Chapter 5
John Williams put on his heavy chore jacket and boots. The storm was raging outside and he needed to check his animals. It was late but both he and his wife were up, watching the storm.
"I'll be back in a few minutes," he told his wife Liz Williams and he stepped out the door. The strong wind whipped show in his face and bit at his exposed skin. The snow was drifting higher and higher as the storm raged on. When he came to the barn door, he frowned - he was sure that he had locked the door when he had checked his animals several hours ago. He shrugged, thinking that maybe he had been mistaken, and entered.
He could hear his animals moving around restlessly. He flicked on a light and began walking around, checking the animals. He stopped when he saw a boot on the ground. The first thing that crossed his mind was that he had left a pair of his boots in the barn, then, he realized that he didn't own a pair like that. Slowly and cautiously, he moved closer and gaped at what he saw – a man was lying very still on the floor beside the manger.
The farmer was frozen in place, staring at the mystery man. Then he warily advanced to the man's side and reached out a hand to touch the man's neck. He jerked his hand away, shocked at how cold he was. He thought for a minute that the man was dead, but when he reached out again and touched the neck, he discovered a pulse. He held his hand over the man's nose and mouth and could detect a faint breath. At least the man was breathing.
The farmed knew that he had to get this man inside the house and get him warmed up or he'd die. He gently maneuvered so he could get the man over his shoulder. He carefully stepped out into the storm and made his way to the house as fast as he could, knowing it was life or death for this man.
"John! What's going on?" Liz Williams exclaimed, seeing the unconscious man over her husband's shoulder.
"Found him in the barn. He's soaked to the skin. Run ahead and open the door to the spare room!"
John Williams followed his wife as she ran and flung open the door to the spare room. She helped her husband lay the stranger on the bed.
"Quick, help me pull off his clothes!" John ordered. A pile of soaked clothing quickly began to accumulate in a corner of the bedroom. Liz Williams found a pair of shorts and handed them to her husband while she went to get some heavy blankets. John Williams took the blankets then Liz went to the bathroom to fill some hot water bottles.
"He's so cold," Liz Williams shivered as she placed the hot water bottles, which were wrapped in towels, under the blankets.
John pulled a wallet out of one of the pockets of the soaked trousers. "Huh, says here his name is Fenton Hardy. Hey! Fenton Hardy! He's that detective who solved that bank robbery case last week!"
"That's right! It is him!" Liz exclaimed, studying the pale face. "I sure hope he pulls through."
"So do I."
In the Hardy home, at the corner of High and Elms streets, the Hardy family slept…