The Penny Parker Megapack: 15 Complete Novels (104 page)

“Those same hooks will fit very nicely over the side of the wishing well. I’ve been waiting for a chance to use that ladder, and here it is!”

“Penny! You actually have the courage to climb down into a well?”

“Why not?” Penny laughed. “But it must be tonight while my enthusiasm is bubbling. Meet me at nine o’clock and bring a good flashlight.”

Louise could only stare. “You’re actually serious!”

“Indeed I am,” Penny replied gaily. “Everything is settled. Now let’s slip away from here before Mrs. Marborough sees us.”

CHAPTER 14

NIGHT ADVENTURE

The night, dark and misty, was entirely suitable for the purpose to which the two girls had dedicated it. Dinner over, Penny obtained the unique silken ladder from an attic trunk. Compressing it into a small brief-case, she sauntered through the living room.

“Aren’t you becoming quite studious of late?” Mr. Parker inquired, noting the brief-case tucked under her arm. “Off to the library again?”

“Over to Louise’s house,” Penny corrected vaguely. “From that point on there’s no guarantee.”

“You’ll be home early?”

“I hope so,” Penny answered earnestly. “If for any reason I fail to appear, don’t search in any of the obvious places.”

Leaving her father to ponder over the remark, she hastily quitted the house. A clock chimed nine o’clock as she reached the Sidell house, and a moment later her chum joined her in the yard.

“I had trouble getting away,” Louise reported. “Mother asked a thousand questions.”

“Did you bring the flashlight?”

“Yes, here it is. My, but it’s a dark night!”

“All the better for our purpose,” Penny said cheerfully.

A single light burned in the kitchen window of the Marborough house as the girls presently approached it. The garden was shrouded in damp, wispy mist and the unkempt grounds never had appeared more desolate.

“Penny, must we go through with this?” Louise asked, rapidly losing enthusiasm for the venture.

“I’ll admit the idea doesn’t look quite as attractive as it did this afternoon,” her chum replied. “All the same, I’m going through with it!”

“What can you hope to find down in that well?”

Penny did not answer. Walking ahead of Louise, she noiselessly crossed the yard to the old wishing well. Flashing her light into the circular interior, her courage nearly failed her. However, she gave no indication of it to her companion.

“Better be careful of that light,” Louise warned. “That is, unless you want Mrs. Marborough to come out and catch us.”

Penny switched off the flashlight and thereafter worked in darkness. Taking the silken ladder from its case, she fastened the two iron hooks over the stone ledge. Next, she lowered the ladder into the well, listening until she heard a faint splash in the water below.

“Now you stay here and keep watch,” she instructed briskly. “I’ll be down and back again before you know it!”

“The ladder may break,” Louise said pessimistically, seating herself on the stone ledge of the well. “Silk deteriorates with age, and those braided strands never did look strong.”

“They once held one of Riverview’s most notorious apartment-house burglars,” Penny returned with forced cheerfulness. She climbed over the ledge, gazing down into the dark well. “It’s safe enough—I hope.”

“In case you slip and fall, just what am I to do?”

“That’s your problem,” Penny chuckled. “Now hand me the flashlight. I’m on my way.”

Despite their banter, both girls were tense and worried. By daylight, a descent into the well had seemed to Penny an amusing stunt; but now as she cautiously descended into the damp, circular pit, she felt that for once in her life she had ventured too far.

“What do you see?” Louise called softly from above. “Anything?”

Reminded of the work before her, Penny clung with one hand to the swaying ladder, while with the other she directed the flashlight beam about the circular walls. The sides were cracked in many places and covered with a slimy green moss.

“What do you see, Penny?” Louise called again. “Are any of the bricks loose?”

“Not that I can discover,” Penny answered, and her voice echoed weirdly. Intrigued by the sound she tried an experimental yodel. “Why, it’s just like a cave scene on the radio!”

“In case you’ve forgotten, you’re in a well,” Louise said severely. “Furthermore, if you don’t work fast, Mrs. Marborough will come out here!”

“I have to have a little relaxation,” Penny grumbled.

Descending deeper into the well, she resumed her task of examining the walls. There were no loose bricks, nothing to indicate that anything ever had been hidden in the cavern. Reaching the last rung without realizing it, she stepped not into space, but water.

Surprisingly her foot struck a solid foundation.

Hastily pulling herself back on the ladder, Penny shouted the information to her chum.

“Lou, the water isn’t more than a foot and a half deep! There’s an old boot or something of the sort floating around. You don’t catch me drinking any more of this water. No sir!”

There was no reply from above.

“Louise!” Penny called, flashing her light upward.

“Quiet!” came the whispered response. “I think someone is coming!”

“Mrs. Marborough?” Penny gasped, thoroughly alarmed.

“No! Two men! They’re turning in at the gate!”

Penny began to climb the silken ladder with frantic haste.

“You never can get out without them seeing you!”Louise hissed. “I’m ducking out!”

“Don’t you dare!”

“They’ll see me if I don’t. Stay where you are Penny, and I’ll come back after they go. Oh, the ladder! It’s sure to give you away!”

In the emergency, Penny’s mind worked with rapidity. Lowering herself into the well several rungs, she deliberately stepped into the water. To her relief it came just below her knees.

“Quick! Pull up the ladder!” she instructed.

The two men were so close that Louise dared not obey. Instead she loosed the iron hooks and dropped the ladder into the well. Penny barely was able to catch it and prevent a loud splash.

“Of all the tricks—” she muttered, but Louise did not hear. She had fled into a clump of bushes.

Penny huddled against the slimy wall, listening intently. Thinking that she heard footsteps, she switched out the flashlight.

