Instantly the young man’s hand was in his pocket. The two girls shrank back in fear. But the thing he took from his pocket was a small book, apparently a check book.
Speaking, he held the check book toward the old man. The old man shook his head. This touch of drama was repeated three times. Then, with a disappointed look on his face, the young man replaced the book, turned to the chair on which his hat and coat rested, put them on, said good night to the old man, bowed to the child and was gone.
The two girls, after stretching their cramped limbs, made their way safely to the sidewalk.
“Who—who was he?” whispered Florence through chattering teeth.
“R. Stanley Ramsey.”
“Not the rich Ramsey?”
“His son.”
“What did he want?”
“I don’t know,” said Lucile, “but it may be that we have found the man higher up, the real criminal. It may be that this rich young fellow is getting them to steal the books so he can buy them cheap.”
Lucile told of the incident regarding the copy of “The Compleat Angler.”