The Wishing Well Page 14

  CHAPTER 13 _A SILKEN LADDER_

  As Penny approached the school grounds the following morning, she heardher name called. A moment later, Rhoda Wiegand, breathless from running,caught up with her.

  "Penny, the most wonderful thing has happened!" she exclaimed.

  "Your Texas friends have left town?" the other guessed.

  Rhoda shook her head. "Unfortunately, it's not quite that wonderful.They're still here. This news is about my brother, Ted. He has a job!"

  "Why, that's splendid. Exactly what you wished for yesterday afternoon atthe well."

  "Penny, doesn't it seem strange?" Rhoda asked soberly. "This makes twicemy wish has come true. How do you account for it?"

  "I suppose your brother could have obtained the job through accident,"Penny answered. "That would be the logical explanation."

  "But it all came about in such an unusual way. Judge Harlan saw Ted onthe street and liked his appearance. So he sent a note to the Camp askingif he would work as a typist in his office."

  "Ted is accepting?"

  "Oh, yes. The pay is splendid for that sort of work. Besides, it willgive him a chance to study law, which is his life ambition. Oh, Penny,you can't know how happy I am about it!"

  At the mid-morning recess, Penny reported the conversation to Louise.Both girls were pleased that Ted Wiegand had obtained employment, but itdid seem peculiar to them that the judge would go to such lengths to gainthe services of a young man of questionable character.

  "Perhaps he wants to help him," Louise speculated. "Ted is at thecritical point of his life now. He could develop into a very fine personor just the opposite."

  "It's charity, of course. But who put the judge up to it?"

  "Mrs. Marborough heard Rhoda express her wish."

  "Yes, she did," Penny agreed, "but I don't think she paid much attention.She was too angry at Jay Franklin. Besides, Mrs. Marborough doesn't havea reputation for doing kind deeds."

  "If you rule her out, there's nothing left but the old wishing well,"Louise laughed.

  "I might be tempted to believe it has unusual powers if ever it would doanything for me," grumbled Penny. "Not a single one of my wishes has beengranted."

  "A mystery seems to be developing at Rose Acres," Louise reminded her.

  "I've not learned anything new since I made my wish. Mrs. Marboroughhasn't decided to cooperate with the Pilgrimage Committee either."

  The Festival Week program which so interested Penny had been set for thetwentieth of the month and the days immediately following. Gardens wereexpected to be at their height at that time, and the owners of sevenfairly old houses had agreed to open their doors to the public. BothPenny and Louise had helped sell tickets for the motor pilgrimage, butsales resistance was becoming increasingly difficult to overcome.

  "The affair may be a big flop," Penny remarked to her chum. "No one wantsto pay a dollar to see a house which isn't particularly interesting. NowRose Acres would draw customers. The women of Riverview are simply tornwith curiosity to get in there."

  "I don't believe Mrs. Marborough ever will change her mind."

  "Neither do I," Penny agreed gloomily.

  Two days elapsed during which nothing happened, according to theviewpoint of the girls. From Rhoda they learned that Ted was wellestablished in his new job, and that Mr. Coaten seemed displeased aboutit. Mr. Parker reported that Jay Franklin had made progress in hisefforts to sell the Marborough stone to the Riverview Museum. Other thanthat, there was no news, no developments of interest.

  "Louise, let's visit Truman Crocker again," Penny proposed on Saturdayafternoon when time hung heavily.

  "What good would it do?" Louise demurred. "You know very well he doesn'tlike to have us around."

  "He acted suspicious of us, which made me suspicious of him. I've beenthinking, Lou--if the writing on those two stones were faked, it musthave been done with a chisel--one which would leave a characteristicmark. Every tool is slightly different, you know."

  "All of which leads you to conclude--?"

  "That if Truman Crocker did the faking he would have a tool in hisworkshop that would make grooves similar to those on the stones. Anexpert might compare them and tell."

  "Do we consider ourselves experts?"

  "Of course not," Penny said impatiently. "But if I could get the righttool, I could turn it over to someone who knows about such things."

  "So you propose to go out to the shack today and appropriate a tool?"

  "I'll buy it from Mr. Crocker. Perhaps I can convince him I want tochisel a tombstone for myself or something of the sort!"

  "I used to think you were just plain crazy, Penny Parker," Louisedeclared sadly. "Lately you've reached the stage where adjectives are tooweak to describe you!"

