“Hi,” Marjorie greeted her. “When do we eat in this Lodge?”
Kitty came nearer. “I just wanted to ask Miss Penny about that. We’ve a big fish baking and I wondered if you would be ready to eat in half an hour.”
“Hooray, food!” shouted Marjorie. “We’re always ready to eat, Kitty. Are we going to have a conference tonight to assign various duties, Penny?”
“Yes, we are,” Penny answered. “Kitty, did you ever help in a summer hotel, or anything like that?”
“Yes, ma’am! And Mal helped the chef at one of the lake resorts right near here. That is what made Ann Mary think about sending for us.”
Philip had turned to look at Kathleen while she talked. “That is very fortunate for us, Mrs. Donahue,” he said. “We’re going to have a family confab tonight to decide what each of us should do and we’d like all of you to come and help us make decisions.”
“Yes, sir,” Kitty said. “We’ll not need much more help, only some people from around the village to wait on table if there is a very large crowd over weekends, or for some special occasions.” With that bit of advice, Kitty went back into the house.
Jimmy came out on the porch then and said to Marjorie: “I told the operator to sign your name to the telegram. I thought Judy would get a kick out of that.”
“Thanks,” Marjorie said, smiling. “Sometimes you can be nice, Jimmy.”
He ignored her and started gathering up his mail. “By the way,” he said to Penny and Phil, “my old schoolmate, Brook, is coming that weekend, too, if it’s all right with you.”
“Fine,” Penny and Phil said together.
Jimmy grinned. “Brook wrote that he is going to bring all of his old clothes. He says he’ll bring one decent suit, but he hopes he’ll not have to put it on. I’m right with him there! I think Judy Powell has the right idea about living in a bathing suit all summer. Say, Alf Powell, Brook and I will certainly have some wonderful fun this summer. Maybe we can put up a shack for us to sleep in.” He went on, pacing up and down excitedly, “Or part of that old barn. It would be fun if we could be by ourselves.”
“Calm down, Jimmy,” Phil said. “I don’t think Alf’s or Brook’s parents will think their sons ought to be sleeping in a shack if they are paying good money for rooms, do you?”
Jimmy ran his hands through his short, dark hair. “Naw, I guess not. But we could bunk out there sometimes, couldn’t we?”
“Of course,” Penny told him. “It wouldn’t be much fun if you didn’t rough it every now and then.” She went on seriously. “I’m counting on you, Jimmy, to keep an eye on any kids who may come with their parents. You and Marjorie must help to keep them amused, too. It will be rather like running a summer camp, with you two as junior counselors. You’ll have to supervise games and sports, and maybe, Jimmy, give some of them swimming lessons.”
“Ha!” Jimmy narrowed his eyes. “The plot thickens. Looks like I’m going to have to work. But don’t worry, Penny. Brook, Alf and I will keep the small fry busy.”
“Grand,” Penny said approvingly. “You’ve taken a load off my mind, Jimmy. Everyone has simply got to help me as much as possible if we’re going to see to it that our guests are kept amused.”
She glanced at Marjorie. “And that means you, too, imp. Don’t you dare spend all your time with your chum, Judy.”
“I won’t,” Marjorie promised. “Not unless Jimmy spends all his time with Alf and Brook.”
Philip glanced at his wrist watch. “Any objections to you two getting washed up before dinner?” But he looked at Jimmy as he spoke.
“Not a one,” returned Jimmy with a wide grin. “I wonder why Phil looked at me,” he continued, still grinning.
“Because, you’re practically just past the stage when getting you washed behind the ears was quite a family problem,” said Marjorie.
“Look who’s talking,” called Jimmy as he disappeared into the house.
After they had all consumed the delicious baked fish which Pat had caught that very day and Ann Mary had fixed in a delectable fashion, all the Allens met around the council table. This was the big table in the living room and here they were soon joined by the Ryans, Theresa and the Donahues.
