“Please tell your story,” Nancy urged.
The young man revealed that his father was a retired clown. During his career, he had been with Sims’, but before that had performed in Europe with the same circus that the Flying Flanders had.
“So he knew my mother and father,” Lolita spoke up, “and told Pietro that the Kroons never really adopted me.”
“According to Mr. Kroon,” Pietro went on, “Lolita’s parents were badly injured during their trapeze act. They were taken to a hospital and died. At that time, the Kroons took Lolita away.
“Just this morning I had a letter from my father, who lives in England, saying he had attended a circus outside the town of Tewkesbury. While looking through a pair of field glasses at the crowd, he had seen a woman he was sure was Lolita’s mother.”
“Isn’t that exciting?” Lolita cried.
“Indeed it is,” Nancy said. “Go on, Pietro.”
The clown said his father had hurried toward the woman but she had disappeared before he could reach her. Later, he had inquired in the town but no one he spoke to had ever heard of a Lola Flanders.
“As soon as I read about Lola, I went to Mr. Kroon and told him,” Pietro said. “I thought he would be glad to hear that Lolita’s mother might be alive, but instead he went into a terrible rage. It ended by his telling me to mind my own business, that the whole thing was a lie, and that I could get out of the circus.”
“But you’re not going to?” Nancy asked.
“Not until Lolita does,” the clown replied. “But things are in an awful state. Mr. Kroon has even forbidden me to speak to Lolita.”
Lolita explained that this was why her fiancé had not appeared in the ring the evening before. She had persuaded him, however, to take part in the show that afternoon.
“The only reason we were able to get away was because Mr. Kroon was having a conference with Mr. Sims, who has just returned,” she explained. “Even so, we thought we were being followed. I think we’d better hurry back, don’t you, Pietro?” A worried frown creased Lolita’s forehead.
“I wish you would stay and have luncheon with me,” Nancy said.
“Oh, thank you so much, but we wouldn’t dare!” the aerialist cried. “My foster father would be sure to discover we’d left the circus. But you’ll help me find my mother, won’t you?”
“I certainly will,” Nancy assured her. “By the way, my father is a lawyer. Suppose he tries to learn what he can through friends in England.”
Lolita said that would be wonderful. She hoped Mr. Drew would have good news for her.
Before the couple left, Nancy remarked that she expected to attend the afternoon performance in order to get pointers on trick bareback riding. She asked Lolita if it would be possible while she was there for her to talk with Mrs. Kroon.
“I don’t know,” Lolita replied, “but do try, Nancy. She’ll probably be in my trailer. Maybe you can find out something from her. She’s very nice when my foster father’s not around, but she certainly is afraid of him.”
“Do you know why?”
“No, I don’t. Well, good-by for now.”
As soon as Hannah Gruen heard the front door close, she burst into a mild tirade about people who did not announce their coming and arrived just at mealtime. Nancy laughed and sat down to eat the delicious soufflé which she said was not ruined after all.
“And nobody in the world can make soufflé like a certain person I know named Hannah Gruen,” she added.
The housekeeper was mollified and asked Nancy what the callers wanted. After hearing the story, she remarked:
“Poor Lolita! I hope she’ll be able to get away from that dreadful foster father of hers.”
“Don’t tell anybody,” said Nancy, “but I’m going to help her do that very thing!”
Nancy arrived early at the circus and went at once to find Mrs. Kroon. On purpose the young detective wore her new charm bracelet and made a point of jingling it as she introduced herself to the ringmaster’s wife. Although Mrs. Kroon eyed the bracelet, she made no comment.