Joan Clark

“ Penny and her father stepped from the car and stood staring at the cottage. The low whistle of the wind in the evergreens added to the depressing effect.
"How much rent are we paying for this mansion, Dad?"
"Fifteen a week. But everything is supposed to be furnished."
"Including cobwebs and atmosphere," laughed Penny. "Well, any sum for this tumble-down, antiquated wreck would be robbery! Why, the cottage looks as if it hadn't been occupied in a dozen years."
"I may have been stung," the detective admitted ruefully. "But let's hope it's better inside." ”

“ The bedroom door opened and Max Laponi entered.
Penny Nichols had lowered herself to the narrow ledge not an instant too soon. There had been no time to pull the window down after her.
As she heard the man walk across the room she huddled fearfully against the wall, feeling certain that he would notice the open window immediately. Her position was a precarious one. She dared not move lest even a slight sound betray her to the man inside. ”

“ The stampede called for quick action and courageous riding.
Connie did not need to dig in the rowels of her spurs for Silvertail knew what was expected of him. She could feel his mighty heart pounding against her legs as he raced to overtake the leaders of the herd.
Connie bent low over Silvertail’s neck, trusting that there were no fences or badger holes ahead. Should her horse stumble she would be badly injured if not crushed to death.
Through the rain the girl saw someone riding ahead of her. She could not tell who it was, but a man turned in his saddle and shouted something at her. ”

“ Penny's cry of alarm brought Mrs. Gallup hurrying up the stairs.
"What is the matter?" the housekeeper asked anxiously.
"The Black Imp is gone!" Penny exclaimed. "Did you do anything with it?"
"Why, no. It was on the desk the last time I saw it."
"It isn't there now. Someone has stolen it!"
"Nonsense!" Mrs. Gallup said impatiently. "Who would want that little statue? If a thief entered the house he would take things of greater value than that. You must have put it in a different place and forgotten about it." ”

“ Penny stood on the sagging porch until her father returned with the lighted lantern. The bright beam illuminated a wide circle of barren kitchen. An old cook stove occupied one corner of the room; there was a plain table with four chairs and a make-shift sink with old-fashioned pump. The floors were without carpet or linoleum. Every piece of furniture was covered by several inches of dust.
"Wait until I see that man Kilkane!" said Mr. Nichols indignantly. "Why, the electricity hasn't even been turned on. We can't live in a place like this!"
"Let's look at the other rooms, Dad." ”

“ From below she heard a loud clanging, and the shrill whistle of a fire siren. New hope surged over her. Perhaps the firemen who had arrived upon the scene would reach her in time!
"Even if they shoot a ladder up to the window they'll never think anyone could be tied up in the closet," she reasoned. "If I'm to escape, it will be from my own efforts."
Penny knew that the fire was rapidly spreading, for she could hear a steady roar which rapidly grew louder. The closet was so warm that she found difficulty in breathing. She could plainly smell smoke. ”

“ Here was a girl who could ride!
Tanglefoot, too, acted as if he were surprised. For a moment he seemed to be debating the disgrace of his failure to dislodge his fair rider. Then the wiry little mustang went into a veritable paroxysm of bucking.
Connie never knew that seconds could spin out to such an interminable length. The horse leaped into the air, twisting his lithe body like an ancient equine ancestor trying to shake off a puma or a jaguar from his back. Down he would come, stiff-legged, and then rise again into the air as if his muscles were made of spring steel. ”

“ And unless I’m mistaken tonight will prove the most exciting of all.”
“I’m afraid so,” Rosanna shuddered.
She glanced curiously at her companion. She could not understand Penny’s eagerness to return to the mouth of the tunnel. In her own opinion the mysterious ghost was none other than Max Laponi and she had no desire to encounter him again.
“Do you still want to go through with the plan?” she inquired doubtfully.
“I certainly do. I’d never feel satisfied if I left Raven Ridge without solving the mystery. It’s about time we start for the tunnel too.” ”

“ Penny smiled confidently.
"I'm not so sure of that. You see, while Molberg is a daring crook, the evidence indicates that he is merely a go-between for a far more clever criminal. A master mind plans out every move that the gang makes, yet doubtlessly that person has never been under suspicion. Such a man always takes care to keep within the law himself although he engineers the most daring crimes by means of his henchmen." ”

