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

valuable." He named a modest sum. "I'll buy it
if you'll bring me the shell from which it was
taken. I want to display the pearl with the shell."
Nancy promised to return with the shell the
next day. Then she put the pearl in her pocket-
book and left the shop. She started walking the
few crowded blocks to police headquarters.
As Nancy stopped to look in the window of a
department store, a boy drew close to her. Then
suddenly he jerked the purse from beneath her
arm and fled!

CHAPTER II

Heath Castle

It took Nancy a moment to recover from her
astonishment. By the time she whirled around,
the purse snatcher was already running down the
street. Nancy dashed after him, but tried to avoid
bumping into pedestrians.
"What's the matter?" asked a man she side-
stepped just in time to avoid a collision.
"My purse-"
He took up the chase with her. As word spread,
other people followed. But the boy was running
fast. Nancy caught a glimpse of him as he dashed
into a narrow alley between two buildings. When
she reached it, there was no sign of him.
"Well, there goes my pearl," she thought un-
happily.
Besides the pearl, her purse had contained her
driver's license, car registration, some credit
cards, money, and cosmetics.
"I suppose I should be thankful I didn't lose
more," Nancy said to herself ruefully.
She thanked the stranger who had tried to assist
her, then hurried down the street to headquarters
and was taken into Lieutenant Masters' office.
After greetings were exchanged. Nancy said,
"I want to report two thefts." First she told about
the boy who had snatched her purse.
"Can you describe him?" the policewoman
asked.
"I didn't get a look at his face," said Nancy,
"but I think he was about ten or twelve years old.
He was stocky with tousled blond hair and wore
blue jeans and a tee shirt."
"Many boys could fit that description," Lieu-
tenant Masters commented. "We'll do our best,