Read Online The Mystery at Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene - Free Book Online
Authors: Carolyn Keene
Tags: Fiction, General, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths, Juvenile Fiction, Detective and Mystery Stories, Mystery Fiction, Women Detectives, Children's stories, Girls & Women, Adventure and Adventurers, Mysteries & Detective Stories, Mystery and detective stories, Thieves, Drew; Nancy (Fictitious Character), Jewel Thieves, Diamonds, Electronics
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recognized John and Nancy.
“Wh-what happened?” she murmured.
“Don’t talk,” Nancy said soothingly, but Helen insisted upon sitting up.
“Oh, my head!” she groaned, and leaned against Nancy.
A few minutes later the injured girl was able to talk. She explained about leaving the cabin and walking toward the lilac grove, then told of the strange figure in white she had seen.
Helen described the long translucent robe the figure had worn. “The last thing I saw was that ghostly figure waving her arms back and forth, as if signaling to someone. Then I was struck on the head and blacked out.”
“Don’t talk any more now,” said John, as Helen sighed wearily. “We’ll go back to the cottage and Nancy will put you to bed.”
John carried Helen, and with Nancy’s guiding light, headed toward the cottage. They had hardly started when the trio was startled by a loud boo-oo-m! It seemed to come from the direction of the cottages!
“That sounded like an explosion!” cried Nancy. She broke into a run.
John, carrying Helen, followed as fast as he could. A moment later Nancy heard a crackling noise and smelled smoke.
“John!” Nancy cried in horror. “Look! Our cottage is on fire!”
The young people stared ahead in dismay. Tongues of orange-red flames were indeed shooting upward from the girls’ cottage! The trio could already feel the heat from the blaze.
“We’ll have to douse it,” John said tensely. “The whole row will burn down if we wait for the fire department.”
Helen insisted she was strong enough to walk. “I can help!”
John raced to the side of the inn where an extension water hose was attached. “Get the buckets near the kitchen door!” he shouted to the girls.
They dashed toward the inn. At the same time, the hall lights came on and the front door was flung open. Emily, Maud, and Mrs. Willoughby, dressed in robes, rushed out. Behind them was Mr. Daly, carrying a Revolutionary War musket!
Each group was amazed to see the other but Nancy took no time asking questions. “Our cottage is on fire!” she announced.
Soon everyone joined in tossing bucket after bucket of water from a garden spigot onto the blaze. John played a steady stream from the hose. Gradually the blaze was reduced to embers.
“Glad we saved the other units, anyhow,” John said, glancing at the ruined guest cottage. “Too bad you girls lost all your clothes.”
“But saved our lives by not being in the cottage,” Nancy remarked grimly.
“How did the fire start? What caused that explosion?” Emily asked, explaining that she and the others had been awakened by the noise.
“I believe,” Nancy said gravely, “it was caused by a time bomb which someone placed in our cottage before we went to bed. A ticking sound woke me. I thought it was my clock.”
Her listeners were shocked. Mrs. Willoughby grew deathly pale, as Maud shrilled, “There must be a lunatic loose around here.”
For once Nancy was inclined to agree with her. The young sleuth added that of course nothing could be determined until daylight when the ruins would be examined.
The exhausted group went back to the inn. “Nancy and Helen,” Emily said, “I feel terrible about this whole thing.”
Mrs. Willoughby, too, expressed her regret. “At least some of the loss will be covered by our fire insurance,” she added.
Nancy smiled and nodded, then started to relate Helen’s startling experience just before the fire.
When Nancy came to the part about the woman in the white robe, Emily shivered. “I don’t believe in ghosts,” she averred, “but Mary Mason probably saw this person. That’s why she said Lilac Inn was haunted!”
Nancy suddenly noticed how pale Helen was and suggested she get to bed at once.
“Oh, yes,” said Emily. “Nancy and Helen, take the front second-floor bedroom.”
Nancy noticed that Mr. Daly still clutched the ancient musket. With a sheepish smile, he said, “Shortly before the explosion, I thought
“Wh-what happened?” she murmured.
“Don’t talk,” Nancy said soothingly, but Helen insisted upon sitting up.
“Oh, my head!” she groaned, and leaned against Nancy.
A few minutes later the injured girl was able to talk. She explained about leaving the cabin and walking toward the lilac grove, then told of the strange figure in white she had seen.
Helen described the long translucent robe the figure had worn. “The last thing I saw was that ghostly figure waving her arms back and forth, as if signaling to someone. Then I was struck on the head and blacked out.”
“Don’t talk any more now,” said John, as Helen sighed wearily. “We’ll go back to the cottage and Nancy will put you to bed.”
John carried Helen, and with Nancy’s guiding light, headed toward the cottage. They had hardly started when the trio was startled by a loud boo-oo-m! It seemed to come from the direction of the cottages!
“That sounded like an explosion!” cried Nancy. She broke into a run.
John, carrying Helen, followed as fast as he could. A moment later Nancy heard a crackling noise and smelled smoke.
“John!” Nancy cried in horror. “Look! Our cottage is on fire!”
The young people stared ahead in dismay. Tongues of orange-red flames were indeed shooting upward from the girls’ cottage! The trio could already feel the heat from the blaze.
“We’ll have to douse it,” John said tensely. “The whole row will burn down if we wait for the fire department.”
Helen insisted she was strong enough to walk. “I can help!”
John raced to the side of the inn where an extension water hose was attached. “Get the buckets near the kitchen door!” he shouted to the girls.
They dashed toward the inn. At the same time, the hall lights came on and the front door was flung open. Emily, Maud, and Mrs. Willoughby, dressed in robes, rushed out. Behind them was Mr. Daly, carrying a Revolutionary War musket!
Each group was amazed to see the other but Nancy took no time asking questions. “Our cottage is on fire!” she announced.
Soon everyone joined in tossing bucket after bucket of water from a garden spigot onto the blaze. John played a steady stream from the hose. Gradually the blaze was reduced to embers.
“Glad we saved the other units, anyhow,” John said, glancing at the ruined guest cottage. “Too bad you girls lost all your clothes.”
“But saved our lives by not being in the cottage,” Nancy remarked grimly.
“How did the fire start? What caused that explosion?” Emily asked, explaining that she and the others had been awakened by the noise.
“I believe,” Nancy said gravely, “it was caused by a time bomb which someone placed in our cottage before we went to bed. A ticking sound woke me. I thought it was my clock.”
Her listeners were shocked. Mrs. Willoughby grew deathly pale, as Maud shrilled, “There must be a lunatic loose around here.”
For once Nancy was inclined to agree with her. The young sleuth added that of course nothing could be determined until daylight when the ruins would be examined.
The exhausted group went back to the inn. “Nancy and Helen,” Emily said, “I feel terrible about this whole thing.”
Mrs. Willoughby, too, expressed her regret. “At least some of the loss will be covered by our fire insurance,” she added.
Nancy smiled and nodded, then started to relate Helen’s startling experience just before the fire.
When Nancy came to the part about the woman in the white robe, Emily shivered. “I don’t believe in ghosts,” she averred, “but Mary Mason probably saw this person. That’s why she said Lilac Inn was haunted!”
Nancy suddenly noticed how pale Helen was and suggested she get to bed at once.
“Oh, yes,” said Emily. “Nancy and Helen, take the front second-floor bedroom.”
Nancy noticed that Mr. Daly still clutched the ancient musket. With a sheepish smile, he said, “Shortly before the explosion, I thought
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