A NARROW ESCAPE
As Nancy Drew crouched in the dark closet, she heard the door slam and
knew that someone had entered Laura Pendleton’s room.
At first, in an agony of suspense, the girl remained motionless in her
hiding place, but presently as the closet door was not opened, her
curiosity gained the upper hand. Cautiously, she peeped out through the
keyhole.
It was Jacob Aborn who had entered. She saw that he had placed an oil
lamp on the desk and was busy at Laura’s dressing table. Apparently, he
had not heard Nancy, for he did not glance toward the closet.
Ruthlessly, the man jerked out drawers from the dressing table and
emptied the contents upon the bed. As he surveyed the assortment of
bottles and boxes, he gave a disgusted grunt. What was it he was looking
for, Nancy wondered.
She was not left in doubt long, for Jacob Aborn muttered to himself:
“Drat that girl! She got away with all of them jewels! Wait until I get
hold of her again!”
His fists clinched, and a vicious, cruel expression settled over his
face.
As Nancy Drew gazed upon Jacob Aborn, there was no longer any doubt in
her mind as to the character of the man. He was a common thief! It was
now clear to her that his sole interest in Laura was to get possession
of her property. Only her opportune escape from the house had prevented
him from stealing her mother’s jewels.
Nancy was frightened by her discovery, for now she realized that she was
dealing with a hardened criminal. She dared not think of what might
become of her, should he learn that she was spying upon him.
“How did he ever get to be Laura’s guardian?” she asked herself in
bewilderment. “I can’t believe that Mrs. Pendleton knew his true
character, or she wouldn’t have entrusted her daughter to him.”
Her thoughts along that line came to an abrupt end as the man moved
toward the closet. Fearfully, Nancy ducked down behind Laura’s dresses
again and prayed that she would not be discovered.
The closet door was jerked violently open and Jacob Aborn looked in.
Nancy held her breath, each minute expecting to be dragged from her
hiding place.
The man gave the closet only a casual glance and then turned away.
“Bah!” he muttered savagely. “Nothing but clothing! A lot of good that
will do me! It’s money I want!”
The man was about to close the closet door when he came to a sudden
pause.
“Might be a good thing to look over some of these clothes,” he murmured.
“She may have left something hidden there. Can’t tell what girls are up
to these days.”
Nancy’s heart sank within her because she felt that if the man took down
any of the dresses behind which she was hidden she would surely be
discovered. She hardly dared breathe as she wondered what would happen
next.
The man took down the first dress within reach and stepped out to
examine it in the light. He found nothing in the garment and threw it
rudely over a chair. Then he came back to the closet.
As he reached in, Nancy felt that discovery was close at hand. She
wondered whether she could dash past the man, down the stairs, and get
out of the building before he could grab her.
Before he could get hold of the next garment an interruption occurred.
There was a loud noise downstairs which made both the man and Nancy
start in surprise.
“What in thunder was that?” muttered Jacob Aborn. He was evidently much
disturbed, and, turning abruptly, he ran out into the hall. Then Nancy
heard him going down the stairs.
The girl thought of the window and the rose trellis. Could she make her
escape that way during Aborn’s absence? Before she could make up her
mind she heard the man returning.
“Confound those screens on hinges,” she heard him mutter. “That’s the
second time they’ve scared me. Bah, I must be getting nervous!”
The trip downstairs had evidently put Jacob Aborn in a worse humor than
ever. He walked to the closet and surveyed the remaining dresses in
disgust.
“Guess I won’t bother with them,” the girl heard him remark.
Slamming the door, he turned and walked over to the desk. As Nancy again
peered out through the keyhole she felt a trifle weak from the fright
she had experienced.
“That was a narrow escape,” she told herself. “I thought the jig was
up.”
Unaware that he was being watched, Jacob Aborn began pawing over the
papers which were in the desk. Picking up a package of letters, he
scanned them hastily and contemptuously tossed them upon the floor.
