The Sign Of The Twisted Candles Part 10

"That's a contest where I can't help you, can I?" Nancy asked. "I wish I were old enough to be a lawyer!"

"You've already done a fine job," her father said. "And I'm sure we'll win the lawsuit. It would help very much, though, if we had some supportable testimony as to why Mr. Sidney favored this orphan girl above his entire family."

They stopped speaking as Carol came down the stairway wearing a shabby coat and carrying an old-fashioned suitcase. She apologized for both. "I never went anywhere, and wore uniforms most of the time, so I didn't need any clothes."

This gave Nancy an idea. "Carol," she said, "you deserve a good-looking wardrobe. Let's go downtown on a shopping spree! I have charge accounts, and you can pay me back when you receive allowances from your inheritance. We'll buy dresses and shoes, and a coat, and-"

"Oh, I can't believe it!" Carol exclaimed. "This could be the biggest thrill of my life!"

"It'll be a lot of fun for me, too," Nancy declared as she locked the front door and gave the key to the watchman. "Let's go now."

She took Hannah home first, then set off for the shopping center of River Heights. As Nancy led Carol into the elevator of a big department store, she discovered that the only other occupants were Bess and George!

The two cousins smiled timidly at the other girls. Then, as if remembering that they were told not to be friendly, they turned aside.

Impulsively Nancy put her hand on Bess's arm. "Bess," she said softly, "I've done nothing. Why must our friendship be broken because of a foolish quarrel that persons now dead had seventy years ago?"

To Nancy's surprise a big tear rolled down Bess's cheek. George bit her lip nervously, glancing from Bess to Nancy.

"We can't help it, Nancy," she said finally. "Your father is responsible for keeping our family from its rightful share in Asa Sidney's estate."

"Oh no!" Nancy said. "Lets talk this over," she suggested. "In the tearoom."

Hesitatingly the cousins agreed, and soon the four girls were seated in a quiet corner of the store's restaurant.

"Bess, you and George met Carol the same evening I did," Nancy began. "It was the first time we three had seen Mr. Sidney."

Bess and George nodded, and Nancy continued, "I mentioned that my father was a lawyer and that night Carol phoned me and said Mr. Sidney wanted to make a new will and would Dad come to draw it the next morning. Mr. Sidney seemed perfectly competent to me. He didn't appear to you to be unbalanced, did he?"

Bess and George looked at each other uncomfortably, then shook their heads.

"It's my father's duty to carry out his client's wishes," Nancy went on. "Well, that's my story. Carol's is just as simple. Mr. Sidney chose to make her one of his heirs. It hasn't brought her happiness because of the way your family and the others are treating her."

"That's true," Carol said.

"The family feud should not interfere with our friendship," Nancy went on. "Why let the anger of great-uncles come between us?"

"Nancy," George declared, "you're absolutely right. I'm sorry and ashamed of the way I've acted. Please forgive me. I want to be friends."

"Oh, Nancy," Bess cried, "I'm so glad we're talking to one another again. And, Carol, I'm not going to do anything to break the will."

"I'm not either," George added quickly.

Nancy laughed in relief and the others joined in.

"What are you girls shopping for?" George asked. "We always have so much fun buying things with Nancy."

"Carol wants to get some new clothes," Nancy explained. "Want to help?"

"You bet!" Bess and George answered.

When the store closed that evening, the four girls left it chatting merrily and laden with bundles. Carol had been outfitted from head to toe in attractive clothes. Her hair had been trimmed and modishly combed at the beauty salon. She looked very lovely and seemed to have gained self-confidence.

But she was not yet entirely at ease. On the way home, she whispered to Nancy, "Please don't go far from me. I'm so afraid the Jemitts may try to harm me. Nancy, do you mind if I don't go back yet to the old mansion to hunt for the hidden treasures?"

"Of course not, Carol. I think you'll be happier at my house with Mrs. Gruen. Just take it easy, and don't worry."

Mr. Drew reached home at six o'clock and soon everyone sat down to dinner. Conversation was general, but as soon as the meal was over, he asked his daughter to follow him into his study. He closed the door and they sat down.

"Nancy," he said, "I have a lot to tell you. There's no use upsetting Carol. That's why I wanted to talk to you alone. A theory has been forming in my mind."

"About Carol's background?"

"Yes."

"You suspect Asa Sidney knew who she was?"

The lawyer nodded. "I made a trip to the Fernwood Orphanage and looked at all the old records. There was not a clue as to who Carol's parents might have been. But I did pick up some other interesting facts."

Mr. Drew said that Asa Sidney had been a trustee of the orphanage for many years. He had taken a great fancy to a certain little girl who had been given the name Sadie Wipple and he insisted it be changed to Carol. The name of the child he had lost was Carol.

"Then when the Jemitts, who owned a small restaurant, offered to become foster parents, Mr. Sidney would not give his consent unless the Jemitts agreed to come to his home and work. Frank and Emma did not want to be servants, so the arrangement about the tearoom and the promise of a share in Asa's will was worked out."

Nancy was intrigued by this information. "Dad, do you think that if Mr. Sidney had lived he would have told you everything?"

"I believe so. Now, unfortunately, we'll have to unearth the secret ourselves. And if we don't, I'm afraid those grasping relatives will take the case to court."

"Two of the heirs aren't going to join in," Nancy said with a chuckle, and told about being on friendly terms again with Bess and George.

