FOLLOWING A CLUE
Although highly elated at what she had learned from the Tophams, Nancy
Drew was at a loss to know how to proceed. Undoubtedly, the old Crowley
clock was set up in the bungalow at Moon Lake, but to get there was
another matter. Nancy was determined to profit by the information, but
was confronted with a number of serious problems.
Moon Lake was located among the hills forty miles away, and the roads
were not of the best. Nancy did not know the exact location of the
Topham cottage. Then, too, she needed an excuse for making the long
trip.
"If the Tophams learn I have gone to Moon Lake they may become
suspicious," she counseled herself. "I must think of some excuse to
broadcast as a smoke screen."
But try as she would, Nancy could think of nothing. She took a certain
amount of pride in her detective work, and now that she felt she had
struck a valuable clue, she did not wish to ask advice from her father.
She preferred to solve the mystery herself and then surprise him with
the solution.
At dinner that night, Nancy was unusually silent and Carson Drew
commented on her preoccupation.
"It seems to me you have been looking troubled lately," he observed.
"Do you feel well?"
"Never felt better in my life," Nancy laughed.
"Just the same, I believe you need a vacation. I realize that it isn't
easy for a girl your age to look after a big house like this. After a
time, the responsibility gets to be wearing."
"How stupid of me!" Nancy exclaimed.
In her excitement, she permitted a fork to fall from her hand and
clatter against the plate. Carson Drew, who did not comprehend what was
passing through his daughter's mind, looked at her in surprise.
"Stupid?" he inquired.
"Oh, I mean it was strange I didn't think of Helen Corning before
this," Nancy said hastily. "Helen is going to a girls' camp on Moon
Lake. I'm dying to go to Moon Lake! May I start the first thing in the
morning? I know I can get in. They have room for half a dozen more
girls, Helen said."
"I think it would be an excellent idea, Nancy. A nice rest will do
wonders for you. Go, by all means."
Nancy Drew was delighted that she had stumbled upon an excuse which
would make it appear natural for her to go to Moon Lake. Early the next
morning, after packing a suitcase, she started off in the roadster. As
it was not out of her way to go by the River Road, she decided to stop
at the Horners and give Grace the dress goods she had promised her.
As she drove in at the gate, one glance told Nancy that something was
wrong. She saw a number of dead chickens in the barnyard, and as the
Horner girls came toward her from the direction of the hen house, it
was evident that Allie had been crying.
"Why, what is the matter?" Nancy asked quickly.
"Oh, it's my chickens, Nancy. They're all dying. I can't understand
it. This morning when I went to feed them I found ten dead. I'm so
discouraged."
"And yesterday a fox took two," Grace added. "I guess fate is against
us."
"I'm afraid I'll lose all of my chickens before I get through," Allie
declared unhappily. "I don't know what is killing them. They seem to
have a strange disease."
"Allie is all broken up," Grace said quietly. "She's worked so hard
with her chickens. Most of them are pets. And then, we need the money
so badly. Now that dressmaking has fallen off, the chicken money is
our only means of support."
"Please, won't you let me help?" Nancy begged reaching for her
pocketbook. "Accept a little loan to tide you over?"
Grace shook her head firmly.
"Thank you for your kindness, Nancy; but we can't take your money.
We'll manage somehow."
"If only Uncle Josiah had provided for us!" Allie sighed. "You haven't
learned anything more about the second will, Nancy?"
"I haven't anything definite to report," Nancy replied, evading the
question. She did not wish to raise false hope and she thought it best
not to tell of her discovery. "But I'm still hoping we'll be able to
trace the will."
"I doubt it," Grace commented pessimistically.
"I'm on my way to Moon Lake now," Nancy told the girls. "I stopped
here to deliver the dress goods." She handed a package to Grace. "The
pattern is inside and I'm easy to fit, so you'll have no trouble."
Grace's face brightened as she accepted the bundle.
"Oh, Nancy, I can't thank you----"
"It is I who should thank you," Nancy laughed. "And now let me pay for
the dress in advance."
Again Grace stubbornly shook her head.
"Not until the work is finished. That isn't good business."
Nancy saw that Grace and Allie were too proud to accept help, and
regretfully abandoned the idea of trying to give them money.
"I'll come back in a few days for a fitting," she promised, as she
prepared to drive away.
Nancy's talk with the Horner girls had left her rather depressed, for
she realized that in spite of their pride, Allie and Grace would soon
be forced to accept charity. Oh, if only she could help them!
"And poor old Abigail," Nancy thought. "If Josiah Crowley had used a
grain of sense, things wouldn't be in such a muddle."
Nancy soon branched off from the River Road and headed south toward
Moon Lake. The highway was little traveled and it was necessary for
her to devote all of her attention to driving. The road had not been
dragged after a recent rain and the ruts were deep. Jagged rocks and
stones were scattered in the path, and it seemed to Nancy that the
hills went straight up and straight down.
