The Penny Parker Megapack: 15 Complete Novels (166 page)

“This flood will be a big story,” Louise acknowledged.

“Big? It’s one of the greatest news stories of the year! And here I am, helpless to send out a single word of copy.”

“You mean that folks outside of the valley don’t know about the flood?” Louise gasped.

“The news went out, but only as a flash. Before we could give any details, our only wire connection was lost.”

“Then the first reporter to get his news out of the valley will have a big story?”

“That’s the size of it,” Penny nodded. “The worst of it is that Dad’s depending upon me.”

“But he can’t expect you to do the impossible. If there are no wire connections it’s not your fault. Anyhow, as soon as one is set up you’ll be able to send your story.”

“Other reporters will be here by that time. Experienced men. Maybe they’ll get the jump on me.”

“I’ll venture they won’t!” Louise said with emphasis. “You’ve never failed yet on a story.”

“This is more than a story, Lou. It’s a great human tragedy. Somehow I don’t feel a bit like a reporter—I just feel bewildered and rather stunned.”

“You’re tired and half sick,” Louise said. She linked arms with Penny and guided her away from the long line of refugees.

“Where to?” she asked after they had wandered for some distance.

“I was starting for the telephone company office when I met you.”

“Why the telephone office?” Louise asked.

“Well, it’s high and dry. I thought that by some chance they might have a wire connection.”

“Then let’s go there by all means,” urged Louise.

Farther down the debris-clogged street the girls came to the telephone company offices. The building, one of the newest and tallest in Delta, had been gutted by the flood. However, the upper floors remained dry and emergency quarters had been established there. Nearly all employees were at their posts.

Penny and Louise pushed their way through the throng of refugees that had taken possession of the lower floor. Climbing the stairs to the telephone offices they asked to see the manager.

“Mr. Nordwall isn’t seeing anyone,” they were informed. “He’s very busy.”

Penny persisted. She explained that her business was urgent and concerned getting a news story through to Riverview. After a long delay she was allowed to talk to the manager, a harassed, over-worked man named Nordwall.

“Please state your case briefly,” he said wearily.

Penny explained again that she wished to get a story of the flood through to her father’s paper, and asked what hope there was.

“Not much, I’m afraid,” the man replied. “We haven’t a single toll line at present.”

“How soon do you expect to get one?”

The manager hesitated, unwilling to commit himself. “By noon we may have one wire west,” he said reluctantly.

Penny asked if she could have first chance at it. Nordwall regretfully shook his head.

“Relief work must come before news.”

“Then there’s no way to get my story out?”

“I suggest that you place your call in the usual way,” Mr. Nordwall instructed. “I’ll tell our Long Distance Chief Operator to put it ahead of everything except relief work messages.”

Penny obeyed the manager’s suggestion. However, she and Louise both knew that there was slight chance the call would go through in time to do any good.

“No use waiting around here,” Penny said gloomily. “The wire won’t even be set up before noon.”

Leaving the telephone building, the girls sloshed back toward the railroad. Suddenly Louise drew Penny’s attention to an airplane flying low overhead. It flew so close to the ground that they could read“United Press,” on the wings.

“Well, it looks as if the news boys are moving in,”Penny observed. “Probably taking photographs of the flood.”

The airplane circled Delta and then vanished eastward. Walking on, the girls met an armed soldier who passed them without a glance.

“The National Guard,” Penny commented. “That means a road is open.”

“And it means that help is here at last!” Louise cried. “Property will be protected now and some order will be established!”

Penny remained silent.

“Aren’t you glad?” Louise demanded, staring at her companion.

“Yes, I’m glad,” Penny said slowly. “I truly am. But the opening of the road means that within a very little while every news service in the country will have men here.”

“And you’ve lost your chance to send an exclusive story to the
Star
.”

“I’ve let Dad down,” Penny admitted. “He depended upon me and I failed him dismally.”

CHAPTER 23

TOLL LINE TO RIVERVIEW

Penny and Louise trudged slowly on toward the railroad tracks. They were too discouraged for much conversation, and avoided speaking of Mrs. Lear or the Burmasters. Sleepy Hollow had been washed away, but no one could tell them what had happened to the unfortunate ones caught in the valley.

“It doesn’t matter now,” Penny said dispiritedly,“but I know who masqueraded as the Headless Horseman. Joe Quigley.”

“The station agent!”

“Yes, he told me about it last night. Of course Mrs. Lear let him use her horse, and no doubt she encouraged him in the idea.”

“They did it to plague the Burmasters?”

“Joe thought he could bring Mr. Burmaster around to his way of thinking about the Huntley Dam.”

“How stupid everyone was,” Louise sighed. “If it hadn’t been for Mrs. Burmaster’s stubbornness, her husband might have given the money to save the dam. Then this dreadful disaster would have been prevented.”

Penny nodded absently. Her gaze was fixed upon a stout man just ahead who wore climbing irons on his heavy shoes. She nudged Louise.

“See that fellow?”

“Why, yes. What about him?”

“I’m sure he’s a telephone lineman. Probably he’s working on the line by the railroad.”

“Probably,” Louise agreed, without much interest.

“Come on,” Penny urged, quickening pace. “Let’s talk to him.”

The girls overtook the workman and fell into step. Penny questioned him and readily learned that he was working close by at the washed-out railroad bridge.

“We’re aiming to shoot a wire across the river,” the man volunteered. “It’s going to be one tough little job.”

“Mind if we go along?” Penny asked eagerly.

“It’s okay with me,” the telephone man consented. “Hard walking though.”

