Not only is it Nancy Drewsday, but it’s also Aunt and Uncle’s Day, so let’s give a shout out to Miss Eloise Drew – Carson Drew’s schoolteacher sister. Nancy loves spending time with Aunt Eloise, whether it’s in her New York apartment or some other fabulous location, like a rented cottage on Mirror Bay. Despite the mysterious goings-on – and possible brain injuries – that follow in Nancy’s wake, Aunt Eloise always remains calm. And never calls a doctor. Or the police!
In The Secret of Mirror Bay, for instance, Nancy and George see an elderly woman go under the water, then fail to resurface. Together, they bring her up, tow her to the beach, and give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
There were anxious moments as the girls took turns giving the victim artificial respiration…When the stranger suddenly took a deep natural breath they all sighed in relief…The first-aid treatment was continued until the victim was breathing normally again. Her eyelids fluttered open but instantly closed…They watched the woman intently to see if she would show any signs of going into shock. She did not seem to; instead, she fell into a deep exhausted sleep.
“We can take turns watching her,” Nancy said. “In the meantime, let’s get dressed and have breakfast.”
The woman slept peacefully and Miss Drew thought it was not necessary to call a doctor.
Alrighty, then…
Breakfast over, the girls did the necessary housework…They went out to the porch and were just in time to see the near-drowning victim open her eyes and keep them open. She looked from one face to another in bewilderment.
Everyone smiled at her and Aunt Eloise said, “You’re all right now. You had a nice long nap…Would you like some toast and tea?”
That night, Aunt Eloise and the girls go hiking. After hearing a threatening voice, Nancy, George and Aunt Eloise forge ahead on the trail, but Bess is too scared to move.
She was suddenly grabbed from behind and a strong hand clapped over her mouth…. Her abductor began to drag her down the mountain. Since there had been no outcry, Bess’s friends were unaware of the girl’s plight. A few moments later, however, Nancy heard scraping sounds behind her…
Nancy whispered worriedly, “I think someone has kidnapped Bess! Those scraping sounds are being made by her heels as she’s dragged down the mountain!”
The searchers turned on their flashlights and hurriedly followed the sounds…In a few moments Nancy saw Bess ahead of them. A masked figure was clutching her around the arms and had a hand clapped over her mouth.
“Stop that!” Aunt Eloise shouted, running as fast as she could over the uneven ground.
At once Bess’s captor dropped her, turned, and ran pell-mell down the hill.
But wait. Before you go giving Aunt Eloise a high-five, read on…
The group discussed whether or not Bess’s near abduction was cause for getting in touch with the authorities that night, but after discussing it several minutes they decided to let the incident pass temporarily.
“Let’s make up our minds tomorrow morning,” Aunt Eloise suggested. “I’m sure everyone is exhausted. A good night’s sleep will do each of us a lot of good.”
And then they had dessert.
(Wild strawberry mousse and fluffy sponge cake, if you really want to know.)
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