“Yes, he said that,” George told her, “and a whole lot more.”
“I hate riddles,” cried Betty. “Do tell us—”
“Why, he wanted to buy the entire library—and when I turned him down, he made me an offer on the house providing entire contents went with it!”
Betty laughed. “A good low price, I’ll bet. Mr. Lewis is a terrible old skinflint.”
“I thought so, too, until he made me this offer.”
“Do you mind saying how much?” Dorothy never hesitated to come to the point.
“Twenty-five thousand dollars!”
“Seems like a lot of money to me!” was Bill’s comment.
“A lot of money! I should say so.” George cried excitedly. “Why, this place isn’t worth more than eight—possibly ten thousand dollars at the outside.”
“I smell a rat,” said Terry, “or to put it more politely, the old boy’s offer has something doggoned stinking crooked mixed up in it.”