The Ringmaster's Secret Read Online Free PDF

thinks like a human being.”
    All the lights went out except the spotlight on the ring. A beautiful pure-white horse trotted in from the wings.
    Nancy was vaguely aware that a man had slid into the seat directly behind her. But she was too intrigued by the beautiful horse to pay attention to the latecomer. Suddenly she felt something tighten against her throat. She was being choked!
    Nancy’s hand flew to her throat. To her horror she felt a cord around her neck. It was being drawn tighter and tighter.
    Objects swam before Nancy’s eyes. With a gasp she reached for Ned’s arm, then fainted. Ned turned. Horrified, he quickly unwound the cord.
    “Nancy!” he cried. “Are you all right?”
    Quickly Ned massaged her neck and arms. In a few minutes Nancy sat up and looked around questioningly.
    “Nancy, are you all right?” Ned repeated anxiously.
    “Y-yes. What happened to me?”
    He told her, pointing to a souvenir whip on the floor. Then he added, “It must have been the work of a maniac!”
    Suddenly remembering the man who had sat down behind her, Nancy turned around. The seat was vacant. Nancy questioned a woman in the box directly behind theirs, but although she admitted having seen a man come in and leave, she could not give a description of him. Ned hurried off to report the incident to the police.
    Nancy picked up the short whip. It was the type sold as souvenirs at the circus. Calling to a nearby vendor, Nancy asked if he had sold a whip to a man who was sitting behind her.
    “Naw,” the vendor replied disgustedly. “I ain’t sold one of them all evening!”
    When Ned returned, Nancy whispered to him, “I think the choker was somebody connected with the circus.”
    Ned agreed and added the thought that the box might be reserved for circus personnel.

    Nancy was being chokedl
    Shortly after that the Cinderella act began. The handsome prince whom she had promised to marry while at the ball swung gracefully to her platform. In his hand was a glass slipper. When he found that it fitted Lolita’s foot, he embraced her. Then came a fascinating trapeze act, with the two swinging back and forth, first alone, then together.
    The sides of the gleaming coach and the two white steeds and Cinderella’s spangled dress were drawn up by pulleys. Lolita put on the beautiful white ball gown as the pumpkin and mice were covered by the stately carriage and horses. Then she and her prince stepped inside and were brought down to the ground. They emerged from the coach and took bow after bow amid thunderous applause. Lolita looked in Nancy’s direction and blew her a kiss.
    “That was superb,” Ned remarked when the couple had hurried out of the ring. “Anything else would be tame. How about leaving, Nancy?”
    Nancy agreed. “I want to find out about this box,” she said. “That man must have had a ticket to it.”
    The ticket booth was closed, but Nancy saw an attendant and asked him who owned Box AA.
    When he told her that it was kept by the circus management for special people, Nancy said to Ned, “Now I’m convinced that my attacker was someone who works here.”
    “But why would anyone try to choke you?” Ned asked.
    Neither could answer this question. Nancy went up to one of the clowns and inquired about Pietro. When she heard that he had been ill, Nancy asked, “Would you mind giving him a note?”
    “Glad to,” the clown replied.
    Taking paper and pencil from her bag, Nancy quickly scribbled a message. In it she asked Pietro if he could bring Lolita to her house between shows the next day. She wished to talk about finding Lolita’s mother.
    It was late when Nancy arrived home and said good night to Ned. As soon as she reached her room, the young detective’s mind went back to her harrowing experience with the whip.
    As she pulled her dress over her head, a wild thought struck Nancy. Had Kroon found out she was interested in helping Lolita and therefore was afraid some sinister affairs of his own might