“That’s what you call the confidence game, isn’t it?” asked Judy. “Did you catch up with this—this Lawson?”
“Well, almost. We trailed him and overheard some of his plans. Then we made some quick plans of our own. Did you ever hear the story of the three little pigs?”
“Of course,” Judy replied, puzzled. “Are you joking? What do the three little pigs have to do with it?”
“The third pig, if you will remember, got to the orchard ahead of the wolf. Well,” Peter continued, “that was what we planned to do. We were there, but the wolf was early, too. So he huffed and he puffed and he blew the house in, and he shot up the poor little pigs.”
“Where was this house?” asked Judy. “Or aren’t you allowed to tell?”
“I can tell you where it wasn’t—” Peter sighed tiredly.
“No need,” Judy told him gently. “Stay quiet for a while, and I’ll tell you a story. We met a girl, and Pauline thinks she was playing the confidence game, too. Anyway, she made us sorry for her, and we each gave her five dollars so she could take the train home to West Virginia.”
“Did she take it?”
“The train? I don’t know. She took the money, if that’s what you mean. She also accepted our invitation to Irene’s show. I wish you could have seen it, Peter. Irene was marvelous as the good fairy, and her guest star, Francine Dow, made a beautiful Sleeping Beauty. The witch was a little frightening, though. She swooped in and seemed to cast an evil spell over the audience. Then Clarissa—”
“Clarissa?”