The Clue in the Jewel Box Page 5

  “Your grandson should be very happy here,” she said finally.

  “Everything is nearly ready now for his arrival. Anna and I will welcome him tomorrow night with a grand dinner to celebrate. I am glad that you and your father are coming.”

  Nancy gazed about the living room with troubled eyes. A few of the art treasures had been put away, but many remained. Fragile glass stood on small antique tables. The slightest push against them would cause disaster.

  “I can’t help wondering what Mr. Baum’s German shepherd dog will do to this room,” she remarked.

  “My grandson has a dog?” Mrs. Alexandra asked.

  “Yes, he has. And it isn’t very well trained.”

  “Oh dear! I’m afraid of large dogs. What shall I do about it?”

  “I’ll handle the matter for you, if I may,” Nancy offered. “I am certain I can induce your grandson to give up his dog.”

  “Oh, thank you so much,” the woman said.

  Relieved by Nancy’s reassuring answer, the woman now spoke of Mr. Faber. She explained that his grandfather had been a distinguished personage in her country.

  “Not only was he a great jeweler, but he perfected a formula for noncrackable enamel.”

  “But I thought no such method exists todayl” Nancy exclaimed, astonished.

  “Unfortunately it was lost. You must ask Mr. Faber to tell you all about it.”

  Mrs. Alexandra suddenly seemed weary. Nancy had intended to speak of the singing nightingale and his strange song, but decided to do so another time.

  As soon as Anna appeared with the jeweled hair ornament in a paper bag, Nancy rose from her chair and said good-by.

  As she left the house, the young sleuth thought, “I’m afraid Mrs. Alexandra will be disappointed when she meets her grandson.”

  Nancy was so busy thinking about him that she failed to observe a tall shadowy figure watching her from around the corner of the building. He nodded in satisfaction at sight of the paper bag in her hand.

  Waiting until she had gone a short distance down the street, he stealthily followed Nancy.

  CHAPTER VIII

  Nancy Is Robbed

  UNAWARE that she was being followed, Nancy walked on, deep in thought. Presently she approached a lonely section of the street, where there was an old cemetery with a high, vine-covered wall. No one was in sight, except the lone man and the unsuspecting girl toward whom he drew closer.

  Suddenly the tires of a speeding automobile screeched on the roadway. Startled, Nancy turned her head to see why the driver had stopped so abruptly. As she stared at a green sedan which had pulled up at the curb, the man behind her brushed past. He jostled Nancy’s arm, knocking the paper bag from her hand.

  “Excuse me,” he muttered. He stooped and fumbled for a moment with the bag.

  “I’ll get it,” said Nancy quickly. Though the man kept his head down and his face turned away, she could see he had bushy hair. Like the customer in the shop, he was tall and wore a dark jacket. Could it be the same man?

  Nancy feared that he meant to steal the precious package, but he dropped it at once and hurried away. The driver of the green car alighted and picked it up for her.

  “Don’t you remember me?” he asked as he returned the bag. “Why, I’m an old friend!”

  “You’re Mr. Dorrance,” Nancy said.

  “That’s right and I didn’t even have to wave a handkerchief, did I?”

  “Not this time. That pickpocket wouldn’t be likely to speak to me.”

  “How about a lift home?” the man inquired.

  Nancy politely declined the invitation. “No, thank you. I prefer to walk.” She never accepted rides from persons she did not know well.

  “Suit yourself.” The man shrugged. He jumped into his car and quickly drove off.

  “I hope my car will be fixed soon,” Nancy thought and walked home without further incident. She went to the kitchen and told Hannah Gruen about borrowing the diamond-and-ruby headdress from Mrs. Alexandra.

  “It’s beautiful,” she declared, opening the bag. “Why, it’s not here!”

  Dumbfounded, Nancy pulled out a dirt-covered stone.

  “The ornament was stolen!” she cried, collapsing into a chair. “I’ve been tricked!”

  “How dreadful!” said the housekeeper.

  The loss made Nancy feel ill. She knew that the piece had been inside the bag when she had left Mrs. Alexandra’s home. A daring thief either had substituted another bag, or else slipped the stone inside this one in place of the jewel case.

