"Glad of it! Go, by all means. I will make myself jolly until you
return," said Cloudy, walking up and down the floor whistling a love
ditty, and thinking of little Jacko. He always thought of her with
tenfold intensity whenever he returned home and came into her
neighborhood.
"Mr. Jenkins, will you follow me to my library?" said Thurston.
The officer bowed assent and Mr. Willcoxen proceeded thither for the
purpose of securing his valuable papers and locking his secretary and
writing-desk.
After an absence of some fifteen minutes they returned to the parlor to
find Paul and the constable awaiting them.
"Is the carriage ready?" asked Mr. Willcoxen.
"Yes, sir," replied the constable.
"Then, I believe, we also are--is it not so?"
The police officer bowed, and Mr. Willcoxen walked up to Cloudy and held
out his hand.
"Good-by, Cloudy, for the present. Paul will probably be home by
nightfall, even if I should be detained."
"Oh, don't hurry yourself upon my account. I shall do very well. Jenny
can take care of me," said Cloudy, jovially, as he shook the offered
hand of Thurston.
Paul could not trust himself to look Cloudy in the face and say
"Good-by." He averted his head, and so followed Mr.
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