Тайна загадочной лестницы [with w_cat] | страница 34

[487] "Dad didn't want me to bother meeting him, but I just can't wait to see him. I think I'll meet all the trains from Chicago that stop here."

[488] "I hope your father will stay with us for two or three days," Miss Flora spoke up. "Surely he'll have some ideas about our ghost."

[489] "And good ones, too," Nancy said. "If he's on the early train, he'll have breakfast with us. I'll meet it at eight o'clock."

[490] But later that evening Nancy's plans were suddenly changed. Hannah Gruen telephoned her to say that a man at the telegraph office had called the house a short time before to read a message from Mr. Drew. He had been unavoidably detained and would not arrive Wednesday.

[491] "In the telegram your father said that he will let us know when he will arrive," the housekeeper added.

[492] "I'm disappointed," Nancy remarked, "but I hope this delay means that Dad is on the trail of Willie Wharton!"

[493] "Speaking of Willie Wharton," said Hannah, "I heard something about him today."

[494] "What was that?" Nancy asked.

[495] "That he was seen down by the river right here in River Heights a couple of days ago!"

[497] "You say Willie Wharton was seen in River Heights down by the river?" Nancy asked unbelievingly.

[498] "Yes," Hannah replied. "I learned it from our postman, Mr. Ritter, who is one of the people that sold property to the railroad. As you know, Nancy, Mr. Ritter is very honest and reliable. Well, he said he'd heard that some of the property owners were trying to horn in on this deal of Willie Wharton's for getting more money. But Mr. Ritter wouldn't have a thing to do with it—calls it a holdup."

[499] "Did Mr. Ritter himself see Willie Wharton?" Nancy asked eagerly.

[500] "No," the housekeeper replied. "One of the other property, owners told him Willie was around."

[501] "That man could be mistaken," Nancy suggested.

[502] "Of course he might," Hannah agreed. "And I'm inclined to think he is. If your father is staying over in Chicago, it must be because of Willie Wharton."

[503] Nancy did not tell Hannah what was racing through her mind. She said good night cheerfully, but actually she was very much worried.

[504] "Maybe Willie Wharton was seen down by the river," she mused. "And maybe Dad was 'unavoidably detained' by an enemy of his in connection with the railroad bridge project. One of the dissatisfied property owners might have followed him to Chicago."