The Witch Tree Symbol Part 9

"Mr. and Mrs. Glick, do you know MandaKreutz?" Nancy asked.

The couple exchanged glances, then Papa Glick said, "Yes," and added, "We do not approve of young girls running away from home. But maybe her father was too strict. Now she has taken up with Amish strangers."

"Please tell me about it," Nancy begged. "Where is Manda?"

"I do not know," Mr. Glick replied. "But she was seen riding in a carriage with a couple who told a friend of mine, Mr. Weiss, they are from Ohio."

"Is he sure they are Amish?" Nancy inquired.

"My friend wonders," the cobbler answered, "because of their speech. He thinks they might be English."

When Nancy inquired what Mr. Glick meant by the last remark, he explained that among his sect, any non-Amish people were called English, meaning foreigners.

"This pair wore Amish clothing," he said, "and had an Amish carriage, but maybe they were just putting on."

Nancy was excited over this latest piece of information. Her hunch had probably been right. The couple were Mr. and Mrs. Roger Hoelt! If MandaKreutz became too friendly with them, she might get into serious trouble with the law!

"We're trying to find Manda," Nancy told the Glicks. "I know it's hard to believe but her father has had a change of heart and now both parents want their daughter to come home. Can you give us any other clues?" she asked the cobbler. He regretfully said no.

Nancy had a sudden inspiration. "If the Hoelts are masquerading," she said aloud, "they probably bought a horse and carriage around here recently."

"Unless they stole them," George interposed.

"That could easily be done," Mrs. Glick spoke up. "Amish carriages all look alike. It is difficult to distinguish one from another."

Then she smiled a little. "The owners have funny ways of telling them apart-a bullet hole from rifle practice or a high board on the floor for a short-legged wife."

Mr. Glick insisted that an owner did not even need earmarks to tell his carriage from others, "We chust look at 'em. We know 'em!" he said. "n.o.body can fool us."

Nancy told Mr. Glick that she suspected the man masquerading as Amish might be the furniture thief, and she would like to inquire at local carriage factories about any recent purchase by an out-of-state man. The cobbler gave her the name of a factory five miles away, and the girls set off at once for the place. There Nancy spoke to the manager and stated the reason for her call.

"You have come to the right place," the man said. "But the carriage was not purchased. It was stolen!"

"Stolen!" Nancy gasped.

"Do you know who took it?" the manager asked.

"No. By the way, have you ever met Roger Hoelt?"

"Never heard of him."

Nancy remarked that maybe the thief had also stolen a horse to go with the carriage.

"You have the nail on the head hit," the man said. "My uncle, who lives a few miles from here, has a lot of horses. He missed one the same day my carriage was stolen."

"Quite a coincidence," Nancy declared. "What color was the horse?"

"Black."

"Thank you very much, sir. You've been very helpful."

Nancy excitedly hurried outside to tell Bess and George what she had learned. They, too, were enthusiastic about the latest development.

"So now," said George, "we start roaming the countryside, looking for a fake Amish man driving a black horse and carriage." She chuckled. "Who wants the honor of pulling off his false beard?"

CHAPTER VIII.

Disturbing Rumors

"THERE's one thing I'm glad of," Bess said as the girls drove back toward New Holland. "We don't have to return to the Kreutzes' and tell them that their daughter has taken up with a thief."

"If Manda really is with the Hoelts," Nancy stated, "I'm sure she has no idea that they're thieves."

George pointed out that the Amish girl might have to testify in court if the Hoelts were apprehended. "That would crush her proud parents," she said.

Presently Nancy noticed that they were near the road that led to the Zinn house. She suggested they stop and tell Mr. Zinn what they had learned about the Hoelts. He might have additional news for them.

"He has no idea where we're staying now in case he should want to get in touch with us," Nancy reminded them.

The girls found the antique dealer wearing a broad smile. "I've sold many pieces of furniture since yesterday morning," MrZinn said. "And at good prices. Well, have you any news of the stolen antiques?"

Before Nancy could reply, he went on, "You remember that cherry table you were interested in-the George Washington copy?"

As the girls nodded, Mr. Zinn continued, "It was one of the articles I sold." He chuckled. "A couple came in and asked about it. I named a high price, expecting them to bargain with me. But they bought the table then and there.

"Funny about that couple," he continued. "Amish, but they don't live around here. Came from Ohio.A long distance to drive in a carriage."

Nancy, Bess, and George were astonished.

"Was it drawn by a black horse?" Nancy asked.

"Yes," said Mr. Zinn. "Why?"

Nancy told him of her suspicions that Hoelt was masquerading. "It's likely he found out the George Washington tables he stole don't contain the secret," Nancy deduced.

Mr. Zinn chuckled. "And because of the high price I set on my copy of the table, he figured it must be the genuine matching piece."

"Exactly."

"You mean I had the thief who stole my inheritance right in my shop and I let him get away?" The antique dealer's face grew red with anger.

"I'm afraid so," Nancy said. She had a sudden hunch. "How did this man pay for the table?"

"In cash. Big bills," Mr. Zinn replied.