The Eyes Have It!

" What's the matter, Nancy? " said Lisa, noticing the startled expression on her face.

" I may be wrong, " the teenager said, choking back a surge of excitement, " but something tells me I've just stumbled on a clue! "

The other girls' eyes widened as Nancy showed them a bulge in the hem of the old gown. By fingering it, they could see and feel that the hidden object was oval-shaped and slightly larger than a half-dollar.

" Quick! Someone open the hem and let's see what's in there! " George exclaimed.

" Wait a sec! I'll get some embroidery scissors! " Lisa scampered downstairs and soon returned with the scissors. As the other three watched breathlessly, she cut open the hem and fished out the object which had been concealed inside.

It was a miniature portrait, beautifully enameled on ivory, of a little boy about four or five years old!

All four girls studied the miniature with avid interest as Lisa held it up to the light.

" What a darling little boy! " Bess gushed.

" Gosh! I'll bet that's really valuable! " her cousin added. The portrait was bordered all around the edge with tiny seed pearls.

But Lisa and Nancy were more intrigued by the child's features and general facial appearance.

Lisa looked up tensely.

" Does that little boy remind you of anyone, Nancy? " she asked in a slightly hushed voice.

" Indeed he does! " Nancy replied with a twinkle.

" Whom?... Tell me, please! "

" The same person he reminds you of, I'll bet... Pierre Michaud!

" Right! " Lisa declared emphatically.

The more they studied the miniature portrait, the more they were struck by the resemblance. Despite the difference in ages, and the little boy's softer, more babyish features, the likeness was unmistakable!

The boy even had a dimple in his chin, which as he grew older would doubtless have come to look very much like Pierre's strong, cleft lower jaw.

" He's a darling! " Bess repeated. " I especially like those big, dark eyes, don't you, George? They're so wide-set and... sort of slanty! "

" I'll have to admit, he's quite a charmer, " agreed George, for once not inclined to make fun of her cousin's romantic notions. " If your friend Pierre looks anything like this, Lisa, he must be something special."

" Oh, he is—believe me! " Lisa giggled.

But Nancy was silent and reflective. Bess's remark had started a sudden train of thought, reminding her of the other portrait they had just seen.

" Would you people come downstairs again for a moment? " the young detective said abruptly. " There's something I'd like to show you."

" Okay, but what? " George Fayne inquired.

" I'd rather not say anything just yet and let you judge for yourselves. Lisa, bring the miniature, will you please? "

The others followed, their curiosity piqued by Nancy's words and manner as she led the way back down to the first-floor hall, where the double portrait of Paul and Yvette Duval was hanging on the wall near the sun room.

" Bess, " she said, " does either of these people have eyes like the little boy's in the miniature? "

Bess squealed in excitement and pointed to Yvette. " Of course! She does!... Oh, Nancy! How smart of you to notice! "

George concurred, after glancing back and forth from the miniature to the oil portrait. " You're right, Nancy. They certainly do have the same look across the eyes! "

" And so, " the young detective added significantly, " does Pierre Michaud! "

In the startled silence that followed, Lisa Thorpe looked flabbergasted and slightly dismayed. " You're right, Nancy! But, good grief, are you implying that Pierre may be a blood relative of mine? "

Nancy laughed. " Don't worry, he wouldn't be a close enough one to prevent your marriage, if that's what you're wondering. Not after your ancestors have been living on opposite sides of the ocean for almost two centuries! "

Lisa heaved a little sigh of relief and joined in the other girls' laughter at Nancy's reply. But then her mood turned serious.

" You know, this is really quite an important discovery. I think we should tell my father."

Norton Thorpe was in his den, going over a sheaf of business papers at his beautiful fruit-wood desk. After announcing herself with a knock, Lisa entered with her friends and related the startling news.

Her father was flushed and angry and scoffed at her revelation. He obviously found the idea that Pierre Michaud was in any way related to his wife's side of the family highly upsetting. But after careful scrutiny of the miniature, it was clear that he, too, could see an unmistakable likeness between the young Frenchman and the boy in the portrait—especially in view of Louise Duval's mysterious letter to Pierre's grandfather.

" Confound it, this is the worst news I've heard in a long time! " he exploded huffily. " If you'll forgive my bluntness, Miss Drew, you've been a most disturbing influence in this house! "

Getting up from his desk, the heavyset businessman paced irritably about the room. " Mind you, " he added with a scowl at Nancy, " I'm still not totally convinced that French upstart has any connection with the Duval family! "

Nancy decided that her best tactic was a simple, direct question. " Mr. Thorpe, why are you so dead set against Pierre Michaud? " she asked quietly. " Other people seem to find him perfectly decent and likeable. Do you know something about him that the rest of us don't? "

Norton Thorpe stopped pacing abruptly and glared at the young detective. " Since you ask me, Miss Drew, I see no reason to beat around the bush. The answer is yes! I do know something about Michaud that you don't know— and let me add, it's nothing to his credit! "

He related that soon after Pierre's first visit to the Thorpe home, a French lawyer had come to his office to warn him that the young inventor was an unscrupulous swindler and con artist.

" What was this French lawyer's name, Mr. Thorpe? " asked Nancy.

" Grison. Henri Grison. I probably still have his business card." Taking a folder wallet from his inside coat pocket, Mr. Thorpe fingered through its contents and plucked out a card, which he handed to Nancy.

She glanced at it and smiled. " It happens this same person came to see my father, who's also a lawyer, " she told Thorpe. " Dad took the trouble to check him out through his own legal correspondents in France. They told him the identification is false—there's no such lawyer at this address or anywhere else in Paris. The only con artist is this so-called Henri Grison himself."

