Page:O'Higgins--The Adventures of Detective Barney.djvu/181

 all. We ’ll have the line on you, all the time.”

So, with Barney wriggling happily under the ticklish apprehension of being a decoy, they settled down in their dingy room to the routine which Babbing arranged for them. The maid served them their breakfast in their apartment, on an old-fashioned card table at the foot of Babbing’s folding bed. She made up Barney’s room while they were still at table, and Babbing lingered over his newspaper until a young woman from his office—playing the part of a teacher from the Institute—came to give Barney his pretended lessons in lip reading. Babbing left her in charge and went to his work. At midday she took Barney out to luncheon at a nearby restaurant, and brought him back to the house afterward. He remained there, amusing himself in solitude, till five o’clock, when Babbing arrived. They went for a walk together,