Nevertheless, Penny was unwilling to dismiss the affair as one of her many "mistakes."

She was still thinking about the affair as she wandered into the library a few minutes before cla.s.s time. Rhoda Wiegand sat at one of the tables and appeared troubled.

"h.e.l.lo, Rhoda," Penny greeted as she searched for a book on the shelf.

"You must have an examination coming up from the way you are frowning!"

"Am I?" the older girl asked, smiling. "I was thinking hard. The truth is, I am rather puzzled."

"I like puzzles, Rhoda. If you have a knotty problem, why not test it on me?"

"I doubt if you can help me with this one, Penny. Do you remember those two Texas men I told you about?"

"Yes, of course."

"I don't trust them," Rhoda said briefly. "Mr. Coaten has offered to adopt Ted and me."

"Adopt you!" Penny exclaimed. "Is that why they came here?"

"Seemingly, it is. Mr. Coaten wants to become our legal guardian. I can't understand why he should show such interest in us."

"I thought the Breens were looking after you and Ted."

"They took us in because we had no one else. We never were adopted, and the truth is, we're a financial burden."

"Is Mr. Coaten an old friend?"

"I never met him until he came to Riverview. He and his friend, Carl Addison, claim they were closely a.s.sociated with my father. Neither Ted nor I ever heard Papa speak of them when he was alive."

"It does seem strange they should show such sudden interest in you,"

Penny commented thoughtfully. "You have no property they might wish to control?"

"Ted and I haven't a penny to our names. Papa never owned land, and what cash he had was absorbed by his last sickness."

"Then perhaps Mr. Coaten really is a friend."

"I wish I could think so, but I can't. Penny, I just feel that he has a selfish purpose behind his apparent kindness. It worries me because I can't figure it out."

"Then of course you'll not agree to the adoption?"

"I don't want to, Penny. Ted favors it, and so does Mrs. Breen. You see, Mr. Coaten has been very generous with his money." Rhoda indicated a new dress which she wore. "He gave me this. He made Mrs. Breen accept money, and he's giving Ted things too."

"If he's really a friend of the family--"

"I'll never believe that he is," Rhoda interrupted. "Never!"

The ringing of the school bell brought the conversation to an end, but all during the morning Penny thought of what the trailer-camp girl had told her. Knowing nothing concerning the characters of the two strangers, she could not judge their motives.

Another matter caused Penny considerable annoyance. The morning paper had carried a brief item about the record stone found at the Marborough mansion. From her father she had learned that instead of delivering the rock to the museum, Jay Franklin had hauled it to his own home, offering it for sale to the highest bidder. Penny felt that Mrs. Marborough should be told what had occurred, yet neither she nor Louise were eager to visit Rose Acres again.

"After last night I've had enough of that place," Louise declared as they discussed the matter. "Mrs. Marborough was very rude to us."

"Even so, we should tell her what Jay Franklin has done," Penny insisted.

"Let's go right after school."

"I can't," Louise declined. "I've planned a shopping tour."

"Then, immediately after dinner," Penny persisted. "I'll stop by for you in the car."

As it developed, various duties kept both girls so busy that it was dusk before they actually drove toward Rose Acres. Louise protested that, considering what had occurred the previous night, it was much too late to call on the widow.

"Mrs. Marborough surely won't be abed before eight o'clock," Penny answered carelessly. "If the house should be dark, we can drive away without disturbing her." Louise made another protest, but knew that as usual Penny would get her way.

A few minutes later the automobile swung around a bend. Directly ahead loomed the old colonial mansion, its windows without lights.

"We may as well turn back," Louise observed.

Penny slackened speed, gazing toward the unkempt grounds.

"Louise!" she exclaimed tensely. "There it is again! The light!"

"Where?" Louise demanded in disbelief. "I don't see it."

As she spoke, the car pa.s.sed beyond a tall clump of azalea bushes bordering the property. Through its branches both girls saw a light which appeared to be motionless.

"It's a lantern covered with a cloth to prevent a bright glow!" Louise discerned.

"And it's close to the wishing well!" Penny added in a thrilled voice.

"Lou, there's something queer going on at this place. Let's find out about it!"

"How?" Louise asked, forgetting that she had decided to have nothing more to do with her chum's "ideas."

"Let's drive past the house and park up the road," Penny proposed with a delighted chuckle. "Then we'll steal back afoot and see what we can see!"

CHAPTER 10 _BENEATH THE FLAGSTONES_

Louise offered no serious objection to Penny's proposal, for she too was curious to learn who might be prowling about the Marborough yard. Driving on down the road for a considerable distance, they parked the car just off the pavement and walked back to the estate. A high hedge bounded the front side of the Marborough property, but they were able to peer through the scanty foliage into the yard.

"It will be just our luck that the light has disappeared," Penny muttered. "I don't see it anywhere."

"I do!" Louise whispered excitedly. "Look over there by the wishing well."

In the darkness, both girls could see the faint glow of a covered lantern which had been deposited on the ground. A shadowy figure was bending over, examining some object on the ground.

"Can you tell who it is?" Penny murmured.