The girls hurriedly left the lunchroom with Karl. The government agents leisurely followed them outside.

As Nancy was about to step into her car, she thought of something. It occurred to her that by some remote chance the investigators might be interested in the phony message which she had brought with her.

"This may or may not have anything to do with the case," she told them, handing over the scented note. "But the signature is a forgery, and the perfume has some mystery to it."

She gave a brief account of her own involvement with the mystery, beginning with her encounter on the train with the man who had mentioned "the Chief," and ending with the code.

"If the rest of the code can be deciphered," Nancy concluded, "that might give us the answer to everything, including the Hale Syndicate's whereabouts."

"So you're the young detective Chief McGinnis mentioned in his reports to us," one of the agents said admiringly. "What you've done so far is really astounding. Chief McGinnis didn't mention you by name. He probably figured you would prefer him not to.

"Your deductions seem very sound. Miss Drew, and I'd advise you to be careful. That Hale gang may think you know too much already. I'll take this note and pass it along to a handwriting expert. Perhaps Yvonne Wong was the person who delivered it."

Nancy shook her head. "From what I could see of the woman, I know she wasn't Yvonne."

After the agent had wished Nancy luck on the solution of the mystery, she said good-bye to the men, and, with the others, went back to her car. Although Karl Abbott was eager to continue on to Red Gate Farm to see his father, he expressed concern about the three girls and their upsetting experience. He asked for a detailed account of the events which had led to Nancy's predicament. He was most interested and sympathetic when the girls told him the whole story.

"Well," he said admiringly, "I guess I won't worry too much about you girls. You certainly aren't easily daunted by emergencies."