CHAPTER 4 _BEHIND THE BUSHES_
Having read the warning message, Penny whirled around to gaze toward thebushes on the left side of the path. All now was still, with not theslightest movement of leaves to reveal the presence of the one who hadshot the arrow.
"It's that man who talked so unpleasantly to me from the mansion window!"she thought. "Why, he might have struck me with the arrow! I'll put anend to his target practice!"
Acting impulsively, she made a sudden dive for the bushes, jerking themapart to expose the one who had followed her. No one was there.
The grass, however, was trampled, and some distance away, she heard ascurry of footsteps.
"Trying to get away!" she thought grimly. "Not if I can prevent it! I'llhave it out with him and learn why he's warning me my life isendangered!"
The footsteps fast were dying away. Listening intently, Penny decidedthat the person who had shot the arrow was stealing through the bushestoward the river path.
Seeking the intersection of the two paths, the girl stole noiselesslydown the cindered trail sloping toward the beach. She had guessedcorrectly. In a moment she heard an agitation in the bushes nearby andknew that the person she sought was struggling through a tangle ofunderbrush.
Soon the bushes parted and a thin girl in blue shirt and slacks steppedout onto the cindered path. In one hand she carried an Indian bow with aquiver of arrows, while with the other, she brushed dry leaves from herlong, dark hair.
Having expected to see a man, Penny was startled. As she opened her lipsto speak, the girl saw her and was brought up short. She gasped indismay, turned, and with astonishing speed darted down the path leadingto the beach.
"Wait!" called Penny.
Keeping her face down, the girl raced on.
Determining that she should not escape without an explanation, Penny gavechase. The runner had an excellent start, but on coming to a series ofwooden steps, her heel caught in a small hole. Down she went, and beforeshe could arise, Penny had overtaken her.
Observing that the fall had not injured the girl, she said sternly:
"Now little Miss Robin Hood, will you kindly explain why you tried toexterminate me with that arrow?"
Sitting up, the girl ruefully rubbed an ankle and gazed at Penny withhostile brown eyes.
"Don't be ridiculous!" she retorted. "I had no intention of hitting you.My aim is perfect."
"Modest, at any rate," observed Penny, smiling despite a determination toappear very stern. "You did write the warning note?"
"Naturally."
"Why, may I ask?"
"Because in the first place, you have no business being on our property.Secondly, I didn't want you to go to the thatched roof cottage."
"May I ask your name?"
"I'm Lorinda Rhett."
"Hamilton Rhett's daughter!"
"Stepdaughter," the girl corrected.
"You're just the person I want to see!" exclaimed Penny, overjoyed at hergood fortune. "Your stepfather--"
"I'll answer no questions about him," the girl interrupted. "You may aswell spare your breath. Mother and I want no reporters here."
"So you know who I am?"
"How could one help knowing? You nearly broke our door down with yourpounding, and I heard you talking to Anton."
"Your servant?"
"My stepfather's," Lorinda corrected with a slight inflection whichsuggested that she did not entirely approve of Anton. "Now will you stopasking questions and go away?"
"All in good time. First, I'm relieved to know that the thatched cottageisn't really dangerous. You only wrote that to be rid of me."
Lorinda gave her a long, steady look but said not a word.
"Or perhaps there is some mystery about the cottage," Penny went on."After all, your stepfather's disappearance was very queer. But thepolice, no doubt, will get at the bottom of it when they come here."
Lorinda scrambled to her feet. "The police!" she gasped. "We'll not havethem here prying around!"
"Whether or not you like it, I'm afraid you will have the police on yourdoorstep. A man of Mr. Rhett's prominence can't disappear without a fewquestions being asked."
Lorinda lost much of her defiance. "But this is our own private affair,"she protested. "My stepfather will return--at least, I think he will."
"And the missing bonds?"
"Missing bonds?"
"Didn't Albert Potts, the bank secretary, inform your mother that$250,000 in negotiable securities also had disappeared?"
"Why, no! At least I knew nothing of it! Surely you don't think mystepfather would stoop to the theft of bank securities?"
"I have no opinion in the matter. I'm merely here to get the true story.For some reason you and your mother have been unwilling to cooperate."
Lorinda did not reply, but seemed to be thinking deeply.
"Do you have any idea where your stepfather is now?" Penny inquired,hoping that a direct approach might glean information.
