workmen expect to get the machinery fixed any minute now,” Ned said a little later to encourage her. “Cheer up!”
Nancy settled back into her seat again, forcing herself to remain calm. Her gaze roved to the curious crowd which had gathered some distance away to stare at the motionless Ferris wheel. As she idly watched, a wiry built man, who walked with short, quick steps, edged close to another man. Deftly he removed a wallet from the hip pocket of the unsuspecting victim and turned to slip away in the crowd.
“Ned!” Nancy exclaimed, clutching his hand. “I just saw a pickpocket take a man’s wallet! We must do something!”
“What can we do?”
Together they shouted, trying to attract the attention of someone on the ground. But other trapped passengers were making so much noise that no one paid any attention.
“It’s no use now,” Nancy said. “The pickpocket’s gone, and we’ll probably be here forever! Oh—”
Suddenly the Ferris wheel began to move. The cars jerked violently.
“Here we go!” Ned exclaimed jubilantly.
The next instant the cars raced downward at a breath-taking speed. The machinery was completely out of control!
The Ferris wheel made a complete revolution, stopping with a terrific jerk. Once more the car in which Ned and Nancy were imprisoned stopped at the top.
“That was horrible!” Nancy exclaimed.
In the car beneath them two little girls began to whimper with fear. The younger child stood up and started to unfasten the safety bar.
“I won’t stay on this thing another minute!” she screamed hysterically.
Nancy, thoroughly alarmed, leaned far over. She spoke to the frightened children soothingly.
“Just look!” Nancy said cheerfully. “A photographer has come to take your picture.”
The prospect of having their pictures taken on the Ferris wheel took the children’s minds off their predicament. They sat down again and even smiled as the shutter clicked.
A moment later the Ferris wheel started to revolve. Everyone sat tense, fearful of another wild ride. But this time the cars moved slowly and one by one came to a stop. The passengers alighted.
“At last!” breathed Nancy as she and Ned were released. “If we hurry, I can still reach home in time to change for dinner.”
“Just a minute!” interposed the photographer.
Before Nancy could duck her head, he had snapped the picture.
“The nerve of that guy!” Ned exclaimed.
Nancy laughed to cover her irritation. “I really must get home!”
The couple soon reached the Drew house.
“I wish you had been invited to the dinner, Ned,” Nancy said regretfully.
“All I ask is that you don’t pay too much attention to that prince.” He chuckled. “I’ll pick you up for Helen’s picnic. ‘Bye.”
As he drove away, a taxi drew up nearby. Katherine Kovna, dressed in a white evening gown with matching coat and beaded bag, alighted at the curb. She was alone because Helen and Jim Archer, although invited, had been unable to accept.
“Am I early?” Katherine inquired.
“You’re exactly on time,” Nancy replied. “I’m the offender. But it won’t take me long to change.”
After explaining briefly what had occurred, she led Katherine into the house. Mr. Drew was just coming down the stairway, very handsome in his navy-blue dinner jacket and bow tie.
“Nancy, what delayed you?” he asked.
Again Nancy offered her excuses. Mrs. Gruen, entering the room, urged her to hurry.
“Isn’t Francis Baum here?” Nancy asked as she took the stairs two steps at a time.
“Not yet,” her father answered.
Nancy was ready in record time. As she surveyed herself in a long mirror, she decided that the pale tangerine gown was attractive and appropriate.
“Baum still hasn’t arrived,” Mr. Drew said when Nancy appeared. “Are you sure he understood he was to come to our house?”
“Oh, yes, Dad. I called him this morning.”
Mrs. Gruen, who stood at the front door, said, “Someone’s coming
Nancy settled back into her seat again, forcing herself to remain calm. Her gaze roved to the curious crowd which had gathered some distance away to stare at the motionless Ferris wheel. As she idly watched, a wiry built man, who walked with short, quick steps, edged close to another man. Deftly he removed a wallet from the hip pocket of the unsuspecting victim and turned to slip away in the crowd.
“Ned!” Nancy exclaimed, clutching his hand. “I just saw a pickpocket take a man’s wallet! We must do something!”
“What can we do?”
Together they shouted, trying to attract the attention of someone on the ground. But other trapped passengers were making so much noise that no one paid any attention.
“It’s no use now,” Nancy said. “The pickpocket’s gone, and we’ll probably be here forever! Oh—”
Suddenly the Ferris wheel began to move. The cars jerked violently.
“Here we go!” Ned exclaimed jubilantly.
The next instant the cars raced downward at a breath-taking speed. The machinery was completely out of control!
The Ferris wheel made a complete revolution, stopping with a terrific jerk. Once more the car in which Ned and Nancy were imprisoned stopped at the top.
“That was horrible!” Nancy exclaimed.
In the car beneath them two little girls began to whimper with fear. The younger child stood up and started to unfasten the safety bar.
“I won’t stay on this thing another minute!” she screamed hysterically.
Nancy, thoroughly alarmed, leaned far over. She spoke to the frightened children soothingly.
“Just look!” Nancy said cheerfully. “A photographer has come to take your picture.”
The prospect of having their pictures taken on the Ferris wheel took the children’s minds off their predicament. They sat down again and even smiled as the shutter clicked.
A moment later the Ferris wheel started to revolve. Everyone sat tense, fearful of another wild ride. But this time the cars moved slowly and one by one came to a stop. The passengers alighted.
“At last!” breathed Nancy as she and Ned were released. “If we hurry, I can still reach home in time to change for dinner.”
“Just a minute!” interposed the photographer.
Before Nancy could duck her head, he had snapped the picture.
“The nerve of that guy!” Ned exclaimed.
Nancy laughed to cover her irritation. “I really must get home!”
The couple soon reached the Drew house.
“I wish you had been invited to the dinner, Ned,” Nancy said regretfully.
“All I ask is that you don’t pay too much attention to that prince.” He chuckled. “I’ll pick you up for Helen’s picnic. ‘Bye.”
As he drove away, a taxi drew up nearby. Katherine Kovna, dressed in a white evening gown with matching coat and beaded bag, alighted at the curb. She was alone because Helen and Jim Archer, although invited, had been unable to accept.
“Am I early?” Katherine inquired.
“You’re exactly on time,” Nancy replied. “I’m the offender. But it won’t take me long to change.”
After explaining briefly what had occurred, she led Katherine into the house. Mr. Drew was just coming down the stairway, very handsome in his navy-blue dinner jacket and bow tie.
“Nancy, what delayed you?” he asked.
Again Nancy offered her excuses. Mrs. Gruen, entering the room, urged her to hurry.
“Isn’t Francis Baum here?” Nancy asked as she took the stairs two steps at a time.
“Not yet,” her father answered.
Nancy was ready in record time. As she surveyed herself in a long mirror, she decided that the pale tangerine gown was attractive and appropriate.
“Baum still hasn’t arrived,” Mr. Drew said when Nancy appeared. “Are you sure he understood he was to come to our house?”
“Oh, yes, Dad. I called him this morning.”
Mrs. Gruen, who stood at the front door, said, “Someone’s coming
Similar Books
