Although she wondered that he should have come there expecting to find Fred at that time, Mrs. Sage attributed it to the boy’s eccentricity, though occasionally she glanced into the sitting-room when passing the open door. Sleuth seemed to be interested for a time in the magazines, but presently she discovered him gazing around the room, although he remained seated near the table. A few moments later she saw his face brighten up as his eyes discovered an old-fashioned family photograph album within reach of his hand. In a moment he was looking through the album, apparently deeply engrossed in the pictures it contained, and for some time he remained thus occupied. Mrs. Sage had almost forgotten the visitor when he reappeared in the kitchen.
“I don’t believe I’ll wait for Fred after all,” said Sleuth. “I think I’ll go home. Tell him when he comes that I was looking for a good book, but I don’t believe he has anything of the kind that would suit me.”
It was verging on twilight when Sleuth departed, and something like half an hour later Fred reached home. On being told by his mother of Piper’s visit, the boy betrayed some surprise and a singular amount of annoyance.
“Confound that fellow!” he exclaimed. “I’d like to know what he means. Did he try to pump you, mother?”
“Pump me? Why, no, I don’t think——”
“Didn’t ask you a whole lot of foolish questions, did he?”
“I don’t think he asked me any questions at all.”
“Well, what did he do while he was here?”
“Entertained himself by looking at some magazines in the sitting-room.”
“He didn’t go prowling around over the house?”