The Secret of the Sundial
Page 6
CHAPTER VI The Unknown Owner
Madge and Cara felt certain their presence in the garden had been noted,but to their relief, the man looked away again. He rested briefly, thenpicked up his spade and resumed digging.
"Now!" Madge whispered the instant his back had turned.
They moved noiselessly along the vine-covered wall until they were hiddenbehind the house.
"I surely thought we were caught that time," Cara said nervously. "Whatcan he be after anyway?"
"I wish I knew. Just our luck to have to rush home at the exciting time!He may not come here again."
The front gate had been locked with padlock and chain, but the girlsfound a small opening in the side fence and slipped through. Theybreathed easier as they emerged on the street. It was after eleveno'clock so they ran nearly all the way to their homes.
Madge did not see her friend the following day which was Sunday. In spiteof her vigorous protest, she was herded into a neighbor's car and takenon a picnic which Mr. and Mrs. Brady had promised to attend earlier inthe week. School opened as usual on Monday, but Cara failed to appear,and upon calling at the Wayne home that evening, Madge found her ill inbed with a cold.
"I must have caught it from sitting so long on the ground at the SwensterMansion," Cara declared. "I hope you're not going there again tonight."
Madge had thought that she might, but with Cara unable to accompany her,it scarcely seemed fair. Then too, the old house at night was not themost pleasant place to be alone. She readily promised her friend thelittle adventure would be postponed.
Cara came to school the following day but her cold had left her in nomood to expose herself to chilling night air. As several days elapsed,Madge's own interest in the mansion waned.
And then on Saturday morning as she was walking to the store for a poundof sugar which Mrs. Brady had forgotten to order, she was startled toobserve that the front gate of the Swenster Mansion stood ajar.
"That padlock didn't come off by itself," she thought alertly.
The temptation to investigate was too great to resist. She paused at thegate and looked inside the grounds. To her further amazement, she saw thefront door open and a workman was removing boards from the downstairswindows.
"Good morning!" said a pleasant voice.
Madge jumped. Turning, she saw a middle-aged, white-haired lady, standingby a mock orange bush slightly to the left of the gate. She was regardingMadge with a kindly smile.
"Oh, I beg your pardon," the latter apologized in embarrassment. "Ididn't know anyone was at home. I--"
"I don't wonder at your interest in the place," the lady came quickly toher rescue. "The house has been closed for so many years that it must bea town curiosity. Won't you come in?"
"Oh, I think not," Madge murmured, yet aching to do that very thing. "Idon't like to intrude."
"It will be no intrusion I assure you," the other responded warmly. "Iwas wishing only a moment ago that someone would drop in to visit me. Isuppose all my old friends are gone by this time."
She sighed, and Madge saw an expression akin to sorrow cross her face.Immediately she smiled again and opened the gate wider.
"Do come in. The house and grounds are in frightful condition but withina few days I hope to have them in better shape. Perhaps you will help mewith suggestions?"
Madge could not resist such an appeal. Actually, she desired nothing morethan an opportunity to talk with the woman, perhaps learning what hadbrought her to Claymore.
"I'd love to come in," she smiled, passing through the gate, "but I'm notvery good at suggestions about gardening. You're--you're the owner,aren't you?"
"Yes, I am Agatha Swenster."
Madge introduced herself. Miss Swenster knew how to place her at ease,and soon she lost all feeling of embarrassment. They wandered slowlyabout the ruined garden. Mrs. Swenster pointed out various things whichshe planned to have done.
"It must seem nice to be coming back to your old home," Madge commentedpolitely.
"Yes, in a way it does. A great many memories are associated with thishouse--some very pleasant, others less so. Now that I am here again Ishould like to remain. However, I fear it is impossible. I am merelyputting the place in order before I sell it."
Madge's face disclosed her disappointment. She could not imagine the oldmansion in the hands of a ruthless, modern owner who might tear down theshutters, do away with the old-fashioned garden and relandscape thegrounds. It was definitely a house of the past, and Miss Swenster fittedperfectly into the picture.
"I'm not anxious to sell," the owner confessed, "but I have no choice. Iplan to hold an auction sale in a few weeks. The house is furnished withreally lovely pieces of furniture. I should like to have you see mydishes sometime before the sale."
"What a shame to auction off such valued possessions," Madge said withhonest regret. "Aren't you holding anything back?"
"Very little. You see, I must raise money and this house is all I haveleft."
Apparently realizing that she had paraded her personal affairs, MissSwenster quickly changed the subject. They continued their tour of thegarden, pausing near the sundial. Madge ventured to ask if it had beenmanufactured special for the Swenster Mansion.
"No, we made it ourselves," she explained. "Father worked out the plansbefore his death, and an old Negro servant did the actual work later."
She moved hurriedly on, as though not wishing to dwell upon a subjectwhich brought back unhappy associations.
It had occurred to Madge to speak of the recent excavations which hadbeen going on in the garden but after a moment's consideration shedecided to allow the matter to go unmentioned.
She was eager to learn if the man Miss Swenster had engaged to assistwith the outside work was the same person she and Cara had observedduring their prior visit to the mansion. As Miss Swenster paused to issueorders in regard to trimming the hedge, she had ample opportunity tostudy the workman's face. She was certain he was not the man she had seendigging in the garden.
"The plot thickens," she thought with quickening interest. "I'll wagerMiss Swenster doesn't know any more about that digging than I do. Perhapsif I get a little better acquainted, I'll ask her about it."
Madge readily accepted an invitation to view the inside of the house.Nothing was in order and dust was everywhere. Miss Swenster liftedseveral white sheets to disclose that they protected really fine mahoganyand oak pieces. She did not offer to show Madge the upstairs.
"You see, I have my work cut out for me," she smiled. "I must go overeverything, sort out the pieces I mean to keep, and get things generallyin order before the auction."
"If you need a woman to help you, I know of an excellent one," Madgeoffered. "She did work for Aunt Maude."
She noticed Miss Swenster's embarrassed face and realized that she hadbeen tactless.
"I'd like to hire help but I'm afraid I can't afford it," Miss Swenstersaid quietly. "I am quite strong and will be able to manage alone."
Madge thought Miss Swenster looked frail and scarcely able to do heavyhousework. She was tempted to offer her own services gratis but realizedthat unless she were very diplomatic, Miss Swenster would be certain torefuse.
"I'll find some way to help her with the work," she told herself as shedeparted a few minutes later. "I know Cara will be glad to do what shecan too. And if we should happen to learn something pertaining to thelost Swenster pearls--well, there's no harm in killing two birds with onestone!"