Part 2 (2/2)

Nancy a.s.sured her she did not. ”But,” she declared, ”I understand there are some people in the back country of Pennsylvania who still think, it's possible to hex people.”

Several hours later, the girls began to notice hex signs on the barns they pa.s.sed. Even Bess had to admit that the various circular designs, using birds, stars, and crosses, were very colorful and attractive. Seeing a farmer coming from a large red barn, Nancy stopped the car. After chatting a moment, she asked him about the designs' true significance.

The burly man smiled and replied, ”It's chust for pretty.”

”It's not part of a superst.i.tion?” Bess asked.

The man shook his head. ”No. Chust to make pretty the barn. But some folks think it is to chase witches. That is foolish, ain't?”

The girls nodded, thanked him, and drove on.

George laughed. ”He had a quaint way of speaking. We may have some trouble understanding what people say in these parts.”

Nancy agreed. ”And if we don't understand, I think we'd better tell the speaker.”

As the girls rode through methodically planned, beautiful farm country, they saw straight green fields of corn, as well as potatoes and tobacco. Weedless vegetable gardens were surrounded by neat borders of flowers-c.o.c.ks...o...b.. begonia, and geranium bloomed in profusion.

”Where is Mr. Alpha Zinn's home?” George asked.

”Beyond Lancaster, in the part where the Amish live.”

”Tell us more about them,” Bess requested.

Nancy said that Mrs. Tenney had explained that there were two types of Amish, the Church Amish, who are comparatively modern and own automobiles and electrical appliances, and the House Amish, who are very strict and do not believe in using any of these ”fancy” things.

After lunch, the girls reached the outskirts of Lancaster. Nancy consulted a map. ”I think this is the side road that leads to Mr. Zinn's farmhouse,” she said. ”Mrs. Tenney gave me rather general directions. Let's try it.”

They had not gone more than a mile down the road when the car began to lurch, forcing Nancy to slow down.

”That's funny,” she said, frowning. ”I have plenty of gasoline, so that's not the trouble.”

Suddenly the motor died and the car chugged to a stop. The friends looked about in dismay. There was not a house in sight-nothing but open fields.

Nancy got out, raised the hood of the car, and looked for loose or broken wires. She could find none. ”We're really stuck!” she announced.

”The hex is already working,” Bess wailed. ”Now a spell has been put on our car!”

Nancy laughed. ”If so, I won't let the spell work long. We'll eliminate it, I promise you.”

”I suppose the best thing to do,” George said, ”is to wait for a car to come along and give one of us a ride into town to find a mechanic.”

Nancy agreed. ”Especially if the farms nearby happen to belong to House Amish families,” she said. ”They won't know anything about cars.”

Ten minutes went by, but no vehicle appeared. Suddenly George called out, ”Here comes someone!”

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