“Lolita is the most wonderful aerialist I have ever seen,” Nancy remarked as they neared the circus grounds.
“I just can’t wait to see her,” Ned teased. “I think I’ll hire myself out as one of those princes.”
Nancy made a face at him as he walked up to the ticket office.
“Two in the front row as near the center as possible,” Ned told the ticket seller.
“Sorry, sir,” the man replied, “there’s not even standing room left.”
Nancy’s heart sank. She stepped up to the window. “It’s very important that I see the show this evening. Couldn’t we just—?”
“Sorry, miss,” the man said firmly. “Not one more person can be admitted.”
CHAPTER V
A Strange Attack
Nancy looked pleadingly at the ticket seller. Something about her expression made him ask:
“Why is it so necessary that you see the performance? Some friend of yours in it?”
“In a way, yes,” Nancy replied. She did not want to tell him about the mystery, but she did want to get inside the grounds. Suddenly Nancy had an idea and said, “Couldn’t we go in just to see the animals and the side shows?”
The ticket seller thought a moment. “I’d like to let you into the performance under the big top, but it’s against the fire rules to exceed the seating capacity.”
“We understand,” said Nancy, “but you haven’t answered my question. There’s nothing in the fire rules that forbids people from walking around to look at the animals and the side shows, is there?”
The man had to admit there was not. He called to the guard who was taking tickets at the gate and told him to let in the young lady and her escort.
Nancy and Ned thanked him and hurried inside. Ned inquired what the next move was to be.
“Pretty soon all the animals and the freaks will be going in the parade,” he reminded her. “Then what?”
Nancy smiled. She told him that her plan was to accomplish almost everything that she wanted to do before the performance began.
“First of all, I want to locate Lolita and have a talk with her.”
She walked up to one of the midgets who had just finished entertaining the crowd with a card trick. “Will you please tell me where Lolita’s tent is?” she asked him.
He replied in a squeaky, thin voice, “I ain’t allowed to tell.”
Nancy was taken aback. She wondered whether the little man was just trying to be funny or whether this really was a rule of the circus. Nancy moved on to the fat lady who was seated on a platform next to the midget and repeated her question.
“Sorry, miss,” the four-hundred-pound woman answered, “but we’re not allowed to give out any information. Mr. Kroon’s rule.”
Nancy decided that she would have to find Lolita’s tent by herself!
She left Ned watching the fire-eater and hurried off. Up one aisle of tents and down another she went. But there was nothing to indicate that Lolita occupied one of the tents.
“Maybe she’s not in this area at all,” the young detective told herself. “Being a star, perhaps she’s off by herself.”
Walking to the outer fringe of the tent colony, Nancy saw several trailers. Perhaps Lolita lived in one of these!
“I’ll just wander around among them and see what I can find out,” Nancy decided.
Luck was with her. As she approached the first trailer, Nancy could hear two persons arguing heatedly.
“But, Father, I don’t feel well enough to perform.” It was the young aerialist speaking!
“You’ll perform tonight and put on a good act, too!” the harsh voice of the ringmaster came to Nancy’s ears.
“But I’m so afraid I’ll fall again,” Lolita said.
For the next two minutes, Kroon gave the aerialist a severe tongue-lashing. Nancy decided that the man was completely without reason. She was so incensed at him and so sorry for Lolita that she wanted to rush in at once and help the poor girl.
Suddenly the man thundered, “I’ll give you exactly fifteen minutes to make up your mind, Lolita! Then I’ll be back. You’d better decide to perform. If you don’t, you’ll be sorry. I’ll discharge every single friend of yours in this circus!”