#1 The Secret of the Old Clock

Recommendations

Info

10/7/2016 The Secret of the Old Clock "Fine," said Mr. Jensen. "We have photostating equipment right here. I'll have a couple of copies made while you wait. Or shall I send them to your office?" Mr. Drew glanced at his daughter. "We'll wait," he said, smiling. While the photostats were being made, Nancy's mind was racing. "Oh, I hope Allison receives enough money to pay for singing lessons, and the other deserving people get nice amounts," she whispered to her father, who nodded. The wait seemed interminable to Nancy, who could not sit still. She walked back and forth until finally her father remarked teasingly, "You're like a caged lion." Nancy pretended to pout. "At least I'm not growling," she said, and Mr. Drew grinned. Soon a messenger brought back the will, together with two photostats of the document "Thank you," said Mr. Jensen, who handed the photostatic copies to Mr. Drew. "I'll work on this at once," the lawyer promised as he put the papers in his brief case. Then he and his daughter left the bank. Mr. Drew insisted that he and Nancy stop for lunch and refused to let her look at the will while they were waiting to be served. "Relax, young lady," he warned. "There's no point in letting any prying eyes know our secret." As he saw his daughter's animation fading, Mr. Drew said, "Suppose you come to my office with me and we'll work on the problem together. I'll have the will typed. In this way its full meaning can be understood more easily." "Oh, thanks, Dad," said Nancy. In the lawyer's office the young sleuth sat down beside his typist, Miss Lamby. As each page came from the machine, Nancy read it avidly. "Mr. Crowley certainly seemed to know the correct phraseology for drawing up a will," she remarked. Finally, when the typing had been completed, Nancy said to the secretary, "I have a lot of questions to ask Dad." Miss Lamby smiled. "If they're legal ones, he'll know all the answers," she said. "There's no better lawyer in River Heights than your father." Nancy smiled as she dashed into her father's office. The two Drews sat down to study Josiah Crowley's last will and testament. "If this does prove to be legal," said Nancy, "it will certainly be a blow to the Tophams." "I'm afraid so." "Dad, when you call a meeting of all the relatives and read the will aloud," Nancy said, "please may I be there?" Mr. Drew laughed. "I'll humor you this time, Nancy. You may be present when the Tophams get the surprise of their lives!" http://www.goanwap.com/ebookdownloadndms1.html 52/58
10/7/2016 The Secret of the Old Clock Startling Revelations CHAPTER XIX "DAD, it's nearly two o'clock now. Mr. Crowley's relatives should be here in a few minutes! I'm so excited!" Carson Drew, who stood in the living room of the Drew home with Mr. Warren from the bank, smiled at his daughter as she fluttered about, arranging chairs. "I believe you're more thrilled than if you were inheriting the fortune yourself," he remarked. "I am thrilled," Nancy admitted. "I can scarcely wait until the will is read aloud. Won't everyone be surprised? Especially the Tophams. Do you think they will come?" "Oh, yes, the Tophams will be here. And, unless I am mistaken, they will bring a lawyer with them. Just as soon as they learned that another will had come to light, they began to worry. They will certainly want to hear what is in this one." "Are you certain the will we found can't be broken?" Nancy inquired anxiously. "Of course I can't be certain, Nancy. But I have gone over it carefully, and so far as I can tell, it is technically perfect. I also asked a couple of lawyer friends and they agree. Josiah Crowley was peculiar in some ways, but he was a very smart man. I'll promise you the Tophams will have a difficult time if they try to contest this will." "The bank will help you fight," Mr. Warren put in. With the exception of Abby Rowen, who was still confined to bed, all the old gentleman's relatives had promised to be present. Grace and Allison Hoover, although not relatives, had also been invited. "It's too bad Mrs. Rowen can't come," said Nancy. "But I'll take the news to her this very afternoon." "The size of the fortune will probably be a great surprise to everyone but the Tophams," said her father with a smile. "Nancy, you did a remarkable piece of detective work." "It was fun," she said modestly. "And I can hardly wait to have it all cleared up." "We may have some trying minutes with the Tophams, Nancy," her father warned. "Yes, I suppose so. I expect anybody would be sorry to see a fortune slip away. . . . Dad, I see Grace and Allison coming up the walk now," Nancy announced, glancing out the window. She greeted them with kisses and escorted the sisters into the living room, where she introduced them to Mr. Warren. As Allison sat down, she whispered to Nancy: "Is it true a later will has been found?" "You and Grace have no cause to worry," Nancy assured her with a mysterious smile. The doorbell rang. This time Nancy admitted Edna and Mary Turner, who were dressed as if for a party. With them was little Judy, who threw herself into Nancy's arms. A few minutes later the Mathews brothers, William and Fred, arrived. "I guess everyone is here except the Tophams," Mr. Drew commented. "We had better wait for them a few minutes." There was no need to wait, for at that moment the bell rang sharply. Nancy opened the door and the four members of the Topham family walked in haughtily, merely nodding to the others in the room. As Mr. Drew had predicted, they were accompanied by a lawyer. "Why have we been called here?" Mrs. Topham demanded, addressing Mr. Drew. "Have you the audacity to claim that another will has been found?" "I have a will written only this past March, Mrs. Topham," Carson Drew replied evenly. "And I'd like to introduce to all of you Mr. John Warren, trust officer of the Merchants Trust Company, of Masonville, which has been named as executor." "It's preposterous!" Mrs. Topham stormed. "Josiah Crowley made only one will and in that he left everything to us with my husband as executor." "It looks like a conspiracy to me," Ada added tartly, as she gazed coldly upon the relatives and friends who were seated about the room. Isabel did not speak, but tossed her head contemptuously. Richard Topham likewise did not offer a comment, but uneasily seated himself beside his own attorney. "If you will please be seated, Mrs. Topham, I will read the will," Mr. Drew suggested. Reluctantly Mrs. Topham sat down. "As I have said," Mr. Drew began, "a recent will of the late Josiah Crowley was found in a safedeposit box in the Masonville bank. The will is unusually long, and with your permission I will read from a typed copy only http://www.goanwap.com/ebookdownloadndms1.html 53/58
Page 1 and 2: 10/7/2016 The Secret of the Old Clo
Page 51: 10/7/2016 The Secret of the Old Clo

#1 The Secret of the Old Clock

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?