The Banner Boy Scouts Mystery

ks Into

ut eight o’clock in the evening of the same day. K

What are you

ng for

t down beside his friend. “Did

the telephone that he had som

same thing. I wo

s something a

ss, but wait for Pau

Paul came out. “Hello

lo,

is it you have to t

will have some priv

he car. “Now,” said Ken, “you can tell us without anyone overhearing[29]

l,” spoke up Jack. “Any af

as the answer. “Now, this is wh

it all about?”

still have that white card

l have it, certain

u show i

e confessed, “I guess I don’t have it with me. I

the card?”

y. And he showed them the card.

e it appears as though it is the ver

l with my hands because I couldn’t see a thing. I came upon the door and I moved my hand up and down trying to find the knob when I came upon something sticking in the doorway. W

. “This card!”

sure?”

positive,” a

did it ge

’t know and which I woul

ence, overcome with amazement. Jack jumped o

to?” as

I want to fi

er boys kept up with him, walking briskly. At the Stormways home, Jack rushed up th

out of the doorway. “Here it is,

identical in every respect. “This is

We must do something about it. T

3

f he is permitted to roam the streets without being stopped, only

xiously. “Our suspicions are only a hunc

My opinion is that this is no accide

he meaning of it all, they remained silent. Paul

ha

er and see C

r?” quer

opinion on the or

n’t hurt any,”

ed them into the living room. Turning to Paul, the Captain said, “You are

t was reall

l,” he drawled, “you are a modest boy. But if it hadn’t been for

3

r boys would have,” he answered. “We w

d. But what is it I

n Bob,” he said, “we came over to ask you

do you wa

id, “What I want to know, Captain, is whether you think the fire w

ous questions,” replied C

t I am very much

ld be interested?” aske

hed into the building, I noticed s

at do yo

oor. I dashed inside by the back door and then I saw that most of the smoke a

door caved in first. However, I came to the fire a little too late to really judge the cause o

d you to believe that it was an accident or perha

said, “My dear boy, you are asking some very s

t the same, would y

chance to look into the cause of the fire and now that the house is a heap of ashes, t

, I think that the fire was

hair. “What makes you think

want to give himself away.

The Captain seemed to be musing over something and the boys had nothing more to say.[34] Paul ros

am glad you came.” He hesitated. “And,—er,—don’t you go around

aptain,” pr

ight,

ht, Capt

n silence. Ken spoke up. “That talk with t

ore convinced than ever that the fire was

“I certainly agree with you. But what c

can do anything for the

try and obtain a better description of the man from your sister, Betty, Ken. If she can te

” agreed Ken. “We wi

3

thing else we can do tonight. So I

e he

to

, the boys tried to get some information from her about the man who had taken her for a walk and then deserted her at