Nancy's Mysterious Letter Page 8

  “Let us out! We’re trapped!” Nancy cried

  Nancy heaved the heavy ball and it did the trick. The chicken wire bent and the glass shattered.

  “They heard it!” Marian cried out, jumping up and down hopefully.

  Together, the two girls screamed out, “Ned! Frankl”

  The boys looked around.

  “Up here!” Nancy called. “We’re locked in upstairs in the gym!”

  Ned and Frank gazed upward in astonishment. “How’d you get there?” Frank asked.

  “It’s a long story,” Marian replied. “Spooky in here. I don’t like it.”

  “We’ll have you out in a minute,” Ned said.

  The two boys raced off to find the grounds superintendent so he could open the door. Meanwhile, the girls groped their way down the stairs and were waiting at the door when it was finally opened.

  “Thanks,” they said, locking arms with their dates.

  “Boy! What were you trying to do?” Frank asked.

  “Catch up with an actress,” said Nancy, chuckling. “You missed a chance for some excitement.”

  An explanation was quickly given. Nancy ended the story with the rueful statement that Nancy Smith Drew had disappeared again.

  “What! Then coach was here. That’s a funny one,” Frank remarked.

  Ned said, “Pretty shabby way to treat the Emerson Drama Club.”

  Nancy suddenly had an idea. “Ned,” she said, “let’s get my car and go to the place where Nancy Smith Drew lives. Maybe we can still stop her from getting married to Edgar Nixon!”

  The two said good-by to the other couple and dashed off toward the fraternity house. They had almost reached it when a large rock came whizzing through the air. It was aimed directly at Nancy!

  CHAPTER XIV

  Elusive Niece

  NED had caught a glimpse of the rock coming in Nancy’s direction. Instantly he pulled her down to the pavement and the stone sailed over the girl’s head. It crashed through one of the fraternity-house windows.

  “Oh!” Nancy exclaimed, looking around quickly to see the person who had thrown the rock.

  Both she and Ned saw a man running toward the parking lot. They dashed after him. Ned soon outdistanced Nancy and in a final sprint overtook the fellow, who was rather shabbily dressed.

  Ned grabbed hold of the assailant’s collar and yanked him around. “What was the big idea?” he said angrily. “You might have harmed my friend badly.”

  “But I didn’t, so let me go!” the stranger retorted.

  “I’ll do nothing of the kind,” Ned snapped. “Suppose you give me an explanation. Then I’ll decide what to do.”

  By this time Nancy had joined them. She, too, demanded to know why the man had acted the way he had and what his name was.

  Their captive began to tremble with fright. “I—I really didn’t mean no harm, miss,” he said. “Please don’t make me tell my name. It’ll be bad for me.”

  “Why?” Nancy said. “Would you rather tell the police?”

  “Oh no! Not the police!” the man pleaded. “As I said, I didn’t hurt you when I threw the stone, so you got no right to hold me. Let me go!”

  Nancy and Ned looked at each other. Legally the man was right. He could insist that he had not intended to hit Nancy or the window with the stone.

  “You should pay for repairing the window,” Nancy said.

  “I ain’t got no money.”

  “In that case, I guess the police will have to decide what to do,” Ned told him.

  “Please, mister, don’t do that. I’ll tell you my name. It’s Otto Busch. I’m just a no-good guy in this town. I’ll tell you the whole story. A smoothlookin’ guy came up to me down in the village and asked me if I’d like to earn some money.”

  “Yes?” Nancy prodded the man as he paused.

  “Well, he gave me a few dollars to do a job. He showed me a picture of you, miss, and said when you come home tonight, here at this house, I was to throw a big-sized rock at you and scare you.”

  “Scare me about what?” Nancy queried, staring hard at Otto Busch.

  The man shrugged. “I dunno. The guy didn’t say. I s’posed he had something on you.” Busch stopped speaking.

  “Is that all?” Ned asked.

  “Yeah. Now can I go?”

  Nancy asked for a description of the man and was sure he was Edgar Nixon. He must be getting desperate to try such a villainous method to keep her from trying to solve the mystery about him. Perhaps he had found out she had taken the letters for his Lonely Hearts Club to the postal inspector in River Heights.

