much use if he's serving a year or two in prison."
"What do you suppose they would do to us if they found out?" asked Gordon thoughtfully.
"Oh, who cares?" Lanny laughed gaily. "After all, we aren't stealing the thing; we're just borrowing it."
"I guess Ned Burns would intercede with his stern uncle if we were found out," said Dick. "It might be a good idea to take Ned along!" he added with a laugh.
"Ned nothing!" Gordon's tone was contemptuous. "Ned would get in front of the old thing and get flattened out, like as not. Something would happen to him surely. He can't walk around the corner without breaking a leg!"
"What's the matter with him now?" asked Lanny interestedly. "Some fellow told me he was laid up again."
"Didn't you hear? Why, he was standing on a crossing on Common Street one day last week and an automobile came along and ran over his foot! Everyone around declared that the chap in the auto blew his horn loud enough to wake the dead. But it didn't wake Ned!"
"Hurt him much?" asked Lanny, laughing.
"Broke a bone in one toe, they say. Honest, I
saw Ned walk along G Street one day last winter
96
