Part 26 (1/2)

”But he came here. The wedding ring was found near the pool. Surely you must have heard some sound for I know you were in this part of the garden.”

”Well, I didn't,” the man said sullenly. ”The only persons I saw were a newspaper photographer and a girl.”

”Please don't take offense,” Miss Kippenberg murmured, getting up from the bench. ”I've been terribly upset these past few days.”

She walked slowly to the edge of the pool. There she stopped short, staring down at an object which lay on the flagstones at her feet. It was the stick which Penny had dropped only a moment before.

”What have you found?” the gardener cried.

He went quickly to her side and took the damp stick from her hand.

”Someone has been here prying around,” he said in a harsh voice. ”This was used to investigate the water in the pool.”

”And whoever it was must be close by even now. Otherwise the stick would have dried out in the sun.”

”You go back to the house,” the man commanded. ”I'll look around.”

In their hideout amid the bushes, Penny and Louise gazed at each other with chagrin. No word was spoken for even a whisper might have been heard. With a common desire for escape, they glided with cat-like tread toward the river.

CHAPTER 16 _GATHERING CLUES_

The girls could hear no movement behind them as they darted down the path. They dared to hope that they had eluded the old gardener.

Then as they came within sight of the river, Louise stumbled over a vine.

Although she stifled an outcry the dull thud of her body against the ground seemed actually to reverberate through the forest. A black crow on the lower limb of an oak tree cawed in protest before he flew away.

Penny pulled Louise to her feet and they went on as fast as they could, but they knew the sound had betrayed them. Now they could hear the man in pursuit, his heavy shoes pounding on the hard, dry path.

”Run!” Penny commanded.

They reached the river bank and looked about for the boat which would take them across. As they had feared it was on the opposite sh.o.r.e.

Penny gestured frantically, but the boy did not understand the need for haste. He picked up his oars and rowed toward them at a very deliberate pace.

”Oh, he'll never get here in time,” Louise murmured fearfully. ”Shall we hide?”

”That's all we can do.”

They realized then that they had waited too long. Before they could dodge into the deeper thicket the gardener reached the clearing.

”So it's you again!” he cried wrathfully, glaring at Penny.

”Please, we didn't mean any harm. We can explain--”

”This stick is explanation enough for me!” the man shouted, waving it above his head. ”You were trying to find out about the lily pool!”

”We were only trying to get a pin which I dropped into the water,” Louise said, backing a step away.