Off Jerry started. Mrs. Northrup lived in a cottage about a mile from Mrs. Hopkins. She was a widow who went out dressmaking. To get to her house Jerry had to pass the handsome residence of Mr. Nixon.
He looked at it as he went by on his way to deliver the message. There seemed to be no one about, and Jerry wondered if Noddy was at home, and what he was doing. Mrs. Northrup was in, and, as she wanted to write a reply to the note Jerry had brought, he had to wait a few minutes. Then the widow asked him all about himself and his family, and inquired about the coming race, which she had heard Jerry was interested in.
So, though the boy had meant to stay but a short time, he was there the better part of an hour, and, when he had the answer to his mother’s note and was on his way back, it was nine o’clock and quite dark.
As Jerry came in front of the Nixon residence he was surprised to see no lights in the house.
“That’s queer,” he said to himself. “The place is usually well lighted, for they always have company there. I guess Mr. and Mrs. Nixon must be away from home.”
He was about to pass on when he noticed a faint glimmer of light near the automobile shed, Mr. Nixon having recently purchased a big touring car.
“Rather dangerous to go out there with a lantern,” Jerry thought, “especially if they have oil and gasolene stored there. I wonder if Noddy is there?”
There was a side street, rather narrow and seldom used, which extended along the Nixon property to the left. It passed close to the automobile shed, and a drive-way had been constructed to enable the machine to be taken out into the side roadway if desired.
Having nothing particular to hurry him, and being of a curious turn of mind, Jerry decided that he would walk down the narrow thoroughfare and look at the new automobile shed, which he had not seen at close range. Accordingly he turned from the main street and soon found himself opposite the shed. He stopped to look at it, and, as he did so, he heard voices in conversation. At the same time the flicker of a light through a crack in the shed door could be seen.