CHAPTER III A Puzzling Robbery
“Honey, see what you make of it,” said Judy, and handed her the paper.“You say in the _Herald_, Horace, that the caretaker swears no onepassed his cottage on Dark Hill Road for two days. Is it a privateroad?”
“Yes,” he replied. “But the police think the robbers could have sneakedin from the national forest which borders the estate. But the forestrangers keep pretty close watch of anyone who enters it. They have tonow, with the weather so dry and windy. A forest fire would get out ofcontrol fast.”
“Some of them are already out of control, aren’t they?” asked Honey. “Isaw something about it on the back of the paper while Judy was readingthe front.”
“Aha!” laughed Horace. “Now I know where to put the news I want peepingfemales to see. Perhaps the Woman’s Page should be the back page so thathubby can enjoy the headlines while wifey ponders the recipes.”
“Speaking from wifey’s point of view,” Judy retorted, “she is just asinterested in the headlines as he is. She might even want to know thestory behind them. You’ve only told half of it, Horace.”
“The paper had to go to press. Papers do, you know,” Horace remindedher. “The other half of the story is probably happening right now. Thisforest fire on the back page was spreading. It may get around to thefront page. It may even get as far as the Paul Riker estate, where therobbery took place. I’ve never seen the main house, but I’ve been toldit’s an immense wooden structure with a cupola on top.”
“Like some of the mansions in Farringdon?” asked Honey.
“No doubt. They were all built around 1880 and if you ask me theyweren’t beautiful, even then. Most of them ought to be torn down.They’re regular firetraps besides being so hideous that nobody wants tolive in them. Modern houses like the new ones going up in Roulsville aremore to my taste.”
“Mine, too,” Honey whispered, and a look passed between them that madeJudy wonder if Honey might not be forgetting her employer’s handsomeyoung son for Judy’s own not so handsome but lovable brother.
Honey was having a hard time choosing between her two suitors and seemedin no great hurry to make up her mind. Judy knew how it was. She hadonce faced the same problem. If she had married handsome ArthurFarringdon-Pett instead of Peter Dobbs, her home might have been one ofthe mansions they were talking about. Judy did not consider themhideous.
“I like old houses,” she told her brother. “I guess Grandma knew it whenshe left me her house and gave you the land. You can build your modernhouse on it whenever you’re ready. I like all houses, both old and new,if they’re real homes and not built just for show.”
“The Riker mansion used to be called a show-place. I’m sure I don’t knowwho would look at it way back there in the woods,” Horace said, “but I’mtold that before the robbery it was filled with art treasures, includinga world-famous collection of jade.”
“A museum of Oriental art, according to your article,” quoted Judy. “Idon’t see the sense of keeping such valuable things in a private home.”
“For once,” Horace said, “we agree on something. Paul Riker needed aflock of servants just to take care of all the stuff he collected. Thepolice estimate the loot as being worth a quarter of a million dollarsand maybe more. An actual evaluation can’t be made until Mr. Rikerreturns from his travels. The police are trying to get in touch withhim, but nobody seems to know where he is.”
“That must have made it convenient for the robbers,” Judy commented. “Doyou really think the caretaker might be involved?”
“I’ll have to talk with him before I know what to think,” repliedHorace. “How would you girls like to drive out there with me thisafternoon? We might pick up a few clues, maybe run into Peter—”
“If he’s investigating it,” Judy interrupted, “I don’t think we should.I’ve dashed off after him before—to my sorrow. Once a bullet barelymissed me, and he made me promise not to run headlong into danger again.Besides, the kids are coming here today.”
“What kids?” Honey asked.
“You remember them,” Judy said. “They used to call themselves the JuniorFBI. They meet here every Saturday. Peter suggested that they changetheir name. He’s afraid they’ll get themselves involved in somethingdangerous. I think he’s wrong, though. The club doesn’t get them intotrouble. It keeps them out of it. Their latest project is a magic show.”
“Magic! That’s it!” exclaimed Honey.
“What do you mean?” asked Judy.
“The voice from the tree. It must have been one of their tricks.”
“I doubt it,” Horace objected. “I heard the talking trees before some ofthose kids were born. Grandpa used to call it a freak of nature. Ialways meant to investigate it, but never got around to it. Maybe it’san echo thrown back from the barn.”
“We could find out easily enough by standing opposite the barn andcalling,” Judy suggested eagerly.
“Wouldn’t we feel a little foolish, Judy?” asked Honey, holding back alittle.
“I wouldn’t,” Judy declared. “Come on! I’d like to try it.”
The Trail of the Green Doll Page 4