"No, of course not."
"You haven't seen him for the past ten days?"
"That is true," Lorinda acknowledged with great reluctance. "But it's notso unusual. My stepfather frequently goes away on trips."
"Without telling anyone where he is going?"
"I'll not answer that question," Lorinda said with a proud uptilt of herchin.
"I'm afraid you don't like reporters very well," observed Pennypleasantly. "Nor do you seem especially fond of your stepfather."
"That's not true! I do like my stepfather. Why, he was the one who taughtme how to shoot with a bow and arrow! He gave me this bow which is avaluable collector's item!"
She offered it to Penny who inspected the fine workmanship with keeninterest.
"Mr. Rhett is a collector?" she inquired.
"Yes, he's traveled all over the world, but most of his time was spent inthe jungles of Africa, Brazil, and other places in South America. Thatwas before he married Mother, of course."
"Your stepfather was especially interested in ancient religious cults?"
"He made a study of it, and for a year gathered material by living in thejungle." Lorinda suddenly broke off, aware that she was warming to Pennyand telling her entirely too much.
"Then it was your father who built the thatched roof cottage?"
"Please, let's not talk about it," Lorinda pleaded. "I don't like to beunfriendly or impolite, but you must understand there are things I can'ttell you, and which must never be published."
Taking the ancient bow from Penny's hand, the girl started up the path,limping a trifle on her twisted ankle.
"Only one more question, Lorinda. Please tell me the truth. Why were youafraid to have me investigate the thatched roof cottage?"
The girl paused on the path, gazing at Penny quite pathetically.
"Don't ask me to tell you any more," she whispered. "The cottage is aplace of evil omen. Truly, I did you a favor in warning you away."
"I saw a painting on the door--that of a winged or plumed serpent. Willyou explain its significance?"
"I only know that my stepfather had it painted there when the cottage wasbuilt soon after his marriage to my mother. It is a symbol of one of theancient cults he studied. Many of his trophies bear the same picture."
The information was a little disappointing to Penny. "Then I suppose thedrawing that the police found in Mr. Rhett's office had no greatsignificance," she remarked.
"Drawing?"
Penny described the serpent picture which had been found, adding: "On thesheet were written the words: 'This shall be the end.'"
"You are certain?"
"Oh, yes, I saw the paper myself."
Lorinda was visibly disturbed. "I must see that writing! It may mean--"she broke off and amended: "Tell me, where is the paper now?"
"The police have it."
"Oh!"
"Why do you seem to fear the police?" inquired Penny curiously.
r />
"I am not afraid of them--certainly not. It's just that Mother and Iprefer to keep our lives private. Facts can be so easily misinterpreted."
"Your reluctance to assist the police also can be misinterpreted," saidPenny. "For instance, it seems strange to me that your stepfather'sdisappearance doesn't seem to disturb you."
"Oh, it does! It's only--well, there are things I can't tell you withoutmy mother's permission. My stepfather is queer. Mother and I never likedhis interest in weird cult practices. He had so many strangeacquaintances and ties with the past. We always were afraid somethingdreadful might happen."
"Then he may have met foul play?"
"I don't know what to think," Lorinda said miserably. "A ten-daydisappearance is not so serious. My stepfather occasionally went awaybefore without telling us, though never for such a long period. If itweren't for the paper found in his desk, and the missing bonds, I wouldsay it's much ado about nothing."
"As it is--?"
"The loss of $250,000 could be a very serious matter. Tell me, what isyour name?"
"Penny Parker."
"You're here only to get a story for your paper?"
"That was why I came, but since meeting you I truthfully can say I alsoam very much interested in helping you if possible."
"I like you," Lorinda declared with a quick smile. "I'm sorry about thearrow. And I was very rude."
"Not at all. I deliberately egged you on, hoping you would tell me aboutyour stepfather. I was sent here to get a picture of him, and I hate tofail."
"A picture? Mother has one, but I doubt that she would permit you to useit." Lorinda considered a moment, then added: "Tell you what! I'll takeyou to her, and perhaps, if you're a convincing talker, she'll agree toyour request."
"Oh, Lorinda, that's fine!"
The Rhett girl linked arms with Penny as they trudged up the path to thehouse.
"Don't count your chickens just yet," she warned. "Mother doesn't likereporters. It will be sheer luck if she gives you the picture or anyinformation you can use in the paper."