The Penny Parker Megapack: 15 Complete Novels (100 page)

“Information certainly travels fast,” she commented. “I suppose Jay Franklin must have peddled the story the minute he reached town.”

“Yes, he called at the
Star
office to report he had found a stone similar to the one unearthed at the Gleason farm,” Mr. Parker nodded.

“
He
found it!” Penny cried indignantly. “Oh, I knew that old publicity seeker would steal all the credit! Louise and I discovered that rock, and I hope you say so in the
Star
.”

“Franklin let it drop that he will offer the stone to the museum for five hundred dollars.”

“Well, of all the cheap tricks!” Penny exclaimed, her indignation mounting. “He bought that rock for two dollars, pretending he meant to give it to the museum. Just wait until Mrs. Marborough hears about it!”

“Suppose you tell me the facts,” Mr. Parker invited.

Penny obligingly revealed how she had found the rock by stumbling against it in descending a steep path to the river. Upon learning of the transaction which Jay Franklin had concluded with Mrs. Marborough, Mr. Parker smiled ruefully.

“Franklin always did have a special talent for making money the easy way,” he declared. “I’ll be sorry to see him cheat the museum.”

“Dad, you don’t think Mr. Kaleman will be foolish enough to pay money for that rock?” Penny asked in dismay.

“I am afraid he may. He seems convinced that the Gleason stone is a genuine specimen.”

“You still believe the writing to be faked?”

“I do,” Mr. Parker responded. “I’ll stake my reputation upon it! I said as much to Jay Franklin today and he rather pointedly hinted that he would appreciate having me keep my theories entirely to myself.”

“I guess he doesn’t understand you very well,”Penny smiled. “Now you’ll be more determined than ever to expose the hoax—if hoax it is.”

Mr. Franklin’s action thoroughly annoyed her for she felt that he had deliberately deceived Mrs. Marborough. Wishing to tell Louise Sidell what he had done, she immediately telephoned her chum.

“I’ve learned something you’ll want to hear,” she disclosed. “No, I can’t tell you over the ’phone. Meet me directly after dinner. We might go for a sail on the river.”

The previous summer Mr. Parker had purchased a small sailboat which he kept at a summer camp on the river. Occasionally he enjoyed an outing, but work occupied so much of his time that his daughter and her friends derived far more enjoyment from the craft than he did.

Louise accepted the invitation with alacrity, and later that evening, driving to the river with Penny, listened indignantly to a colored account of how Jay Franklin would profit at the widow’s expense. She agreed with her chum that he had acted dishonestly in trying to sell the stone.

“Perhaps Mrs. Marborough can claim ownership even now,” she suggested thoughtfully.

“Not without a lawsuit,” Penny offered as her opinion. “She sold the rock to Mr. Franklin for two dollars. Remember his final words: ‘Now I am the owner of the stone.’ Oh, he intended to trick her even then!”

The car turned into a private dirt road and soon halted beside a cabin of logs. A cool breeze came from the river, but the girls were prepared for it, having worn warm slack suits.

“It’s a grand night to sail,” Penny declared, leading the way to the boathouse. “We should get as far as the Marborough place if the breeze holds.”

Launching the dinghy, Louise raised the sail while her chum took charge of the tiller. As the canvas filled, the boat heeled slightly and began to pick up speed.

“Now use discretion,” Louise warned as the dinghy tilted farther and farther sideways. “It’s all very well to sail on the bias, but I prefer not to get a ducking!”

During the trip up the river the girls were kept too busy to enjoy the beauty of the night. However, as the boat approached Truman Crocker’s shack, the breeze suddenly died, barely providing steerage way. Holding the tiller by the pressure of her knee, Penny slumped into a half-reclining position.

“Want me to steer for awhile?” Louise inquired.

“Not until we turn and start for home. We’ll have the current with us then, which will help, even if the breeze has died.”

