MR. SMEETH IS WORRIED 473

was nothing to get excited about. I hadn't done any
thing. They weren't running me in, were they?'7

It was incredible. Mr. Smeeth gave it up. Here was
this boy of his, who had been playing with clockwork
trains on the floor only the day before yesterday, so to
speak, and now he could talk in this strain, as cool as you
please, as if he was Sergeant Gailey or somebody! Mr.
Smeeth waited a minute or two, then said very quietly:
"About that car, George—did you know it was stolen?"

George grinned; no wincing, shrinking, anything of
that kind; just a plain grin. "I didn't know, but I had
a few ideas of my own about it. And about one or two
others, too/'

"Do you mean to tell me that you'd a good idea oi
what was going on there and you didn't do anything
about it?" Mr. Smeeth was shocked and astounded.

"What could I do about it, Dad? If I'd been dragged
into it, that would have been different. But they didn't
try. And you needn't worry—I wouldn't have had it.
Buying cars that have been pinched like that is a mug's
game, if you ask me. Barrett's a fool, though he's not a
bad sort, really, and he's treated me all right. Doesn't
know anything about cars though, not like McGrath
does. I believe he had to take over some of those cars.
I saw one or two fellows who called to see him, and I
didn't like the look of them at all—real toughs, they
were. But mind you, Dad, I don't know anything about
those cars, don't forget that."

The boy talked about buying stolen cars as if it was
simply a little weakness on Barrett's part, a silly hobby
He didn't seem to be in the least shocked or frightened
Mr. Smeeth could not make it out at all It was just as
if he had brought up a boy who had suddenly turned