The Wishing Well Page 25

  CHAPTER 24 _RIVER RISING_

  The exposure of Mr. Coaten and Carl Addison had been even more dramaticthan Penny had dared hope it might be. She felt very grateful to JudgeHarlan for the vital information he had provided regarding oil lands, andespecially for the "break" of luck which had made it possible to regainMrs. Marborough's necklace.

  "How glad I am that I never told Rhoda I suspected Ted of the theft," shethought. "I was very unjust."

  After the two Texas men had been removed to jail by Riverview police, theparty went on with more gaiety than before. Penny, the center ofattention, was forced to tell over and over how a high-school boy friendhad assisted her in installing the microphone-loudspeaker arrangement inthe old wishing well.

  "I wasn't at all certain it would work," she modestly declared. "I didhope that under the proper conditions, those two men would talk, and theydid!"

  "You are a very clever young lady," praised Judge Harlan, patting herarm. "This will make a nice story for your father's paper too."

  Mrs. Marborough did not try to express in words her appreciation for therecovery of the heirloom pearls. However, throughout the evening, herworshipful gaze followed Penny wherever she went. Not until refreshmentswere being served did she have an opportunity to say:

  "Penelope, you have brought me more happiness than I deserve--you andRhoda together. Now that I have the pearls again, I'll be able to carryout a few of my plans."

  "You'll remain in Riverview?" Penny asked eagerly.

  "Yes, I shall, and I've been wondering--do you suppose Rhoda and Tedwould be willing to live with me? I'm getting old. While I'll have moneyenough I'll need someone."

  "Why not talk to Rhoda about it?"

  "I think I shall," Mrs. Marborough nodded. "I'll do it tonight."

  Penny was pleased a few minutes later when Rhoda relayed the widow'srequest to her.

  "Will you agree to it?" she asked the girl, her eyes twinkling.

  "Will I?" Rhoda laughed. "I love Rose Acres, and Ted and I will betogether again! Mrs. Breen was kind to us, but she has her own family.Mrs. Marborough needs someone to care for her."

  "I think the arrangement will be an ideal one," Penny declared. "Oh, yes,I meant to tell you. Judge Harlan has promised to look after your legalinterests. With him working on the case those oil rights are the same asyours right now!"

  As the night wore on, additional guests arrived at Rose Acres, crowdingthe spacious rooms. Nevertheless, shortly before midnight, Penny wassurprised to see her father's car drive up to the door, for she had notexpected him to attend the party. Mr. Parker was accompanied by areporter, Jerry Livingston.

  "What brings you two news hawks here?" Penny asked, running outside togreet the newcomers. "You must have heard about Mr. Coaten and the pearlnecklace!"

  "Yes, but that's not why we came," Mr. Parker tersely replied. "There'sbeen a break in the dam above Cedarville and the river is rising fast!"

  "Rose Acres isn't in danger?" gasped Penny.

  "The water shouldn't come this high, but the flats will be inundatedwithin a few minutes. Everyone is being warned to get out fast!"

  "We've not been able to telephone Truman Crocker," Jerry added. "Hisshack has no 'phone."

  "Can we drive down there?" Mr. Parker asked anxiously.

  Penny shook her head. "Not without going miles around. The quickest wayis to take the trail at the rear of this property. Wait, I'll show you!"

  Darting into the house for a coat, she led her father and Jerry to thehillside. Then, deciding to accompany them, she went on ahead down thesteep incline.

  "There's a light burning in the shack," Mr. Parker observed a few minuteslater. "Crocker must be up."

  Reaching the building, the editor thumped once on the door of theworkshop and then pushed it open. Truman Crocker was busy at his bench.Startled by the unexpected intrusion of the three visitors, he backed afew steps away from them.

  "You can't do nothin' to me," he mumbled. "All I did was what I was toldto do."

  "I don't know what you're talking about," Mr. Parker cut him short."We're here to warn you! The dam at Cedarville has let go, and the riveris rising fast."

  "The river--" the stonecutter faltered.

  For a fleeting instant the man's gaze had roved toward a large objectcovered with a piece of canvas. As Crocker's words came back to Penny,she suddenly knew why he had been so startled to see her father.Impulsively, she darted across the room and jerked the canvas from theobject it covered. Revealed for all to see was a large rounded rock,bearing a carving which had not been completed.

