“Perhaps he was afraid of being caught.”
“Anne, I believe that the person who entered this house wasn’t after the silver at all.”
“Then why did he take it?”
“To throw you off the track or to frighten you,” Madge returned impressively. “Either someone is after the formula or else trying to make you give up this house.”
“It looks that way. I’d suspect Jake Curtis only it appears that if he were trying to frighten me, he would have taken a more effective means. We haven’t been disturbed since you began sleeping here nights.”
“I know,” Madge agreed. “It may not be Jake at all. It could be someone who is after the formula.”
“Mr. Brownell is the only one who wants it and you say he is so interested in fishing he can’t think of anything else.”
“Well, it seems that way. Of course, there’s Clyde. Why do you suppose he stays around here so long?”
“To collect that money he claims I owe him,” Anne returned with an angry toss of her head. “He rowed over here this afternoon to tell me that unless I paid him in a week’s time he intended to sue! Oh, I wonder if any girl was ever in such a situation? Everyone after me for money and I haven’t a cent!”
“Uncle George might be able to loan you some,” Madge said doubtfully. “I don’t know—”