Part 9 (1/2)

Nancy wanted to ask more questions, but Linda suddenly warned her that she must end the conversation.

”Mr. Tombar is coming!” she said nervously. ”I'll get in touch with you later.”

”Just one thing,” Nancy interposed. ”Has a masquerade party been scheduled for any of those dates I told you about?”

”No, only other types of parties,” Linda whispered. ”Good-by!”

Nancy next called the newspaper. The social editor, a friend, said she knew of no large parties scheduled for July fifth. ”If I hear of any, Nancy, I'll call you.”

Nancy thanked her. Putting down the phone, she sat still, absorbed in thought. Her reflections were interrupted by the excited barking of Togo, her small terrier. He had jumped up on his hind legs and was scratching at a window sill.

”Togo, what's wrong?” Nancy demanded.

Mrs. Gruen had gone to the window and was peering into the sunny side yard. Nancy joined her. No one was in sight.

”Togo, you were really fooled this time,” Nancy scolded him. ”No one's out there.”

The little terrier, however, continued to bark. He ran to the front door, jerking his head and scratching frantically with his paws to tell Nancy that he wanted to be let out.

”What can be the matter?” she said, frowning. ”I've never seen him so persistent.”

She ordered the dog to come away from the door and lie down. To her vexation, the usually obedient Togo paid no attention to her command. She started toward him, but whirled around at a sharp exclamation from Hannah.

”There was someone lurking near the window!” the housekeeper whispered. ”Nancy, I just saw a long shadow move across the porch.”

Nancy dashed for the door, recalling the sound she had heard the night before.

”Someone's eavesdropping on us!” she exclaimed.

CHAPTER VI.

Kidnapped!

As Nancy opened the door, Togo bounded outside. The little dog raced directly toward the garage, barking furiously.

”He saw someone, all right,” Nancy declared. She could see the vague impressions of a man's footprints leading directly to the window near the telephone. ”Someone was listening. I'm going to look around outside.”

She asked the housekeeper to watch from the window while she followed the dog to the garage. The building was empty.

Togo ran around the yard, his nose to the ground. Picking up the stranger's scent, he followed it to the street but became confused.

”Whoever it was, he's gone now, Togo,” Nancy said, calling him back into the house. ”Good dog! You tried hard.”

The housekeeper was greatly upset by the disturbance.

”Probably it was a member of that Velvet Gang,” she remarked. ”That's what the newspaper called them. I suspect the man wanted to get his black hood.”

”Now stop worrying,” Nancy begged. ”If he'd wanted it, he would have tried harder to get in. Nevertheless I'll phone Chief McGinnis.”