Mrs. Ismond brought suit against the latter, but even Mr. Beach did not believe the law would force him to restore what he claimed to have bought for a valid consideration. Their only hope seemed to be to find Purnell, who had disappeared. If through him they could connect Dorsett with a conspiracy, Mrs. Ismond would win her case.
This was the first time since he had fled from Greenville that Frank had seen this man. Now he forgot his sample case, Markham, and the whole mail order business amid the keen importance of keeping track of the slippery fugitive, and forcing from him a confession.
Purnell approached the party of young ladies, still acting the exquisite and playing the foreign count he pretended to be. He bowed and smirked, and backed away to Frank.
Instantly his face lost its mask. With a scowl he dropped his affected foreign drawl.
"You will have it out, here and now, will you?" he growled, grinding his teeth viciously.
"Yes, I'll have it out, or you in," responded Frank pointedly.
The false count led the way into the hotel, hurried up a staircase, and, unlocking a door on the second floor, ushered Frank into a room. He lit the gas and threw himself into a chair, glaring at Frank in a savage and desperate way.
"You're a determined young man, you are," he observed.
"Why not?" demanded Frank. "It has been the resolve of my life to hunt you down. If you escape me this time, I shall find you later. You are masquerading here under false pretences. I can expose you. Should I telegraph Mr. Beach, he would at once send an officer to arrest you."
"That won't help your case any," observed the man.
"I don't care. It will prove that Dorsett had a criminal for a partner, and that will influence the court when my mother's suit comes to trial."
"Name your terms," spoke Purnell suddenly.
"Very well," said Frank gravely: "you helped rob my mother of the estate her husband left her. What you got out of it I don't know, but it seems to have made it necessary for you to continue the career of a fugitive and a fraud."
"What I got!" snapped out Purnell, springing to his feet in hot anger. "I got what everybody gets who deals with that old rascal--the bad end of the trade, drat him!"
"I'll leave you alone to your own devices," said Frank. "I'll promise to see that you get some money when my mother recovers hers, if you will write out, sign and swear to the facts of your conspiracy with Dorsett against my mother."