Part 11 (1/2)
The book contained a collection of colored photographs and descriptions of famous old homes and gardens in England.
”I forgot I had this,” Nancy said, quickly turn- ing the pages. ”Look here!”
”Heath Castle!” exclaimed George.
”The original one in England. Only it wasn't called Heath, of course.”
”And the gardens,” cried Bess as they scanned picture after picture. Nancy was reading a de- scription under one of them when suddenly a paragraph below caught her eyes.
”Listen to this! I think we have the clue we've been looking for!”
CHAPTER XII.
Secret Entrance.
George and Bess studied the paragraph to which Nancy had pointed. It had been written in Mid- dle English. Nancy had learned in school to read the works of the poet Chaucer, who wrote in that language. Eagerly she translated the quotation.
” 'I have hidden my treasures in the niches of the cloister through which, all unsuspecting, the n.o.ble men and fair ladies pa.s.s each day to bathe.'”
”Sounds quaint,” Bess said. ”But how does it help us?”
”Don't you see?” Nancy said. ”Ira Heath built his estate to resemble the one in England. Prob- ably he and his son knew about the old cloister.”
”Granted.” George nodded. ”But so what?”
”If the Heaths had a treasure to hide, wouldn't their cloister have been a good place to put it?”
”Do you really think they had a treasure?” Bess asked.
”I don't know,” Nancy replied, ”but I have a hunch they did. We know certain men are search- ing for a clue, but they also mentioned having found other things. Perhaps those were part of the treasure.”
”Is there a cloister in the Heath gardens?”
George asked. ”I haven't seen one.”
Nancy turned the page. The three girls looked at the picture on it, which showed a long pa.s.sage- way flanked by columns leading toward a river.
”This is the cloister!” said Nancy excitedly.
”Oh, I wonder whether there's one at Heath Castle!”
”You didn't notice it from the tower?” Bess in- quired.
”N-no,” Nancy answered slowly. ”But there was something leading from the castle toward the river-a kind of tunnel covered with vines.”
”I'll bet that's it,” George said enthusiastically.
”Listen! The bell. Someone's at the door.”
Nancy went downstairs to see who it was. The caller proved to be Salty.
”And how are ye, la.s.s?” he asked with a smile.
”Sorry I can't give ye any report about that fellow what crashed into ye. I been lookin' high an' low for his boat, but I ain't seen any part o' her.”
”Thank you. You've been very helpful,” Nancy said, then added, ”Salty, I'm thinking of going to the Heath gardens by boat. Have you ever noticed a-a sort of tunnel there, leading from the beach?”
”Can't say I have,” the clam digger replied.
”Are you figurin' on lookin' for one?”
Nancy smiled as she said, ”Perhaps some time when you're not busy-”
Salty suddenly slapped his thigh and chuckled.
”Women!” he said. ”They never come right out an' say what they want. Nancy, I'll meet you an'
your friends at Campbell's Landing ten o'clock sharp tomorrow mornin', barrin' rain.”
Nancy thanked him. ”Another thing, Salty. I'd like to find out about Walter Heath's experi- ments. Are you sure you can't tell me more about them?”
The man shook his head. ”I don't know a thing more. But maybe Sam Weatherby can help ye.”
”The curio dealer?”
”Sam worked at the Heath factory before he went into business for himself. He knew Walt as well as anyone in town.”
”Then I'll go to sec Sam Weatherby!” Nancy said, grateful for the information.
Soon after Salty had gone down the street, Bess and George left for home, promising to be on hand the next morning. Nancy drove to Sam Weatherby's shop.
”Haven't seen you in a while,” he greeted her cheerfully. ”Did you bring that pearl and the sh.e.l.l I offered to buy?”
Nancy told him the pearl had been stolen.
”That's too bad,” the man said sympathetically.
”Well, maybe you'll find a bigger one.”
”I hope so,” Nancy said with a smile. ”But right now I'm more interested in Walter Heath's experiments.”
She told about the pile of crushed and broken whelk sh.e.l.ls she had found at the pond. ”The colors were so beautiful, I've been wondering if he was trying to make dye from them.”
”You guessed right,” Mr. Weatherby said, eye- ing her intently. ”So far as I know, Walt had no luck, but he kept working at it. And once he said to me, 'Sam, even if I don't succeed in making a fortune in dye, there's another treasure on my estate.' Then he winked and said, 'It's right in plain sight, tool'”