Not
only could he place no reliance upon ordinary youthful inattention,
but he must be on his guard against his own son as from a spy! But he
restrained himself.
"I don't remember," he said with affected deliberation, "what it was I
picked up. Do you? Did you read it?"
The meaning of his father's attitude instinctively flashed upon the boy.
He HAD read the paper, but he answered, as he had already determined,
"No."
An inspiration seized Mr. Harkutt. He drew 'Lige Curtis's bill of sale
from his pocket, and opening it before John Milton said, "Was it that?"
"I don't know," said the boy. "I couldn't tell." He walked away with
affected carelessness, already with a sense of playing some part like
his father, and pretended to whistle for the dog across the street.
Harkutt coughed ostentatiously, put the paper back in his pocket,
set one or two boxes straight on the counter, locked the drawer, and
disappeared into the back passage. John Milton remained standing in
the doorway looking vacantly out. But he did not see the dull familiar
prospect beyond. He only saw the paper his father had opened and
unfolded before him. It was the same paper he had read last night. But
there were three words written there THAT WERE NOT THERE BEFORE! After
the words "Value received" there had been a blank. He remembered that
distinctly. This was filled in by the words, "Five hundred dollars.
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