and wheel upon him with some embarrassing inquiry? No, the sooner he was
clear of this wizard in the brown overalls the better. But for the sake
of his peace of mind he should like to know whether the man really knew
who he was or whether his comments were simply matters of chance. There
certainly was something very uncanny and uncomfortable about it all,
something that led him to feel that the person in the jumper was fully
acquainted with his escapade, disapproved of it, and meant to prevent
him from prolonging it. Yet as he took a peep into the kindly blue eyes
which he did not trust himself to meet directly he wondered if this
assumption were not created by a guilty conscience rather than by fact.
Certainly there was nothing accusatory in the other's bearing. His face
was frankness itself. In books criminals were always fearing that people
suspected them, reflected Steve. The man knew nothing about him at all.
It was absurd to think he did.

Nevertheless the boy was eager to be gone from the presence of those
searching blue eyes and therefore he climbed into his car, murmuring
hurriedly:

"You've been corking to help me out!"

The workman held up a protesting hand.

"Don't think of it again," he answered. "I was glad to do it. Good luck
to you!"

With nervous hands Stephen started the engine and, backing the
automobile about, headed it homeward. Now that danger was past his
desire to reach Coventry before his father should arrive drove every
other thought from his mind, and soon the mysterious hero of the brown
jumper was forgotten. Although he made wonderfully good time back over
the road it seemed hours before he turned in at his own gate and brought
the throbbing motor to rest in the garage. A sigh of thankfulness
welled up within him. The great red leviathan that had caused him such
anguish of spirit stood there in the stillness as peacefully as if it
had never stirred from the spot it occupied. If only it had remained
there, how glad the boy would have been.

He ventured to look toward the windows fronting the avenue. No one was
in sight, it was true; but to flatter himself that he had been
unobserved was ridiculous for he saw by the clock that his father,
mother, and Doris must already have reached home. Doubtless they were in
the house now and fully acquainted with what he had done. If they had
not missed the car from the garage they would at least have seen it
whirl into the driveway with him at the