“They—they never lost it.”
“Oh! Well, what made you think they had?” asked Ben.
“I—I didn’t. I just let you fellows think that so you’d buy those Tinkham things.”
There was an ominous silence for a moment. Then Stanley, half rising from his chair, ejaculated: “You young rascal!”
“Hold on,” said Ben. “Let’s get this right, Stanley. You mean you told that whopper just to work on our—our sympathies, Kid?”
“I—I didn’t really say it,” faltered Kid. “I just said they didn’t send me much money now, and you fellows thought I meant——”
“Cut it out! You meant us to think it, Kid. Now didn’t you?”
“I—I suppose so,” Kid murmured.
“You ought to get a hiding!” exclaimed Stanley.