The Ringmaster's Secret (3 page)

“That’s our ringmaster. His name is Reinhold Kroon.”

“You mean he snaps the whip and makes the horses go around?” Teddy asked, his eyes wide with interest.

“He does more than that,” the woman replied. “He announces all the acts. He used to be a horseman, but he’s practically in charge of the whole circus now.”

Nancy asked the woman whether she had ever known anyone in the circus who owned a horse-charm bracelet.

“No, I haven’t,” she replied. “Does it have something to do with this circus?”

“It might,” Nancy replied. “Where can I find Mr. Sims?”

The woman said that Mr. Sims rarely traveled with the circus. Mr. Kroon was apparently in charge now. She suggested that Nancy ask him about the bracelet.

Since the ringmaster had not seemed to be in the mood to answer questions, Nancy decided to wait for another opportunity. She thanked the woman for her information, then she and Teddy walked away.

“We’ll go home and have breakfast,” Nancy said to the boy. “I’ll pick you up at nine o’clock and we’ll go watch the parade.”

“That’ll be great,” Teddy agreed.

Hannah Gruen was preparing breakfast when Nancy reached home and asked whether Mr. Drew had returned from a business trip.

The housekeeper shook her head. “Your father did telephone, though. He said he didn’t know just when he’d be home.”

Nancy looked wistful. She missed her father when his legal work took him out of town. She enjoyed discussing his cases with him and also getting his advice on any mysteries she might be working on.

“Breakfast is ready,” Mrs. Gruen announced. “Did you find out anything about your bracelet at the circus?”

“No, but I’ll talk to more of the people. The circus will be here for two or three days.”

At nine o’clock Nancy and Teddy were on their way to the main street of River Heights along which the circus parade would come. The street was already lined with people, and they had to walk several blocks before they found a place at the curb.

A few minutes later they heard a band. The music grew louder and louder, and the marching players came into view. Teddy clapped his hands and jumped up and down.

“Here come the elephants,” Nancy announced as the enormous animals swung up the street. Men and women attired in gay costumes accompanied the elephants. The men were seated astride the animals’ backs, while the girls walked alongside. Occasionally they would seat themselves on the elephants’ curled-up trunks and ride for a short distance before jumping off.

“I bet that would be fun,” Teddy said. “Here comes Cinderella in a gold carriage.”

“She’s the main attraction in the circus, I understand,” Nancy remarked. “Her name is Lolita. She does a very daring trapeze act.”

As the carriage glided by, drawn by four beautiful white horses, Lolita waved to the people, who clapped their hands and shouted. But the lovely, dark-haired girl did not smile in return.

“Why is she so sad?” Teddy asked. “She looks like Cinderella did after her coach turned into a pumpkin.”

“I wonder too,” Nancy replied.

Just then the parade halted. Without warning Teddy dashed into the street. He ran down to Cinderella’s coach. Reaching up, he opened the door and hopped inside.

Nancy was at the boy’s heels. No sooner had Teddy seated himself beside Lolita, than Nancy opened the door. “Come out, Teddy,” she said.

For the first time Lolita smiled. She put her arm around Teddy and said, “Let him stay. No one has ever done this before. I think it’s nice.”

Nancy closed the door. “As soon as you want Teddy to leave, don’t hesitate to say so. I’ll walk along beside the carriage and take him when he gets out.”

Teddy looked up into Cinderella’s face. “Why do you look so sad?” he asked.

“Well,” the girl said, “you’ve heard how unhappy the real Cinderella was when she lost her prince, haven’t you? I guess I’m sad for the same reason.”

Teddy, not understanding, turned to watch the people on the sidewalk. When they cheered, he stood up and waved.

Everything went smoothly for about two blocks. Then Nancy heard the sudden, sharp clop of horses’ hoofs behind her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the ringmaster galloping toward her. Quickly she jumped to the sidewalk to avoid being run down.

“That man’s so mean,” she told herself, “I don’t see how he gets along with anybody.”

To her dismay, Kroon stopped at Cinderella’s carriage. Reaching inside, he grabbed Teddy up in his arms and planted him firmly in front of him on the horse.

