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Kidnapped! As Nancy opened the door, Togo bounded outside






 

As Nancy opened the door, Togo bounded outside. The little dog raced directly toward the garage, barking furiously.

“He saw someone, all right, ” Nancy declared. She could see the vague impressions of a man’s footprints leading directly to the window near the telephone. “Someone was listening. I’m going to look around outside.”

She asked the housekeeper to watch from the window while she followed the dog to the garage. The building was empty.

Togo ran around the yard, his nose to the ground. Picking up the stranger’s scent, he followed it to the street but became confused.

“Whoever it was, he’s gone now, Togo, ” Nancy said, calling him back into the house. “Good dog! You tried hard.”

The housekeeper was greatly upset by the disturbance.

“Probably it was a member of that Velvet Gang, ” she remarked. “That’s what the newspaper called them. I suspect the man wanted to get his black hood.”

“Now stop worrying, ” Nancy begged. “If he’d wanted it, he would have tried harder to get in. Nevertheless I’ll phone Chief McGinnis.”

She brought the officer up to date on all she had learned and asked if she might still retain the mask since her father wanted to see it again.

“All right, ” the chief said. “So long as we have those dates, that’s the important thing.”

Mrs. Gruen remained jumpy and Nancy did not leave her. Hours later, when she and Nancy went upstairs, the housekeeper gave a sudden start.

“Listen! ” she said tensely. “What was that? ”

“Only the front doorbell. I’ll go.”

“Be careful, Nancy. It may be a trick.”

The housekeeper’s suspicions were unwarranted. Opening the door, Nancy found a messenger from the telegraph office. She took the envelope which was addressed to her and tore it open. The telegram read:

AMSTAR

HAVE FOUND WHAT DATES MEAN. COME MY

HOTEL THIS EVENING. BRING MASK.

It was signed “Dad.”

“Bad news? ” Mrs. Gruen asked, hovering near.

“Not exactly.” Nancy was rereading the telegram. “This message has me puzzled, though. Why should Dad ask me to come to Amstar when he expects to arrive home tonight? ”

She offered the telegram to Mrs. Gruen for her opinion.

“Apparently your father has some further information on the mystery, ” she said after reading it.

“This telegram may be a hoax.”

“That’s possible, ” Mrs. Gruen admitted. “Well, the only thing to do is to verify it.”

Nancy put in a long-distance call to her father. The hotel operator informed her that Carson Drew was not in his room. She assured the girl, however, that he had not checked out.

Turning from the telephone, Nancy said reassuringly to worried Mrs. Gruen:

“Evidently Dad sent the telegram, so I’d better take the mask and meet him.”

She got in touch with the railroad station and learned that the only through train to Amstar left in less than two hours.

“Since Dad wants me there this evening, I’ll have to take it, ” she remarked.

As she spoke, Togo growled and ran to the door.

“Another eavesdropper! ” Hannah Gruen cried. She followed as Nancy ran outside.

A man was dashing across the lawn. He jumped into a car parked in front of the house next door.

“There he goes! ” Nancy said grimly as the automobile roared off. Sensing the housekeeper’s nervousness, she added, “Perhaps Bess and George should stay with you tonight. I’ll call them.” She phoned George and asked her to pick up Bess.

“Be there in fifteen minutes, ” George promised.

While Hannah Gruen hurriedly pressed a suit for Nancy, the girl detective started packing her overnight suitcase.

“I mustn’t forget to take the black mask, ” she told herself.

When Bess and George arrived, they were astonished to learn that she was leaving at once for Amstar.

“Nancy, you’re not going alone! ” Bess protested. “George and I will make the trip with you. Why, someone might try to snatch that mask away if you’re alone.”

George snapped her fingers. “That gives me an idea. It will make your trip mugging-proof.”

“What’s your idea? ” Nancy asked eagerly.

“I’ll masquerade as you! I can wear your clothes and carry your bag.”

“That’s a very dangerous idea. I don’t think—”

“I insist. After all, it’s the most foolproof way I can think of to protect River Heights’ number one detective, ” George interrupted. She fluffed her hair and added, “We’ll rent a titian-haired wig for me and a dark-brown one for you.”

