In support of the truth of this Philip started at once in search of Lester.
First he visited his home, and found that he had not been there in several days, but it occasioned no alarm, as the boy's habits were decidedly those of a vagabond.
This was in the morning. At noon Philip was in such a state of preoccupation that he got through his dinner without an exchange of hostilities with either of his sisters.
In his search that morning he had encountered no one who seemed to remember having seen Lester recently.
He could not free himself from the belief that his disappearance was a serious matter. The recollection of their last meeting oppressed him with an unpleasant distinctness all at once. He roused himself from his abstraction to say to his mother: “Do you know, I am worried about poor Lester Royal.”
Katherine sniffed aloud at this: “Lester Royal, indeed!”
“I've been looking for him all the morning and I can't get track of him,” he continued.
“Perhaps he is too drunk to be seen. It would be no new thing if he were,” said Katherine.
Philip was using such a character as his sister in some work he was doing, and he was interested in examining her capacity for abusive speech when spurred by anger. Here was an opportunity: “Well, if he wants to get drunk it's his privilege.”
“He should be locked up instead of being allowed to disgrace himself and everybody else.”