The Secret of the Old Clock

“Convinced now that the little girl was all right, Nancy said she must leave. ‘Come to see me again soon,’ Judy spoke up. ‘I like you, Nancy. You’re my saving girl.’”

This quote illustrates the aphorism regarding the wisdom that comes out of the mouths of babes. Judy sees Nancy as her personal savior because the teen rescued the child from a fall off a bridge. Little does Judy know that Nancy is everybody’s “saving girl,” both in this novel and in the series as a whole.

“‘He’ll understand why you’re taking a special interest in this case. Will you do it? Please!’ ‘I know you like to help people who are in trouble,’ her father said. ‘I suppose I could invite Mr. Rolsted to have lunch with me tomorrow.’”

This quote pairs with the preceding one because it once more illustrates the degree to which Nancy likes saving people. Her father is well aware of her tendency to take on crusades. Again, given the era, his respect for his daughter is remarkable. He doesn’t dismiss her desire to help as feminine sentimentality, nor does he discourage her pursuit of justice. He quietly helps further her investigation.

“‘Oh!’ Isabel cried out. ‘Now you’ve done it! We’d better get out of here, Ada!’ ‘And why?’ her haughty sister shrilled. ‘It was Nancy Drew’s fault! She’s always making trouble.’”

The Topham sisters initiate an altercation with Nancy in a dress shop, and Ada ends up tearing a gown. The response of both sisters to this accident demonstrates a lack of character. Isabel wants to run away before the salesgirl discovers the ruined merchandise. Ada deflects blame by saying that the incident is Nancy’s fault. Her choice of words is ironically accurate. Nancy will indeed make trouble—but only for the Tophams and other wrongdoers.

“Nancy was tempted to tell Allison that she had been planning to call, but she decided not to mention it at the moment. It might be better to do her sleuthing more subtly.”

After the rainstorm, Nancy accidentally takes shelter in the Hoover barn, not knowing that this is her destination. Despite her impetuous behavior at other points in the story, Nancy is careful about her detective work. She prefers not to reveal her intentions too quickly. The quote also reveals just how seriously she takes her investigation.

“She arranged for a meeting the following afternoon at four o’clock and left Signor Mascagni’s house in an excited mood. ‘Maybe I’m going way out on a limb,’ Nancy mused, ‘but this is another one of those hunches of mine that Dad talks about, and I must carry through.’”

Nancy has just arranged an audition for Allison, not knowing if the girl will meet with Signor Mascagni’s approval. However, Nancy trusts her instincts. This is another demonstration of her intuition. Not only does she trust herself, but (as this quote reveals) her father values her hunches too. Again, this level of respect for “feminine” intuition by either father or daughter would have been rare for its era.

“‘He’ll consider taking you as a pupil—that is, after we find the money for voice lessons.’ Allison was too dumfounded to speak, but Grace cried out, ‘Oh, Nancy, what are you going to do next? We’ve known you only twenty-four hours and you’ve already boosted our morale sky-high.’”

Nancy has just announced her plan to help Allison fulfill her lifelong dream. For all the beneficiaries of Josiah’s will, she functions in a similar capacity. The teen detective not only solves the case but offers a better future to all the people involved. She appears like a deus ex machina to restore order to the world by punishing the guilty and rewarding the innocent.

“She had distinctly heard Isabel say—‘the will.’ In a flash Nancy’s detective instincts were aroused and her heart pounded excitedly. ‘It must be Josiah Crowley’s will they’re talking about,’ she reasoned.”

Nancy has just overheard a conversation between the greedy Topham sisters. At many points in the story, the author uses words like “intuition,” “hunch,” or “instincts” to describe Nancy’s abilities as a detective. The Nancy Drew books aren’t police procedurals. While Nancy does her fair share of fact-finding, many of her striking conclusions are the result of intuition. Her rejection of logic as the only way to solve a crime increases her effectiveness as a sleuth.

“Detective work isn’t always the safest occupation in which to engage. I happen to know that Richard Topham is an unpleasant man when crossed. If you do find out anything which may frustrate him, the entire Topham family could make things extremely difficult for you.”

Mr. Drew cautions his daughter about tangling with the Tophams. His assessment of their behavior is realistic. However, he tellingly doesn’t try to shield his daughter from harsh realities or discourage her from engaging in battle with her adversaries. As stated previously, this reaction is largely at odds with the paternalistic values of American culture at the time the book was written.

