Hoofbeats on the Turnpike
Page 13
CHAPTER 13 _RAIN_
"Somehow I can't get Old Mrs. Lear out of my mind, Lou. I keep wonderingwhat happened at Red Valley after we left."
Penny sprawled on the davenport of the Parker home, one blue wedge drapedover its rolling upholstered arm. Her chum, Louise, had curled herselfkitten fashion in a chair across the room.
A full week now had elapsed since the two girls had returned to Riverviewfrom Red Valley. During that time it had rained nearly every day. Evennow, a misty drizzle kept the girls indoors.
"Wonder if it's raining at Red Valley?" Penny mused.
"Why don't you tear that place out of your mind?" Louise demanded a bitimpatiently. "We tried to solve the mystery and we couldn't, so let'sforget it."
"I do try, but I can't," Penny sighed. "I keep telling myself Mrs. Learmust be the person who masquerades as the Headless Horseman. Yet I can'tcompletely accept such a theory."
"You'll go batty if you keep on!"
"The worst of it is that everyone laughs at me," Penny complained. "If Iso much as mention the Headless Horseman Dad starts to crack jokes."
A step sounded on the porch. "Speaking of your father, here he comesnow," Louise observed, and straightened in her chair.
Penny did not bother to undrape herself from the davenport. "'Lo, Dad,"she greeted her father as he came in. "Aren't you home early for lunch?"
"I am about half an hour ahead of schedule," Mr. Parker agreed. He spoketo Louise as he casually dropped an edition of the _Riverview Star_ intohis daughter's hands. "That town of yours has smashed into print, Penny."
"What town?" Penny's feet came down from the arm of the davenport and sheseized the paper. "Not Red Valley?"
"Red Valley is very much in the news," Mr. Parker replied. "These rainsare weakening the dam and some of the experts are becoming alarmed. Theyare sending someone up to look it over."
"Oh, Dad! I tried to tell you!" Penny cried excitedly. With Louisepeering over her shoulder, she spread out the front page of the paper andread the story.
"Oh, it hardly tells a thing!" she complained after she had scanned it.
"So far there's not been much to report," Mr. Parker replied. "But if thedam should let go--wow! Would that be a story! I'm sending my best staffphotographer there to get pictures."
Penny pricked up her ears. "Salt Sommers?" she demanded.
"Yes, the _Star_ can't take a chance on being scooped by another paper."
"Speaking of chances, Lou, this is ours!" Penny cried. "Why don't we goto Red Valley with Salt?"
"Now just a minute," interrupted Mr. Parker. "Salt's going there onbusiness and he'll have no time for any hocus-pocus. You'll be a botherto him!"
"A bother to Salt!" Penny protested indignantly. "Why, the very idea!"
"Another thing," Mr. Parker resumed, "Red Valley isn't considered thesafest place in the world just now. While it's unlikely the dam will giveway, still the possibility exists. If it should, the break will comewithout warning and there's apt to be a heavy loss of life."
"But not mine," said Penny with great confidence. "Don't forget that Iwon three ribbons and a medal this year. Not for being a poor swimmereither."
"All the same, I shouldn't be too boastful," her father advised dryly.
"When is Salt leaving?" Penny demanded.
"Any time now. But I'm sure he won't let you tag along."
"We'll see if we can change his mind," Penny grinned, reaching for thetelephone. Disregarding her father's frown, she called the photographerat the _Star_ office. Salt was leaving for Red Valley in twenty minutes,and he willingly agreed to take two passengers.
"There, you see!" Penny cried triumphantly, slamming the receiver intoits hook.
"I don't like the idea," Mr. Parker grumbled. "Let's hear what Mrs. Weemshas to say."
The housekeeper, it developed, had a great deal to say. Penny, however,was equal to all arguments. So eloquently did she plead her case thatMrs. Weems weakened.
"You've wanted an old spinning wheel for months," Penny reminded her."While I'm at Red Valley I'll get one for you."
"It seems to me I've heard that argument before," Mrs. Weems said dryly.
"I didn't get a chance to see about it when I was there last time," Pennyhastened on. "This time I'll make it a point, I promise. I'm pretty sureI can get the one Silas Malcom has."
"If you must go, please don't distract Salt with spinning wheels," Mr.Parker said crossly. "Or Headless Horseman rot. Remember, he has a job todo."
"Lou and I will help him," Penny laughed. "Just wait and see!"
In the end, Mr. Parker and Mrs. Weems reluctantly said that Penny mightgo. Louise obtained permission from her mother to make the trip, andfifteen minutes later the girls were at the _Star_ office. As theyentered the wire photo room, a loudspeaker blared forth: "All right,Riverview, go ahead with your fire picture!"
"Goodness, what was that?" Louise exclaimed, startled.
