10 Password to Larkspur Lane

CHAPTER XI
A Hazardous Drop
QUICKLY Nancy knelt beside the
unconscious servant.
“Morgan!” she said urgently, and lightly
slapped his cheek. He did not stir. She wet a
clean towel at the sink and patted his face.
A few moments later he moaned and
muttered, “Last warning—tomorrow night—”
Then his eyes opened and with Nancy’s help
he managed to sit up.
She called the others and while Mrs. Corning
telephoned the doctor, the girls assisted the
man to his room. Mr. Corning seated himself

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beside the bed, but Morgan would speak to
no one.
In a short time Dr. Bennett, an old friend of
the family, arrived. He said the houseman had
suffered a slight heart attack, and ordered him
kept quiet.
“That means no questions,” Nancy thought.
She had been mulling over the significance of
the larkspur in the package. She put them in a
vase. When the doctor had gone, she led the
rest of the group into the living room and told
the whole story.
“Larkspur again!” exclaimed George. “I don’t
get it!”
“That’s one of the clues in your other case,
Nancy,” Bess said, puzzled.

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“Probably the two are connected,” the young
sleuth replied. She told the Comings briefly
about Mary Eldridge.
Bess looked surprised. “Why, what could
Morgan have to do with the old lady’s
kidnappers?”
“But Morgan has always been the soul of
honesty,” protested Mrs. Corning.
“Perhaps not always,” Nancy said gently. “I
believe he may have a prison record—under
another name, of course. It would explain
why he needed forged recommendations.
Now Adam Thorne wants repayment.”
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“Adam Thorne!” exclaimed George. “Why
him?”
“Because all the years Morgan worked for the
Comings, no one bothered him, but after
Adam Thorne broke out of prison, the
friendship card arrived and the blue fire
began.”
Mr. Corning stirred uneasily. “You spoke of
repayment. What did you mean?”
“I think Thorne and his gang want to rob this
house. Remember, the friendship card had no
written message on it, but the picture showed
a cottage with the door open.”
“I see,” said Bess. “That was the message—
open the door.”

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Mrs. Corning was pale. “Do you know when
it is to be?”
“Tomorrow night, I think,” replied Nancy. “I
believe the larkspur was a signal to Morgan—
his last chance to cooperate. Probably the
gang showed the blue fire and abducted
Morgan to intimidate him.”
Mr. Corning’s face flushed with anger.
“Scoundrels! We’ll get the police at once!”
“Wait!” said Nancy. “This is only a theory. If
we hold off until tomorrow night, we’ll see if
we’re right. Maybe we can catch the thieves
red-handed and solve both cases at once.”
“But, in the meantime,” George said
worriedly, “Morgan may have told the gang
where you are.”

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Nancy nodded. “Yes, I’ve thought of that.”
When Mr. Drew telephoned her a few
minutes later he had disquieting news. The
lawyer had reported to the police before
flying to Chicago and asked them to keep in
touch with him.
“Lieutenant Mulligan informed me they had
not been able to trace the kidnap car. Also,
when they arrived at the Tooker estate it was
deserted. The gang took the pigeons.”
“I understand, Dad. My visit forced them to
run. They’ll be more eager than ever to get
me out of the picture.”
An hour later Nancy, Ned, and their friends
were watching the swimming races at Camp
Hiawatha. In the fun and excitement she

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found it hard to remember the threat of
danger.
Cheers and singing filled the air as the young
campers put all their high-spirited enthusiasm
into the contests.
When the swimming meet was over, she said,
“It was great, Ned! Your little boys did so
well!”
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“Thanks,” he said proudly. “Now we can go
swimming. Burt and Dave and I have free
time.”
The boys showed their guests where to
change into suits they had brought, then met
them at the water’s edge. Tons of ocean sand

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had been transported overland to make a
beach for the camp. A float was moored a
few rods from shore with a tower and
springboard for diving.
The three couples swam out to the float on
which a dozen young people were frolicking.
Ned introduced everyone.
“Oh, you’re the detective,” said one boy,
playfully shielding his face with one arm.
Nancy laughed. “I promise not to delve into
any of your secrets.”
George called, “But watch out, my friend!”
Suddenly Ned asked, “How about a little
diving?”

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One by one the group went off the high
board. Presently it became an impromptu
meet.
“Nancy, show them that new one you just
learned,” Bess urged.
“I’ll try.” She smiled. “But I may flop.”
As everyone watched, Nancy balanced
upside down on the edge of the board for a
breathtaking moment, then thrust herself off.
Her body revolved in the air and straightened
out so that her pointed toes cleaved the water
like a knife. Down she plunged into the green
waters of the lake, then bobbed to the surface
to hear the cheers of the spectators.
“Wonderful! Perfect!”

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Panting, Nancy climbed back onto the float.
As she threw herself down in the sun to rest,
Ned came over. “That was a beauty, Nancy.”
“Just luck,” she insisted.
Later, when Nancy swam ashore with her
friends, she was met by Mr. Dennis, the camp
director. “Great diving exhibition, young
lady! How would you like a job as
counselor?”
“Thank you,” Nancy said, smiling, “but I
already have a job.”
“Well, you and your friends stay to dinner,”
the man said cordially, “and the evening
camp.”

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As he walked away, a bugle sounded. “We
fellows must go now,” said Dave, “but we’ll
take you home tonight after taps.”
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Nancy called Mrs. Corning to tell her they
would not be home for dinner, then the girls
went to the guest dining hall.
During the meal two small boys appeared at
their table with their arms full of parkas.
“Ned and Dave and Burt sent you their
coats,” piped the tallest.
“ ‘Cause you didn’t bring yours,” said the
other. They put the jackets on an empty chair
and fled as the girls thanked them.

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It grew chilly after dinner and the trio were
glad to put on the parkas and pull up the
hoods.
George flapped her dangling sleeves. “What a
great fit this is!”
“Now you can’t tell us apart,” said Bess.
When it was dark, a long line of singing boys
filed up a hill behind the camp. The girls
followed their bobbing flashlights. At the top,
the three stopped to look around. The
wooded hill sloped steeply to a rocky drop-
off. Fifteen feet below it was a huge bonfire.
The girls watched the campers wind slowly
down the path, and saw that the first ones
were already seated on another slope to the
far side of the fire.

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“Come on,” said Nancy, “but watch your
step.”
She went first, with George beside her and
Bess on the right. As they picked their way
downward they could hear the giant blaze
crackling.
Smoke billowed up and Bess paused,
coughing. Suddenly a powerful push from
behind knocked Bess off her feet.
Screaming, she began to roll down the hill
toward the drop-off and the leaping flames!

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