violinist. The message had merely said he would never again play over that station.
“We had a contract with him, too,” the manager said, “but there’s nothing we can do about it.”
Nancy and the other girls were ready to leave, when he called, “Are you Miss Nancy Drew?” To her yes, he added, “There’s something here for you. It was brought by that woman who left the note. She merely said to give it to you.”
From an inner office the man brought out a package. Puzzled, Nancy decided to open it at once. Inside was a red, black, and white hand-woven blanket.
“This is strange,” she remarked. “Did the woman leave her name?”
“No, I scarcely noticed her, except that she had blue eyes, unlike most gypsies, and was about fifty years old.”
Nancy caught up a corner of the blanket. The name H. Bostwick was woven in the blanket in small letters.
“Could she be Henrietta Bostwick?” Nancy wondered, remembering the name on the album she had bought in New York. “If so, is she a gypsy? Or does she merely live with the tribe? And why did she send me this blanket?”
On the way home Nancy discussed the incident with Bess and George. “I feel sure that woman was trying to send me some information.”
At home, Nancy seated herself on the living-room floor and examined every inch of the gypsy blanket.
“These figures woven in here and there mean something. I’m sure of it!” she told herself. “If only I could get at the meaning of the thing, I might have a valuable clue!”
An outside door slammed. Hannah came into the room, her arms loaded with packages.
“Shopping is an awful trial—” she began, then exclaimed, “Nancy, where did you get that?”
“It’s a gift from a gypsy.”
“Destroy it! Get it out of the house!” Hannah cried.
“Why, what’s wrong?” the girl asked, amazed. “Look at the letters on it!”
“Letters?”
“They spell ‘Beware’!” Hannah pointed to a series of red figures.
From where Nancy was seated the word became a part of the pattern and could not be made out. She jumped up and darted to the housekeeper’s side.
“Why, it does!” she agreed. “Hannah, you darling! You’re helping me solve this mystery!”
Greatly excited, Nancy twisted and turned the blanket. She tried to find other words hidden in the maze of geometric figures.
“Hannah, do you see anything else?” she asked.
Mrs. Gruen shook her head. She and Nancy walked into the hall to study the blanket from a distance.
Suddenly Nancy exclaimed, “I have it! I see it!” She gave the housekeeper a hug.
“What is it?” Mrs. Gruen asked.
Nancy took a quick step forward and pointed out three more words, “king and sun.”
“It says, ‘Beware king and sun’!”
“Yes, it does,” the woman agreed, “but I don’t see any sense in those words.”
“There must be a meaning to it all! The word ‘king’ could refer to Zorus, the gypsy chief! I can’t figure out ‘sun.’ The message might mean, ‘Beware of the king and his Son’!”
“You always did have a lively imagination,” Mrs. Gruen said.
Nancy scarcely heard her. Thinking aloud, she continued, “if the word is ‘son,’ who could he be? Anton, perhaps, or maybe Romano, Rose’s father?”
“The word isn’t ‘son,’ ” Hannah insisted. “It says ‘sun,’ plain as day. Are gypsies sun worshippers?”
“Get that blanket out of this house!” Hannah cried.
Nancy’s eyes opened wide. She exclaimed, “Why didn’t I think of it before! ‘Sun’ is the word and it means ‘source of light’! Beware the King and his source of light!
“Hannah, at long last the light is beginning to dawn.”
CHAPTER XIV
The Mannequin’s Hint
NANCY rushed to the telephone and called state police headquarters. After identifying herself as Carson Drew’s daughter, she said, “Will you please try to locate the gypsies that moved out of Winchester recently? And when you do, will someone from your office go there
“We had a contract with him, too,” the manager said, “but there’s nothing we can do about it.”
Nancy and the other girls were ready to leave, when he called, “Are you Miss Nancy Drew?” To her yes, he added, “There’s something here for you. It was brought by that woman who left the note. She merely said to give it to you.”
From an inner office the man brought out a package. Puzzled, Nancy decided to open it at once. Inside was a red, black, and white hand-woven blanket.
“This is strange,” she remarked. “Did the woman leave her name?”
“No, I scarcely noticed her, except that she had blue eyes, unlike most gypsies, and was about fifty years old.”
Nancy caught up a corner of the blanket. The name H. Bostwick was woven in the blanket in small letters.
“Could she be Henrietta Bostwick?” Nancy wondered, remembering the name on the album she had bought in New York. “If so, is she a gypsy? Or does she merely live with the tribe? And why did she send me this blanket?”
On the way home Nancy discussed the incident with Bess and George. “I feel sure that woman was trying to send me some information.”
At home, Nancy seated herself on the living-room floor and examined every inch of the gypsy blanket.
“These figures woven in here and there mean something. I’m sure of it!” she told herself. “If only I could get at the meaning of the thing, I might have a valuable clue!”
An outside door slammed. Hannah came into the room, her arms loaded with packages.
“Shopping is an awful trial—” she began, then exclaimed, “Nancy, where did you get that?”
“It’s a gift from a gypsy.”
“Destroy it! Get it out of the house!” Hannah cried.
“Why, what’s wrong?” the girl asked, amazed. “Look at the letters on it!”
“Letters?”
“They spell ‘Beware’!” Hannah pointed to a series of red figures.
From where Nancy was seated the word became a part of the pattern and could not be made out. She jumped up and darted to the housekeeper’s side.
“Why, it does!” she agreed. “Hannah, you darling! You’re helping me solve this mystery!”
Greatly excited, Nancy twisted and turned the blanket. She tried to find other words hidden in the maze of geometric figures.
“Hannah, do you see anything else?” she asked.
Mrs. Gruen shook her head. She and Nancy walked into the hall to study the blanket from a distance.
Suddenly Nancy exclaimed, “I have it! I see it!” She gave the housekeeper a hug.
“What is it?” Mrs. Gruen asked.
Nancy took a quick step forward and pointed out three more words, “king and sun.”
“It says, ‘Beware king and sun’!”
“Yes, it does,” the woman agreed, “but I don’t see any sense in those words.”
“There must be a meaning to it all! The word ‘king’ could refer to Zorus, the gypsy chief! I can’t figure out ‘sun.’ The message might mean, ‘Beware of the king and his Son’!”
“You always did have a lively imagination,” Mrs. Gruen said.
Nancy scarcely heard her. Thinking aloud, she continued, “if the word is ‘son,’ who could he be? Anton, perhaps, or maybe Romano, Rose’s father?”
“The word isn’t ‘son,’ ” Hannah insisted. “It says ‘sun,’ plain as day. Are gypsies sun worshippers?”
“Get that blanket out of this house!” Hannah cried.
Nancy’s eyes opened wide. She exclaimed, “Why didn’t I think of it before! ‘Sun’ is the word and it means ‘source of light’! Beware the King and his source of light!
“Hannah, at long last the light is beginning to dawn.”
CHAPTER XIV
The Mannequin’s Hint
NANCY rushed to the telephone and called state police headquarters. After identifying herself as Carson Drew’s daughter, she said, “Will you please try to locate the gypsies that moved out of Winchester recently? And when you do, will someone from your office go there
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