Part 21 (1/2)
All this while George had remained silent. It was not because of lack of sympathy, but it had occurred to her that the whole procedure was almost irregular. If Mr. Drew were so ill, Hannah would have returned to River Heights and called Nancy direct. Or, her own or Bess's parents would have been in touch with the girls.
The more George thought about it, the more suspicious she became that the telephone call might have been a hoax. Mr. Drew's secretary was on vacation and a subst.i.tute was taking her place. Bess had never spoken to the girl, so she would not have been able to identify the voice. It would be very easy for someone else to pretend to be his secretary.
”Mrs. Glick,” said George, ”did the operator tell you the call was from River Heights?”
”Why, no,” the Amish woman replied. ”It was the secretary herself I talked to.”
George now told them of her suspicions and suggested that they call the Drew home. If there was no answer, she would try her own house.
Nancy had paused on the stairway. Her heart leaped with hope! George's idea was very good. Nancy prayed the girl was right and that this was a hoax!
Everyone waited breathlessly while George placed the call to the Drew house. There was no answer. Nancy relaxed a little. This must mean that Hannah Gruen was still visiting her sister! But George wasted no time in trying her own home. Less than a minute later she was saying h.e.l.lo to her mother, and adding, ”Is it true that Nancy's father is in the hospital and very ill?”
”Why, absolutely not!” Mrs. Fayne answered. ”I was speaking with Mr. Drew only five minutes ago. He had returned home from the trip he told Nancy about, but was leaving for another overnight trip.”
”Hold the line just a moment, Mother,” said George. She turned and relayed the good news to everyone. Nancy's eyes filled with tears of joy and relief. She was sorry not to have spoken with her father. He had probably just missed the telephone call. George resumed talking with her mother, telling her about the fake message they had received.
”Why, how dreadful!” exclaimed Mrs. Fayne.
”It's wicked,” said George. ”Nancy has almost solved the mystery. The furniture thief is here. It was a pretty cruel method for him to use to get Nancy out of this area.”
Mrs. Fayne felt that in view of what had happened, Nancy should not pursue the case any longer.
”Mother, you know how Nancy is,” George replied. ”She won't give up!”
”I suppose not,” George's mother replied. ”But do tell her to be careful, and you and Bess watch your step too.”
George promised to do so, then hung up. Nancy came down the stairs and hugged George. She complimented the quick-witted girl for realizing the call might be a fake.
”Mrs. Roger Hoelt got the better of me that time,” she said ruefully.
Nancy and the other girls, weary from their long day and the fright they had just had, went to bed early. All of them wanted to be fresh for the exciting detective work ahead of them.
The following morning, the girls were downstairs even before Mrs. Glick appeared. Not knowing what she had planned for breakfast, they walked outside. Henner was practicing nearby with his slingshot.
”Whom are you shooting now?” George asked him playfully.
”Goliath,” the little boy answered. ”I'm David.”
The girls laughed, but Henner did not. He said he was perfecting his aim so that if any bad people came around to bother Nancy, he could use his slingshot as David had.
”Oh, Henner, you mustn't have such ideas,” Nancy said. ”If any bad people come around here, you let your dad handle them.”
Henner was not convinced. He insisted that he was bigger than Nancy realized and was old enough to help if anything like that should happen. Nancy said no more on the subject. Deciding to pick some flowers for the breakfast table, she wandered off to the garden.
She had just gathered a large bouquet when suddenly she heard Bess shriek, ”Look out!”
Nancy started to turn to find out what Bess meant. She was too late. At that moment something hit her in the back of the neck and she slumped to the ground, unconscious.