The Secret of the Old Clock · Chapter
A Reward explained
Months after the Crowley will reading, Nancy learns the Tophams are bankrupt and moving to a small house.
What happens
Months after the Crowley will reading, Nancy learns the Tophams are bankrupt and moving to a small house. She visits the Horner sisters, who have transformed their farm into a thriving chicken business. They offer her a reward for finding the will, but Nancy asks only for the old Crowley clock, which she treasures as a memento of her first detective adventure.
Themes in this chapter
Greed vs. Generosity
The Tophams' greed for the Crowley fortune leads to their bankruptcy, while the Horner sisters generously offer Nancy a reward, which she modestly declines in favor of the clock.
Family and Loyalty
The Horner sisters work together to build a successful farm, and Nancy's loyalty to them is rewarded with the clock.
Mystery and Detection
Nancy reflects on her first detective adventure and treasures the clock as a symbol of her investigative work, hinting at future mysteries.
Characters to notice
- Nancy Drew
Visits the Horner sisters and requests the Crowley clock as a reward.
- Carson Drew
Informs Nancy of the Tophams' bankruptcy and suggests the Horners may reward her.
- Grace Horner
Welcomes Nancy and gives her the Crowley clock as a reward.
- Allie Horner
Shows Nancy the new chicken farm improvements and insists on giving a reward.
- Richard Topham
Mentioned as having lost money in the stock market and forced to give up the family home.
Key passages
““I suppose you’ve heard about the Tophams,” Carson Drew remarked to his daughter, one morning some months after the reading of the Crowley will.”
Carson Drew asks Nancy if she knows about the Tophams' situation, months after the will was read.
Sets the scene for the Tophams' downfall.
““Just the old Crowley clock—that’s all I care for. And if you particularly want it yourself—” “Oh, goodness, no,” Grace assured her quickly. “It doesn’t keep particularly good time and we have more heirlooms now than we know what to do with.””
Nancy asks only for the Crowley clock, and Grace gladly gives it, saying it's not a proper reward.
Nancy's modest request and the Horners' willingness to part with the clock.
““I’ll always prize this clock as a trophy of my first venture as a detective,” she said quietly, turning to Allie and Grace. “It will serve as a pleasant reminder of a thrilling adventure—and, who knows? perhaps as a promise for the future!””
Nancy values the clock as a memento of her first case and hints at future mysteries.
Nancy's sentimental attachment and foreshadowing of the next book.