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exciting?” Lolita cried.
    “It certainly is,” Nancy said. “Go on, Pietro.”
    The clown said his father had hurried to speak to the woman but that she had disappeared before he could reach her.
    “As soon as I read this, I told Mr. Kroon,” Pietro said. “But instead of being glad that Lolita’s mother might be alive, he flew into a rage and forbade me to speak to Lolita!”
    His fiancée added, “The only reason we could get away today was because Mr. Sims has returned, and Mr. Kroon is having a conference with him. We have to hurry back. But you will help me to find my mother, won’t you?”
    “I certainly will,” Nancy assured her. “My father is a lawyer. He might be able to learn something through friends in England.”
    Lolita said that would be wonderful. Before the couple left, Nancy said she expected to attend the afternoon performance and asked Lolita if it would be possible to talk to Mrs. Kroon.
    “Do try, Nancy,” Lolita replied. “She’ll probably be in my trailer.”
    As soon as Hannah Gruen heard the front door dose, she burst into a mild tirade about strangers who arrive at mealtime. Nancy laughed and sat down to eat the soufflé, which had not caved in and was delicious.
    The young sleuth arrived early at the circus and went at once to see Mrs. Kroon. She purposely wore her new charm bracelet. Although Mrs. Kroon eyed it, she made no comment.
    After a few general remarks, Nancy asked the woman, “Did your daughter inherit her aerial talent from you?”
    Instantly Mrs. Kroon’s expression changed from pleasantness to anger. Instead of replying, she cried, “How did you get in here? Our private lives are our own business! I do not intend to answer personal questions!”
    “I’m sorry,” Nancy said. “Please forgive me.” She backed out of the trailer.
    Several circus performers were standing around and had evidently overheard the conversation. One of the women spoke in a low voice. “Don’t mind Mrs. Kroon. Lolita’s her adopted daughter and she’s awful touchy on the subject.”
    “I see,” said Nancy. “Are Lolita’s real parents living?”
    The woman hesitated, then said, “There’s a story going around here that Lolita’s mother is alive and the Kroons don’t want anyone to know. Personally, we think there’s something very strange about the whole thing.”
    Nancy thanked her informer and hurried to her seat in the big top. As she waited for the show to begin, Nancy mulled over various angles of the mystery. Had Lola Flanders pawned the bracelet ? Was she the person who needed help? Were the Kroons the cause of her trouble?
    Nancy was brought out of her reverie by the band striking up. The performance began. Leaning forward in her seat, she paid particular attention to the bareback-riding act. The riders were experts in timing themselves to the movements of the horses. One attractive girl rider was more proficient than the others and did a great. deal of solo work.
    This young rider had just completed a midair double somersault and landed on the horse’s back amid tumultuous applause when an object hurtled through the air hit the horse on the nose. The mare reared, throwing the young girl.
    At once there was confusion among the other horses and their riders. In the midst of the chaos, Nancy spotted the object that had struck the horse.
    A whip, exactly like the one her assailant had used, was lying on the tanbark!

CHAPTER VII
    Meeting a Challenge
    THE injured bareback rider tried to stand, but it was evident at once that her ankle was either badly sprained or broken. Her face was creased with pain. Two riders stepped forward. She put an arm around the shoulders of each man, and they helped her from the ring. Meanwhile, her horse had run to the exit.
    The remaining performers carried on, doing their best, but it was apparent that the mishap had made them nervous. At a signal from the band, inspired by Kroon, the act came to an abrupt end.
    The whip that had caused