CHAPTER III
A Queer Old Man
"My name is Penelope Nichols," the girl introduced herself after shehad recovered from astonishment. "Are you Mr. Crocker?"
"I am," replied the old man grimly. "What do you want here?"
"Why, my father and I rented your cottage," Penny told him quickly."Would you mind calling off your dog? He acts as if he'd enjoy chewingme to pieces."
"Rudy has been trained to attack anyone who tries to come up the lane,"Herman Crocker said evenly.
He stepped through a gap in the hedge and spoke sharply to the hound.Rudy went reluctantly to the side of his master.
Penny could not help but stare at the old man. He was short andstooped and his clothes were not very clean. She saw that he wascarrying a shotgun.
Herman Crocker studied the girl shrewdly.
"What is it you want of me?" he asked gruffly. "I told Kilkane he wasto handle everything about the cottage. I don't want to be bothered."
"Well, I'm sorry, Mr. Crocker, but there are a few details which mustbe settled if my father and I are to remain."
"What's your complaint?"
"The electricity hasn't been turned on, Mr. Crocker. The cottage needscleaning. There is no wood. I can't find half enough dishes orcooking pans. We'll need more linen and blankets."
"You can't expect me to fix up the place like it was a palace,"complained the old man. "You're only paying fifteen dollars a week."
"If you're unwilling to do anything about it then we'll leave thismorning." Penny turned to walk away.
"Here, wait," called the old man. "I'm willing to do anything that'sreasonable. Come up to the house and I'll give you some clean linen."
Penny walked with Mr. Crocker up the lane, trying not to show that shefelt uneasy. The old man caught her staring at his shotgun.
"I was hunting squirrels early this morning," he explained.
"Isn't this out of season?" Penny asked before she stopped to think.
Herman Crocker glanced at her with an expression which she was unableto fathom.
"Seasons make no difference to me," he answered shortly. "I go huntingwhen I please."
They walked on in silence. When they were near the house Penny saidcasually:
"Oh, by the way, my father and I met your nephew last night."
"My nephew?"
"Why, yes, Walter Crocker. He told us he was on his way to visit you."
Penny saw the old man glance quickly toward her. She could tell thather words had disturbed him.
"Oh, I couldn't think who you meant at first," he muttered. "Yes,Walter was here last night. But he's gone back to the city."
Penny allowed the subject to drop, yet she wondered if Herman Crockerwere telling the truth. Had the younger man really visited his unclefor the purpose of claiming an inheritance? He had seemed very bittertoward the old fellow. From her observation of Walter Crocker she didnot believe that he was a person who would be easily discouraged in hisambitious designs.
Penny had learned from past experience that if one wished to avoidtrouble it did not pay to ask too many questions. More than once aninquiring turn of mind had involved her in strange adventures. Not somany months before this same trait of curiosity had drawn her into adetective case which had baffled the Belton City police. Her cleverwork, which resulted in the capture of a daring group of auto thieves,is recounted in the first volume of this series, "Penny Nichols Finds aClue."
Even more recently, Penny had solved a mystery which concerned a queersculptured figure called The Black Imp. By exposing an unscrupulousdealer in paintings who sought to betray his patrons, she saved manypersons from being swindled and at the same time gained honor forherself.
At the moment, Penny was not eager to involve herself in trouble. Shedetermined to say no more about Walter Crocker unless the old manreopened the subject.
"I'll get the things for you," said Herman Crocker as they reached thekitchen door. "Just wait here."
Penny was a little surprised because the old man did not invite herinto the house.
"It won't take me long," he said, deliberately closing the door behindhim.
Penny seated herself on the steps of the sagging porch and kept her eyeupon Herman Crocker's dog which had stationed himself only a few feetaway.
"That animal is vicious," she thought uneasily. "I don't see whyCrocker keeps him around."
Hearing a slight sound Penny gazed toward the right and was surprisedto observe a small boy peering at her from the corner of the house. Hewas tall and very thin but did not appear to be more than nine or tenyears of age.
"Hello there," said Penny in a friendly voice.
"Hello," answered the boy. He moved slowly toward her, staring ratherblankly.
"You're not Mr. Crocker's little boy?" Penny asked, hoping to draw himinto conversation.
"I'm his grandson."
"Oh, his grandson," repeated Penny, studying the lad with interest. Hebore slight resemblance to Herman Crocker. "And is Rudy your dog?"
"No!" replied the lad bitterly. "I hate him. If I tried to go awayfrom here he'd attack me. My grandfather has trained him to do that."
Penny was not certain that she had understood correctly. She could notbelieve that Herman Crocker deliberately kept his grandson a prisoneron the property.
"You don't mean----" she began, but the words died away.
The kitchen door had opened. Herman Crocker stood scowling at hisgrandson.
"Perry!" he said harshly. "Get inside! There's work to be done!"