Norton Thorpe was clearly taken aback by Nancy's unexpected reply. But after humming and hawing for a moment, he seemed to accept what she had just told him. " Hmph, well, I must admit this puts matters in a somewhat different light, " he conceded.

Lisa was delighted by this sudden turn of events. " Nancy, you're a wonder! " she exclaimed, giving the girl a quick hug.

With Mr. Thorpe's permission, Nancy now phoned Pierre at his workshop and asked him to come and join them. The young Frenchman not only did so promptly, but brought exciting news of his own.

" Just before you called, Nancy, I had a visit from that representative of the National Computer Company, " Pierre reported. " His firm's research and development department have already been over the test data I sent them. And now that he's seen how my computer memory operates, his company's ready to negotiate a licensing contract to produce my invention! "

The contract, Pierre added, would bring him huge sums in royalties every year.

This news was evidently all that was needed to bring about a further drastic change in Norton Thorpe's attitude toward the young inventor. " Well, my boy, it seems congratulations are in order, " he beamed, offering Pierre a firm handshake. " It would appear that you're headed for a highly successful industrial career! "

The excited reaction to Pierre's announcement had barely died down when Nancy returned to the subject of the original mystery. " I believe I now know why Miss Duval sent that letter to your grandfather, Pierre, " the teenage detective said. " Unfortunately, other people know too, and I think that's why such unpleasant things have been happening to both of us since I began investigating this case."

" Don't keep us in suspense, Nancy! " Bess begged. " Clue us in on the mystery! "

But the pretty young sleuth smiled and shook her head. " Not yet. Before I make any brash statements, I want proof—and I think I know where to look for it."

Nancy was hoping that Professor Crawford's desk in the old mill near Peachtown might still hold some records or notes of the historical research he had done for Louise Duval. If so, this material could either confirm or disprove her theory.

After explaining all this to the others, she pointed out that much of the professor's information had probably come from French sources. Therefore Pierre might be able to help her translate and sort through such material more quickly.

" Would you be willing to come with me? " she asked him.

" Of course, Nancy. When would you like to go? "

" Peachtown's quite a drive from here. So the sooner we leave, the sooner we'll be back."

Pierre chuckled and shrugged. " In that case, let us leave tout de suite! "

The two started out in hopeful high spirits. But an annoying delay was in store. Halfway to Peachtown, Nancy's car overheated and stalled. After it had been towed to the nearest repair garage, the trouble was traced to a broken water pump, and a new one had to be sent for. While this was being put in, Nancy and Pierre ate an early dinner of hamburgers and french fries at a roadside drive-in. It was after dark when they reached their destination.

The old mill, with its water wheel and mill-race, was located in a rural setting which might have been delightful to explore on a sunny summer afternoon. But now, as they pulled up outside the old building, with a chill night wind rustling the autumn leaves, a gloomy and forbidding atmosphere pervaded the scene.

Nancy shivered as they got out of the car. " Let's hope this doesn't take too long, " she murmured to Pierre.

After opening the mill door with the key that Mrs. Grale had lent her, they mounted a rickety wooden staircase which spiraled upward to a loftlike room above the mill's machinery and grindstones.

The room, which was dusty and evidently seldom used, had been fitted out into a comfortable den and study. Nancy uttered a little cry of excitement as she saw an old desk in one corner near a window. Her excitement increased when, after checking two drawers, she came upon a well-filled loose-leaf binder labeled Report to Louise Duval.

" Look! " she cried jubilantly, holding it up to show Pierre. " This should give us all the answers! "

The young Frenchman beamed a look of admiration at the teenager. " You are indeed an amazing detective, Nancy! And have you already guessed the contents of that report? "

Nancy nodded as she glanced through its opening pages. " I think I can guess the gist of it, anyhow, though I won't know for sure until I read all of this. If my theory's right, Pierre, you're the present Count d'Auvergne! "

His jaw dropped open in astonishment. " Are you saying I am a... a French nobleman? "

" Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. And, hopefully, this report by Professor Crawford should supply the proof."

" You're quite right, my dear Miss Drew, " boomed a familiar voice. " Which, I'm afraid, spells bad news for both of you! "

The two young people whirled in surprise and saw that a burly figure had just burst into the room. He was Pierre's financial backer, Mr. Varney! Beside him stood a short, muscular, apelike man clad in a checked suit and green turtleneck with a cap pulled jauntily low over one eye. He was carrying something in his hand.

" Mr. Varney! " Pierre exclaimed. " How did you get here? "

" No problem, mon ami!

With a chuckle, Varney gestured to his apelike companion. " My garcon here, Louie Bousha, managed to slip into the repair garage where Miss Drew's car was being fixed after its downhill crash in the storm. While the mechanic was busy in the front of the shop, he slipped an electronic beeper under its rear bumper, so that we had simply to follow your radio signal. A most convenient way of trailing you without being seen! "

" Very well, " Nancy said, trying to appear cool. " So you've followed us here, and you just heard me tell Pierre about Professor Crawford's report. What good will it do you? "

" It will enable me to get rid of you both, Miss Drew, before you cause me any more trouble. Louie, do you have the anesthetic ready? "

" Right here in this can! " The apelike man grinned, slipping a mask over his nose and mouth. " One whiff will put them out fast! "

Varney turned back to face Nancy and Pierre. " You will then be taken outside and put in Miss

Drew's car, with the engine running and all doors and windows closed. Louie, who is an excellent mechanic, will make sure there is an exhaust leak into the passenger compartment. You can imagine, I am sure, what will be the state of your health after inhaling those deadly fumes! "