Patsy smiled, but made no reply, yet he thought that the bolts were off because Chick had taken them off when he went out of the house.
The little party returned to the barroom and, after Patsy had spent a little time in making himself agreeable to the girl, whose friendliness had given him the clew to the manner in which the two young crooks had gotten into the house, he went away.
CHAPTER XII.
ON THE SEARCH.
While Patsy was on this search, Chick had been following Lannigan, whose movements about the city seemed to be marked by neither purpose nor intention.
Nevertheless, Chick kept close at his heels.
Nick had found Ida, and from her had learned that she had had another talk with Mrs. Pemberton, and had convinced her that Elwell, the lawyer, whom she had trusted so much, was playing her false.
The principal thing to bring her into that frame of mind was the belief that he had taken the $10,000 check which Mr. Herron had given her from the drawings and models of her husband, with the intention of cheating her out of it.
She was now quite certain that she had done wrong, and was willing to carry out the intentions of her husband and deal with Mr. Herron, as the unsigned articles of agreement provided.
Nick had sought Ida with a view of preparing her for the visit of Spike the next morning.
He had intended to let Ida arrange with Mrs. Pemberton for this, and meant that Ida should, as Mrs. Pemberton, receive Spike.