Free The Whispering Statue by Carolyn Keene Page A

white casting cement. But I must say it’s one of the finest reproductions I’ve ever seen.”
    “Do you think it was made in this country?” Mr. Ayer asked.
    Mr. Holden said there was no way of being sure, but he suspected that it had been made in the United States. “I think this is powdered Vermont marble.”
    Nancy spoke up. “Can you give us any clue about how we might find out who the sculptor was?”
    “That depends on whether or not the person who made the piece wanted to keep his identity a secret. Most sculptors and makers of reproductions put a mark on the base of the statue. Let’s turn this lady on her side and take a look.”
    “Let’s hope it hasn’t been cemented down,” Nancy remarked.
    She was relieved to find this had not been done yet. The statue was tipped over and gently laid on the lawn. Everyone peered at the base.
    “I see something!” Nancy exclaimed. “It’s very faint, but it says M De K!”

CHAPTER XII
    Unexpected Clue
    BESS and George also stared at the initials on the base of the statue. “M De K!” they exclaimed, recalling what Nancy had told them about the notation in Mr. Basswood’s office.
    Turning to Mr. Holden, Nancy asked, “Do you know a sculptor with the initials M De K?”
    “No, but I can look up this person in my directory of painters and sculptors. I’ll do it as soon as I get back to New York and I’ll let you know.”
    The statue was set in place again. As Mr. Holden walked back to the clubhouse with the girls and Mr. Ayer, he offered to consult various trade journals to find out who had sold the original whispering statue.
    “Also who purchased it, and what the price was. But don’t get your hopes up too high,” he warned. “I’m inclined to think it was a secret deal and not reported because the whispering statue was stolen. Later I’ll take some measurements of this reproduction. These will be the same size as the original.”
    “How can that be?” Bess spoke up.
    Mr. Holden explained that the rubbery material a sculptor brushes over the original work produces a skin-tight mold. “The cast which is made from the mold is therefore the same size as the original.
    “And I would say that the patina of the stolen statue—meaning its surface color—would be somewhat different from that of the lady out on the lawn, even though the reproduction is an excellent one.”
    George asked, “Mr. Holden, could the thief have sold the original statue at such a high price he became worried and tried to ward off suspicion by having a reproduction made to try to fool people?”
    “Oh yes,” the sculptor replied. “I would say that the original was worth many thousands of dollars.”
    “Hypers!” George burst out. Then she said, “I wonder if this M De K is in league with the thief —or if he was just paid to do a job without knowing the reason.”
    Mr. Ayer looked at the girls and smiled. “I expect Debbie Lynbrook and her friends to find that out.”
    Mr. Holden proved to be a fascinating companion and related many interesting and amusing stories about his work.
    “I think my worst subject was a small boy whose mother wanted a statue of her little darling. But the boy couldn’t sit still for more than fifteen seconds at a time. He seemed scared to death of me every time I came near him with a tape measure. Finally I gave up and just took a lot of pictures of him.”
    The girls laughed and George asked, “How did it all work out? Did you make the statue?”
    “Oh yes,” Mr. Holden answered. “But I had to charge the mother a rather high price for all the extra time it took.”
    During a slight lull in the conversation, Nancy asked the sculptor if he would stop at Basswood’s Art and Bookshop the following morning.
    “I’d like you to look over the statues and statuettes and see if they’re fairly priced.”
    “I’ll be glad to,” Mr. Holden promised. “Since I’ll be going through the town on my way home, I’ll drive you