  "A record stone!" she cried. "Truman Crocker, you are the one who plantedthose fakes! You've been hired by someone!"

  "No, no," the man denied, cringing away.

  Mr. Parker strode across the room, and one glance at the rock Penny haduncovered convinced him that his daughter's accusation was a sound one.Obviously, the stone had been treated with acid and chemicals to give itan appearance of great age. Several Indian figures remained uncompleted.

  "Who hired you?" he demanded of Truman Crocker. "Tell the truth!"

  "I ain't tellin' nothing," the stonecutter returned sullenly.

  "Then you'll go to jail," Mr. Parker retorted. "You've been a party to afraud. It was the publicity agent of the Indian Show who hired you. Heprobably gave you a hundred dollars for the job."

  "Not that much," Crocker muttered. "An' you can't send me to jail becauseall I did was fix the stones and put 'em where he told me."

  "You won't go to jail if you testify to the truth," Mr. Parker assuredhim. "All you'll have to do is tell what you know--"

  "I ain't going to tell nothing," Crocker said sullenly.

  Moving so quickly that both Jerry and Mr. Parker were caught off guard,he wheeled and ran out the open door.

  "Get him!" the editor barked. "Unless he'll testify against Bill McJavinswe may lose a big story!"

  Penny waited anxiously at the shack while her father and Jerry pursuedthe fleeing man. Ten minutes later they stumbled back, completely winded,to report their failure. The laborer had hidden somewhere among thebushes dotting the hillside, and they could not hope to find him.

  "Without Crocker's story we have no more evidence than we ever had," Mr.Parker declared in disgust.

  Penny tapped the big rock with the half-completed carving. "You have thisstone, Dad. If you could photograph it in this unfinished state, wouldn'tit tell its own story?"

  "We have no camera here, and the river is rising fast. How long would ittake you to get to town and back, Jerry?"

  "I might make it in thirty minutes."

  "Before that time, this shack will be under water."

  Anxiously, Mr. Parker gazed at the dark, angry flood which swept so closeto the door of the cabin. Inch by inch it was eating away a board walkwhich led to a pier and a boat tied to it.

  "Dad!" Penny suddenly cried. "If only we could get this stone into theboat we could float it to Riverview!"

  "Not a chance," Mr. Parker returned briefly. "Both would sink."

  "We're completely out of luck," added Jerry. "At the rate the water iscoming up, this shack will be awash in another fifteen minutes."

  "Dad," Penny went on determinedly, "if we could make a heavy raft,couldn't the stone be floated? It might be towed behind the boat."

  "A raft? There's nothing from which to make one."

  "Yes, there is!" Penny pointed to several barrels, up-ended in a darkcorner of the shop.

  "It's an idea!" cried Jerry. "We have Crocker's tools! This story means alot to you, Chief. Isn't it worth a try?"

  "Maybe it is," Mr. Parker conceded, and then with sudden enthusiasm:"Let's get to work. By moving fast we may yet outwit Old Man River!"

  CHAPTER 25 _PRECIOUS CARGO_

  Working with feverish haste, Mr. Parker and Jerry c
onstructed a raft ofeight empty barrels, wiring them together into one solid unit. Pennyaided the two men as best she could, holding tools and offeringsuggestions which were not especially appreciated.

  "Run outside and see that the boat is all right," Mr. Parker instructedher. "We mustn't let it float away."

  Obeying, Penny discovered that already the river was flowing in ashallow, muddy stream over the pier. The swift current tugged at theunderpinning, threatening to carry it away. Wading through the water, shereached the boat and drew it close to the shack where she retied it.

  By the time she finished, her father and Jerry had completed the raft.

  "How will you ever get the stone on it?" Penny asked anxiously. "It mustweigh several hundred pounds."

  "Just watch," grinned Jerry.

  During Penny's absence, he and Mr. Parker had constructed a small squareplatform of rough boards, equipped with four tiny rollers. Getting thestone on it, they were able to trundle it outside to the raft with aminimum of exertion.

  "Now dump her on easy," Mr. Parker ordered Jerry. "If she sinks, ourstory sinks too."

