CHAPTER 9 MYSTERIOUS PROWLERS

“Oh, Penny, there must be a perfectly good reason for that moving light,” Louise protested as the boat grated on the sand. “You only want an excuse for going to the Marborough place!”

“Perhaps,” her chum acknowledged with a grin. “Jump out and pull us in, will you please?”

“My ankles are nice and dry and I like them that way,” Louise retorted. “If it’s all the same, you do the jumping.”

“All right, I don’t mind—much.” With a laugh, Penny gingerly stepped from the dinghy into shallow water. She pulled the boat farther up onto the shore so that her chum was able to climb out without wetting her feet. Together they furled the sail and removed the steering apparatus which they hid in the nearby bushes.

“I don’t see a light now,” Louise protested after their various tasks had been completed. “Must we climb that steep hill?”

“We must,” Penny declared firmly, taking her by the hand. “Something may be wrong at Mrs. Marborough’s and we ought to find out about it.”

“You just love to investigate things,” Louise accused. “You know as well as I do that there’s not likely to be anything amiss.”

“Someone may be prowling about the grounds! At any rate, my feet are cramped from sitting so long in the boat. We need exercise.”

Finding a trail, the girls climbed it until they were within a hundred yards of the Marborough mansion. Emerging from behind a clump of lilac bushes they suddenly obtained an unobstructed view of the yard.

“There’s the light!” Penny whispered. “See! By the wishing well!”

To their knowledge the girls had made no unusual sound. Yet, apparently the person who prowled in the yard was aware of their approach. As they watched, the lantern was extinguished. Simultaneously, the moon, which had been so bright, moved under a dark cloud.

For several seconds the girls could not see the shadowy figure by the well. When the moon again emerged from behind its shield no one was visible in the yard.

“Whoever was there has hidden!” Penny whispered excitedly. “Louise, after we leave he may attempt to break into the house!”

“What ought we to do?”

“I think we should warn Mrs. Marborough.”

“The house is dark,” Louise said dubiously. “She’s probably in bed.”

“Wouldn’t you want to know about it if someone were prowling about your premises?”

“Yes, of course—but—”

“Then come on,” Penny urged, starting through the tangle of tall grass. “Mrs. Marborough should be very grateful for the warning. It may prevent a burglary.”

In crossing the yard, the girls kept an alert watch of the bushes but could see no one hiding behind them. Nevertheless, they felt certain that the prowler could not have left the grounds.

Penny pounded on the rear door of the Marborough house.

“Not so loud,” Louise warned nervously.

“Mrs. Marborough probably is asleep. I want to awaken her.”

“You will, don’t worry!”

Penny repeated the knock many times, and then was rewarded by the approach of footsteps. The door opened, and Mrs. Marborough, in lace night cap and flannel robe, peered suspiciously at the girls.

“What do you want?” she asked crossly. “Why do you awaken me at such an hour?”

“Don’t you remember us?” Penny said, stepping into the light. “We didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Startle me, fiddlesticks! I am merely annoyed at being awakened from a sound slumber.”

“I’m terribly sorry,” Penny apologized. “We wouldn’t bother you, but we saw someone with a lantern moving about in the yard. We were afraid a burglar might try to break into the house.”

Mrs. Marborough gazed carefully about the yard. “I see no light,” she said stiffly.

“It’s gone now,” Louise admitted. “As we came up from the river, we distinctly saw it near the old wishing well. Penny and I thought that whoever it was hid behind the bushes!”

“You both imagined you saw a light,” the old lady said with biting emphasis. “In any case, I am not afraid of prowlers. My doors have good bolts and I’ll be more than a match for anyone who tries to get inside. Thank you for your interest in my behalf, but really, I am able to look after myself.”

“I’m sorry,” Penny apologized meekly.

“There, your intentions were good,” Mrs. Marborough said in a more kindly tone. “Better go home now and forget it. Young girls shouldn’t be abroad at such a late hour.”

After the door had closed, Penny and Louise slowly retraced their way to the river’s edge.

“Someday I’ll learn never to pay attention to your crazy ideas, Penny Parker,” Louise said, breaking a lengthy silence.

“You saw the light, didn’t you?”

“I thought so, but I’m not sure of anything now. It may have come from the main road.”

“Sorry, but I disagree,” replied Penny. “Oh, well, if Mrs. Marborough wishes to be robbed, I suppose it’s her own affair.”

Launching the dinghy, the girls spread their canvas, and sailing before what wind there was, presently reached the Parker camp. Penny’s father awaited them by the boathouse and helped to haul in the craft.

