CHAPTER 8 _KEEPER OF THE LIGHT_
Recovering from astonishment, Penny darted to the tent and jerked openthe flap. The beds had been torn apart. Her purse, hidden beneath thepillow, was gone. Suitcases lay open on the canvas floor.
"That man was a thief!" she thought angrily.
Too late, she tried to determine which direction he had taken. She couldhear no sound of crackling leaves or running feet.
"He's lying low," she told herself. "No use chasing him. I never couldfind him among the trees."
Thoroughly incensed, she went back to the disordered tent. A preliminarycheck revealed that besides the pocketbook, a pair of her father's shoesand a sweater had been taken.
"Lucky I didn't have much money in my purse," Penny congratulatedherself. "It was a good leather pocketbook though, and I hate to loseit."
Going outside, she discovered other losses. The supply of groceries hadbeen ransacked. Bread was gone, several oranges and a tin of cold meat.
"That fellow was hungry," Penny reflected. "Probably some shiftlessperson who isn't willing to work for a living."
Entering the tent again, she busied herself making the beds and repackingthe suitcases. As she finished the task, she heard footsteps outside.Fearful that the thief had returned, she jerked open the canvas flap. Itwas her father who had arrived.
"Oh, Dad, I'm glad you're back!" she exclaimed, rushing out to meet him."We've been robbed!"
"What?"
Penny told him how she had frightened away the bearded stranger.
"That's bad," Mr. Parker said, frowning. "I didn't suppose there wasanother camper within miles of us."
"This man didn't look like a camper, Dad. He wore dirty, mussed clothingand a beard of at least a week's growth."
"How old a fellow?"
"Why, he looked young to me. And he ran like a young person."
"We'll report it to the ranger," Mr. Parker said, entering the tent tocheck over his belongings. "Probably never will get any of our thingsback though."
"The ranger may know who the fellow is, Dad."
"That's possible," Mr. Parker admitted. "Penny, I'm glad Louise is comingtomorrow. I certainly don't like the idea of your remaining here in campalone."
"Then why don't you stay with me?" Penny countered instantly.
"Well, I'm planning on being rather busy."
"With Mrs. Deline."
"Penny, you're impossible!"
"Weren't you with her today? I looked everywhere for you."
"Mrs. Deline and I did go for a little walk. No harm in that, is there?"
"It all depends upon your viewpoint," Penny said loftily. "Personally, Iconsider her about as harmless as a Grade A rattler!"
"Penny, enough of such talk!"
"Okay," she returned grimly, "but never say I didn't warn you."
"I was about to tell you," Mr. Parker resumed, "that I expect to be busythe next few days helping local authorities trace that outlaw radiostation we heard on the air."
"Oh!"
"In fact, Army experts are being sent here to aid in the work. My dayswill be pretty well tied up."
"I'm sorry, Dad," Penny said contritely. "Naturally I thought--"
"I'm afraid your trouble is that you don't stop to think," Mr. Parkerlectured. "Please, will you forget Mrs. Deline?"
"I promise not to bother you about her again, Dad."
"Good!" Mr. Parker awkwardly patted his daughter's hand. "I realizeyou've had an unpleasant time of it so far, Penny. But things should pickup after Louise arrives."
"And that other surprise you hinted about?"
"Oh, you'll have to wait and see," Mr. Parker smiled. "However, I promiseyou that what's coming really will prove a pleasant surprise."
Though Penny kept up a running fire of questions, her father would tellher no more. From a few hints he dropped, she gathered that he wasexpecting a visitor within a day or so. That rather disappointed her, forwith the exception of Louise, she could think of no one she particularlywanted to see at Sunset Beach.
Later that day when a forest ranger stopped at camp for a few minutes,Mr. Parker reported the theft of food and clothing to him.
"So the thief was a young man with a beard?" the ranger pondered. "Don'tknow of anyone in the area answering such a description. We'll certainlybe on the watch for him."
Penny and her father expected to hear no more from the matter. Towardsundown, however, the same ranger returned to camp, bringing the missingpocketbook. It was stripped of money but still contained a compact andvarious toilet articles.
"Where did you find the purse?" Penny inquired eagerly.
"On the Beech Trail not far from here."
"Then it was dropped on purpose?"
"Apparently it was. I followed the trail for a quarter of mile, then lostthe fellow when he took to the brook."
"Rather a smart fellow to think of that," commented Mr. Parkerthoughtfully. "Perhaps he wasn't an ordinary snatch-thief after all."
