So,
he disregarded Gilder's greeting, and went on speaking to the
son.
"She's skipped!" he said, triumphantly.
Dick made a step forward. His eyes flashed, and there was anger
in his voice as he replied:
"I don't believe it."
The Inspector smiled, unperturbed.
"She left this morning for Chicago," he said, lying with a manner
that long habit rendered altogether convincing. "I told you
she'd go." He turned to the father, and spoke with an air of
boastful good nature. "Now, all you have to do is to get this boy
out of the scrape and you'll be all right."
"If we only could!" The cry came with deepest earnestness from
the lips of Gilder, but there was little hope in his voice.
The Inspector, however, was confident of success, and his tones
rang cheerfully as he answered:
"I guess we can find a way to have the marriage annulled, or
whatever they do to marriages that don't take."
The brutal assurance of the man in thus referring to things that
were sacred, moved Dick to wrath.
"Don't you interfere," he said.
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