knew or
ever had thought Mr. Dacie had told him nothing suddenly caused the
lad to speculate as to whether after all both Mr. Dacie and his
associate, Mr. Lyman, were not cleverer than they looked to be.

It seemed incredible to recall, now that they were gone, that he had
not once asked them what they thought about Lola and whether they had
any idea where the man who had taken her had gone. How much better it
would have been had he made that inquiry instead of chattering about
his own affairs. But somehow when there had been a lull in the
conversation they had always been busy measuring footprints or
automobile ruts, and writing down these unending dimensions.
Moreover, something which he was unable to explain always halted the
questions.

Well, it was useless to regret his vanished opportunities. The
detectives were now far beyond his reach and probably he would never
see them again. He might as well go about his work and put them,
together with Lola and her baffling disappearance, out of his mind.
This he tried valiantly to do, but in spite of his utmost endeavor his
thought constantly reverted to the missing dog, and when toward dusk
Mr. Crowninshield's car came whirling up the avenue His Highness had
all he could do not to rush out and demand of the master whether he
had secured any further information.

To remember that he must keep constantly in the background was, in
fact, one of the most difficult aspects of Walter's job. As a
democratic young American who had always mingled in the best society
Lovell's Harbor had to offer he had been free to give a hail to
anybody he desired to greet. But at Surfside everything was different.
He must stifle his natural impulses and curb his tongue, a role very
hard for one who had had no previous experience with class
distinctions. Difficult as it had been he had made up his mind to
being excluded from the gayety that went on about him. It was, to be
sure, no fun to view automobile loads of young people roll out of the
drive bent on a day of pleasure; to look on while motor boats pulled
up anchor and puffed across the blue of the bay. And how he would have
adored to try his hand at a set of tennis on that fine dirt court!
Ah, there were moments when to a normal, healthy boy the world
appeared a very unfair place; and the lot of one who worked for a
living a wretched one.

And then, when his spirits had reached their lowest ebb, he would
resolutely take himself to task. W