Curiously, Penny gazed toward Truman Crocker’s cabin which was entirely dark. High on the hillside stood the old Marborough mansion and there, too, no lights showed.

“Everyone seems to have gone to bed,” she remarked. “It must be late.”

Louise held her watch so that she could read the figures in the bright moonlight and observed that it was only a quarter past ten.

“Anyway, we should be starting for home,” Penny said. “Coming about!”

Louise prepared to lower her head as the boom swung over, but to her surprise the maneuver was not carried through. Instead of turning, the dinghy kept steadily on its course.

“What’s the idea?” she demanded. “Isn’t there enough breeze to carry us around?”

“I was watching that light up on the hill,” Penny explained.

Louise twisted in the seat to look over her shoulder.

“What light, Penny?”

“It’s gone now, but I saw it an instant ago. There it is again!”

Unmistakably, both girls saw the moving light far up the hill. As they watched, it seemed to approach the dark Marborough house, and then receded.

“Probably someone with a lantern,” Louise remarked indifferently.

“But why should anyone be prowling about Mrs. Marborough’s place at this hour?”

“It does seem strange.”

Deliberately, Penny steered the sailboat toward the beach.

“I think we should investigate,” she declared firmly. “Everyone knows Mrs. Marborough lives alone. Someone may be attempting to break into the house!”

CHAPTER 9

MYSTERIOUS PROWLERS

“Oh, Penny, there must be a perfectly good reason for that moving light,” Louise protested as the boat grated on the sand. “You only want an excuse for going to the Marborough place!”

“Perhaps,” her chum acknowledged with a grin. “Jump out and pull us in, will you please?”

“My ankles are nice and dry and I like them that way,” Louise retorted. “If it’s all the same, you do the jumping.”

“All right, I don’t mind—much.” With a laugh, Penny gingerly stepped from the dinghy into shallow water. She pulled the boat farther up onto the shore so that her chum was able to climb out without wetting her feet. Together they furled the sail and removed the steering apparatus which they hid in the nearby bushes.

“I don’t see a light now,” Louise protested after their various tasks had been completed. “Must we climb that steep hill?”

“We must,” Penny declared firmly, taking her by the hand. “Something may be wrong at Mrs. Marborough’s and we ought to find out about it.”

“You just love to investigate things,” Louise accused. “You know as well as I do that there’s not likely to be anything amiss.”

“Someone may be prowling about the grounds! At any rate, my feet are cramped from sitting so long in the boat. We need exercise.”

Finding a trail, the girls climbed it until they were within a hundred yards of the Marborough mansion. Emerging from behind a clump of lilac bushes they suddenly obtained an unobstructed view of the yard.

“There’s the light!” Penny whispered. “See! By the wishing well!”

To their knowledge the girls had made no unusual sound. Yet, apparently the person who prowled in the yard was aware of their approach. As they watched, the lantern was extinguished. Simultaneously, the moon, which had been so bright, moved under a dark cloud.

For several seconds the girls could not see the shadowy figure by the well. When the moon again emerged from behind its shield no one was visible in the yard.

“Whoever was there has hidden!” Penny whispered excitedly. “Louise, after we leave he may attempt to break into the house!”

“What ought we to do?”

“I think we should warn Mrs. Marborough.”

“The house is dark,” Louise said dubiously. “She’s probably in bed.”

“Wouldn’t you want to know about it if someone were prowling about your premises?”

“Yes, of course—but—”

“Then come on,” Penny urged, starting through the tangle of tall grass. “Mrs. Marborough should be very grateful for the warning. It may prevent a burglary.”

In crossing the yard, the girls kept an alert watch of the bushes but could see no one hiding behind them. Nevertheless, they felt certain that the prowler could not have left the grounds.

Penny pounded on the rear door of the Marborough house.

“Not so loud,” Louise warned nervously.

“Mrs. Marborough probably is asleep. I want to awaken her.”