  “It was either David Dorrance or that man who brushed against me!” she thought angrily.

  Nancy believed that the act had been committed by the stranger who no doubt knew what she was carrying. She felt sure now that he was the man from the shop and that he had followed her. She recalled how he had shielded his face from her.

  “I dread telling Mrs. Alexandra,” Nancy groaned, adding, “At least I can notify the police!”

  She immediately called headquarters. The lieutenant on duty assured her they would do what they could. But without a good description of the thief’s face it would be more difficult to apprehend him.

  “Now the next thing you must do is report the loss to Mrs. Alexandra,” Hannah urged.

  “I just hate to!”

  “You should do it at once, Nancy.”

  “I know,” she answered. “But it’s the most disagreeable task I’ve ever had in my life.”

  Leaden feet carried her once more to the home of Mrs. Alexandra. The woman listened in amazement to Nancy’s story.

  “The piece did have great value,” the owner acknowledged. “A thief must have seen Anna put it into the bag. No doubt he was watching her through a window.”

  Nancy’s spirits dropped lower, for she was afraid she might never be able to repay the great loss. At that moment Anna came into the room. Her mistress told her what had happened.

  “Madame Marie,” she said quickly, “the stolen ornament was not the genuine one.”

  “You wrapped up the imitation headdress?” the woman cried in relief. “The one Mr. Faber sold to me before he found the original family piece?”

  “Yes, Madame, by mistake.”

  “Anna, you are the brightest of all my jewels!” the gracious lady exclaimed.

  Nancy felt so grateful that she could have hugged Anna.

  “I am happy the real ornament is safe,” Mrs. Alexandra declared. “Since I meant you to have the genuine one, Nancy, you may take it now.”

  “And risk another theft? Oh no!”

  “Then Anna and I will keep the headdress for you until Thursday, if you prefer.”

  Nancy rose to leave. “And when I come for it, I may bring a bodyguard!” Her eyes twinkled as she added, “As for your dinner party tomorrow evening, my father and I will bring only your grandson!”

  Dinner was ready by the time Nancy reached home. Mrs. Gruen had prepared an excellent meal, but for some reason Carson Drew ate little.

  “What’s wrong, Dad?” Nancy inquired, glancing up. “Aren’t you feeling well?”

  “Oh, I’m all right.”

  “Then you’re worried. Is it about that wallet you lost?”

  “Well, I had hoped it would be returned,” the lawyer admitted. “At least the papers in it.”

  “You ran an ad in the newspaper, didn’t you?”

  “Yes, I offered a reward and no questions asked. Nothing came of it.”

  “I’ve had no luck in tracing the pickpocket either,” Nancy said, sighing.

  At that moment the discussion was interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell. Nancy went to answer it. At the door stood a good-looking young man, broad-shouldered and deeply tanned.

  “Ned!” Nancy cried jubilantly. “It’s great to see you!”

  “And you.” He laughed, seizing her hand. “I just happened to be doing an errand near here and thought I’d drop over.”

  Ned Nickerson and Nancy were friends of long
standing. They enjoyed the same things and frequently went together to parties. Though she had many other admirers, Nancy admitted to herself that Ned was her favorite.

  “Are you free for a date tonight?” he asked.

  “I have one,” Nancy said with genuine regret. “Why didn’t you warn me you were coming?”

  “How about tomorrow night?”

  “Mrs. Alexandra, a new acquaintance, has invited Dad and me to a special dinner party. We are to take her grandson, Francis Baum, to see her for the first time. It’s thrilling, Ned! He’s supposed to be a missing prince—”

  “Wish he’d stay missing,” Ned muttered. “Well, how about tomorrow afternoon?”

  “Fine, if you’ll get me home in time to dress for the dinner party.”

  “All right, we’ll take in the carnival,” Ned said. “Everything from fortune-telling to the roller coaster.”

  The following afternoon the two arrived at the carnival grounds. They mingled with the crowd, enjoying the various amusements.

