The Secret in the Old Lace Read Online Free PDF

answered.
    She and the others watched the last trickle of audience take their seats. “It’s curtain time,” Dave commented. “Maybe we should go inside.”
    “What do you think, George?” Bess asked. “You know it’s not like Nancy to be late. I hope nothing has happened to them.”
    The sound of applause now drifted through the doors into the lobby which, except for the foursome, was empty. “Oh, I’m sure they’ll be here soon,” George said, leading the way into the darkened auditorium.
    On stage was a beautiful woman with long silky hair that hung over the shoulders of her white sequined gown. She began to sing softly, bringing a hush over the auditorium. Bess, however, could not concentrate on the performance, that featured several popular songs including a romantic ballad she loved. Bess bit her lips anxiously and turned her head now and then to look at the closed doors.
    “What’s the matter?” Dave whispered to his date, putting his hand comfortingly on hers.
    “I have a feeling something dreadful has happened to Nancy and Ned!” Bess answered in alarm.

6
    Kid Attack
     
     
     
    Nancy and Ned had started to follow Dave’s car but soon realized another one was tailing theirs. Its headlights created a glare in Nancy’s rearview mirror which caused Ned, who was driving, to push the mirror back.
    “At the next side street,” Ned said, “I’ll turn right and switch off the headlights. If the car passes us, we can stop worrying.”
    Nancy stared out the back window trying to see who was in the vehicle, but could not discern anyone’s face. Ned pressed down on the accelerator and screeched around the corner, switching off his lights as he swung past a truck and swerved over to the curb in front of a parked car.
    “I think we lost them,” the young man said, pulling onto the road again.
    “We can get back to the main street by turning at the end of this one,” Nancy observed. But suddenly a roadblock of wooden sawhorses came into view. A sign attached to them read:
    BRIDGE OUT. ROAD CLOSED.
WATER AHEAD. DANGER!
    “Sorry,” Nancy said to her friend. “I guess the old twenty-twenty vision is failing.”
    Ned chuckled lightly as he put the transmission into reverse to turn around. Just then the car that had been tailing them pulled up directly behind the couple!
    “Oh, no!” Nancy cried, as four teenage boys, all wearing jackets with sinister-looking spider patches on them, jumped out and swarmed around her car!
    They grinned maliciously at the couple. Nancy and Ned hastily locked their doors and started to roll up their windows. One of the boys, however, was too quick for Nancy. He reached into the car before the pane was all the way up, shoved her hand aside, and pulled open the door, dragging Nancy out.
    Ned, unable to prevent this, frantically pressed the horn, trying to attract the attention of anyone near enough to hear him. Just then, another boy pulled him away from behind the wheel and, with the help of one of his friends, lifted him out of the car.
    Ned struggled furiously and quickly regained his balance. He dived at the two boys, as another young punk swung at him from behind.
    “Ned, watch it!” Nancy cried. She stood next to the boy who had dragged her out of the car. Apparently convinced she was too scared to move, he left her unguarded and joined in the fray.
    Ned, hearing her warning, ducked and, gripping the legs of his attacker, pulled him to the ground.
    Nancy knew she would be unable to assist Ned in the fight. She turned and ran down the street as fast as she could!
    “Hey! Stop her!” one of the gang members shouted. The boy who had dragged Nancy from the car dashed after her. His long legs carried him closer and closer to the fleeing girl, when Nancy turned a corner. Her pursuer followed suit, but suddenly he cried out in pain! He had stepped into a pothole and fallen headlong onto the pavement.
    Nancy looked over her shoulder and realized that he was unable to get