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the girls’ taximan asked, stopping behind the other car.
    “We’ll go on foot from here,” Nancy said.
    She glanced at the meter, gave the driver the fare and a generous tip, then jumped from the taxi. She and Bess dashed up the street. The two men they had been following were not in sight.
    “Why, we’re in Chinatown, aren’t we?” Bess exclaimed.
    “That’s right,” Nancy agreed. “Those men probably don’t live here, so it shouldn’t be too hard to locate them. Somebody may be able to tell us where they are.”
    She and Bess went from shop to shop making inquiries, but no one had noticed the two running men. Finally Nancy was forced to admit defeat.
    “Let’s try something else,” she told Bess. “We’ll ask about the man called Ryle.”
    The girls inquired in the various stores and of people on the street if they knew anyone named Ryle. No one did.
    “This is certainly disappointing,” the young sleuth remarked to Bess. “Well, our only chance of finding out who those men are is through the license plate of the car.”
    Nancy was determined not to give up her sleuthing completely. “But, at least, Bess, we can ask about Chi Che Soong,” she added. “Let’s try various places on Mott and Pell streets.”
    The girls decided to divide the task, with Bess taking one side of the street, Nancy the other. They had been at work on this project for nearly half an hour with no results, when Nancy came to a combination stationery, art, and knickknack store. Bess joined her.
    “Remember the hand-painted dragon, Bess? I wonder if the owner of this shop might help us locate the place where the stationery and card were made?”
    The girls walked in. First Nancy asked the Chinese shopkeeper if he knew Chi Che Soong. The man shook his head. “I am very sorry. May I help you in any other way?”
    Nancy smiled. “Perhaps you can. I see you sell stationery. Have you ever seen any with a small hand-painted dragon in the lower right-hand corner?”
    The shop owner opened a drawer and took out several sheets. “Is this what you mean?” he asked.
    When Nancy said yes, the man smiled and told her he was the artist.
    Nancy was excited by this information. “Do you paint this stationery for some particular person?”
    “No, no,” the artist answered. “Many people, both Chinese and American, buy this stationery. I take no special orders. I will be glad to sell you some if you care to have any.”
    The young sleuth, thinking the unusual stationery might come in handy, bought a few sheets with envelopes to fit. “Do you also make cards with this design?” she asked.
    Once more the man rummaged in the drawer. Presently he pulled out one exactly like the card which had been sent with Grandpa Soong’s hospital flowers. Nancy said she would like to buy three or four.
    “You don’t make these on order either?” she asked.
    The artist shook his head. Then he in turn asked, “Is there some special reason why you want to know?”
    Nancy explained that a Chinese friend of hers had received a beautiful bouquet but that there was no name on the hand-painted dragon card. The recipient was most eager to find out who had sent the flowers.
    “It’s possible a man named Ryle is responsible,” said Nancy. “Do you know anyone by that name?”
    “Ryle?” the Chinese shopkeeper repeated. He looked into space for several seconds, then said, “A man named Ryle was in here several months ago with a friend. He did not buy any of this stationery or the cards. He was interested in selling me something.”
    “Oh, you also buy Oriental objects from people who come in here?” Nancy asked, to draw him out.
    “Once in a while,” the shop owner replied. “But in the case of Mr. Ryle, I must admit I refrained. He had some pieces of very fine jade with him. He said he had brought them from the Orient. I was afraid the jade might have been stolen or smuggled and I did not want to get into trouble.”
    Nancy’s heart began to beat