“ The living room had a large fireplace but no other item of comfort. The three chairs were all straight-backed, the carpet was moth-eaten and dusty, and a small table still bore a vase filled with shriveled flowers which someone had forgotten to throw away.
"Come along, Penny," said Mr. Nichols starting toward the door. "We'll not stay here."
"But where will we go?" Penny placed a detaining hand on his arm. "There's no hotel in the village."
"It would be more pleasant sleeping in the car."
"You know we'd be stiff in every muscle if we tried that, Dad. Let's open a few windows. ”

“ Catapult rushed out into the arena. Partisans of the animal greatly outnumbered those of the man and cries of, “Throw him, Catapult,” muffled occasional urgings of, “Throw him, cowboy!” Blakeman appeared oblivious of the crowd as he drove home his spurs and rushed pell mell after the fleeing steer.
They traversed nearly the full length of the arena before the sorrel overtook the steer and raced him head to head. Then Blakeman shot through the air in a perfect leap as if hurled from the saddle by the uncoiling of a gigantic spring. Headforemost he dived, his body parallel to the ground. ”

“ Rosanna returned in disgust. “I never saw such disgraceful actions in all my life. As far as I’m concerned, I’d rather leave this place tomorrow and let the lawyers settle everything.”
“There will be nothing left to settle when Mrs. Leeds and Laponi get through. It’s pretty evident that one or the other is an impostor.”
“But we can’t prove that, Penny. If only I hadn’t lost my key and the credentials!”
“We’re only starting to work on this case,” Penny said cheerfully. “Let’s keep our eyes and ears open. We may discover something of value.” ”

“ Risking arrest, the taxi driver crashed it.
The green car ahead had picked up speed. It weaved in and out of traffic in a dangerous manner, driven by a man who was both skillful and reckless.
The pursuit led into the hilly, crooked streets upon which the older section of Belton City had been built. As they raced down first one narrow street and then another, turning corners at a breathless speed, Penny suspected that the man had become aware that he was being followed. Her driver had increasing difficulty in keeping him in sight. ”

“ Mrs. Dillon replied firmly. "This gentleman's reputation is above reproach. He couldn't have known any more than I did that the Rembrandt was a fake."
"The only thing for you to do now is to reveal everything," Penny urged. "Tell me the name of this man."
"No, I can't. I have promised to keep silent."
"Mrs. Dillon, I am unable to understand your attitude. Don't you want to help capture the persons who tricked you?"
"Yes, I'll do anything I can except reveal this gentleman's identity. I'll learn from him the name of the firm where the picture was bought and notify the police." ”

“ The girls darted to Mr. Nichols' automobile and lifted up the rumble seat. While Susan anxiously watched the road, Penny climbed up and peered into the bottom of the car.
"Susan, they're here!" she squealed in delight.
"And so is Walter Crocker," Susan muttered in an undertone. "He's looking right this way."
With her back turned to the approaching automobile, Penny deftly slipped the package of letters into the front of her dress. She pretended to keep on searching in the bottom of the car.
"Act as if everything is perfectly natural," she warned Susan in a whisper. ”

“ Postil and Mr. Grimes, apparently old friends, lingered in the courtyard for a few minutes while Connie took Helena to her bedchamber.
“Only one room?” the girl asked in surprise. “And no private bath?”
“I’m afraid not,” Connie said politely. “This isn’t a very luxurious place, of course. It’s merely a ranch.”
“I can see that,” Helena murmured dryly.
A flush of anger spread over Connie’s face. Offering no reply she quickly left the girl alone.
“Wrangling dudes isn’t going to be quite as great a pleasure as I expected,” she thought grimly. “I’ve never seen such a spoiled girl in all my life. ”

“ Penny lost sight of it for an instant. Then to her surprise, the headlights were flashed on. In the reflected light she saw the tall walls of a large manufacturing plant.
The beam was turned off again. Darkness swallowed up the car.
While she was straining to see, Penny heard the shrill blast of a warning siren from far up the street. The next instant, a police radio cruiser shot past.
With a loud screaming of brakes, the police car came to a stop not far from Penny.
"Did you see an automobile without headlights come this way?" the driver asked tersely. ”