The ranger offered no comment. As he turned to go, he did assure Pennyagain that every effort would be made to capture the culprit.
"If the fellow still is in the park we'll get him," he declared. "Don'tyou worry about that."
With the coming of dusk a penetrating chill settled over the camp. Eventhe hot supper of steak and potatoes that Penny prepared failed tosufficiently warm the two tenters. They did the dishes and then, notwishing to go to bed, sought the enclosed car for heat.
"It's starting to rain," Mr. Parker observed as a few drops splashedagainst the windshield. "Looks as if we're in for another siege of it."
"And Louise is due tomorrow," Penny sighed. "Unless the weather improvesI'd not blame her one bit if she turns right around and starts back toRiverview."
The rain came down steadily with a promise of continuing throughout thenight. Mr. Parker read a day-old newspaper by the light in the car,grumbling because the news was so old. Presently he switched on theradio, trying without success to tune in the outlaw station which hadbeen heard previously at the same hour.
"No luck," he commented. "Reception must be poor tonight, or the stationhas changed to another time. Probably it's shifted to a differentlocality too."
"Dad, isn't it true that the operator of that secret station is an enemyagent?" Penny asked curiously.
"It's a possibility."
"Why not tell me all about it?"
"Nothing to tell yet, Penny. Confidentially I'll admit I came here hopingto help State authorities find the station. So far I've accomplishednothing."
"What clues have you gained?"
"Now Penny, don't quiz me," Mr. Parker laughed. "I'll tell you everythingas soon as I'm free to do so."
"In the meantime, maybe I'll find out for myself!" Penny hinted. Abruptlyswinging open the car door, she bolted through the rain to the tent.
Breakfast the next morning was a more cheerful meal than had beenexpected. During the night the rain had ceased and a hot morning sun soondried out the drenched canvas. Mr. Parker prepared coffee, eggs andbacon, an unbelievable example of perfect cooking.
"Dad, I didn't think you had it in you!" Penny praised as she sat down ona camp stool beside him. "Maybe you'll develop into a real camper afterall."
"Not if I have anything to say about it." Grinning, Mr. Parker droppedtwo plump fried eggs on his daughter's plate and took the remaining fourfor himself. "This life could be worse though."
"Dad, what time shall we start for the airport?"
Mr. Parker poured himself a cup of coffee and then answered: "Afraid Iwon't be able to go with you, Penny."
"But Dad! Louise will be expecting you."
"It's not me she wants to see," Mr. Parker corrected. "I have animportant engagement I can't break."
Penny glanced quickly up. She was tempted to ask her father if heintended to see Mrs. Deline. Recalling that she had made her father apromise, she wisely withhe
ld comment. Instead she asked if she might usethe car.
"By all means," he consented. "Just go easy on the gasoline."
Breakfast over, dishes were dispatched and the camp put in order. Byeleven o'clock Penny and her father were in Sunset Beach.
"Drop me anywhere," Mr. Parker instructed vaguely.
Leaving her father on a street corner, Penny drove slowly toward theairport a mile and a quarter away. There was little travel on the windinghighway which curled along the beach. A government jeep whizzed past andtwo soldiers shouted and waved. Penny waved back.
There was no need to hurry for Louise's plane was not yet due. Penny tookher time and enjoyed the ocean scenery. The tide was coming in and gullsfree-wheeled over the waves, dipping down at intervals in search of food.
Gazing along the deserted beach, Penny was startled to see a familiarfeminine figure hastening toward the lighthouse on Crag Point. The womanwore a white scarf that half obscured her face, yet the girl easilyrecognized her.
"Mrs. Deline!" she thought, idling the car. "She's certainly going to thelighthouse! I wonder if that gruff old keeper will drive her away as hedid me?"
Curious to learn what would happen, the girl drew up at the side of theroad. Mrs. Deline was too far away to observe the automobile. Intent onlyupon her own affairs, she walked swiftly along the beach until shereached the base of the lighthouse.
"Now to see the fun!" chuckled Penny.
The keeper had appeared on the platform and was gazing down upon thevisitor. He called something to the woman that Penny could not hear. Butto her amazement, Mrs. Deline started up the iron stairway.
Penny waited expectantly. She was certain that the keeper of the lightwould order Mrs. Deline away. Instead, he greeted her with a heartyhandshake as if they were old friends. They entered the lighthouse towerroom together, and the heavy door closed behind them.