Chapter 2 The Message in the Hollow Oak by Carolyn Keene
The Theft
“He’s gone!”
Nancy’s heart sank as she realized how easily she had been misled by the man in the red car. She felt responsible for the theft of the suitcase since it had been left in her care.
“Oh, it was all my fault,” she declared self-accusingly. “Was the bag very valuable?”
“Yes, it contained some papers which I can’t afford to lose,” the woman returned, trying to hide her distress. “Perhaps the suitcase hasn’t been stolen after all. The driver may actually have been my friend.”
As they hastened across the street, Nancy described the stranger’s appearance.
“He was of early middle age and well dressed, though somewhat flashily so. His hair was light, his eyes sharp and piercing.”
“Then it couldn’t have been the one who was to meet me, for his hair is dark. Oh, I’m afraid you are right. The bag has been stolen. What shall I do?”
“We must notify the police.”
Nancy had caught a glimpse of an officer at the next corner, and hurriedly acquainted him with the details of the daring theft. He glanced sharply at Nancy and questioned her companion further.
“Where did you meet this girl? Did you mention to her that the bag contained valuables?”
“I met her on the street, and she offered to help me carry the suitcase. I don’t believe I told her the bag was valuable until after it had disappeared.”
“If you have any doubt as to my integrity you might inquire of almost anyone here in River Heights,” Nancy said proudly. “My father, Carson Drew, is well known in the city.”
“You’re Carson Drew’s daughter?” the officer demanded incredulously.
“Yes, I am.”
“Then I’ll vouch for her honesty, Ma’am.”
“I am Mrs. Donnelly from Canada,” the woman informed the policeman. “I never doubted this young lady’s honesty, for I pride myself upon being a good judge of character. The man in the red car stole the bag.”
Nancy was amazed when she learned the identity of the woman whom she had befriended, though she did not at that moment comment upon the fact.
“Did you take the license number of the car?” the policeman asked her.
Nancy was forced to admit that she had failed to do so. However, she gave a detailed description of the man as well as his machine.
“I’ll call headquarters right away,” the officer promised. “The cruiser may be able to pick him up.”
“I am afraid the bag is gone,” Mrs. Donnelly said disconsolately, after the officer had left to find a telephone. “I don’t know what I shall do unless I get it back, for it contains my return ticket to Canada.”
Nancy made a sudden decision.
“My roadster is parked on a lot only a block from here. I’ll get it and pursue the thief myself!”
Mrs. Donnelly clutched the girl’s arm nervously.
“Oh, no, you mustn’t do that! It would be too dangerous!”
“I’ll take no unnecessary risks. That man has a good start, and if we wait until his description has been broadcast by the police it may be too late for us to overtake him.”
“Then see if you can trace the car,” Mrs. Donnelly urged gratefully, “but be careful. I’ll wait in the bank until you return.”
Nancy ran to the nearby parking lot, and a moment later had the roadster in motion. She was not very confident that she could overtake the red car; yet it seemed reasonable to her to believe that the thief would take the main boulevard which led to the outskirts of River Heights.
“He’ll try to get out of town as quickly as possible,” she thought. “If luck should favor me, I may catch him.”
Luck had always favored Nancy, yet those who knew her well maintained that good fortune attended her largely because of her own efforts. Left motherless at an early age, the girl developed considerable resourcefulness and courage. Her mind was unusually keen, she had warm sympathy for those in trouble, and her interest in mysteries had earned her an enviable reputation as a detective. Her father, a noted criminal lawyer, was very proud of her ability, and enjoyed discussing unusual phases of his work with her. Often she helped him clear up puzzling points.
Nancy’s first “case,” related in the initial volume of this series, “The Secret of the Old Clock,” brought her into conflict with an arrogant family, the Tophams. Later a queer bungalow, a delightful old ranch, a mysterious inn, and even a strange old farm provided background for her sleuthing prowess.
Her most recent adventure, recounted in “The Clue of the Broken Locket,” resulted in the happy reunion of a war veteran with his sister, and established the bewildering identity of adopted twin babies.
Bess Marvin and George Fayne, who lived only a few blocks apart, usually shared in Nancy’s good times. Nothing piqued the cousins more than to be excluded from a mystery.
