Part 20 (1/2)
”The doctor!” Bess exclaimed in dismay.
”Now don't start worrying,” Nancy said. ”My hand hurts only a little this morning, and I intend to play in the golf tournament.”
She refused to say anything more about her injury, and started to dress. George and Bess tried in every way to a.s.sist her so she would not need to use her sore hand.
”You'll just have enough time to eat breakfast and reach the first tee,” George said, glancing at her watch. ”It's rather late.”
The girls hastened to the dining room. They had just seated themselves when Nancy glimpsed Chris Sutter coming timidly toward her.
”Excuse me for bothering you, Miss Drew, but I want to talk to you about Miss Judson. My mother is here in the lobby and she has something to tell you.”
Nancy arose quickly.
”Don't wait breakfast for me,” she told Bess and George. ”I'll go with Chris. This may be important!”
CHAPTER XIII.
Unexpected Plunge
”HAVE you learned something about Margaret Judson?” Nancy inquired as she led Mrs. Sutter to a secluded corner in the hotel lobby. ”Do you know where she's living now?”
”No, Miss Drew. That's what I want to talk with you about.”
Nancy looked puzzled, and Mrs. Sutter hastened to explain. She had learned from the village postmistress that several letters addressed to Margaret Judson were being held for lack of a forwarding address.
”I thought you might have found out where she lives,” the woman added.
”No, I haven't,” Nancy answered.
It was clear to her now that Mrs. Sutter had come, not just to impart information, but to learn why Nancy was interested in Margaret Judson. The young detective cleverly avoided Mrs. Sutter's questions, but could not help feeling provoked because so much time had been wasted. She ended the conversation by explaining that her friends were waiting for her at the breakfast table.
Bess and George had just finished their meal. Since it was so late, Nancy ordered only orange juice and breakfast rolls.
”You can't win a golf tournament on a diet like that,” protested Bess, who loved to eat.
”I must hurry. I was with Mrs. Sutter longer than I expected and learned nothing except that Margaret Judson hasn't picked up her mail for a long while.”
The girls hastened to the hotel's golf office. They found the tournament chairman talking earnestly with a group of players who were to compete in the day's finals.
Betsy Howard, Nancy's opponent, explained to her, ”There seems to be some mix-up. Our match has been postponed until one o'clock.”
”I'm glad,” said Nancy. ”I really prefer to play this afternoon.” Actually the young detective was delighted; she could do some more sleuthing.
Bess and George suggested that their friend rest in her hotel room while they played tennis, but Nancy told them she had other plans. After they had gone, she drove to the village to interview the postmistress. The woman consented to show her the letters she was holding for Margaret Judson.
Nancy studied them and thought, ”There's no return address on any of them and they were mailed rather recently from Carrollton.” Nancy knew this was a town not far from the hotel. She noted that much of the handwriting resembled Bartescue's autograph on her golf ball. ”I'm sure he wrote all these letters,” Nancy concluded.
Nancy's second stop was at the nearby college town of Andover. At the campus bookstore she asked to see the directory of instructors.