"Well," said Andy, "maybe you won't believe me, but it was just this way. I was under the window listening, when all of a sudden old Ramsy took out of her pocketbook a slip of paper. She handed it to the man, and said that she had found it in the girls' room, and that she was sure that your sister gave it to Rose, for she saw her slip something into her hand as Rose went out from the shed. The man read what was on the paper and then put it on the window sill. A nice little breeze came along----" "And blew it right out to you," finished Jack, not attempting to hide his surprise at the boy's astuteness. "Yep, and I've got it right here," Andy declared, jabbing his hand into his torn blouse, and then from the depths of what might have been a handkerchief, had it not been beyond identification, he produced a card. "That's my sister's card," said Jack, still showing surprise. Then he turned to the reverse side. He read the words, written in pencil: Clover Cottage--Lookout Beach. "That's nothing," he added, "that's the cottage where my sister is going to spend the summer. She wrote it on the card for a memorandum, I suppose, and forgot about it." "But Nellie and Rose had it in their room," persisted Andy. "Perhaps my sister asked them to write to her," went on Jack, wondering why he bothered so much with the idle chat of an ignorant urchin. "Well, Mrs. Ramsy said if she could get hold of the girl that gave that card to her girls, she would not wait for judge or justice but she would--well, she said she would do lots of things." Jack laughed outright. "Now, see here," he went on, finally, "you had better take this car back to Squaton, Andy. You have been away from home for a long time, and the first thing you know they will have detectives looking for you. Or, maybe, they will say--you ran after the girls!" It was not like Jack to joke in that strain, but the lad looked so comical, and he said such serious things in contrast to his appearance, that for the life of him, Jack could not resist the temptation to tease him. "Nope. I'm not goin' home," declared Andy. "Mom knows where I am, and I am goin' to stay in town till the two o'clock trolley comes in." "To meet the Ram and the Schenk?" asked Jack, laughing. "Then at least take this change, and look the town over. Buy some ice cream and--a brick bat or two to have ready when----" "There's a fellow I know," interrupted Andy, and taking the proffered coin, he was soon lost to Jack, and to the business of detecting the detectives. CHAPTER XIII GOING AND COMING The weather was uncertain--it might rain, but there were cobwebs on the grass, which meant "clear." But the sun did not come out, and it was past noon. These unfavorable conditions were unusual on a day when the motor girls were to make a run, but Bess, Belle and Cora were almost too busy with their preparations to pay much heed to the possibility of rain while en route.