CHAPTER 10 _BENEATH THE FLAGSTONES_
Louise offered no serious objection to Penny's proposal, for she too wascurious to learn who might be prowling about the Marborough yard. Drivingon down the road for a considerable distance, they parked the car justoff the pavement and walked back to the estate. A high hedge bounded thefront side of the Marborough property, but they were able to peer throughthe scanty foliage into the yard.
"It will be just our luck that the light has disappeared," Pennymuttered. "I don't see it anywhere."
"I do!" Louise whispered excitedly. "Look over there by the wishingwell."
In the darkness, both girls could see the faint glow of a covered lanternwhich had been deposited on the ground. A shadowy figure was bendingover, examining some object on the ground.
"Can you tell who it is?" Penny murmured.
"Not from here. Dare we move closer?"
"Let's risk it," Penny said, and led the way through the open gateway.
Taking the precaution to keep tall bushes between themselves and thewishing well, the girls quietly stole closer. Soon they were near enoughto distinguish that someone in dark clothing was kneeling on the ground,face turned away from them. Apparently the person was trying to lift oneof the flagstones which formed a circular base about the covered well.
"Who can he be?" Penny whispered, pausing. "And what is he doing?"
At that moment the figure straightened, and the lantern was lifted fromthe ground.
"It's a _she_, not a he!" Louise observed in an undertone.
"Mrs. Marborough!"
"It looks like her from here," Louise nodded. "But what can she be doingat the well?"
Completely mystified, the girls remained motionless, watching. Mrs.Marborough raised one of the flagstones and peered beneath it.
"She's searching for something," Penny whispered. "Probably she worksafter dark so she won't be observed."
It was evident to both girls that the moving light which had attractedtheir attention the previous night had, undoubtedly, been Mrs.Marborough's lantern.
Although they now could understand the old lady's irritation at theirintrusion, her actions mystified them. As they continued to watch, shepried up one stone after another, frequently resting from her labors.
"We might offer to help her," Louise proposed half-seriously.
"If we show ourselves now she'll order us never to return," Pennyreplied. "We want to find out what this is all about."
During the next ten minutes the girls huddled behind the friendly bush.At the end of that period, Mrs. Marborough gathered together her tools,and went wearily into the house.
"Obviously she didn't find what she was after," Penny said, coming frombehind the shelter. "What do you suppose it can be?"
"Buried treasure, perhaps."
"Or possibly the family silverware hidden during the Civil War," Pennychuckled. "I'm afraid not. Mrs. Marborough lived at Rose Acres all herearly years. If there had been anything valuable buried, wouldn't shehave done her searching long ago?"
"If that's a question, I can't answer it," sighed Louise. "What's ournext move? Home?"
"I should say not! Let's inspect the wishing well."
Penny started forward, taking pains to avoid a patch of light which camefrom the lower windows of the Marborough house. Even in the semi-darknessthe girls were able to see that many flagstones about the well had beenremoved and fitted again into place.
"Just for luck I shall make a wish!" Penny announced unexpectedly,lowering the bucket into the pit.
"What will it be this time?" Louise inquired, slightly amused.
Penny drank deeply of the cool, sweet water, and tossed a token into thewell.
"I wish that Rose Acres would give us a whopping big mystery!" she saidgaily. "Lou, why did Mrs. Marborough return to Riverview after being awayso many years?"
"This is her ancestral home."
"True, but didn't she tell us that whether or not she remains heredepends upon certain conditions? Lou, she must have had a very specialreason for coming, and it may be connected with this wishing well! Weought to find out about it!"
"Why?"
"Why?" Penny fairly wailed. "Oh, Lou, at times you're the mostexasperating person. Here we are face to face with something baffling,and you wonder why we should interest ourselves in it!"
"I like mystery as well as you, but you know Mrs. Marborough won't careto have us interfere in her private affairs."
"Probably not," Penny conceded. "Oh, well, we can forget all about it ifthat's the way you feel."
"How could we learn anything without provoking Mrs. Marborough?"
"I know of no way," Penny admitted. "In fact, she'll probably beirritated when I rap on her door again."
Louise followed her chum down the path toward the house.
"Ought we bother Mrs. Marborough now?" she asked in mild protest. "Shemay think we have been spying on her."
"Which of course we never would consider doing," Penny chuckled.
Paying no heed to Louise, she boldly clomped across the veranda andknocked on the door. The girls did not have long to wait. In a momentMrs. Marborough appeared, looking decidedly flustered and nervous.
"Who is it?" she asked sharply, and then recognized the girls. "Oh, Isee!"
"Mrs. Marborough, do excuse us," Penny began hastily. "I've learnedsomething which I feel sure you'll wish to hear."
"You've seen another light in the yard perhaps?" the old lady inquired,her voice slightly mocking.
Penny glanced at Louise, uncertain what to say in reply.
"There has been no one in my yard either last night or this evening,"Mrs. Marborough resumed tartly. "I appreciate your interest in mywelfare, but I can only repeat that I am quite capable of looking aftermyself."
"We came to tell you about that big rock which we discovered on thehillside," Penny interposed. "Do you care to hear what Jay Franklin did?"
Despite herself, Mrs. Marborough was interested. She hesitated, and thencame outside, carefully closing the door behind her. The peculiar actionwas not lost upon the girls.
"It's quite chilly out tonight," Penny said significantly. "Perhaps itwould be better to step inside."
"I don't mind a little fresh air," Mrs. Marborough replied. "Now what isit that you wish to tell me?"
Feeling far from comfortable, Penny explained how Jay Franklin had keptthe big rock as his own property and was endeavoring to sell it to themuseum at a handsome profit.
"But he told me he would give the stone to the institution!" Mrs.Marborough exclaimed indignantly. "Will you see Mr. Franklin tomorrow?"
"I can," Penny nodded.
"Then if you do, ask him to come here and see me."
As if the matter were completely settled, Mrs. Marborough started toreenter the house. She did not invite the girls to accompany her.However, sensing that they were puzzled by her lack of hospitality shesaid apologetically:
"I would invite you in only the house isn't fixed up yet. Aftereverything is cleaned and straightened, you both must come to tea."
Without giving the girls an opportunity to say that they shouldn't mind adisorderly house, she gently closed the door.
"Well, at least Mrs. Marborough didn't slam it in our faces this time,"Penny remarked cheerfully. "Lou, we're making progress!"
"Progress toward what?" Louise demanded.
"I'm not sure yet," Penny laughed as they started for their car. "All thesame, I have a feeling that we're on our way!"
The Wishing Well Page 11