Chapter 6 The Mystery of the Brass Bound Trunk by Carolyn Keene
The Secret Code
“The message does contain your name, Nancy!” agreed George as she read the paper.
“And the day of our intended sailing to South America,” added Bess, likewise astonished. “But where does the La Plata come in?”
“I can’t figure it out,” George responded, looking troubled. “Maybe we are all involved.”
“I wish I had a map,” murmured Nancy thoughtfully as she smoothed a stray hair.
“How would that help?” inquired Bess.
Nancy smiled. “This message refers either to a person or to a place. It must be written in code.”
“Oh, perhaps it doesn’t concern you at all,” George spoke carelessly. “You have never seen the man before in your life, have you?”
“I’m not sure. His face was half hidden beneath the hat brim, but I did think he looked somewhat familiar.”
“And I had the same feeling,” declared Bess.
“Oh, girls, now I remember!” Nancy exclaimed in a low tone. “Wasn’t he the man we saw getting into Mrs. Joslin’s car?”
“At the jewelry store!” agreed George instantly.
“I believe he was that man,” added Bess, although with less conviction. “In that case, Nancy, this message might concern you. Didn’t I say Mrs. Joslin had a very special reason for trying to keep you from sailing on the same boat as her daughter?”
“Yes, you did, Bess.” Nancy slipped the paper into her purse. “I mean to show this message to Dad and see what he thinks of it.”
After sending off a cable to Mrs. Purdy, the girls returned to River Heights. Nancy stopped for a few minutes at her father’s law office, but was disappointed because he did not appear greatly impressed with the message she had found in the telegraph office.
“I fail to comprehend how it can have any connection with you,” he told her. “However, I am glad that by not sailing with the Laurel Hall girls, you will have nothing more to do with the Joslins.”
“I wonder if I’ll be sailing at all,” said Nancy, submerged in gloom. “Mrs. Purdy is our only hope now. She may not even get my radiogram.”
Bess and George were waiting in the car. When Nancy returned, looking very glum, they suggested a shopping trip, an idea which was promptly turned down.
“I’m in no mood for it today. Besides, I must go directly home. Hannah is head over heels in work and I promised to assist her.”
“We’ll pitch in too,” Bess offered as the car took them to the Drew home. “I’m experienced at packing trunks.”
As the girls ran up the front steps of the Drew home, Nancy noticed a battered vehicle standing on the driveway. She surmised that Mrs. Gruen had called in Effie, a willing but somewhat stupid maid who often did day’s work for the Drews. Upon entering the house, they were confronted with a great cloud of dust which made them cough and choke. Effie was sweeping the carpet with a broom.
“I really think you should use the vacuum,” explained Nancy patiently.
“Oh, all right,” the maid grumbled good-naturedly, “but I never did like them electric contraptions. They’re always out of whack.”
“Effie!” called Hannah Gruen from the next room.
“Yes’m.”
“Never mind the cleaning,” the housekeeper told her wearily. “It will be better for me to take care of it myself. Can you sew?”
“Yes’m, I’m a right good hand with a needle.”
“Then I’ll have you finish shortening Nancy’s dresses,” Mrs. Gruen said, indicating a pile of garments on the dining room table. “Take off exactly three inches from each hem. But don’t touch this pink skirt; I’ve done that.”
“Is there anything I can do?” Nancy inquired after the housekeeper had repeated her instructions to be certain the maid understood.
“When Effie finishes, I’ll want you to try on the garments. In the meantime you might vacuum the floor while I go to the grocery store.”
The three girls made quick work of the first floor cleaning. When they went upstairs to Nancy’s room, her chums were surprised to see her start hunting through her bookcase.
“What in the world are you doing?” asked Bess. “I thought we were going to help you pack.”
“Just a moment,” answered the Drew girl “I must hunt up something first.”
“I bet you are looking for a map,” surmised George.
“Exactly,” responded Nancy. “I believe I’ll solve that code yet.”
“ ‘Drew La Plata Saturday,’ ” recited Bess. “Do you suppose it’s the name of a sister boat?”
“No,” said her chum. “I believe it is a river, but I must verify it.”
Quickly she opened an atlas. Hastily turning the pages she read, “La Plata Rio. Buenos Aires is on the river La Plata which flows into the ocean.”
“Nancy Drew!” gasped her friends in unison. “You’re a real detective!”
The girls fell to discussing the case from various angles, so failed to notice Effie lay several garments on the bed. Suddenly Nancy looked at the pink skirt, wondering if she dared believe her eyes. Quickly slipping on the garment, she was dismayed to discover that it came far above her knees and flared out at a ridiculous angle.