“‘I’m not afraid of them, Dad.’ ‘Good!’ Mr. Drew exclaimed. ‘I was hoping you would say that. I’m glad you have the courage of your convictions, but I didn’t want you to march off into battle without a knowledge of what you might be up against.’”

This quote is Nancy’s response to the preceding quote’s cautionary message. It reveals the detective’s refusal to run from a fight. At the same time, it illustrates her father’s confidence in Nancy and his approval of her forthright approach. His intention isn’t to frighten or discourage her but to prepare her to better tackle the sort of evildoers she hasn’t had to deal with before.

“‘It’s strange that he didn’t provide for you in his will,’ Nancy replied quietly. She did not wish to excite the woman by telling her real mission. Yet Nancy hoped that she might lead her tactfully into a discussion of Josiah Crowley’s affairs without raising hopes which might never be realized.”

Nancy is trying to elicit information from old Abby Rowen without either frightening her or getting her hopes up. She used a similar tactic with the Hoovers earlier in the novel. While Nancy is only 18 and tends to be impetuous, she shows remarkable restraint when questioning people to gather information for her investigation.

“‘Keep the change for your charity.’ His daughters gasped and his wife exclaimed, ‘Richard! Have you lost your senses? All that money!’ ‘Listen,’ Mr. Topham retorted bluntly. ‘This donation will entitle us to have our names on the programs as patrons.’”

Nancy has just sold charity ball tickets to the Topham family. The quote reveals the characters of both Mr. and Mrs. Topham. Mrs. Topham is obsessed with hoarding every penny. She kept an eye on old Josiah, jealously fearful that he might leave his wealth to someone else. Her husband is greedy in a different sort of way. He’s willing to exchange cash for social prestige. The thought of donating to charity for the sake of a good cause is lost on him.

“Though Nancy was able to change a tire, she never relished the task. Quickly she took out the spare tire from the rear compartment, found the jack and lug wrench, and went to work. By the time her job was completed, she was hot and a little breathless.”

On the way to Moon Lake, Nancy’s car gets a flat tire. The above passage is described in matter-of-fact detail. Nancy knows how to solve the problem and goes about doing so with minimal fuss. The stereotype of a “helpless female” standing by the roadside waiting for male rescue doesn’t apply here. The worst that can be said is that Nancy is slightly out of breath at the end of the process. While this is hardly the conventional behavior of a traditional damsel in distress, it’s a positive role model for teenage girls.

“‘To occupy her mind, Nancy concentrated once more on the motor. Determinedly she bent over the engine. It was not until the sun sank low in the sky that she sat up and drew a long breath. ‘There!’ she declared. ‘I’ve done everything. If it doesn’t start now, it never will.’ To her relief and astonishment, it responded with a steady roar as if nothing had ever gone wrong!”

Nancy has been stranded on the lake for hours by this time, having tried many adjustments to get the motor running again. As in the preceding quote, she doesn’t panic or wait helplessly to be rescued. She simply tries a new approach. Her mechanical aptitude and coolness in a crisis both run contrary to the era’s expectations of feminine frailty.

“‘Well, you’re going to be a lot more nervous,’ the man said threateningly. ‘This will be the last time you’ll ever stick your nose in business that doesn’t concern you!’ A fresh wave of fright swept over Nancy, but resolutely she held on to her courage. ‘You have no right to be here.’”

The thieves have just discovered Nancy in the Topham cottage. This quote reveals that Nancy isn’t fearless. She feels the same anxious emotions that anyone would when faced with a dangerous situation. The burglar’s threat implies that she won’t survive the experience. Nevertheless, Nancy summons enough courage to push back. Her fears are only temporary, while her courage is a basic character trait.

“As despondency claimed Nancy, she was dangerously near tears. ‘This will never do,’ she reprimanded herself sternly. ‘I must keep my head and try to think of some way to escape.’ The trapped girl began to rummage in the closet, hoping that by some lucky chance she might find a tool which would help her force the lock of the door.”

While the preceding quote describes Nancy’s momentary fear, this quote reveals her capacity to lapse into despair. Once again, she refuses to let her negative emotions take control. Instead, she focuses on constructive action to get out of her dilemma. Waiting to be rescued isn’t an option that she’d entertain for long.

“Once more she threw her weight against the rod. A hinge tore from the casing and the door sagged. It was now easy to insert the wedge, and Nancy joyously realized that success would soon be hers. With renewed strength she continued her efforts.”

