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 CHAPTER XXIV

MR. GOUPIL CALLS

After practice that afternoon Laurie returned to the room to find Ned engaged in sorting things out preparatory to packing up. When Laurie entered, however, the other paused in his effort to stuff more rubbish into an already overloaded waste-basket and announced in triumph, "We had it right, partner!"

"Elk Thurston?"

"Elk and Jim Hallock. Elk's just left here."

"Left here? You mean he was in to see you?"

Ned nodded. "Yes. It was rather decent of him, I think. Take that idiotic expression from your face and sit down. This is how Elk tells it. He and Jim were looking out of their window that night and saw the lights of Mr. Wells's car on the other side of the hedge. One of them said something about Mr. Wells always leaving his car around and what a joke it would be if it wasn't there when he came back for it. Well,