Part 26 (1/2)

TO MIKE MCGUIRE

I'VE COME BACK.

YOU KNOW WHAT I'VE GOT AND I KNOW WHAT YOU'VE GOT.

ACT p.r.o.nTO. I'LL COME FOR MY ANSWER AT ELEVEN FRIDAY NIGHT--AT THIS TREE. NO TRICKS. IF THERE'S NO ANSWER--YOU KNOW WHAT I'LL DO.

HAWK.

”Hawk!” muttered Beth, ”who on earth----?”

”Another----,” said Peter cryptically.

”You see!” cried Beth triumphantly, ”I knew it couldn't be Jack Bray!”

”This chap seems to be rather in earnest, doesn't he? _p.r.o.nto!_ That means haste.”

”But it's only a joke. It must be,” cried Beth.

Peter loosened the knife, took the placard down and turned it over, examining it critically.

”I wonder.” And then, thoughtfully, ”No, I don't believe it is. It's addressed to McGuire. I'm going to take it to him.”

”Mike McGuire,” corrected Beth. And then, ”But it really does look queer.”

”It does,” a.s.sented Peter; ”it appears to me as if this message must have come from the person McGuire saw last night.”

Beth looked bewildered.

”But what has Aunt Tillie got to do with--with Hawk? She never knew anybody of that name.”

”Probably not. It isn't a real name, of course.”

”Then why should it frighten Mr. McGuire?” she asked logically.

Peter shook his head. All the props had fallen from under his theories.

”Whether it's real to McGuire or not is what I want to know. And I'm going to find out,” he finished.

When they reached a path which cut through the trees toward the creek, Beth stopped, and held out her hand.

”I'm not goin' up to the house with you and I don't think I'll see Aunt Tillie just now,” she said. ”Good-by, Mr.----”

”Peter----,” he put in.

”Good-by, Mr. Peter.”

”Just Peter----” he insisted.

”Good-by, Mr. Just Peter. Thanks for the playin'. Will you let me come again?”

”Yes. And I'm going to get you some music----”