A wave of relief surged over Penny as she saw that it was the old gardener who held her fast.

"Oh, it's only you," she laughed shakily, trying to pull away. "For a second I thought the Bogey Man had me for sure."

The gardener did not smile.

"Didn't I tell you to keep away from here?" he demanded, giving her a hard shake.

"I'm not doing any h-harm," Penny stammered. She kept her hand closed over the white gold ring so that the old man would not see what she had found. "I just wanted to learn what was back in here."

"And you found out?"

The gardener's tone warned Penny to be cautious in her reply.

"Oh, the pool is rather pretty," she answered carelessly. "But I've seen much nicer ones."

"How long have you been here?"

"Only a minute or two. I really came to search for Grant Atherwald."

"Atherwald? What would he be doing here?"

"He disappeared an hour or so ago," revealed Penny. "The servants have been searching everywhere for him."

"He disappeared?" the gardener repeated incredulously.

"Yes, it's very peculiar. Mr. Atherwald arrived at the estate in ample time for the wedding. But after he read a note which was delivered to him he walked off in this direction and was seen no more."

"Down this path, you mean?"

"I couldn't say as to that, but he started this way. I know because I saw him myself."

"Atherwald didn't come here," the gardener said with finality. "I've been working around the lily pond all afternoon and would have seen him."

Penny's fingers closed tightly about the white gold ring which she kept shielded from the man's gaze. In her opinion the trinket offered almost conclusive proof that the bridegroom had visited the locality. Because she could not trust the gardener she kept her thoughts strictly to herself.

The man stared down at his feet, obviously disturbed by the information Penny had given him.

"Do you suppose harm could have befallen Mr. Atherwald?" she asked after a moment.

"Harm?" he demanded irritably. "That's sheer nonsense. The fellow probably skipped out. He ought to be tarred and feathered!"

"And you would enjoy doing it?" Penny interposed slyly.

The gardener glared at her, making no attempt to hide his dislike.

"Such treatment would be too good for anyone who hurt Miss Sylvia. Now will you get out of here? I have my orders and I mean to enforce them."

"Oh, all right," replied Penny. "I was going anyway."

This was not strictly true, for had the gardener not been there she would have made a more thorough investigation of the locality near the lily pool. But now she had no hope of learning more, and so turned away.

Emerging from among the trees, she glanced toward the rose garden. Nearly all of the wedding guests had departed. Penny considered whether or not she should speak to Mrs. Kippenberg about finding the ring. Deciding against it, she joined a group of people at the boat dock and was ferried across the river.

Salt awaited her at the drawbridge.

"I just about gave you up," he complained. "It's time for us to get back to the office or our news won't be news. The wedding is definitely off?"

"Yes, Atherwald can't be found."

"We'll stop at a drug store and telephone," Salt said, pulling her toward the car. "Learn anything more after I left?"

"Well, I found a wedding ring and was nearly chewed up by an alligator,"

laughed Penny. "It seemed rather interesting at the time."

The photographer gave her a queer look as he started the automobile.

"Imagination and journalism never mix," he said.

"Does this look like imagination?" Penny countered, showing him the plain band ring.

"Where did you find it?"

"Beside a lily pond in the forbidden part of the estate. I feel certain it must have been dropped by Grant Atherwald."

"Thrown away?"

"I don't know exactly what to think," Penny replied soberly.

Salt steered the car into the main road which led back to Corbin. Then he inquired: "Did you notice any signs of a struggle? Gra.s.s trampled?

Footprints?"

"I didn't have a chance to do any investigating. That bossy old gardener came and drove me away."

"What were you saying about alligators?"

"Salt, I saw one swimming around in the lily pool," Penny told him earnestly. "It was an ugly brute, at least twelve feet long."

"How long?"

"Well, eight anyway."

"You're joking."

"I am not," Penny said indignantly.

"Maybe it was only a big log lying in the water."

Penny gave an injured sniff. "Have it your own way. But it wasn't a log.

I guess I can tell an alligator when I see one."