  Ned let go his hold on Otto Busch. “I advise you not to be doing errands for people you don’t know. How much did the man pay you for this job?”

  “Twenty-five dollars.”

  “That’s pretty high pay for throwing one stone,” Ned remarked. “Suppose you turn over some of it to me to have a new window put in our fraternity house.”

  Otto was reluctant to do this, but seeing the determined look in the husky football player’s eyes, he changed his mind and handed over five dollars. Then, quick as a ferret, he dashed off among the cars.

  “We may as well let him go,” said Nancy.

  “What a night!” Ned remarked. “Nancy, you must be dead tired. Why don’t you go to bed and let me pick you up early in the morning to go to the house where Miss Nancy Smith Drew has been living?”

  When Nancy demurred, he added, “I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll drive past the place myself. If there’s a light in the house, I’ll ring the bell. If the elusive heiress is home, I’ll have her telephone you.”

  “I guess,” Nancy mused, “that the man who left the money to his niece had no idea she would be so hard to find.”

  Nancy suddenly realized she was extremely weary and consented to the arrangement. She waited up for half an hour but no phone call came and finally she went to bed.

  True to his word, Ned was ready by eight-thirty the next morning to take her to Mrs. Roderick’s guesthouse on Linden Road. The owner was a pleasant, middle-aged woman and her house looked immaculate.

  “Miss Drew?” she said when asked about her guest. “She slept here last night, but she has already gone out.” The woman smiled. “She is busy buying a trousseau.”

  Nancy asked quickly, “Is she wearing a wedding ring?”

  Mrs. Roderick laughed. “No, but after that little trip she just made, Miss Drew returned with a beautiful engagement ring.”

  “When will she be back?” Nancy inquired, trying not to show her mounting excitement.

  “She didn’t say. Miss Drew was carrying a suitcase, and I expect she planned to do a lot of shopping and fill it up.”

  Nancy and Ned exchanged glances. Was it possible the actress would not return?

  At once Mrs. Roderick asked, “Is something the matter?”

  “I don’t know,” Nancy replied. “I have been trying hard to find Miss Drew because I have a very important message for her. I can’t reveal everything, but when your Miss Drew returns, tell her another Nancy Drew was here and must speak to her at once. Above all, she mustn’t get married until I talk with her.”

  Mrs. Roderick started in surprise. “You mean there is something the matter with the man she’s going to marry?”

  Nancy said she preferred not to say anything more. “But, Mrs. Roderick, please be sure to have Miss Drew get in touch with me at the Omega Chi Epsilon House.”

  The woman stared in bafflement. “I assure you Miss Drew is a lovely person. Surely she would not be doing something underhanded.”

  “Oh, I’m not accusing her of doing anything underhanded,” Nancy replied. “But she may be doing something too hastily.”

  She and Ned decided to leave before Mrs. Roderick could think of any further questions. Nancy thanked her, asked the woman to give Miss Drew the message, and hurried back to the convertible.

  As they drove into the campus, Ned headed the car for the gymnasium. “I’m due to
report,” he said. “I’ll see you after the game.”

  Nancy patted his arm and wished him all kinds of good luck. “I’ll be rooting for you at the top of my lungs,” she added as he grinned and got out of the car.

  She slid over to the driver’s seat and turned in the direction of the fraternity house. Suddenly Nancy had a hunch and took a road that led to the Town Hall. She rushed inside and up to the Marriage License Bureau. The clerk on duty smiled when she eagerly asked if a Nancy Smith Drew had obtained a license recently.

  “No. Guess you’ll have to try some other town around here if you want to find her. Is she a friend of yours?”

  “Sort of,” Nancy replied. “Anyway I must find Miss Drew. If, by any chance, she should come here, tell her another Nancy Drew at the Omega Chi Epsilon House simply must see her before she gets married.”

  The clerk blinked. “Sounds like a mystery thriller.” he remarked.

  Nancy did not comment. After thanking him, she dashed from the building and hurried to her car.

