"If we had but asked him his name. I wanted you to, ma," declared Samantha. "But there's no use in crying now. We have the satisfaction of having a baby, anyhow," declared the girl, spiritedly.
"Yes," assented her mother, dubiously; "but it's quite a task to bring up other people's children."
Meanwhile, freed from the care of the child, Royal Ainsley walked through the train. It was just approaching the station, when, all unobserved, he swung from the back platform just as the express was moving out again.
A chuckle of delight broke from his lips.
"That was most cleverly managed. My compliments to Mrs. Jones, of Larchmont. She has been exceedingly useful to me."
He did not trouble himself as to what disposition they might make of the child.
The question that occurred to him was—"how am I to destroy the proofs I have concerning the child?"
But no answer came to him regarding this dilemma. He thrust them back into his pocket. He would have plenty of time to plan when he reached New York.
Suddenly the thought came to him, that he would be foolish to turn back from the course he had marked out for himself. Instead of returning, he would go back and see Eugene.
There was a friend of his living in the vicinity. He would find him, and pass a week or two with him, then he would carry out his original scheme. He acted upon this thought.