CHAPTER 10 _HELP FROM MR. EMORY_
With Jerry at Sunset Beach, the vacation already promised to take on arosy hue. Penny was so thrilled to be with her friends again that shepaid scant heed to her driving. Several times, enroute to the CrystalInn, Louise had to warn her to steer more carefully.
"Oh, Jerry, now that you're here the fun will start!" Penny declaredhappily. "You've no idea how dull things have been without you."
"And that goes double," Jerry said with emphasis. "How's your father?"
"Oh, fine!" Penny laughed. "Camping has made him cross though. By theway, did he know you were coming?"
"Yes, I sent him a wire."
"I thought so! Dad's been keeping it from me. Why all the secrecy, Iwonder?"
"Well, my trip here isn't exactly a pleasure jaunt. And if I have luck,I'll be gone again in a few days."
"I certainly hope you have no luck then," Penny said with a laugh.
The car drew up at the Crystal Inn and Jerry unloaded his suitcase. Hewas taller, Penny thought, or at least more filled out. The trim uniformset off his broad shoulders. As he bent to pick up his luggage, a groupof women on the hotel veranda turned to stare at him.
"I'll check in and clean up a bit," Jerry said. "Then where can I meetyou girls?"
"Oh, we'll be somewhere on the beach," Penny replied carelessly. "Dohurry, Jerry. We have a million things to talk over."
The girls parked the car not far from the hotel. As they walked along,scuffing their shoes in the loose sand, they saw Mrs. Deline comingtoward them from the direction of Crag Point.
"She's evidently been at the lighthouse all this time!" Penny commentedin an undertone. "Now how did she get in there for a visit when Icouldn't?"
Mrs. Deline saw that she would meet the girls. Frowning, she glancedquickly toward the boardwalk as if seeking an avenue of escape. However,she could not avoid meeting them without appearing to do so deliberately.
"How do you do," she greeted Penny coldly.
Penny paused to introduce Louise. Mrs. Deline acknowledged the girl withan indifferent nod. Somewhat confused, Louise nervously twisted a silverring she wore. It slipped from her finger and fell into the loose sand.
"Oh, how awkward of me!" she exclaimed, and stooped to retrieve it.
The ring buried itself deeper in the sand.
"You'll lose it entirely if you're not careful!" Penny warned. "Here, letme help you."
Getting down on their knees, the girls sifted the sand with their hands.Mrs. Deline seemed amused by their difficulties and did not offer tohelp.
"Well, I must be getting on to the hotel," she said casually. "I took along walk this afternoon and I'm tired."
"To the lighthouse?" Penny commented, before she stopped to think.
Mrs. Deline glanced at her sharply. "No, not to the lighthouse," shereplied in a tone meant to put the girl in her place. "I shouldn't thinkof walking that far."
"But I thought I saw you there."
"You saw me?" Mrs. Deline laughed. "Well, my dear, you certainly weremistaken. I walked to the 12th Street bridge. No farther."
Penny started to reply, then thought better of it. There was no point inarguing with Mrs. Deline. However, she was certain she had seen the widowat the lighthouse. Why the woman should deny it she could not imagine.
After Mrs. Deline had gone, Penny and Louise searched in vain for themissing ring. They knew it could not be many inches away, yet it kepteluding them.
"Oh, I can't afford to lose the ring!" Louise wailed.
"How valuable is it?"
"It's not worth much from a money standpoint. I drew it as a prize in apiece of wedding cake and I've always kept it as a good luck piece."
"We'll find it," Penny said confidently. "That is, if the tide doesn'tcatch us first."
Just as she spoke, a wave came rippling up the beach. It broke only a fewfeet away, showering the girls with spray and wetting their shoes.
"If the tide flows over this spot, I never will find the ring," Louisecried in vexation. "Such wretched luck!"
"Having trouble?" inquired a deep masculine voice.
Penny and Louise raised their heads. Unnoticed by them, a stranger hadapproached. The man wore a wet bathing suit plastered with sand. He hadon glasses and a moment elapsed before Penny recognized him as the samefisherman who had warned her about the tide at Crag Point.
"I'm George Emory," he introduced himself. "Have you lost something?"
"My ring," Louise explained.
The man helped the girls search for the missing trinket. By now waveswere creeping higher and higher on the beach. A particularly big one sentPenny and Louise scurrying for safety.
