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teased.
    Nancy laughed. “Do you sell them?” she countered.
    “Oh sure. To the police,” the jeweler replied with a grin.
    Nancy took the bracelet from her purse. “Mr. Stone, could you trace this coat of arms?”
    The jeweler held the bracelet toward the window to get a better look at the heraldic design on the shield. As he did, Nancy noticed a large woman in a pink butterfly print dress looking through the plate-glass window
    “Just a moment,” Nancy said quickly to Mr. Stone. “Is there some other place—”
    The jeweler understood at once. “Another mystery?” he asked.
    When Nancy nodded, he motioned to a private office at the back of the store. Once again Mr. Stone examined the bracelet. “This was made in Victorian times,” he announced. “I doubt if it was designed around here. Hmm, an attractive coat of arms. Three mullets dexter and a Maltese cross sinister; crest, a falcon’s head embattled, with the motto ‘Esse quam videre.’
    “Every authentic coat of arms is a matter of record,” Mr. Stone explained. “It will take time, but we will be able to trace the family, if not the individual owner. May I keep the bracelet temporarily?”
    Nancy hesitated. “It doesn’t belong to me,” she said. “Could you make a copy of the crest?”
    “Certainly. Please take a seat.” Mr. Stone excused himself and went out. In fifteen minutes he returned, gave the bracelet to Nancy, and said he would send the tracing to Mr. Abelard de Gotha, an expert on coats of arms.
    “Thank you. I’ll stop by in a couple of days to see if you’ve heard about it,” Nancy said.
    As the young detective left the store her thoughts turned to the sick woman who had given the bracelet to Dr. Spire.
    “I wonder who she is, poor thing.”
    At the corner Nancy waited with a group of people for the light to change. As the walk signal came on, someone pushed roughly past her and darted out into the street. Nancy recognized the pink butterfly print dress and at the same moment realized that her arm felt strangely light.
    “My handbag!” Nancy gasped. “It’s gone!”
    The woman was hurrying ahead of the crowd. Nancy was sure she had stolen the bag and sprinted after her.
    “Stop!” Nancy shouted, but the woman broke into a run.
    Nancy put on a spurt of speed and caught up to her on the far sidewalk. “Give me back my—”
    The big woman whirled and gave Nancy a powerful push that sent her reeling. She fell backward off the curb!

CHAPTER IV
    Frightened Grandparents
    SEVERAL quick-acting pedestrians caught Nancy just before she hit the pavement.
    “Are you hurt?” exclaimed a middle-aged woman as she helped the girl to her feet. “I saw that awful woman push you. Were you trying to catch her?”
    Nancy took a deep breath and said, “Yes. She stole my purse,” then added, “I’m all right. Thanks so much.”
    Suddenly Nancy spotted the thief hurrying into Brent’s Department Store down the street. She dashed after her and hastened through the revolving doors.
    Looking around quickly, Nancy saw a flash of pink near the bank of elevators. By the time she reached them, the woman had gone up in one of the cars.
    Nancy darted to the nearby escalator and rushed up, two steps at a time. On the second floor she sped to the elevators but saw by the indicator light that the car she wanted had already left. The woman was not in sight.
    “What luck!” Nancy murmured, darting back to the escalator.
    A few moments later she arrived breathless on the third floor. As Nancy looked toward the elevator, the door was starting to close. No one was inside. The woman she was after must have stepped off here!
    “May I help you?” asked a salesgirl. “We have some lovely—”
    “No, no!” Nancy panted. “I’m after a thief! A woman in a pink print dress. Did you see her get off the elevator?”
    The girl’s eyes grew wide. “A thief!” she exclaimed. “Why, yes, I did see her, but I don’t know where she went. What did she