The Witch Tree Symbol

by Carolyn Keene

  To ease the tension, Bess said, “It was my first meeting with a bull, and I hope the last!”

  Presently the Kreutzes began to eat their supper. The guests were soon satisfied, though they had not sampled half of the various dishes.

  “You have city appetites,” said Mrs. Kreutz.

  “All of us except Bess,” George teased as her plump cousin reached for a piece of cake.

  “In Amish country we like a little flesh on out maidens,” Mr. Kreutz commented.

  After the meal was over and they had helped with the dishes, Nancy said they must be leaving. “Do you want me to mention Manda to Mr. Kreutz?” she whispered to her hostess.

  “I will fix this,” the farmer’s wife said. She called to her husband, “Papa, I would like for these girls to stay all night with us.”

  Mr. Kreutz nodded. “Ya. That will make our thanks for saving my life.”

  Mrs. Kreutz turned to Nancy and said, “Talk to him about Manda. It will be all right.”

  The woman did not explain further, but Nancy guessed that once an Amish person makes a promise, he keeps it. No matter what happened, the girls would spend the night there.

  Nancy seated herself beside Mr. Kreutz. “Bess, George, and I met your lovely daughter on the road this afternoon,” she began. “Manda was looking forward to coming home and being with her mother and father again.”

  The farmer shifted uneasily in his chaii. “Manda is a very disobedient daughter. Amish people have rules. Our children must not break them. From the time they are small, we teach them to fear God and to work. We do not go out into the world to make money. We have security right on our own farms.

  “We ask nothing from anyone,” Mr. Kreutz continued proudly. “Security for an Amish man is not money. It is his family, his religion, his farm.”

  Nancy pondered this for a moment, then said, “You say part of your security is your family. Wouldn’t you be happier if all your family were together?”

  Mr. Kreutz looked directly into Nancy’s eyes. “You are wise beyond your years,” he said. “You have good sense.”

  Nancy waited eagerly for him to go on. To her surprise, Mr. Kreutz asked why she had come to Amish country.

  Nancy told him about the stolen Follett furniture and explained that the thief might be somewhere around Lancaster. She also described the hex sign she had found in the mansion.

  Mr. Kreutz shook his head. “Such a nice girl I cannot understand why your papa lets you do things like this. You should be home cooking and cleaning.”

  At this remark, Bess and George told the Amish couple about Nancy’s fine accomplishments.

  “She’s restored lots of people to their families,” Bess explained, “and brought others peace of mind.”

  The farmer was silent, then he said, “If you can find missing persons, please bring my daughter home. I want her here.”

  Nancy promised she would do her best.

  “Mind you, I do not approve of this girl-detective business,” Mr. Kreutz went on, suddenly more cheerful. “Find Manda and maybe I change the mind over. Tell me what you do when you work.”

  “If you feel well enough to go outside, I’ll be glad to give you a lesson,” Nancy said, explaining that they ought to search the farm for clues to where Manda might have gone.

  Mr. Kreutz said some exercise would help to ease the stiffness in his strained muscles. He took a kerosene lantern from under the closed-in sink, lighted it, and led the girls outside. Mrs. Kreutz joined them.

  The Amish farmer first showed the visitors his spotless dairy. Since there was no indication that Manda had been there, the group went to the hay barn. Nancy walked back and forth with the lantern, examining every inch of the clean board floor.

  “This barn is immaculate!” Bess exclaimed.

  Mrs. Kreutz smiled. “We House Amish hold our religious services in the barn when there are too many people for the house,” she explained. “Perhaps our barns are cleaner than our homes!”

  “I’d like to climb into the loft,” Nancy said. “Once when I was a little girl and got hurt on a farm we were visiting, I went to the haymow to have a good cry all by myself. Maybe Manda did the same thing.”

  “Go ahead,” the farmer said.

  Nancy scrambled up the ladder. A few moments later she called out excitedly, “I’ve found something!” She climbed down, holding a piece of paper. Bess and George gasped as they read: WITCH TREE.

  “Do you know anything about this? Have you ever heard of a witch tree?” Nancy asked the couple.

