Roger took him the note with Grover’s orders.
“Gone? The Eye—gone?”
Surprise seemed genuine. And Tip—Roger felt sure—was too slow of wit to act so cleverly as to seem innocent under this surprise.
“Glory-to-Grandma!” Potts gasped, “And—I—went back——”
“But you wouldn’t take it!”
Potts made a wry face.
“Maybe—maybe—” he seemed to find it hard to go on; but he forced his lips to form the sounds sent up by his vocal chords.
“I declare, Rog’, if I took the Eye, I didn’t mean to.”
“If you took it—how could you help meaning to?”
“I picked up what I thought was the subterfuge——”