"NANCY DREW began peeling off her garden gloves as she ran up the porch steps and into the hall to answer the ringing telephone. She picked it up and said, "Hello!" "Hi, Nancy! This is Helen." Although Helen Corning was nearly three years older than Nancy, the two girls were close friends. "Are you tied up on a case?" Helen asked. "No. What's up? A mystery?" "Yes--a haunted house."