"Ain't you off early tonight?" the gateman asked as she approached.

"I'm off for good," Sally answered shortly. Her face was tear-stained and she did not try to hide the fact that she had been crying.

"Fired?"

"That's right," Sally replied. "Unjustly too!"

"Shoo, you don't say!" the gateman exclaimed, sympathetically. "What did they give you the can for?"

Sally, in no mood to provide details, went on without answering. Penny ran to overtake her.

"I'll walk with you to the boundaries of the grounds," she said quickly.

"Tell me what happened."

"Just what you would expect," Sally shrugged. "They asked me a lot of questions in the personnel office. I told the truth--that I knew nothing about that putrid piece of bra.s.s that turned up in my locker! Then they gave me a nice little lecture, and said they were sorry but my services no longer were required. Branded as a thief!"

"Don't take it so hard, Sally," Penny said kindly. "Someone probably planted the bra.s.s in your locker."

"Of course! But I can't prove it."

"Why not appeal to Mr. Gandiss? He likes you and--"

"No," Sally said firmly, kicking at a piece of gravel on the driveway, "I'll ask no favors of Mr. Gandiss. He would have me reinstated, no doubt, but it would be too humiliating."

"Do you know of anyone in the factory who dislikes you?"

Sally shook her head. "That's the funny part of it. I'm not acquainted with anyone. I just started in."

"How about Joe the Sweeper?"

"Oh, him!" Sally was scornful. "He caught me in the hall the other day and tried to get fresh. I slapped his face!"

"Then perhaps he was the one that got you into trouble."

"He's too stupid," Sally dismissed the subject.

"I'm not so sure of that," returned Penny thoughtfully.

The girls had reached the street and Sally's bus was in sight.

"What will you do now?" Penny asked hurriedly. "Get a job at another factory?"

"I doubt it," Sally replied, fishing in her pocketbook for a bus token.

"I'll help Pop on the _River Queen_. If I do take another job it won't be until after the sailboat races."

"I'd forgotten about that. When is the race?"

"The preliminary is in a few days--next Friday. The finals are a week later."

"I hope you win," said Penny sincerely. "I'll certainly be on hand to watch."

The bus pulled up at the curb. Swing-shift employes, arriving at the factory for work, crowded past the two girls. Impulsively Sally turned and squeezed Penny's hand.

"I like you," she said with deep feeling. "You've been kind. Will you come to see me sometime while you're here?"

"Of course! I've not brought back those clothes I borrowed yet!"

"I'll look for you," Sally declared warmly. "I feel that you're a real friend."

Squeezing Penny's hand again, she sprang aboard the bus and was lost in the throng of pa.s.sengers.

CHAPTER 9 _SALLY'S HELPER_

Several days of inactivity followed for Penny at Shadow Island. For the most part, Jack was friendly and tried to provide entertainment. However, he was away much of the time, supervising the work of repairing and getting the _Spindrift_ into condition for the coming trophy race.

Sally Barker's name seldom was mentioned in the Gandiss household, though it was known that the girl intended to enter the compet.i.tion regardless of her disgrace at the factory. Once Penny asked Jack point-blank what he thought of the entire matter.

"Just what I always did," he answered briefly. "Sally never took anything from the factory. It wouldn't be in keeping with her character."

"Then why isn't she cleared?"

"Father did take the matter up with the personnel department, but he doesn't want to go over the manager's head. The bra.s.s was found in her locker and quite a few employes learned about it."

"The bra.s.s was planted!"

"Probably," agreed Jack. "But it's none of my affair. Sally wasn't a very good factory worker and the personnel director thought he had to make an example of someone--"

"So Sally became the goat! I call it unfair. Did the thefts cease after she left?"

"They're worse than ever."

"Then obviously Sally had nothing to do with it!"

"Not just one person is involved. The bra.s.s is being taken by an organized ring of employes."

"I suppose it's none of my affair, but in justice I think Sally should be cleared. I don't know the girl well, but I like her."

"You may as well hear the whole story," Jack said uncomfortably. "Father wrote her a letter, inviting her to come in for an interview. She paid no attention."

"Perhaps she didn't get the letter."

"She got it all right. I met her on the street yesterday, and when I tried to talk to her, she threatened to heave a can of varnish in my face! Furthermore, she gave me to understand she intends to defeat me soundly in the race tomorrow."

"I'll be there to watch," grinned Penny. "The contest should be interesting."