end of the cellar where they discovered another door. It opened onto a short tunnel of water.
“I’m sure this is how the ghost got in,” Nancy remarked. “I wonder how deep the water is. Maybe he waded in and out.”
“Did his boots look wet to you?” George questioned.
“I couldn’t tell—they looked dark to begin with. ”
“I’ll go upstairs and get a yardstick,” George volunteered. “That way we can find out how deep it is.” She rushed off.
Nancy, however, became impatient and went down to the lowest step. Maybe I can tell by sticking my hand in, she thought.
She kneeled down, lowering her arm into the water. Her fingers did not touch bottom. Guess I’ll have to stretch out, she decided.
The stone step shifted slightly as she lay flat, then slipped forward ready to sink into the murky pool!
Oh, no! Nancy panicked, trying to hold her position until George returned. “George!” she cried loudly. “Help me!”
George could not hear her friend from upstairs where Madame Chambray was telling her about the stranger at the window.
Oh, why doesn’t she come? Nancy thought in alarm as she tried to grab the dry step above her, praying it would not also give way.
Fortunately, George had not lingered too long in conversation with Madame Chambray and was on her way back downstairs. She raced to the tunnel door, shouting to Nancy, “Wait until you hear what—” and then broke off when she saw Nancy’s predicament.
George dropped the yardstick on the top step and gripped Nancy’s arm, helping her up, as the stone step crumbled into the water.
“Where would I be without you, friend?” Nancy said gratefully.
“Swimming,” George quipped.
Nancy laughed as the other girl lowered the yardstick into the water. It was shallower than she had estimated. When George pulled the stick out, it was covered with weeds and muck up to a foot and a half.
“That man could have waded out of here very easily,” Nancy concluded. “And a boat could have been waiting for him out on the canal. Of course, the big question is why—Why did he come here at all?”
Had he planned to burglarize Madame Chambray’s house while she was out? Was he pursuing the diamond cross or something even more precious? The girl detectives tried to piece the puzzle together.
“But what could be more valuable than the cross?” George said to her friend. “Of course, the furnishings and paintings must be worth a lot—”
Nancy snapped her fingers. “Didn’t Madame Chambray mention in her letter to Mrs. Marvin something about a document and—and a treasure?”
“Yes, you’re right. I completely forgot about that. ”
“I almost did too.”
“But how would the ghost know the contents of the letter?” George asked.
“He wouldn’t unless he’s André Bergère,” Nancy said grimly.
“Not necessarily,” George said after thinking for a moment. “Since Madame Chambray talked so openly with her friends about these things, they may have inadvertently passed the information along to another would-be thief!”
Nancy was eager to ask their hostess about the mysterious treasure and stepped toward the tunnel door. The chugging sound of a motorboat stopped her midway.
“Look!” she cried, pointing toward the canal.
The boat was entering the tunnel. Who was steering it? Had their ghostly attacker returned?
11
Fantastic News
The oncoming boat drew closer. George clicked off her flashlight, waiting for the single occupant to reach the steps.
“When he gets here,” Nancy whispered, “shine your light right in his face. We’ll be able to capture him then!”
The boat, however, stopped some distance away. A man who was carrying a large bundle hopped out and entered another door at the base of the tunnel.
“I guess he lives next door,” Nancy remarked with a giggle.
George also laughed in relief. “I’m glad he wasn’t our ghost after all,” she said and seized the chance to relate Madame
“I’m sure this is how the ghost got in,” Nancy remarked. “I wonder how deep the water is. Maybe he waded in and out.”
“Did his boots look wet to you?” George questioned.
“I couldn’t tell—they looked dark to begin with. ”
“I’ll go upstairs and get a yardstick,” George volunteered. “That way we can find out how deep it is.” She rushed off.
Nancy, however, became impatient and went down to the lowest step. Maybe I can tell by sticking my hand in, she thought.
She kneeled down, lowering her arm into the water. Her fingers did not touch bottom. Guess I’ll have to stretch out, she decided.
The stone step shifted slightly as she lay flat, then slipped forward ready to sink into the murky pool!
Oh, no! Nancy panicked, trying to hold her position until George returned. “George!” she cried loudly. “Help me!”
George could not hear her friend from upstairs where Madame Chambray was telling her about the stranger at the window.
Oh, why doesn’t she come? Nancy thought in alarm as she tried to grab the dry step above her, praying it would not also give way.
Fortunately, George had not lingered too long in conversation with Madame Chambray and was on her way back downstairs. She raced to the tunnel door, shouting to Nancy, “Wait until you hear what—” and then broke off when she saw Nancy’s predicament.
George dropped the yardstick on the top step and gripped Nancy’s arm, helping her up, as the stone step crumbled into the water.
“Where would I be without you, friend?” Nancy said gratefully.
“Swimming,” George quipped.
Nancy laughed as the other girl lowered the yardstick into the water. It was shallower than she had estimated. When George pulled the stick out, it was covered with weeds and muck up to a foot and a half.
“That man could have waded out of here very easily,” Nancy concluded. “And a boat could have been waiting for him out on the canal. Of course, the big question is why—Why did he come here at all?”
Had he planned to burglarize Madame Chambray’s house while she was out? Was he pursuing the diamond cross or something even more precious? The girl detectives tried to piece the puzzle together.
“But what could be more valuable than the cross?” George said to her friend. “Of course, the furnishings and paintings must be worth a lot—”
Nancy snapped her fingers. “Didn’t Madame Chambray mention in her letter to Mrs. Marvin something about a document and—and a treasure?”
“Yes, you’re right. I completely forgot about that. ”
“I almost did too.”
“But how would the ghost know the contents of the letter?” George asked.
“He wouldn’t unless he’s André Bergère,” Nancy said grimly.
“Not necessarily,” George said after thinking for a moment. “Since Madame Chambray talked so openly with her friends about these things, they may have inadvertently passed the information along to another would-be thief!”
Nancy was eager to ask their hostess about the mysterious treasure and stepped toward the tunnel door. The chugging sound of a motorboat stopped her midway.
“Look!” she cried, pointing toward the canal.
The boat was entering the tunnel. Who was steering it? Had their ghostly attacker returned?
11
Fantastic News
The oncoming boat drew closer. George clicked off her flashlight, waiting for the single occupant to reach the steps.
“When he gets here,” Nancy whispered, “shine your light right in his face. We’ll be able to capture him then!”
The boat, however, stopped some distance away. A man who was carrying a large bundle hopped out and entered another door at the base of the tunnel.
“I guess he lives next door,” Nancy remarked with a giggle.
George also laughed in relief. “I’m glad he wasn’t our ghost after all,” she said and seized the chance to relate Madame
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