Part 22 (1/2)

”If you're the smart little girl I think you are, a hint will be sufficient,” he said. ”I don't want any member of the Parker family on my premises. So stay away. Get me?”

”Yes, sir,” responded Penny meekly.

Inwardly, she was raging. Someone deliberately had betrayed her to Harvey Maxwell and she had a very good idea who that person might be. From now on employes of the hotel would be told to keep watch for her. Never again would she be allowed in the lobby, much less in the vicinity of the Green Room.

Harvey Maxwell walked with Penny to the front door of the hotel and closed it behind her.

”Remember,” he warned, ”stay away.”

As Penny started down the walk she heard a silvery laugh, and glancing sideways, saw Francine leaning against the building.

”You didn't spend much time in the Green Room, did you?” she inquired.

”That was a dirty trick to play!” retorted Penny. ”I wouldn't have done it to you.”

”You couldn't have thought that fast, my dear Penny.”

”I might tell Mr. Maxwell you're a reporter for the _Riverview Record_.

How would you like that?”

Francine shrugged. ”In that case we both lose the story. All I want is an exclusive. After the yarn breaks in the _Record_, your father will be welcome to make use of any information published. So if you really want him to win his libel suit, you'll gain by not interfering with me.”

”You reason in a very strange way,” replied Penny coldly.

Picking up her skis she shouldered them and marched stiffly away. She was angry at Francine and angry at herself for having given the rival reporter an opportunity to score against her. Probably she would never tell Harvey Maxwell or Ralph Fergus who the girl actually was, sorely as she might be tempted. As Francine had pointed out, her own chance of gleaning any worth while information had been lost.

”It's a bitter pill to choke down,” thought Penny, ”but I would rather have the _Record_ get the story than to lose it altogether.”

Sunk deep in depression, she tramped back to the Downey lodge. The mail had arrived during her absence but there was no letter from home.

”Dad might at least send me a postcard,” she grumbled. ”For two cents I would take the next plane back to Riverview.”

However, Penny could not remain downhearted for any great length of time.

Why worry about Francine and the silly old Green Room? She would forget all about it and try to have fun for a change.

It was not difficult to dismiss the matter from her mind, for the following morning Sara Jasko came to give her a lesson in bob-sled driving. With a crowd of interested guests watching from the sidelines, they made their first exciting ride over the track. Sara steered, Jake operated the brake, and Penny rode as sole pa.s.senger.

Horseshoe Curve was the most thrilling point on the course. As the sled tore around it at a tremendous rate of speed, Jake dug in the iron claw of the brake, sending up a plume of snow. They slackened speed perceptibly, but even so the sled climbed high on the sloping wall, and Penny thought for an anxious moment that they were going over the top.

The remainder of the run was mild by comparison.

Upon later trips Penny was allowed to manage the brake, and soon became dexterous in applying it as Sara shouted the command.

Skiers abandoned the slopes to watch the new sport. Two at a time, Penny and Sara gave them rides and all of their pa.s.sengers were enthusiastic.

By the following day the word had spread down the mountain that Mrs.

Downey's bob-sled run was operating. Guests from the Fergus hotel joined the throng but they were given rides only when there were no pa.s.sengers waiting.

”It's going over like a house afire!” Penny declared gaily to Mrs.