CHAPTER 23 _RESCUE_
After the door had closed there was no further sound for a moment. Thenin the darkness Penny heard a choked sob.
Moving closer to the window she tried to raise it. Failing, she tappedlightly on the pane. Pressing her lips close to the glass she calledsoftly:
"Don't be afraid, Mr. Jasko! Keep up your courage! I'll find a way to getyou out!"
The old man could not answer so she had no way of knowing whether or nothe heard her words. Moving back along the ledge she reached anotherwindow, and upon testing it was elated to find that it could be raisedup.
She climbed through, lowered it behind her and hastened to the door.Quietly letting herself out, she went down the deserted hall to the nextdoor. Without a key she could not hope to get inside. For a fleetinginstant she wondered if she were not making a mistake by delaying instarting after the authorities.
"I never could get back here in time," she told herself. "Maxwell willreturn in twenty-five minutes with the doctor, possibly earlier. Jaskomay sign the paper before help could reach him."
Penny was at a loss to know how to aid the old man. As she stooddebating, the cleaning woman whom she had seen upon another occasion,came down the hall. The girl determined upon a bold move.
"I wonder if you could help me?" she said, going to meet the woman. "I'velocked myself out of my room. Do you have a master key?"
"Yes, it will unlock most of the bedrooms."
"The doors on this floor?"
"All except number 27."
Penny took a two dollar bill from her jacket pocket and thrust it intothe woman's hand.
"Here, take this, and let me have the key."
"I can't give it to you," the woman protested. "Show me your room andI'll unlock it for you."
"We're standing in front of it now. Number 29."
The woman stared. "But these rooms aren't usually given out, Miss."
"I assure you number 29 is very much occupied," replied Penny. "Unlockit, please."
The woman hesitated, and finally inserted the key in the lock.
"Thank you," said Penny as she heard the latch click. "No, keep the twodollars. You are welcome to it."
She waited until the maid had gone on down the hall before lettingherself into the dark room. Groping for the electric switch, she turnedit on.
"Mr. Jasko, you know me," she whispered as the old man blinked and staredat her almost stupidly. "I'm going to get you out of here."
She jerked the gag from his mouth, and unfastened the cords which boundhis wrists.
"We don't dare go through the hotel lest we be seen," she told him. "Ithink we may be able to get out by means of the fire escape. If luck isonly with us--"
Making certain that the coast was clear, Penny led the old man down thehall to a room which she knew would be opposite the fire escape. She wasafraid it would be locked, but to her intense relief it had not beensecured.
Only a minute was required to cross the room, raise the window and helpPeter Jasko through it.
"I can't come with you," she said. "I have something else to do. Nowlisten closely. I want you to go to Pine Top as fast as you can and bringthe sheriff or the police or whoever it is that would have authority toarrest Fergus and Maxwell."
"I aim to do that on my own account," the old man muttered. "I've got adebt to square with them."
"We both have," said Penny. "Now this is what I want you to do. If I'mnot in evidence when you get back, bring the police to the Green Room."
"Where's that?"
"It's on this same floor. You go down the hall to the left, enter anunmarked door into another corridor, and finally through a green doorwhich may be guarded. If necessary, force an entrance."
"I don't know what it's all about," the old man muttered. "But I'll do asyou say."
"And hurry!" Penny urged.
She watched anxiously from the window until Peter Jasko had reached thebottom of the fire escape in safety. He ran across the yard, gaining theroadway without having been observed.
Returning once more to the main corridor, Penny glanced anxiously up anddown. Hearing someone moving about at the far end of the hall, she wentto investigate, certain that it was the cleaning woman putting away hermops and broom.
"You ain't locked out again?" the maid asked as she saw Penny standingbeside her.
"No, but I have another request. How would you like to earn some moremoney?"
"How?" inquired the woman with quick interest.
"Do you have an extra costume?"
"Costume?"
"Dress, I mean. Like one you're wearing."
"Not here." As the maid spoke she divested herself of an old pair ofshoes, and setting them back against the closet wall, slipped on a pairof much better looking ones. "I'm changing my clothes now to go home."
"I'll give you another two dollars if you'll lend me the outfit for theevening."
"Is it for a party?" the maid asked.
"A masquerade," said Penny. "I want to play a little joke on someacquaintances of mine."
She waved another bill before the woman's eyes, and the temptation ofmaking easy money was too great to resist.
"All right, I'll do it," the maid agreed. "Just wait outside until I getmy clothes changed."
Penny waited, watching the halls anxiously lest she be observed bysomeone who would recognize her. Soon the maid stepped from the closet,and handed over a bundle of clothing.
"And here is your money," said Penny. "Don't mention to anyone what we'vedone--at least not until tomorrow."
"Don't worry, Miss, I won't," replied the woman grimly. "I might lose myjob if they caught me."
After the maid had gone away, Penny slipped into the closet and quicklychanged into the costume. Pulling off her cap, she rumpled her hair andrubbed a streak of dirt across her face. The shoes were a trifle toolarge for her, and their size, together with the painful ankle, made herwalk in a dragging fashion.
Snatching up a feather duster, she went hurriedly down the hall towardthe corridor which led to the Green Room. As always, the guard sat in hischair by the door. But this time Penny had high hopes of gainingentrance.
Boldly, she walked over to him and said: "Good evening. I was sent totell you you're wanted in the office by Mr. Maxwell."
"Now?" he inquired in surprise.
"Yes, right away."
"Someone ought to stay here."
"I'll wait until you get back."
"Don't let anyone inside unless they have passes," the guard instructed.
Penny barely could hide her excitement. It had been almost too easy! Atlast she was to penetrate beyond the Green Door! And if she found whatshe expected, the entire mystery would be cleared up. She would gainevidence against Ralph Fergus and Harvey Maxwell which would make hercase iron-clad.
From within the room, Penny could hear the low murmur of voices. Shewaited until the guard had disappeared, and then, summoning her courage,opened the green door and stepped inside.
Penny found herself in an elegantly furnished salon, its chairs,davenports, carpet and draperies decorated in soft shades of green andivory. A little dark-haired man she had never seen before, who spoke withan artificial French accent, stood talking with three women who weretrying on fur coats. A fourth woman, Maxine Miller, sat in a chair, herback turned to Penny.
"Now Henri, I want you to give my friends a good price on their coats,"she was saying in a chirpy voice.
"_Oui_" he agreed, bobbing his head up and down. "We say one hundred andninety-two dollars for zis beautiful sealskin coat. I make you a specialprice only because you are friends of Mademoiselle Miller."
The opening of the outside door had drawn Henri's attention briefly toPenny. As she busied herself dusting, he paid her no heed, and MaxineMiller did not give the girl a second glance.
Penny wandered slowly about the room, noting the long mirrors and thetall cases
crowded with racks of sealskin coats.
"These are smuggled furs," she thought. "This Green Room is the salessalon, and Henri must be an employee of Ralph Fergus and Harvey Maxwell.I believe I know how they get the furs over the Canadian border, too,without paying duty!"
Satisfied that she could learn no more by lingering, Penny turned downthe long corridor leading to the door which opened on the main hallway.She knew that the guard would soon discover he had been tricked andexpose her. And while she had been inside the salon less than fiveminutes, already she had waited a moment too long.
As she opened the door she saw Harvey Maxwell and the guard coming downthe corridor toward her. Retreat was out of the question.
"There she is now!" said the guard, accusingly. "She told me you wantedme in the office."
Harvey Maxwell walked angrily toward Penny.
"What was the big idea?" he began, only to stop short. "Oh, so it's_you_? My dear little girl, I am very much afraid, you have over-playedyour hand this time!"