Nancy was thoughtful. Although she worried about her friend’s welfare, the idea appealed to her. If the girls’ hunches were right, she might even catch the person who wanted the mask back!

“Well, what say? ” George prodded.

“There’s one drawback, ” said Nancy. “With eavesdroppers around I don’t think any of us should rent the wigs.”

“That problem can be solved easily.” George looked over Nancy’s shoulder. “Here’s the person to do it. Hello, Mrs. Gruen.”

“What am I getting into? ” the housekeeper asked with a smile.

While Nancy explained, George went to the phone and called Mrs. Fayne and Mrs. Marvin who gave their permission for the trip. Ten minutes later Mrs. Gruen was in a taxi on her way to the Lightner Entertainment Company.

Meanwhile, it was decided that the mask would be carried in Bess’s bag. As soon as Mrs. Gruen returned with the wigs and the train tickets, George took Nancy’s initialed suitcase and the cousins left to return home to dress for the trip.

“Hurry! There’s not much time! ” Nancy called to them. “And, Bess, take a bag without initials. I will too.”

“I’m glad they’re going with you, ” Hannah declared. “You’ll need protection more than I will.”

Bess and Nancy met on the station platform just as the train arrived.

By prearrangement they took seats near the rear of the second coach. Soon George came in with her luggage. Seating herself at the front of the car, she set the case so that the initials N.D. were plainly visible to anyone passing through the aisle.

“I hope the trick works, ” Bess whispered.

“It will, ” Nancy predicted, although both girls remained silently concerned for George’s safety.

Nancy nudged Bess to draw her attention to three passengers who had entered the car directly behind George. One was a dark-eyed, sullen-looking woman in smartly tailored clothes. She was accompanied by two men.

They scrutinized George, who was thumbing through a magazine. Then their gaze wandered down the aisle to Nancy and Bess.

The woman and one of the men sat down in the double seat across the aisle from George. The second man took the seat directly in front of Bess and Nancy.

This was an unforeseen complication, for now they were unable to talk without fear of being overheard. Nevertheless, Nancy and Bess were jubilant. They were certain their ruse had worked!

The three passengers easily might have chosen other seats. Instead, two had deliberately sat near the girl they thought was Nancy, and the third had probably stationed himself to listen to Nancy and Bess, the only other two young women in the car.

Nancy settled back in her seat and opened a magazine but did not read. The man in the seat ahead paid no attention to the other passengers and devoted himself to a copy of a New York newspaper.

An hour later the conductor called out the name of a small but busy town. Nancy noticed that the stranger had put aside his newspaper. Was he going to leave the train? Had she been entirely mistaken about him?

Nancy and Bess did not venture even a whispered remark. But they exchanged glances.

The train began to slow down for the station. Nancy and Bess looked up to see what the couple across the aisle from George would do.

The dark-haired woman rose, stepped across the aisle, and bent over George. When she straightened, the masquerading “Nancy Drew” had slumped over, apparently in a faint!

“Oh dear! Our daughter is ill, ” the woman proclaimed in a loud voice. “We must get her off the train at once! ”

By this time they had reached the station. The woman seized the suitcase with the initials N.D. Her companion gathered George up in his arms, carrying her toward the front exit.

Alarmed, Nancy and Bess grabbed their bags and started in pursuit. But their way was immediately blocked by the man who had seated himself directly ahead of them.

“What’s the hurry, sister? ” he asked, swaying from side to side to prevent their pushing past him.

Nancy knew now why he had taken that particular seat. George’s kidnapping had been planned —her abductors wanted no interference!

“Let us through! ” Nancy ordered.

“There’s plenty of time, girlie.”

“No, there isn’t, ” Bess fairly yelled.

By now several other passengers began to take an interest in the commotion.

“The rear exit! ” Nancy whispered.

She wheeled and Bess followed her. They leaped down the steps, and looking up the platform, saw the unconscious George being put into a waiting automobile. As Nancy and Bess dropped their bags and ran toward it, the car sped away from the station!


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