Philip then outlined a plan which they all discussed and finally the duties were assigned to everyone’s satisfaction. Pat was to continue what he had always done and be a general overseer of the entire Lodge. He would make arrangements for fishing parties, get boats and guides and order lunches to be packed. He would lock up every night and do many other things.
Ann Mary was in complete charge of the kitchen and Mal and Kitty were to be her assistants. Kitty would serve and Mal also had some outdoor duties. Theresa was to do the cleaning, and Mal and Kitty were going to pitch in and help with that too.
Marjorie had offered to wait on table and help with the cooking, but Philip told her that the family would have their hands full with the entertaining of their guests. However, all the Allens planned to help out every place, all of the time, whenever they were free from their other assigned duties. Jimmy had lettered a large sign and hung it on a temporary billboard. It read:
MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF ALLEN LODGE
Marjorie now pointed to the sign and said, “I feel pretty important being a director. Is that why I can get out of cooking and serving?”
At this remark Phil guffawed and Jimmy and Penny joined him, much to Marjorie’s chagrin.
“Don’t you kid yourself,” Jimmy said, “Even if Phil says you’ll have your hands full entertaining guests, you know you’ll have them twice as full, because I’m sure we’ll all have to help each other when our Lodge is running full force.”
Philip, it was decided, was to be the official treasurer. He would keep the books and have full charge of all receipts and disbursements.
“That,” Jimmy loftily explained to Marjorie, “means money coming in and money going out.” Marjorie sniffed. “Keep your definitions of such simple words to yourself.”
“Let’s be serious,” Phil said. “All hotels and inns have a rule that unless their guests deposit their valuables with them for safekeeping, the management is not responsible. Isn’t that right, Mr. Donahue?”
Mal nodded.
“Well then,” Phil went on, “I think we ought to keep our guests’ money and jewelry in the safe in the secret room. And in order to safeguard the secret, we ought to make it a rule that none of the guests is allowed in the secret room.”
“Right,” Jimmy agreed heartily. “If we let everyone run in and out of there it won’t be a secret very long. I vote that for the rest of the summer, only Pat is allowed to—”
“Phil and Pat,” Penny interrupted. “Phil has to go in and out to the safe because he’s the treasurer.”
“That’s right,” Pat agreed. “I’ll act as his substitute. Phil may not be available at times when we receive money which should be put right in the safe or when we need to take some out to pay bills. I’ll only go into the secret room during such emergencies.”
“Okay, thanks, Pat,” said Phil. “Then, as of now, it’s a rule that only you and I press the button that opens the secret door. Said rule to remain in effect until the end of the season.”
Everyone agreed, and then it was decided that Penny was to be the hostess and the housekeeper. Ann Mary was going to help make out the shopping lists, while Penny did the actual shopping. Marjorie was to be the assistant hostess as well as the secretary. Luckily she had learned how to use a typewriter and would really be a big help when it came to writing letters. Jimmy was the director of all sports, and even though that sounded like an easy job, Penny assured him it would be more than a full-time one.
Penny, Ann Mary and Kitty decided it would be wise to make out menus for a week in advance. “That means,” Penny said, “that right after breakfast tomorrow morning we had better plan the first week’s menu. An
awful lot of guests are arriving the first weekend in July.”
She sighed wearily. “I guess everything has been taken care of except the laundry. We’ll all have our hands full after this week, so I don’t see what we can possibly do about that.”
“Got any ideas, Ann Mary?” Philip asked.
Ann Mary thought for a minute. “There’s a new laundry-mat in the village—just opened the other day. If we could find someone who would come out twice a week, bring in the soiled linen, wash it in one of the automatic machines, and bring it back damp dry, Kitty, Theresa and I could handle the ironing.”
“A swell idea,” Pat said. “I’ll ask around in the village when I go in tomorrow. Anyone, even a mere man,” he added with a chuckle, “can run one of those spin-dry slot machines. All we need to do is find someone with a car who’ll tote the stuff back and forth for a fair price.”
“I guess that takes care of everything,” Penny said. “Has anybody thought of anything else?”
