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 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 IIHeath 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 unhappily.

            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.