Part 26 (1/2)

”You're wanted on the telephone, Miss Fayne,” the boy told her.

”I can't imagine who would call me here,” she murmured. ”I don't believe it's from Nancy. It might be from home.”

Her guess was right. Mrs. Fayne in River Heights, lonesome for the sound of her daughter's voice, had telephoned merely to inquire if George was all right.

”Oh, yes, Mother, and we're having a fantastic time here. I wrote to you today.”

At this point George lost the thread of conversation completely, because in the adjoining booth she heard the excited voice of a man saying:

”So the guy is a forger! He skipped out!”

”Did you hear what I said?” Mrs. Fayne questioned her daughter anxiously. ”Your-”

”Oh, yes, that's nice,” George replied hastily, her mind on the conversation in the other booth.

”Those two B-A-R's look alike?” she heard the man ask. ”And you say the M and the T are similar? ... Yes, I agree that ought to be enough to convict him.”

George's mind worked with lightning-like speed. B-A-R were the first three letters of Martin Bartescue's last name and there was an M and a T in his first name. The man was a forger just as Nancy had suspected! The person in the next booth very likely was a hotel official who was being told of the discovery.

”George,” came her mother's voice in exasperation, ”what is the matter with you?”

”I-I can't talk now,” George stammered. ”Something important has come up. I'll call back a little later.”

She hung up and darted from the phone booth. The adjoining one was now empty. Since Nancy was not available, George hurried to tell Bess, Burt, and Dave what had happened.

”I've just made an important discovery,” she revealed. ”Bartescue definitely is a forger and apparently the hotel people are on to him!”

”No wonder he skipped out!” Bess exclaimed. ”That explains the note he left Nancy. He's probably miles away by now.”

”But he's supposed to play his final golf match tomorrow,” said George. ”Let's walk down to the caddy house and find out if his clubs are gone.”

”I'll bet,” Dave spoke up, ”that he won't show up for the golf match if he's facing arrest.”

”Let's find out anyway.”

The two couples walked across the grounds toward the caddy house, clearly outlined in the moonlight. The shack had been locked for the night. Disappointed, they turned toward the hotel.

Suddenly Burt noticed an object gleaming in the gra.s.s and stooped to pick it up. ”Someone's keys.”

”One of the golfers, I suppose,” said George. ”We can turn the keys in at the office.”

Burt dropped them into his pocket, and the four friends walked on toward the hotel. As they came within view of the garden, George abruptly halted, clutching Burt's arm.

”Look! Over toward that statue by the fountain! It's Barty! Bess, let's you and I sneak up there.”

While the boys waited, the girls crept forward, taking care to keep themselves hidden by bushes and trees. They saw him reach across the basin of the fountain and remove a white object from the hand of the statue.

”It must have been a note from someone,” George said in an undertone. ”Bess, we must capture him!”