The Secret of the Old Clock

The Secret of the Old Clock

A clever young amateur detective pursues clues regarding an elderly man’s disputed estate. Rumors circulate that, contrary to the popular will favoring a despised high‐falutin family, the man secretly drafted a later will that would benefit long‐overlooked relatives and friends. The case is complicated by the fact that this eccentric man had always behaved in unpredictable ways, and many believe his final testament was hidden away. Early investigations reveal that a number of his close acquaintances—neighbors who once cared for him and relatives who endured neglect—expected a rightful share. As the detective listens to conversations and gathers hints from everyday encounters, she becomes convinced that a vital document is concealed in an old family clock. Her quest leads her through perilous adventures: she evades suspicious characters; faces down dangerous miscreants who try to steal her findings; and endures tense car chases, narrow escapes, and even an encounter with a gang of robbers at a remote lakeside estate. In one harrowing incident, she is locked in a closet by criminals but ultimately outsmarts them and recovers a treasured, battered timepiece that holds the key to unlocking the truth. After a series of investigative leaps—including covert surveillance, daring maneuvers to retrieve the clock from a locked moving van, and a desperate drive to a bank—the detective and her attorney father secure a court order to open a safety deposit box rented under an assumed name. Inside, they retrieve a document that confirms a second will exists. This later will, written in the man’s unmistakably cramped hand, meticulously divides his considerable fortune among those who truly cared for him: a generous sum is set aside for two kindhearted young women, another large bequest is designated for his long‐time caretaker, and modest amounts are allocated to other deserving relatives. Meanwhile, the unscrupulous family that had earlier manipulated circumstances to secure his money is left empty‐handed. When the truth is finally revealed at a family meeting—attended by both the sympathetic relatives and the embittered, scandalized heirs—the hidden will undermines the favored party’s claim. Despite bitter denials and angry assertions that the document is fraudulent, the legal evidence is irrefutable. The genuine beneficiaries are able to obtain immediate access to funds, while the impudent family finds themselves facing financial ruin. In the aftermath, the detective reflects on the risks taken during her perilous adventure—risks that have not only secured justice for the neglected but have also marked the beginning of a promising career in solving mysteries. The treasured clock, once a mere heirloom concealing a vital notebook, becomes for her a lasting token of her first triumphant case and a portent of even more exciting investigations yet to come.

By Carolyn Keene · First published 1930 · Genre: Mystery, Juvenile Fiction, Adventure · 25 chapters

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