“This is the place all right,” a masculine voice said. “Wonder if the old lady is at home?”

“There’s a light showing.”

The voices faded away, and Penny drew a deep sigh of relief. Impatiently she waited for Louise to come to her aid. After several minutes she realized why her chum delayed, for she again heard voices.

“The old lady must be inside the house. Funny she wouldn’t come to the door. They say she’s a queer one though.”

To Penny’s discomfort, the two men paused by the wishing well.

“Want a drink?” she heard one ask.

The voices seemed faintly familiar to Penny and suddenly it dawned upon her that the two men were Mr. Coaten and his Texas friend. However, she could think of no reason why they should call upon Mrs. Marborough. Her reflection came to an abrupt end, as the well bucket splashed into the water beside her.

Suppressing a giggle, she groped for the old boot which floated nearby. Dropping it into the bucket, she watched as it was raised to the surface. A moment later she heard an exclamation of wrath from above.

“See what I’ve drawn up!” one of the men muttered. “These old wells must be filled with filth!”

Penny hoped that the strangers would immediately depart, but instead they loitered by the well, talking.

“We’ve been wasting entirely too much time in this,” remarked the man whom she took to be Mr. Coaten. “Suppose we were to offer Ted a hundred dollars to sign the paper. Would he do it?”

“I think he might, but the girl is the one who’ll make trouble. She’s shrewd.”

“We’ll get around her somehow,” the other said gruffly. “This thing can’t drag on forever. I have work waiting for me in Texas.”

The voices gradually died away and Penny heard no more. However, from the snatch of conversation, she was convinced that Rhoda’s suspicions regarding the Texas strangers had been well founded. But what had brought the two men to Riverview?

“If Rhoda or Ted own property, I could understand why it would be desirable to adopt them,” she thought. “As it is, the thing doesn’t make sense.”

To keep from freezing, Penny gingerly waded around and around in the well. It seemed ages before Louise thrust her head over the ledge and called softly:

“Are you still there, pet?”

“I’m frozen into one big icicle!” Penny retorted. “Get me out of here.”

Instructing her chum to lower the bucket, Penny fastened the silken ladder to the handle. Louise hauled it up, and again hooked the irons to the ledge of the well.

Stiffly, Penny climbed toward the surface. She had nearly reached the top when the beam of light chanced to play across a section of brick which hitherto had escaped her notice. Halting, she traced with her finger a rectangular pattern on the wall.

“That’s not an ordinary crack!” she thought. “It might be an old opening which has been bricked up!”

“Are you coming?” Louise called impatiently.

“I am,” said Penny, emerging from the well. “And don’t you dare say that this night has been a failure. I’ve just made a most astounding discovery!”

CHAPTER 15

OLD BOTTLES

Penny’s startling appearance rather than her words made the deepest impression upon Louise. The girl’s shoes and stockings were wet, her clothing was smeared with green slime, and strings of moss clung to her hair.

“You look like Father Neptune emerging from the briny deep,” she chuckled.

“I’m freezing to death,” Penny chattered. “Come on, we’re going home!”

Louise hauled up the silken ladder from the well. Squeezing out the water, she compressed it into the carrying case.

“What were you saying about a discovery?” she inquired belatedly.

“Oh, nothing of consequence,” Penny answered, pounding her hands together to restore circulation. “Merely an opening in the side of the well. It probably leads into a tunnel.”

“Penny! Are you sure?”

“I’m not sure of anything except that I’m going home!” Penny replied crossly.

She started across the lawn with her chum hurrying after her.

“Oh, Penny, I’m terribly sorry,” Louise said contritely. “I know you had an awful time down in the well. But it wasn’t my fault those two men arrived just when they did.”

“Who were they?” Penny asked, mollified by the apology. “From their voices I took them to be Mr. Coaten and his friend.”

“That’s who they were. But, I can’t imagine why they came to see Mrs. Marborough. Anyway, they didn’t get into the house.”

“Lou, I heard those men talking while I was down in the well,” Penny revealed. “I’m sure they’re dishonest. They want Ted and Rhoda to sign something over to them.”

“But Rhoda said she and her brother have no property.”

“I know,” Penny frowned. “I can’t make head nor tail of the situation. I’m too miserable to think about anything now.”

Pausing beside a tree, she removed one of her shoes. After pouring a little water from it, she replaced it and went through a similar procedure with the other shoe.

“Please tell me what else you learned while in the well,” Louise pleaded. “Haven’t I been punished enough?”

Her good humor restored, Penny grinned amiably. “To tell you the truth, Lou, I’m not sure whether I found anything or not.”

“But you said—”

“I know. Just as I reached the top of the well I noticed a section of brick wall which seemed to be cracked in the exact shape of a rectangle.”

“Was that all?” Louise asked in disappointment.

“I didn’t even take time to examine the place. I felt so disgusted,” Penny resumed. “However, I believe that if one were able to remove those loose bricks, an opening might be found behind them.”

“Where something may be hidden?”

“It’s possible.”

“How could one remove the bricks without hiring a workman?” Louise asked after a moment.

“If they are as loose as I think they are, I might be able to get them out myself. Not tonight though.”

Penny felt in no mood to discuss future possibilities or even to consider them. Already cold, the misty air added to her physical discomfort.

“Better get a hot shower and go to bed,” Louise advised as they finally reached the Parker home. “We’ll talk things over in the morning.”

Not desiring to attract attention to herself, Penny entered the house by a side door. To her discomfiture, Mrs. Weems, who chanced to be getting a drink in the kitchen, saw the disheveled clothing.

“Why, Penny Parker!” she exclaimed. “What have you done to yourself?”