“You crazy kid!” he shouted. “What are you trying to do? Ruin my parade?”

Unceremoniously he lifted Teddy out of the saddle and plunked him down on the curb. Nancy started to tell the irate ringmaster that his actions were quite unwarranted since Lolita had said the child might ride with her, but Kroon rode off in a hurry. There were so many animals and circus people to look at—riders, clowns, giants, and midgets—that Nancy and Teddy soon forgot the unpleasant incident.

Both were eager to attend the afternoon performance and arrived early at the circus grounds. Nancy wore an attractive blue sports dress and had slipped the horse-charm bracelet over her wrist. Bess and George, who had her neighbor’s son with her, joined Nancy and Teddy. They had front-row seats in one of the center boxes.

The performance began with a second parade for the benefit of those who had not seen the one on the street. When it was over, the entrance gate opened and seven clowns came running in. Teddy shrieked in delight.

One clown, dressed as a tattered hobo, had a little fox terrier with him that did tricks. Another clown, in farmer’s clothes, was wearing a beard that reached his knees. With it, he tickled the ears of a comical-looking cow, composed of two clowns. The fifth clown represented a barrel and did all sorts of tricks rolling around like one.

The last two were dressed in Pierrot clown suits. One carried a tall ladder. Just before he reached the spot where Nancy and her friends were seated, he planted the ladder upright in the ground and held onto it. The other clown, named Pietro, began to climb up. When he reached the top, the clown below suddenly let go and walked off.

“Oh!” everyone under the tent cried.

To their amazement, the clown on the ladder did not fall. He balanced himself skillfully, swaying back and forth above the green tanbark. As everyone realized that this was an exacting stunt, and not just a clownish act, they clapped loudly.

“It’s going to be even harder for him to climb down,” George observed in a worried voice.

The audience watched breathlessly as the clown slowly lowered himself without falling. He turned in a complete circle to acknowledge the loud applause.

As he bowed low before Nancy’s group, a startled look came over his face. The clown walked forward and stared at Nancy’s bracelet.

“Where did you get this, miss?” he asked in a low voice.

Before the girl could reply, a whistle sounded and the band began to play. The clown hurriedly said, “My name is Pietro. I must speak to you after the show. Please meet me beside King Kat’s cage:”

“PIETRO!” Nancy called as the down moved off. “Please tell me—”

Pietro had no opportunity to answer, for at that moment a whistle summoned all the clowns from the ring.

During the acts that followed, Nancy’s thoughts reverted constantly to the clown’s request that she meet him at the end of the show. Certainly there was some secret about her charm bracelet.

When the time came for Lolita’s act, all the lights were dimmed except the floodlights on the center ring. Kroon, wearing striped trousers, a Prince Albert coat, and a high silk hat, walked to the microphone.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he announced, “you are about to witness the world’s most daring aerial act! Lolita, our Cinderella, will meet her prince in midair and dance with him. But at the stroke of twelve, this brief romance will end.”

As the ringmaster retired, the spotlights picked up a small Cinderella carriage being drawn along the tanbark by two white wooden steeds. In it sat beautiful, fairylike Lolita, dressed in a white silver-spangled robe.

The applause was thunderous as attendants attached the carriage to pulleys and Cinderella was slowly pulled up, a slanting wire to the top of the tent. Daintily Lolita stood up, discarded her robe, and stepped out in white satin acrobatic tights to a tiny platform suspended from the ceiling.

At once, additional floodlights showed four young men aerialists, signaling for her attention. Smiling, Lolita waited as they swung toward her in turn. But when each man kneeled on the platform and indicated that he wanted to marry Cinderella, Lolita shook her head and he swung away.

Then, as she looked discouraged, a handsome prince in a gleaming silver costume suddenly appeared in the spotlight beside her.

“Prince Charming!” Bess announced, gazing, enthralled, at the performance. Her friends scarcely heard her. Their eyes were fixed on the acrobatic drama far above them. To the strain of a waltz, Cinderella and the prince danced on the tight rope.

At the end of the number they embraced. Then came the sound of a striking gong. One, two—The prince held Cinderella close. Three, four—The girl tried to pull away. The gong continued to strike. Eleven, twelve!