"Only the wire photo dispatcher talking over the loudspeaker from NewYork," Penny, chuckled. "We're about to send a picture out over thenetwork."
"But how?"
"Watch and see," Penny advised.
In the center of the room stood two machines with cylinders, one fortransmitting pictures to distant stations, the other for receiving them.On the sending cylinder was wrapped a glossy 8 by 10 photograph of afire. As Penny spoke, an attendant pressed a starter switch on thesending machine. There was a high pitched rasp as the clutch threw in,and the cylinder bearing the picture began to turn at a steady measuredpace.
"It's a complicated process," Penny said glibly. "A photo electric cellscans the picture and transmits it to all the points on the network. Salthere could tell you more about it."
"Too busy just now," grinned the young photographer. He stood beside acabinet stuffing flashbulbs into his coat pocket. "It's time we'retraveling."
Salt grinned in a harassed but friendly way at the girls. He was tall andfreckled and not very good looking. Nevertheless, he was the bestphotographer on the _Star_.
"I'm afraid we took advantage of you in asking for a ride to Red Valley,"Penny apologized.
"Tickled to have you ride along," Salt cut in. He picked up his SpeedGraphic camera and slung a supply case over his shoulder. "Well, let'sshove off for the wet country."
The ride by press car to Delta was far from pleasant. Salt drove toofast. The road was slippery once the auto left the pavement and ditchesbrimmed with brown muddy water.
At one point they were forced to detour five miles to avoid a bridge thathad washed out. Instead of reaching Delta early in the day as they hadplanned, it was well into the afternoon before they arrived.
"Where shall I drop you girls?" Salt inquired wearily. "I'll have to workfast if I get any pictures this afternoon."
"Drop us anywhere," Penny said. "We'll spend the night with Mrs. Lear andgo home by train tomorrow."
"Wonder which way it is to the Huntley Dam?"
"We'll show you the road," Penny offered. "It's directly on your way tolet us off at the Malcom place. I want to stop there to see about aspinning wheel."
Guided by the two girls, Salt drove up the winding hillside road to SilasMalcom's little farm. There Penny and Louise said goodbye to him andsought to renew acquaintances with the elderly hillman. The old man gotup from a porch rocker to greet them cordially.
"Well! Well! I knowed you'd come back one o' these days," he chuckled."Thank ye mightily fer puttin' them write-ups about Red Valley in thepaper."
"I'm afraid I didn't have much to do with it," Penny said modestly. "RedValley really is a news center these days."
"We're sittin' on a stick o' dynamite here," the old man agreed. "I'mworried about Mrs. Lear. Me and the wife want her to move up here on thehill where she'd be safe, but not that ole gal. She's as stubborn as amule."
"And what of the Burmasters?"
"I ain't worryin' none
about them. They kin look after themselves.They're so cock sure there ain't no danger."
"Then you feel the situation really is serious?"
Old Silas spat into the grass. "When that dam lets go," he said, "thereain't goin' to be no written notice sent ahead. The Burmaster place willbe taken, and then Mrs. Lear's. After that the water'll sweep down onDelta faster'n an express train. From there it'll spread out over thewhole valley."
"But why don't people move to safety?"
"Down at Delta plenty of 'em are pullin' up stakes," Old Silas admitted."The Burmasters are sittin' tight though and so is Mrs. Lear."
"We were planning on staying with her tonight," Louise contributeduneasily.
"Reckon you'll be safe enough," Old Silas assured her. "Water level ain'tbeen risin' none in the last ten hours. But if we have another rain aboveus--look out."
After chatting a bit longer, Penny broached the matter of the spinningwheel. To her delight, Mr. Malcom not only offered to sell it for a smallsum, but he volunteered to haul it to the railroad station for shipment.
The slow, tedious wagon ride down to Delta gave the girls addedopportunity to seek information from the old man. Penny deliberatelyspoke of the Headless Horseman. Had the mysterious rider been seen orheard of in the Valley in recent days?
"You can't prove it by me," the old man chuckled. "I been so busy gettin'in my crops I ain't had no time fer such goins on."
Arriving at Delta, Mr. Malcom drove directly to the railroad station.
"Joe Quigley ought to be around here somewhere," he remarked. "See if youcan run him down while I unload this spinnin' wheel."
Penny and Louise entered the deserted waiting room of the depot. The doorof the little station office was closed and at first glance they thoughtno one was there. Then they saw Joe Quigley standing with his back towardthem. He was engrossed in examining something on the floor, an objectthat was below their field of vision.
"Hello, Mr. Quigley!" Penny sang out.
The station agent straightened so suddenly that he bumped his headagainst the ticket counter. He stared at the girls. Then as they movedtoward the little window, he hastily gathered up whatever he had beenexamining. As if fearful that they would see the object, he crammed itinto an open office closet and slammed the door.