“It isn’t much,” he said, modestly enough. “However, I’ll tell you all about it. As soon as you cried out about those men a little while ago, and I had a glimpse of them—I remember your telling me about the cellar mystery—it at once flashed into my mind that I had seen the fellows before.”
“Not in our cellar!” exclaimed Agnes.
“No, for I wasn’t here at that time. But it was about two weeks ago, on the train. I’d been to Hamilton on an errand for Professor Keeps, and I happened to occupy a seat directly behind those men. I didn’t pay much attention to them until I heard them mention ten thousand dollars.”
“Whew!” whistled Hal. “They must be garage men! They’re the only fellows who ever have that much money nowadays.”
“But is that the only strange thing about them?” asked Ruth.
“No. The men kept on talking, and though I couldn’t hear all they said I caught something about dividing up this ten thousand dollars. Then one of the men—the taller—said: ‘If we let them know it’s there we’ll get nothing.’ The other agreed with this, and then I had to leave the train. But I got a good look at the men, and I’m sure they’re the same fellows Neale and I just chased.”
“Ten thousand dollars!” murmured Agnes.
“I wonder what it means?” murmured Nalbro.
And then, before they could begin a series of surmises, Uncle Rufus shuffled out on the porch where this talk was proceeding and announced:
“De tellyfoam’s been ringin’ its haid off, Miss Ruth, an’ it’s somebody what wants yo’!”