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the guitar. As Nancy waited for the hula lesson to begin, she glanced around.
    The small room was decorated almost completely with Chinese articles. In the center of the room stood a low tea table on which were an exquisite set of china cups, saucers, and a teapot. Nearby on a teakwood stand was a fine handmade model of a large outrigger canoe with a tapa canopy. When Mr. Sakamaki noticed Nancy looking at it, he said, “That piece is very old. An antique.”
    “It is very lovely,” Nancy remarked, thinking that she must be careful during the dancing lesson not to bump into any of the art pieces in the room.
    “Shall we start?” Mrs. Sakamaki asked.
    Her husband began to play a lovely Hawaiian melody. Nancy watched Mrs. Sakamaki’s feet carefully and soon was imitating the side-to-side step. Next came the swaying of the body, and finally, Mrs. Sakamaki demonstrated the graceful raising and lowering of the arms and head.
    “With our hands and fingers we express certain ideas,” Mrs. Sakamaki explained to her pupil. “For instance, move your hands forward together as if extending a gift. But do it with a slight rolling motion.”
    The lesson went on for some time. Both Mr. and Mrs. Sakamaki praised Nancy’s progress highly. They said that with a little practice and a proper costume, she could easily join a Hawaiian group.
    Nancy felt pleased. In her enthusiasm to indicate various ideas with her arms and hands, she forgot about the smallness of the room and its many art objects. Suddenly one arm swept the antique outrigger canoe from its stand!
    Nancy made a wild dive to keep it from falling on the china teapot and cups. Although she managed to deflect the canoe, so that it missed the dishes, she was unable to prevent it from crashing to the floor.
    “Oh, dear!” she exclaimed, and bent to pick up the model.
    To her horror, it was rather badly damaged. The outrigger had broken off, as well as the uprights which held the tapa. “I’m dreadfully sorry!”
    Mr. Sakamaki made light of the matter. Both he and his wife said they were glad Nancy herself was all right. The canoe could be mended.
    The couple persuaded Nancy to practice the hula for another half hour. By this time she had begun to feel at ease in the swaying, relaxing rhythm of the Hawaiian dance. Before saying good-by, she mentioned the damaged canoe once more, offering to pay for the repair work.
    “I shall probably repair it myself,” Mr. Sakamaki said. “Please do not worry any more about it.”
    Nancy heaved a sigh. Smiling, she said, “But because of it, I shall work all the harder to solve the mystery at Kaluakua.”

    The valuable antique toppled from the stand
    She was about to leave the house when Mr. Sakamaki answered the ringing telephone. Upon learning who the caller was, he asked Nancy to wait. He wrote down a message, then hung up and turned to Nancy.
    “That was an answer to my telegram to friends, Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong, in Honolulu. They will meet you at the airport and drive you to Kaluakua.”
    “That was most kind of you,” said Nancy.
    The Hawaiian gave a broad smile. “Mrs. Sakamaki and I thought you should know people in Honolulu on whom you could call in case of trouble. The Armstrongs are our closest friends.”
    “You think of everything,” Nancy said gratefully. “It will be so nice having the Armstrongs meet us.”
    After saying good-by again, she drove directly home. As she pulled into the driveway Nancy was surprised to see the Drews’ housekeeper standing there waiting for her. She looked very pale and Nancy suspected that something had happened.
    “Oh, Hannah, you have bad news?” she asked.
    “I’m afraid so,” the housekeeper replied.

CHAPTER VII
    A Studio Accident
    WORRIED, Nancy stood tensely, waiting for the housekeeper to continue.
    “It’s about your father,” Hannah Gruen began.
    “Oh, has he been hurt?” Nancy cried out fearfully.
    Sympathetically the woman put an arm around the girl’s