  She watched their expressions as they read the strange words and shook their heads. “It is a due to Manda, you think?” Mr. Kreutz asked.

  “Possibly,” Nancy replied, “but it’s like the one dropped by the furniture thief.” She reminded them of the hex sign she had found at the Follett mansion.

  The group inspected the rest of the buildings but found no clue to Manda’s whereabouts. They returned to the house, sleepy and ready to retire.

  The girls were given two upstairs rooms, which were as plair as those on the first floor. Each contained a rope double bed, two small wooden chairs, a little chest, and a curtained partition where clothes might be hung.

  In the candlelight the girls saw that the furniture was gaily painted with designs of doves and flowers. The beds were covered with patchwork quilts made of pieces of vivid red, green, purple, yellow, and black cloth.

  Nancy roomed alone and slept from the moment she got into bed until a crowing rooster roused her the next morning. Her mind refreshed, she began at once to think about the two puzzling mysteries. She was intrigued by the piece of paper she had found in the Kreutz hayloft. What did it mean? Manda? Hoelt? Had the two met?

  When Nancy entered the cozy kitchen she asked Mr. and Mrs. Kreutz if they had ever heard of Roger Hoelt. The farmer said he had once known such a man.

  “The fellow lived in Lancaster. When he was very young, I caught him in my barn stealing tools. Could this be the same man?”

  Nancy said it no doubt was, because she had learned from the police that Roger Hoelt had once lived in Lancaster. She added that recently he had been imprisoned in New York as a thief.

  “I suspect he’s the one who stole the valuable antique furniture in our town and accidentally dropped the paper with the witch tree symbol on it. Hoelt knows I’m searching for him and has tried to scare me off the case.”

  Bess declared that probably it was Hoelt and not Manda who had left the witch tree symbol in the hayloft. “He’s still trying to hex you, Nancy,” she said, worried.

  The young detective thought this was impossible as he had no way of knowing she was going to visit the Kreutzes.

  The farmer looked at Bess disapprovingly. “We Amish do not believe in hexing,” he said. “There are some non-Amish people in the back country who practice witchcraft.”

  “They do not all live in the back country, Papa,” his wife spoke up. “I was talking to Mrs. Dyster at market. She told me about some people in town who think there are certain persons, especially women and girls, who practice witchcraft in secret. If these people hear that someone is a witch, they may be frightened into doing her bodily harm.”

  Nancy smiled. “Don’t worry. My friends and I don’t believe in such things,” she said, looking straight at Bess.

  After breakfast, the girls helped Mrs. Kreutz clean up the kitchen, then said they must be going. When they appeared in the kitchen a short time later, carrying their suitcases, Mrs. Kreutz was amazed.

  “You are taking everything with you?” she asked. “Could you not stay by us while you are solving your mystery?”

  “We mustn’t impose,” said Nancy, smiling.

  Mrs. Kreutz put her hands on her hips. “Such an idea!” she said. Then she smiled. “If you come back here each evening for supper, I can hear how you make about my daughter.”

  “Well, under those conditions we’ll accept your invitation,” said Nancy.

  They would have to do
some expert sleuthing, the young detective thought, to find Manda Kreutz. She had not voiced her lack of confidence, but she had a feeling that this time the Amish girl had indeed disappearedl

  CHAPTER V

  A Surprising Find

  “WE’RE heading for Lancaster,” Nancy told her friends as they drove away from the Kreutz farm. “I’d like to look for Manda, first of all.”

  “Let’s check the bakeries there,” Bess said. “I wouldn’t mind a few samples!” The others laughed but agreed.

  Once in Lancaster, they consulted a telephone directory and listed the town bakeries. One by one they visited them, but replies about Manda were negative until they reached Stumm Bakery.

  Mrs. Stumm said that Manda had worked there until two days before. “Then she quit. Manda may have gone home or perhaps to work for those people that were in here.”

  “Who were they?” Nancy asked. “Can you describe them?”

  “It was a couple. I think they’re out-of-town Amish,” the woman answered. “I gathered from their conversation that they had just moved to a farm in this area and wanted an Amish girl to help with housework.”