  Finally Ned bought tickets for the roller coaster. As the car dashed madly down each incline, Nancy held her breath and clung to Ned. He enjoyed this so much that he suggested a second ride.

  “No, let’s try something else,” Nancy pleaded. “How about the Ferris wheel?”

  “Too tame.”

  “After that wild ride I crave something mild.”

  “Then up we go,” Ned gave in reluctantly.

  He bought tickets, and they sat down in one of the cars. Soon the giant wheel began to turn. It moved very slowly. The motor which rotated it made a loud, racking noise.

  “Terrible!” Ned complained. “Sounds as if it’s going to fall apart!”

  “It’s pokey, too,” Nancy admitted. “Oh, well, the torture won’t last long.”

  Just then the Ferris wheel came to a grinding halt. The car in which Nancy and Ned were seated remained stationary at the very top. Minutes elapsed, but still the wheel did not start.

  “What’s the matter with this thing?” Ned demanded, peering over the side.

  Below, he could see two men working over the machinery. Persons in the lower cars close to the ground were being helped out.

  “We’re stuck up here!” Ned exclaimed.

  CHAPTER IX

  Ferocious Dog

  “THEY’LL fix it soon,” Nancy said. “In the meantime, let’s enjoy the view.”

  “The sun’s hot and I’m thirsty.”

  “We might ask one of the men to pass us up some cool drinks,” Nancy suggested.

  “Now that’s a cool idea,” Ned said, grinning.

  He called to the men below, asking them to send up both food and drink by means of long poles, which could be handed from car to car. Other trapped passengers took up the cry.

  At first the request was looked upon as a joke, but as time wore on and the wheel did not move, Ned asked a second time. Others added their pleas, and finally they were answered.

  After another hour had elapsed, Ned teased Nancy, “Still enjoying the view?”

  “It’s getting monotonous,” she said, shifting into a more comfortable position. She glanced at her watch worriedly. “If I don’t get home soon, I’ll be late for Mrs. Alexandra’s dinner.”

  Ned replied soberly, “Wish I could do something.”

  “I asked Francis Baum to come to our house at six-thirty,” Nancy put in restlessly. “Katherine Kovna has been invited, too,” she added, and told Ned about the designer.

  “I guess the workmen expect to get the machinery fixed any minute now,” Ned said a little later to encourage her. “Cheer up!”

  Nancy settled back into her seat again, forcing herself to remain calm. Her gaze roved to the curious crowd which had gathered some distance away to stare at the motionless Ferris wheel. As she idly watched, a wiry built man, who walked with short, quick steps, edged close to another man. Deftly he removed a wallet from the hip pocket of the unsuspecting victim and turned to slip away in the crowd.

  “Ned!” Nancy exclaimed, clutching his hand. “I just saw a pickpocket take a man’s wallet! We must do something!”

  “What can we do?”

  Together they shouted, trying to attract the attention of someone on the ground. But other trapped passengers were making so much noise that no one paid any attention.

  “It’s no use now,” Nancy said. “The pickpocket’s gone, and we’ll probably be here forever! Oh—”

  Suddenly the Ferris wheel began to move. The cars jerked violently.

  “Here we go!” Ned exclaimed jubilantly.

  The next instant the cars raced downward at a breath-taking speed. The machinery was completely out of control!

  The Ferris wheel made a complete revolution, stopping with a terrific jerk. Once more the car in which Ned and Nancy were imprisoned stopped at the top.

  “That was horrible!” Nancy exclaimed.

  In the car beneath them two little girls began to whimper with fear. The younger child stood up and started to unfasten the safety bar.

  “I won’t stay on this thing another minute!” she screamed hysterically.

  Nancy, thoroughly alarmed, leaned far over. She spoke to the frightened children soothingly.

  “Just look!” Nancy said cheerfully. “A photographer has come to take your picture.”

  The prospect of having their pictures taken on the Ferris wheel took the children’s minds off their predicament. They sat down again and even smiled as the shutter clicked.

  A moment later the Ferris wheel started to revolve. Everyone sat tense, fearful of another wild ride. But this time the cars moved slowly and one by one came to a stop. The passengers alighted.

