Тайна загадочной лестницы [with w_cat] | страница 22

[302] "Helen! What happened?" Nancy asked, reaching her friend's side.

[303] "Out there! Looking in that window!" Helen pointed to the front window of the parlor next to the hall. "The most horrible face I ever saw!"

[304] "Was it a man's face?" Nancy questioned.

[305] "Oh, I don't know. It looked just like a gorilla!" Helen closed her eyes as if to shut out the memory of the sight.

[306] Nancy did not wait to hear any more. In another second she was at the front door and had yanked it open. Stepping outside, she looked all around. She could see no animal near the house, nor any sign under the window that one had stood there.

[307] Puzzled, the young sleuth hurried down the steps and began a search of the grounds. By this time Helen had collected her wits and come outside. She joined Nancy and together they looked in every outbuilding and behind every clump of bushes on the grounds of Twin Elms. They did not find one footprint or any other evidence to prove that a gorilla or other creature had been on the grounds of the estate.

[308] "I saw it! I know I saw it!" Helen insisted.

[309] "I don't doubt you," Nancy replied.

[310] "Then what explanation is there?" Helen demanded. "You know I never did believe in spooks. But if we have many more of these weird happenings around here, I declare I'm going to start believing in ghosts."

[311] Nancy laughed. "Don't worry, Helen," she said. "There'll be a logical explanation for the face at the window."

[312] The girls walked back to the front door of the mansion. Miss Flora and Aunt Rosemary stood there and immediately insisted upon knowing what had happened. As Helen told them, Nancy once more surveyed the outside of the window at which Helen had seen the terrifying face.

[313] "I have a theory," she spoke up. "Our ghost simply leaned across from the end of the porch and held a mask in front of the window." Nancy stretched her arm out to demonstrate how this was possible.

[314] "So that's why he didn't leave any footprints under the window," Helen said. "But he certainly got away from here fast." She suddenly laughed. "He must be on some ghosts' track team."

[315] Her humor, Nancy was glad to see, relieved the tense situation. She had noticed Miss Flora leaning wearily on her daughter's arm.

[316] "You'd better lie down and rest, Mother," Mrs. Hayes advised.

[317] "I guess I will," Aunt Flora agreed.

[318] It was suggested that the elderly woman use Aunt Rosemary's room, while the others continued the experiment with the chandelier.