Part 22 (1/2)

”I'll bet I do.” She laughed.

As the storm subsided, the boys listened eagerly to her account of the day's golf match. Ned cheered Nancy by saying he was sure she would win the tournament. The other boys agreed.

After the rain ceased, Ned set off for the ravine with Burt and Dave to take a look at the fallen bridge. They found that it had floated some distance downstream and was lodged against an old log. They returned to the cabin for ropes and tools, saying they were going to try and pull the structure back into place and anchor it securely.

During the boys' absence Nancy donned her own clothes. Then, thoroughly worn out from her strenuous day, she sat down in a chair beside Mr. Haley and fell asleep.

She was awakened by a knock on the door and rose to open it. Before her stood a tall, handsome man who appeared to be about thirty years of age.

”I beg your pardon,” he said politely. ”Is Mr. Haley at home?”

”Yes, but I'm not sure he can see a visitor,” Nancy replied. ”He was injured in an accident and is in bed.”

”Oh, who are you?” the stranger asked in alarm. ”I had no idea anything was wrong here or I'd have come before this. Mr. Haley isn't in grave danger, is he?”

”He's recovering now.”

”That's good,” the caller said in relief. ”Do you think I might see him? My name is Wardell and Mr. Haley is my uncle.”

Nancy was taken completely by surprise. Recovering quickly, she invited the young man to come inside.

”Mr. Haley is sleeping now,” she explained, ”but when he wakes up he may be able to talk with you.”

”I'd rather not if you feel it would excite him,” Mr. Wardell said anxiously. ”I think the world of my uncle. He practically reared me, and it was through him that I became interested in nature lore.”

Nancy asked a few polite questions about Mr. Wardell's work. Although she knew that he was a professor at Andover College, she decided not to mention this immediately or reveal her ident.i.ty.

”I came over to Deer Mountain Hotel this afternoon to see a young woman,” he said. ”She had requested me to call on an urgent matter. Apparently it couldn't have been very important, because she wasn't even there. Since I was near here I thought I'd drop over and see my uncle. Please tell me about the accident.”

Nancy told him how she and her friends had discovered Mr. Haley. She wanted to bring Margaret Judson's name into the conversation but to do it as casually as possible.

”When Mr. Haley was injured, we were afraid he had no living relatives,” she remarked. ”There were no family photographs or other clues to their whereabouts. However, I did find a picture here in the cabin of a beautiful girl.”

Nancy took out the photograph of Margaret Judson and handed it to Professor WardelL He stared at it without speaking. An expression of deep anguish crossed his face.

”From something Mr. Haley said, I gathered that he knew this girl well,” Nancy remarked. ”Do you know her?”

”Could I ever forget her?” Wardell said with emotion. ”Margaret Judson and I were engaged to be married, but-” The man's voice faltered.

Nancy watched with quiet sympathy as he fought to regain his composure.

The professor went on quickly. ”I was away on a scientific expedition at the time Margaret's house was destroyed by fire. Everything in it was lost. to

”Everything?” Nancy inquired.

”Well, she did save a chest of jewelry.” Professor Wardell smiled grimly. ”Among other things it contained the engagement ring I had given her.”

”How fortunate!” Nancy murmured.