Keene, Carolyn – Nancy Drew 006 – The Secret of Red Gate Farm

fume- Well, never mind!”

CHAPTER II

Mysterious Numbers

Nancy stared after the stranger and wondered

what he could have meant.

“Evidently he mistook me for somebody else,”

she thought. “But even so, his actions certainly

were peculiar.”

What message had he expected to receive from

her? Who was the Chief? How strange that the

man should speak of the perfume as though it had

been the cause of his mistake!

If Nancy’s mind had not been occupied with

the frail girl’s condition, she might have won-

dered more over the strange encounter. She

dismissed it for the moment. Quickly filling a cup

with ice water, she rushed back to George and

Bess, who were giving first aid to the girl.

“Do you feel better now?” Nancy asked. “Here,

drink this.”

“Thank you,” the girl murmured, gratefully

taking the cup. “I feel much better now,” she

added quietly. “It was very kind of you to

help me.”

“It must have been the perfume that made you

faint,” George declared. “A little is all right, but

half a bottle is overpowering.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t the perfume,” the girl re-

turned quickly. “I haven’t felt well since I first

boarded the train early this morning.”

“What a shame,” Bess said. “I’ll get you some

more water.” She soon returned with a second

cup.

“By the way, Nancy”-Bess turned to her

friend-“who was that man who spoke to you at

the water cooler?”

“You noticed him?” Nancy asked, surprised.

“Yes,” Bess said, “but I didn’t recognize him.”

“Nor did I,” Nancy remarked. “The whole

thing was quite mysterious. He simply ap-

proached me and said: ‘Any word from the

Chief?'”

“The Chief!” Bess and George chorused.

“What Chief?”

“I have no idea,” the young sleuth admitted.

“But evidently it was this strange perfume that

attracted his attention, or so he said.”

“I wonder what the perfume could have to do

with it?” Bess looked perplexed.

By this time the train was slowing down as it

approached the River Heights station, and Nancy

and her friends realized they must hurry or they

would miss their stop.

“I’m afraid that we must interrupt this conver-

sation and say good-by,” Nancy told the girl re-

luctantly. “We get off at River Heights.”

“River Heights!” The girl glanced anxiously

out the window. “I get off here tool I had no idea

we were so close.”

“We’ll help you,” Nancy offered. “Do you

really feel well enough to walk?”

“Yes, I’m all right now.”

George and Bess collected the miscellaneous

packages, while Nancy helped the stranger along

the aisle. The girl hesitated uncertainly as she

stepped from the train.

“I’m not very familiar with River Heights,”

she said to Nancy. “Which direction should I take

to go to the center of town?”

“You’re still too shaky to walk any distance,”

George spoke up. “Have you no friend here to

meet you?”

The girl shook her head.

“Then why don’t you come home for a snack

with us?” Nancy suggested. “I left my car parked

here by the station, and I can drive you back.”

The girl started to protest, but Nancy and the

others urged her on, and soon they were all set-

tled in Nancy’s blue convertible.

“I haven’t even told you my name,” the

strange girl said, leaning back wearily. “I’m Jo-

anne Byrd. I live with my grandmother at Red

Gate Farm about ten miles from Round Val-

ley. That’s where I took the train.”

Nancy introduced herself and her friends as she

started the car and headed it toward the Drew

residence in another section of the city.

“How nice it must be to live on a farm!” Bess

remarked. “And Red Gate is such a pleasant-

sounding name.”

“Red Gate is a lovely place,” Joanne said feel-

ingly. “I’ve lived there with my grandmother

ever since I can remember. We don’t have the

money, though, to keep up the farm. That’s why

I left home today-to find work here.”

“Do you have something in mind?” Bess ques-

tioned.

“I came in response to a particular advertise-

ment,” Joanne replied, but did not say what it

was. A faraway look came into her eyes. “We sim-

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