CHAPTER 2 _BY THE COVERED WELL_
Seeing the group of girls by the wishing well, the youth swerved, andfled in the opposite direction. Darting into the woods, he ran so swiftlythat Penny realized pursuit would be futile.
"Who was he?" she questioned the others. "Did any of you recognize him?"
"I'm sure I've seen him somewhere," Louise Sidell declared. "Were youable to see his face, Rhoda?"
The older girl did not answer, for at that moment the man who had pursuedthe boy ran into the yard. Breathing hard, he paused near the well.
"Did you see a boy come through here?" he asked abruptly. "The rascalstole one of my good layin' hens."
"We saw him," Penny answered, "but I'm sure you'll never overtake himnow. He ran into the woods."
"Reckon you're right," the man muttered, seating himself on the stone rimof the wishing well. "I'm tuckered." Taking out a red-bandanahandkerchief, he wiped perspiration from his forehead.
Penny thought that she recognized the man as a stonecutter who lived in ashack at the river's edge. He was a short, muscular individual, strongdespite his age, with hands roughened by hard labor. His face had beenbrowned by wind and sun; gray eyes squinted as if ever viewing the worldwith suspicion and hate.
"Aren't you Truman Crocker?" Penny inquired curiously.
"That's my tag," the stonecutter answered, drawing himself a drink ofwater from the well. "What are you young 'uns doing here?"
"Oh, our club came to sketch," Penny returned. "You live close by, don'tyou?"
"Down yonder," the man replied, draining the dipper in a thirsty gulp. "Ibeen haulin' stone all day. It's a hard way to make a living, let me tellyou. Then I come home to find that young rascal making off with mychickens!"
"Do you know who he was?" asked Louise.
"No, but this ain't the first time he's paid me a visit. Last week hestole one of my best Rhode Island Reds. I'm plumb disgusted."
Rhoda abruptly arose from the grass, gathering together her sketchingmaterials. As if to put an end to the conversation, she remarked:
"It will soon be dark, girls. I think I should start home."
"We'll all be leaving in a few minutes," Penny replied. "Let's lookaround a bit more though, before we go."
"You won't see nothin' worth lookin' at around here," the stonecuttersaid contemptuously. "This old house ain't much any more. There's goodlumber in it though, and the foundation has some first class stone."
"You speak as if you had designs on it," Penny laughed. "It would be ashame to tear down a beautiful old house such as this."
"What's it good for?" the man shrugged. "There ain't no one lived here inten or twelve years. Not since the old lady went off."
"Did you know Mrs. Marborough?"
"Oh, we said howdy to each other when we'd meet, but that was the size ofit. The old lady didn't like me none and I thought the same of her. Shenever wanted my chickens runnin' over her yard. Ain't it a pity she can'tsee 'em now?"
With a throaty sound, half chuckle, half sneer, the man arose and walkedwith the girls around the house.
"If you want to look inside, there's a shutter off on the east livin'room window," he informed. "Everything's just like the old lady left it."
"You don't mean the furniture is still in the house!" Rhoda exclaimedincredulously.
"There ain't nothing been changed. I never could figure why someonedidn't come in an' haul off her stuff, but it's stood all these years."
Their curiosity aroused, the girls hastened to the window that TrumanCrocker had mentioned. Flattening her face against the dirty pane, Pennypeered inside.
"He's right!" she announced. "The furniture is still covered by sheets!Why, that's funny."
"What is?" inquired Louise impatiently.
"There's a lady's hat lying on the table!"
"It must be quite out of style by this time," Louise laughed.
"A _new_ hat," Penny said with emphasis. "And a purse lying beside it!"
At the other side of the house, an outside door squeaked. Turning around,the group of girls stared almost as if they were gazing at a ghost. Anold lady in a long blue silk dress with lace collar and cuffs, steppedout onto the veranda. She gazed beyond the girls toward Truman Crockerwho leaned against a tree. Seeing the woman, he straightened to alertattention.
"If it ain't Priscilla Marborough!" he exclaimed. "You've come back!"
