CHAPTER VIII
The Toy Lantern Clue
Penny stood staring at the car. She knew she could not be mistaken.It was the same automobile which Walter Crocker had upset in the ditch.She had last seen it there when she and her father had gone after Mrs.Masterbrook.
"I suppose Walter Crocker might have instructed his uncle to bring thecar here," Penny mused. "But it seems very odd. Old Herman didn'twant me to tell anyone about seeing his nephew here. I wonder----"
The girl's thoughts were rudely interrupted by the sound of a carcoming up the lane. Glancing out the barn doors Penny saw HermanCrocker arrive in his battered old automobile. He parked beside herown car.
"Of course he'll know I am here," Penny told herself. "I must act asif I've noticed nothing out of the way."
She slipped out of the barn without being observed. As she approachedthe house, Old Herman climbed from the car, holding fast to Rudy'schain. The hound began to growl and tried to get away from his master.
"Good evening, Mr. Crocker," said Penny pleasantly. "I don't seem tobe very popular with your dog."
"I thought that was your car standing here in the lane," replied Mr.Crocker gruffly. "Did I see you coming from the barn?"
"I had started that way," said Penny. "Then I heard your car coming."
Mr. Crocker seemed to relax.
"What's wrong down at the cottage now?" he asked in the tone of one whohad deeply suffered.
"Nothing at all, Mr. Crocker. I came to ask if I might buy some fresheggs."
"I don't make a practice of selling them," the man frowned.
"Then I suppose I'll have to drive in to town."
"Maybe I can let you have a dozen this time."
Mr. Crocker started toward the house but as Penny followed he turnedand said pointedly:
"I'll bring them out to the car."
Penny had hoped that she would have an opportunity to speak with Perry.She wished to warn the boy to say nothing about her plan to help himescape from the house. She could only hope that he would be wiseenough to remain silent concerning her presence near the barn.
Mr. Crocker did not unlock the front door. Instead he went around tothe back porch and from a box which was stored there, counted out adozen eggs into a paper sack. He returned to the car.
"How much do I owe you, Mr. Crocker?" asked Penny.
The man named a price fifteen cents above the town market. She paid itwithout a protest.
"How is your grandson, Perry?" Penny asked casually as she prepared todrive away.
Mr. Crocker glanced at her sharply but the girl's face disclosed onlypolite interest.
"Oh, the boy's fine," he answered gruffly. "He's somewhere around theplace."
Penny said goodbye and drove away without disclosing that she knewPerry had been locked in the house during his grandfather's absence.Such treatment seemed nothing short of cruel to her. She could notunderstand why the townspeople would show such indifference to thelad's fate unless they were unaware of existing conditions.
Upon reaching the cottage, Penny drew her father aside and reportedeverything she had learned.
"You're sure that the boy told the truth about having no food?" thedetective inquired.
"I can't be absolutely certain," Penny admitted. "I've never beeninside the house."
"Always there are two sides to every question," Mr. Nichols saidslowly. "Folks around here with the exception of Mrs. Masterbrook,seem to think that Crocker isn't a bad sort."
"I'm positive he's not the right person to have entire control of achild, Dad."
"That may be. However, he gave the boy a home when no one else cameforward to take him in."
"How do you account for Walter Crocker's car being in Herman's barn?"
"I don't see anything so mysterious about that, Penny. They arerelatives. Walter probably asked Herman to have the car hauled thereuntil he came back from the city."
"How do we know he ever went to the city, Dad?"
"What?" asked Mr. Nichols blankly.
Penny repeated her question.
"You're not hinting that something may have happened to Walter Crocker?"
"Yes, I am, Dad. Herman Crocker is a sinister character."
"In your imagination."
"In any one's imagination," Penny said firmly. "We know that WalterCrocker came here to collect money from Herman. That old man is amiser. What would be more natural than to have the nephew convenientlydisappear?"
"Penny, you've been reading entirely too many wild stories."
"Dad, you are laughing at me!"
"Pardon me, but I can't help it," smiled the detective. "HermanCrocker is an eccentric character but I don't think he's quite as blackas you paint him."
Before Penny could reply, Mrs. Masterbrook came to the porch.
"You're wanted on the 'phone," she told Mr. Nichols.
"Now what?" asked the detective, frowning. "I hope it's not InspectorHarris again."
He went into the house and was gone several minutes. Penny could hearhim arguing with someone on the wire. Finally he returned to the porch.
"Well, I've done it now," he told her gloomily.
"What is wrong, Dad?"
"Oh, it was Inspector Harris again. There's been another robbery."
"Near here?" Penny asked quickly.
"Yes, about twenty miles away at a place called Benton. Unknownpersons broke into the home of a wealthy family and made off with moneyand jewels valued at several thousand dollars."
