A Jade Elephant

“ENG Moy! ” Nancy gasped.

Mr. Soong nodded slowly, as if he still could not believe it himself. “I would know my friend’s signature anywhere.”

“But I don’t understand, ” Nancy said. “If Eng Moy made the jewel box, why didn’t he sign his name on the bottom? Why did he work it into the design where it can barely be seen? ”

“That I myself do not understand.”

Mr. Soong turned the box bottom up. Several Chinese characters were painted on the base.

“It is from the Wan Li period, the last great epoch of art in the Ming dynasty, ” Mr. Soong stated. “Eng Moy did not make the vase. So he could not have put his initials on it.”

“There’s no question that the box is authentic? ” Nancy asked.

“Why do you ask? ”

Nancy told the Chinese about the two symbols that were Eng Moy’s signature concealed in the design of the Townsends’ vase. “That piece—the one sold to Mrs. Marsden in New York City—was an imitation of an old vase, ” she added.

Mr. Soong stared at Nancy in hurt bewilderment. She decided to avoid offending him further. But she wanted to explore the possible link between Eng Moy and the swindler David Carr.

“Perhaps if I learn where this jewel box came from, it will help us find the Engs, ” she said.

Mr. Soong’s face lit up. “A splendid idea! ”

Nancy wandered about among the wedding guests until she found the bride’s mother. Then she asked discreetly if she knew where the attractive old jewel box had come from.

“Why, Mrs. Dareff gave my daughter the box, ” the hostess said kindly. “It came from that lovely antique shop in Westville.”

Nancy knew the store and its proprietor. She made a beeline for the telephone, Ned close by.

“A swell way to enjoy a reception! ” he grumbled in mock disapproval as Nancy dialed.

“As soon as I finish this call, ” she promised, “we’ll go have some more refreshments.”

“You’re on! ” He grinned. “And furthermore, we’re going from the reception direct to the country club. There’s a dance tonight, and some of us have fixed up a little party.”

“Fine, ” Nancy beamed. “Hello?... Mrs. Lorimer?... This is Nancy Drew of River Heights.”

She told the owner of the shop where she was, then asked about the jewel case.

“Isn’t it lovely? ” the woman effused. “Now let me see—Oh, yes, I purchased that piece several weeks ago from Mr. David Carr.”

“Was he a man of medium height with rather piercing eyes? Is he from San Francisco? ” Nancy asked.

“Why, yes. You know him? ”

“I’ve heard of him. He’s a thief, Mrs. Lorimer. If he should show up again, will you please tell the police right away? ”

At that instant Bess Marvin rushed up to Nancy. “Come on! Quick! ”

Nancy said good-by to Mrs. Lorimer and hung up.

“The bride’s going to throw her bouquet, ” Bess said excitedly. “Don’t you want to catch it? ” she asked, glancing sidewise at Ned.

Nancy blushed and rushed away to where eager hands hoped to catch the symbolic “next to be married” bouquet. But she stayed in the background. The maid of honor caught the white roses.

While waiting for the bride to change to traveling clothes and come downstairs, Nancy noticed some guests she had not seen before. There were Dick Milton and his wife Connie. Joining the couple, she learned they had just arrived. Dick had not been able to get away from his shop, and Connie had had no one with whom to leave the baby.

“Sue’s outside in her carriage, ” Connie explained, after being introduced.

“It’s a shame you missed the wedding, ” Nancy declared. “Please let me know when you want to go out. I’ll be glad to baby-sit for you.”

“That’s awfully sweet of you, Nancy. I hate to take you up on it right away, but are you free on the nineteenth? ” Connie asked.

“Yes. I’ll come over.”

“I’d love to go to a luncheon party that day, ” Connie explained. “Dick’s going out of town to see about some different kind of clay.”

“Not China clay, ” Dick spoke up quietly. “You haven’t had any luck, Nancy? ”

She told him of her recent search and how both of Miles Monroe’s clues to the China clay pit had led to the mysterious enclosure in the woods.

“The first chance I have I’ll go out there.”

“I hope you’ll find the clay, ” Dick replied. “The sooner I repay Mr. Soong the better, and there’s not much chance of my doing it unless something big comes my way.”

“The bride’s ready to leave! ” an excited girl called out, and paper rose petals were tossed at the bride and groom as they hurried down the stairs and through the hall to the front porch. Then a car door banged, and the couple were off on their honeymoon.

Ned found Nancy, and after saying good-by to their host and hostess, they left for the country club with a group of friends.

Later, when the dance was over, Ned helped Nancy into the car and slid in behind the wheel to drive home.

“Let’s take the Three Bridges Road, ” she said.

“Do you expect to find Manning-Carr at Hunter’s Bridge? ” he asked teasingly.

“Well, things seem to happen there, ” Nancy replied. “He may use it as a meeting place.”

Ned swung the convertible onto Three Bridges Road and drove swiftly toward River Heights. When the car approached the twisting turns, Ned pressed on the brake and coasted. As they slowly rounded the final curve in the series of turns, Nancy stared intently at the underbrush a short distance back from the road. At the spot where she had previously seen a man’s footprints, she now saw only the black shadows of the night.

Nancy turned her attention to the opposite side of the road, while the car continued slowly toward Hunter’s Bridge.

Suddenly, behind some bushes at the edge of the creek where it curved under the bridge, Nancy saw the small white glow of a flashlight.

“Look! ” She pointed excitedly, then took her own flashlight from the front compartment of the car. “Stop! ” she told Ned. “Let’s investigate! ”

They got out and crept down the embankment toward the light Nancy had seen. The couple stepped carefully, avoiding twigs and stones that might make a sound and betray their presence.

As they neared the shrubs, the light went out. Nancy and Ned hardly dared to breathe, but they saw no one.

Finally Nancy beamed her flashlight ahead. The next moment she had kicked off her shoes and was wading into the water.

“What—I” Ned exclaimed.

Nancy was soon on the other side of the narrow, shallow stream. She swooped up something from the ground and played her flashlight beam on it.

“What is it? ” Ned called.

She held up the object, a green jade elephant about three inches long and two inches high.

“How’d that get here? ” Ned asked.

“Someone just dropped it, ” Nancy replied, “and I don’t believe he meant to.”

“I’ll come over and help you find him, ” Ned offered. “Is the elephant any good? ”

As Nancy was about to say she thought it was Mr. Soong’s valuable jade piece, there came the roar of a motor.

“My car! ” Nancy cried out, and ran back across the stream.

Slipping into her shoes, she dashed after Ned, who was already halfway up the embankment. Two feet from the top of the slope they knew the worst.

Nancy’s convertible was speeding away into the night!