The Secret of Red Gate Farm - Carolyn Keene [30]
Although Karl Abbott was eager to continue on to Red Gate Farm to see his father, he expressed concern about the three girls and their upsetting experience. He asked for a detailed account of the events which had led to Nancy’s predicament. He was most interested and sympathetic when the girls told him the whole story.
“Well,” he said admiringly, “I guess I won’t worry too much about you girls. You certainly aren’t easily daunted by emergencies.”
After Karl Jr. and the trio had exchanged good-bys, the young man got into his car and drove on to the farm.
Bess turned to her companions. “Where to? I’m more starved than ever.”
“It’s only a short way to town from here,” Nancy replied. “We can get breakfast there and then do our shopping.”
Soon the girls reached Round Valley. When they finished eating, Nancy looked at Mrs. Byrd’s list.
“There’s really not much on it,” she commented. “Two of us could do the shopping. Suppose you girls take over and I’ll go buy the material for our costumes.”
“Material?” Bess queried.
Nancy laughed. “If we’re going to join the Black Snake group in one of their rites, we’ll need ghost costumes, and I’ve decided it wouldn’t be fair to Mrs. Byrd to ruin four of her sheets and pillowcases.”
Suddenly George said, “What are we going to use for money?”
Nancy had only two dollars. Bess and George between them counted six.
“That will pay for the meat and groceries,” Bess said. “I guess our costume material and the other errands will have to wait.”
The food shopping was soon finished and the girls returned to Red Gate Farm.
Joanne met them at the kitchen door. “Guess what?” she burst out. “The telephone repairman was here. He said our line had been cut!”
Nancy nodded. “By those people who were here last night.”
“I suppose so. Oh, Nancy, I’m so worried for you. And Karl Jr. tells us you’ve had another adventure this morning. He said you’d explain.”
Nancy, with lively interruptions from Bess and George, related the girls’ recent experience.
“I gave those Secret Service men the note and told them the Hale Syndicate might be mixed up in some way with the counterfeiters. The syndicate may be the distributors of the phony bills.”
“Well, do let the authorities take care of it,” Joanne urged. “I want you girls to have a good time while you’re here.”
“Oh, I’m having a wonderful time,” Nancy assured her. “By the way, I think we should work on our costumes for the hillside ceremony. Could you repay us the money we spent today so I can buy more material? We decided it isn’t fair to use your grandmother’s good linens.”
“Oh, yes, right away. I’ll get it from Gram. And I think there are a few more groceries she needs.”
Joanne returned in a few minutes and handed over the money to which she added enough for the marketing. Nancy headed for town. She had gone about a mile when she sighted a woman hurrying along the side of the country road. She was limping slightly.
“I’ll offer her a ride,” Nancy decided. “She seems to be in a great hurry.”
She halted the car and called, “May I give you a lift to town?”
The woman glanced up, startled. Nancy was surprised to see that she was the woman from the Black Snake Colony whom she had helped several days before on the river trail! What she was doing so far from her camp Nancy did not know, but she was determined to make the most of the opportunity at hand.
“Please get in,” Nancy urged, as the woman hesitated. “I’m sure your foot must be paining you. I notice that you are still limping.”
“Thanks,” the woman returned gratefully, hobbling over to the car door which Nancy held open for her. “I am in a hurry to get to town.”
Before stepping inside she looked quickly over her shoulder as though fearing that someone might observe her actions.
She sighed in relief and settled back, looking very pale and exhausted.
“You weren’t intending to walk all the way to town?” Nancy asked in a friendly, conversational tone.
The woman nodded.