CHAPTER XIX
The Rug Buyer
Two days later an event occurred that brought the activities of the counterfeiters much closer home.
Frank and Joe returned from school on Monday afternoon to find their mother in a state of great agitation. The moment they entered the house they could tell that something unusual had happened, for Mrs. Hardy was sitting by the living-room table gazing disconsolately at a great heap of bills in her lap.
"Where'd you get all the money, mother?" asked Frank, jokingly at first. But his expression became serious when he saw the anxiety and distress in Mrs. Hardy's face. Her fingers were trembling as she picked up the bills and put them on the table.
"What's the matter?" asked Joe quickly. "What's wrong?"
Mrs. Hardy got up and walked across the room toward the window. She looked out at the street for a while, then turned to her sons.
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