An Encounter
Though Nancy Drew had learned little which shed light on the mystery at Lilac Inn, she had no intention of admitting defeat. On the following day she again set out in her blue roadster, visiting a number of the guests who had been dining at the inn at the time of the strange jewelry robbery. Few of the persons were able to furnish information which she did not already have, so on the whole the day was wasted.
The next morning Nancy telephoned the hospital and through the officials learned the names of the two men who had brought in the victims of the automobile accident. Calling upon them, she found nothing to arouse her suspicions. They told a straightforward story, relating that at the time of the crash they had driven to the scene of the accident in their automobile, and when no one seemed to know what to do, had taken it upon themselves to rush the victims to the hospital.
“Oh, dear,” Nancy thought, “I seem farther than ever from the real solution. I don’t know what to do next. Unless I find a genuine clue I’m afraid I’ll have to turn the case back to Dad after all.”
It was no wonder that when Helen Corning, Nancy’s particular chum, dropped in that afternoon to ask her to go shopping she found her a trifle depressed.
“You look terribly thoughtful, Nancy,” she bantered. “What’s on your mind?”
“Nothing,” Nancy returned gloomily, “and that’s the whole trouble.”