  Nancy inquired if Mrs. Stumm had ever heard Manda mention a witch tree. Looking surprised, the woman shook her head. Nancy thanked her for the information she had given, bought a bag of fasnachts, and left.

  The young detective told her friends that she had a hunch Manda had obtained employment with this couple. Referring once more to a classified telephone book, Nancy copied names of local real-estate agents. The girls then divided the work of calling on them and met later at the car. None had found a single clue to anyone who had recently purchased a farm.

  “However,” Nancy said, “one man told me that old farms sometimes change hands in direct sale. We’ll keep asking. Now let’s go to Mr. Zinn’s.”

  For a change George drove, and Nancy gave directions. They found Alpha Zinn’s farm easily.

  “We’ll pretend to be interested in antiques,” Nancy suggested, as the girls walked into a small building marked OFFICE.

  Alpha Zinn’s appearance bore out his cousin’s remark about his love of eating. But the rolypoly smiling man did not look dishonest. Nancy, nevertheless, was cautious as he led the way to a large barn, where furniture was on display on the main floor and in two haylofts.

  Whispering, Nancy instructed her friends to hold the man’s attention while she explored. In her purse she had a list and description of pieces taken from the Follett home. Mrs. Tenney had also provided her with a sketch of the George Washington tables.

  As Nancy wandered about, she saw that Mr. Zinn’s pieces were mainly pine and maple, while the articles on the list were described as dark wood. But suddenly, in a comer, she saw a small cherry table. It matched the sketch perfectly!

  Meanwhile, Bess and George were asking Mr. Zinn questions about some old pewter mugs.

  Abruptly, the dealer whirled around, looked for Nancy and said, “Where is your friend?”

  “Maybe she’s up in one of the lofts,” Bess stammered.

  The antique dealer eyed the cousins suspiciously. “Might she be snooping for some reason?”

  At that moment Nancy hurried toward the group.

  “Did you find something you like?” the chubby man asked, looking at Nancy intently.

  “Yes, one piece interests me very much,” the detective replied. “It’s that small, unusual cherry table in the corner.” She led the way back and pointed out the article.

  “Oh, that,” Mr. Zinn said. “It’s not expensive —just a copy I made of a George Washington antique. A very good copy, I might add. I am a cabinetmaker as well as an antique dealer.”

  “Where is the original piece?” George asked.

  “Well, actually, there are two of them,” Mr. Zinn said. “One is in River Heights. I’ve no idea where its mate is, although I’ve searched and made many inquiries. I’d like to have it!”

  The girls exchanged glances. Evidently Mr. Zinn did not know that Mrs. Follett had owned the matching table!

  His eyes gleaming, the man went on, “The original tables have hidden drawers in them. It’s said that one holds a great secret.”

  Nancy, Bess, and George looked startled. Did Mrs. Tenney know this? Could it be one of the reasons she suspected her cousin of taking the antique furniture?

  “Please tell us more,” Nancy urged.

  The dealer said that the River Heights table had belonged to his recently deceased great-aunt, Mrs. Sara Follett. Her belongings were to be divided between himself and his cousin, Mrs. Tenney, a resident of that town.

  He sighed. “It will be difficult to apportion the furniture, once the estate is settled. I’m sure we’ll both want the Washington table. Anyway, I’m waiting to hear from the lawyer now.”

  “Do you think it contains the secret?” Bess asked.

  “No, I purchased that antique for my aunt,” Mr. Zinn said. “I learned of its secret drawer while it was in my shop being refinished. An old friend from Lancaster recognized the table from a picture he’d seen in a book of antiques. He said we ought to look for the secret compartment he’d read about, which we did. But when we finally found it, the hidden drawer was empty!”

  “What a shame,” George said.

  “I agree. So the secret must be in the drawer of the matching antique table. That is why I’d like to find it before someone else does,” the dealer concluded.

  Nancy decided that it was only fair to tell Mr. Zinn what had happened. Unless he was a clever actor, he was not aware of the furniture theft. She said that she and her friends were from River Heights and his cousin was her neighbor.

