CHAPTER 6 _A WISH FULFILLED_
At school the next morning, both Penny and Louise eagerly awaited someindication from Rhoda Wiegand that the basket of food had been discoveredby the Breen family. The girl had failed to appear at five minutes tonine, and they began to wonder if she intended to absent herself fromclasses.
"Oh, by the way, what did Mrs. Weems say about last night's littleepisode?" Louise asked her chum curiously.
"Entirely too much," Penny sighed. "She sent me three thousand words onthe budget problems of a housekeeper! If you don't mind, let's allow thesubject to rest in peace."
It was time for the final school bell, and the two girls started towardthe assembly room. Just then Rhoda, breathless from hurrying, came intothe hallway. Her eyes sparkled and obviously, she was rather excited.
"Girls, something strange happened last night!" she greeted Penny andLouise. "You'll never guess!"
"We couldn't possibly," Louise said soberly.
"Two baskets of food were left at the door of our trailer! It's silly tosay it, I know, but it seems as if my wish at the old well must have hadsomething to do with it."
"Did you say _two_ baskets of food were left?" Louise questioned, gazingsideways at Penny.
"Yes, one came early in the evening. Then this morning when Mrs. Breenopened the door, she found still another. You don't suppose any of themembers of the Palette Club did it, do you? We shouldn't like to acceptcharity--"
"I'll ask the girls if you want me to," Penny offered hastily. "If any ofthem did, nothing was said about it to me."
"Maybe the old well granted your wish, Rhoda," Louise added. "You know,folks say it has a reputation for doing good deeds."
The ringing of the school bell brought the conversation to an abrupt end.However, as Louise and Penny went to their seats, the latter whispered:
"Who do you suppose left that second basket on the Breen doorstep?"
"Probably one of the other club members had the same idea you did,"Louise responded. "Anyway, the Breens will be well fed for a few days atleast."
At recess Penny made a point of questioning every member of the PaletteClub. Not one of the girls would admit having carried the basket to thetrailer park, but all were agreed that Rhoda should be invited to jointhe art organization. Without exception, they liked the girl afterbecoming acquainted with her.
"The mystery deepens," Penny commented to Louise as they wandered, arm inarm, about the school yard. "If no one in the Palette Club prepared thebasket, then who did do it?"
"I guess we'll have to attribute it to the old wishing well after all,"Louise chuckled. "Let me see your ears, my pet."
"What for? Don't you think I ever wash them?"
"I merely want to see if they've grown since we were at the Marboroughplace. Why, goodness me, I believe they are larger!"
Before Penny could think of a suitable retort, Rhoda joined the girls.Curious to learn more of the two Texas men who had arrived in Riverview,they gave the newcomer every opportunity to speak of it. As she remaineduncommunicative, Penny brought up the subject by mentioning that twostrangers had asked her how they might locate the trailer family.
"Yes, they found us all right," Rhoda replied briefly. "Mr. Coaten cameto see Ted."
"An old friend, I suppose," Louise remarked.
"Not exactly. I can't figure out just why he did come here."
Rhoda frowned and lapsed into silence. Penny and Louise did not questionher further, and a few minutes later recess ended.
The affairs of the Breen family concerned Penny only slightly. Althoughshe kept wondering why Mr. Coaten and his companion were in Riverview,she gave far more thought to the stone which had been dug up on theGleason farm. Directly after school she proposed to Louise that theydrive into the country and interview the farmer.
"I don't mind the trip," her chum said, "but why are you so interested inan old rock?"
"Oh, Dad thinks the whole story may be a hoax. I'd like to learn thetruth, if I can."
Mindful that in the past Penny had brought the _Riverview Star_ many animportant "scoop," Louise was very willing to accompany her on the trip.Four-thirty found the two girls at the Gleason farm in conversation withthe old farmer.
