Henny Penny

“ I know Cousin Penny would like it, and let me. P'r'aps she'd come herself; she's so thin, she could, and she loves your mother and wants to see her. Only, Cousin Henny won't let us be nice and friendly. S'pose you send her some cherries; she loves good things to eat, and maybe she will say yes, if you send lots."
Mr. Dover laughed at this artless proposal, and Miss Henny smiled at the prospect of a gift of the luscious black-heart cherries she had been longing for. Roxy wisely repeated only the agreeable parts of the conversation ”

“ Thomas took no notice of her, had not put it into Miss Henny's head that as the original quarrel began between her and their neighbor, it would not be dignified to give in till Mr. Dover had come and begged pardon of her as well as of Miss Penny. This suited the foolish old lady, who never could forget certain plain words spoken in the heat of battle, though the kindly ones lately heard had much softened her heart toward the offender.
"No, I shall not forget my dignity nor humble myself by going over there to apologize as Penelope has. She can do as she likes ”

“ Nor did she guess that Al Gepper stood at the darkened window of his room, watching her.
Penny drove as fast as she could to the Henley home in the southern section of Riverview. Lights blazed from the downstairs windows.
Abandoning her car in the driveway, she rang the doorbell. After a long wait, a maid appeared.
[176]
“Is Mr. Henley here?” Penny asked breathlessly. “Or Mrs. Henley? It’s most important that I talk with them at once.”
“Mrs. Henley has been at the seashore for a month,” the maid replied in an agitated voice. “Mr. Henley is somewhere downtown. ”

“ Parker. Several times Penny called the police station and also talked with Mrs. Weems. The housekeeper, fearful that the girl would become ill, insisted upon bringing a hot evening meal to the office.
[80]
“Penny, you’ve been here all day,” she chided anxiously. “You must come home with me.”
“I can’t just yet,” Penny replied. “There’s too much to do. By tomorrow, if Schirr doesn’t make trouble, things will smooth out.”
“You’re working so hard you’ll be sick abed!”
“I want to work,” Penny said grimly. “It keeps me from thinking. Anyway, Dad would want me to do it.” ”

“ When we recovered from this shattering explosion of Penny's books, a little quiet work would have begun, had not Doe, with his romantic imagination lit by the glow of Penny's audacity, started to crave the notoriety of being likewise a leader of men. He rose from his desk, approached Mr. Cæsar, and extended his hand with a belated "Good morning, sir." ”

“ The reporter slumped into a chair, and picking up a sheet of copy paper, began to read what Penny had composed.
“I’m not working,” he replied absently. “Just killing time.” With a yawn he tossed the paper on the desk again.
“Is my stuff that bad?” inquired Penny.
“Not bad at all. Better than Miss Hilderman writes. But society always gives me a pain. Not worthy of your talents, Penny.”
“I wish you would tell Dad that, Jerry. I’d love to work on a big story again—one that would rock Riverview on its foundation!” ”

“ Two inches lower, Master Penny, and he would have been a dead man.”
“I couldn’t help it!” drawled Jack Penny. “I thought he was a savage coming to kill us. I’m always doing something. There never was such an unlucky chap as I am!”
“Oh, you meant what you did for the best!” said the doctor, laying his hand on Jack Penny’s shoulder.
“What did he want to look like a savage for?” grumbled Jack. “Who was going to know that any one dressed up—no, I mean dressed down—like that was an Englishman?”
“It was an unfortunate mistake, Penny; you must be more careful if you mean to handle a gun.” ”

“ Francis looked up at him oddly and said in his little, old-man fashion:
“Maybe it would be best, but father says that a real man never breaks his word to a woman.”
Kurt flushed slightly. 241
“I take off my hat to you, Francis. You are right.”
Not believing that Pen would start out on foot, he went down to the garage. The cars were all accounted for. A visit to the stables proved the same as to the horses.
On his way back to the house, he met Betty, who said to him in a stage whisper.
“Uncle Kurt, Aunt Penny is going to France. She went by way of Westcott’s. Is that the way to France? ”

