The Secret of the Wooden Lady

  Fay himself had remained in town to spy on the girls. When he found out they had found Melissa, the thief changed his plans and tricked them into coming back on board. Had they left the figurehead behind, Fay would have stolen it from the guesthouse.

  “Whew!” Bess sighed as she tucked herself into bed that night at the guesthouse. “I hope I never have such a day as yesterday in my life again!”

  “Don’t count on it,” George yawned. “As long as you’re a friend of Nancy Drew, you’ll run into exciting mysteries.”

  Very soon the cousins were to become involved with Nancy in The Clue of the Black Keys.

  It was just two weeks after the girls had delivered the precious ruby to Mrs. Smythe that Captain Easterly gave a party on board his clipper. How different it looked! The ship had been painted a glistening gray. And set under the long prow was the figurehead, Melissa, restored and painted by Mr. Frisbie.

  “Doesn’t she look proud?” Nancy asked. “And look at the name on the ship!”

  Painted in neat black letters across the stern was Dream of Melissa.

  “The old pirate ship is gone forever,” George said.

  “And a good thing,” Captain Easterly remarked. “I’ve even nailed up the secret passageway where that pirate Fay did his eavesdropping. What’s more, this ship is going to be rechristened. And you know who’s goin’ to do the christening?”

  Captain Easterly’s blue eyes twinkled as he turned to Carson Drew and his daughter.

  “Nobody but Nancy Drew!”