CHAPTER I. Why do you stare at me in such a fascinated way, Nancy Drew?

Fire!

" Why do you stare at me in such a fascinated way, Nancy Drew? "

Plump Bess Marvin, divining the trend of her chum's unexpressed thought, smiled good-naturedly and reached for her fifth chicken sandwich. She had always maintained that picnics were not intended for persons with delicate appetites.

" I was just thinking we need an adding machine to keep track of the sandwiches you've demolished! '' Nancy laughed. '' Not to mention all the hot dogs and peanuts you ate at the carnival! "

" Why mention that? " Bess drawled as she indolently stretched herself. " George got away with as much food as I did—only she eats so fast you don't notice how much she's devoured! "

" Score one for cousin Bess! " George Payne applauded. She had flung herself upon her back under the huge oak which sheltered the picnic party from the afternoon sun, and was intent upon watching a saucy woodpecker that was drilling in a tree trunk nearby. " Still, I don't claim to be on a diet."

The thought of George considering a diet made both Nancy and Bess smile, for their boyish friend had often been termed " skinny." She gloried in her athletic prowess, scoffed at anything feminine, and went to great lengths to explain to strangers that George was really her name and not a nickname.

Few persons guessed that George and Bess were cousins, so unlike were they in appearance and disposition. Bess was pretty and lady-like and sedate. She took pride in her person and gave particular care to her luxurious hair. George had cropped her straight dark hair as short as the style would permit, and combed and brushed it as infrequently as possible.

Of Nancy Drew a great deal could be said, and yet her friends found it difficult to describe her. Bess had once summed it up by saying, " She has that intangible something that makes one never forget her face." Nancy was pretty in a distinctive way. Her eyes were blue, her hair golden. She spoke forcefully but never thought of thrusting her opinions upon others. In any crowd she unconsciously assumed leadership.

The three girls were returning late in the day after attending a carnival at Sandy Creek. They had left their homes in River Heights early in the morning, making the long drive to Sandy Creek in Nancy's roadster. Hannah Gruen, who served as housekeeper for Nancy and her father, had obligingly packed one of her famous picnic lunches for the girls to eat by the roadside.

Prom the breath-taking roller coaster to the Funny House, they had left nothing untried, and true to her reputation Nancy had unearthed an adventure.

She had chanced to notice a little girl and her mother in the crowd. They had been wistfully watching the merry-makers but had taken no part in the fun, obviously because the mother was poor. Nancy and her chums had quickly taken charge of the two and piloted them from one concession to another. The girls had fallen in love with " Honey, " as the little girl was called. She was only five, and a bright and attractive child in spite of the fact that she was undernourished and rather shabbily dressed.

" She was a cute little thing, " Nancy remarked, half to herself.

" Who? " Bess demanded in surprise. " Oh, you mean that little girl we befriended. Yes, she was. I felt so sorry for her. She didn't have decent clothing and I suppose she never has any good times."

" I wonder what became of her father? " Nancy mused.

" Out of work, I imagine, " George said. " Honey's mother avoided mentioning her husband's name. She didn't look happy."

" I hope we see them again, " Nancy said thoughtfully. " Somehow, I can't bear to think of that little girl going without the things she needs. I mean to visit the family one of these days and see just how they are getting along. You wrote the address down, didn't you, Bess? "

" Yes. Do you want it? "

" No, you'd better keep it, for I might lose it. I'll ask you for it when I want it."

" It won't be easy to do things for that family, " George predicted. " The woman is proud. You can see that."

" I know, " Nancy admitted. " She didn't like it because we paid for everything at the carnival, but for Honey's sake she swallowed her pride."

Bess, gazing toward the west, observed that the sun was sinking below the horizon.

" We'd better be on our way at once, " she declared. " It's more than thirty miles to River Heights."

Regretfully the girls arose and began packing the picnic dishes into the car.

" Let's gather some ferns before we go, " Nancy suggested. " I noticed some perfectly gorgeous ones down by the creek."

The girls spent a longer time than they had intended in the woods, and when they returned to the car, their arms laden with ferns, thesun had dropped out of sight.

" We'll still get home before dark, " Nancy said as they climbed into the waiting automobile. " This is the nicest time of the day to drive."

They had pulled into a side road to eat their picnic lunch. Nancy carefully steered the heavy car over the rough road to the main highway and then, with a firm pressure upon the gasoline pedal, sent the figures racing across the face of the speedometer.

After the first few miles Bess slumped down and wearily leaned her head against her cousin's shoulder.

" What a day this has been! " she exclaimed. " My feet feel ready to drop off. I'll be glad when we get home and I can rub some cold cream on my sunburn."

The girls were too tired to carry on a conversation. Nancy drove rapidly. Now that the day's outing was over, she too was eager to reach River Heights. She had not told Hannah Gruen or her father what time to expect her back but it had been understood that she would reach home before dark.

Nancy cast a quick glance toward the west. The last rays of red light were fading away. If she had no car trouble, she and her chums would reach River Heights in ample time.

" Nice homes along this road, " Bess observed presently.

" Mostly country estates, " George added. " Owned by city people who are wallowing in wealth."

" Where do you get such crude expressions? " Bess protested.

" Huh? '' George demanded. " Oh, I can't be bothered speaking the King's English all the time! Yon get my meaning, anyway."

" Look at that large white house on the hill, " Nancy pointed out, hastening to forestall a possible argument on the subject of correct speech. " Isn't it a dream? The grounds are so well kept. Just my idea of a country place."

" Wonder who owns it? " George asked.

Before Nancy could reply, an unexpected occurrence drove all idle thoughts from her mind. It all happened in an instant.

One moment the white house was to be seen on the hillside, peaceful in the fading twilight. The next instant the whole building seemed to burst into flames!

Fire spurted from the windows and leaped toward the pointed roof. The entire place appeared to be ablaze all of a sudden.

So astonished was Nancy that she almost lost control of the car. Then, realizing that there must have been an explosion in the house, she stepped hard on the gas pedal. What if a family were trapped inside those walls!

" There may be people in that house, " she shouted. " We must do our best to save them! ''