"Well, what did you manage to find out?" Bess queried, as the three girls walked toward the car.
"Quite a bit," Nancy answered meditatively. She was certain that she could not have been mistaken. Yvonne Wong was the same girl who only yesterday had waited on them in the Oriental shop. Why had she changed positions?
"Well," George broke into her thoughts, "don't keep us in suspense!"
Nancy answered all their questions as she drove toward River Heights, explaining that the young woman's name was Yvonne Wong and that she was a new girl in the office-the same office Nancy and Joanne had visited.
"But what about Yvonne's job at the Oriental perfume shop?" asked George.
"I don't know," Nancy admitted, "and the handyman wouldn't give me any indication as to the type of business it was !" Nancy recalled the strange telephone call which had been made while she and Joanne were in the office. She distinctly remembered that some mention had been made of a girl who had been found for the position, and that the man who called himself "Al" had said that one "couldn't be too careful."
"I wouldn't be so suspicious about Yvonne," Nancy added, "except I have a feeling she didn't get that job by chance. She must have been chosen because she was especially suited to the situation-whatever that is."
"There's something underhanded about the whole thing, but we haven't much to go on," Bess declared.
Nancy agreed. "Some clue may turn up. Anyway, we have Jo to think about for the time being."
It was getting dark as Nancy dropped off Bess and then George at their homes. It rained so hard the following day that Nancy stayed indoors and tried to figure out the remaining symbols of the code. Using the same alphabetical key, 16 was M, 5 equaled H, 2 could be B, and 18 stood for R.
"MHBR," Nancy pondered. "That doesn't make any sense. Perhaps those marks over and under the letters are a second code," she reasoned. "If only I could decipher them, I might know who's calling what meeting, and where."
The next morning a bright sun shone. While Nancy was busy with chores around the house, the phone rang and she went to answer it.
"Hello, Nancy," said a quiet voice. "This is Jo. How are you?"
"Oh, Jo, I'm fine," Nancy replied eagerly. "Did you find a job?" she asked hopefully.
"Not yet," Joanne answered sadly. "But I have some other news."
"I hope it's good," Nancy said.
"I just talked with my grandmother on the phone. I must go home right away. She told me that soon after I left, a man called and made an offer to buy Red Gate. His price was so low, she didn't accept. He was very persistent, though, and gave her five days to think it over."
"Yes?" Nancy prompted.
"Well," the other girl went on, "in the meantime, Grandmother decided to try raising money by taking in boarders. She placed an ad in the paper that same day."
"Good for her!" Nancy exclaimed. "Has she had any replies?"
"No," Joanne said worriedly. "Even though the ad hasn't run very long. Gram's discouraged. I'm afraid she has changed her mind and intends to take that man's offer. She said he's coming to Red Gate tomorrow at five o'clock and bringing papers for her to sign."
There was a pause, then Joanne burst out, "Nancy, I just can't let Gram go through with this, and if I'm not there, she'll accept the man's offer. She mustn't give up Red Gate Farm yet! That's why I must get home and persuade her not to sell."
"By all means," Nancy agreed. "I suppose you'll take the train to Round Valley in the morning?"
"That's the horrible part. Nancy," Joanne said dejectedly. "I'll have only enough money for train fare half the way after I pay my room rent."
"No need to do that, Jo," Nancy said eagerly. "You get your bag packed and be ready to leave at ten o'clock tomorrow morning!"
CHAPTER VMoney, Money!
As Nancy reflected on her plan, another idea occurred to her. She was sure that Bess and George would love the chance to spend a vacation on a farm, since they had both mentioned it the other day. Nancy did some mental arithmetic and came to the conclusion that three steady boarders who paid their bills regularly might help to lessen the amount of the mortgage interest payments that threatened Red Gate.
"And also keep Mrs. Byrd from selling the place," Nancy thought. "I hope Dad agrees to my making the trip."
That evening at dinner Mr. Drew said, "I'll be out of town for a week or so. Nancy. Do you think you can get some of your friends to stay with you?"
"I have an even better idea," Nancy replied, and smiled.
She outlined her plan to help Joanne Byrd. Her father consented enthusiastically, proud as always of Nancy's desire to assist others.
It was not so easy to convince Bess and George, when Nancy telephoned them. They both wanted to help Joanne and agreed that a week or two in the country would be very pleasant, but there were complications. If George went, it meant she would lose out on a camping trip. Bess had planned to visit an aunt in Chicago, but admitted that the trip could be postponed.
"There's one thing about it," George said laughingly as she finally agreed to give up the camping trip. "I've never been with you yet that we didn't run into an adventure or mystery! Maybe a trip to Red Gate will be exciting."
Bess and George had no trouble in getting their parents' consent. It was decided that Nancy would pick up Joanne first, then come back for the cousins, since River Heights was on the way to Round Valley.
Nancy packed her clothes that night after telephoning the plans to Joanne. As she was closing the suitcase, her eyes fell upon the copy of the coded message which lay on the dressing table.
"I'd better take it along and work on it whenever I have the chance," she decided.
Nancy got up early the next morning and had breakfast with her father. After exchanging fond good-byes with him and Hannah, she hurried to her car.
It was close to ten o'clock when Nancy reached Riverside Heights. She stopped at a downtown service station and had her convertible filled with gas and checked for oil. Then she drove to Joanne's boardinghouse.
Her passenger was waiting. Nancy was glad to find that Joanne seemed to be in better spirits.
"It'll be such fun, all of us going together," Joanne said, "and I know Gram will be happy to have you stay as long as you like."
"Only on the condition that we are paying guests," Nancy insisted.
"We'll see about that later," Joanne said, smiling.
They put her suitcase into the trunk of the car and soon were on their way back to River Heights. Assured by Joanne that they would be welcome at Red Gate, the cousins brought out their suitcases and put them in the luggage compartment.
George took Nancy aside and said excitedly, "A little while ago a man phoned here and asked for Miss Fayne. When I answered, he said, 'Listen, miss, tell that snoopy friend of yours to stop her snooping, or she'll be sorry!' Then he hung up without giving his name."
Nancy set her jaw, then smiled. "Whoever he is, he has a guilty conscience. So my suspicions were well founded."
"Who do you think he is?" George asked.
"Either the strange man on the train who followed me here, or some accomplice of his."
"I'm glad for your sake we're going away, Nancy," stated George.
"Let's not say anything about this to Jo," Nancy advised, as she and George walked back to the car.
"It's a perfect day for our trip to the country," Joanne said excitedly.
George could see by the expression on Joanne's face that a visit to Red Gate Farm with her new friends was far more important to her than any other plans the girls might have had.
"I agree one hundred per cent!" George answered happily as she stepped into the car.
"And I'll be so glad to get out of this heat," Bess chimed in with a sigh. "I spent practically the whole night dreaming about the cool, refreshing breezes in the country."