  “Mrs. Tenney asked me to accompany her to your great-aunt’s mansion a few days ago,” Nancy went on. “When we got there, we found that the place had been burglarized. The antiques in the library have been stolen!” she announced.

  “What!” Mr. Zinn shouted. His face turned red and his neck muscles grew taut. “The furniture—stolen?”

  “Yes,” Nancy said. “But there were two Washington tables in the collection, according to your aunt.”

  “But only one was authentic,” Mr. Zinn informed her. “I made the other for Aunt Sara.”

  The sleuth now decided to show the dealer the paper with the hex sign. He said it looked familiar, and that he had seen similar symbols. Nancy next asked whether he knew Roger Hoelt or had ever heard of him. Mr. Zinn pondered.

  “Yes, there was a fellow named Hoelt in my class in high school. But I don’t think his first name was Roger,” he said.

  “But you do remember that people named Hoelt lived in this area?” Nancy persisted.

  Mr. Zinn nodded absently, then suddenly he exclaimed, “It’s a crime! All that furniture gone!”

  Nancy asked whether the thief might have known of the secret drawer in the Washington table. “If so, that might have been his real motive.”

  “That’s possible,” Mr. Zinn agreed. “Particularly if he has already found the other authentic table and it didn’t contain the secret. He could easily learn Aunt Sara owned its mate and in his haste, he took both of her tables with him. Maybe he couldn’t distinguish the genuine from the reproduction. Oh dear, this is confusing!”

  Just then a woman appeared in the barn shop. Mr. Zinn introduced her as his wife. She was as round as her husband and wore a full skirt, a shirred light-blue apron, and ruffled collar and sleeves. Her pretty face was dimpled and she had a radiant smile, which vanished when she heard the news of the robbery.

  “Papa, it is a great loss to you, ain’t?”

  Her husband tried to hide his distress. “What one does not own is never a loss”,“ he told her, and perhaps the furniture will be found.”

  “What? Stolen!” Mr. Zinn shouted.

  “Papa, I came to tell you that dinner is ready,” Mrs. Zinn said. She added, “It would please us to have you girls break bread with us.”

  “Oh, that would be wonderfull” Bess exclaimed. Nancy and George also accepte
d.

  Mrs. Zinn led the way into the farmhouse. It was gayer than that of the Kreutzes, with flowers, window draperies, and quaint hooked rugs in every room. The cloth on the kitchen table was hand-embroidered with red and blue pigeons.

  Mrs. Zinn set three more places at the table, and soon the five were eating a hearty meal. The dessert was shoofly pie. Between courses, the Zinns asked where the girls were staying.

  When they told them, Mrs. Zinn frowned. “Mr. Kreutz is too strict,” she complained. “He never allowed Manda to have a good time. He said he would pick her a husband. That’s why she ran away. You know she ran away?”

  Nancy nodded and said that Mr. Kreutz now wanted his daughter to come home, and that the girls had promised to help find her. She told of the clue the bakery woman had suggested, but the Zinns did not know of any new Amish couple in town.

  An hour later Nancy and her friends were on their way back to the Kreutz farm. Bess, looking out the rear window, suddenly declared that she thought they were being followed by a car.

  “Maybe the hex is working again,” she said.

  George, disgusted, told her cousin to stop talking nonsense. Suddenly a horn blasted. Nancy pulled into a service station and the car shot past them so quickly that the girls caught only a glimpse of the Amish driver. He was bearded and his black hat was pulled far down over his ears.

  “That speed demon didn’t follow us long,” George observed.

  When Nancy’s car was refueled, they set out again. As she rounded a sharp turn, she suddenly gasped and stepped on the brake. Strewn across the road, directly in their path, were cinder blocks. There was no way to avoid plowing into them!

  The car hit several of the blocks. All three girls were thrown forward. Bess, seated in the middle, struck her head on the mirror and blacked out!

  CHAPTER VI

  Witches

  QUICKLY Nancy stopped the car. She and George got out and laid the unconscious girl on the front seat of the convertible.

  As they leaned over Bess, worried, their friend raised her eyelids and blinked. Then she gingerly tried to sit up.