"Yes, sir," replied the boy meekly.
With a frightened glance directed toward Penny he scuttled into thehouse. Mr. Crocker closed the door again.
"I do believe that old man was afraid to have me talk with hisgrandson!" Penny thought shrewdly. "How strange!"
She did not have long to reflect upon the queer actions of her newlandlord, for in a very few minutes he reappeared with an armload oflinen and blankets.
"I've telephoned the electric company for you," he told her. "Yourlights ought to be on before night."
"And will you have the cottage cleaned for us?" Penny requested.
"I can't do the work myself," scowled the man. "But if you want to getMrs. Masterbrook, I'll pay the bill."
"Who is she?" inquired Penny.
"I'll give you her address. She does cleaning work by the day."
Penny was not very well pleased with the arrangement because it meantthat she must make a special trip to find Mrs. Masterbrook. However,there seemed no other way since the landlord had proved himself to besuch an unaccommodating person.
"You'll likely be going in to town sometime to-day?" ventured Mr.Crocker as Penny turned to leave.
"Why, I imagine so. We'll need supplies."
The man hesitated, and then said in a tone which he tried to make soundcasual: "It might be just as well for you not to mention to folks thatyou saw my nephew. Not that I have any secrets to keep. I just don'tlike folks nosing into my affairs. Anyway, Walter's gone now and it'sno one's business but my own."
"I am a stranger in the community," replied Penny. "I'd have nooccasion to speak of your nephew."
"That's what I thought," said Herman Crocker in a tone of relief."Well, if there's anything more you need, let me know. And I'll seethat you get a supply of wood before nightfall."
"Thank you," Penny responded.
She permitted herself a smile as she walked down the lane with the armload of bedding. It was easy enough to see why Mr. Crocker had becomeso obliging. He expected a favor in return--her silence regardingWalter Crocker.
"He acts almost as if he is ashamed of his nephew," she thought. "Iwonder why he doesn't wish folks to learn about him."
Mr. Nichols had finished shaving by the time Penny reached the cottage.
"Well, I hope you rounded up some breakfast for us," he remarked.
Penny shook her head as she dropped the pile of lin
en on the table.
"No such luck, Dad. I asked Mr. Crocker for so many things I didn'ttry to get any food. He's the strangest man!"
"What's so strange about him?"
"I suspect he's a miser or something of the sort. Anyway, he keeps awicked looking dog and goes around the premises with a shotgun. Hewon't let his grandson talk with strangers, either."
"You didn't learn much, did you?"
"Well, I didn't have a very good chance," Penny grinned. "You see, hewouldn't let me into the house. I had to wait on the porch while hebrought the things."
"Penny, are you making all this up?"
"Of course not!" she retorted indignantly. "Wait until you meet Mr.Crocker. He's a very mysterious character."
"Then I'd just as soon not meet him," laughed the detective. "In mypresent mood he'd not interest me a bit."
"I'll tell you about the practical results of our talk," smiled Penny."We're to have all the wood we need and our electric lights should behooked up by nightfall. Mr. Crocker has promised to pay for having thecottage cleaned. He gave me the name and address of a woman who willdo the work."
"That's fine," said the detective. "If she's any good as ahousekeeper, why not hire her ourselves by the week? Then you'd befree to roam around and have a good time."
"The idea sounds all right to me," Penny declared quickly. "To tellyou the truth, I don't know much about cooking on an old-fashionedstove."
"Let's drive down to the village now," suggested the detective. "We'llhave breakfast and then find the cleaning woman."
Penny and her father rode down Knob Hill to the little town of Kendon.Fortified by an excellent meal at the Florence Cafe they set forth tofind the home of Anna Masterbrook. They were told that she was aspinster who lived two miles from the village.
"Why, this is the same road we came over last night," Penny observed asthey drove along.
"Yes, it is," agreed Mr. Nichols. "For half a cent I'd keep right ongoing until we reached Belton City."
"Oh, we'll both like it after we get the cottage in order," Penny saidcheerfully. "Mrs. Masterbrook may easily turn out to be a diamond inthe rough."
"I hope so," sighed Mr. Nichols. "But our luck isn't running verywell."
The car rolled over a low hill and Penny observed a curve just ahead.
"Dad, didn't we pick up Walter Crocker at just about this point?" sheasked.
"I think this was the place," he agreed.
The car swung slowly around the bend. Both Penny and her father turnedtheir heads to glance toward the ditch. They were surprised to seeWalter Crocker's automobile still tipped over on its side. Apparentlyit had not been greatly damaged.
"Well, that's certainly odd," said Penny as they drove on past thescene of the accident.
"Meaning just what, Penny?"
"Why, it seems queer to me that the car hasn't been towed to a garage,"she replied thoughtfully. "Mr. Crocker told me his nephew had goneback to the city. If that is true, why did the man abandon a goodautomobile?"