The girls did not tell Mr. Parker of their little adventure, but the next day at school they discussed it at considerable length. During the night no attempt had been made by anyone to break into the Marborough house. Nevertheless, Penny was unwilling to dismiss the affair as one of her many “mistakes.”

She was still thinking about the affair as she wandered into the library a few minutes before class time. Rhoda Wiegand sat at one of the tables and appeared troubled.

“Hello, Rhoda,” Penny greeted as she searched for a book on the shelf. “You must have an examination coming up from the way you are frowning!”

“Am I?” the older girl asked, smiling. “I was thinking hard. The truth is, I am rather puzzled.”

“I like puzzles, Rhoda. If you have a knotty problem, why not test it on me?”

“I doubt if you can help me with this one, Penny. Do you remember those two Texas men I told you about?”

“Yes, of course.”

“I don’t trust them,” Rhoda said briefly. “Mr. Coaten has offered to adopt Ted and me.”

“Adopt you!” Penny exclaimed. “Is that why they came here?”

“Seemingly, it is. Mr. Coaten wants to become our legal guardian. I can’t understand why he should show such interest in us.”

“I thought the Breens were looking after you and Ted.”

“They took us in because we had no one else. We never were adopted, and the truth is, we’re a financial burden.”

“Is Mr. Coaten an old friend?”

“I never met him until he came to Riverview. He and his friend, Carl Addison, claim they were closely associated with my father. Neither Ted nor I ever heard Papa speak of them when he was alive.”

“It does seem strange they should show such sudden interest in you,” Penny commented thoughtfully. “You have no property they might wish to control?”

“Ted and I haven’t a penny to our names. Papa never owned land, and what cash he had was absorbed by his last sickness.”

“Then perhaps Mr. Coaten really is a friend.”

“I wish I could think so, but I can’t. Penny, I just feel that he has a selfish purpose behind his apparent kindness. It worries me because I can’t figure it out.”

“Then of course you’ll not agree to the adoption?”

“I don’t want to, Penny. Ted favors it, and so does Mrs. Breen. You see, Mr. Coaten has been very generous with his money.” Rhoda indicated a new dress which she wore. “He gave me this. He made Mrs. Breen accept money, and he’s giving Ted things too.”

“If he’s really a friend of the family—”

“I’ll never believe that he is,” Rhoda interrupted. “Never!”

The ringing of the school bell brought the conversation to an end, but all during the morning Penny thought of what the trailer-camp girl had told her. Knowing nothing concerning the characters of the two strangers, she could not judge their motives.

Another matter caused Penny considerable annoyance. The morning paper had carried a brief item about the record stone found at the Marborough mansion. From her father she had learned that instead of delivering the rock to the museum, Jay Franklin had hauled it to his own home, offering it for sale to the highest bidder. Penny felt that Mrs. Marborough should be told what had occurred, yet neither she nor Louise were eager to visit Rose Acres again.

“After last night I’ve had enough of that place,” Louise declared as they discussed the matter. “Mrs. Marborough was very rude to us.”

“Even so, we should tell her what Jay Franklin has done,” Penny insisted. “Let’s go right after school.”

“I can’t,” Louise declined. “I’ve planned a shopping tour.”

“Then, immediately after dinner,” Penny persisted. “I’ll stop by for you in the car.”

As it developed, various duties kept both girls so busy that it was dusk before they actually drove toward Rose Acres. Louise protested that, considering what had occurred the previous night, it was much too late to call on the widow.

“Mrs. Marborough surely won’t be abed before eight o’clock,” Penny answered carelessly. “If the house should be dark, we can drive away without disturbing her.” Louise made another protest, but knew that as usual Penny would get her way.

A few minutes later the automobile swung around a bend. Directly ahead loomed the old colonial mansion, its windows without lights.

“We may as well turn back,” Louise observed.

Penny slackened speed, gazing toward the unkempt grounds.

“Louise!” she exclaimed tensely. “There it is again! The light!”

“Where?” Louise demanded in disbelief. “I don’t see it.”

As she spoke, the car passed beyond a tall clump of azalea bushes bordering the property. Through its branches both girls saw a light which appeared to be motionless.

“It’s a lantern covered with a cloth to prevent a bright glow!” Louise discerned.

“And it’s close to the wishing well!” Penny added in a thrilled voice. “Lou, there’s something queer going on at this place. Let’s find out about it!”

“How?” Louise asked, forgetting that she had decided to have nothing more to do with her chum’s “ideas.”

“Let’s drive past the house and park up the road,” Penny proposed with a delighted chuckle. “Then we’ll steal back afoot and see what we can see!”