Jimmy thought it would be a good idea to buy a sailboat, but that suggestion was promptly vetoed. “We are going to try and make money before we spend it, young man,” said Philip. “But if you and Alf and Brook Sanders want to fix up one out of what we have, that’s all right with me.”
“Watch us!” retorted Jimmy and immediately suggested that a few canoes wouldn’t cost much. But once again Phil put a damper on his ideas.
At this point Jimmy wanted to know what kind of a suggestion he could make that would not be vetoed, and Penny and Phil both chimed in at once with, “Let’s call it a day.”
“But, before the meeting breaks up,” Philip said soberly, “I want to make an announcement. I don’t think it’s really important, but I think you should all hear it.”
He drew from his pocket the long envelope he had laid aside earlier when they had been out on the porch reading their mail. “I got an anonymous letter today,” he said, “and at first I thought I wouldn’t bother you with it. Writers of anonymous letters are usually either cowards or cranks. However,” he continued, “after thinking it over, I’ve decided I have no right to keep from you the fact that we have been threatened.”
“Threatened?” Penny repeated. “But, Phil, who—?”
For answer, Phil opened the envelope and took out a long sheet of dirty paper which he laid on the council table.
Everyone crowded around him to read the ugly scribbled words:
MR. PHILIP ALLEN: IF YOU KNOW WHAT’S GOOD FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS, GET OUT OF THE LODGE AS FAST AS YOU CAN. I MEAN BUSINESS!
CHAPTER 3
THE ABANDONED WELL
Ann Mary was the first to speak. “Well, I never,” she gasped. “Who could have written such an evil thing, Pat?”
Pat shook his head. “A crank, of course.”
“That’s what I think,” Phil agreed. “Someone who read the newspaper stories about Adra Prentice’s kidnaping. Anonymous letters from people who aren’t quite right mentally generally follow any kind of publicity.”
“But,” Marjorie objected, “all of that happened last year.”
“It makes no difference,” Jimmy told her. “People use newspapers for lots of things besides keeping up with the news. They wrap china in newspapers, line shelves and drawers with ’em, for instance. Whoever wrote that dopey letter may have come across an account of Adra’s kidnaping just the other day.”
Penny nodded. “Let’s tear the ugly thing up and throw it away. Whoever wrote it probably won’t ever bother us again.”
“Right.” Jimmy tore the dirty sheet of paper to shreds and tossed them into the fireplace. Phil set a match to them and they all watched the scraps burn away to ashes.
“Well, that’s that,” Penny said. “As if anyone could scare us Allens away from the Lodge!”
Then the meeting did break up, and four very tired, but not at all frightened Allens, went upstairs to bed.
The next morning Jimmy’s first job was to overhaul the old bus and the Bronc. The Bronc was an old station wagon that had seen better days. It had served the Allens well, but right now it sputtered and rattled and wheezed. The Bus was a small truck and was used for a multitude of things. It hauled wood from the woods to the woodbin, it carted supplies from the town to the Lodge and Philip planned to use it for taking people on camping trips during the summer. Jimmy’s favorite pastime was tinkering with cars, and he seemed to know the intricate mechanics of the two old vehicles better than any trained mechanic.
While Jimmy was tinkering with the motors, Phil and Mal combed the nearby woods for timber. Some of it would be cut up into logs which would blaze merrily in the huge fireplaces on cool evenings. The rest of it, Phil planned to give Jimmy for his shack. Jimmy had picked a spot on the lake shore where he and the other boys could build a fire if they wanted. He also planned to build a little dock and rent a few rowboats. This was to be the bachelor’s retreat. The site was in a bit of a bay with some large rocks along the shore line that would make the dock construction simpler. Among the trees a little way back, there was a fairly open place where the shack could stand. When Phil and Mal had gathered quite a pile of wood, they called Jimmy down to view the spot.
“Now, all you have to do, Jimmy, is to go to it,” said Philip.