“See what Effie has done! She must have shortened this skirt after Mrs. Gruen told her to leave it alone!”
“You’ll create a sensation if you wear that on the boat!” giggled Bess mischievously.
“It looks like a circus rider’s costume,” added George, laughing gleefully. “All you need is a horse, Nancy.”
“This isn’t a bit funny, girls.” Anxiously the Drew girl examined the skirt hem and was relieved to find that Effie had not cut it off. “Well, thank goodness for that. I’ll rip it out and not tell Hannah. Poor woman, she has enough to worry her.”
Throughout the day Effie made several other mistakes so that by six o’clock when she received her wages and departed, the housekeeper actually heaved a sigh of relief.
“Another day like this and I’ll spend my vacation in a sanitarium,” she declared wildly.
While Nancy and her father were at dinner that evening, with Ned Nickerson as their guest, a radiogram arrived from Mrs. Purdy. As Nancy tore open the envelope, she wondered with a thumping heart if the contents would be good news.
“Hurrah!” she cried in a moment. “We can go!”
The woman had sent word she planned to spend several months in Buenos Aires and would be delighted to have the three girls with her. She also acknowledged that she had given Snowball to Nancy, and considered the girl clever to have traced the gift.
“Then this settles everything,” Mr. Drew said in satisfaction. “I’ll leave for the West feeling that you will be in safe hands, Nancy.”
Ned said nothing at all. His opinion was that a chaperon would not prevent Nancy from finding adventure in South America. Later that evening, when she showed him the mysterious radiogram she had picked up from the floor of the telegraph office, he shook his head morosely.
“You’re always running into grief, Nancy. Take my advice and don’t bother with any dark and wily strangers. I would have nothing to do with the Trenton case, the Joslins, or anyone else if I were in your shoes.”
“Ned, you’re turning into a regular grandpa,” Nancy teased him. “How about driving me to the Trentons right now? I should like to meet Doris before we sail.”
Rather unwillingly he agreed to take her. However, before they could leave the house, an automobile turned into the driveway. Observing it, the young people waited on the front porch. To Nancy’s amazement Mrs. Joslin alighted and crossed the lawn.
“Good evening,” said the Drew girl politely. “Will you come in?”
“No, I’ll state what I have to say right here. I understand Senora Zola came to see you and that you gave her no definite answer about your trip.”
“That is true,” replied Nancy, rather enjoying the situation.
“You must make up your mind at once!” the woman said arrogantly. “Do you realize that the boat sails Saturday?”
“So it does.”
“Unless you withdraw from the Laurel Hall group I shall take Nestrelda out of school there,” Mrs. Joslin threatened. “I’ll protest to the steamship authorities——”
“Please compose yourself,” suggested Nancy calmly. “You will not have to worry about this affair any more. I have decided not to travel with the Laurel Hall girls.”
“You might have said so before!” Mrs. Joslin snapped.
Without a word of gratitude, the woman turned and hastened back to her car; in fact, she left so quickly that Nancy had no time to say anything further. In no uncertain words Ned voiced his opinion of Mrs. Joslin. He also prophesied that when the woman should learn Nancy and her friends were sailing on the Patrician she would attempt to make trouble.
“She won’t know it for a while,” Nancy laughed, undisturbed, as the two drove off. “Anyway, I’m not in the least afraid of Mrs. Joslin or her daughter Nestrelda.”
Arriving at the Trenton Home, Nancy and Ned were surprised at the greeting received from the family. The father, a tired looking man with spectacles, had very little to say. His wife, a quiet, subdued lady with snow white hair, tried rather pathetically to make conversation. It was Doris, perfectly poised and sure of herself, who responded to Nancy’s casual remarks. Mr. and Mrs. Trenton became increasingly ill at ease as the conversation shifted to the topic of their daughter’s trip to South America.
“I am going mostly because Mother and Father wish me to,” the girl said with a shrug. “I really can’t arouse much enthusiasm for the voyage.”
“Oh, I’m sure we’ll have a wonderful time,” Nancy declared enthusiastically.
A puzzled expression passed over Miss Trenton’s face.
“Are you going to Buenos Aires also?” she asked quietly.
“Why yes, I thought you knew. We’re sailing on the same boat.”
For an instant Doris Trenton lost her poise. A half frightened expression came into her dark eyes. She turned to regard her parents with a fixed gaze which was difficult to interpret.
“No, I didn’t know,” she replied as if speaking to Nancy. “How delightful. How very delightful.”