“You will, don’t worry!”

Penny repeated the knock many times, and then was rewarded by the approach of footsteps. The door opened, and Mrs. Marborough, in lace night cap and flannel robe, peered suspiciously at the girls.

“What do you want?” she asked crossly. “Why do you awaken me at such an hour?”

“Don’t you remember us?” Penny said, stepping into the light. “We didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Startle me, fiddlesticks! I am merely annoyed at being awakened from a sound slumber.”

“I’m terribly sorry,” Penny apologized. “We wouldn’t bother you, but we saw someone with a lantern moving about in the yard. We were afraid a burglar might try to break into the house.”

Mrs. Marborough gazed carefully about the yard. “I see no light,” she said stiffly.

“It’s gone now,” Louise admitted. “As we came up from the river, we distinctly saw it near the old wishing well. Penny and I thought that whoever it was hid behind the bushes!”

“You both imagined you saw a light,” the old lady said with biting emphasis. “In any case, I am not afraid of prowlers. My doors have good bolts and I’ll be more than a match for anyone who tries to get inside. Thank you for your interest in my behalf, but really, I am able to look after myself.”

“I’m sorry,” Penny apologized meekly.

“There, your intentions were good,” Mrs. Marborough said in a more kindly tone. “Better go home now and forget it. Young girls shouldn’t be abroad at such a late hour.”

After the door had closed, Penny and Louise slowly retraced their way to the river’s edge.

“Someday I’ll learn never to pay attention to your crazy ideas, Penny Parker,” Louise said, breaking a lengthy silence.

“You saw the light, didn’t you?”

“I thought so, but I’m not sure of anything now. It may have come from the main road.”

“Sorry, but I disagree,” replied Penny. “Oh, well, if Mrs. Marborough wishes to be robbed, I suppose it’s her own affair.”

Launching the dinghy, the girls spread their canvas, and sailing before what wind there was, presently reached the Parker camp. Penny’s father awaited them by the boathouse and helped to haul in the craft.

The girls did not tell Mr. Parker of their little adventure, but the next day at school they discussed it at considerable length. During the night no attempt had been made by anyone to break into the Marborough house. Nevertheless, Penny was unwilling to dismiss the affair as one of her many “mistakes.”

She was still thinking about the affair as she wandered into the library a few minutes before class time. Rhoda Wiegand sat at one of the tables and appeared troubled.

“Hello, Rhoda,” Penny greeted as she searched for a book on the shelf. “You must have an examination coming up from the way you are frowning!”

“Am I?” the older girl asked, smiling. “I was thinking hard. The truth is, I am rather puzzled.”

“I like puzzles, Rhoda. If you have a knotty problem, why not test it on me?”

“I doubt if you can help me with this one, Penny. Do you remember those two Texas men I told you about?”

“Yes, of course.”

“I don’t trust them,” Rhoda said briefly. “Mr. Coaten has offered to adopt Ted and me.”

“Adopt you!” Penny exclaimed. “Is that why they came here?”

“Seemingly, it is. Mr. Coaten wants to become our legal guardian. I can’t understand why he should show such interest in us.”

“I thought the Breens were looking after you and Ted.”

“They took us in because we had no one else. We never were adopted, and the truth is, we’re a financial burden.”

“Is Mr. Coaten an old friend?”

“I never met him until he came to Riverview. He and his friend, Carl Addison, claim they were closely associated with my father. Neither Ted nor I ever heard Papa speak of them when he was alive.”

“It does seem strange they should show such sudden interest in you,” Penny commented thoughtfully. “You have no property they might wish to control?”

“Ted and I haven’t a penny to our names. Papa never owned land, and what cash he had was absorbed by his last sickness.”

“Then perhaps Mr. Coaten really is a friend.”

“I wish I could think so, but I can’t. Penny, I just feel that he has a selfish purpose behind his apparent kindness. It worries me because I can’t figure it out.”