Nancy finds a wooden clothes bar suspended in the closet that she uses to pry off the door hinges. This quote demonstrates her resourcefulness in finding a useful tool, her strength to detach the rod from the walls, and her persistence in using the rod to break the door open. This episode reinforces the image of the teen detective as clever and determined.

“‘Those thieves think Jeff and I are still locked up and won’t suspect they’re being followed,’ she assured herself. Smiling, she thought hopefully, ‘In that case they won’t be on their guard!’”

Nancy has just escaped from her prison and is again pursuing the thieves. Aside from her occasional impatience, another defining trait is her optimism. While a different person might still be reeling from the ordeal of being left to die in an abandoned house, Nancy remains focused on completing her mission. She’s determined to bring the thieves to justice and doesn’t have time to worry about past dangers or near brushes with death.

“She was about to make a dash for her car when a sudden thought occurred to her. ‘If the gang have parked their van in the barn, now’s my chance to look for the Crowley clock’ [...] Hastily she snatched a flashlight from the compartment, since it was now dark outside.”

The teen detective has discovered that the thieves are eating dinner at a small inn. Although she intends to call the police, her first instinct is to solve the mystery. This puts her at greater risk since the men might emerge from the building at any time. Given her recent encounter with the thieves, Nancy has little reason to think they’ll let her go if she’s captured again. Despite the risk, she grabs a flashlight and goes to find the clock without hesitation.

“After a vain attempt to remove the heavy cardboard face with her fingers, Nancy took a small screwdriver from the glove compartment. With the tool it required but an instant to remove the two hands of the clock and jerk off the face. As the cardboard fell to the floor, Nancy peered inside and gave a low cry of joy.”

Having recovered the clock, Nancy now must figure out what it contains. In her glove compartment, she keeps both a flashlight and a screwdriver. These tools indicate that she’s prepared for emergencies and is capable of handling whatever problems present themselves. Her resourcefulness and determination are once again rewarded when she discovers the secret compartment inside the clock.

“‘It was only by accident that I arrived at the Topham bungalow at the critical moment,’ she protested modestly. ‘Not many girls would have used their wits the way you did,’ the officer observed. ‘Unless I’m mistaken, these fellows are old hands at this game.’”

Nancy has just explained her encounter with the thieves to a State Patrol officer. Rather than chiding her for being reckless or failing to avoid danger, the officer is impressed by Nancy’s problem-solving skills. Like Mr. Drew, this male authority figure seems willing to accord the teen the respect she deserves. His mention of “old hands at this game” also implies that Nancy was facing hardened criminals who might have killed her.

“‘Don’t build your hopes too high,’ Mr. Drew advised her wisely. ‘There may be a slip, you know.’ [...] ‘You can discourage me all you want to, Dad, but I’m not going to stop hoping!’ Nancy said. Her father laughed. ‘You’re an incurable optimist.’”

Mr. Drew and Nancy have this conversation the night before they check the contents of Josiah’s safe-deposit box. Nancy is already anticipating the joy of the will’s beneficiaries, but Mr. Drew represents the voice of experience. In this instance, he’s trying to shield his daughter from disappointment. Not surprisingly, she continues hoping for the best anyway.

“Ada wheeled upon Nancy, her face convulsed with anger. ‘You engineered this whole thing, Nancy Drew!’ she accused bitterly. ‘Any good I’ve done I’m happy about,’ Nancy answered.”

As noted previously, Ada enjoys casting blame on others for her own bad behavior. Now that her family has lost their claim to Josiah’s fortune, she blames Nancy for the Tophams’ ruin. Ada fails to consider that her father made bad business decisions, leading to bankruptcy, and her mother attempted to prevent Josiah from writing a new will. Fortunately, Nancy remains unfazed by Ada’s rebuke.

“‘Oh, this is so wonderful!’ she said. Then she chuckled. ‘It does my heart good to know you outwitted those uppity Topham women!’ Nancy grinned, then said soberly, ‘If I hadn’t become involved in this mystery, I might never have met several wonderful people—and their names aren’t Topham!’”

Abby has just received the happy news that she’ll receive a share of Josiah’s fortune. She uses the word “wonderful” to describe her windfall and couples that pleasant development with the downfall of the greedy Tophams. Nancy also uses “wonderful” in a reverse sense. While the Tophams can hardly be described as wonderful, they’re the reason the teen detective met Josiah’s deserving heirs.