kidnappers asking for Mr. Ware’s return?” said Chief Brown.
“The kidnappers never want money,” answered Mr. Rico. “They want their friends freed from prison. For Mr. Ware, they are demanding the freedom of forty men being held in prison for crimes against the government.”
“How awful!” exclaimed Mrs. Brown. “Kidnapping an innocent man to win freedom for criminals!”
Mr. Rico continued. “The night Mr. Ware disappeared, he gave a birthday party for himself. He was forty-five. He invited six friends. Each brought a gift. They came at eight o’clock and found food, servants, and a note from Mr. Ware. The note said he’d had to leave the city early and for everyone to enjoy the party without him.”
“Was there a reason for his missing his own party?” inquired Chief Brown.
“There was a weather report of a snow-storm due that night,” said Mr. Rico. “He must have figured that if he stayed for the party, he’d find the mountain roads to the hotel snow-bound. So he left the city before the storm.”
Mr. Rico stopped the car in front of the ambassador’s large house. He unlocked the front door.
On the sofa in the living room were the six birthday gifts.
“I opened them,” said Mr. Rico. “I thought there might be a clue among them, but there wasn’t.”
Encyclopedia and his father looked over the gifts. Each gift had a card bearing the name of the guest who had brought it to Mr. Ware’s party.
They were a spear gun from Bill Watson, a can of ski wax from Harry Smith, a face mask from Dan Perske, an air tank from Kurt Haper, a pair of water skis from Marty Benton, and a rubber diving suit from Ed Furgis.
Mr. Rico said, “Mrs. Ware is certain that her husband told no one about the trip to the mountains but herself.”
“Mr. Ware must be a proud man,” said Chief Brown. “He doesn’t want to be seen doing anything until he can do it well.”
“Yes,” agreed Mr. Rico. “He is a champion water skier. But he didn’t want anyone to see him learning to ski on snow and perhaps looking silly. So he kept his trip a secret.”
“He must have told someone besides his wife,” said Chief Brown. “And that someone worked with the kidnappers.”
Mr. Rico nodded. “But whom did Mr. Ware tell?”
Chief Brown looked at Encyclopedia.
Encyclopedia whispered, “He told...”
WHOM?
(Turn to page 87 for the solution to The Case of the Champion Skier.)
The Case of Smelly Nellie
Encyclopedia helped his father solve mysteries at the dinner table all year around. In the summer, he helped the children of the neighborhood as well.
When school let out, he opened his own detective agency in the garage. Every morning he hung out his sign:
BROWN DETECTIVE AGENCY
13 Rover Avenue
Leroy Brown, President
No case too small
25 per day
plus expenses
One day Smelly Nellie came into the garage. She was only nine years old. Yet she already had earned the money for her college education.
She had done it with her nose alone.
When she was eight, she had saved the city hall from being blown to kingdom come. She had sniffed out a leak in the gas line running into the building just as Mr. Barnes, the mayor, was about to light a cigar nearby.
As a reward, the city council had set aside money to pay her way through the college of her choice.
After that, no one called her by her real name, Nelita Theodora Shortridge. Everyone called her Smelly Nellie for short.
Her nose didn’t stop at sniffing gas leaks. It could smell a marshmallow roast—or anything else—three blocks away, rain or shine.
When she came into the Brown Detective Agency, however, she wasn’t using her nose. She was holding it.
“Ambergris,” she gagged.
Encyclopedia had read about ambergris. It is passed out by sick whales. It is found floating in southern waters and is used in making perfume.
“Don’t just sit there,” piped Smelly Nellie. “Bring a bottle of oil of peppermint!”
Encyclopedia jumped to it. Within
“The kidnappers never want money,” answered Mr. Rico. “They want their friends freed from prison. For Mr. Ware, they are demanding the freedom of forty men being held in prison for crimes against the government.”
“How awful!” exclaimed Mrs. Brown. “Kidnapping an innocent man to win freedom for criminals!”
Mr. Rico continued. “The night Mr. Ware disappeared, he gave a birthday party for himself. He was forty-five. He invited six friends. Each brought a gift. They came at eight o’clock and found food, servants, and a note from Mr. Ware. The note said he’d had to leave the city early and for everyone to enjoy the party without him.”
“Was there a reason for his missing his own party?” inquired Chief Brown.
“There was a weather report of a snow-storm due that night,” said Mr. Rico. “He must have figured that if he stayed for the party, he’d find the mountain roads to the hotel snow-bound. So he left the city before the storm.”
Mr. Rico stopped the car in front of the ambassador’s large house. He unlocked the front door.
On the sofa in the living room were the six birthday gifts.
“I opened them,” said Mr. Rico. “I thought there might be a clue among them, but there wasn’t.”
Encyclopedia and his father looked over the gifts. Each gift had a card bearing the name of the guest who had brought it to Mr. Ware’s party.
They were a spear gun from Bill Watson, a can of ski wax from Harry Smith, a face mask from Dan Perske, an air tank from Kurt Haper, a pair of water skis from Marty Benton, and a rubber diving suit from Ed Furgis.
Mr. Rico said, “Mrs. Ware is certain that her husband told no one about the trip to the mountains but herself.”
“Mr. Ware must be a proud man,” said Chief Brown. “He doesn’t want to be seen doing anything until he can do it well.”
“Yes,” agreed Mr. Rico. “He is a champion water skier. But he didn’t want anyone to see him learning to ski on snow and perhaps looking silly. So he kept his trip a secret.”
“He must have told someone besides his wife,” said Chief Brown. “And that someone worked with the kidnappers.”
Mr. Rico nodded. “But whom did Mr. Ware tell?”
Chief Brown looked at Encyclopedia.
Encyclopedia whispered, “He told...”
WHOM?
(Turn to page 87 for the solution to The Case of the Champion Skier.)
The Case of Smelly Nellie
Encyclopedia helped his father solve mysteries at the dinner table all year around. In the summer, he helped the children of the neighborhood as well.
When school let out, he opened his own detective agency in the garage. Every morning he hung out his sign:
BROWN DETECTIVE AGENCY
13 Rover Avenue
Leroy Brown, President
No case too small
25 per day
plus expenses
One day Smelly Nellie came into the garage. She was only nine years old. Yet she already had earned the money for her college education.
She had done it with her nose alone.
When she was eight, she had saved the city hall from being blown to kingdom come. She had sniffed out a leak in the gas line running into the building just as Mr. Barnes, the mayor, was about to light a cigar nearby.
As a reward, the city council had set aside money to pay her way through the college of her choice.
After that, no one called her by her real name, Nelita Theodora Shortridge. Everyone called her Smelly Nellie for short.
Her nose didn’t stop at sniffing gas leaks. It could smell a marshmallow roast—or anything else—three blocks away, rain or shine.
When she came into the Brown Detective Agency, however, she wasn’t using her nose. She was holding it.
“Ambergris,” she gagged.
Encyclopedia had read about ambergris. It is passed out by sick whales. It is found floating in southern waters and is used in making perfume.
“Don’t just sit there,” piped Smelly Nellie. “Bring a bottle of oil of peppermint!”
Encyclopedia jumped to it. Within
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