The Clue Of The Velvet Mask Part 9

Nancy wanted to ask more questions, but Linda suddenly warned her that she must end the conversation.

"Mr. Tombar is coming!" she said nervously. "I'll get in touch with you later."

"Just one thing," Nancy interposed. "Has a masquerade party been scheduled for any of those dates I told you about?"

"No, only other types of parties," Linda whispered. "Good-by!"

Nancy next called the newspaper. The social editor, a friend, said she knew of no large parties scheduled for July fifth. "If I hear of any, Nancy, I'll call you."

Nancy thanked her. Putting down the phone, she sat still, absorbed in thought. Her reflections were interrupted by the excited barking of Togo, her small terrier. He had jumped up on his hind legs and was scratching at a window sill.

"Togo, what's wrong?" Nancy demanded.

Mrs. Gruen had gone to the window and was peering into the sunny side yard. Nancy joined her. No one was in sight.

"Togo, you were really fooled this time," Nancy scolded him. "No one's out there."

The little terrier, however, continued to bark. He ran to the front door, jerking his head and scratching frantically with his paws to tell Nancy that he wanted to be let out.

"What can be the matter?" she said, frowning. "I've never seen him so persistent."

She ordered the dog to come away from the door and lie down. To her vexation, the usually obedient Togo paid no attention to her command. She started toward him, but whirled around at a sharp exclamation from Hannah.

"There was someone lurking near the window!" the housekeeper whispered. "Nancy, I just saw a long shadow move across the porch."

Nancy dashed for the door, recalling the sound she had heard the night before.

"Someone's eavesdropping on us!" she exclaimed.

CHAPTER VI.

Kidnapped!

As Nancy opened the door, Togo bounded outside. The little dog raced directly toward the garage, barking furiously.

"He saw someone, all right," Nancy declared. She could see the vague impressions of a man's footprints leading directly to the window near the telephone. "Someone was listening. I'm going to look around outside."

She asked the housekeeper to watch from the window while she followed the dog to the garage. The building was empty.

Togo ran around the yard, his nose to the ground. Picking up the stranger's scent, he followed it to the street but became confused.

"Whoever it was, he's gone now, Togo," Nancy said, calling him back into the house. "Good dog! You tried hard."

The housekeeper was greatly upset by the disturbance.

"Probably it was a member of that Velvet Gang," she remarked. "That's what the newspaper called them. I suspect the man wanted to get his black hood."

"Now stop worrying," Nancy begged. "If he'd wanted it, he would have tried harder to get in. Nevertheless I'll phone Chief McGinnis."

She brought the officer up to date on all she had learned and asked if she might still retain the mask since her father wanted to see it again.

"All right," the chief said. "So long as we have those dates, that's the important thing."

Mrs. Gruen remained jumpy and Nancy did not leave her. Hours later, when she and Nancy went upstairs, the housekeeper gave a sudden start.

"Listen!" she said tensely. "What was that?"

"Only the front doorbell. I'll go."

"Be careful, Nancy. It may be a trick."

The housekeeper's suspicions were unwarranted. Opening the door, Nancy found a messenger from the telegraph office. She took the envelope which was addressed to her and tore it open. The telegram read:AMSTAR

HAVE FOUND WHAT DATES MEAN. COME MY.

HOTEL THIS EVENING. BRING MASK.

It was signed "Dad."

"Bad news?" Mrs. Gruen asked, hovering near.

"Not exactly." Nancy was rereading the telegram. "This message has me puzzled, though. Why should Dad ask me to come to Amstar when he expects to arrive home tonight?"

She offered the telegram to Mrs. Gruen for her opinion.

"Apparently your father has some further information on the mystery," she said after reading it.

"This telegram may be a hoax."

"That's possible," Mrs. Gruen admitted. "Well, the only thing to do is to verify it."

Nancy put in a long-distance call to her father. The hotel operator informed her that Carson Drew was not in his room. She a.s.sured the girl, however, that he had not checked out.

Turning from the telephone, Nancy said rea.s.suringly to worried Mrs. Gruen:

"Evidently Dad sent the telegram, so I'd better take the mask and meet him."

She got in touch with the railroad station and learned that the only through train to Amstar left in less than two hours.

"Since Dad wants me there this evening, I'll have to take it," she remarked.

As she spoke, Togo growled and ran to the door.

"Another eavesdropper!" Hannah Gruen cried. She followed as Nancy ran outside.