posite looked very tired, worried, and even ill.
Nancy judged the girl to be her own age.
“Why are you so quiet. Nancy?” Bess de-
manded suddenly.
“Just resting,” Nancy returned.
She did not tell her friends that she had be-
come interested in the nearby passenger, tor
George and Bess often teased her about her habit
of scrutinizing strange faces. However, it was
Nancy’s lively interest in people that was largely
responsible for involving her in unusual adven-
tures, and she was always on the alert for a new
mystery.
Bess eyed her perfume package longingly and
finally ripped off the paper. “I can’t stand it any
longer.” She sighed. “I must try some of this de-
licious-smelling stuff!” She opened the bottle
and dabbed a couple of drops behind each ear.
Then she offered it to George. “Try some. It’s
really lovely-makes me think I’m in the mystic
Orient.”
George could not keep from making a face. “No
thank you!” she replied firmly. “It’s not my
type!”
Nancy and Bess laughed. Then Bess offered
some to Nancy, who accepted willingly. Bess
again took out the stopper and was leaning over
to put some perfume on Nancy when the train
lurched and jogged her arm.
“Oh!” Bess cried in horror. The perfume
sprayed over Nancy, as the bottle fell to the floor.
“Such a waste of money!” George muttered as
she picked up the half-empty container.
“What a shame!” Nancy exclaimed. “It’s your
perfume, Bess, and now I have a lot of it on me.”
Bess groaned. “I should’ve waited till I was
home to open the bottle. I’m lucky there’s some
left!” Carefully she placed the small vial in her
handbag.
By now the concentrated odor of Blue Jade had
permeated the car, and passengers in nearby seats
flung open the windows.
“I’m glad we’re getting off at the next stop.”
Nancy giggled. “Everyone is laughing at us.”
Nancy had become so engrossed with the
spilled perfume that she had forgotten about the
pale young woman who occupied the opposite
seat. Now, as Nancy turned her head, she was
startled to see that the girl had slumped down in
a dejected heap.
“She’s fainted!” Nancy exclaimed, moving
quickly across the aisle.
She shook the girl gently, but there was no re-
sponse from the frail figure.
“Bess! Ask if there is a doctor in the car!”
Nancy cried urgently.
By this time other passengers in the car were
aware that something had happened, and were
crowding about, asking unnecessary questions
and getting in the way. Nancy politely asked them
to move back.
There did not appear to be a doctor in the
coach, but as Nancy rubbed the girl’s wrists, she
was relieved to see that she was showing signs of
recovering consciousness.
George quickly raised the window so that the
fresh air fanned the girl’s face. Leaning against
the seat, she looked deathly pale.
“What can I do?” George asked.
“Stay here while I get some water,” Nancy an-
swered. “She’s coming around now. I think she’ll
be all right in a few minutes.”
Nancy hurried to the water cooler at the far end
of the car. As she was trying to fill the paper
cup, a man who had been standing near the door-
way came toward her. He made a pretense of wait-
ing his turn to get a drink, yet she realized by
the intent look on his face that something had
startled him. He was deliberately studying her!
Was it because of the perfume? She fairly reeked
with it!
Nancy was not prepared, however, for what
came next. The man edged closer to her, glanced
quickly about to see that no one was close by, and
muttered in a guttural tone:
“Any word from the Chief?”
Nancy was taken completely by surprise. She
knew she had never seen the man before, for she
would not have forgotten such a cruel face. His
steel-gray eyes bored straight into her. Nancy
was so bewildered she could think of nothing to
say.
The stranger realized at once that he had made
a mistake. “Excuse me, miss. My error,” he mur-
mured, starting for the car ahead. “But that per-