CHAPTER 9 _A JOB FOR MR. OAKS_
Eager to learn what had been done to help Carl Oaks, Penny took anelevator to the news room of the _Star_. Jerry Livingston's desk wasdeserted, so she paused at the slot of the big circular copy desk to askEditor DeWitt if the reporter were anywhere in the building.
"I just sent him to cover a fire," Mr. DeWitt replied, glancing up fromcopy he was correcting. "He ought to be back any minute. You know howJerry covers a fire."
"I certainly do. He rides the big engine to the scene, just whiffs at thesmoke, and races back with a column report!"
Penny hesitated. She very much wished to say something to the editorabout the dynamiting case, yet was reluctant to bring up the subject.
"Mr. DeWitt, I'm sorry about Burt Ottman," she began awkwardly. "I hopeyou don't think that I tried to throw suspicion on him by tellingpolice----"
"Of course not," he cut in. "It's just a case of circumstantial evidence.Burt has a good lawyer now. I'm not a bit worried."
The harassed expression of DeWitt's face belied his words. He had alwaysbeen known to fellow workers as a hard yet just man, but now it seemed toPenny that the veteran newspaperman was losing his grip. Though hefancied he disguised his feelings, it was plain to all that Burt Ottman'sarrest had shaken him.
"Guess I won't wait for Jerry," Penny said, turning away.
Leaving the newspaper office, she dropped in at Foster's Drugstore toperch herself on a counter stool.
"I'll take a deluxe dose of Hawaiian Delight with whipped cream," shetold the soda fountain clerk.
"No pineapple," he said sadly. "And no whipped cream."
"Then make it a double chocolate malted."
"We're out of chocolate. Sorry."
"Just bring me an empty dish and let me look at it for awhile," Pennygrinned.
"How about a nice vanilla sundae with crushed walnuts?" the clerk coaxed.
"Oh, all right," Penny gave in. "And don't spare the walnuts!"
She ate the ice cream leisurely and had finished the last spoonful when ayoung man breezed into the drugstore. Recognizing Jerry Livingston, Pennysignaled frantically. Without seeing her, he dodged into a telephonebooth. He slammed out again in a moment and sat down at the counter.
"Cup o' Java and make it strong," he ordered carelessly.
"Sorry, sir, no coffee served without meals," teased Penny from anotherstool. "How about a nice vanilla sundae with crushed walnuts?"
Jerry grinned as he saw her and moved over to an adjoining stool.
"Where was the fire?" she inquired curiously.
"At the Fulton Warehouse along the dock. It was deliberately set."
"By saboteurs?"
"Looks that way. Workmen discovered the blaze in time to prevent thewhole plant going up in smoke. Just got through telephoning the story toDeWitt."
"Isn't the _Star_ building across the street?"
"Sure, but that's a long walk. Besides, I'm due at the airport for myflying lesson."
"Your which?" inquired Penny alertly.
"I'm training to be an angel," Jerry laughed. "I figure it like this. Ican't get along without my six cups o' Java a day, so the only place forme is in Uncle Sam's Air Corps."
"How soon will you be leaving, Jerry?"
"Not until I've completed my local training. Oh, I'll probably begrinding out news stories for quite some time yet."
Penny drew a quick breath and changed the subject. One by one familiarfaces were disappearing from the _Star_ office, but somehow it gave her aspecial twinge to think that Jerry soon must go. In the pursuit of newsthey had shared many an adventure.
"Jerry," she said abruptly, "Dad told me you were able to get Carl Oaks ajob."
"One of sorts. It doesn't pay much, but it's soft. Oaks is hired by theRiverview Coal Company to guard their barge that's tied up at Dock 10."
"Thanks a lot, Jerry, for going to so much trouble. Mr. Oaks ought to bequite grateful."
"Not that fellow! He held out for more pay."
"Are the duties hard?"
"Hard? All he has to do is stay aboard the barge and see that no onetries to make off with it."