"I certainly have returned," the old lady retorted with no friendlinessin her voice. "High time someone looked after this place! While I've beenaway, you seemingly have used my garden as a chicken run!"
"How did I know you was ever coming back?" Crocker demanded. "Anyhow, theplace has gone to wrack and ruin. A few chickens more nor less shouldn'tmake no difference."
"Perhaps not to you, Truman Crocker," Mrs. Marborough returned withbiting emphasis. "You know I am home now, so I warn you--keep your livestock out of my garden!"
Penny and her friends shared the old stonecutter's chagrin, for they toowere trespassers. Waiting until the woman had finished lecturing Crocker,they offered an apology for the intrusion.
"We're very sorry," Penny said, speaking for the others. "Of course wenever dreamed that the house was occupied or we wouldn't have peepedthrough the window. We came because we wanted to sketch the old wishingwell and your lovely home."
Mrs. Marborough came down the steps toward the girls.
"I quite understand," she said in a far milder tone than she had used inspeaking to the stonecutter. "You may look around as much as you wish.But first, tell me your names."
One by one they gave them, answering other questions which the old ladyasked. She kept them so busy that they had no opportunity to interposeany of their own. But at length Penny managed to inquire:
"Mrs. Marborough, are you planning to open up your home again? Everyonewould be so happy if only you should decide to live here!"
"Happy?" the old lady repeated, her eyes twinkling. "Well, maybe somepeople would be, and others wouldn't."
"Rose Acres could be made into one of the nicest places in Riverview,"declared Louise.
"That would take considerable money," replied Mrs. Marborough. "I've notmade any plans yet." Abruptly she turned to face Truman Crocker who wasstaring at her. "Must you stand there gawking?" she asked with asperity."Get along to your own land, and mind, don't come here again. I'll nothave trespassers."
"You ain't changed a bit, Mrs. Marborough, not a particle," thestonecutter muttered as he slowly moved off.
Truman Crocker's dismissal had been so curt that Penny and her friendslikewise started to leave the grounds.
"You needn't go unless you want to," Mrs. Marborough said, her tonesoftening again. "I never could endure that no-good loafer, TrumanCrocker! All the stepping stones are gone from my garden, and I have anidea what became of them!"
The group of girls hesitated, scarcely knowing what to do or say. As thesilence became noticeable, Penny tried to make conversation by remarkingthat she and her friends had been especially interested in the oldwishing well.
"Is it true that wishes made there have come true?" Rhoda Wiegandinterposed eagerly.
"Yes and no," the old lady smiled. "Hundreds of wishes have been made atthe well over the years. A surprising number of the worthwhile ones havebeen granted, so folks say. Tell me, did you say your name is Rhoda?"
"Why, yes," the girl responded, surprised that the old lady hadremembered. "Rhoda Wiegand."
"Wiegand--odd, I don't recall the name. Have your parents lived manyyears in Riverview?"
"My mother and father are dead, Mrs. Marborough. My brother and I haven'tany living relatives. Mr. and Mrs. Breen took us in so we wouldn't haveto go to an orphans' home. They have three children of their own, and I'mafraid we're quite a burden."
"Where do the Breens live, my child?"
"We have a trailer at the Dorset Tourist Camp."
"I've
always thought I should enjoy living that way," Mrs. Marboroughdeclared. "Big houses are entirely too much work. If I decide to clean upthis place, it will take me weeks."
"Can't we all help you?" suggested Louise impulsively. More than anythingelse she longed to see the interior of the quaint old house.
"Thank you, my dear, but I shall require no assistance," Mrs. Marboroughreplied somewhat stiffly. Obviously dismissing the girls, she added: "Docome again whenever you like."
During the bus ride to Riverview, the members of the Palette exchangedcomments, speculating upon why the old lady had returned to the cityafter such a lengthy absence. One by one they alighted at various streetcorners until only Rhoda, Penny, and Louise remained.
"Rhoda, you'll have a long ride to the opposite side of the city," Pennyremarked as she and Louise prepared to leave the bus. "Why not get offhere and let me drive you home in my car? It won't take long to get itfrom the garage."
