One of the policemen reached out, and with a quick jerk, ripped the artificial hump from beneath the man's shirt.

"Interesting," he commented. "This hump has made a safe carryall for the loot!"

As Penny, her friends, and cult members gathered close, the pouch was opened. Inside were found the diamond necklace stolen from Mrs. Merkill, several valuable brooches, a black cameo, pearl earrings, an emerald-cut diamond, and other items.

Eagerly, cult members identified their stolen property.

"This sews up our case," declared one of the officers in satisfaction.

"We'll not need a confession now to send these two up for a long stretch!"

The prisoners were hustled into the police car, which set off at top speed for the Riverview Safety Building. Ambulances began to arrive to remove cult members deemed in need of medical attention.

"What about Old Julia?" Penny inquired. "Where is she to be sent?"

"She must be committed to a mental inst.i.tution for treatment," Mr. Ayling said regretfully. "Perhaps with proper care, she will fully recover."

"Who is she, I wonder?"

"One of Highland's victims in an earlier deal, I judge," replied the investigator. "Obviously her mind became unhinged from the cruelty she witnessed and experienced. Apparently, she has no friends or relatives."

"I'll never forget how she screamed at night," said Rhoda with a shiver.

"Nor will I," added Penny. "If it hadn't been for her cry which first drew me to the monastery--well, Highland would still be here, ruling supreme."

Presently, along with other members of the strange household, Old Julia was taken away. One of the last to be removed was Mrs. Hawthorne, who would be sent to Riverview Hospital for a complete checkup.

Rhoda, preparing to accompany her grandmother, hurriedly said goodbye to Penny. "I'll see you tomorrow and really thank you for all you did tonight," she promised earnestly. "I hope we can be friends always."

Mr. Ayling then tried to express his appreciation to the Parkers.

"As an investigator, you're the tops," he praised Penny. "If it hadn't been for you, Jay Highland certainly would have made off with the sapphire, and our company would have had to pay plenty. If ever I can repay the favor, let me know."

Her reply was cut short by Mr. Parker who glanced nervously at his watch.

"I don't like to break up this little party, but we must hot-foot it to the _Star_ office!" he exclaimed. "Penny, we have barely thirty minutes in which to catch the three-star edition!"

"That's so!" she agreed, looking startled. "I forgot all about the a.s.signment Mr. DeWitt gave me! And this is a big story!"

"Tremendous!" her father corrected. "Think you can shoot copy fast, or will you need Jerry to take over?"

"You'll hear no S.O.S. call from me," Penny laughed, her active mind already thinking in terms of front page headlines. "Writing this story will be duck soup compared to digging up the material. Just lead me to a typewriter!"

_End_