Philip having exhausted his schedule hastened to betake himself off before he said too much; because he was a wise boy for his years, Jim allowed.  And Matilda went back into the house, glancing at the paper as she vanished from view.

“Now let’s hope that hammock there will tempt Brother Lu to saunter forth and take things easy while he looks over the paper,” said Jim, with just a touch of eagerness discernible in his well-controlled voice; for he prided himself on always “keeping cool” under the most trying conditions.

They did not have long to wait.  Why, it seemed to Thad that the wonderful Jim must have some peculiar power, as of suggestion, with which he could influence other minds; for as they peeped through openings in the bushes, lo! and behold, out of the cottage door came the object of Thad’s especial aversion.  Yes, it was the hobo whom they had first met when he was cooking his meal in regular tramp fashion by using discarded tomato cans for receptacles to hold coffee and stew.  But Brother Lu was a transformed tramp.  He wore the Sunday clothes of Brother-in-law Andrew, and his face was actually as smooth as a razor could make it.  In fact, he looked just too sleek and well-fed for anything; and Thad, as usual, gritted his teeth with savage emphasis to think how the fellow was imposing on the good nature of that simple and big-hearted couple.

Then, too, he had the paper in his hand, which evidently Matilda had given over to him immediately she entered.  He made straight for that hammock, as though he had actually heard Jim suggest such a charming possibility.

“Now we’re in great luck,” Thad breathed, gripping Hugh by the knee, as they crouched in company behind their screen of bushes.  “We can watch, and see just what effect that bombshell has on the skunk!”

“Keep quiet, Thad,” warned Hugh; “or he might hear you.”

The reformed tramp seemed to be very particular about his comfort nowadays.  Time was when he could throw himself down carelessly on the hardest kind of ground and rest easy; but since he had taken to living under a roof things were different.  They saw him fix the pillow in the hammock very carefully before he allowed himself to recline there.  Then he raised the paper, and seemed to take a careless glance at it.

Hardly had he done this than the watchers saw him start upright again.  He was undoubtedly devouring the thrilling news item on the front page with “avidity”—–­at least, that was what Jim Pettigrew would have called it, had he been at his favorite job of “writing up” the doings of Scranton society for the past week.

“Now he has got a body blow!” hissed the delighted Thad, unable to keep still any great length of time when his pulses were throbbing like mad, and his eyes round with eagerness.

Brother Lu read the article through.  Then he lowered the paper and seemed to be meditating, to judge from his attitude.  Hugh thought he could detect something akin to a wide grin on the other’s face, but then he may have been mistaken.  Thad, on his part, was positive that he knew what must be passing through the mind of the man after reading that suggestive news concerning the Texan marshal who never yet allowed an intended victim to elude his clutches, and who meant to get the guilty party so badly wanted “down below.”