"Oh, that would be too much trouble," Rhoda protested.
"I want to do it," Penny insisted. Taking the girl by the elbow, shesteered her to the bus exit. To Louise she added: "Why not come alongwith us?"
"Perhaps I will, if you'll drive your good car--not Leaping Lena."
Penny was the proud possessor of two automobiles, one a handsome maroonsedan, the other a dilapidated, ancient "flivver" which had an unpleasanthabit of running only when fancy dictated. How she had obtained two carswas a story in itself--in fact, several of them. The maroon model,however, had been the gift of Penny's devoted father, Anthony Parker,publisher of Riverview's leading daily newspaper, _The Star_. He hadpresented the car to her in gratitude because she had achieved anexclusive story for his paper, gaining astounding evidence by probingbehind a certain mysterious _Green Door_.
Delighted with the gift, Penny promptly sold Leaping Lena only to becomeso lonesome for her old friend that she had bought it back from asecond-hand dealer. In towing the car home she was involved in anaccident, and there followed a chain of amazing events which ultimatelybrought the solution of a mystery case known as _Clue of the SilkenLadder_. Leaping Lena and trouble always went together, according toLouise, but Penny felt that every one of her adventures had been worthwhile.
"I don't mind taking the maroon car," she replied to her chum. "In fact,Lena hasn't been running so well lately. I think she has pneumonia of thecarburetor."
"Or maybe it's just old age sneaking up on her!" Louise added with ateasing laugh.
Reaching the Parker home, Penny ran inside to tell Mrs. Weems, thehousekeeper, that she was taking Rhoda to the trailer camp. Returning amoment later, she backed the maroon car from the garage with dazzlingskill and further exhibited her prowess as a driver.
"Penny always handles an automobile as if she were enroute to athree-alarm fire!" Louise assured Rhoda. "A reporter at the _Star_ taughther how to drive."
Presently, the car arrived at the Dorset Tourist Camp, rolling through anarchway entrance into a tree-shaded area.
"Our trailer is parked over at the north side," Rhoda said, pointing to avehicle with faded brown paint.
Penny stopped the car beneath a large maple tree. Immediately three smallchildren who had been playing close by, rushed up to greet Rhoda. Theirhands and faces were very dirty, frocks unpressed and torn, and theirhair appeared never to have made contact with comb or brush.
"Are these the Breen youngsters?" inquired Louise.
"Yes," Rhoda answered, offering no apology for the way the childrenlooked. "This is Betty, who is seven. Bobby is five, and Jean is ourbaby."
Penny and Louise had no intention of remaining at the camp, but beforethey could drive away, Mrs. Breen stepped from the trailer. She came atonce to the car, and Rhoda introduced her.
"I've always told Rhoda to bring her friends out here, but she neverwould do it," the woman declared heartily. "Come inside and see ourtrailer."
"We really should be going," Penny demurred. "I told our housekeeper I'dbe right back."
"It will only take a minute," Mrs. Breen urged. "I want you to meet myhusband--and there's Ted."
The woman had caught a glimpse of a tall young man as he moved hastilyaround the back side of the trailer.
"Oh, Ted!" she called shrilly. "Come here and meet Rhoda's friends!"
"Don't bother about it, Mrs. Breen," Rhoda said in embarrassment."Please."
"Nonsense!" the woman replied, and called again. "Ted! Come here, I say!"
With obvious reluctance, the young man approached the automobile. He wastall and slim with many of Rhoda's facial features. Penny felt certainthat she had seen him before, yet for a minute she could not think where.
"How are you?" the young man responded briefly as he was presented to thetwo girls.
"Ted found a little work to do today," Mrs. Breen resumed proudly. "Justa few minutes ago he brought home a nice plump chicken. We're having itfor dinner!"
Ted gazed over the woman's head, straight at his sister. Seeing the lookwhich passed between them, Penny suddenly knew where she had seen theyoung man. Mrs. Breen's remark had given her the required clue.Unquestionably, Ted Wiegand was the one who had stolen the chicken fromthe old stonecutter!