Cinderella swung toward the platform where the carriage had been. But the sides of the gorgeous carriage and the white horses had tumbled into a net below. Instead, a pumpkin drawn by mice remained. In a barely perceptible motion, the aerialist had slipped out of her white satin costume and now stood in ragged black tatters!

“Oh!” shrieked Teddy. “Poor Cinderella! Nancy, what will the prince—” He stopped abruptly.

Lolita, about to climb into the pumpkin, suddenly swayed and lost her footing. She plunged downward toward the net!

There was a momentary hush as the audience wondered if this was part of the act. But as Lolita lay still, cries of alarm arose.

“Oh,” murmured Teddy. “Is she—”

“Lolita must have fainted,” Nancy told him, hoping it was nothing more serious.

From the shadowy stage entrances rushed many circus people, among them Pietro. Ringmaster Kroon waved them aside. Walking under the net, he hissed at Lolita, loudly enough for Nancy to hear, “Get up and take a bow! You’re ruining the show!”

Lolita slowly opened her eyes. Pietro reached up and tenderly patted her cheek.

“Leave her alone! Get out of here!” Kroon thundered at the clown.

Pietro, after a glare at his employer, turned back to the girl. Kroon yanked the clown up by his big ruffled collar and sent him sprawling to the tanbark.

“Stand up!” the harsh manager ordered Lolita.

This time the girl obeyed, rising slowly and stepping to the edge of the net, where she was helped down by attendants. Lolita acknowledged the tumultuous applause with bow after bow, then left the tent.

Kroon hurried into the ring. “And so,” he said, “Cinderella lost her prince. But only temporarily! If you want to see how he found her by matching the glass slipper she wore, come to this evening’s performance. Reserve your seats on the way out.”

The last act was a clever bareback-riding performance and then came a final pageant, which included the clowns. As soon as it was over, Nancy asked George to take Teddy home; then she started for King Kat’s cage to meet Pietro.

The shaggy lion was stalking back and forth restlessly. “How handsome, but how cruel he looks!” Nancy thought. “Just like the ringmaster.”

Pietro, who was waiting for her, motioned Nancy to follow him a short distance away from the cage. The clown seemed almost frightened as he said, “I’ll talk fast. Visitors aren’t allowed here. If Kroon saw me talking to you, he might discharge me, and that mustn’t happen.”

“Can’t we go some place where he won’t see us?” Nancy asked. She wanted to hear everything the clown might have to tell her.

“No, no,” he said quickly. “This is the story. Lolita wears a horse charm on a necklace. It is like those on your bracelet and I noticed one is missing. Lolita once said she thought hers came from another piece of jewelry.”

“Oh, I must see the necklace!” Nancy said. “Please take me to Lolita.”

The clown shook his head. He said that the aerialist was resting for the evening performance and must not be disturbed.

“I understand,” Nancy said. “But please go on with your story.”

Pietro said that Lolita was Mr. and Mrs. Kroon’s adopted daughter. She had lived with them since she was eight years old.

“Have the Kroons and Lolita always been in the circus?” Nancy asked.

The clown nodded and said that Lolita’s own parents had been American trapeze artists known as The Flying Flanders.

“What were their names?” Nancy queried.

“John and Lola Flanders.” Pietro went on, “The story is that Lolita’s parents were killed while performing their act on an extended tour of Europe. It was then that the Kroons brought Lolita to the United States.”

“Did Lolita’s parents teach her to be an aerialist?” Nancy asked.

“Oh yes,” Pietro replied, “but after they died she was trained by other artists as well.”

“She is an excellent performer,” Nancy said.

“Yes,” the clown agreed, “but Kroon makes her work too hard. He doesn’t care about anything but money.”

“He does seem dictatorial,” Nancy remarked.

The clown looked at her. “That’s putting it mildly. Kroon is cruel, and I don’t trust him!”

Nancy wondered why Pietro distrusted his employer, but the young man did not explain. Instead he changed the subject and said, “About the horse charm. The one Lolita wears was given to her by her mother when she was only five years old. That was thirteen years ago. I suppose it’s only coincidence that the charm looks like those on your bracelet.”