“ Jerry and Salt marched her between them to the cottage. Unceremoniously turning her over to her father, they leaped into a press car, and were gone.
Hours later the picnic came to an end. Riding home with her father after taking Horney to the Times building, Penny was startled to observe a light in an upstairs window of the Parker house.
“Why, that’s in Mrs. Weems’ room!” she exclaimed. “She can’t be home!”
Penny was mistaken. Upon hastening upstairs to investigate, she was met at the bedroom door by the housekeeper.
“Why, Mrs. Weems! I thought you intended to stay on the farm until tomorrow!” ”

“ Deline at the hotel,” Penny warned. “Don’t have a thing to do with her.”
“Why should I?” Jerry was amused.
“She’s already made a jelly fish of Dad,” Penny went on. “Jerry, stop grinning! This is serious.”
“Sorry, I didn’t know I was smiling.”
“I need your help, Jerry. The truth is, I’m terribly worried about Dad.”
“If I know your father, there’s no need to worry about him.”
“But you don’t understand this Mrs. Deline,” Penny said desperately. “She’s a very clever, scheming woman. Jerry, will you promise to help me try to save Dad from her clutches?” ”

“ It isn't a very bad pain, is it?" asked Rosy, in such perfect good faith that Miss Henny's sudden flush and Roxy's hasty dive into the closet never suggested to her that this innocent speech was bringing the old lady's besetting sin to light in the most open manner.
"Yes, child, it is very bad, and you may thank your stars that I try to keep you from it by feeding you on plain food. At my age, and suffering as I do, the best of everything is needed to keep up my strength," said Miss Henny, tartly. ”

“ But Jack Penny had a smile of his own, a weak inane sickly smile that irritated instead of pleasing you, and made you always feel as if you would like to punch his head for being such a fool, when all the time he was not a fool at all, but a thoroughly good-hearted, brave, and clever fellow—true as steel—steel of the very elastic watch-spring kind, for the way in which he bent was terrible to see. ”

“ And the girl learned that when the big woman chose she could speak straight from the shoulder.
Harriet Penny gasped also. She pushed back her chair, and shook an outraged finger at Big Lena. "Go into the kitchen where you belong!" she cried. "I really cannot permit such language in my presence. You are unspeakably coarse!"
Chloe whirled on the little woman like a flash. "You shut up, Hat Penny!" she snapped savagely. "You don't happen to do the permitting around here. If your ears are too delicate to listen to the truth you better go into your own room and shut the door." ”

“ Breaking away, Penny raced ahead of him, along the beach to the suspension bridge. She was halfway across when he overtook her, rocking it so violently that she had to cling to him for support.
“Stop that, Jerry Livingston! You’ll break the bridge!”
“Then don’t try to run away from me. Will you let me show you the moon?”
“No, I know you, Jerry. You show it to all the girls.”
“If I do, it’s just as a rehearsal. You see, Penny, I’ve hoped that someday I might get a chance to show it to you.”
“What a line you have,” laughed Penny. “But I won’t play. As a moon-shower your technique is terrible. ”

“ These mediums are a clever lot, Penny. They prey upon the superstitions of their intended victims.”
“I wish you would let me work on the story, Dad.”
[30]
“No, Penny,” responded her father. “You attend to your society and allow DeWitt to worry about the Celestial Temple crowd. Even if I should launch a campaign, I couldn’t allow you to become mixed up in the affair.”
The telephone bell jingled. With a tired sigh, Penny reached for the receiver.
“Society desk,” she said mechanically.
“I am trying to trace Mr. Parker,” informed the office exchange operator. “Is he with you, Miss Parker?” ”

“ Their wages come rather high you know.”
“It takes everything the Weekly makes to meet its current bills,” sighed Penny. “But one of these days I’ll get the paper out in my own plant. Just wait and see!”
[64]
“I’ll wait,” chuckled Mr. Parker. “My hope is that you don’t fail in your studies before that happy day arrives.”
On her way to school, Penny studied the card given her by her father, and noticed that the new cottage was situated not far from The Willows. Often she and Louise had talked of calling upon Peter Fenestra, but both had been kept busy at the Times office. ”

“ Rush the police out to the Hodges’ cottage and demand Al Gepper’s arrest! Send another squad or some private detectives to Mr. Henley’s home.”
“Henley!” Jerry exclaimed. “Say, have you gone loco?”
“I’m not making any mistakes,” Penny replied tersely. “If you act quickly we may prevent a robbery. I’m on my way there now to warn Mr. Henley! Oh, yes, try to find Dad or DeWitt and warn them a big story is breaking!” ”

