"This is the place where Tom Brown is working," remarked the Warden; "but, gentlemen, please remember you are not to speak to him or even seem to give him special notice."
So they entered the shop and leisurely made their way through; the Warden exchanging a word or two with the Captain as he went by, and all of them looking curiously at the various basket-makers within sight.
After they had passed out of the shop at the farther end, one of the visitors said,
"Well, gentlemen," laughed the Warden, "this is certainly one on me; for I looked everywhere and I couldn't find him myself."
It was true; the whole party had passed within twenty feet of me, and not one of them--not even my intimate friend--had recognized me.
"But I'm very sure he's there," continued the Warden; "at any rate I can verify it at my office."
So they returned to the main building and found out, sure enough, that Thomas Brown was duly registered in the basket-shop.
Two of the visitors insisted upon returning; they had known me very well by sight and were sure they could find me out. So back they came to the shop, and this time I noticed them.
"I wonder who those guys are, rubbering around?" is my remark to Murphy, speaking in the vernacular, as we are working away. I was taking good care not to stare hard at them in my turn.
"They're not looking at you, anyhow," is Murphy's report. I steal another glance and catch an intent, searching look from one of the visitors. I am just finishing off a basket bottom and have on eyeglasses of unusual shape--rather too fine for Tom Brown. I fear that the visitor may have spotted these. However, I return his stare insolently, with as much of the air of an old timer as I can muster on the spur of the moment. At the same instant I whisper some joke over to Murphy that makes him smile; and the guy moves on, staring at others of my shopmates in their turn.
"I guess he was after me, all right," I remark to my partner, "and I'm afraid these infernal specs may have given me away."
As a matter of fact the two visitors returned from the basket-shop again disappointed. One of them thought he had seen Tom Brown, but wasn't quite sure. My identity seems to be sufficiently merged--so far as outsiders are concerned.