Mystery Of The Tolling Bell Part 19

"Well, I'm glad to see you. That saves me a trip. I was going to call on you and offer my apologies, but I've been out of town. Just came back last night."

"We did expect to hear from you and learn why you took our boat and left us stranded on the cliff," Nancy told him.

Amos Hendrick hung his head. "I'm right sorry about that," he said. "The truth is, I suddenly remembered I had an appointment. I couldn't wait for you girls any longer."

"Was it with the same man you saw today?" Nancy shot at him.

The bell collector looked surprised and asked how she knew that. Nancy explained.

"Yes, he was the same man," A. H. answered. "The other time Mr. James didn't show up." A. H. leaned forward and whispered confidentially, "He has a bell I might buy."

"Oh!" Nancy exclaimed. Then she asked, "What does the man look like?"

"Oh, kind of red-faced. Has a stocky build and dark hair. Why?"

Nancy evaded the question. "I might want to talk to him myself sometime about bells," she answered casually.

Inwardly she was very excited. The description of Mr. James definitely fitted the person with whom Madame had been talking! Was he Harry Tyrox alias Monsieur Pappier?

Mr. Hendrick started to move off, but Nancy was not through questioning him. She wanted to know about another matter also. She asked him when he had last driven to the cliff above Bald Head Cave.

"Cliff?" the man repeated. "I've never been up on those rocks. Nothing there worth going for that I know of."

"We thought we saw you up there looking through a telescope," said Bess.

"Not me. I don't own a telescope. Well, I must go now." He smiled. "Hope you've forgiven me For running off with the boat."

After he had left, Nancy mentioned her disappointment about the talk with Amos Hendrick. Either the man was hiding facts for reasons of his own, or else he was the victim of a hoax.

"Well, now what?" George queried.

"Let's call on the people who bought Mon Coeur stock from Monsieur Pappier."

Nancy had written down the names of the victims mentioned by Mother Mathilda. At least one of them might be able to give a clue to the whereabouts of the swindler. After learning from Mrs. Chantrey where the people lived, the girls set off.

Their first stop was at Maude Pullet's home. The woman wept on hearing the news that she had been swindled. Sam Metts, white-faced and grim, told the girls that the loss of the money meant his son would be deprived of a college education. The little seamstress, Miss Flossenger, sadly admitted she had given Monsieur Pappier most of her life savings. At each place Nancy acquired the names and addresses of additional persons who had been cheated by Monsieur Pappier.

"This swindle is s...o...b..lling," she said excitedly to her friends. "Unless we can put a stop to it, there's no telling how many other people will lose their savings!"

Nancy kept hoping she might uncover a clue to the whereabouts of either Monsieur Pappier or Madame. But the people she interviewed had only one address to offer: the New York office, vacated a few days earlier.

Learning that several persons in the little country town of Branford had bought stock, Nancy drove there in the late afternoon with Bess and George. Interviews with two purchasers brought only the familiar story of the fantastic profits which had been glibly promised by Monsieur Pappier and a companion salesman.

Discouraged, Nancy was leading the way to her parked car when she noticed a girl standing on the opposite side of the street.

"Isn't that Minnie, the girl who bought some cosmetics from Madame?" she asked. "The one whose mother tried to have me arrested?"

"Yes!" George agreed. "Wow! What a costume!"

The girl's face was made up heavily. She wore a scarlet, sleeveless dress and several necklaces of various colors. High-heeled patent leather shoes fitted her badly. As the girl walked down the street, she kept turning her ankles every few steps.

"Let's talk to her," Nancy urged. "She really looks pathetic."

The three girls crossed the street.

"h.e.l.lo," Nancy greeted Minnie with a friendly smile. "Aren't you a long way from home?"

"Not half far enough!" the girl retorted, tossing her head.

"You've run away?" Nancy guessed.

"I couldn't stand it on the farm another day. I've changed my name from Minnie to Marilyn Glaser, and I have a fine jobl"

"In an office?" Bess inquired, wondering who would employ such a gaudily dressed person.

"No, as a model. I demonstrate Mon Coeur cosmetics for a weekly salary," Minnie went on proudly. "Madame is going to give me a bonus, too."

This information excited Nancy, but she was careful to keep her voice even as she asked, "Where do you give the demonstrations?"

"We'll have one tonight at nine o'clock in front of the Branford Hotel."

"Oh, not until tonight?"

"We never have our demonstrations until late," Minnie explained. "Madame says night light makes everyone look better." The girl giggled. "You ought to see me. I pretend to look awful, and then she fixes me up grand."

"I see," said Nancy, suppressing a smile. "Well, I wish you luck with your new work." Then she added casually, "I can see you like working for Madame."

"She's a fine woman!" Minnie replied. "She's promised to pay for these clothes, and she lets me have all the free perfume and cosmetics I want." Minnie teetered away on her high heels.

"Too bad we don't know her parents' address so we could notify them where the girl is!" George exclaimed.

"I'll try to persuade her to go home," Nancy said, "but not until after the demonstration tonight. Girls, do you realize Minnie may solve the mystery for us?"

"Will you notify the police to be on hand?" asked Bess.

"I may. How I wish Dad were here!"

"You have a date with Ned tonight," Bess said. "Why not talk it over with him?"

Nancy said she would. When Ned arrived at Mrs. Chantrey's house and heard the news, he smiled. "I'm sure I can handle Madame myself, and Minnie, too. There's bound to be a policeman not far away, if we want him to make any arrests."

Nancy was not completely satisfied. But she admitted to herself that the presence of the police might forewarn Madame or her accomplices.

She and Ned started off, and shortly before nine o'clock they reached the Branford Hotel and waited near the entrance. Soon Minnie appeared looking very unattractive in a black dress, her face pale, her lips colorless.

"She's certainly carrying out her part of the bargain," Nancy mused.

"By the way," Ned put in, "where is the cosmetic cart woman?" He glanced toward a clock in the square. "It's ten after nine now."