“Of course not,” said Hawley indignantly. “What do you take me for, Fred? I’d be a fine specimen of humanity if I were to repay Miss Gale’s kindness by trying to send one of her family to prison. And she’d have to be the chief witness for the prosecution, too; otherwise I’d have no case. Do you think I’d be capable of that? Legal action is quite out of the question, of course, under the circumstances. Besides, I don’t like going to court.”
“Then what is this surprise which you say you are going to give them?” Carroll inquired.
The Camera Chap chuckled. “You’ll have to excuse me for not answering that question now, Fred. If I did, it would spoil the big laugh which I think I can promise you later on.”
CHAPTER X.
THE PHOTOGRAPH.
Less than half an hour later, the Camera Chap entered the Invincible Garage, on Main Street, Oldham.
“I want to check my motor cycle here,” he said to the man in charge. Then, taking from his pocket the small camera of expensive make with which he had intended to take the snapshot of the city hall, he added: “I’d regard it as a great favor if you’d take care of this, too, for a little while.”
“Sure,” assented the garage man, holding out his hand for the camera. “I suppose you want to make sure that you won’t run foul of the new law, eh?” he remarked, in a jocular tone.
Hawley nodded gravely. “I don’t want to take any chances,” he explained. “You see, I happen to be quite a camera fiend. Whenever I run across anything worth photographing, I simply cannot resist the temptation to take a snapshot. So, as I am a peaceful, law-abiding citizen, I think it will be a wise plan for me to leave my camera in your custody. If I haven’t it with me, I can’t very well be tempted to break the law, can I?”
“Not very well,” the garage man answered, with a broad grin. “But, say, if you’re so keen on taking pictures, why don’t you get a permit from the chief of police? Then you can take all the snapshots you want.”
“Maybe the chief wouldn’t give me a permit,” the Camera Chap replied dryly.