  A half hour later found the two girls at the Crocker shack. The door ofthe workshop stood open, but as Penny and Louise peered inside, they sawno sign of the old stonecutter. A number of tools lay on a bench whereCrocker had been working, and with no hesitation Penny examined them.

  "Here is a chisel," she said in satisfaction. "It seems to be the onlyone around too. Just what I need!"

  "Penny, you wouldn't dare take it!"

  "In my official capacity as a detective--yes. I'll leave more than enoughmoney to pay for it. Then after I've had it examined by an expert, I'llreturn it to Mr. Crocker."

  "O Mystery, what crimes are committed in thy name," Louise warbled. "Ifyou land in jail, my dear Penny, don't expect me to share your cell cot."

  "I'll take all the responsibility."

  Selecting a bill from her purse, Penny laid it in a conspicuous place onthe workbench.

  "There, that should buy three or four chisels," she declared. "Now let'sleave here before Truman Crocker arrives."

  Emerging from the shop, Penny and Louise were surprised to see dark stormclouds scudding overhead. The sun had been completely blotted out andoccasional flashes of lightning brightened a gray sky.

  "It's going to rain before we can get to Riverview," Louise declareduneasily. "We'll be drenched."

  "Why not go by way of Mrs. Marborough's place?" Penny proposed. "Then ifthe rain does overtake us, we can dodge into the summer house until theshower passes over."

  Hastening toward the hillside trail, the girls observed that the riverlevel was higher than when last they had seen it. Muddy water lappedalmost at the doorstep of Truman Crocker's shack. A rowboat tied to ahalf submerged dock nearby swung restlessly on its long rope.

  "I should be afraid to live so close to the river," Louise remarked. "Ifthe water comes only a few feet higher, Crocker's place will sail South."

  "The river control system is supposed to take care of everything," Pennyanswered carelessly. "Dad says he doesn't place much faith in ithimself--not if it's ever put to a severe test."

  Before the girls had gone far, a few drops of rain splattered down.Anticipating a deluge, they ran for the dilapidated summer house whichstood at the rear edge of Mrs. Marborough's property. Completely winded,they sank down on a dusty wooden bench to recapture their breath.

  "The clouds are rolling eastward," Louise remarked, scanning the sky. "Itmay not rain much after all."

  "Lou!" Penny said in a startled voice.

  She was gazing toward the old wishing well at a dark figure which couldbe seen bending far over the yawning hole.

  "What is it?" Louise inquired, turning in surprise.

  "Look over there!" Penny directed. "Mrs. Marborough is doing something atthe well. Is she trying to repair it or what?"

  "She's examining the inside!" Louise exclaimed. "Why, if she's notcareful, she may fall. We ought to warn her--"

  "Mrs. Marborough knows what she is about, Lou. Let's just watch."

  From a distance it was not possible to tell exactly what the old lady wasdoing. So far as the girls could discern she was tapping the insidestones of the well with a hammer.

  "Sh
e's trying to discover if any of them are loose!" Penny whisperedexcitedly. "Louise, I'm sure of it now! Something of great value ishidden in or near the wishing well, and Mrs. Marborough came back toRiverview to find it!"

  "What could it be?"

  "I haven't an idea."

  "If there's something hidden in or around the well, why doesn't she havea workman make a thorough search?"

  "Probably because she doesn't want folks to suspect what she is about,Lou. That may explain why she works at night and on very dark, gloomydays such as today. She doesn't wish to be seen."

  "Mrs. Marborough searches in such obvious places," Louise said after amoment. "If anything really is hidden it might be deep down in the well.She never will find it in that case."

  "We might help her," Penny suggested impulsively.

  "You know she would resent our interference."

  "She probably would if we tell her what we intend to do."

  Louise gazed speculatively at her chum, realizing that Penny had someplan in mind. She waited expectantly, and then as the other did notspeak, inquired:

  "Just what scheme are you hatching now?"

  "You gave me the idea yourself," Penny chuckled. "The logical place tosearch is deep down inside the well. I'm sure the water can't be morethan a few feet deep."

  "So you want me to dive in and drown myself?" Louise joked. "Thank you,but I prefer to restrict my aquatic exercise to swimming pools!"

  "Remember that silk ladder I acquired when I helped police capture AlGepper and his slippery pals?" Penny demanded, paying no heed to theteasing.

  "I do," Louise nodded. "It was made of braided silk strands by a Chinesecurio man, and had two iron hooks to claw into the wood of windowledges."

  "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 isbubbling. 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'sslip away from here before Mrs. Marborough sees us."