  On her way once more, Nancy mulled over the case. “I have a strong hunch Miss Drew isn’t going back to Mrs. Roderick’s—at least not for a while. Suppose—just suppose Edgar Nixon has thought out a whole new scheme to escape being caught. Now what could it be?”

  Nancy discarded many theories, then one popped into her mind that she felt was worth pursuing. “It’s just possible Edgar plans to take his bride to London. Then, as if quite by accident, she’ll learn of her inheritance. He’ll see to it that she doesn’t find out in the United States.”

  She parked the car and entered the fraternity house. Nearly everyone was out, and no one was using the telephone.

  “I think I’ll call up the overseas airlines leaving from New York.”

  She got the list of numbers from information and then began calling. Between long waits, due either to busy lines, or the reservation clerks having to look up the information, half an hour went with no luck.

  “Well, here goes for the last one.” Nancy sighed as she dialed the number.

  In a few minutes a pleasant voice answered. Nancy put the same question. “Have you a reservation for today or someday soon for a Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Nixon, or Mr. Nixon and Miss Nancy Smith Drew?”

  “Just a minute.”

  The reservations girl came back on the wire. “Hello? ... Yes, they leave on—”

  The connection was suddenly cut off.

  CHAPTER XV

  A Worse Mix-up

  THOUGH Nancy tried over and over again to call the airline back, the wire continued to be busy.

  “Oh phooey!” she said to herself impatiently.

  Suddenly Nancy realized that she still did not know if the reservation was for Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Nixon, or for Edgar and Nancy Smith Drew. Also, she had not found out whether or not they were going to London, nor on what day they were flying.

  Before trying the airline again, Nancy had to relinquish the phone to several students who wanted to make calls. Soon the fraternity house held a mob of chattering, laughing boys and girls. Even if Nancy could have made the connection, she would not have heard what was being said at the other end of the line.

  Bess and George came running up to her. “Nancy, we’ve been looking all over for you. It’s almost lunchtime,” said Bess. “My, you look as if you’re in the doldrums instead of having fun. What’s the matter?”

  Nancy brought her friends up to date on the latest clue. “Well, here goes one more try for the airline.”

  The cousins could tell by the expression on Nancy’s face that the line was still busy. Finally George said, “If Miss Drew didn’t tell Mrs. Roderick she was going away, she’s probably coming back so you can talk to her later. Come on. Time to eat, and then we’ll have to hurry off to the game.”

  Nancy was torn between two desires. She hated to give up her pursuit of the other Nancy Drew. On the other hand, she would not miss seeing Ned play in this big and final game of the football season for anything.

  At that instant the telephone rang and Nancy answered it. “Chi Omega Epsilon House?” a young woman’s voice asked.

  “Yes.”

  “I’d like to speak to Nancy Drew.”

  “You’re talking to her. Is this Marian Wilson?”

  “Yes. Nancy, I’m so glad I got you before you left.”

  “Any news about Miss Drew?” Nancy asked her.

  “No, I haven’t seen her. I drove around town, thinking I might get a glimpse of her, but she wasn’t in sight.”

  Marian Wilson said she had a request to make. “Since both Ned and Frank are playing, how about you and I attending the game together?”

  “I think that’s a wonderful idea,” said Nancy. “You know, there’s just an outside chance that Nancy Smith Drew may be there, and you can spot her.”

  It was arranged that Marian was to come over to the fraternity house directly after lunch and go to the game with the girls. Dave and Burt, who were on the second-string team, had left already for the stadium.

  An hour later, just as Nancy was about to leave the house with the group, a telephone call came from her father. “You must have something important to tell me,” she said quickly.

  “I have tracked down the firm which offered to present Nancy Smith Drew so she can claim her inheritance.”

  “What kind of an agency is it?” his daughter inquired.

  “A shady outfit and not to be trusted.”

  Nancy was excited at the news. “Maybe the agency’s story is a fake, and some impostor is going to appear calling herself Nancy Smith Drew.”

  “That’s what Mr. Bates-Jones thinks,” her father said.

