(#39) The Clue of the Dancing Puppet Read Online Free PDF

since I’ve been alerted, I’ll avoid letting the unexpected happen again.”
    Mr. Drew put an arm around his daughter’s shoulder. “I’m afraid, my dear, trying to do that is asking for the impossible. But I beg of you, be careful.” It was now his chance to do a little teasing. He turned to Bess and George. “I hereby appoint you guardians of one Nancy Drew, detective.”
    “We accept the assignment,” George and Bess said in unison, making low bows.
    Mr. Drew drove the girls back to the garage. When they reached it, they found that Joe had finished his work. Nancy thanked him for the quick service, paid him, and drove off. When the girls reached the parking lot of the Van Pelt estate, they were surprised to find that the mansion was in complete darkness.
    “I guess the Spencers figured we were not coming back tonight,” Bess remarked, as she climbed out of the car. Then, as another thought struck her, she said worriedly, “Maybe everybody has gone away and we can’t get in.”
    “I have a surprise for you,” Nancy said. “Margo Spencer gave me a key to the front door.”
    “Thank goodness,” said George.
    The girls let themselves in and went directly to their rooms. As Nancy was about to pull down the shades at her windows, she looked out onto the dark grounds. She noticed the moon was rising.
    “It will be quite light pretty soon,” she told herself. “I think I’ll go outdoors and look around for a while. Maybe the dancing puppet will perform.”
    Nancy left her bedside light on. She picked up a flashlight and went downstairs. Noiselessly the girl detective made her way through the kitchen and let herself out the back door.
    By this time the moon had gone behind a cloud, but it was light enough for her to see the steps of the rear stoop. Nancy went outside the trellis to a clump of bushes where she intended to hide. From this vantage point she could see the lawn and the stage-door end of the trellis. As she walked around the dump of bushes, Nancy ran full tilt into a shadowy figure!
    “Oh!” she cried, startled.
    Nancy instantly clicked on her light and shone it into the other person’s face. “Mr. Spencer!”
    “Nancy! Well, for Pete’s sake,” the actor said. “What’s the big idea?”
    Nancy apologized and told him why she was there. Mr. Spencer chuckled. “We had the same idea,” he confessed.
    “Let’s watch together,” Nancy suggested. “I’m hoping that as soon as these dark clouds pass and the moon lights up the lawn, we may see the puppet.”
    It seemed an eternity to Nancy before the black cloud had moved away. But little by little the moon began to peep from behind it. In a few moments the scene was almost as bright as daylight.
    At the same instant, Nancy and Mr. Spencer heard running footsteps. Looking intently ahead, they saw a girl emerge from behind the barn theater. Recognition was impossible at this distance. The girl ran toward the road.
    “Shall we follow her?” Nancy asked excitedly.
    Mr. Spencer grabbed Nancy’s arm. “Look!” he whispered tensely. “Over there, on the far side of the lawn!”
    Nancy’s eyes popped wide in amazement. “It’s the dancing puppet!” she gasped.

CHAPTER VI
    The Witch
     
     
     
    THE life-size puppet had come out of the stage-door entrance. It was dressed in a frilly ballet costume, and the blond hair was curly and dose cropped.
    “One thing is certain,” Nancy told herself. “This is a puppet, not a live person.”
    Mr. Spencer whispered, “Now is our chance to catch that thing!” He began to run toward the mysterious figure.
    Nancy followed and caught up to him. But before they had gone far, the dancing puppet jerked around suddenly and returned inside the door, which slammed shut.
    When Nancy and the actor reached it, they found the door locked. Mr. Spencer looked at her. “You see what I mean!” he cried excitedly. “It’s supernatural! I tell you, this is a ghost with a brain!”
    “It certainly seems