It was with difficulty that Nancy controlled her anger as she saw the
man read Laura’s private correspondence. She longed to fly out at him
and accuse him face to face. However, she was far too wise to allow
herself to be governed by a mad impulse. She must bide her time.
After a few minutes, her limbs became cramped, and she shifted her
position. To her horror, a board creaked underfoot. Nancy felt that all
was lost as she again ducked behind the dresses.
Jacob Aborn heard the noise and wheeled about. He walked toward the
closet. Halfway across the room he paused and laughed shortly.
“Couldn’t have been anything,” he muttered. “Just looked in that closet
not more than a minute ago.”
Without troubling himself to pick up the articles he had scattered over
the floor, the man took the lamp and left the room. In relief, Nancy
Drew stepped from her hiding place.
“I suppose I’d better skip while I can,” she advised herself.
She tiptoed across the room to the window, but did not open it. Instead
she stood lost in deep thought. Although Nancy realized full well the
danger of remaining longer in the house, she had the instincts of a
detective. So long as there was a chance that she might learn more by
waiting, she hesitated to leave.
She could hear Jacob Aborn descending the stairs to the first floor.
“I’ll not leave yet,” she decided firmly.
Softly opening the door, she crept down the carpeted hall. After
listening a minute, she quietly slipped down the stairway, taking care
not to step in the middle of the boards lest they squeak and betray her
presence.
Reaching the living room, she paused to listen. She could hear Jacob
Aborn moving about in the kitchen. Overcome by curiosity, she tiptoed to
the door.
“If only some errand would take him outside,” she thought hopefully.
Her wish was gratified, for presently the man picked up a water bucket
and left the house. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Nancy darted
into the kitchen and hid in the broom closet. She marveled at her own
bravery, for she knew that she was taking a great risk. Nevertheless,
she was determined to discover what Jacob Aborn was about.
In a few minutes the man returned with the bucket of water. To Nancy’s
disappointment he picked up a basket of groceries on the table and began
to prepare his supper.
The air in the closet became unpleasantly warm and close, and she began
to regret that she had sought the hiding place. However, her interest
quickened as she saw Laura’s guardian wrap up a number of sandwiches, an
orange, and an apple in a newspaper.
“There, that’s ready for to-morrow,” she heard him mutter.
Placing the bundle on the kitchen table, the man sat down and began to
eat his supper.
In fascination, Nancy stared at the bundle on the table. What could it
mean? She recalled that Laura had told her she had frequently seen her
guardian leave the house with a small package. Did Jacob Aborn always
carry food in the bundle? If so, what became of it?
Nancy Drew was puzzled, and the more she tried to think of an
explanation, the more bewildered she became. Certainly, she had stumbled
upon a mystery.
“That man was carrying a bundle to-day when I saw him walking through
the forest,” she reasoned. “Then when he caught me looking through the
window of the deserted bungalow, the bundle was gone. I believe it will
be worth my while to have another look at that bungalow!”
Now that she had stumbled upon what she considered a valuable clue,
Nancy Drew was eager to get away from the house. But so long as Jacob
Aborn remained in the kitchen, she was held a prisoner.
Impatiently, she watched him eat his supper, and it seemed to her that
he would never get through. Even after he had finished, he leaned back
in his chair and studied the floor meditatively. The expression upon his
face was not pleasant to behold.
“I’ll venture he’s cooking up some dirty scheme,” Nancy told herself.
At last the man pushed back his chair and picked up the oil lamp.
“May as well get busy,” he grunted. “I’ve got a big night before me.”
Leaving the bundle upon the table, he turned and left the kitchen. A few
minutes later, Nancy heard him trudging heavily up the staircase.
“Now what shall I do?” she asked herself in perplexity, as she came out
of the closet.
Escape was a simple matter, for the kitchen door had been left unlocked.
However, Nancy was not altogether certain that she wished to leave the
house so soon. Jacob Aborn’s last statement held her interest.
What did he mean by, “a big night before him”? Was he planning more
mischief? Nancy Drew determined to wait and find out.