Part 8 (2/2)
”And another thing,” the doctor added. ”If your hand begins paining after you've started to play, you must default the match. Otherwise I won't be responsible for your case.”
”I promise,” Nancy murmured.
The girls were rather subdued as they went to their rooms.
”I don't think you should try to play in the tournament,” Bess declared. ”If you don't partic.i.p.ate, people will realize it's because of your injured hand. It's no disgrace to default.”
”But I want to play,” Nancy replied. ”My mind is made up.”
”Then,” George said, ”if you're determined to do it, the best thing is to go to bed and get all the rest you can.”
”I have work to do before I go to sleep,” Nancy announced. With a nod she indicated the carved bra.s.s chest under the bed.
”Let Bess and me try to open it,” George urged. ”Here, give me that spiked shoe, Nancy. You're apt to hurt your hand again.”
Eagerly the cousins took turns prying at the stubborn lid of the mysterious chest.
Finally Bess exclaimed, ”It's loosening! Yes, it's coming! Nancy, you shall have the honor of opening the chest.”
”It may be filled with worthless things.” Nancy laughed, but her hand trembled with excitement as she slowly raised the lid.
The girls stared into the interior, their eyes fastened in awe on the amazing contents. Nancy was the first to recover from her astonishment.
”It's almost unbelievable!” she murmured in a half-whisper. ”I never dreamed that the chest contained anything like this!”
The carved bra.s.s case was filled to the top with jewelry. Even a casual glance a.s.sured Nancy and her friends that the pieces were genuine. There were necklaces of rubies, emeralds and turquoise, also rings with unusual settings and many other gold and silver pieces.
”All this must be worth a fortune,” Bess murmured. ”Nancy, you'll be rich!”
”The jewelry isn't mine just because I found it.”
”But the owner may never be located,” George said hopefully as she lifted a silver bracelet from the chest. ”Isn't this gorgeous?”
Nancy was attracted by an emerald necklace, but as she started to lift it from the chest she saw an object beneath it which was of far greater interest to her. The article was a jeweled compact!
Eagerly she picked up the gleaming container and opened it. A tiny picture was fitted into the lower half of the mirror! As Nancy showed it to her friends, Bess declared, ”It's the photo of a child.”
”Evidently it was ruined by water,” George observed. ”This looks like the picture of a little girl.”
George and Bess could not imagine why Nancy should consider the discovery so important. She was tempted to tell them of her father's search for the possessor of just such an article. But recalling that the secret was not hers to reveal, she remained silent.
”Nancy, you don't seem pleased over all this treasure,” Bess remarked as she and George continued to examine the beautiful pieces.
”I was just thinking-” Nancy answered absently. ”I must show Dad the chest as soon as he returns to the hotel.”
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