Chapter 1 The Clue of the Tapping Heels by Carolyn Keene
A Code
“Land sakes, Nancy, there’s so much commotion in this house a body can’t even think!”
Hannah Gruen, housekeeper for Carson Drew and his daughter, paused in the doorway of the living room to regard the golden-haired girl who was tap dancing. The radio was on, and Nancy’s heels and toes were clicking a clever accompaniment to the gay music.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
“Dear me, I don’t see how you can make your feet fly so fast,” Hannah declared in awe. “I suppose you’re practicing for some entertainment.”
Nancy Drew laughed as she continued keeping time to the music. Her deep blue eyes sparkled with excitement and her golden curls shone.
“No, Mrs. Gruen,” she replied, “this is for my own entertainment. I’m trying to tap out words.”
“Words!”
“Just listen!” said the girl excitedly. She executed a little dance routine. “I’m tapping out a message. I said, ‘Beware, Mrs. Gruen,’ in taps and spaces. Do you understand what I mean?”
“I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about,” the housekeeper replied in bewilderment. “I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“Well, neither have I,” Nancy admitted cheerfully. “The idea came to me as I was practicing a dance. Morse code is sent by means of dots and dashes, you know. So why not a code, using taps and spaces? For instance, to make an ‘A’ I’ll tap out just one quick tap. ‘B’ will be two taps.”
“It seems to me you’d be all worn out by the time you’d come to the last letter in the alphabet,” Mrs. Gruen observed dryly.
“Oh, it wouldn’t have to be twenty-six taps,” Nancy explained. “It could be something simple such as a tap, space, and two taps.”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you’ll think of next,” smiled the housekeeper.
“The best part is that one would never guess I was tapping out a code!”
The radio selection had come to an end. As the announcer gave the name of the station, Nancy and Hannah realized that someone was ringing the doorbell. Before either of them could answer it the screen door had opened and two girls, George Fayne and her cousin Bess Marvin, walked into the room.
“Don’t you ever answer doorbells?” teased Bess, a dignified looking girl, who always took joy in being well dressed.
“Oh, girls, I’m so glad you came over!” Nancy cried in delight. “I want to show you something.”
“That was a cute dance you were doing,” declared George. “I wish you’d teach us the steps.” Her straight brown bob and slightly turned-up nose gave her a decidedly boyish appearance. Her real name was George, and she delighted in watching the expression on the faces of people who could not understand this.
“I’ll be glad to teach you,” said Nancy, “but you’ll have to learn a code.”
“A code!” exclaimed Bess. “What do you mean?”
Her chum was only too willing to explain. Both George and Bess were intrigued at the idea of actually spelling out messages with tapping heels.
“Why Nancy, if we three knew a secret code we could send messages to one another without others suspecting!” Bess cried.
“That’s what I thought,” Nancy admitted. “We could have lots of fun. And perhaps some time the code might serve a really worth while purpose. One of us might be in danger and need help.”
“How would you tap out ‘I need help?’ ” George asked.
“You would do it like this,” Nancy said, giving a demonstration. “I’ll write the code on paper for you. Then we can try it together.”
The three girls began their dance. So furious was the pace they set that ornaments and pictures in the room began to rock and shake. Once Nancy almost upset a lamp, whereupon Mrs. Gruen told the chums they would have to do their practicing out of doors.
“I’m tired of tapping anyway,” declared the Drew girl. “Let’s go for a drive in the country.”
With Nancy at the wheel the girls soon were speeding along toward the town of Berryville, which was not far from River Heights. As they were discussing their new tap dance code with enthusiasm, Bess suddenly cried out a warning:
“Watch, Nancy! There’s something in the road!”
The driver slammed on the brakes just in time to avoid hitting a small animal which was limping across the highway.
“Did I strike it?” Nancy asked anxiously.
“No, you just missed,” Bess declared, turning to look back. “But the poor thing has been injured in some way. It’s crouching at the side of the highway.”
Nancy brought the car to a standstill and the girls alighted.
“Why, it’s a cat!” George exclaimed. “I believe it must be a Persian.”
“Persian cats are valuable,” Bess added. “Do you think it ran away from its owner?”
“That’s quite possible,” agreed Nancy, moving quietly toward the animal. “Perhaps we should take it with us.”
“You may get scratched for your trouble,” warned George.
The fuzzy little animal cringed away, but did not try to avoid Nancy’s grasp. Gently the girl stroked its soft fur, as she examined the injured leg.
“Why, it’s only a kitten,” she declared in surprise. “And I’m sure it’s valuable.”
“It’s half starved, too,” Bess observed. “Perhaps we can get some milk over at that Sandwich Shoppe.” She indicated a small tea room directly across the road.
The girls carried the kitten to Mrs. Pickwick’s spotlessly clean establishment, where they inquired if anyone there had lost the pet. The woman assured them that she had no idea who might own the animal. She added that she disliked cats or dogs to be in her place, so Nancy saw that it would be out of the question to leave the pet with her.
“I’m afraid we’ll have to take Fuzzy home with us,” she said to her chums. “I’d not like to turn the poor thing loose with that injured leg.”
The girls bought a small bottle of milk and Mrs. Pickwick gave them a dish. They fed the animal in the car. Then, leaving the kitten curled up on the seat, they went back to the Sandwich Shoppe for their own luncheon.
