“Sit down and gasp in comfort,” invited Jack. She was beaming happily.
“We got it,” announced Mrs. Corday briefly. “The little moss agate was in the necklace, and it led us right to the secret box.”
“How?” asked Gloria, eagerly.
From the beaded bag Mrs. Corday drew out the necklace. She laid it carefully upon Jack’s small table.
“See this stone?” she indicated. “That’s the agate, just as I suspected. The clue was made by my dear husband from this queer, innocent, little stone. The directions were in his lawyer’s keeping, safe with our friend, Mr. Gilbert, the only honest lawyer I ever knew.”
All three girls were gazing, fascinated, at the little talisman.
“But how could this——”
“It is strange,” the woman interrupted Gloria’s query. “But like everything else, simple when you understand. Here is the paper,” she raised her voice to a tone of importance and sort of chanted from the typewritten slip:
“With base of moss at north, follow left limb to the hickory.” She paused dramatically. “As plain as the nose on your face,” she said.
“With base of moss at north?” repeated Gloria, puzzled rather than enlightened.