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Authors: Carolyn Keene
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man apparently had reached his limit.
“One hundred and fifty,” the auctioneer said. “One hundred and fifty. Going—going—gone! Sold to the young lady who bid one hundred and fifty dollars. Please come forward with the money and take this beautiful cameo!”
Nancy looked at Mrs. Rushmore, who was rummaging in her purse. Then the woman went ashen white. “I don’t have that much cash, and I forgot my checkbook. Girls, how much do you all have with you?”
Everyone counted, but together it came to no more than a hundred and twenty dollars.
“Step up, please,” the auctioneer urged. “We must get on to the next item!”
As he turned to pick up a large package Nancy rushed toward the platform. Mrs. Rushmore and the girls stared in surprise. What was she going to do?
Fortunately, Nancy had tucked a couple of blank checks into her wallet. Now she walked to the desk where the purchased items were given out.
“Will you take my check?” she asked the man in charge.
“Yes, as long as you have identification. Your driver’s license will be required.”
Nancy nodded and wrote out the check. Then she handed it to the man along with her license. He copied the number and her address on the check, then gave the license back to her.
“And here’s the pin,” he added, handing her a small box. “Good luck!”
Nancy hurried back to her seat, hoping the cameo was the one Mrs. Rushmore had lost. The woman opened the package with shaking fingers.
“It’s mine!” she murmured. “It’s the queen’s cameo! Oh, Nancy, how can I ever thank you for solving this mystery?”
Before Nancy could reply, Martie spoke up. “I’m very happy you got your property back. But I think it’s a shame you had to buy it!”
“And I’ll have to reimburse the insurance company,” Mrs. Rushmore added.
Nancy leaned over and took the woman’s ice-cold hand into her own. “Perhaps you didn’t know this,” she said, “but the sign up there says that all money taken in at the auction will be put into the special fund for widows and orphans of railroad men who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Why don’t you just call the hundred and fifty dollars a donation to that worthy charity?”
Mrs. Rushmore’s tearstained eyes looked into Nancy’s. “Oh, you’re wonderful, my dear. I’ll do that.”
ACTIVITY
Nancy suggests that readers look in local newspapers under the Lost and Found columns and see if they can find any mysteries to solve.
CHAPTER VIII
THE MYSTERIOUS FORTUNE-TELLER
Palm Prints
“GOOD morning, Mr. Drew,” called out the members of the Detective Club. Sue added, “This is wonderful, having you speak to us.”
Martie said, “And Nancy told us you’ll give us a real case to solve.”
Nancy’s tall, handsome father smiled as he stood at one end of the living room facing the circle of girls before him. “Yes. I understand you have progressed so well in your detective work, I’ll give you a real challenge. Are you ready?”
“Oh, yes!” the girls replied.
“The Rest-a-While Motel here in River Heights asked me to do some legal work for them, but there’s also another problem you ladies could take care of.”
Martie put up her hand. “Mr. Drew, isn’t the Rest-a-While that motel up the river a ways?”
The lawyer nodded. “It has been open less than a year and is in a rather secluded spot. This is probably why certain guests like to stay there. The manager, Mr. Schwinn, suspects that a couple who registered as Mr. and Mrs. Tonio are fortune-tellers.”
“How exciting!” Peg exclaimed.
“It’s also against the law in River Heights,” Mr. Drew pointed out.
Nancy asked, “Dad, why is Mr. Schwinn suspicious of these people?”
Her father said that a number of callers had gone to the couple’s room. “There were strange people coming in and out at all hours of the day and night. Mr. Schwinn suspects that Mrs. Tonio charges them for telling their fortunes and has a thriving
“One hundred and fifty,” the auctioneer said. “One hundred and fifty. Going—going—gone! Sold to the young lady who bid one hundred and fifty dollars. Please come forward with the money and take this beautiful cameo!”
Nancy looked at Mrs. Rushmore, who was rummaging in her purse. Then the woman went ashen white. “I don’t have that much cash, and I forgot my checkbook. Girls, how much do you all have with you?”
Everyone counted, but together it came to no more than a hundred and twenty dollars.
“Step up, please,” the auctioneer urged. “We must get on to the next item!”
As he turned to pick up a large package Nancy rushed toward the platform. Mrs. Rushmore and the girls stared in surprise. What was she going to do?
Fortunately, Nancy had tucked a couple of blank checks into her wallet. Now she walked to the desk where the purchased items were given out.
“Will you take my check?” she asked the man in charge.
“Yes, as long as you have identification. Your driver’s license will be required.”
Nancy nodded and wrote out the check. Then she handed it to the man along with her license. He copied the number and her address on the check, then gave the license back to her.
“And here’s the pin,” he added, handing her a small box. “Good luck!”
Nancy hurried back to her seat, hoping the cameo was the one Mrs. Rushmore had lost. The woman opened the package with shaking fingers.
“It’s mine!” she murmured. “It’s the queen’s cameo! Oh, Nancy, how can I ever thank you for solving this mystery?”
Before Nancy could reply, Martie spoke up. “I’m very happy you got your property back. But I think it’s a shame you had to buy it!”
“And I’ll have to reimburse the insurance company,” Mrs. Rushmore added.
Nancy leaned over and took the woman’s ice-cold hand into her own. “Perhaps you didn’t know this,” she said, “but the sign up there says that all money taken in at the auction will be put into the special fund for widows and orphans of railroad men who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Why don’t you just call the hundred and fifty dollars a donation to that worthy charity?”
Mrs. Rushmore’s tearstained eyes looked into Nancy’s. “Oh, you’re wonderful, my dear. I’ll do that.”
ACTIVITY
Nancy suggests that readers look in local newspapers under the Lost and Found columns and see if they can find any mysteries to solve.
CHAPTER VIII
THE MYSTERIOUS FORTUNE-TELLER
Palm Prints
“GOOD morning, Mr. Drew,” called out the members of the Detective Club. Sue added, “This is wonderful, having you speak to us.”
Martie said, “And Nancy told us you’ll give us a real case to solve.”
Nancy’s tall, handsome father smiled as he stood at one end of the living room facing the circle of girls before him. “Yes. I understand you have progressed so well in your detective work, I’ll give you a real challenge. Are you ready?”
“Oh, yes!” the girls replied.
“The Rest-a-While Motel here in River Heights asked me to do some legal work for them, but there’s also another problem you ladies could take care of.”
Martie put up her hand. “Mr. Drew, isn’t the Rest-a-While that motel up the river a ways?”
The lawyer nodded. “It has been open less than a year and is in a rather secluded spot. This is probably why certain guests like to stay there. The manager, Mr. Schwinn, suspects that a couple who registered as Mr. and Mrs. Tonio are fortune-tellers.”
“How exciting!” Peg exclaimed.
“It’s also against the law in River Heights,” Mr. Drew pointed out.
Nancy asked, “Dad, why is Mr. Schwinn suspicious of these people?”
Her father said that a number of callers had gone to the couple’s room. “There were strange people coming in and out at all hours of the day and night. Mr. Schwinn suspects that Mrs. Tonio charges them for telling their fortunes and has a thriving
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