger.”
“Then I’ll not sign,” decided Larry. “I’ll show them I’m not afraid!”