“Tad Sobber!”
The cry came simultaneously from all of the Rover boys.
“Yah, dot’s so!” exclaimed Hans. “I remember him now. Vonce I vos ask Sobber vere he got dot sthone.”
“If the stone belongs to Sobber—he must have been here!” gasped out Sam.
“Do you think he is around now?” asked Tom, and threw his eyes about the lawn, as if half expecting their enemy to show himself.
“No, he isn’t here now—wish he was,” answered Dick, bitterly. “More than likely he is miles away by this time—and the Stanhope fortune with him.”
“I can’t understand this,” said Fred. “Unless Sobber has been here, spying on you.”
“Maybe he followed the Stanhopes here—to find out, if he could, what had become of the fortune,” suggested Sam.
“Sam, I think you’ve struck it!” almost shouted Dick. “It may be that he came here, heard Mrs. Stanhope ask dad to invest the money for her, and heard dad say that he would let her know when he wanted the cash. Then, perhaps, he went off, and sent Mrs. Stanhope a bogus letter, or telegram, signing dad’s name.”
“Say, Dick, you’re a regular sleuth!” cried Fred. “I guess you’ve got it straight.”