“No need to do that, Jo,” Nancy said eagerly.
“You get your bag packed and be ready to leave
at ten o’clock tomorrow moming!”
CHAPTER V
Money, 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 in-
terest 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 ad-
mitted 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 tele-
phoning 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 when-
ever I have the chance,” she decided.
Nancy got up early the next morning and had
breakfast with her father. After exchanging fond
good-bys 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 Jo-
anne’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,” Jo-
anne 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 com-
partment.
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 fol-
lowed 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 Jo-
anne’s face that a visit to Red Gate Farm with her