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Authors: Carolyn Keene
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steps.
“Hi, Rogers!” Kalef called out. “Some folks here want to see you.”
The man stared at the group in puzzlement. “They want to see me? Why?”
“To ask you a couple of questions.”
Nancy waited for Mrs. Rushmore to speak, but when she said nothing, the young sleuth smiled at the switchman. “We’ll only keep you a minute. We’re the Detective Club. We’ve been spending all morning trying to find a piece of jewelry that was lost a year ago in the Mount Rushmore sleeper. Kalef said that you had briefly been in the car before the police and insurance company searched it. Do you by any chance remember seeing a cameo brooch?”
The man was thoughtful for a moment. “Wait a minute. That rings a bell—yes. I picked one up from the floor. Can’t remember when or what car it was. But it could have been about a year ago. Put it in my pants pocket and forgot all about it. Weeks later my wife found it when she took the pants to the cleaner. I took it over to the Lost and Found department.”
A trainman’s work car was coming at high speed toward the girls!
“It might have been my cameo!” Mrs. Rushmore said excitedly.
“If you hurry to the warehouse where the auction is,” Rogers said, “you might be able to get hold of it. I had no idea that it was worth anything, or I’d have turned it in right away. I’m sure the police asked Lost and Found for it at the time. Oh, I hope you’ll get your pin back!”
Nancy asked where the warehouse was.
“It’s too dangerous for you to get there crossing the tracks,” Kalef said. “You’d better go back to the street and drive down. Stay alongside the fence until you come to a road that leads right to the warehouse. You can’t miss it.”
The group thanked the men and dashed off. In a few minutes they arrived at the auction. To their dismay, many people were walking out of the building with packages under their arms.
“I hope the auction isn’t over yet!” Honey said worriedly.
The girls and Mrs. Rushmore went in and found seats in the fourth row. On a platform ahead of them, the auctioneer was saying, “I have a hundred. Do I hear a hundred and ten?”
There was silence, then he continued, “I think you people don’t realize the value of this beautiful cameo. It’s worth much, much more. Come now, who’ll give me a hundred and ten?”
“Mother, is it yours?” Honey whispered loudly.
“I can’t tell,” Mrs. Rushmore replied. “It’s too far away for me to recognize.” Her throat felt dry, and her voice was hoarse with tension.
The next instant Nancy called out, “One hundred and ten. And may we see the cameo? We came in late.”
The auctioneer looked at the group and held the pin up. Then he said haughtily, “I’m sorry, but the viewing is over. We must get on with this. Ladies and gentlemen, I have a hundred and ten bid. Do I hear a hundred and fifteen?”
Mrs. Rushmore was beside herself. “Ladies, keep on bidding! We must get that cameo. It looks just like mine!”
“I have a hundred and ten bid,” the auctioneer repeated. “Do I hear a bid for one hundred and fifteen?”
A man across the room called out, “One hundred and fifteen!”
The girls groaned. How much higher would they have to go?
The auctioneer said, “A hundred and fifteen. Do I hear a hundred and twenty?”
“A hundred and twenty!” Peg called out.
In his singsong voice the auctioneer continued to push up the price five dollars at a time. Whenever Nancy’s group thought they had the bid, the man across the room would put in a higher bid.
Finally, the man bid a hundred and forty-five dollars. Once more the auctioneer pleaded with the audience.
“This exquisite cameo—why, it’s a crime to even think of paying that small amount for what it’s worth. Come now, who will give me a hundred and fifty dollars?”
Nancy offered to pay that much, and everyone waited for her opponent to go higher. But no matter how much the auctioneer pleaded, the
“Hi, Rogers!” Kalef called out. “Some folks here want to see you.”
The man stared at the group in puzzlement. “They want to see me? Why?”
“To ask you a couple of questions.”
Nancy waited for Mrs. Rushmore to speak, but when she said nothing, the young sleuth smiled at the switchman. “We’ll only keep you a minute. We’re the Detective Club. We’ve been spending all morning trying to find a piece of jewelry that was lost a year ago in the Mount Rushmore sleeper. Kalef said that you had briefly been in the car before the police and insurance company searched it. Do you by any chance remember seeing a cameo brooch?”
The man was thoughtful for a moment. “Wait a minute. That rings a bell—yes. I picked one up from the floor. Can’t remember when or what car it was. But it could have been about a year ago. Put it in my pants pocket and forgot all about it. Weeks later my wife found it when she took the pants to the cleaner. I took it over to the Lost and Found department.”
A trainman’s work car was coming at high speed toward the girls!
“It might have been my cameo!” Mrs. Rushmore said excitedly.
“If you hurry to the warehouse where the auction is,” Rogers said, “you might be able to get hold of it. I had no idea that it was worth anything, or I’d have turned it in right away. I’m sure the police asked Lost and Found for it at the time. Oh, I hope you’ll get your pin back!”
Nancy asked where the warehouse was.
“It’s too dangerous for you to get there crossing the tracks,” Kalef said. “You’d better go back to the street and drive down. Stay alongside the fence until you come to a road that leads right to the warehouse. You can’t miss it.”
The group thanked the men and dashed off. In a few minutes they arrived at the auction. To their dismay, many people were walking out of the building with packages under their arms.
“I hope the auction isn’t over yet!” Honey said worriedly.
The girls and Mrs. Rushmore went in and found seats in the fourth row. On a platform ahead of them, the auctioneer was saying, “I have a hundred. Do I hear a hundred and ten?”
There was silence, then he continued, “I think you people don’t realize the value of this beautiful cameo. It’s worth much, much more. Come now, who’ll give me a hundred and ten?”
“Mother, is it yours?” Honey whispered loudly.
“I can’t tell,” Mrs. Rushmore replied. “It’s too far away for me to recognize.” Her throat felt dry, and her voice was hoarse with tension.
The next instant Nancy called out, “One hundred and ten. And may we see the cameo? We came in late.”
The auctioneer looked at the group and held the pin up. Then he said haughtily, “I’m sorry, but the viewing is over. We must get on with this. Ladies and gentlemen, I have a hundred and ten bid. Do I hear a hundred and fifteen?”
Mrs. Rushmore was beside herself. “Ladies, keep on bidding! We must get that cameo. It looks just like mine!”
“I have a hundred and ten bid,” the auctioneer repeated. “Do I hear a bid for one hundred and fifteen?”
A man across the room called out, “One hundred and fifteen!”
The girls groaned. How much higher would they have to go?
The auctioneer said, “A hundred and fifteen. Do I hear a hundred and twenty?”
“A hundred and twenty!” Peg called out.
In his singsong voice the auctioneer continued to push up the price five dollars at a time. Whenever Nancy’s group thought they had the bid, the man across the room would put in a higher bid.
Finally, the man bid a hundred and forty-five dollars. Once more the auctioneer pleaded with the audience.
“This exquisite cameo—why, it’s a crime to even think of paying that small amount for what it’s worth. Come now, who will give me a hundred and fifty dollars?”
Nancy offered to pay that much, and everyone waited for her opponent to go higher. But no matter how much the auctioneer pleaded, the
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