Part 21 (1/2)
”If I had my old job back, I'd be tempted, sorely tempted,” the old man said to Penny. ”I've always wanted someone that was near and dear to me.”
He drew a deep sigh. ”As things are, I don't see how it could be worked out.”
”Won't you keep thinking about it?” Adelle pleaded. ”Anytime you want me, I'll come right away.”
”Yes, I'll think about it,” Mr. McGuire promised soberly. ”I really will.”
An hour later Penny took a very depressed Adelle back to the Riverview Orphans' Home. Leaving her there, she drove on into town, chancing to see her chum, Louise Sidell on the street. Signalling her with a toot of the horn, Penny swung wide the door.
”On your way home, Lou?” she inquired.
”No, just wandering around in a daze trying to do a bit of shopping,”
Louise answered, sharing the seat. ”The stores here never have anything I want.”
”Then why not go to Claymore?” Penny proposed suddenly.
”I would if I could get there.”
”I'll take you,” Penny offered. ”I need to go to Claymore on special business, and I'd like to have someone ride along.”
”Well, I don't know,” Louise replied dubiously. ”I doubt Leaping Lena would stand such a long trip.”
”Oh, I'll take the other car.”
”In that case the answer is 'yes,'” Louise replied instantly.
Penny drove directly home to exchange cars and tell Mrs. Weems where she was going.
”Louise and I may not be back until very late,” she warned. ”It's barely possible we'll attend the theatre while we're at Claymore. There's a new play on, and everyone says it's grand.”
”If you drive after night, be very careful,” the housekeeper responded uneasily. ”There are so many accidents these days.”
A brief stop was made at the Sidell residence, and then the girls took to the road. Deliberately, Penny selected the same route which she and Jerry had followed the previous night.
”Is that why we're going to Claymore?” Louise inquired curiously, as she heard the story of what had happened to the Davis truck. ”You intend to trace those stolen melons?”
”I haven't much hope of doing that,” Penny answered. ”I want to visit the telegraph office and get an original message which was sent to Dad. His life has been made miserable by a pest who keeps sending him telegrams, and I'm out to catch the rascal.”
”You jump around from one thing to another so fast I can't keep track of your enterprises,” Louise sighed.
”I concentrate on the ones which offer a prospect of ready cash,” Penny rejoined with a laugh. ”If I catch Mr. Ben Bowman it means exactly one hundred dollars to me!”
Upon reaching Claymore, the girls spent two hours shopping at the large department stores. Penny then made a tour of the telegraph offices, finally locating the one from which Mr. Bowman's message had been sent.
After explaining why she wished it, she was allowed to inspect and keep the original copy which bore the sender's signature.
”I'll turn this handwriting over to the police,” she explained to Louise.
”They may be able to trace Ben Bowman by means of it.”