CHAPTER 8 KEEPER OF THE LIGHT

Recovering from astonishment, Penny darted to the tent and jerked open the flap. The beds had been torn apart. Her purse, hidden beneath the pillow, 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 could hear no sound of crackling leaves or running feet.

“He’s lying low,” she told herself. “No use chasing him. I never could find him among the trees.”

Thoroughly incensed, she went back to the disordered tent. A preliminary check revealed that besides the pocketbook, a pair of her father’s shoes and a sweater had been taken.

“Lucky I didn’t have much money in my purse,” Penny congratulated herself. “It was a good leather pocketbook though, and I hate to lose it.”

Going outside, she discovered other losses. The supply of groceries had been ransacked. Bread was gone, several oranges and a tin of cold meat.

“That fellow was hungry,” Penny reflected. “Probably some shiftless person who isn’t willing to work for a living.”

Entering the tent again, she busied herself making the beds and repacking the suitcases. As she finished the task, she heard footsteps outside. Fearful that the thief had returned, she jerked open the canvas flap. It was 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 was another camper within miles of us.”

“This man didn’t look like a camper, Dad. He wore dirty, mussed clothing and 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 to check over his belongings. “Probably never will get any of our things back though.”

“The ranger may know who the fellow is, Dad.”

“That’s possible,” Mr. Parker admitted. “Penny, I’m glad Louise is coming tomorrow. I certainly don’t like the idea of your remaining here in camp alone.”

“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, I consider 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 busy the next few days helping local authorities trace that outlaw radio station we heard on the air.”

“Oh!”

“In fact, Army experts are being sent here to aid in the work. My days will 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. Parker lectured. “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 realize you’ve had an unpleasant time of it so far, Penny. But things should pick up after Louise arrives.”

“And that other surprise you hinted about?”

“Oh, you’ll have to wait and see,” Mr. Parker smiled. “However, I promise you that what’s coming really will prove a pleasant surprise.”

Though Penny kept up a running fire of questions, her father would tell her no more. From a few hints he dropped, she gathered that he was expecting a visitor within a day or so. That rather disappointed her, for with the exception of Louise, she could think of no one she particularly wanted 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’t know of anyone in the area answering such a description. We’ll certainly be on the watch for him.”

Penny and her father expected to hear no more from the matter. Toward sundown, however, the same ranger returned to camp, bringing the missing pocketbook. It was stripped of money but still contained a compact and various 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 lost the fellow when he took to the brook.”

“Rather a smart fellow to think of that,” commented Mr. Parker thoughtfully. “Perhaps he wasn’t an ordinary snatch-thief after all.”

The ranger offered no comment. As he turned to go, he did assure Penny again 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’t you worry about that.”

With the coming of dusk a penetrating chill settled over the camp. Even the hot supper of steak and potatoes that Penny prepared failed to sufficiently warm the two tenters. They did the dishes and then, not wishing to go to bed, sought the enclosed car for heat.

“It’s starting to rain,” Mr. Parker observed as a few drops splashed against the windshield. “Looks as if we’re in for another siege of it.”

“And Louise is due tomorrow,” Penny sighed. “Unless the weather improves I’d not blame her one bit if she turns right around and starts back to Riverview.”

The rain came down steadily with a promise of continuing throughout the night. Mr. Parker read a day-old newspaper by the light in the car, grumbling because the news was so old. Presently he switched on the radio, trying without success to tune in the outlaw station which had been heard previously at the same hour.

“No luck,” he commented. “Reception must be poor tonight, or the station has changed to another time. Probably it’s shifted to a different locality too.”

“Dad, isn’t it true that the operator of that secret station is an enemy agent?” 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 hoping to help State authorities find the station. So far I’ve accomplished nothing.”

“What clues have you gained?”

“Now Penny, don’t quiz me,” Mr. Parker laughed. “I’ll tell you everything as soon as I’m free to do so.”

“In the meantime, maybe I’ll find out for myself!” Penny hinted. Abruptly swinging open the car door, she bolted through the rain to the tent.

Breakfast the next morning was a more cheerful meal than had been expected. During the night the rain had ceased and a hot morning sun soon dried out the drenched canvas. Mr. Parker prepared coffee, eggs and bacon, an unbelievable example of perfect cooking.

“Dad, I didn’t think you had it in you!” Penny praised as she sat down on a camp stool beside him. “Maybe you’ll develop into a real camper after all.”

“Not if I have anything to say about it.” Grinning, Mr. Parker dropped two plump fried eggs on his daughter’s plate and took the remaining four for 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 I won’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 an important engagement I can’t break.”

Penny glanced quickly up. She was tempted to ask her father if he intended to see Mrs. Deline. Recalling that she had made her father a promise, she wisely withheld comment. Instead she asked if she might use the car.

“By all means,” he consented. “Just go easy on the gasoline.”

Breakfast over, dishes were dispatched and the camp put in order. By eleven 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 the airport a mile and a quarter away. There was little travel on the winding highway which curled along the beach. A government jeep whizzed past and two soldiers shouted and waved. Penny waved back.

There was no need to hurry for Louise’s plane was not yet due. Penny took her time and enjoyed the ocean scenery. The tide was coming in and gulls free-wheeled over the waves, dipping down at intervals in search of food.

Gazing along the deserted beach, Penny was startled to see a familiar feminine figure hastening toward the lighthouse on Crag Point. The woman wore a white scarf that half obscured her face, yet the girl easily recognized her.

“Mrs. Deline!” she thought, idling the car. “She’s certainly going to the lighthouse! I wonder if that gruff old keeper will drive her away as he did me?”

Curious to learn what would happen, the girl drew up at the side of the road. Mrs. Deline was too far away to observe the automobile. Intent only upon her own affairs, she walked swiftly along the beach until she reached the base of the lighthouse.

“Now to see the fun!” chuckled Penny.

The keeper had appeared on the platform and was gazing down upon the visitor. He called something to the woman that Penny could not hear. But to her amazement, Mrs. Deline started up the iron stairway.

Penny waited expectantly. She was certain that the keeper of the light would order Mrs. Deline away. Instead, he greeted her with a hearty handshake as if they were old friends. They entered the lighthouse tower room together, and the heavy door closed behind them.