A REWARD
"I suppose you've heard about the Tophams," Carson Drew remarked to his
daughter, one morning some months after the reading of the Crowley will.
"Why, no, what about them?"
"They're practically in bankruptcy. Richard Topham has been losing
steadily on the stock market of late. After his failure to recover the
Crowley fortune, the banks reduced his credit. He's been forced to give
up his home on the avenue."
"No, really? How that must hurt Mrs. Topham and the two girls."
"Yes, it's undoubtedly a bitter pill to swallow. They are moving into
a small house this week, and from now on they'll not be able to carry
themselves so high."
"I hope they don't try to make any more trouble about the will," Nancy
commented. "Goodness knows, they've made enough already."
The Tophams had not given up the Crowley estate without a bitter
battle. They had put forth the claim that the will Nancy had unearthed
was a forged document, but they had been unable to prove their
statement. The case had finally been thrown out of court.
As administrator of the estate, Carson Drew had advanced the Horner
girls and Abigail Rowen a portion of their inheritance. Several weeks
before, Nancy had visited Abigail and was delighted to find her in
surprisingly good health. She had secured medical attention, and a
trained nurse was in constant attendance.
"I believe I'll run out into the country to-day and visit the Horner
girls," Nancy told her father. "They telephoned yesterday and asked me
to come. They hinted they had something special to tell me."
"Perhaps they're going to reward you for finding the will," Mr. Drew
suggested.
"Oh, it's been nearly a month since they said anything about it," Nancy
returned carelessly. "By this time they've probably forgotten all about
it."
After luncheon, she set off for the farmhouse in her blue roadster. It
was a beautiful autumn and Nancy Drew thoroughly enjoyed the ride.
As she came within sight of the farmhouse, Nancy was astonished at the
transformation which had taken place. The house had been given a fresh
coat of white paint and a bright green roof replaced the old one. The
yard was well kept and beds of hardy plants had been set out.
In the barnyard, many new hen houses were going up. Perhaps the most
surprising thing was the large number of chickens in evidence.
"Welcome to the chicken farm!" Allie Horner cried enthusiastically, as
she ran from the house to greet Nancy.
"I never saw so many chickens in all my life," Nancy declared.
"All Leghorns too," Allie told her proudly.
By this time Grace Horner had reached the roadster and she too gave
Nancy a hearty welcome.
"Allie is in her element these days," she laughed. "She's putting in
incubators, and from now on will raise nothing but high-grade fowls."
"You must see everything!" Allie insisted.
Nancy was piloted from one place to another. She saw the new chicken
houses which were being built and the incubators. But the thing which
pleased her the most was the realization that Allie and Grace were
happy in their work.
"Well, I must be getting back to River Heights," she remarked after a
time.
"Oh, you can't go yet!" Allie interposed with a quick glance at her
sister. "You tell her, Grace."
"We asked you here to-day for a special reason," Grace began a trifle
awkwardly. "You see, we've been thinking for a long time that we've
never done a thing to show our appreciation for what you did. We've
talked with the others and everyone is agreed that we should reward----"
"Oh, I don't want a reward," Nancy broke in. "I wanted to help. And,
anyway, it was fun for me."
"But we wanted to do something really handsome," Allie cried in
disappointment. "It doesn't seem fair not to give you a reward."
"There's one way you can reward me if you really want to," Nancy said
after a little hesitation.
"How?" Allie and Grace demanded in one breath.
"Well, it may sound silly, but I would like to have the Crowley clock
for my very own."
"And is that all you want?" Grace questioned in disappointment. "We'll
be glad to give you a hundred clocks if you will only take them."
"Just the old Crowley clock--that's all I care for. And if you
particularly want it yourself----"
"Oh, goodness, no," Grace assured her quickly. "It doesn't keep
particularly good time and we have more heirlooms now than we know what
to do with. Wait a minute and I'll get it for you."
She disappeared inside the farmhouse, returning in a few minutes with
the old-fashioned timepiece. She handed it to Nancy.
"You're more than welcome to it," she declared warmly, "but it isn't a
reward at all."
"It's the only reward I want," Nancy replied, smiling at the two Horner
girls.
"I don't see what you want with the thing," Allie commented. "It's not
much to look at."
Nancy did not reply at once, but gazed meditatively at the clock.
Truly, it was not handsome; but for her it had a peculiar appeal. She
could not explain to Allie and Grace just why she prized it, for her
feeling was something she could not put into words. Certainly she was
attached to it because of its suggestion of her recent adventure.
"I wonder if I'll ever have another half so thrilling?" Nancy thought.
As she stood gazing wistfully at the old clock she could not know that
before many months had passed, she would be involved in a mystery
far more baffling than the one she had just solved. Her adventures,
recounted in the next volume of this series, "The Hidden Staircase,"
were before her. Nancy Drew did not have the power of projecting
herself into the future, and yet as she looked down at the timepiece,
she seemed to know that exciting days were soon to come.
"I'll always prize this clock as a trophy of my first venture as a
detective," she said quietly, turning to Allie and Grace. "It will
serve as a pleasant reminder of a thrilling adventure--and, who knows?
perhaps as a promise for the future!"
THE END