Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion Read Online Free PDF Page A

like this for breakfast? Strawberry cereal cubes, bacon squares, peanut-butter sandwiches, and orange juice.”
    “That’s great,” said Bess.
    “Here’s a typical dinner menu,” the guide told her. “Beef with vegetables, spaghetti with meat sauce, toast squares, fruit cake made with dates, and tea.”
    “That would suit me,” Bess commented. “It sounds yummy.”
    When the bus returned to the Visitor Information Center, Mr. Drew was waiting for them and they walked to the parking area.
    As soon as they were seated in their car, George said, “Nancy, don’t keep us in suspense any longer. What did you figure out of that newspaper clue?”
    Nancy told her and the conversation turned to a series of guesses as to what it meant. They could only surmise that someone, somewhere, was ready to strike a blow. But who and at what?
    When the group reached the house the Resardos were not there. Hannah remarked, “I suppose they won’t show up until dinner is ready.”
    The girls offered to help her prepare dinner. When Nancy went into the dining room to set the table she noticed that a photograph of her father which he had sent Mr. Billington was gone from the buffet. She asked the others if any of them had placed it elsewhere. No one had.
    “How strange!” said Hannah. She hurried into the living room and called out, “A picture of Mr. and Mrs. Billington is gone too.”
    On a hunch Nancy rushed upstairs to her father’s room. A photograph of her with Bess and George, which he always took with him when he traveled, had been removed from the bureau. Next the young detective went to her own room and pulled out a dresser drawer. She had left a wallet in it containing a snapshot of her father and one of Ned Nickerson. They were missing. But none of the other contents had been taken.
    Nancy dashed down the stairs. “Every photograph has been taken!” she exclaimed. “I’m sure they were stolen to use as identification of us because we’re trying to solve the mystery of the explosive oranges!”

CHAPTER V
    Alligator Attack
    WHEN Bess heard about the missing photograph of Mr. Drew, she ran from the living room and up the stairs. Deep in her suitcase she had left a snapshot of herself with Nancy, George, Ned, Burt, and Dave. Bess riffled through the clothes still in the bag but could not find the picture.
    “That was stolen too!” she told herself and hurried back downstairs to tell the others.
    George said angrily, “Nobody has been in this house. We locked all the doors and windows before we left and they were still locked when we came home. I’m sure the Resardos took those pictures!”
    Everyone agreed but Mr. Drew warned them that they had no evidence to prove this.
    “Why don’t we search their room?” George asked.
    Before anybody could stop her, she bounded up the stairway to the couple’s quarters. But the Resardos’ door was locked and continuous knocking on it brought no response. Dejected, George returned to the first floor.
    “Now what do we do?” she asked Nancy.
    “Suppose I phone the orange sorting and packing house. Antin may be there.”
    The worker who answered said that Antin had not been in all day. “He didn’t tell us he wasn’t coming, so we have no idea where he is.”
    Nancy thanked him and hung up. The Resardos returned just as the group was about to eat dinner.
    “Where have you been all day?” George burst out.
    Tina and Antin scowled but replied they had received word a relative in a distant city was ill and had gone to visit him. The couple turned toward the stove and picked up two dinner plates which were warming. As they helped themselves from each of the pots, Mr. Drew approached them.
    “One minute,” he said. “What can you tell us about all the photographs missing from the house?”
    The Resardos looked at each other, then Antin said, “What are you talking about?”
    When Mr. Drew explained, Antin declared he knew nothing about the pictures.
    Tina spoke up. “I