Part 15 (1/2)
”Who is Ben Bartell?” Louise inquired with interest.
Penny related her experience near the _Snark_, telling of the stranger who had been given shelter by the newspaper reporter.
”Ben probably has learned all about him by this time,” she added. ”Shall we stop there?”
”Let's,” agreed Louise enthusiastically.
Dressed in comfortable slacks, the chums prepared sandwiches, and then, in Penny's battered old car, drove to the waterfront.
”I haven't much gasoline, so we can't go far,” she warned as they parked not far from the vacant lot where Ben's shack stood. ”Wonder if anyone will be here?”
Walking across the lot which was strewn with tin cans and rocks, they tapped lightly on the sagging door of the shack. Almost at once it was opened by Ben who looked even less cheerful than when Penny last had seen him.
”Well, how is your patient this morning?” she inquired brightly.
”He's gone,” replied Ben flatly. ”My watch with him!”
”Your watch!”
Ben nodded glumly. ”That's the thanks a fellow gets! I saved his life, took him in and gave him my bed. Then he repays me by stealing my watch and my only good sweater. It makes me sick!”
”Oh, Ben, that is a shame! You didn't learn who the man was?”
”He wouldn't put out a thing. All I know is that his first name was Webb.”
”Did you try to find him at the _Snark_?” Penny questioned.
”Sure, but there they just raise their eyebrows, and say they never heard of such a person. So far as anyone aboard that tub is concerned, no one ever fell into the brink either!”
”Ben, why not report to police?”
”I considered it, but what good would it do?” Ben shrugged. ”The watch is gone. That's all I care about.”
”But those men aboard the _Snark_ must be criminals! We know they pushed Webb off the boat.”
”Probably had good reason for doing it too,” Ben growled. ”But we can't prove anything--no use to try.”
”Ben, you're just discouraged.”
”Who wouldn't be? I had planned on p.a.w.ning that watch. It would have kept me going for a couple of weeks at least. I'd join the Army, only they've turned me down three times already.”
Penny and Louise had not expected to stay long, but with the reporter in such a black mood, they thought they should do something to restore his spirits. Entering the dingy little shack, Penny talked cheerfully of her newspaper experiences, and told him that she had spoken to her father about adding him to the editorial staff.
”What'd he say?” the reporter demanded quickly.
”He promised to look into the matter.”
”Which means he doesn't want me.”
”Not necessarily. My father takes his time in arriving at a decision. But it always is a just one.”