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minute.
    “Hey, lighten up, you two,” George finally commanded.
    “I get worried about you, that’s all!” said Bess, her affection shining in her eyes.
    “Me, too, Nan,” George nodded.
    Nancy looked from one friend to the other. “Oh, come on, you two.” She playfully tossed a peach satin pillow at Bess. “I mean, this is really dangerous, right? Here I am at the Plaza—I’m having the time of my life with my best friends and stuffing my face with éclairs. Somehow it doesn’t seem too dangerous to me!” Nancy’s blue eyes sparkled mischievously now.
    “All right, all right. Just take care of yourself, okay?” said Bess cheerfully.
    “Listen,” Nancy suggested, “my dad is going to be back from the convention any minute, and we have a dinner date—want to come along? I know he’d love to see you.”
    George slumped down into her chair. “Oh, I wish we could! But Bess and I have big plans, don’t we, Bess?”
    Bess laughed. “We promised to visit my mom’s ex-roommate on the Upper West Side. I call her Aunt Julie. She’s cooking up a storm for us.”
    Nancy nodded. “Hey! I have an idea—why don’t we get together after dinner? I know my dad is going to want to turn in early. The three of us could check out the nightlife at the Trump Tower.”
    “Yeah! Maybe talk to some real-life New York City guys,” Bess exclaimed. “What do you say, George?”
    George nodded. “See you about when, Nan?”
    “Oh, I don’t know—eight-thirty, quarter to nine?”
    “You’re on,” said George on the way out.
    “See you later!” Bess called from the hall.
    Alone, Nancy took out her new outfit and held it up in front of the mirror. It still looked great. She was admiring it when suddenly she heard a shout from behind the wall that adjoined the Amberly suite.
    Angry voices followed. Sarah Amberly’s booming tones and a man’s—Jack Kale’s, maybe? But what were they saying? All Nancy could hear were muffled shouts. The argument must have been taking place in the main room of the Amberly suite, not in Sarah’s bedroom.
    Nancy clenched her fists in frustration. Shewas worried about Sarah. If only she could hear what they were saying and knew that Sarah was all right.
    Thinking quickly, she went to the window and threw it open. She leaned out as far as she safely could and twisted her body to the left, the better to hear the sound from around the side of the gabled window.
    Sure enough, the voices were clearer now. The Amberlys’ windows were open, just as they had been whenever Nancy was in their suite.
    “You’re a devil, that’s what you are!” Sarah shouted. “What did Joshua and I ever deny you, that you repay me this way?”
    “Hold on, Aunt Sarah” was the angry reply. “How do you know it was me who stole it? Maybe it was your precious beau—oh, no, I forgot, he never does anything wrong, does he?”
    “Look to your own faults, young man!” Sarah yelled back at him. “I’ve given you everything— everything!”
    “Now, now, Aunt Sarah. I may triple your wealth one of these days. I only hope you’re not in the great hereafter when I hit it big at the gaming tables.”
    “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Nancy could tell from the shaking in her voice that Sarah Amberly was hurt to the quick.
    “I should have taken a firmer stand with you a long time ago, young man, but you’ve had mewrapped around your little finger, haven’t you? Well, it’s not too late. I’ll fix you—I’ll cut you out of my will. Then you’ll have to learn to work for a living. I’ll teach you the value of a dollar yet!”
    “You won’t disinherit me, Aunt Sarah—you know you won’t. Uncle Joshua made you promise on his deathbed, remember?”
    Nancy leaned a little farther out the window to hear better. Sarah and Jack had turned toward the far wall and the sound wasn’t traveling as well.
    “Devil! You devil! Your uncle is turning in his grave, I’m sure,” said Sarah Amberly. “And I