"It's no use looking any longer for the ring," Louise gave up. "Perhaps Ican find it after the tide turns."
"By then it will be washed away," replied Mr. Emory. "Ah! What's this?"
He stooped to pick a shiny object from the sand.
"It's my ring!" Louise cried in delight. "Oh, thank you for finding it!"
The three retreated to higher ground. As Penny and Louise were about tostart for the hotel, Mr. Emory suggested that they might like to share apicnic lunch with him. Neither of the girls was hungry, but to offend theman after he had found Louise's ring was unthinkable. Accordingly, theyaccompanied him to one of the gaily painted wooden umbrellas along thebeach. Beneath its shade Mr. Emory spread a paper tablecloth and producedample supplies of sandwiches, fruit and lemonade.
"Were you expecting to eat all this food yourself?" Penny asked inamazement.
"No, I was hoping to find a companion who would share it," replied Mr.Emory. "The truth is, I'm a pretty lonely old fellow."
Penny and Louise stole a quick look at the stranger. By no stretch of theimagination could they call him old. Judging from appearances, he was notyet forty years old.
"My wife died a few years ago," Mr. Emory explained sadly. "Since thenI've been like a ship without a rudder. I have plenty of money, but Idon't get much enjoyment out of life. I go wherever it suits my fancy,stay until I weary of it, then move on."
"Oh, I see," Penny murmured with a show of sympathy.
She felt ashamed of herself that the story did not move her more deeply.Mr. Emory evidently was a lonely fellow, deserving of companionship. Yetfor some reason, he failed to interest her.
"Have you been at Sunset Beach long?" she inquired politely.
"Oh, about a month. I know every nook and cranny along the shore."
"You do?" Penny asked, and her interest revived. "Are there many cavesnear Sunset Beach?"
"Plenty of them, though none very close. There are several near thelighthouse, back among the rocks. Crystal Cave probably is the mostinteresting. Then there are half a dozen scattered on up the shore.Interested in caves?"
"Oh, in a general way," Penny replied carelessly.
"Penny is interested in anything that suggests mystery," Louisevolunteered with a grin.
"Mystery?"
"Lou's joking," Penny said quickly. She gave her chum a hard look whichwas not lost upon Mr. Emory.
"Why, Penny!" Louise refused to be silenced. "Only a few minutes ago youwere telling me about a radio broadcast said to come from a cave!"
"That was just my idea," Penny said, confused. She jumped hastily to herfeet. "We really should be going, Lou."
"Oh, don't hurry away." Mr. Emory offered Louise another sandwich."Speaking of mysterious radio stations, I've heard of one that is said tobe located in a cave somewhere along these shores. Fact is, I've searchedfor it."
"You have?" Penny asked, sinking back into the sand. "Any luck?"
"None. But I did manage to kill quite a few afternoons. I take it thatyour father came to Sunset Beach to help the authorities search for thestation. Right?"
"Why, whatever made you think that?" Penny asked, instantly on guard. "Doyou know my father?"
"I regret I haven't the honor.
I chanced to overhear a conversation atthe hotel."
"Oh," Penny murmured. She was certain that the information could haveleaked out in only one way. Her father had told Mrs. Deline, who in turnhad spread the news about the hotel.
"I trust I'm not inquiring into secrets," Mr. Emory went on cheerfully."Fact of the matter is, I might be able to help your father."
"I'm sure Dad will want to talk with you."
"I'll look forward to meeting your father. Think you can arrange it?"
"Why, I suppose so," Penny said, though with no great enthusiasm. Againshe experienced a queer, uneasy feeling. She did not entirely trust Mr.Emory.
The man smiled and seemed to relax. As the girls arose to leave he triedonce more to detain them.
"See that old fellow down the beach?" he inquired, pointing to an agedman who was picking up objects from the sand with a sharp-pointed stick.
"Yes, what about him?" Penny asked, turning to stare. "Just an ordinarybeachcomber, isn't he?"
"I'd not call Old Jake Skagway ordinary," Mr. Emory corrected. "If you'rereally interested in solving the radio station mystery, I'd advise you tokeep watch of that rascal."
"But why him?" Penny asked.
"I can't explain," Mr. Emory said with finality. "It's just a tip. Takeit or leave it."
Yawning, he stretched himself full length on the sand and turned his backto the girls.