  She told him all that she had learned the night before and during the morning. “Your clue gives me an idea, Dad. Maybe Edgar Nixon doesn’t intend to marry Nancy Smith Drew at all. Instead, he’s taking her away to keep her from being found by me.”

  “It’s a good guess,” the lawyer remarked.

  “And here’s another thing,” Nancy went on. “Perhaps Edgar Nixon is already married to somebody else who is in cahoots with him and is going to play the part.”

  Mr. Drew sighed. “This mystery gets to be more mixed up all the time. Well, Nancy, I advise you to forget the whole thing for the afternoon and evening. Enjoy the game and have fun at the dance tonight.”

  Nancy laughed. “I don’t promise to forget the mystery, but I know I’ll have a marvelous time. Good-by, Dad. Take care.”

  On the way to the game, Nancy brought her friends up to date on the latest development.

  Marian Wilson was shocked. “We mustn’t let that lovely Miss Drew be swindled!” she cried.

  Bess spoke up. “Nancy is doing everything she can. She has left messages everywhere for Nancy Smith Drew not to get married and to get in touch with her immediately. Now let’s concentrate on the game.” The girls agreed and Nancy said no more about the mystery.

  There was a huge crowd on hand for this important game between Emerson and State University. Vendors stood outside the stadium selling pennants and football pins, and hats and flowers of the colors of the two colleges. Inside, the bands of both schools were playing. This, together with whistles and high-pitched conversation, made a great din. It turned to thunderous applause and cheers as the two teams trotted onto the field.

  Nancy and her friends had seats ideally located near the center of the field. They cheered lustily, then quieted as a whistle was blown by the referee and the captains of the opposing teams met to confer with the officials.

  “Emerson receives the kick!” came the announcement over the loudspeaker.

  The ball sailed through the air. The game was on! The blue jerseys of State U swept down the field.

  “Frank’s catching it!” Marian cried out as the ball came down.

  After deftly side-stepping a would-be tackler, Frank cut to his left, and with a good block from Ned Nickerson, sped to the thirty-yard line before being tackled.

  Excitement ran high in the stands
, packed solid with spectators in red, blue, and green sports clothes. Pennants waved amid the laughter and cheering spectators.

  “Now watch Ned go!” Nancy said. “Come on, Ned, touchdown!”

  On the playing field, Ned Nickerson realized there was no magic formula for conquering State U. He passed to a halfback, who tried an end sweep. It was good for three yards.

  On the next play Ned faded back to pass, but apparently State U had scouted him well, because two linebackers came charging through. His toss was rushed and fell short of the receiver. A groan went up from Emerson.

  Ned himself tried an off-tackle slant but failed to make the necessary ten yards. Then he dropped back to punt. The ball soared high and far, giving Emerson defenders plenty of time to race down the field. The State receiver was stopped in his tracks as Emerson fans roared their approval.

  “Come on, State! Sock it to ’em!” came cries from across the field, but State fared no better. They also had to kick on fourth down. Frank again received the ball. But instead of running with it, he lateraled to Ned. The speedy quarterback dived, ducked, wriggled, and side-stepped as he flew up the field.

  “Stop him! Stop him!” screamed State’s rooters.

  Now there was only one man between Ned and the goal line. The quarterback tried to side-step him.

  Slam! With a bone-jarring tackle, Ned was brought to the turf twelve feet short of a six pointer. He rose slowly from the ground and limped back into the huddle, but his chest hurt.

  “You all right?” Frank asked him.

  “Sure. Just shaken up a little. Let’s give ’em the down-and-out pass pattern.”

  When the ball was snapped, Ned rolled back and to his left. Emerson’s left end faked out the opposing halfback and dashed toward the corner of the field. Ned rifled a pass. It was a perfect pitch. The end caught it in his upstretched arms and fell across the goal line!

  “Eeh! Yeeh!” Marian exclaimed, jumping up and down and waving her arms wildly.

  Emerson stands were a bedlam of noise and motion. Their team led, 6-0.

  “Come on, Ned!” Nancy cried out. “Make it seven!”

  She felt confident about Ned’s place-kicking. The sportswriters had praised his toe. Now he would add to their score!