  Together they rolled the heavy stone from the platform to the raft whichimmediately began to settle beneath the great weight.

  "It's going under!" Penny screamed.

  As the three watched anxiously, the raft steadied and rode just beneaththe surface of the water.

  "She floats!" Jerry cried jubilantly. "Now unless we have an upset orstrike an object in the river, we should make it to the Adams Streetpier."

  "We'll have a _Star_ paper truck meet us there, and haul the rock to thenewspaper plant," Mr. Parker added with satisfaction. "Let's shove off!"

  Penny had untied the rowboat. However, as she prepared to step into it,her father pulled her back.

  "This little trip isn't for you, Penny. We might upset."

  "Don't be ridiculous, Dad," she argued. "You know very well I can swimcircles around you. If the boat does go under, you'll be glad to have mealong."

  "Maybe you're right," the editor conceded. "Jump in."

  Water was flowing over the floor of the Crocker shack as the boat and thecumbersome raft started downstream. Jerry, who had elected to steer,found himself hard pressed to keep the prow nosing into the waves. Mr.Parker pulled without much enthusiasm at an extra oar supplied him,content to allow the swift current to do most of the work.

  "Isn't it fun?" Penny demanded, snuggling close to her father. "Just lookat the beautiful stars!"

  "Look at the river," Mr. Parker retorted. "Do you realize that if weshould strike a floating object--if that big rock should shift--"

  "And see the lovely moon," Penny went on dreamily. "I think it's laughingat the joke we're going to play on Jay Franklin in the morning."

  "That old coot will get a shock when he reads the _Star_," Mr. Parkeradmitted, relaxing. "So will the publicity agent of the Indian Show. WhenI get through, the outfit won't dare put on a performance in Riverview."

  "Do you suppose Franklin had any part in hiring Truman Crocker to fakethose record stones?" Jerry asked, steering to avoid a floating box.

  "Not in my opinion," the editor replied. "He merely thought he wouldprofit by selling them to the museum at a fancy price. It was immaterialto him whether or not he sold fake stones or real."

  "You'll certainly ruin his little business transaction," chuckled Penny."What will be done about Truman Crocker?"

  "We'll find him tomorrow and force him to tell the truth--that he washired by Bill McJavins. With this stone as evidence, he can't deny hispart in the hoax."

  "Can't you just see that special edition of the _Star_?" Penny askedgaily. "A big splashy picture of this Pilgrim Rock we're towing, with astory telling how Truman Crocker faked the writing. Then, in the nextcolumn, a yarn about Mr. Addison's arrest, and the recovery of theMarborough pearls."

  "It will be a real paper," Mr. Parker agreed heartily. "By the way, howwere Mr. Coaten and Carl Addison trapped? Our reporter got the story fromthe police, but he was a bit vague on that point."

  "I'm far too modest to tell you," Penny laughed. "If you're willing topay me at regular space rates, I might be induced to write the story."

  "Trust Penny to drive a hard bargain," grinned Jerry. "We might haveguessed who was responsible, for she never fails to be on hand for thefinal round-up."

  Penny smiled as she gazed down the dark, turbulent river. Close by sheheard the deep-throated whistle of a tug boat. Along the bank, tallbuildings began to appear, and far ahead, she could see the twinklinglights on the Adams Street pier.

  "We've worked on some dandy stories together," she murmured, "but thisone tops them all for a thrilling finish. Mrs. Marborough regained herpearls, Rhoda won a home, the two men from Texas are behind bars, and thewishing well is equipped with a brand new microphone! You know, I'd liketo make one more wish down its moist old throat!"

  "What would you ask for this time?" Jerry asked banteringly. "A safearrival in port?"

  Penny shook her head. "We're almost at the pier now. I'd wish that Dad'shunk of granite would turn into a lump of pure gold. Then I'd truly feelas if I were the captain of a treasure ship sailing home with preciouscargo."

  "Oh, I wouldn't ask for a better cargo than we have right here," Mr.Parker responded heartily. "At this moment I would rather have our oldrock than all the gold in the world!"

  Transcriber's Notes

  --Replaced the list of books in the series by the complete list, as in the final book, "The Cry at Midnight".

  --Silently corrected a handful of palpable typos.