The Clue in the Jewel Box

CHAPTER II

ASTONISHED by the tone of Mr. Faber’s voice and his interest in the photograph, Nancy readily told how it had come into her possession.

“Unbelievable!” the antique dealer murmured. “You say this picture belongs to a young man named Francis Baum?”

“I’m pretty sure it fell from his wallet,” Nancy replied.

“Please describe him,” the shop owner pleaded. “Did Francis Baum bear any resemblance to this boy in the photograph?”

“Why, no. Mr. Baum is tall and has a dark complexion. The boy is very fair.”

“The age of Francis Baum?” he asked quickly.

“Well, it’s difficult to say. He might be in his late twenties-or possibly a little younger,” Nancy replied.

Nancy’s curiosity had grown steadily as Mr. Faber queried her. She longed to ask a few questions of her own, but wisely waited.

“You wonder perhaps why I ask you so much,” he said. “The answers concern the happiness of Madame Alexandra, a royal lady indeed. You see, the boy in this photograph is her long-lost grandson!”

“Please tell me more,” Nancy urged.

“Years ago, when revolution came to their country, the little boy was taken away secretly by his nurse. His mother, father, sisters, the entire family-except the grandmother-perished at the hands of the enemy.”

“How dreadful!” Nancy murmured.

“Those were terrifying years,” the antique dealer went on sadly. “Madame Alexandra, through the aid of loyal friends, escaped. Since then she has devoted herself to a search for her grandson.”

“The nurse has never been traced?”

“It is believed that she came to America, but here the trail ends. If the grandson still lives, he must be thirty years old. You understand now how important it is that we find Francis Baum?”

“Indeed I do,” Nancy replied. “I’ll gladly help you trace him.”

Nancy had inherited her love of mystery. She was the daughter of Carson Drew, a well-known lawyer, who often handled criminal cases. Her mother had died when she was three, and since then the Drews’ home in River Heights had been managed for her and her father by capable Hannah Gruen.

Nancy’s first case was The Secret of the Old Clock, and her recent one, The Quest of the Missing Map.

“Will Francis Baum be difficult to find?” the man questioned her anxiously.

“He shouldn’t be,” Nancy assured him. “No doubt he’s listed in the phone book.”

Acting upon the suggestion, Mr. Faber called to an assistant in the back room. He asked that the book be brought to him at once. Ivan, a young man with a pleasant grin, appeared with the directory. Unfortunately Baum’s name was not listed in it.

“I’ll trace him somehow,” Nancy assured the dealer. “The policeman who recovered the stolen wallet must have his address.”

“If you find Francis Baum, I will reward you richly for the sake of my friend Madame Alexandra,” the shopkeeper declared.

“Oh, I don’t want a reward,” Nancy protested with a laugh. “I’ll find him just for the fun of it, and to help Mrs. Alexandra.”

“But I will repay you in some way,” the man insisted. “Maybe by obtaining a handsome gift for your father. A gentleman’s box perhaps?”

“I’m sure he would like one.”

“That kind of box is something very special,” said Ivan, grinning at Nancy. “In Europe my boss’s father and grandfather were famous jewelers who made many pieces for royal families.

“Mr. Faber’s father once constructed a little train for a prince,” Ivan went on. “The locomotive was of platinum, and the cars were gold. It ran, too.”

“Was Mrs. Alexandra’s Easter egg made by your father?” Nancy asked.

“Ah, so you have seen it!” he commented.

“Only the outside.”

“Madame Alexandra’s Easter egg was indeed made by my famous father,” Mr. Faber declared. “It contains a most unusual object. You must ask her to disclose the secret.”

“I really don’t know her well enough to do that,” Nancy replied.

“If you find her grandson, no favor will be too great to ask.” The shop owner smiled. “Yes, you must see the wonderful contents of her Easter egg. The gift was presented to her by her son, the king.”

“A king?” Nancy repeated in bewilderment. “Then Mrs. Alexandra-”

Mr. Faber looked a bit dismayed. “You did not know?”

“I had no idea.”

“Madame Alexandra prefers that no special deference be shown her,” Mr. Faber explained. “She does not mind if a few discreet people know who she is, but if her true identity became known to everyone, she would be subjected to the kind of publicity she wishes to avoid.”

“I understand. I’ll do everything I can to help her,” Nancy promised.

A few minutes later she left the shop, still excited by the amazing story Mr. Faber had told her. She went directly to police headquarters.

To her disappointment, no record had been made of Francis Baum’s address because he had got his wallet back immediately after it had been stolen. Chief McGinnis said he would instruct the officer who had seen Baum to be on watch for him.

Throughout the afternoon she searched diligently for the mysterious stranger, making many inquiries. At length, weariness and hunger forced her into a snack shop not far from the river docks.

“Finding Francis Baum isn’t going to be as easy as I thought,” she reflected, biting into a toasted cheese sandwich.

Through a window Nancy absently watched a ferryboat tie up at the dock. Passengers alighted, and others boarded the vessel.

Suddenly her gaze was drawn to a young man who looked familiar. The thief who had snatched Francis Baum’s wallet!

Nancy quickly paid her check and left the shop. As she gazed down the street, the young detective saw the man board the ferry.

“There he goes!” she thought excitedly, then reflected, “Or is he the man who was mistaken for the thief?”

Before Nancy could decide whether or not to follow him, the boat’s whistle warned her that the ferry was about to leave. There was no time to think further-the man would escape if she did not act instantly.

Running as fast as she could, Nancy reached the dock a moment before the gate closed. She hurriedly bought a ticket, then dashed aboard the crowded deck. The ropes were cast off and the vessel edged away.

The young detective gazed about in search of her quarry. To her annoyance he was not in sight.

“But he’s aboard,” Nancy said to herself.

She looked at the indoor lunch counter, but there was no sign of the pickpocket. Disappointed, she returned to the deck.

During the past few minutes there had been a sudden change in the weather. Now Nancy was nearly blown off her feet by a strong gust of wind.

As the boat churned through the choppy waves, Nancy scanned the clouds. They were black. She began to shiver in her thin sleeveless dress.

A few moments later, however, the young detective completely forgot her discomfort. She had caught a glimpse of the suspect near the port railing!

Before she could reach the man, a huge wave struck the ferryboat. Passengers were thrown off balance. Several women screamed.

The next instant there was a blinding flash of lightning, followed by a heavy roll of thunder. Rain came down in a torrent, blotting out all view of the river.

Gasping, Nancy tried to find shelter in the cabin, but others ahead of her jammed the passageway. In the milling throng she could no longer see the man she was following.

Suddenly, from off the port bow, came the deepthroated whistle of an oncoming boat. The ferry swerved sharply to avoid a collision, but not in time.

There was a terrific impact as the two craft crashed into each other. Flung sideways, Nancy went rolling down the tilted deck.