CHAPTER 22 _A PARK BENCH_
Penny and her friends were heartsick with the knowledge that Mr. Parkerhad fallen into the hands of ruthless members of the tire-theft gang. Thetaxi which had borne him away had left the mansion fully an hour earlier.There seemed little likelihood that the trail could be picked up quickly.
"I'll telephone the boys at the newspaper office," Salt offered. "Thepolice too! We'll put a description on the radio. We'll have everybody inRiverview watching for that yellow taxi."
"Call the cab companies too," urged Penny. "We may be able to trace itthrough the driver."
Salt made good use of the Deming telephone which had not beendisconnected during the winter months. While he phoned, Penny ran outsideto find the policeman assigned to guard the mansion. She soon returnedwith him and placed Mrs. Botts in his custody.
"Oh, Mr. Deming, don't let them take me to jail," the housekeeperpleaded. "I didn't mean to do anything wrong."
"Mrs. Botts, I can't help you," her employer returned coldly. "Youroffense is a very serious one. The court must decide your fate."
The housekeeper broke into tears again and for several minutes was quitehysterical. When her act moved no one, she resigned herself to theinevitable. Packing a few articles in a bag, she prepared to leave thehouse in the custody of the policeman.
"I'm sorry about everything," she said as she bade the girls goodbye. "Ihope Mr. Parker is found. I really do."
After Mrs. Botts had gone, Penny was too upset to remain quietly in achair. She longed to join in an active search for the yellow taxi. Commonsense told her that the cab undoubtedly had reached its destination, yetshe hoped she might pick up a clue.
"By questioning filling station attendants, we may be able to learn whichway it went from the crossroads," she urged.
"Come on, then," said Salt.
Joe, faithful as ever, waited in his cab outside the mansion. Penny choseto ride beside him, as the front seat offered an unobstructed view of theroad.
The cab turned away from the mansion and swept down the familiar twistinghighway. At the first bend, the bright headlights illuminated a patch ofsnow along the ditch. Penny thought she saw a small, dark object lying onthe ground.
"Stop the car!" she cried.
Joe brought the cab to a standstill a little farther down the road.
Penny leaped out and ran back to the ditch. Lying just at its edge was aleather portfolio. A glance satisfied her that it had belonged to herfather.
"Salt! Louise!" she shouted. "I've found Dad's satchel!"
The others came running. By that time Penny had examined the portfolio.It was empty.
"Just as I thought," she muttered. "Those men were after the evidence Dadcarried! And they got it, too!"
Salt and Joe examined the snowy ditches for a long distance. There wereno footprints. They could only conclude that the portfolio had beenthrown from a window of the moving cab. Evidently Mr. Parker remained aprisoner.
"Now that those men have what they want, maybe they'll release Dad,"Penny said hopefully. "Don't you think so, Salt?"
The photographer glanced at Joe. Neither spoke.
"You believe they'll harm Dad!" Penny cried, reading their faces. "MaybeI'll never see him again--"
"Now Penny," Salt soothed, guiding her toward the taxi.
The cab rolled on, its tires crunching the hard-packed snow. At thecrossroads, they met a police car and hailed it. Penny turned the emptyportfolio over to one of the officers, explaining where it had beenfound.
"Every road is being watched," she was told in return. "The alarm hasbeen broadcast throughout the State, too. If that yellow cab still is onthe road, we'll get it."
For an hour longer, Penny and her party scoured roads in the vicinity ofRiverview. Many times they stopped at filling stations and houses toinquire if a yellow cab had been seen to pass. Always the answer was inthe negative.
"Don't you think we ought to go home?" Salt suggested at length. "For allwe know, police may have found Mr. Parker by this time. We'd never learnabout it while we're touring around."
"All right, let's go home," agreed Penny.
The taxi turned toward Riverview. Arriving at the outskirts, Joe chose aboulevard which wound through the park. The trees, each limb and twigglistening with ice, were very beautiful.
Penny gazed absently toward the frozen lake where a few boys wereskating. Suddenly her gaze fastened upon a man who sat on a park benchbeneath a street lamp. He wore no hat. His overcoat was unbuttoned.
"That man!" she cried. "Salt, it looks like Dad! And it is he! It is!"
The man on the bench had turned slightly so that she was able to see hisface.
Joe brought the cab to a halt with a jerk. Penny leaped out, followed bythe others. The first to reach the bench, she fairly flung herselfheadlong at the disheveled man who sat so dejectedly alone.
"Oh, Dad, I've found you at last! How thankful I am you're safe!"
The man on the bench stared blankly at her.
"Who are you?" he asked in a dazed voice.
"Why, I'm Penny--your daughter."
"I have no daughter," the man answered bitterly. "No home. Nothing. Noteven a name."
Salt, Louise and Joe reached the bench.
"Who are these people?" the man asked. "Why do they stare at me?"
"Why, Mr. Parker," said Salt, taking his arm. "You remember me, don'tyou?"
"Never saw you before in my life."
"You're my father--Anthony Parker," Penny said desperately. "You were ina bad accident. Don't you remember?"
"I remember that I was taken by two men in a taxicab. They pretended tobe my friends. As soon as we were well away from Mrs. Botts' home, theyrobbed me of my money and portfolio. Then they pushed me out of the cab.I started walking. I kept on until I came here."
"You're cold and tired," said Salt, trying to guide him toward the taxi.
"Who are you?" Mr. Parker demanded suspiciously. "Why should I let youtake me away? You'll only try to rob me--"
"Oh, Dad, you don't understand," Penny murmured. "You're sick."
"Come along, sir," urged Salt. "We're your friends. We'll take you to thedoctor."
Mr. Parker planted his feet firmly on the ground.
"I'm not going a step!" he announced. "Not a step!"
"Sorry, sir, but if you're so set about it, we'll have to do it thisway."
Salt nodded to Joe. Before Mr. Parker knew what was coming, they caughthim firmly by the arms and legs. Although he resisted, they carried himto the cab.
"Take us home as fast as you can!" Penny directed Joe. "Then I'll wantyou to go for Doctor Greer, the brain specialist. Dad's in very seriouscondition."
"Serious, my eye!" snorted the publisher. He struggled to free himselffrom Salt's grip. "Let me out of here!"
"Dad, everything will be all right now," Penny tried to soothe him."You're with friends. You're going home."
"I'm being kidnaped!" Mr. Parker complained. "Twice in one night! If Iwere strong enough to get out of here--"
Again he tried to free himself. Failing, he edged into a corner of theseat and averted his face.