"The idea of Taylor's selling stolen merchandise!" Mrs. Hendrick exclaimed indignantly. "Wait until I tell the police!"

"I have a hunch the store isn't to blame," said Nancy.

"Well, anyhow, you got one of our treasures back," Gloria spoke up. "You're so clever, Nancy!"

The young detective shook her head modestly. "There's a lot of work to do on this case yet."

Mrs. Hendrick smiled. "Don't worry, dear. I'm sure you'll solve it."

Next morning Nancy hurried to the department store. To her disappointment, Snecker had telephoned that he was too ill to work.

"Very likely he's out fishing," Mr. Watkins grumbled.

During the brief conversation with the elderly man, Nancy learned that the note sent to employees countermanding the order to turn in their charge plates had been unsigned. At once she became suspicious and her thoughts turned to Snecker and the stolen miniature.

"Do you know where Mr. Snecker lives?" Nancy asked Mr. Watkins.

He consulted a book under the counter. "Twenty-four Tanner Street."

Nancy thanked Mr. Watkins for the information and left the store. She stopped to ask a traffic policeman the way to Tanner Street. He gave directions to a section of town with which she was not familiar.

After riding through several drab, unattractive streets, Nancy finally came to the one she sought. The Snecker house was at the far end of it. The red-brick dwelling was run-down and old.

Nancy applied the brakes, intending to pull into a vacant s.p.a.ce a short distance beyond the building. As she slowed down, another car which had been parked directly in front of the four-story house pulled away from the curb.

"Now, where have I seen that car before?" Nancy thought.

Her pulse quickened. The car was a mud-splattered green sedan. Though she caught only a fleeting glimpse of the driver, she recognized him at once.

"That's Peter Tombar!" she thought. "Has he been at Ralph Snecker's? And why?"

Nancy wanted to follow Tombar. She might pick up a clue!

But almost at once she discarded the idea in favor of calling on Snecker. She had an excuse which she could not use another time-one which might prove helpful in solving the mystery.

Nancy parked at the curb and went into the apartment-house vestibule. She pressed a buzzer above the name of Ralph Snecker. In a moment a shrill feminine voice answered through the tube.

"Who's there?"

"I'm from Taylor's," Nancy replied, purposely not giving her name.

The woman seemed a trifle fl.u.s.tered. "I'll be right down."

In a moment a tall woman appeared, breathing heavily from her haste. She had a determined chin and narrow blue eyes.

"Are you Mrs. Snecker?" Nancy asked politely.

"I am," she replied, eyeing the girl warily. "The store sent you, you said?"

"I came to inquire about your husband. We're worried concerning his absence."

"I know, I know," the woman said impatiently. "They always send some busybody around to ask questions. Well, you can tell 'em he's sick again!"

"I'm sorry to hear that. Nothing serious, I hope."

"He's in bed with the asthma. I tell 'im if he'd stay away from the river he wouldn't get these attacks. He's supposed to take some medicine, but how can he when we don't have no money?"

Nancy feigned concern. "You're having a hard time of it, aren't you?"

"Whaddaya expect on his salary? Maybe he ain'tno hustler, if you know what I mean. I tell 'im he ought to ask for more, but-"

Mrs. Snecker's tirade was interrupted by a loud call from up the stairway.

"Florence! Florence! Come here, will you?"

"That's 'imcallin' me now," Mrs. Snecker said. "He's a nuisance when he's sick. Always keepin' me on the run. He wants me to wait on 'im like a baby."

Nancy could see that the woman was completely out of sorts.

"You needn't tell the store what I just said," Mrs. Snecker advised hastily. "I shouldn't 'a' spoke my piece, but Ralph's got me down with his gripes and complaints. When he works, things ain't so bad. Oh, well, we'll soon be out of these shabby quarters."

"You're moving to a better apartment?"

"You bet we are."

"But I thought you just said Mr. Snecker's salary isn't large and he's not a go-getter."

"Not at store business, he ain't. But he's got another line he's workin'." Mrs. Snecker dropped her voice, so that it could not possibly carry upstairs. "We'll soon be on easy street, struttin' with the best of 'em!"

"Like your friend Tombar?"

"Sure, and believe me-"

Mrs. Snecker suddenly broke off, staring suspiciously at Nancy. Belatedly it dawned on her that she had talked too freely. Without another word she slammed the door in Nancy's face!

CHAPTER XIII.

Blue Iris Inn

ANGRY, Nancy knocked on the door, because she wanted to talk to Mr. Snecker very much. But his wife refused to open it.

"Go away!" she screamed.

"Oh, well," Nancy thought, returning to her car, "I learned something. The Sneckers and Tombar are friends!"

As she drove through the downtown section of River Heights, Nancy also reflected on the remark that the woman had made about Snecker's other work that would put them "on easy street." Did it include Tombar?