Without flash or noise they faded, going cautiously out by the front
door this time and disappearing into the dark of the woods just as the
horizon over Lone Valley began to show luminous in the path of the
oncoming moon.
They walked several miles, stealthily, and a mile or two more
naturally, before they ventured on a word, and then Shorty impatiently: "I don't see what you can do. Whattirya goin' ta do?"
"Don't get excited, Shorty, I see my way out," said Link affably, "I
didn't come off here half cocked. I investigated before I took on the
job."
"Whaddaya mean?"
"Well, I just looked up the parties in the blue book before I come off.
Didn't have much time, but I just looked 'em up. Great thing that blue
book. Gives ya lots of information. Then I got another thing, a
magazine I always buy and keep on hand. It's called The House Lovely,
an' it has all these grand gentlemen's places put down in pictures,
with plans and everything. It's real handy when you wantta find out how
to visit 'em sort of intimate like, and it kind of broadens yer mind.
It's a real pity you never learned to read, Shorty. There's nothing
like it fer getting valuable information. I read a lot and I always
remember anything that's worth while."
"I don't see how that's doin' us any good now," growled Shorty.
"Don't get hasty, Shorty, I'm comin' to it. You see these here Shaftons
have been on my mind fer some while back. I make it a point to know
about guys like that. I read the society columns and keep posted about
little details. It pays, Shorty. Now see! I happen to know that these
here Shaftons have several summer homes, one in the mountains, one at
the seashore, one up at an island out in the ocean, and a farm down in
Jersey, where they go at Christmas fer the holidays sometimes. Well,
just now I happen to know Mrs. Shafton--that's this guy's mother, is
down at the Jersey house all alone with the servants. Real handy fer
our purposes, ain't it? Not so far we can't get there by mornin' if we
half try, and the old man is off out West on a business trip."
"What you gonta do?" asked Shorty.
"Well, I haven't exactly got it all doped out yet, but I reckon our
business is with the old lady. Let's beat it as fast as we can to a
trolley and dope it out as we go. You see this here old woman is nuts
on her son, and she's lousy with money and don't care how she spends
it, so her baby boy is pleased. Now, I figger if we could come off with
five thousand apiece, you'n I we'd be doin' a good night's work and no
mistake. Whaddayou say?"