  “At last!” breathed Nancy as she and Ned were released. “If we hurry, I can still reach home in time to change for dinner.”

  “Just a minute!” interposed the photographer.

  Before Nancy could duck her head, he had snapped the picture.

  “The nerve of that guy!” Ned exclaimed.

  Nancy laughed to cover her irritation. “I really must get home!”

  The couple soon reached the Drew house.

  “I wish you had been invited to the dinner, Ned,” Nancy said regretfully.

  “All I ask is that you don’t pay too much attention to that prince.” He chuckled. “I’ll pick you up for Helen’s picnic. ‘Bye.”

  As he drove away, a taxi drew up nearby. Katherine Kovna, dressed in a white evening gown with matching coat and beaded bag, alighted at the curb. She was alone because Helen and Jim Archer, although invited, had been unable to accept.

  “Am I early?” Katherine inquired.

  “You’re exactly on time,” Nancy replied. “I’m the offender. But it won’t take me long to change.”

  After explaining briefly what had occurred, she led Katherine into the house. Mr. Drew was just coming down the stairway, very handsome in his navy-blue dinner jacket and bow tie.

  “Nancy, what delayed you?” he asked.

  Again Nancy offered her excuses. Mrs. Gruen, entering the room, urged her to hurry.

  “Isn’t Francis Baum here?” Nancy asked as she took the stairs two steps at a time.

  “Not yet,” her father answered.

  Nancy was ready in record time. As she surveyed herself in a long mirror, she decided that the pale tangerine gown was attractive and appropriate.

  “Baum still hasn’t arrived,” Mr. Drew said when Nancy appeared. “Are you sure he understood he was to come to our house?”

  “Oh, yes, Dad. I called him this morning.”

  Mrs. Gruen, who stood at the front door, said, “Someone’s coming down the street. He’s dressed in sports shirt and slacks, though.”

  “Then it couldn’t be Mr. Baum,” Nancy replied. “He’d be wearing dinner clothes.”

  “All the same, it looks like him. He has a suitcase and a German shepherd dog!”

  “A dog!” Nancy’s face darkened. “I can’t believe he brought that animal! I told him that h
is grandmother is afraid of large dogs.”

  Darting to the window, she saw that the young man approaching was indeed Francis Baum.

  “Guess I’m a little late,” he remarked, stepping into the hall.

  “Why did you bring the dog?” Nancy asked.

  “Can’t I take him along?”

  “I don’t think your grandmother would want Rudy at her dinner party.”

  “Well, then I’ll have to leave him here.”

  “Here?” Hannah Gruen asked sharply.

  “Just overnight. He’s harmless.”

  “I won’t be here to look after him,” the housekeeper said coldly. “I’m going to a movie.”

  “Oh, he can stay outside,” Francis Baum said carelessly. “I’ll tie him by the garage.”

  He seemed unaware that he had caused the slightest inconvenience.

  “I suppose you’re eager to see your grandmother,” Mr. Drew remarked.

  “Oh, sure,” he replied, but his tone lacked warmth. “What’s she like?”

  “Decidedly formal,” Nancy warned him.

  “Maybe she won’t let me eat with you in these clothes.” He grinned. “But she’ll soon like me.”

  Nancy avoided looking at her father and Katherine. They all felt sick at heart, knowing that Mrs. Alexandra could not fail to be disappointed upon meeting her grandson.

  Mr. Drew parked in front of the house, which glowed with lights, and followed the others to the door. It was opened by Anna.

  Upon entering, Mr. Drew’s gaze wandered to an unusual card tray on the hall table. Constructed of copper, it was decorated with colored bits of enamel in a flower-and-leaf design.

  “That’s a sample of wonderful old enamel work,” he said to Nancy.

  “You’ll see many other treasures, unless they have been put away,” she said.

  In the living room Mrs. Alexandra, gowned in rich maroon velvet trimmed with real lace, greeted her guests. Her eyes were moist as she kissed Francis Baum on either cheek. If his appearance startled her, she did not show it.

  “Michael,” she said tenderly, leading him to a sofa, “I have prayed we would be reunited.”