“I wonder what they’ll say when I tell them about my meeting Mrs. Donnelly under such queer circumstances,” Nancy reflected, skillfully guiding her roadster through heavy traffic. “Unless I can manage to overtake that thief, I’ll feel a little ashamed to tell the story. After all, I should have been more alert. It was stupid of me to have allowed him to get away with the suitcase!”
She had not liked the stranger’s appearance; in fact, she had been reluctant to hand over to him the suitcase. But because he had driven up in a red car, she had accepted his word that he was a grandson of Mrs. Donnelly.
As she reached the less congested part of the city, Nancy put on more speed, driving a little faster than the law allowed.
“If I’m arrested, I’ll have a good reason for it, at least,” she told herself.
She watched closely for the red car, peering up the various side streets as she passed them, but there was no sign of the thief. She drove several miles beyond the outskirts of the city, and after inquiring at a number of filling stations, reluctantly turned back, convinced that she had taken the wrong road.
“Poor Mrs. Donnelly,” the girl thought. “I hate to tell her that I have failed.”
She was approaching a traffic light, and accordingly slowed down. Several other automobiles were already waiting for the signal to change. This it did just as Nancy came to a standstill. At that instant she caught a glimpse of a red car crossing the intersection!
The Drew girl accelerated the motor, and began the pursuit. Taking the driver of the other car by surprise, she succeeded in drawing abreast of his machine. One glance at his face told her she had made no mistake. He was the man who had stolen the suitcase!
As she tooted her horn, the culprit gave her a panic-stricken look, and speeded up. A less courageous driver might have abandoned the chase, but Nancy did not intend to be outdistanced. Again she overtook the car.
“Stop!” she cried.
The fellow paid no attention to her command, so his pursuer tooted her horn to attract the attention of passing motorists. Suddenly with a sharp twist of the wheel she crossed directly in front of the red car, blocking its path. Either the thief would have to stop, or else cause a crash.
For one terrifying moment Nancy thought the fellow intended to keep on. Suddenly the brakes screeched on the pavement, and his machine came to a quivering halt. The driver sprang out and started to run.
“Stop him!” Nancy cried out. “Don’t let him escape!”
By this time a number of automobiles had halted, and pedestrians were gathering. Two men overtook the thief, dragging him back to the car.
“He stole an old lady’s suitcase,” Nancy cried. “The police are after him.”
“It’s a lie,” the man snarled, struggling to free himself.
Nancy ran to the back of the red car, raising the lid of the luggage compartment. Triumphantly she displayed Mrs. Donnelly’s property.
“The bag is mine,” the thief insisted angrily. “This silly girl has mistaken me for another person.”
However, the crowd seemed inclined to believe Nancy’s story. The two pedestrians maintained a firm hold upon the thief until he was turned over to police officers.
“If you are innocent it will be an easy matter for you to prove it at headquarters,” Nancy assured the prisoner as he was taken away. “The suitcase will be opened there in the presence of Mrs. Donnelly.”
“You’ll pay for this outrage!” the man snapped.
Nancy followed the police in her own roadster, pausing only long enough to pick up Mrs. Donnelly, who was waiting in the lobby of the National Bank.
“Goodness me, I don’t see how you managed to overtake that man so quickly,” the elderly lady praised. “I never expected to see the bag again. Oh, I can’t thank you enough!”
At the station house Mrs. Donnelly promptly identified her suitcase, then confronted the prisoner. She stiffened slightly as she saw him.
“Tom Stripe!” she cried. “I’ve always known you were mean and low-down, but I never thought you’d stoop to become a common thief!”
“You know this man?” Nancy asked in amazement.
“Know him? Of course I do. He made trouble between another family and my own. Of late he’s held a grudge against me because of a valuable timber tract I hold near Wellington Lake.”
“We’ll see that he doesn’t bother you for some time at least,” an officer promised. “A few weeks in jail will do him good.”
Tom Stripe was led away, muttering to himself. Nancy could not understand what he was saying, but she did not doubt but that he was threatening either Mrs. Donnelly or herself.
“I wish you would accept a reward for recovering my suitcase,” the Canadian woman urged the Drew girl as the two left the police station together.
“Oh, I couldn’t do that. I’m as relieved as you are to get the bag again because I felt responsible for its loss. If you’ll tell me where you are staying, I’ll take you there in my roadster.”
