“I have no intention of dealing with him if anyone else will make an offer. So far I have found no other person who is interested in the property.”
Drawing a deep sigh, Mrs. Marborough arose. Without much enthusiasm she invited the girls to come with her into the house, but they tactfully declined.
“We’ll come again tomorrow, if you don’t mind,” Penny said as she and Louise turned to leave.
“Do,” replied Mrs. Marborough. “We might make a final search for the pearls.”
Enroute to Riverview, the girls talked over the situation and agreed that the prospect of finding the necklace was a slim one. They had grown to like the eccentric widow and were sorry that she had decided to move away from the city of her birth.
“I am sure if she had money she would remain here,” Louise declared. “And it will nearly kill her if she is forced to deal with Jay Franklin. How she does dislike him!”
Parting with her chum in the business section of Riverview, Penny went directly to the Star office. Her father was ready to start home.
“Anything new about Jay Franklin and those record stones he hopes to sell to the museum?” Penny inquired absently as the automobile sped along the congested streets.
“Nothing you haven’t heard,” Mr. Parker replied. “Franklin expects to make the sale and probably will. The museum people have put themselves on record as saying that the stones bear authentic writing.”
“Then it appears that your original hunch was incorrect,” Penny observed. “Too bad you played down the story in the Star.”