"Keene, Carolyn - Nancy Drew 022 - The Clue in the Crumbling Wall" - читать интересную книгу автора (Keene Carolyn)

Clams by the lot,
Clams for the kettle,
Clams for the pot."
"None for us today," Mrs. Gruen called.
Salty smiled. "Come now," he coaxed. 'Ye
can't turn down my clams. They're nutritious,
delicious, delectable, respectable! Matter of fact,
ye might even find a pearl in one of 'em!"
Nancy turned to Hannah. "Don't you think we
could use a few pearly clams?" she asked with a
wink.
The housekeeper gave in. "Okay, a dozen.
Nancy, please get my purse."
Nancy darted away, but soon returned with
the pocketbook and a container for the clams.
After the elderly sailor had left, she and Hannah
took the clams into the kitchen and Nancy started
to open them with a sharp knife. Soon she had a
pile of empty shells, but no pearls.
"I guess these haven't anything in them but
meat! Well, here's the last one."
Nancy opened the clam and was about to toss
away the attractive, rainbow-colored shell when a
tiny object inside drew her attention.
"A pearl!" she cried, holding it out for the
housekeeper to see.
Hannah stared at the small white object. "I
declare, it is one," she acknowledged, "and may
be worth some money!"
"I'll take it to Sam Weatherby," Nancy said
eagerly. She removed the pearl and washed it,
then drove to Mr. Weatherby's shop. The owner
was a dealer in curios and antique jewelry.
Nancy had to wait fifteen minutes while an
unpleasant man bargained with the shop owner
over a piece of jewelry he wanted to sell. It was a
man's antique watch chain with an attractive gold
charm. At last the customer accepted an offer,
pocketed the money Mr. Weatherby paid him,
and turned on his heel, remarking, "I might as
well have given it to you!"
After the man had left, Mr. Weatherby said to
Nancy, "That was Daniel Hector. How he loves
to argue! If all my customers were like him, I'd
have to close up shop. Well, what can I do for
you, Nancy?"
She removed the pearl from her purse and
asked the curio dealer what it was worth.
"Well, well," he said, examining the object
carefully, "it's nice, but river pearls are not