"I've been pestered to death ever since that rock was found here," hetold them somewhat crossly. "There's nothing new to tell. I was plowingin the south field back of the barn, when I turned it up. I didn't paymuch attention until Jay Franklin come along and said the writing on itmight interest the museum folks. He gave me a couple of dollars, and paidto have old man Crocker haul it to town."
"I didn't know Jay Franklin had an interest in the stone," Pennyremarked. "You say he gave you two dollars for it?"
"That's right," the farmer nodded. "I was glad to have the rock hauledoff the place."
Satisfied that they could learn no more, Penny and Louise inspected thehole from which the stone had been removed, and then drove towardRiverview.
"Mr. Gleason seemed honest enough," Penny commented thoughtfully. "If therock was deliberately planted on his farm I don't believe he had anythingto do with it."
"He isn't sufficiently clever to plan and carry out an idea like that,"Louise added. "Maybe the writing on the rock is genuine."
"The curator of the museum thinks it may be. All the same, I'll stackDad's opinion against them all."
The car approached the old Marborough place, and Penny deliberatelyslowed down. To the surprise of the girls, they observed two automobilesparked in front of the property.
"It looks as if Mrs. Marborough has guests today," Penny commented."Shall we stop and say hello?"
"Well, I don't know," Louise replied doubtfully as the car drew up at theedge of the road. "We're not really acquainted with her, and with othersthere--"
"They're leaving now," Penny said, jerking her head to draw attention toa group of ladies coming down the walk toward the street.
The visitors all were known to the two girls as women prominent inRiverview club circles. Mrs. Buckmyer, a stout, pompous lady who led theprocession, was speaking to the others in an agitated voice.
"In all my life I never was treated with less courtesy! Mrs. Marboroughat least might have invited us into her house!"
"I always understood that she was a queer person," contributed another,"but one naturally would expect better manners from a Marborough."
"I shouldn't object to her manners if only she would allow the PilgrimageCommittee the use of her house," added a third member of the group. "Whata pity that she refuses to consider opening it during the Festival Week."
Still chattering indignantly, the women entered their separate cars anddrove away.
"What did you make of that?" Louise asked in perplexity.
"Apparently Mrs. Marborough gave them the brush off," Penny chuckled. "Iknow Mrs. Buckmyer heads the Pilgrimage Committee."
"What's that?"
"Haven't you heard about it, Louise? A group of club women decided toraise money by conducting a tour of old houses. In this community thereare a number of places which date back over a hundred years."
"And people will pay money to see them?"
"That's the general idea. Festival Week has been set for the twenty-sixthof this month. During a five-day period the various homes are open,gardens will be on display, and costume parties may be held at them."
"There's only one colonial house that I'd care about getting inside,"Louise said. "I should like to see the interior of Rose Acres."
"Maybe we can do it now. Mrs. Marborough invited us to visit her again."
"Yes, but did she really mean it?"
"Why not find out?" Penny laughed, swinging open the car door.
Entering the grounds, the girls saw that very little had been done to theproperty since their last visit. A half-hearted attempt had been made torake one side of the lawn and an overgrown lilac bush had beenmercilessly mutilated. Shutters on
the house remained closed and theentire place had a gloomy, deserted appearance.
Penny rapped on the door. Evidently Mrs. Marborough had noted theapproach of the two girls for she responded to their knock immediately.
"Good afternoon," Penny began, "we were driving by and thought we woulddrop in to see you again."
"How nice of you," Mrs. Marborough smiled. "Look over the garden as muchas you please."
"The garden--" Louise faltered, gazing quickly at Penny.
"Or make wishes at the well," Mrs. Marborough went on hastily. "Goanywhere you like, and I'll join you as soon as I get a wrap."
The door closed gently in their faces.
"Who wants to see a tangle of weeds?" Louise demanded in a whisper. "Whydidn't Mrs. Marborough invite us into the house?"
"Why indeed?" echoed Penny, frowning thoughtfully. "There can be but onereason! She has a dark secret which she is trying to hide from theworld!"