“What are you doing here?” Jacob Aborn repeated harshly. His eyes burned with rage, and for an instant Nancy Drew believed that he intended to strike her.

With as much dignity as she could command, she stepped down from the box and regarded him coldly.

“Why, just at the moment, as you probably observed, I happened to be looking in at the window,” she said easily.

Although outwardly calm, Nancy was doing some rapid thinking. She realized that she had placed herself in an awkward position and must keep her wits about her. As she answered Jacob Aborn, her tone of voice infuriated him more than ever. He came a step nearer, his eyes blazing.

“What right have you to be looking into other people’s houses?”

“I was merely curious,” Nancy replied. “I didn’t know the bungalow was inhabited.”

“Who said it is?” Mr. Aborn demanded hastily. Nancy thought that an expression of alarm had come over his face. “Get away from here quick! This is private property!”

“Your property?” Nancy inquired.

“It’s none of your business whose property it is! You have no right here! Can’t you read signs?”

“It seems to me I did see one at the front of the bungalow.”

“Then if you know what’s good for you, get away from here!”

As Nancy made no move to depart, Jacob Aborn became more abusive.

“Get away from this bungalow, I tell you! I want no sneak thieves around!”

“Now just a minute, Mr. Aborn!” Nancy’s voice was quiet, but it held a quality which warned the man he had gone too far. “I’ll not permit you to call me a sneak thief. When you get through ranting around, I’ll tell you why I came here.”

“Humph! It’s probably a trumped-up story.”

“I thought you might be interested to learn what became of your ward, Laura Pendleton, but since you don’t wish⁠—” She turned as though to move away, although she had no intention of doing so.

As she had expected, Jacob Aborn’s curiosity was aroused.

“Hold on there!” he stopped her. “You say you have news of Laura?”

“If you’re ready to listen, I’ll tell you. I came to Melrose Lake this afternoon to see you. I was driving toward your bungalow when I saw you walking through the woods. I stopped my car and followed⁠—”

“You followed me?” Jacob Aborn hissed. His face had suddenly become convulsed with anger.

“Oh, I lost track of you in the timber,” Nancy said hastily. “I came to this bungalow, and I didn’t know where you had gone.”

Watching the man closely, she saw that his tension relaxed somewhat. Evidently, he had been afraid that she had learned too much.

“What about Laura?” he demanded.

“I was coming to that. I have a note which she asked me to deliver to you.”

“Hand it over.”

Nancy fumbled in her pocketbook and at last produced the letter which she and Laura had composed. Jacob Aborn snatched it from her hand and eagerly ripped open the envelope.

As he read the message, Nancy Drew watched him closely. Now that he was no longer attempting to mask his emotions, she observed that his face was hard and cruel. No wonder Laura hated him!

As Nancy studied the man, she noticed with a start that his bundle was gone. What had become of it? He had been carrying it only a few minutes before. She wondered where he could have hidden it so quickly.

The message did not add to Jacob Aborn’s good humor. As he scanned the letter, an expression of bitter hatred settled over his face and his eyes narrowed to mere slits.

“So Laura’s turned her case over to a lawyer, has she?” he snarled. “A lot of good it will do her.” He wheeled upon Nancy. “Tell me where she is.”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“You know where she is all right.”

“Perhaps I do, and perhaps I don’t.”

“You induced her to run away,” the man snarled.

“I did not! Laura ran away of her own accord. She said you were unkind to her.”

“Bah! Laura is ungrateful. I am doing all I can for her because of my friendship with her mother. This is the way she repays me.”

Nancy made no response, and Jacob Aborn continued angrily:

“That’s what I get for taking in a poverty-stricken orphan. You say she told you I didn’t treat her kindly?”

“Yes, she did.”

“She told you a lie. I’ve treated her like my own child. I’ve given her everything. Now I’ll tell you something about that ward of mine.” A crafty light came into Jacob Aborn’s eyes. “At times she’s a wee bit unbalanced⁠—thinks folks don’t treat her right.”

“Indeed?”

“Yes, Laura’s mighty queer. It’s for her own good that I must get her back. She needs the care of someone who loves her. Now you’re her friend and want to help her. You can do it if you will.”

“How?”

“By telling me where she is.”

Nancy laughed shortly.

“I’ll not tell you a thing! I can see through your little scheme! You want to get your hands on Laura’s money.”

“Money!” the man cried scornfully. “If it wasn’t for me Laura wouldn’t have a cent. The estate has dwindled to almost nothing. It’s only out of the kindness of my heart that I took her in.”

“How much did the estate amount to?” Nancy questioned shrewdly.

“I can’t say off hand, but there’s nothing left now. Laura is a pauper. And what’s more, she’s a thief.”

“A thief!”

“Yes, that’s what I said. When she left here, she took some valuable jewels with her. They belong to me, and I want them back!”

For an instant Nancy Drew was aghast. However, she had faith in Laura, and believed in her honesty. She was a keen judge of character, and a look into Jacob Aborn’s face convinced her that he was lying.

“How dare you say anything like that about Laura?” she cried angrily.

“It’s the truth. By refusing to tell where she is, you’re harboring a criminal.”

“Laura a criminal? It’s ridiculous.”

“Laura is my ward. I have a legal right to her. Will you tell me where she is?”

“I gave you my answer once. I will not!”

“Oh, you won’t, eh? Well, I’ll find her all right. And when I do, I’ll turn the police on her. Now get away from here!”

As Nancy hesitated, uncertain what to do, Jacob Aborn picked up a stick from the ground and started toward her menacingly.

“Move!” he ordered harshly.

Nancy Drew backed away, for she saw that he intended to harm her if she continued to defy him. Turning, she ran swiftly toward the timber.

“Hi! Come back here!” exclaimed Jacob Aborn. “Come back! I want to talk to you!”

Nancy paused in her flight.

“What do you want now?”

“Perhaps we can come to terms.”

“What kind of terms?”

“I might make it worth your while to tell me all about Laura,” said the man ingratiatingly.

“Oh, indeed? If that’s the sort of person you are, Mr. Aborn, you’ll get nothing out of me,” returned Nancy indignantly.

“Then you clear out, and clear out quick,” roared the irate man and took several steps toward her, flourishing his stick menacingly.

“You dare touch me and you’ll wish you hadn’t!” returned Nancy defiantly.

Yet she thought that prudence would be the better part of valor and so she kept on toward the timber and was soon out of sight of the man who kept gazing after her in a manner that showed his evil disposition.