Тайна загадочной лестницы [with w_cat]

[764] Nancy said good-by and put down the phone. She waited several seconds for the line to clear, then picked up the instrument again and called Hannah Gruen. Before Nancy lay the sheet of newspaper from which the advertisement had been torn.

[765] "The Drew residence," said a voice on the phone.

[766] "Hello, Hannah.   This is Nancy."

[767] "How are you, dear? Any news?" Mrs. Gruen asked quickly.

[768] "I haven't found Dad yet," the young detective replied. "And the police haven't either. But I've picked up a couple of clues."

[769] "Tell me about them," the housekeeper requested excitedly.

Nancy told her about the man with the crinkly ear and said she was sure that the police would soon capture him. "If he'll only talk, we may find out where Dad is being held."

[770] "Oh, I hope so!" Hannah sighed. "Don't get discouraged, Nancy."

[771] At this point Helen came into the hall, and as she passed Nancy on her way to the stairs, smiled at her friend. The young sleuth was about to ask Hannah to get the Drews' Tuesday copy of the River Heights Gazette when she heard a cracking noise overhead. Immediately she decided the ghost might be at work again.

[772] "Hannah, I'll call you back later," Nancy said and put down the phone.

[773] She had no sooner done this than Helen screamed, "Nancy, run! The ceiling!" She herself started for the front door.

[774] Nancy, looking up, saw a tremendous crack in the ceiling just above the girls' heads. The next instant the whole ceiling crashed down on them! They were thrown to the floor.

[775] "Oh!" Helen moaned. She was covered with lath and plaster, and had been hit hard on the head. But she managed to call out from under the debris, "Nancy, are you all right?" There was no answer.

[776] The tremendous noise had brought Miss Flora and Aunt Rosemary on a run from the kitchen. They stared in horror at the scene before them. Nancy lay unconscious and Helen seemed too dazed to move.

[777] "Oh my!  Oh my!" Miss Flora exclaimed.

[778] She and Aunt Rosemary began stepping over the lath and plaster, which by now had filled the air with dust. They sneezed again and again but made their way forward nevertheless.

[779] Miss Flora, reaching Helen's side, started pulling aside chunks of broken plaster and lath. Finally, she helped her great-granddaughter to her feet.

[780] "Oh, my dear, you're hurt!" she said solicitously.

[781] "I'll—be—all right—in a minute," Helen insisted, choking with the dust. "But Nancy—"

[782] Aunt Rosemary had already reached the unconscious girl. With lightning speed, she threw aside the debris which almost covered Nancy. Whipping a handkerchief from her pocket, she gently laid it over Nancy's face, so that she would not breathe in any more of the dust.

[783] "Helen, do you feel strong enough to help me carry Nancy into the library?" she asked. "I'd like to lay her on the couch there."

[784] "Oh, yes, Aunt Rosemary. Do you think Nancy is badly hurt?" she asked worriedly.

[785] "I hope not."

[786] At this moment Nancy stirred.  Then her arm moved upward and she pulled the handkerchief from her face. She blinked several times as if unable to recall where she was.

[787] "You'll be all right, Nancy," said Aunt Rosemary kindly. "But I don't want you to breathe this dust. Please keep the handkerchief over your nose." She took it from Nancy's hand and once more laid it across the girl's nostrils and mouth.

[788] In a moment Nancy smiled wanly. "I remember now. The ceiling fell down."

[789] "Yes," said Helen. "It knocked you out for a few moments. I hope you're not hurt."

[790] Miss Flora, who was still sneezing violently, insisted that they all get out of the dust at once. She began stepping across the piles of debris, with Helen helping her. When they reached the library door, the elderly woman went inside.

[791] Helen returned to help Nancy. But by this time her friend was standing up, leaning on Aunt Rosemary's arm. She was able to make her way across the hall to the library. Aunt Rosemary suggested calling a doctor, but Nancy said this would not be necessary.

"I'm so thankful you girls weren't seriously hurt," Miss Flora said. "What a dreadful thing this is! Do you think the ghost is responsible?"

[792] Her daughter replied at once. "No, I don't. Mother, you will recall that for some time we have had a leak in the hall whenever it rained. And the last time we had a storm, the whole ceiling was soaked. I think that weakened the plaster and it fell of its own accord."

[793] Miss Flora remarked that a new ceiling would be a heavy expense for them. "Oh dear, more troubles all the time. But I still don't want to part with my home."

[794] Nancy, whose faculties by now were completely restored, said with a hint of a smile, "Well, there's one worry you might not have any more, Miss Flora."

[795] "What's that?"