Hanleigh was at a loss for words. This development came as a complete surprise to him.
“It’s a—a lie!” he gasped finally.
“There’s the key!” piped Chet. “Laugh that off.”
“I don’t believe Jefferson gave you that key at all.”
“Oh, yes, he did. We know more about you than you think, Mr. Hanleigh. We know you’ve been trying to buy this place and we know Mr. Jefferson refused your offer. We were at his house the day you offered him eight thousand dollars for the place and he turned you down. Does that look as if we don’t know what we’re talking about?”
“What do you know about this place?” demanded Hanleigh.
“Nothing except what we’ve told you,” Frank continued. “We would like to know, though, just why it is so interesting to you.”
The shot went home. Hanleigh licked his lips nervously, then stared at the boys in silence for a while before replying:
“It isn’t interesting to me,” he said lamely. “That is—except as a cabin I’d like to buy.”
“Was that why you were measuring the fireplace so carefully?” put in Biff dryly.