[226] A shower of soot had come down, covering Helen's hair, face, shoulders, and arms.
[227] "Get me a towel, will you, Nancy?" she requested.
[228] Nancy dashed to the bathroom and grabbed two large towels. She wrapped them around her friend, then went with Helen to help her with a shampoo and general cleanup job. Finally Nancy brought her another sports dress.
[229] "I guess my idea about chimneys wasn't so good," Helen stated ruefully. "And we're probably too late to catch the thief."
[230] Nevertheless, she and Nancy climbed the stairs to the attic and looked behind trunks and boxes to see if anyone were hiding. Next, the girls went to the cellar and inspected the various rooms there. Still there was no sign of the thief who had entered Twin Elms.
[231] After Miss Flora had heard the whole story, she gave a nervous sigh. "It's the ghost—there's no other explanation."
[232] "But why," Aunt Rosemary asked, "has a ghost suddenly started performing here? This house has been occupied since 1785 and no ghost was ever reported haunting the place."
[233] "Well, apparently robbery is the motive," Nancy replied. "But why the thief bothers to frighten you is something I haven't figured out yet."
[234] "The main thing," Helen spoke up, "is to catch him!"
[235] "Oh, if we only could!" Miss Flora said, her voice a bit shaky.
[236] The girls were about to pick up the luncheon dishes from the table, to carry them to the kitchen, when the front door knocker sounded loudly.
[237] "Oh, dear," said Miss Flora, "who can that be? Maybe it's the thief and he's come to harm us!"
[238] Aunt Rosemary put an arm around her mother's shoulders. "Please don't worry," she begged. "I think our caller is probably the man who wants to buy Twin Elms." She turned to Nancy and Helen. "But Mother doesn't want to sell for the low price that he is offering."
[239] Nancy said she would go to the door. She set the dishes down and walked out to the hall. Reaching the great door, she flung it open.
Nathan Comber stood there!
[240] CHAPTER V. A Puzzling Interview.
[241] FOR SEVERAL seconds Nathan Comber stared at Nancy in disbelief. "You!" he cried out finally.
[242] "You didn't expect to find me here, did you?" she asked coolly.
[243] "I certainly didn't. I thought you'd taken my advice and stayed with your father. Young people today are so hardhearted!" Comber wagged his head in disgust.
[244] Nancy ignored Comber's remarks. Shrugging, the man pushed his way into the hall. "I know this. If anything happens to your father, you'll never forgive yourself. But you can't blame Nathan Comber! I warned you!"
[245] Still Nancy made no reply. She kept looking at him steadily, trying to figure out what was really in his mind. She was convinced it was not solicitude for her father.
[246] Nathan Comber changed the subject abruptly.
[247] "I'd like to see Mrs. Turnbull and Mrs. Hayes," he said. "Go call them."
[248] Nancy was annoyed by Comber's crudeness, but she turned around and went down the hall to the dining room.
[249] "We heard every word," Miss Flora said in a whisper. "I shan't see Mr. Comber. I don't want to sell this house."
[250] Nancy was amazed to hear this. "You mean he's the person who wants to buy it?"
"Yes."
[251] Instantly Nancy was on the alert. Because of the nature of the railroad deal in which Nathan Comber was involved, she was distrustful of his motives in wanting to buy Twin Elms. It flashed through her mind that perhaps he was trying to buy it at a very low price and planned to sell it off in building lots at a huge profit.
[252] "Suppose I go tell him you don't want to sell," Nancy suggested in a low voice.
But her caution was futile. Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned to see Comber standing in the doorway.
[253] "Howdy, everybody!" he said.
[254] Miss Flora, Aunt Rosemary, and Helen showed annoyance. It was plain that all of them thought the man completely lacking in good manners.
[255] Aunt Rosemary's jaw was set in a grim line, but she said politely, "Helen, this is Mr. Comber. Mr. Comber, my niece, Miss Corning."
