[2] CHAPTER I. The Haunted House.
[3] NANCY DREW began peeling off her garden gloves as she ran up the porch steps and into the hall to answer the ringing telephone. She picked it up and said, "Hello!"
[4] "Hi, Nancy! This is Helen." Although Helen Corning was nearly three years older than Nancy, the two girls were close friends.
[5] "Are you tied up on a case?" Helen asked.
[6] "No. What's up? A mystery?"
[7] "Yes—a haunted house."
[8] Nancy sat down on the chair by the telephone. "Tell me more!" the eighteen-year-old detective begged excitedly.
[9] "You've heard me speak of my Aunt Rosemary," Helen began. "Since becoming a widow, she has lived with her mother at Twin Elms, the old family mansion out in Cliffwood. Well, I went to see them yesterday. They said that many strange, mysterious things have been happening there recently. I told them how good you are at solving mysteries, and they'd like you to come out to Twin Elms and help them." Helen paused, out of breath.
[10] "It certainly sounds intriguing," Nancy replied, her eyes dancing.
[11] "If you're not busy, Aunt Rosemary and I would like to come over in about an hour and talk to you about the ghost."
[12] "I can't wait."
[13] After Nancy had put down the phone, she sat lost in thought for several minutes. Since solving The Secret of the Old Clock, she had longed for another case. Here was her chance!
[14] Attractive, blond-haired Nancy was brought out of her daydreaming by the sound of the doorbell. At the same moment the Drews' housekeeper, Hannah Gruen, came down the front stairs.
[15] "I'll answer it," she offered.
[16] Mrs. Gruen had lived with the Drews since Nancy was three years old. At that time Mrs. Drew had passed away and Hannah had become like a second mother to Nancy. There was a deep affection between the two, and Nancy confided all her secrets to the understanding housekeeper.
[17] Mrs. Gruen opened the door and instantly a man stepped into the hall. He was short, thin, and rather stooped. Nancy guessed his age to be about forty.
[18] "Is Mr. Drew at home?" he asked brusquely. "My name is Comber — Nathan Comber."
[19] "No, he's not here just now," the housekeeper replied.
[20] The caller looked over Hannah Gruen's shoulder and stared at Nancy. "Are you Nancy Drew?"
[21] "Yes, I am. Is there anything I can do for you?"
[22] The man's shifty gaze moved from Nancy to Hannah. "I've come out of the goodness of my heart to warn you and your father," he said pompously.
[23] " Warn us? About what?" Nancy asked quickly.
[24] Nathan Comber straightened up importantly and said, "Your father is in great danger, Miss. Drew!"
Both Nancy and Hannah Gruen gasped. “You mean this very minute?" the housekeeper questioned.
[25] " All the time," was the startling answer. "I understand you're a pretty bright girl, Miss Drew—that you even solve mysteries. Well, right now I advise you to stick close to your father. Don't leave him for a minute."
[26] Hannah Gruen looked as if she were ready to collapse and suggested that they all go into the living room, sit down, and talk the matter over. When they were seated, Nancy asked Nathan Comber to explain further.
[27] "The story in a nutshell is this," he began. "You know that your father was brought in to do legal work for the railroad when it was buying property for the new bridge here."
[28] As Nancy nodded, he continued, "Well, a lot of the folks who sold their property think they were gypped."
Nancy's face reddened. "I understood from my father that everyone was well paid."
[29] "That's not true," said Comber. "Besides, the railroad is in a real mess now. One of the property owners, whose deed and signature they claim to have, says that he never signed the contract of sale."
[30] "What's his name?" Nancy asked.
[31] "Willie Wharton."
[32] Nancy had not heard her father mention this name. She asked Gomber to go on with his story. "I'm acting as agent for Willie Wharton and several of the land owners who were his neighbors," he said, "and they can make it pretty tough for the railroad. Willie Wharton's signature was never witnessed and the attached certificate of acknowledgment was not notarized. That's good proof the signature was a forgery. Well, if the railroad thinks they're going to get away with this, they're not!"
[33] Nancy frowned. Such a procedure on the part of the property owners meant trouble for her father! She said evenly, "But all Willie Wharton has to do is swear before a notary that he did sign the contract of sale."
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