Mrs. Donnelly hesitated a moment.
“I wrote to some friends I was coming. I am not certain now they are expecting me, for they did not meet me.”
“I’ll be glad to take you wherever you wish to go.”
“Then I guess I’ll head for the Taylor house, anyway. Marcus Taylor and his wife are old friends of mine. I’ve known Marcus nearly thirty years—ever since he was a lumberjack.”
“I met Mr. Taylor for the first time today,” Nancy said. “For years the old homestead has been closed, so the family isn’t very well known in River Heights.”
“Marcus spends most of his time in the North. He’s a fine man and a loyal friend.”
“He spoke very highly of you.”
Mrs. Donnelly looked surprised as well as pleased.
“Did he say anything about expecting me to visit here?”
“Why, I believe he said you intended to visit your sister, and come to River Heights later.”
“That’s what I wrote in my first letter. Later I received word from my sister that she wouldn’t be at home for several days, so I wrote Marcus again, asking that his son meet me. I hope he got the letter.”
“No doubt he did. I shouldn’t worry about it. I know where the Taylor house is, so I’ll drive you there.”
A few minutes later Nancy parked her car in front of a rambling, old-fashioned homestead. She carried the heavy suitcase up the walk and set it down on the porch. Anxiously Mrs. Donnelly rang the bell.
“I do hope they’re at home,” she said nervously.
Marcus Taylor appeared at the door. From the expression on his face it was obvious that he was not looking for Mrs. Donnelly. Nevertheless, he greeted her heartily and insisted that Nancy also come in for a few minutes.
“Mrs. Taylor is somewhere about the place,” he said cordially, taking the woman’s suitcase. “I’ll call her.”
“I can tell you weren’t looking for me,” Mrs. Donnelly declared uneasily. “Didn’t you get a letter I mailed from Chicago?”
“It must have miscarried,” Marcus Taylor returned, “but that doesn’t make a bit of difference. We always have an extra room for you. I’ve been wanting to see you today anyway, because I have a favor to ask of you.”
“What is it?” Mrs. Donnelly smiled.
Marcus Taylor winked slyly at Nancy.
“When you return to Wellington Lake, I want you to chaperon a young lady friend of mine.”
“I’ll be glad to do that, Marcus, but I hope she isn’t one of these silly modern creatures who can’t do a thing for themselves.”
“You should be a judge of that, because you’ve already met her!”
Mrs. Donnelly stared at Nancy.
“Surely he doesn’t mean you!” she gasped.
“I’m afraid he does,” Nancy laughed. “It was a strange coincidence, our meeting.”
“A fortunate one for me, my dear. I’ll be mighty glad to take you with me back to Wellington Lake. But tell me, what brings you to such an isolated spot?”
Nancy explained about the prize contest, and impulsively offered the deed for Mrs. Donnelly’s inspection. To the girl’s satisfaction, the woman put on her spectacles and studied the paper carefully.
“Well, what do you think of it?” Marcus Taylor demanded, as she finally returned the document to Nancy. “You’re a clever trader when it comes to a land deal, Mrs. Donnelly. If you would say the property is valueless it might save the girl a hard trip.”
Mrs. Donnelly hesitated a long while before offering her opinion.
“I don’t like to build up false hopes, for one really can’t be sure of a thing.”
“I wish you would give me your honest opinion,” Nancy urged. “After all, the land cost me nothing, so if it should prove to be worthless I shall have suffered no loss.”
“I think the property would merit investigating,” Mrs. Donnelly declared firmly. “In fact, it may prove to be more valuable than anyone expects.”
“Meaning what?” the lumberman demanded.
“Meaning that this land is located in a section where gold has been discovered! Few persons know of it yet, for the secret has been carefully guarded. I shouldn’t disclose it, only Miss Drew befriended me today, and I always like to repay favors.”
Marcus Taylor whistled softly.
“Nancy Drew, it looks to me as if you really won a prize when you selected that lucky radio title. If it should turn out that there’s gold on your land, you may make a fortune!”
A faraway look had come over Nancy’s face. Her eyes grew brilliant.
“Gold,” she said half to herself. “That settles it! Now I know I’m going to Wellington Lake, and we can’t start too soon to suit me!”