"When we couldn't find the treasure everybody said we were just nuisances—little boys trying to play detective," laughed Frank. "Now that we have found it, all that is forgotten. The main thing is that we've proved to dad that we know how to keep our eyes and ears open."
"And we've got a thousand dollars between us."
"A mighty nice start for a bank account."
"I'll say it is! I wish another mystery would come along."
"We can't expect to get a reward for every case we work on—and we can't expect to solve 'em all, either," Frank pointed out.
"We can't expect to get many cases to try our hand at. We're not professionals just yet."
"No, but we will be, some day."
This conversation took place as the Hardy boys were on their way up to Tower Mansion about a week later. Adelia Applegate, who had taken a great fancy to the lads, in violent contrast to her dislike of them on the day they had gone to make a search of the old tower, had invited them up to the Tower Mansion for supper.
She had also asked them to invite a number of their chums. So Slim Robinson, Chet Morton, Biff Hooper, Jerry Gilroy, Phil Cohen
