“No doubt. If you rescued some young fellow from their clutches, it meant less money for their pockets.”
They lapsed into silence.
Soon the vehicle stopped.
They entered a gambling den.
Joe quickly declared his clerk was not there and they proceeded to another.
Four had been visited, and in the last one he discovered the young man at the green baize, his face flushed with wine and excitement.
The detective drew him out and brought him to his employer, at sight of whom he turned white and put his hands to his eyes.
Joe Leslie talked to him beautifully—even that hard-hearted detective, Eric Darrell, who had seen so much of the world, had to turn his head away and wink hard to dry up his tears.
As for the boy—he was hardly more—what he heard so affected him that he caught hold of Joe’s arm and sobbed outright.
“As heaven is my judge, Mr. Leslie, from this hour I will never again yield to temptation in any shape. What you said about my mother has taken the scales from my eyes and I see.”