"Well, my congratulations," her father said. "I wish your influence could extend to their parents and great-uncles. By the way, my main reason for going to the Fernwood Orphanage was to tell the directors of the request in Asa Sidney's will that the Jemitts be investigated and probably new foster parents be obtained for Carol."

"But now the Jemitts have run away," Nancy reminded her father.

"That in itself will be enough to take Carol away from them," the lawyer said. "I'll phone the orphanage and ask permission to keep her here until they decide about new foster parents."

"I'm sure the Jemitts will be back," Nancy remarked. "Either to get things they've cached away, or to hunt for others."

"By the way," Mr. Drew said, "I was able to get a court order freezing the contents of those cartons Jemitt stored in the warehouse."

As he finished speaking, Nancy stiffened in her chair. She had just seen a menacing face at the partially opened window.

CHAPTER XV.

Candles' Secrets "WHAT'S the matter?" Mr. Drew asked, turning so he too could look out the window.

"I saw Frank Jemitt looking in!" Nancy exclaimed.

She and her father rushed outdoors to accost the man, but could not find him. Mr. Drew was worried that Jemitt had overheard the conversation between Nancy and himself and might use it to his own advantage.

"How?" Nancy asked.

"By conniving with the relatives and threatening Carol."

To avoid similar incidents in the future, Mr. Drew requested that all the windows in the house be closed and locked, and the air-conditioning system turned on.

"I don't think," said Nancy, "we should worry Carol with all this." Her father agreed.

Their guest slept well. As soon as she came downstairs, Carol insisted upon being given some household ch.o.r.es. "I'm so used to work I wouldn't know what to do with myself."

Mr. Drew smiled at her. "I suggest that you help Mrs. Gruen and in between jobs do a lot of reading. By the way, Carol, you want to go back to school, don't you?"

"Oh yes."

"I think," the lawyer went on, "that we should look for a good boarding school for you. Of course the orphanage and your new foster parents will have to decide which one."

Carol was silent for several seconds. Then she said, "I suppose so. But I'll hate leaving the nice new friends I've made." She looked wistfully at Nancy, who smiled encouragingly.

"You can visit us."

The telephone rang. Nancy answered it. "Oh hi, Ned!"

He asked if she would be free for lunch. "I'd like to take you out and maybe you could show me that mysterious old inn. How's the case progressing?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you when I see you," she replied.

"See you at twelve."

Nancy explained to Carol that Ned was a student at Emerson College and they had been dating for some time. "Maybe I'll ask Bess and George to come over and keep you company."

Carol shook her head. "Nancy, I'd just like to be quiet, and-and bake a surprise for your dinner tonight."

"That would be great," Nancy said. "May I guess what it'll be?"

The other girl smiled. "I'll tell you the name but you'll never guess what it is. Ever hear of b.u.t.terfly Pie?"

"No." Nancy laughed. "Sounds alive. I'll look forward to it."

Ned arrived promptly and drove Nancy to a country restaurant. Tables surrounded a pool.

"How about a swim first?" he suggested. "We can rent some gear."

She agreed and they spent half an hour in the water. While they ate, Nancy brought Ned up to date on the mystery.

"Let's go to the inn and do some searching," he proposed.

"All right. Any place except the tower room. It has been sealed by the sheriff's office. The watchman has keys to the house."

When they arrived at the mansion the guard greeted Nancy. She introduced Ned and said they would like to go in and look around.

"I'll let you in, but I sure had a bad time with those two other guys and that couple when I told 'em No."

"Who were they?" Nancy asked.

"I don't know." His description of them fitted Jacob Sidney, Peter Boonton, and the Jemitts. "They all wanted to look in the tower room."

"Is the other guard still at the tenant house?" Nancy asked.

"Why no. Didn't you hear that your father dismissed him?"

Nancy was astounded. She had a strong hunch this was not true. As soon as the front door was opened, she dashed to the telephone to call Mr. Drew. To her dismay she found that the cord had been cut in half!

"Ned, come here!" she called.

He gazed at the severed cord critically. "Vandalism all right. Whom do you suspect?"

Nancy said she was sure Jemitt was responsible. "When the guard was around the corner, Jemitt let himself into the house. To avoid arrest if detected, he made it impossible for anyone to phone."

"What about the other guard?" Ned asked. "Do you think Jemitt faked a note to get rid of him?"

"Yes."

Ned suggested that they report the damage to the telephone company at once. "Let's drive to the nearest phone right now."

"You go," Nancy said. "I'd like to look around here."

Left alone, Nancy went from room to room. Nothing on the first floor seemed to have been disturbed. She figured that probably the Jemitts had already removed any visible expensive objects. She hurried to the second floor and peered into one room after another. When Nancy reached the room she had occupied, the young sleuth stopped short.

On the bed lay a man bound and gagged! His eyes were closed. Apparently he was asleep, because he did not move.

Nancy tiptoed over. He was Jacob Sidney! Quickly she pulled off the gag. The motion aroused the man, who seemed to be dazed. But finally his eyes fastened on the young detective.

"You!" he said in a hoa.r.s.e whisper. "How did I get here?"

"I don't know. I just found you. What happened?"

"Untie me and I'll tell you."

Nancy did not trust Jacob Sidney. Why was he in this house that he was not supposed to enter? She would wait until Ned's return.

"First tell me how you got in here," Nancy said.

Grudgingly he admitted trying the door when the guard's back was turned. "I found it unlocked and slipped in. I thought I'd better come here and -and protect my inheritance," he added lamely. "Suddenly somebody hit me from the back and that's all I remember."