FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138  
139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   >>  
ve you watched, your movements tracked." Mrs. Carshaw laughed. "My dear, he is far too much taken up with his Winifred." "Has he found her, then?" "Does he not see her daily?" Here were cross purposes. Mrs. Tower was puzzled. "If I tell you where the Senator is, you are sure Rex will not follow you?" "Quite certain." "His address is the Marlborough-Blenheim, Atlantic City." "Helen, you're a dear! I shall go there to-morrow, if necessary. But it will be best to write him first." "Don't say I told you." "Above all things, Helen, I am discreet." "I fear he cannot do much. Your son is so wilful." "Don't you understand? Rex is quite unmanageable. I depend wholly on the girl--and Senator Meiklejohn is just the man to deal with her." They kissed farewell--alas, those Judas kisses of women! Both were satisfied, each believing she had hoodwinked the other. Mrs. Carshaw returned to her flat to await her son's arrival. If the trail at East Orange proved difficult he promised to be home for dinner. "There will be a row if Rex meets Meiklejohn," she communed. "Helen will be furious with me. What do I care? I have won back my son's love. I have not many years to live. What else have I to work for if not for his happiness?" So one woman in New York that night was fairly well _content_. There may be, as the Chinese proverb has it, thirty-six different kinds of mothers-in-law, but there is only one mother. CHAPTER XXII THE HUNT Steingall, not Clancy, presented his bulk at Carshaw's apartment next morning. He contrived to have a few minutes' private talk with Mrs. Carshaw while her son was dressing. Early as it was, he lighted a second cigar as he stepped into the automobile, for Carshaw thought it an economy to retain a car. "Surprised to see me?" he began. "Well, it's this way. We may drop in for a rough-house to-day. Between them, Voles and 'Mick the Wolf,' own three sound legs and three strong arms. I can't risk Clancy. He's too precious. He kicked like a mule, of course, but I made it an order." "What of the local police?" said Carshaw. "Nix on the cops," laughed the chief. "You share the popular delusion that a policeman can arrest any one at sight. He can do nothing of the sort, unless he and his superior officers care to face a whacking demand for damages. And what charge can we bring against Voles and company? Winifred bolted of her own accord. We must tread lightly, Mr. C
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138  
139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   >>  



Top keywords:
Carshaw
 

Clancy

 

Meiklejohn

 
Winifred
 

laughed

 

Senator

 

dressing

 

lighted

 

retain

 

Surprised


economy

 
thought
 

stepped

 
automobile
 
presented
 

mothers

 

mother

 

CHAPTER

 

proverb

 

Chinese


thirty

 

contrived

 

minutes

 

private

 

morning

 
Steingall
 

apartment

 

strong

 

superior

 

officers


demand

 

whacking

 
policeman
 

delusion

 

arrest

 

damages

 

accord

 

lightly

 

bolted

 

company


charge
 
popular
 

Between

 

precious

 

police

 
kicked
 

communed

 
morrow
 
Blenheim
 

Marlborough