gave ’em to me.”
The name startled Nancy. “Not Walter Heath?”
“No. Ira Heath-Walt’s father,” Salty an-
swered. “He gave me the shells when he had his
button factory on the inlet.”
“A button factory near here?” Bess asked in
surprise.
“It’s been closed for years. It was shut down
when the supply o’ fresh-water mussels gave out.
Mollusk mother-of-pearl shells are used, you
know, to make pearl buttons.”
“What became of Mr. Heath?” Nancy inquired.
“Ira was born in England an’ went back there
on a visit. He died in London. His son Walt was
left in charge here.”
“Did Ira build the castle?” Bess asked.
Salty nodded, warming to the story. “Yes,
Heath Castle was built to look like one o’ those
fancy English places. The gardens were beauti-
ful-a sight to set your eyes ablaze with admira-
tion. Stone walls everywhere, with flowers an’
vines, an’ all kinds o’ trees from everywhere in
the world.”
Nancy was becoming more eager every minute
to see the estate.
“But for me,” Salty went on, “the place is too
lonesome. No houses close by. The old gent built
it ’bout a mile up the river from the button
factory. Walter lived in it, too, an’ he used to do
some o’ his scientific experimentin’ there.”
“What kind of experiments?” Nancy asked.
“Don’t know,” said Salty. “Since Walt died, no
one ever goes near the castle, or the factory on
Harper’s Inlet.”
“Harper’s Inlet?” Nancy repeated thoughtfully.
“Someone must have been there yesterday.”
“That’s right,” Bess agreed. “We saw a motor-
boat coming out of the inlet. It crashed into our
boat.”
“Queer,” Salty commented. “I don’t know
what business anyone would have at the factory.
Who was the fellow?”
“That’s what we came to ask you,” Nancy re-
plied.
She gave a complete account of the incident.
Salty could not identify the man or his boat from
her description, but he promised to watch tor
such a person.
“I’ll keep an eye out for the boat, too,” he
added. “Can’t figure what the fellow would be
doin’ there. Fishin’s no good there. Maybe I’ll
run up an’ have a look.”
Satisfied that Salty would be able to locate the
boat if anyone could. Nancy and Bess thanked
him and left.
As they stepped onto the dock they saw that
the weather had changed. Dark clouds filled the
sky and the wind was whipping the river into
whitecaps.
“I wanted to visit Heath Castle today,” Nancy
said, “but it wouldn’t be wise to take a boat out
now.
“Let’s do it tomorrow,” Bess suggested.
“Then George can go with us,” Nancy said.
A surprise awaited Nancy when she reached
home. While she and Mrs. Gruen had been away,
the two rosebushes had been replanted in the
garden. They were only slightly wilted from hav-
ing been moved twice.
“Oh, I’m so glad Joan brought them back!”
Nancy declared. “I’m sure she wouldn’t have
taken them if that Hooper boy hadn’t urged her
to.”
Nancy was pressing earth firmly about the
bushes when her father drove into the garage.
She stopped her work and ran to greet him. Mr.
Drew was a distinguished-looking man, tall and
handsome.
“I’m happy you’re back from your trip,” she
said.
“Hello, Nancy.” He smiled. “How’s the gar-
den?”
“Better today. The rosebushes that were taken
day before yesterday are home again.”
The Drews went into the house together and
Nancy told him about the boat, the Fenimore
problems, and the mystery of Juliana’s disap-
pearance.
“Dad, tell me all you can about Ira Heath and
his son Walter,” she said. “Did you know them?”
“Only by reputation. For years they operated
a very successful pearl button factory. Then the
business went to pieces.”
“I already know that part,” Nancy said. “What
about Heath Castle? After Walter Heath died,
who took charge of the place?”
“Daniel Hector is the executor, I believe.”
Nancy’s mind flew to the unpleasant customer
in the curio dealer’s shop.
“The lawyer?” she asked.
“Yes,” Mr. Drew replied. “But I must say his
sharp practice of law never appealed to me.”
“Do you think Mr. Hector did everything pos-
sible to find Juliana?” Nancy asked thoughtfully.