The Clue Of The Velvet Mask Part 7

"Indeed I do!" exclaimed Mrs. Becker. "He's an old friend of mine. Don't tell me he flew from New York to attend our daughter's reception!"

Mr. Becker was horrified at the turn of events. Quickly his wife explained that she had read of the Earl's arrival and had sent him a last-minute invitation.

Together she and her husband followed Nancy to where the detective's car was parked. Mrs. Becker shook the Earl's hand as her husband greeted him and apologized profusely for what had happened.

"We have this young lady to thank," Mrs. Becker said, turning to Nancy. "I presume you're helping the Lightner people?"

"Yes, Mrs. Becker," she replied.

Detective Ambrose glared at Nancy. Then he muttered, "I was only trying to do my duty, ma'am. We were tipped off to watch for an Englishman, and this guy-I mean the Earl-fit the bill. Your husband couldn't identify him."

"Of course not. They've never met. I hope you make no further mistakes of this nature."

Suddenly Nancy realized that if the thief and his accomplices had been waiting for a chance to get into the house without showing invitations, they had had a golden opportunity. Both the detective and the butler had been away from the front door for several minutes and the elderly servant had been left alone to guard the valuable presents!

Worried, Nancy returned to the house and hastened to the second floor. The door to the room in which the wedding gifts were displayed now was closed. She gently twisted the k.n.o.b and was startled to discover that the door was locked.

"Perhaps one of the plainclothesmen locked the door when the trouble started," she said to herself, trying not to think the worst.

Nancy noticed that a door to an adjoining bedroom stood ajar. She peered inside. Seeing no one there, she tiptoed in.

A velvet curtain screened the entranceway into the locked room. Moving noiselessly to the heavy drapery, Nancy cautiously parted it and stepped inside.

Involuntarily she drew back at the sight before her. The elderly servant lay sprawled on the floor, apparently unconscious.

In front of a table on which silver pieces were displayed stood a man in formal summer attire with gloves. He wore a velvet hooded mask over his head! The thief was putting the wedding gifts into a dark cloth, drawstring bag.

"I must get help!" Nancy thought. She glanced at the nearby telephone.

The thief, sensing he was being watched, whirled. "So it's the great girl detective!" he hissed at Nancy.

His voice was that of the brusque man who had danced with her at the Hendricks' masquerade! The one who had mistaken her for an a.s.sistant of his!

He yanked the long cord from the bag and stretched it taut between his fingers. Nancy stiffened as he stepped menacingly toward her.

CHAPTER V.

Strange Numbers

INSTANTLY Nancy seized the house telephone and pushed the signal b.u.t.ton. "Help!" she screamed into the mouthpiece.

To her amazement, the thief flung himself away from her and jumped across one of the tables. He opened a mirrored door in the wall and fled, banging it after him.

Still shouting for help, Nancy pursued him. The man evidently knew every inch of the rambling house. He ran along a back hall, through a door, and directly to the servants' stairway.

Nancy followed him down the stairs, crying, "Stop, thief!"

Reaching the foot of the stairs, she found he had locked the door. Nancy pounded on it and presently the door was opened by a startled maid. In a moment the place was in an uproar with everyone trying to locate the fugitive. No one had seen him come through the stairway door.

The shouts had attracted Detective Ambrose and the other plainclothesmen. At once they made a search for the thief. Nancy listened to the voice of every man wearing summer formals, hoping to discover the one who had spoken to her upstairs. But apparently the thief had escaped.

"Maybe I can learn something from that old servant," Nancy said to herself.

She went upstairs and found that her first cry of help on the telephone had brought a maid to aid the elderly man. By now he had revived and was seated in a chair in the bedroom.

"I don't know how it happened," he said. "I never even saw the person who hit me. He sneaked up from behind."

Detective Ambrose came in at that moment. He reported no success in apprehending the would-be thief.

"At least he didn't get away with anything this time," the officer remarked. "Our quick work saved the wedding silver."

"Yes, we were lucky," Nancy replied, smiling at the detective's use of the word our.

Since the servant guard could offer no clues, she returned to the reception. The gaiety which had prevailed half an hour earlier was gone from the party.

Nancy remained awhile, departing when the bride left. At home she was surprised to find Bess Marvin and George Fayne. They explained that they had come, hoping to hear about her experiences at the reception.

Nancy laughed. "Who said I had any?"

"Why, it's written all over your face," George declared. "Come on. Tell us. Did you have another encounter with the man in the mask?"

"I did," Nancy said, and went on to relate how the thief had eluded her.

"Wish I'd been there," George remarked, her eyes dancing. "I'd have helped you hold him, Nancy."

"I could have used a little of your muscle, George. He's a slippery rascal!"

"Aren't you afraid he'll try to get even with you?" Bess asked nervously. "After all, you wrecked his plans tonight, Nancy, and he won't forget that."

"I'm not worried."

"You and Mrs. Gruen will be in the house alone tonight, won't you?"

"Yes, Dad is still away on a trip. I'm not the least bit afraid, though."

At that moment the telephone rang. In the quiet house the sound was startling.

"It's probably Dad calling long distance," Nancy said. "I've been expecting him to phone."

Excusing herself, she went to the hall and picked up the telephone. At first there was no reply to her h.e.l.lo. Then a man's voice spoke precisely and with a sinister inflection:

"Nancy Drew, keep out of affairs that aren't your own! If you don't, be prepared to pay the consequences. Another warning. Get rid of that hooded mask. Drop it within twenty-four hours over the wall of Hillside Cemetery."

The receiver clicked, indicating the end of the one-way conversation. Bess and George had joined her, aware that something was amiss.