Mystery of the Glowing Eye - Carolyn Keene [33]
“I’m practically well again,” the young detective replied.
As Glenn continued to massage her hand and arm, he asked, “Please tell us exactly how it felt when your hand was pinned to the wall.”
Nancy said she had suffered small electric shocks before. “But this was different. It didn’t go racing through me as the others did. The effect was more like that of a magnet drawing my hand tighter and tighter against the wall. I guess instinct told me not to lean on it. Otherwise my whole side might have been glued to that panel.”
Professor Titus wrinkled his brow as if in deep thought. Then he said, “Is the wall covered?”
Glenn went to look. “Yes, with wallpaper.”
The science professor said he believed that under the paper there was a metal plate on a screen attached to the wall itself. “Nancy must have been standing on some electric conducting material.”
Again Glenn went to peer into the closet. He reported, “There is a rug on the floor.”
Professor Titus nodded. “Most likely it’s made of an electric conducting material. The hidden plate in the wall is no doubt positive and Nancy is negative. These unlike charges create a strong electrical force which pulled Nancy’s hand to the wall and held it there.
“Somewhere in the building there must be a control device which regulates the flow of electric current. In this case, there was enough to pin Nancy’s hand to the wall but not enough to hurt her permanently.”
Miss Wilkin had listened carefully. Now she seemed paler than ever. “I do not feel very well,” she said. “I would appreciate all of you leaving at once. I will close the museum and go home.”
Glenn assisted Nancy to her feet and held her arm tightly as the trio walked toward the front door.
Assured that Nancy was all right, Miss Wilkin dashed ahead of them and in a couple of minutes the lights were on once more in the museum. As Nancy neared the entrance, she noticed a pile of booklets on a table nearby. There was a sign alongside them, inviting visitors to help themselves.
The young detective picked one up and found that it contained a history of the museum and a list of its present officers.
Before leaving, Glenn said to Miss Wilkin, “I’d like to investigate that strange wall tomorrow. I’m an expert mechanic and know a lot about electricity and other sources of power.”
The custodian cut him short. “I’m sorry but I couldn’t allow that. I want no more casualities. In fact, I feel that you people should not come here again.”
Nancy and Professor Titus looked at each other but made no comment. They said good-by and left the building. The professor had his car and offered to take Nancy to the fraternity house.
She accepted but said, “I noticed in this booklet that the president of the museum lives in Martin City and has an insurance office there. Glenn, could you take me over there tomorrow morning to call on him? His name is Mr. Schneider and here is the address on Main Street.”
“I’ll be glad to, of course,” Glenn replied. “What time would you like to take off?”
“Is nine o’clock okay?”
“Perfect.”
He said good-by to Nancy and Professor Titus and with a grin added, “Nancy, I believe now what your friends say about you—that you never go anywhere without having an adventure.”
She laughed and waved as he took a shortcut toward the airfield to get to his helicopter. She and Professor Titus went to his car and they drove to the Omega Chi Epsilon house.
When Nancy walked into the guest room, Bess and George were there changing clothes. They looked at her hard, then Bess exclaimed, “Nancy, something has happened to you! You’re as white as a sheet!”
Nancy flopped onto the bed and stretched out. “I do feel a little worn out,” she admitted.
Briefly and haltingly, she told what had occurred at the museum.
Bess gasped. “Nancy, you might have been killed!” she exclaimed.
George felt Nancy’s pulse. “I don’t think you need a doctor,” she said. “But your pulse is on the slow side. I recommend you stay in bed until tomorrow morning.”
Nancy did not argue.