faces and hands and then sat down in the living room to cool off.
“I had callers while you were at work,” said Marjory Zucker.
“Callers?” Nancy repeated.
“Yes, a man and a woman about thirty years old. They asked if this was the Robert Smith farm. Of course I told them no.”
“Did you give them your name?” Nancy asked.
“Yes.”
Marjory went on to say that the couple had stood near their car and watched the digging operation at the knoll. The man had asked what was going on.
“You didn’t tell them?” Nancy asked worriedly.
“Oh, no,” Marjory replied. “I said farmers are always digging.”
“Good for you!” George spoke up.
Nancy asked for descriptions of the couple and the car. Upon hearing them, she looked at Bess and George. There was no question in any of their minds. The callers had been Audrey and Ross Monteith!
“Do you know the people who were here?” Marjory asked. “I had an idea they might have suspected it was you at the knoll, Nancy, because they asked who owned your car. When I ignored the question, they looked at each other as if they knew.”
“We know them all right,” said Nancy. “They’re staying at the same lodge where we are. We find them—well, a little too interested in our affairs!”
“I see,” Marjory answered with an understanding smile.
The three girls said good-by, adding that they might return soon. As they drove off toward the main road, Bess wore a worried frown. “I don’t like it at all that Audrey and Ross Monteith were here!”
“I don’t either,” Nancy agreed.
CHAPTER XV
Startling News
“WHEN we get home,” said George, her jaw set firmly, “I’m going to have it out with Ross and Audrey Monteith! They’re a pain, and besides, I can’t take being followed any longer.”
Nancy tried to dissuade her friend from carrying out her threat. “It may only drive Ross and Audrey into hiding and then they’ll have the advantage over us. They’ll know where we are, but we won’t know where they are.”
“All right,” George finally conceded. “But it certainly burns me up having them act the way they do.”
After the girls had put the car in the parking lot, they walked up to the front of Camp Merriweather lodge. Rick Larrabee and his friends arose from a nearby bench to greet them. All three looked very sober.
“I’m glad you came,” said Rick. “We have news for you.”
Before he could go on, Hobe White burst forth with, “The Monteiths have checked out!”
“What!” the three girls exclaimed together.
Rick explained that he and the other fellows had decided to do some sleuthing. “We thought we’d surprise you girls,” he said. “To our amazement, we learned that the Monteiths had packed their bags and left Merriweather before breakfast.”
“Where did they go?” Nancy asked quickly.
Rick shrugged. “I asked the clerk if he knew where. All he could tell me was that the Monteiths had asked that their mail be forwarded to a post-office box in New York City.”
“And that sounds zany to me,” said Hobe. “The Monteiths have been here for two weeks. The clerk says they haven’t received one piece of mail.”
“That does look suspicious,” Nancy agreed. “It wouldn’t surprise me if the Monteiths have moved to another hotel in this area, or more likely to a private home and perhaps under an assumed name.”
“What about their car license?” Bess asked. “Wouldn’t that give them away?”
Nancy smiled and said, “When I phoned the police this morning, they told me the car which the Monteiths are driving is registered in the name of Frank Templer.”
“So they are using an assumed name!” George cried out. “I knew they were phonies from the start.”
“Not so fast,” said Nancy. “The Monteiths might have borrowed the car from Mr. Frank Templer.”
“Or,” Rick spoke up, “Ross’s real name may be Frank Templer,” and Nancy nodded.
Rick now told the girls his other bit of news.
“I had callers while you were at work,” said Marjory Zucker.
“Callers?” Nancy repeated.
“Yes, a man and a woman about thirty years old. They asked if this was the Robert Smith farm. Of course I told them no.”
“Did you give them your name?” Nancy asked.
“Yes.”
Marjory went on to say that the couple had stood near their car and watched the digging operation at the knoll. The man had asked what was going on.
“You didn’t tell them?” Nancy asked worriedly.
“Oh, no,” Marjory replied. “I said farmers are always digging.”
“Good for you!” George spoke up.
Nancy asked for descriptions of the couple and the car. Upon hearing them, she looked at Bess and George. There was no question in any of their minds. The callers had been Audrey and Ross Monteith!
“Do you know the people who were here?” Marjory asked. “I had an idea they might have suspected it was you at the knoll, Nancy, because they asked who owned your car. When I ignored the question, they looked at each other as if they knew.”
“We know them all right,” said Nancy. “They’re staying at the same lodge where we are. We find them—well, a little too interested in our affairs!”
“I see,” Marjory answered with an understanding smile.
The three girls said good-by, adding that they might return soon. As they drove off toward the main road, Bess wore a worried frown. “I don’t like it at all that Audrey and Ross Monteith were here!”
“I don’t either,” Nancy agreed.
CHAPTER XV
Startling News
“WHEN we get home,” said George, her jaw set firmly, “I’m going to have it out with Ross and Audrey Monteith! They’re a pain, and besides, I can’t take being followed any longer.”
Nancy tried to dissuade her friend from carrying out her threat. “It may only drive Ross and Audrey into hiding and then they’ll have the advantage over us. They’ll know where we are, but we won’t know where they are.”
“All right,” George finally conceded. “But it certainly burns me up having them act the way they do.”
After the girls had put the car in the parking lot, they walked up to the front of Camp Merriweather lodge. Rick Larrabee and his friends arose from a nearby bench to greet them. All three looked very sober.
“I’m glad you came,” said Rick. “We have news for you.”
Before he could go on, Hobe White burst forth with, “The Monteiths have checked out!”
“What!” the three girls exclaimed together.
Rick explained that he and the other fellows had decided to do some sleuthing. “We thought we’d surprise you girls,” he said. “To our amazement, we learned that the Monteiths had packed their bags and left Merriweather before breakfast.”
“Where did they go?” Nancy asked quickly.
Rick shrugged. “I asked the clerk if he knew where. All he could tell me was that the Monteiths had asked that their mail be forwarded to a post-office box in New York City.”
“And that sounds zany to me,” said Hobe. “The Monteiths have been here for two weeks. The clerk says they haven’t received one piece of mail.”
“That does look suspicious,” Nancy agreed. “It wouldn’t surprise me if the Monteiths have moved to another hotel in this area, or more likely to a private home and perhaps under an assumed name.”
“What about their car license?” Bess asked. “Wouldn’t that give them away?”
Nancy smiled and said, “When I phoned the police this morning, they told me the car which the Monteiths are driving is registered in the name of Frank Templer.”
“So they are using an assumed name!” George cried out. “I knew they were phonies from the start.”
“Not so fast,” said Nancy. “The Monteiths might have borrowed the car from Mr. Frank Templer.”
“Or,” Rick spoke up, “Ross’s real name may be Frank Templer,” and Nancy nodded.
Rick now told the girls his other bit of news.
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