CHAPTER 6 _TALL CORN_
Hastening up the lane, Penny and Louise approached the pump in such a waythat Mrs. Davis could not return to the house without meeting them. Notuntil the woman had filled the water bucket and was starting back did shesee the two girls.
"Well?" she demanded defiantly.
By daylight the woman appeared much younger than Penny had taken her tobe the previous night. Not more than thirty-two, she wore a shapeless,faded blue dress which had seen many washings. Rather attractive brownhair had been drawn back into a tight, unbecoming knot that made her faceseem grotesquely long.
"I don't suppose you recognize me," Penny began diffidently. "My fatherand I were here last night with Sheriff Daniels."
"I remember you very well," the woman retorted. "What do you want?"
"Why, I should like to buy some melons," Penny replied, the idea onlythat instant occurring to her. "Have you any for sale?"
"Melons," the woman repeated, and the hard line of her mouth relaxed. "Ithought you came to pester me with questions. Sure, we've got some goodHeart o' Gold out in the patch. How many do you want?"
"About three, I guess."
"You can pick 'em out yourself if you want to," Mrs. Davis offered.Setting down the water bucket, she led the way through a gate to a melonpatch behind the cabin. Her suspicions not entirely allayed, shedemanded: "Sheriff Daniels didn't send you out here?"
"Indeed not," Penny assured her. "I haven't seen him since last night."
"It's all right then," Mrs. Davis said in a more friendly tone. Shestooped to examine a ripe melon. "I figured maybe he sent you to find outwhat became of my husband."
"Oh, no! Didn't Mr. Davis return home last night?"
"Not on your life!" the woman answered grimly. "And he won't be backeither--not while Sheriff Daniels is looking for him."
From Mrs. Davis' manner of speaking, Penny was convinced that she hadbeen in communication with her husband since the sheriff's visit. Tryingto keep her voice casual, she observed:
"Don't you think it would be wise for your husband to give himself up? Byhiding, he makes it appear as though he actually did set fire to thePreston barn."
"Clem would be a fool to give himself up now! Why, they'd be sure to hangthe fire onto him, even though he wasn't within a mile of the Prestonplace."
"Then couldn't he prove it?"
"Not a chance," the woman said with a short, hard laugh. "Clem wasframed. He never rode the horse last night, and that black hood wasplanted in the stable."
"Does your husband have any enemies?"
"Sure, he's got plenty of 'em."
"Then perhaps you can name a person who might have tried to throw blameon your husband."
"I could tell plenty if I was a mind to," the woman said significantly."I'd do it in a minute, only it would make things worse for Clem."
Penny started to reply, then remained silent as she saw that Mrs. Davis'gaze had focused upon a section of cornfield which fringed the melonpatch. The tall stalks were waving in an agitated manner, suggesting thatsomeone might be moving among them.
"Here are your melons," Mrs. Davis said nervously, thrusting three largeones into Penny's hands. "That will be a quarter."
As the girl paid her, she abruptly turned and hurried toward the house.
"Just a minute, Mrs. Davis," Penny called. "If you'll only talk to me Imay be able to help your husband."
The woman heard but paid no heed. Picking up the water bucket, sheentered the cabin, closing the door behind her.
"Well, we gained three melons, and that's all," Louise shrugged. "What'sour next move?"
"I think Mrs. Davis was on the verge of telling us something important,"Penny declared, her voice low. "Then she saw someone out there in thecorn field and changed her mind."
"I don't see anyone now," Louise said, staring in the direction her chumhad indicated. "The stalks aren't even moving."
"They were a moment ago. Clem Davis may be hiding out there, Lou! Or itcould be some of Sheriff Davis' men watching the cabin."
"Or an Indian waiting to scalp us," teased Louise. "Let's go back to thecar."
Penny shook her head and started toward the corn patch. Reluctantly,Louise followed, overtaking her at the edge of the field.
"Sheriff Daniels!" Penny called through cupped hands.
There was no answer, only a gentle rippling of the corn stalks somedistance from them.
"Whoever the person is, he's sneaking away," Penny whispered. "Come on,let's stop him!"
"Don't be foolish--" Louise protested, but her chum had vanished into theforest of tall corn.
After a moment of indecision she, too, entered the field. By that timethere was no sign of Penny, no sound to guide her. Wandering aimlesslyfirst in one direction, then another, she soon became hopelessly lost.
"Penny!" she shouted frantically.
"Here!" called a voice not far away.
Tracing the sound, and making repeated calls, Louise finally came face toface with her chum.
"Such a commotion as you've been making," chided Penny. "Not a chance tocatch that fellow now!"
"I don't care," Louise retorted crossly. Her hair was disarranged,stockings matted with burs. "If we can get out of this dreadful maze Iwant to go to the car."
"We're at the edge of the field. Follow me and I'll pilot you to safety."
Emerging a minute later at the end of the corn row, Penny saw the stableonly a few yards away. Impulsively, she proposed to Louise that theyinvestigate it for possible clues.
"I've had enough detective work for one day," her chum complained."Anyway, what do you hope to discover in an old barn?"
"Maybe I can induce the horse to talk," Penny chuckled. "Sal must knowall the answers, if only she could speak."
"You'll have to give her the third degree by yourself," Louise decidedwith finality. "I shall go to the car."
Taking the melons with her, she marched stiffly down the lane and climbedinto Leaping Lena. Carefully she rearranged her hair, plucked burs, andthen grew impatient because her chum did not come. Fully twenty minuteselapsed before Penny emerged from the stable.
"Sorry to keep you waiting so long, Lou," she apologized as she reachedthe car. "See what I found!"
Penny held up a bright silver object which resembled a locket, save thatit was smaller.
"What is it?" Louise inquired with interest.
"A man's watch charm! It has a picture inside too!"
With her fingernail, Penny pried open the lid. Flat against the cover hadbeen fastened the photograph of a boy who might have been ten or twelveyears of age.
"Where did you get it, Penny?"
"I found it lying on the barn floor, not far from the place where wepicked up the black hood last night."
"Then it must belong to Clem Davis!"
"It may," Penny admitted, sliding into the seat beside her chum. "Still,I don't believe the Davis' have any children."
"What will you do with the charm? Turn it over to the sheriff?"
"I suppose I should, after I've shown it to Dad," Penny replied,carefully tying the trinket into the corner of a handkerchief. "You know,Lou, since finding this, I wonder if Mrs. Davis may not have told thetruth."
"About what, Penny?"
"She said that her husband had been framed."
"Then you think this watch charm was left in the barn to throw suspicionupon Clem Davis!"
Penny shook her head. "No, this is my theory, Louise. Perhaps someone hidthe black hood there, and rode Clem's horse to make it appear he was theguilty person. Inadvertently, that same person lost this watch charm."
"In that case, you would have a clue which might solve the case."
"Exactly," Penny grinned in triumph. "Get ready for a fast ride intotown. I'm going to rush this evidence straight to the _Star_ office andget Dad's opinion."