Early afternoon found the girls at the Drew home once more, proudly showing Hannah Gruen their new pet. The kindly housekeeper helped them bandage up the injured leg and make a soft bed for the kitten.
Later that evening when Nancy’s father came home from his law office, his daughter asked him to take a look at the pet. By that time Fuzzy was purring contentedly.
“It’s a beautiful animal,” he remarked. “I hope we can find the owner.”
He thought no more about the cat until the following day, when he chanced to read an advertisement in the local paper.
“Nancy,” he called, showing her the item, “here’s something which may interest you. A certain person named A. B. Carter is offering a ten-dollar reward for the return of a lost Persian kitten to the owner’s home in Berryville.”
“Do you suppose that could be Fuzzy?” Nancy asked, studying the words. “Oh, dear, just when I’m getting attached to the little thing I suppose I’ll have to give it up.”
That very afternoon she set off for Berryville with her chums, George and Bess. From inquiries made along the road, Nancy concluded that the person who had inserted the advertisement was not a man, but a woman by the name of Annie Carter.
“It seems she is something of a character,” Nancy reported to her chums. “She is a spinster who came to this section about three years ago. Very little is known about her, but all the neighbors are up in arms against her because she keeps about twenty-five cats at her place.”
“Twenty-five!” gasped Bess. “Think of the milk bill!”
“That’s the point,” Nancy replied. “Apparently Miss Carter isn’t very well-to-do and is unable to feed all her pets. As a result they roam about and howl.”
“No wonder the neighbors complain,” commented George, glancing down at the kitten on her lap. “I was hoping Fuzzy would get a good home.”
“Let’s stop at the next store and buy some canned fish,” Nancy suggested. “We can see that the Carter cats get at least one square meal.”
This was done, then the girls went on, presently drawing up in front of a large white house with many odd-shaped turrets. The dwelling was in need of paint and the yard was neglected, but brightly colored flowers bloomed along the porch.
As the girls went up the walk Bess stumbled over a yellow, gaunt looking cat which blocked her path. She would have fallen had not Nancy caught her friend’s arm. Before the callers reached the porch they came across four other cats, each of which without exception was lean and hungry looking.
Nancy rang the bell. A tall, graceful woman past middle age appeared at the door. She had friendly eyes and a faded beauty which was highly attractive. The Drew girl quickly explained why they had come, and Fuzzy was claimed immediately by its owner.
“So many of my darling cats are straying away,” Miss Carter explained with a sigh. “It is very distressing for I can’t bear to lose a single one. Now let me see—about the reward——”
“Don’t even mention it,” Nancy said hurriedly. “We could not accept anything for what we have done.”
“At least step inside and see some of my beautiful Persians,” Miss Carter urged. “It is so kind of you to have come all the way here.”
The girls followed the distinguished looking woman into the house. The living room was furnished in pieces of a by-gone age, beautiful but in need of repair. Every available chair was occupied by one of Miss Carter’s pets. Out in the kitchen others were meowing and calling.
“They’re not usually as noisy as this,” Miss Carter apologized. “You see, it’s past their feeding time and they’re very hungry.”
“Please let us help you give them some food,” Bess said quickly. “We have several cans of fish in our car. Would they eat that?”
“Oh, yes, they’d love it,” replied the woman with a smile.
The girls ran for the food and helped distribute it in dishes on the back porch. In an instant they were surrounded by frantic cats, each of them determined to get a large share of the food. In the midst of this commotion a man came up the walk briskly.
“Oh, that’s Jed Silbert,” Miss Carter murmured in an undertone. “I suppose he’s here to make trouble again. I did promise to mend the cage out back and keep my pets at home, but I haven’t got at it yet.”
The man kicked angrily at one of the animals which was unfortunate enough to get in his way. Then he looked defiantly at its owner.
“Miss Carter,” he said coldly, “I’m here to tell you for the last time that either you or your pets must go. I speak for my neighbors when I say that our patience is exhausted. Your cats have been running all over doing a great deal of damage.”
“I’ll not let one of them be taken from me,” the woman announced dramatically. “Not even one.”
“Then don’t be surprised if something happens to them,” the man threatened. “We’ve had enough trouble.”
“You’d dare to harm my pets!” Miss Carter cried in indignation. “Mr. Silbert, leave my premises at once. Go!”
Waving her arm in dismissal, the woman moved toward the man, failing to notice that she stood close to the edge of the porch. Before the girls could warn her she stumbled and fell forward down the steps. Mr. Silbert helped her to her feet, but as he turned away he said:
“Bear in mind what I’ve said. Either you get rid of the cats, or I’ll find a way to do it for you!”
“Such a horrible, cruel man,” Miss Carter moaned as Nancy and her chums assisted her into the house.
The woman had been stunned slightly by the fall and had several bruises on her arms. She walked with difficulty. The girls induced her to lie down, and to quiet her nerves they applied cold cloths to her head.
While they were working, Nancy heard voices in the garden. Moving to the window, she saw that Jed Silbert had returned with a group of neighbors. The men were talking excitedly among themselves.
“I’m afraid they’re here to make more trouble for Miss Carter,” Nancy whispered to George and Bess. “Let’s go out there and try to reason with them.”