“ She busied herself smoothing covers while Penny wandered about. The room had no rug. It was furnished with an old fashioned dresser, a wash stand and a bed with a high headboard.
Penny opened the closet door. The hangers were dangling together, without clothing. Everything had been packed into two suitcases which stood against the wall.
“I’ve already inspected the luggage,” said Mrs. Weems as the girl bent to open one of the bags. “You’ll find nothing except clothing. I tell you, Peter Fenestra is a very cautious man.”
“I can believe it,” agreed Penny. ”

“ At three-thirty Louise came from school with other members of the Times staff. She and Penny retired to the latter’s private office there to discuss plans for the next week’s paper.
“Lou,” said Penny abruptly, “did you ever hear of a man named Peter Fenestra?”
“Why, yes, I have.”
“He was here today to ask me about the octopus tattoo story. What can you tell me?”
“Not very much, Penny. He lives on a farm two miles from the south edge of Riverview. A place called The Willows.”
“Oh, is he a farmer?” Penny was surprised. “I never would have guessed that.”
“He isn’t one. He merely lives there. ”

“ CHAPTER X The Vanishing Car
Penny fully intended to tell her father of her experience, but she retired before he came home. She overslept the next morning. When she descended to the breakfast room at nine o'clock, Mrs. Gallup told her that the detective had been gone for nearly an hour.
"Your father wasn't in a very good mood this morning," the housekeeper informed as she served Penny with a steaming hot waffle. "He complained about the coffee. When he does that it's always because something's gone wrong with his work."
"You mustn't mind Dad," Penny smiled. ”

“ Pace has already given me a character?" exclaimed Judy. "Must I be as she says I am, or must I be as she wants me to be?"
"Be yourself, and you will be as we want you," said the marchioness, kindly. "Jean and Philippe do not have the chance to meet many American girls and they do not, as a rule, care to meet Henny's boarders, who are usually dry-as-dust old maids, especially the ones Henny recommends." ”

“ No material catastrophe could shape, deplete, her richness of spirit. Fragile as she was, with her need of rest, her diffidence and pallor, she yet seemed to Jasper Penny the most—the only—secure thing in the world. She defied, he murmured, death itself. Wonderful.
He moved slowly to his sombre bed room, with its dark velour hangings and ponderous black walnut furniture, precisely scrolled with gilt. The interior absorbed the light of a single lamp, robbing it of radiance. ”

“ A gust of wind caught Penny’s felt hat, carrying it cartwheeling down the beach. She and Jerry raced in pursuit, colliding as they pounced on it together. They laughed, and as the reporter pulled the hat over Penny’s flying hair, he kissed her quickly on the cheek.
Then before she could reprimand him, he exclaimed: “Wow! That wind really is getting strong! Let’s get back to the car before we blow away!” ”

“ Penny believed that her father would not delay in requesting police to search the bell tower of the Celestial Temple. However, a disappointment awaited her.
Upon arriving at the newspaper office DeWitt stopped her as she went past his desk.
“Don’t go in there,” he said, jerking his thumb toward Mr. Parker’s private room.
“Why not?” asked Penny in surprise. “Is Dad having a conference?”
DeWitt nodded as he composed a two column headline. “With J. P. Henley.”
“The Star’s Sugar Daddy?”
“Our biggest advertiser. He’s threatening to go over to the Record.” ”

“ Angrily the medium strode across the room, seizing her arm. She jerked away, but he grasped a fold of the robe. It tore and was left behind.
At that critical instant, Penny’s hand encountered the door. She swung it open, and bounded down the stairway.
[173]
In the séance chamber a light went on, then the hallway became brilliantly illuminated. But by that time the girl was in the dining room.
She could hear Al Gepper clattering down the steps, intent upon capturing her. Penny was determined that he should never learn her identity. ”

“ Penny shifted from one position to another, growing more impatient. Every time the man came toward the cabinet her heart beat a trifle faster. She was quite sure the Hodges had not yet returned home, and should Al Gepper discover her, he would not treat her kindly.
The medium finished his supper and stacked the dishes in the closet without washing them. Then he started to get ready for the night’s séance.
Peeping from between the cracks of the curtain, Penny saw him seat himself before the easel. With painstaking care he painted a picture of a woman, using a photograph as a model. ”