"I can't imagine anyone trying to steal a coal barge," laughed Penny.
"Oh, it's done now and then," Jerry rejoined carelessly. "These daysthey'll even steal the hawsers off a boat."
"What value would the rope have to a thief?"
"Hawsers are expensive," the reporter explained. "Right now it's almostimpossible to get good grade hemp. A hawser of any size commands a bigprice second hand."
"How do the thieves get the ropes, Jerry?"
"Oh, they wait for a dark or foggy night and then slip up to an unguardedboat and cut her loose."
"Why, that's a form of sabotage!" Penny cried indignantly.
"Sure, it is. The boats float free and unless they're spotted, they'relikely to collide with other incoming vessels. Only last week an emptycoal barge was cut loose. She crashed into an oil tanker and rammed ahole in her."
"Then Carl Oaks really has an important job," Penny said thoughtfully.
"Important in the sense that he's got to keep his eyes open. But he's notrequired to do any hard work. All he has to do is sit."
"Then he should like the job," Penny smiled, sliding down from the stool."When does he start work?"
"He took over this morning."
"Maybe I'll ankle down to Dock 10 and talk to him."
"Better wrap yourself in cellophane first," Jerry advised. "That is, ifyou value your peaches and cream complexion."
Penny was not certain what the reporter meant, but a little later,approaching the coal docks, she understood. Nearby was a private railroadyard and cars were being loaded from the many mountains of coal heaped onthe ground. With the wind blowing toward the river, the dust laden airblackened her hands and clothing.
Penny stood for a moment watching a coal car race down from a steepswitch-back, and then wandered along the docks in search of Mr. Oaks.
She came presently to the barge for which she searched. There was no signof anyone aboard. A long ladder ascended from the dock to the vessel'sdeck. Penny hesitated and then decided to climb it. When she was midwayup, a man, his face blackened with coal, stepped from a shed.
"Hey, where you think you're going?" he shouted sternly.
"I'm looking for Mr. Oaks," Penny explained, hugging the ladder.
"Oaks? The new watchman?"
"Yes. He's aboard, isn't he?"
"He should be. Well, go on up, I guess, but it's against regulations."
Penny climbed the remaining rungs of the ladder and stepped out on thedeck of the barge. She was chagrined to see that she had wiped up a greatdeal of coal dust.
"Oh, Mr. Oaks!" she called. "Are you here?"
From the tiny deck house the old man emerged. No smile brightened hissmudged face as he recognized Penny.
"This is a swell job your father got me!" he greeted her.
"Why, Mr. Oaks, you don't act as if you like it," Penny replied, walkingtoward him. "What seems to be wrong?"
"The pay's poor," he said crossly. "I'm expected to stay on this rottenold tub twenty-four hours a day with only time off for my meals. It's sodirty around here that if a fellow'd take a deep breath he'd get a hunko' coal stuck in his nose!"
"It _is_ rather unpleasant," Penny admitted. "But then, the wind can'talways blow in this direction."
"I want you to ask your father to find me another job," the watchman wenton. "I'd like one on a bridge again."
"Well, I don't know. After what happened--"
"And whose fault was it?" Mr. Oaks interrupted angrily. "I helped you andthat girl friend of yours, didn't I? Well, now it's your turn to do me alittle favor, 'specially since it wasn't my fault I lost the bridge job."
"I'll talk to Dad," Penny said. Annoyed by the watchman's attitude, shedid not prolong the interview, but quickly climbed down fr
om the barge.
From the coal yards she followed the river for a distance, comingpresently to more pleasant surroundings. She was still thinking aboutCarl Oaks as she approached the Ottman boathouse. Sara and a young manwere deeply engrossed in examining a large metal object which appeared tobe a homemade diving hood.
For a moment Penny assumed that Sara's companion was Bill Evans. However,as the young man turned slightly, she saw his face.
"Why, it's Burt Ottman!" she thought. "He's back on his old job afterbeing released from jail. I'm going to talk to him and see what he'llsay!"