“Oh, well, the idea is the same,” Nalbro asserted. “But what does it mean, anyhow?”
“That’s what I’d like to know,” said Ruth.
“Isn’t it plain?” asked Agnes. “Hop Wong, for all his meekness, wants us to pay him a hundred dollars so he’ll make a great lot of money.”
“That isn’t the way I read it,” declared Neale.
“What do you make of it?” asked Luke.
“It seems to be a sort of promise,” went on Neale as he again studied the note. “Translating—ahem—I’ll pretend I’m in high school now, giving a recitation in Latin. Translating, I should say it ought to read like this:
“‘If the Corner House girls will pay Hop Wong one hundred dollars, Hop Wong, in return, will make a greater amount of money for the Corner House girls.’ That’s what it means.”
“Well, perhaps,” admitted Luke. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“But how does he propose to make money for us?” asked Ruth.
“Perhaps by enlarging his laundry,” suggested Agnes. “That’s it, I’ll wager a cookie!”