an accident case. A young woman had been struck
by a car on a side road and was found unconscious
and badly bruised. Hit-and-run driver and no wit-
nesses. She was taken to a hospital in Plainville.
No identification or purse or luggage.”
“Probably stolen,” Mr. Drew commented.
“She looked a little like the person in this
photograph,” the officer went on. “A funny thing
about the case was, when nurses undressed her at
the hospital, they found several thousands of dol-
lars on her.”
“Did the police find out why?” Nancy asked.
“No. She insisted she had drawn it from her
savings account because she was traveling. Why
don’t you stop at the hospital? Maybe they can
answer your questions.”
Nancy said she was grateful for this good lead.
She returned to the car and told her father. They
set off at once for the hospital.
The superintendent received them courteously.
After hearing their story, she showed them some
old records. No one by the name of Juliana or
Julie Johnson had been a patient at the institu-
tion, but a Julia Flower had been!
Only the word “traveler” had been written in
the space for the home address.
The superintendent anticipated Nancy’s next
question. “Where did she go after she was released
from here? I don’t know.”
Seeing the girl’s disappointment, she said, “You
might talk to Joe. He’s been our maintenance
man for twenty years. A friendly fellow. And his
memory tor patients is amazing.”
While Mr. Drew waited in the lobby, Nancy
went to the basement to find Joe. When she
showed him the photograph, a wide grin spread
over his face.
“Indeed I remember that girl. She called her-
self Julia Flower. I felt sorry for her when she left
here in a wheelchair. She was crying her eyes out
as the nurse rolled her to the elevator.”
“Why was she crying?” Nancy asked.
“I overheard Dr. Barnes tell Miss Flower she’d
never be able to walk properly again.”
“Is Dr. Barnes still with the hospital?”
“No. He went to New York to head up a large
clinic.”
“How about nurses who took care of her?”
Nancy inquired.
“I remember one. She was nice-Miss Emily
Foster. I don’t know what became of her.”
“Do you have any idea where Miss Flower
went?”
Joe shook his head. “She didn’t say.”
The man’s information threw new light on the
mystery. Nancy thanked him and hurried back to
her father.
“Such an injury could have prevented Juliana
from ever dancing again,” she said.
Mr. Drew nodded. “The thought of her admir-
ers feeling pity for her may have been too much
for Juliana to bear. Perhaps she dropped out of
sight on purpose!”
“She probably took an assumed name in order
to avoid publicity, then disappeared because she
didn’t want to be a burden to her sister,” Nancy
said. “Juliana’s pride kept her from marrying
Walter Heath.” Nancy paused a moment. “Oh,
Dad, we’re really getting somewhere 1”
At the main desk Nancy and her father tried to
obtain the doctor’s and the nurse’s address.
“Dr. Barnes died three years ago,” the re-
ceptionist said. “As for Emily Foster, I have an
old address, but I understand she left the place
some time ago. However, the people who live
there might be able to tell you where she is.”
While Mr. Drew registered at the local motel
for his daughter and himself, Nancy hurried on
foot to the designated address. To her disappoint-
ment she found the residence occupied by new
tenants who had never heard of Emily Foster.
“Another blind alley!” Nancy sighed as she
started back to join her father.
As she walked along the street Nancy became
aware of a man walking a little distance behind
her. At first she thought nothing of it, but after
three blocks she concluded someone must be
following her.
Nancy quickened her pace. After six blocks,
she still had not shaken the person and decided
to get a good look at him. She dropped her hand-
bag on purpose. As she turned to pick it up,
Nancy gazed directly at the man. He wore a
brown suit and had a sharp, angular face and dark