“ Penelope Nichols, the slender girl in blue, urged her companion into the revolving doors at the entrance of the Bresham Department Store. A vigorous push sent the barriers spinning at such a rate that other shoppers turned to stare at the two girls.
“You nearly took off my heels that time, Penny,” Susan Altman protested with a laugh as they emerged into the crowded store.
“Sorry, but we’ve no time to waste if I get that pair of white earrings. The clerks are starting to put things away already.” ”

“ Penny looked sharply at Mrs. Dillon. The woman seemed so earnest that it was difficult to believe she was deliberately telling a falsehood. Yet the incident of the painting already had given the girl a clue as to Mrs. Dillon's character. If the woman knowingly would purchase a stolen picture was it not reasonable to suppose that she would feel no qualms at cheating an insurance company?
In the hope of gaining a little information, Penny casually brought up the subject of the Rembrandt, but Mrs. Dillon immediately became secretive. She would not talk of the picture even in a general way. ”

“ Then at last the starter’s pistol cracked and the racers were off! Down the track in a cloud of dust came the ponies, their bareback riders bent low as they urged their mounts to greater speed.
At that moment, the child, unaware of any danger, started to toddle across the track. Midway to the other side the little girl saw the oncoming horses and heard the thundering hoofs. Frozen by terror she stopped and stood perfectly still.
“That child will be killed!” screamed a woman.
Before any of the guards could act, Connie slid down from the fence. The racers were almost at the grandstand. ”

“ CHAPTER III A Queer Old Man
"My name is Penelope Nichols," the girl introduced herself after she had recovered from astonishment. "Are you Mr. Crocker?"
"I am," replied the old man grimly. "What do you want here?"
"Why, my father and I rented your cottage," Penny told him quickly. "Would you mind calling off your dog? He acts as if he'd enjoy chewing me to pieces."
"Rudy has been trained to attack anyone who tries to come up the lane," Herman Crocker said evenly. ”

“ All was quiet on the third floor. Penny tried the door to the conservatory expecting to find it locked. To her astonishment it opened. The discovery disconcerted her for an instant. A minute later she mustered her courage and stepped inside the room.
In the darkness she could make out objects only vaguely. The organ with its huge pipes [138] occupied one end of the room. Sheet-draped chairs gave everything a ghostly atmosphere not at all conducive to a peaceful state of mind. ”

“ I had no other reason."
"You didn't like the Black Imp well enough to award it a prize," Amy cried indignantly. "You have a very good reason for reproducing the statue—perhaps you intend to put it to commercial use!"
"You flatter yourself, Miss Coulter. The statue has no value commercially or otherwise."
"You have no right to copy it," Amy insisted, with increasing anger. "The Black Imp is solely my work."
Before either Hanley Cron or Penny guessed the girl's intention, she darted across the room and snatched the little figure from the pedestal. ”

“ Penny's heart began to beat a trifle faster. She was almost certain that someone was hiding in the little room above the garage. In former years it had been occupied by a chauffeur whom Mr. Nichols employed, but now that the detective drove his own car it was used only for the storage of a few old boxes and trunks.
"Don't you dare go up there!" Susan whispered tensely, sensing the thought in her chum's mind. "It isn't safe."
"It's safe enough if you stand guard here at the door," Penny insisted. "If anything goes wrong scream for Mrs. Gallup." ”

“ Mr. Nichols went for a long walk in the woods but Penny chose to remain at the cottage with a magazine. Michael worked about the yard, washing the automobile. He did not seem in any hurry to make his call upon Herman Crocker.
"I don't believe he's anxious to go there at all," Penny thought. "I wonder if he didn't make up the entire story?"
She was somewhat surprised to observe that for the most part Mrs. Masterbrook left the young man entirely alone. The housekeeper seemed more subdued than usual as if she were brooding over some matter. ”

“ Losing interest in the organ, Penny began to search for the secret panel through which she was firmly convinced that the “ghost” had disappeared. As her eyes moved swiftly over the smooth wall, she suddenly uttered a low exclamation.
“See, Rosanna! The imprint of a man’s hand!” ”