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10/7/2016 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Secret</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Old</strong> <strong>Clock</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> Frustrating Wait<br />
CHAPTER XIII<br />
AT FIRST Nancy was too frightened to think logically. She beat upon <strong>the</strong> door with her fists, but <strong>the</strong> heavy oak<br />
panels would not give way.<br />
"Help! Help!" she screamed.<br />
At last, exhausted by her efforts to force <strong>the</strong> door open, she sank down on <strong>the</strong> floor. <strong>The</strong> house was as silent as<br />
a tomb. Bad as her predicament was, Nancy felt thankful that enough air seeped into <strong>the</strong> closet to permit normal<br />
breathing.<br />
Although she had little hope that <strong>the</strong>re was anyone within miles <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> cottage, Nancy got to her feet, raised her<br />
voice, and again shouted for help. Her cries echoed through <strong>the</strong> empty house and seemed to mock her.<br />
"Oh, why didn't I have enough sense to tell Helen where I was going?" she berated herself miserably. "<strong>The</strong><br />
girls at camp will never dream that I came here."<br />
<strong>The</strong>n Nancy remembered mournfully that her fa<strong>the</strong>r thought she intended to remain at Camp Avondale for a<br />
week! He would not become alarmed over her absence until it was too late.<br />
"Someone may find my car at <strong>the</strong> side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> road," Nancy reasoned, "but it isn't very likely. Few persons pass<br />
this way so early in <strong>the</strong> season."<br />
She wondered, with a shudder, what had become <strong>of</strong> Jeff Tucker. <strong>The</strong> thief called Sid had hinted that <strong>the</strong><br />
caretaker had received <strong>the</strong> same treatment as Nancy. If he was locked up somewhere, she could expect no aid<br />
from him.<br />
"Those thieves will get so far away that even if I could get out <strong>of</strong> here, I'd be too late."<br />
As <strong>the</strong> full significance <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> situation dawned upon Nancy, panic again took possession <strong>of</strong> her. In a desperate<br />
attempt to break down <strong>the</strong> door, she threw her weight against it again and again. She pounded on <strong>the</strong> panels until<br />
her fingers were bruised and bleeding. At last she sank down again on <strong>the</strong> floor to rest and tried to force herself<br />
to reason calmly.<br />
"I'm only wasting my strength this way. I must try to think logically."<br />
Nancy recalled that it was sometimes possible to pick a lock with a wire. She removed a bobby pin from her<br />
hair, opened it, and began to work at <strong>the</strong> lock. But in <strong>the</strong> darkness she could not see and made no progress. After<br />
fifteen minutes she gave up <strong>the</strong> task in disgust.<br />
"It's no use," she decided dejectedly. "II guess I'm in here for good."<br />
She began to think <strong>of</strong> her fa<strong>the</strong>r, <strong>of</strong> Hannah. Gruen, <strong>of</strong> Helen Corning, and o<strong>the</strong>r dear friends. Would she ever<br />
see <strong>the</strong>m again? As despondency claimed Nancy, she was dangerously near tears.<br />
"This will never do," she reprimanded herself sternly. "I must keep my head and try to think <strong>of</strong>, some way to<br />
escape."<br />
<strong>The</strong> trapped girl began to rummage in <strong>the</strong> closet, hoping that by some lucky chance she might find a tool which<br />
would help her force <strong>the</strong> lock <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> door. Nancy searched carefully through <strong>the</strong> pockets <strong>of</strong> every garment which<br />
hung from <strong>the</strong> hooks. She groped over every inch <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> floor.<br />
She found nothing useful, however, and <strong>the</strong> cloud <strong>of</strong> dust which she had stirred up made breathing more<br />
difficult than before. <strong>The</strong> closet had become uncomfortably warm by this time. Longingly she thought <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
fresh air and cool lake water from which she was closed <strong>of</strong>f.<br />
<strong>The</strong>n, unexpectedly, Nancy's hand struck something hard. Quickly investigating with her fingers, she<br />
discovered a wooden rod suspended high overhead. It was fastened to ei<strong>the</strong>r side wall and ran <strong>the</strong> length <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
closet. Evidently it had once been used for dress and coat hangers.<br />
"I might be able to use that rod to break out a panel <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> door," Nancy thought hopefully. "It feels strong and<br />
it's about <strong>the</strong> right size."<br />
She tugged at <strong>the</strong> rod with all her might. When it did not budge, she swung herself back and forth on it. At last,<br />
amid <strong>the</strong> cracking <strong>of</strong> plaster, one side gave way. Ano<strong>the</strong>r hard jerk brought <strong>the</strong> rod down.<br />
To Nancy's bitter, disappointment, she found that unfortunately <strong>the</strong> rod was too long to use as a ram in <strong>the</strong><br />
cramped space. But after fur<strong>the</strong>r examination, she discovered that it had pointed ends.<br />
"I might use this rod as a wedge in <strong>the</strong> crack," she thought hopefully.<br />
<strong>The</strong> young sleuth inserted one end in <strong>the</strong> space between <strong>the</strong> hinges and <strong>the</strong> door, and threw all her weight<br />
against <strong>the</strong> rod. At first <strong>the</strong> door did not move in <strong>the</strong> slightest.<br />
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