Presently, she noticed that the roadster had taken a strange notion to
turn to the left of the road in spite of her efforts to keep it in the
middle. Not without foreboding of trouble, she stopped the car and got
out to make a tour of inspection. As she had suspected, a rear tire was
flat.
"A puncture!" Nancy murmured in disgust. "If that isn't just my luck!
Oh, well, I suppose I must fix it myself, because there won't be
another car along for an hour on this road."
It was not the first time Nancy Drew had changed a tire, but she never
relished the task. Rummaging under the seat, she pulled out the tools
and quickly jacked up the rear axle. She loosened the lugs which held
the tire in place, and tugged at it. Again and again she pulled, but
the huge balloon tire could not be budged. Then, as she gave one mighty
tug, it came off and Nancy Drew fell backwards into a sitting posture
in the road.
"Well, it's off, anyway," she told herself with satisfaction, as she
brushed the dirt from her clothing.
It required but a few minutes to put on the spare tire and fasten the
old one to the rear of the car. Then, in relief, Nancy started on her
way again, but the accident had delayed her nearly an hour.
It was after twelve o'clock when at last she came within sight of Camp
Avondale, where Helen Corning was staying. Through the tall trees she
caught a glimpse of a long row of shacks and saw the smoke rising from
the cook house. Beyond, the blue lake sparkled and glimmered in the
sunlight.
As Nancy drove into the camp, a group of girls gathered about the
roadster. Helen Corning came running out of a cabin to greet her chum.
"Girls, it's Nancy Drew!" she exclaimed enthusiastically. "Now the fun
will start! Park your car over there back of the cook house, Nancy."
"Am I too late for dinner?" Nancy demanded. "I'm nearly starved."
"You're just in time," Helen assured her. "Oh, Nancy, I'm so glad you
came."
"So am I."
"How long can you stay?"
"Oh, I don't know. Until you get tired of me probably."
"Then you'll stay for the rest of the summer," Helen laughed.
Nancy was escorted to the main building of the camp, where she met the
lady in charge and registered.
"She is to stay with me," said Helen; and so it was arranged.
When the girls walked off Nancy told Helen about selling the charity
dance tickets and gave her the money paid by Mr. Topham.
"He surely was generous," said Helen, in surprise.
"He did it just to show off," declared Nancy. "I am positive of it."
Nancy scarcely had time to deposit her suitcase under her cot and
freshen up a bit from her long ride, when dinner was called. The food
was plain but substantial, and already she discovered that she had
developed an enormous appetite.
Dinner over, she was rushed from one thing to another. The girls
insisted that Nancy join them in a hike. She returned to camp with a
desire for a good rest, but Helen Corning had other plans.
"We're all going for a ride in the launch before supper," she declared.
"Don't you ever rest here?" Nancy groaned.
"Oh, yes--at night. This is your first day here. You'll be used to it
in a day or so."
"Either that or I'll be a wreck."
"But you don't want to miss the launch ride, Nancy. You'll have a
splendid opportunity to see all the summer cottages on Moon Lake."
"Summer cottages?" Nancy asked quickly. Instantly she thought of the
Topham bungalow and wondered where it was located. Undoubtedly, the
launch ride would give her the opportunity to find out.
"You'll go, won't you?" Helen begged. "You can rest after supper."
"Yes, I'll go," Nancy promised. "You couldn't keep me here."
Although she was tired, she was really enjoying herself immensely.
Six girls loaded themselves into the launch and someone started the
motor.
"It's always a relief when the engine starts," Helen explained. "Every
so often it balks."
As the little launch turned out into the lake, it seemed to Nancy that
she had never seen a more beautiful sight. The sun, which appeared to
be sinking down into the water, resembled a great ball of fire. Yet,
she did not forget the real purpose of the trip.
"The Tophams have a bungalow up here, haven't they?" she questioned.
"Yes, it's across the lake from here. We'll come to it presently."
"The Tophams aren't there now?"
"Oh, no, the cottage is closed. There's a negro caretaker who looks
after it--they call him Jeff Tucker."
"Is it hard to get to the place?"
"Oh, not if you go by launch. But it's a long way if you take the road
around the lake. I didn't know you were particularly interested in the
Tophams, Nancy."
"Oh, they're no friends of mine," Nancy returned hastily. "I was
merely curious."
After a time, as the launch chugged along close to the shore, Helen
waved her hand toward a bungalow which was set back some distance from
the water.
"The Tophams own that one," she informed her chum.
Eagerly, Nancy turned her head and looked. She told herself that she
would remember the location.
"We're going to have a wonderful time here together," Helen chatted
happily on. "Next week there's going to be a big dance, too. Oh,
there's so much of interest at Moon Lake, Nancy! You'll stay, won't
you?"
Involuntarily, Nancy's eyes swept the shore and came to rest on the
Topham bungalow.
"You're right, Helen," she agreed heartily. "There are a number of
interesting things here! Yes, if you want me to, I'll stay."