Part 1 (1/2)
Mystery of the Tolling Bell.
CHAPTER I.
The Perfume Cart.
”NANCY, aren't we almost at Candleton? I'm tired of riding.”
An athletic-looking girl, with short dark hair and the boyish name of George Fayne, stretched wearily in the convertible as it sped toward the ocean.
Nancy Drew, eighteen and attractive, was driving. She shrugged her shoulders and breathed deeply of the tangy salt air. A gust of wind blew her reddish-golden hair across her eyes. Tossing it aside, she smiled at the two girls seated with her: Bess Marvin and George. who were cousins.
”A few more miles,” Nancy replied. ”But it's worth waiting for.”
”You mean because of the mystery at Candleton?” Bess asked teasingly. She was blond and pretty. ”Right now I'm more interested in food.”
”You shouldn't be!” George said bluntly, glancing at her cousin's slightly plump figure.
Nancy laughed. ”We have to eat, calories or not. Perhaps we'll come to a fis.h.i.+ng village where we can get some lobster.”
The three girls, who lived in River Heights, were en route to Gandleton on White Cap Bay. They had been invited to spend a brief vacation there as guests of Mrs. John Chantrey. She was a close friend and client of Nancy's father, a well-known lawyer. He was to meet the girls at her home in the small town.
”I think your father was smart to make the trip by plane instead of riding with us,” Bess observed as the car swung around another sharp curve. ”At least he won't die of starvation.”
”This is really a business trip for Dad,” Nancy said. ”Poor Mrs. Chantrey was swindled out of a lot of money. Dad's trying to get it back.”
”How did it happen?” George asked.
”Dad didn't tell me many of the details,” Nancy replied. ”But he did hint at mystery. Mrs. Chantrey is a lovely person. I hope we can help her.”
”She runs a tearoom?” George inquired.
”Yes. Mrs. Chantrey opened a gift shop and tearoom to make a livelihood for herself after she lost most of her money.”
”I was hoping the mystery at Candleton would be about something more romantic than money,” Bess remarked in disappointment.
Nancy's eyes twinkled. ”There's another mystery!” she said. ”Mrs. Chantrey mentioned in her letter that ghostly and unexplainable things happen along the coast of White Cap Bay.”
George was interested at once. ”Are you going to work on that, too?”
”All three of us are!” was the reply.
Nancy's young life had been crammed with adventure. Daughter of an eminent criminal lawyer, she was unusually sensible, clever, and talented.
Mrs. Drew had died when Nancy was three years old and Hannah Gruen had become the Drews' housekeeper. The kindly woman was like a mother to Nancy and was constantly warning her to be cautious while solving mysteries.
”If the three of us can't solve the two mysteries-” Nancy began.
”Look!” Bess interrupted, pointing to a sign. ”Fisher's Cove! We're coming to a town!”
The road curved and twisted, then abruptly a cl.u.s.ter of quaint, unpainted houses came into view. Fishnets were drying on lines in the back yards. Children stopped their play and stared at the car.