"Why, that sounds almost like the other robbery case, Dad."
"Inspector Harris thinks that the same gang may have pulled both ofthem. He's after me to take the case."
"And you told him you would?"
"I finally agreed that I'd drive over to Benton and make an inspection.But unless the case is a particularly interesting one I'll have nothingof it. This was supposed to have been my vacation."
"Are you going to Benton now?" questioned Penny eagerly.
"Yes, I'll be back in a few hours."
"Take me with you, Dad," Penny pleaded.
"All right," the detective agreed, "but I don't care to be influencedby any of your wild theories as to who committed the robbery."
"I'll be as quiet as a mouse," Penny promised.
During the ride to Benton Mr. Nichols told her what little he hadlearned about the case.
"It was the James Kirmenbach home which was robbed," he revealed. "Youmay have heard of the man. He formerly was the head of the KirmenbachChemical Company but retired a few years ago to live quietly in thecountry. The thieves broke into a wall safe, taking a box of money andjewels. The most valuable item was a diamond necklace."
"I suppose the local police made a routine investigation?"
"Yes, but they found no clues. Kirmenbach appealed to Inspector Harrisand that's how I'm rung in on the deal."
It was a few minutes after nine o'clock when Mr. Nichols drew up infront of an imposing brick house at the outskirts of Benton.
Penny and her father presented themselves at the door and upon givingtheir names to the maid were promptly admitted. Mr. Kirmenbach, a baldheaded man in his early sixties, came to greet the detective.
"Mr. Nichols?" he asked, extending his hand. "Inspector Harristelephoned that you would take the case."
"I only promised to make an inspection," the detective replied. "Tellme exactly what happened please."
"I'll call my wife," said Mr. Kirmenbach. "She'll be able to give youa better account than I."
While Penny and her father were waiting they glanced quickly about theliving room. It was lavishly furnished and in excellent taste.
Mrs. Kirmenbach, a gray haired lady, only a few years younger than herhusband, smiled graciously as she bowed to Penny and the detective.
"I do hope that you'll be able to recover my necklace for me," she saidto Mr. Nichols. "The other things do not matter, but the diamonds wereleft me by my father years ago.
I prized them for sentimental reasonsas well as their actual value."
"When did you discover your loss?" questioned the detective.
"Early this morning Ellen, our maid, noticed that the window of thestudy had been pried open. She called me at once. The wall safe hadbeen forced and my box of jewels was missing. My husband sent for thepolice at once."
"And they learned nothing," Mr. Kirmenbach said in a tone of disgust."There were no finger-marks, no evidence of any kind."
"How many servants do you employ?" asked the detective.
"Only three," answered Mrs. Kirmenbach. "Ellen is the maid, and wehave a colored woman who does the cooking. Jerry, a young college boy,serves as our chauffeur. I can vouch for them all."
"I'll talk with them later," Mr. Nichols said. "I'd like to look atthe study now, please."
"This way," invited Mr. Kirmenbach. "I had the room locked up againafter the police were here this morning. Nothing has been disturbed."
"Good," said Mr. Nichols. "I'll just look around for a few minutes."
"We'll leave you alone," Mrs. Kirmenbach declared politely. "If youwant us for anything, we'll be in the living room."
"It will not take me long," replied the detective.
Penny glanced about the study with keen interest. It was a smallpaneled room, lined high with book shelves. There was a comfortabledavenport, several chairs and a table.
Mr. Nichols first turned his attention to the wall safe. Next hecarefully examined the window sill.
"Find anything, Dad?" asked Penny.
"Not yet," he answered.
As her father continued his inspection, Penny became a trifle bored.She sat down on the davenport and began idly to play with a toy lanternwhich had been dropped there. It was a child's toy such as one oftensaw in candy stores filled with sweets. The red isinglass had beenbroken in one place and the original string wick had been replaced by atiny bit of cloth.
"Dad," said Penny presently, "do the Kirmenbachs have any children?"
"They didn't mention any," Mr. Nichols replied absently.
"They probably have grandchildren," Penny went on.
"Does it make any difference?" asked the detective. He was feelingirritated at his failure to find clues.
"Not particularly, Dad. I was just wondering about this toy lantern."
Mr. Nichols turned around and looked quickly at the object in her hand.
"Where did you get that?" he asked sharply.
"Why, it was right here on the davenport, Dad."
Mr. Nichols took the toy from her hand. Penny was surprised by theintent expression of his face as he examined the lantern.
"Come along, Penny," he said quietly, dropping it into his coat pocket."We'll talk with Mr. and Mrs. Kirmenbach again. It's just possiblethat we've found a vital clue!"