Nancy phoned Bess and George and asked if they could drive over to Ridgefield with her. George said at once she would not miss it for anything.
“Is this a dangerous assignment?” Bess queried.
Nancy laughed. “I haven’t heard yet that Edgar Nixon gets rough, but then you never can tell.”
At once Bess knew she was being teased. “I’m not chicken. When do you want me to be ready?”
“In half an hour. Okay?”
“I guess I could put on some lipstick and powder and get my hair combed by that time,” Bess replied.
Before leaving, Nancy called her father to see if any further word had come from England. She was told No.
“I guess we’ll just have to wait for a letter,” the lawyer said.
Nancy then told him of her proposed trip to Ridgefield and the new clues she had picked up.
“Good for you,” her father said. “Well, I hope the next time I talk to my daughter, she’ll have lots of good news for me.”
“I’ll try hard.”
A few minutes later Nancy set off. She picked up George first and then went on to the Marvin home. Bess was not waiting for her in front of the house so Nancy honked the horn. Her friend did not appear.
A look of disgust came over George’s face. “That cousin of mine never watches the clock. She’s probably writing letters and making phone calls and doing a lot of things and here we are waiting.”
Nancy tooted again. When Bess still did not come outside, she got out of the car and went to the front door.
At that instant Bess opened it. She apologized for being late and said she had just finished talking to Dave Evans, who had called her from Emerson.
“I have something interesting to tell you, Nancy,” she said. “Ned tried to phone you but you’d already left the house. I’m glad Dave caught me.”
“What is the big news?” Nancy asked, trying not to be impatient.
Bess explained that the young woman who was coaching the Shakespearean play and was known as N. Smith Drew was indeed Nancy Smith Drew.
“How marvelous!” Nancy exclaimed.
“There’s more to it,” Bess went on.
As the two girls reached Nancy’s convertible, she related the first part of the message to George. Then she added, “Nancy Smith Drew has gone to Ridgefield!”
“Ridgefield?” Nancy cried out.
The three girls stared at one another, the same thought Hashing through their minds. Was it merely coincidence that the actress and Edgar Nixon had gone to Ridgefield at the same time? Or had she perhaps been drawn into some kind of racket with the suspect?
Bess exclaimed, “Wouldn’t that be awful!”
George expressed a further thought. “Maybe Miss Drew found out he stole the letter from England and went to Ridgefield to get it.”
Bess looked puzzled. “Are you trying to say Edgar plans to keep her from learning about the inheritance?”
“Could be,” George answered. “I wouldn’t put anything past that man.”
Nancy nodded. All the suspicions she had had about Edgar Nixon now came back to her.
“Of course all this doesn’t explain the money sent to Dad which was stolen,” she said.
“Edgar’s a slick one,” George remarked.
Nancy was worried. “Girls, I’m afraid that he intends to marry Nancy Smith Drew, perhaps in Ridgefield, and enjoy the inheritance that is coming to her.”
“How despicable!” Bess cried. “And Miss Drew, I’m sure, is too nice a person to be tied to a dishonest husband.”
George grinned. “In any case, we’d better get to Ridgefield as fast as we can and stop the wedding!”
CHAPTER X
Search for a Bride
“IT’s starting to snow,” Bess remarked as a few flakes hit the windshield of Nancy’s convertible.
Before leaving home, she had put the top up because the day was cloudy and raw, with a hint of stormy weather.
Bess went on, “Oh, I hope it won’t be bad. Nancy, does this car have snow tires?”
Before Nancy could reply, George spoke up. “Bess, you have so little faith in people. Of course Nancy would have snow
“Is this a dangerous assignment?” Bess queried.
Nancy laughed. “I haven’t heard yet that Edgar Nixon gets rough, but then you never can tell.”
At once Bess knew she was being teased. “I’m not chicken. When do you want me to be ready?”
“In half an hour. Okay?”
“I guess I could put on some lipstick and powder and get my hair combed by that time,” Bess replied.
Before leaving, Nancy called her father to see if any further word had come from England. She was told No.
“I guess we’ll just have to wait for a letter,” the lawyer said.
Nancy then told him of her proposed trip to Ridgefield and the new clues she had picked up.
“Good for you,” her father said. “Well, I hope the next time I talk to my daughter, she’ll have lots of good news for me.”
“I’ll try hard.”
A few minutes later Nancy set off. She picked up George first and then went on to the Marvin home. Bess was not waiting for her in front of the house so Nancy honked the horn. Her friend did not appear.
A look of disgust came over George’s face. “That cousin of mine never watches the clock. She’s probably writing letters and making phone calls and doing a lot of things and here we are waiting.”
Nancy tooted again. When Bess still did not come outside, she got out of the car and went to the front door.
At that instant Bess opened it. She apologized for being late and said she had just finished talking to Dave Evans, who had called her from Emerson.
“I have something interesting to tell you, Nancy,” she said. “Ned tried to phone you but you’d already left the house. I’m glad Dave caught me.”
“What is the big news?” Nancy asked, trying not to be impatient.
Bess explained that the young woman who was coaching the Shakespearean play and was known as N. Smith Drew was indeed Nancy Smith Drew.
“How marvelous!” Nancy exclaimed.
“There’s more to it,” Bess went on.
As the two girls reached Nancy’s convertible, she related the first part of the message to George. Then she added, “Nancy Smith Drew has gone to Ridgefield!”
“Ridgefield?” Nancy cried out.
The three girls stared at one another, the same thought Hashing through their minds. Was it merely coincidence that the actress and Edgar Nixon had gone to Ridgefield at the same time? Or had she perhaps been drawn into some kind of racket with the suspect?
Bess exclaimed, “Wouldn’t that be awful!”
George expressed a further thought. “Maybe Miss Drew found out he stole the letter from England and went to Ridgefield to get it.”
Bess looked puzzled. “Are you trying to say Edgar plans to keep her from learning about the inheritance?”
“Could be,” George answered. “I wouldn’t put anything past that man.”
Nancy nodded. All the suspicions she had had about Edgar Nixon now came back to her.
“Of course all this doesn’t explain the money sent to Dad which was stolen,” she said.
“Edgar’s a slick one,” George remarked.
Nancy was worried. “Girls, I’m afraid that he intends to marry Nancy Smith Drew, perhaps in Ridgefield, and enjoy the inheritance that is coming to her.”
“How despicable!” Bess cried. “And Miss Drew, I’m sure, is too nice a person to be tied to a dishonest husband.”
George grinned. “In any case, we’d better get to Ridgefield as fast as we can and stop the wedding!”
CHAPTER X
Search for a Bride
“IT’s starting to snow,” Bess remarked as a few flakes hit the windshield of Nancy’s convertible.
Before leaving home, she had put the top up because the day was cloudy and raw, with a hint of stormy weather.
Bess went on, “Oh, I hope it won’t be bad. Nancy, does this car have snow tires?”
Before Nancy could reply, George spoke up. “Bess, you have so little faith in people. Of course Nancy would have snow
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