“I can’t wait until the other boys arrive to get started,” he answered. “I’m going to start preparing the logs and lay the floor. Won’t this be ideal?”
In the meantime, Marjorie began her secretarial duties by sorting mail and answering as many of the letters as she could, while Penny went into the village to shop in order to stock up on staples and to make arrangements for her weekly orders.
One afternoon Jimmy, Phil and Mal decided to have a look at the long old shed in the back yard which they thought might be fixed up to house the cars of their summer guests. The old shed had been there all the time, of course, but somehow they had kept putting off the time when they would examine it. There had been so many things to do when they first came, they had not even opened all the rooms in the house until they had decided to turn it into a summer hotel.
Now the guest rooms must be cleaned and aired. Penny and Marjorie were busy from morning to night helping Theresa and Ann Mary dust and make beds.
“This is so boring,” Marjorie complained. “The only room I’m interested in is the old storage room, Penny. When are we ever going to go through those old trunks?”
“We’ve had a look at the contents of one of them,” Penny pointed out patiently. “And we found that it contained nothing but some very old-fashioned clothes and a few worthless, though pretty trinkets. Wait till we have more time, honey. Then you may rummage around in there to your heart’s content.”
“I can’t understand your lack of curiosity,” Marjorie moaned. “I can’t sleep nights thinking about what might be in the trunk we didn’t open.”
Penny laughed. “I guess we’ve had too much indoor work for one day. Let’s join the boys down at the shed.”
“Goody, goody,” Marjorie cried, flinging down her dust cloth. “There’s bound to be something more exciting than cobwebs out there.”
At last they were hurrying down the concrete walk, past the Donahues’ small cabin behind the Lodge. They caught up with Mal and the boys on the old graveled drive, overgrown with weeds. This drive led among bushes and trees and looked like an old horse trail, but it was wide enough for a car to travel over it with care.
Jimmy took one good look at all the weeds and said, “I don’t think this is such a good idea, especially since I know I’ll be elected a committee of one to cut down all these weeds.”
“Why, how did you guess it, young man! You are getting keen,” laughed Penny. “But this really does look like a big job, and I’m sure Phil and Mal will lend a hand, too.” Jimmy looked relieved at this suggestion and here they were at the shed.
“Pat says that even
your Uncle John never made use of this shed for anything, and that it must have been a sort of stable back in the old days,” explained Mal. “See, one of the side walls is pretty badly broken up, but the roof has been patched and the framework seems strong. There are a pile of boards and some poles behind this shed. Looks as though somebody once had the idea of repairing it. That wood back there is well seasoned and with the help of the repair man from the village we could get it fixed up this week.”
Penny took hold of one of the supports, to which a few boards were clinging loosely.
“Be careful how you lean against that,” Philip cautioned her. “That’s the broken wall and we don’t want you to fall through it.”
But just as he finished saying it Penny gasped and slipped out of sight. For a minute the others stood there with their mouths open, then Phil and Jimmy quickly went into action. Mal poked his hand through the wall where Penny seemed to have disappeared and Marjorie called, “Penny, Penny, answer—are you hurt?”
Phil and Jimmy ran to the outside of the broken wall but there was nothing there but the old pile of lumber Mal had mentioned. They called Penny, and then there was a muffled sound that seemed to come from the very wall itself.
Phil climbed right up on top of the pile of lumber and reached over as far as he could toward the wall when he noticed a sunken place between the wall and the lumber. It looked like an old well and it was partly covered. He called to Penny and this time he heard her answer. As quickly as they could, they all started to move enough of the lumber so that they could get closer to the old well. Now they were sure Penny had fallen into it, and Marjorie ran back to the house as fast as her feet could carry her to get a strong rope and more help.
It seemed like hours, but it was only a few minutes before Phil and Jimmy were able to lean over the well and start calling down to Penny.
She answered them this time and they heard her say quite clearly: “What happened?”
“Whew!” Jimmy gasped, clutching his forehead with relief. “You fell down an old well.”
The Third Girl Detective Page 53