Flood waters had receded from the railroad right-of-way leaving a long stretch of twisted rails and slimey road-bed. They waded through the mud, soon coming to the break where the bridge had swung aside. Debris of every variety had piled high against the wrecked steel structure. Flood water boiled through the gap at a furious rate.

“I don’t see how they’ll ever get a cable across there,” Penny commented dubiously.

“Coast Guardsmen are helping us,” the lineman explained. “They’ll shoot it over with a Lyle gun—we hope.”

Penny and Louise wandered toward the gap in the roadbed. On both shores, linemen and cable splicers were hard at work. Coast Guardsmen already had set up their equipment and all was in readiness to shoot a cable across the river.

“Okay, let ’er go!” rang out the terse order. “Stand clear!”

A Coast Guardsman raised the Lyle gun. Making certain that the steel wire would run free, he released the trigger. The weighted cable flashed through the air in a beautiful arch only to fall short of its goal.

“Not enough allowance for the wind,” the guardsman said in disgust. “We’ll need a heavier charge.”

The gun was reloaded, and again the wire spun from its spool. Again it fell short of the far shore by three feet. Undaunted by failure, the men tried once more. This time the aim was true, and the heavy powder charge carried rod and cable to its mark.

“They’ve done it!” Penny cried jubilantly. “Now it shouldn’t be long before we get a wire connection with the outside world!”

Immediately telephone company men seized the flexible cable, anchoring it solidly. Heavy cables then were drawn across and made fast, permitting a courageous lineman in a bosun’s chair to work high above the turbulent river.

“If that cable should break, he’d be lost!” Louise said with a shudder. “It makes me jumpy to watch him.”

Fearlessly the man accomplished his task, suspending a temporary emergency telephone line. Cable splicers promptly carried the ends of the new cable to terminal boxes.

So absorbed was Penny in watching the task that for a time she forgot her own urgent need of a message wire. But as she observed the men talking over a test phone, the realization suddenly came to her that a through wire had been established west from Red Valley.

“Lou, they’ve done it!” she exclaimed. “The wire connection is made!”

“It does look that way.”

“If only I could use that test set to get my news story through to Dad!”

“Fat chance!”

“I’d still be the first to send out the story!” Penny went on excitedly. “It will do no harm to ask anyhow.”

Breaking away from Louise, she sought the lineman of her acquaintance. Eagerly she broached her request.

“Not a chance to use that line, Sister,” he answered impatiently. “Our ’phones are for testing purposes only.”

“But this is a very great emergency—”

“Sorry,” the lineman brought her up short. “You’ll have to put your call through the regular channels. Regulations.”

Baffled by the cold refusal, Penny turned away. Even though she knew the telephone man had no authority to grant her request, she was none the less annoyed.

“This is enough to drive one mad!” she complained to Louise. “It may be hours before the downtown telephone office will offer toll service.”

“Well, it does no good to fret about it,” her chum shrugged. “There’s nothing you can do.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Penny muttered.

Her attention had been drawn to a man in a gray business suit who was talking earnestly to the fireman of the line gang.

“That’s Mr. Nordwall!” she announced.

Again abandoning Louise, she pushed through the throng of spectators. Touching the man’s arm to attract his attention, she said breathlessly:

“Mr. Nordwall, do you remember me?”

He gazed at her without recognition.

“I’m Penny Parker. I want to get a message through to my father.”

“Oh, yes, now I remember!” the telephone company manager exclaimed. “You’re trying to send a call through to Riverview.”

“Is there any reason why I can’t use the phone now—the test instrument?”

“Such a procedure would be very irregular.”

“But it would save hours in getting my story through,” Penny went on quickly. “Hundreds of persons are desperately in need of food and shelter. If the public can be aroused by newspaper publicity, funds will be subscribed generously. Mr. Nordwall, you must let me send my story!”

“This is a very great emergency,” the manager agreed. “I’ll see what can be done.”

Penny waited, scarcely daring to hope. However, Mr. Nordwall kept his word. To the delight of the girls, the call was put through. Within ten minutes Penny was summoned to the test box.

“You have your connection with Riverview,” she was told. “Go ahead.”

Penny raised the receiver to her ear. Her hand trembled she was so nervous and excited. She spoke tensely into the transmitter: “Hello, is this the
Star
office?”

“Anthony Parker speaking,” said the voice of her father.

“Dad, this is Penny! I have the story for you!”

She heard her father’s voice at the other end of the line but it became so weak she could not distinguish a word. Nor could he understand her. The connection had failed.

CHAPTER 24

A BIG STORY

Penny despaired, fearing that she never could make her father understand what she had to tell him. Then unexpectedly the wire trouble cleared and Mr. Parker’s voice fairly boomed in her ear.

“Is that you, Penny? Are you all right?”

“Oh, yes, Dad!” she answered eagerly. “And so is Louise! We have the story for you—couldn’t get it out before.”

“Thought we never would hear from you again,”Mr. Parker said, his voice vibrant. “Your flash on the flood scooped the country. We’re still ahead of the other newspapers. Shoot me all the facts.”

Penny talked rapidly but distinctly. Facts had been imprinted indelibly on her memory. She had no need to refer to notes except to verify names. Now and then Mr. Parker interrupted to ask a question. When the story had been told he said crisply:

“You’ve done marvelously, Penny! But we’ll need more names. Get as complete a list of the missing as you can.”

“I’ll try, Dad.”

“And pictures. So far all we have are a few airplane shots of the flooded valley. Can you get ahold of a camera?”