--half from hurt and half from sudden lack of confidence in his
new handler. But this did not deter Joe. He started off with the
child.

Around the corner and after the man came a snarling mongrel dog, eyes
bright, teeth glinting in the sunlight. The man did not turn as the
dog threw himself at him, burying his teeth in his leg. Surprised, the
man dropped the screaming child on the lawn and turned to the dog. Joe
seemed off balance and he backed up confusedly in the face of the
snapping jaws. Then he suddenly turned and walked away, the dog at his
heels.

"I tell you, the man said he was my brother and he made me think he
was," Nancy told her husband for the tenth time. "I don't even have a
brother."

Martin Laughton sighed. "I can't understand why you believed him. It's
just--just plain nuts, Nancy!"

"Don't you think I know it?" Nancy said tearfully. "I feel like I'm
going crazy. I can't say I dreamt it because there was Reggie with his
bleeding knees, squalling for all he was worth on the grass--Oh, I
don't even want to think about it."

"We haven't lost Reggie, Nancy, remember that. Now why don't you try
to get some rest?"

"You--you don't believe me at all, do you, Martin?"

When her husband did not answer, her head sank to her arms on the
table and she sobbed.

"Nancy, for heaven's sake, of course I believe you. I'm trying to
think it out, that's all. We should have called the police."

Nancy shook her head in her arms. "They'd--never--believe me either,"
she moaned.

"I'd better go and make sure Reggie's all right." Martin got up out of
his chair and went to the stairs.

"I'm going with you," Nancy said, hurriedly rising and coming over to
him.

"We'll go up and look at him together."

They found Reggie peacefully asleep in his crib in his room upstairs.
They checked the windows and tucked in the blankets. They paused in
the room for a moment and then Martin stole his arm around his wife
and led her to the door.

"As I've said, sergeant, this fellow hypnotized my wife. He made her
think he was her brother. She doesn't even have a brother. Then he
tried to get away with the baby." Martin leaned down and patted the
dog. "It was Tiger here who scared him off."

The police sergeant looked at the father, at Nancy and then at the
dog. He scribbled notes in his book.

"Are you a rich man, Mr. Laughton?" he asked.

"Not at all. The bank still owns most of the house. I have a few
hundred dollars,