But something was to make Larry wonder even more a few minutes later.
Dick, that habitual late riser, had had to hurry away that morning
without speaking to him. Now, when he came home toward six o'clock,
Dick shouted cheerily from the hallway:
"Ahoy! Where you anchored, Captain Nemo?"
Larry did not answer. He sat over his papers as one frozen. He knew
now whose had been the elusively familiar voice he had heard outside
Maggie's door. It was Dick Sherwood's.
Dick paused without to take some messages from Judkins, and Larry's
mind raced feverishly. Dick Sherwood was the victim Maggie and Barney
and Old Jimmie were so cautiously and elaborately trying to trim! It
seemed an impossible coincidence. But no, not impossible, after all.
Their net had been spread for just such game: a young man,
impressionable, pleasure-loving, with plenty of money, and with no
strings tied to his spending of it. That Barney should have made his
acquaintance was easily explained; to establish acquaintance with such
persons as Dick was Barney's specialty. What more natural than that
the high-spirited, irresponsible Dick should fall into this trap?--or
indeed that he should have been picked out in advance as the ideal
victim and have been drawn into it?
"Hello, there!" grumbled Dick, entering.
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