“Nancy Sherwood,” Walter spoke seriously now, “if you’re not careful, you’re going to get yourself all involved in a plot that might hurt you. Come, be sensible for once. Either forget the ring entirely, or tell your cousin all that you know about it. Promise?”
Nan shook her head. She couldn’t tell Walter that she and Walker had already made certain promises about the ring and the Chinaman’s part in its disappearance. She couldn’t tell him that the reporter sensed a big story and asked her to protect the details until he had arrived at a solution. She couldn’t tell him, but she wanted to.
Now it was Grace who saved what otherwise might have been an embarrassing situation. She came out into the corner of the patio where Nan and Walter were standing.
“Nan,” she asked, “did you know that Walker Jamieson left the hacienda early this afternoon and that he took his bags with him?”
“Left the hacienda!” Nan exclaimed, “are you sure, Grace?”
“As sure as I am of anything,” Grace replied, “and if you don’t believe me you can either wait to see if he appears at dinner, or you can go in right now and ask Bess.”
CHAPTER XXVII
WALKER DEPARTS
However, it was Bess who sought Nan out, and that before Grace had barely had time to finish divulging her bit of news.