finished: "The camera was expensive and didn't belong to me."
"I know nothing about the matter! You certainly have your nerve accusing
me!"
"Come, come," said the professor, giving his wife a significant, warning
glance. "There is no need for disagreement. The young ladies are quite
welcome to search the car."
"We've already looked," Penny admitted. "The camera isn't there."
"Isn't it possible you were mistaken in the automobile?"
"I may have jotted down a wrong license number," Penny acknowledged
reluctantly. "I'm sorry."
She turned to leave.
"That's quite all right," the professor assured her, his tone now
becoming more friendly. "Do you girls live near here?"
"In Riverview," Louise supplied eagerly. "We drove over for a picnic.
Mrs. Leonard told us about your light ray machine!"
"Indeed." Professor Bettenridge looked none too pleased.
"She said you might be willing to show it to us."
"Mrs. Leonard displays a remarkable interest in our affairs," Mrs.
Bettenridge commented sarcastically.
Again her husband shot her a warning glance.
"My dear, it is only natural that she should be interested in such an
amazing machine as ours," he said. "I see no reason why the young ladies
should not view it."
"Oh, may we?" Louise cried eagerly.
Although his wife scowled with displeasure, the professor bade the girls
follow him to the nearby shack. The door was padlocked and he opened it
with a key.
Inside, the room was bare of furniture. There were a few boxes and a
large table upon which rested a sizeable object covered with canvas.
"My secret ray machine is expected to revolutionize warfare," the
professor said proudly. "Behold the product of fifteen years of faithful
work!"
Dramatically he jerked aside the canvas cover, revealing a complicated
mechanism of convex and concave mirrors which rotated on their bases. In
the center of the machine was a small crystal ball.
"How does it operate?" Louise asked, deeply impressed.
"I am afraid a technical explanation would be too involved for you to
understand. Briefly, a musical note produced on the crystal globe, is
carried by ultra violet ray to the scene of the mine. The vibration will
cause any unstable substance such as melinite to explode."
"And you claim you actually can explode mines with this machine?" Penny
asked.
"I not only claim it, I have demonstrated the machine's powers,"
Professor Bettenridge replied. "How I do it, of course, is my own
secret."
"Will you explode a mine for us now?" Louise questioned eagerly.
Professor Bettenridge looked mildly amused. "My dear young lady," he
said. "Do you realize that mines are very expensive? I have been able to
obtain only a few, and naturally I must save them for official tests."
"Of course," stammered Louise. "I hadn't thought of that."
"Besides, the demonstrations have a certain element of danger," the
professor resumed. "I never give one without my assistant."
Penny, who had been studying the machine with increasing interest,
remarked that a story about it might make an interesting feature for the
_Star_. To her surprise, the professor did not seem to favor the idea.
"You are employed by a newspaper?" he inquired.
"Yes, the _Star_."
"I must ask you to say nothing about this matter," the professor
directed. "Under no circumstance could I permit a story to be written
about my work."
"But why?"
"Publicity at this time might rob me of an opportunity to sell the
machine. A very prominent man, James Johnson, is now considering its
purchase."
"But I thought you were expecting to sell your invention to the
government," Penny said, puzzled.
Professor Bettenridge bit his lip. Obviously, he was beginning to share
his wife's annoyance at the girls.
"I regret I can't tell you all the details of my negotiations," he said.
"My wife and I are very tired, so if you will excuse us--"
"Certainly," said Penny, taking the hint. "Louise and I must be on our
way to Riverview."
They started to leave, but before they could reach the door, someone
tapped lightly on it. Professor Bettenridge and his wife exchanged a
quick glance which Penny could not fathom. For a fleeting instant, she
thought they both looked frightened.
Then the professor went to the door and opened it. A little man in a
derby hat and with an apologetic manner stood on the threshold.
"Mr. Johnson!" exclaimed the professor, extending his hand. "My wife and
I did not expect you until tomorrow."
"I came a little sooner than I planned," the newcomer admitted. "A
business conference I had expected to attend was postponed until
tomorrow. Naturally, that has upset my schedule. I had hoped you might
consent to a demonstration of your machine tonight."
"Tonight?" The professor seemed caught off guard. "But that is
impossible!"
"Impossible?" inquired Mr. Johnson. "Why?"
"For one thing, my assistant is not here."
"Can't you get in touch with him?"
"I doubt it. Besides, I have another engagement." The professor hesitated
and added: "Officials of the Navy have invited me to confer with them
tonight at the Gables Hotel in Riverview. I rather expect them to make me
a very attractive offer for my invention."
"But you promised me first option on it!" Mr. Johnson protested. "If
necessary, I can wait for the demonstration tomorrow night, though it
will greatly inconvenience me."
"Tomorrow at eight o'clock," the professor nodded. "If you should care to
put up a small sum of money as a guarantee of your intentions, I promise
to make no final deal with the Navy until after that time."
"Why, yes," Mr. Johnson agreed, taking out his check book. "Any amount
you say."
Feeling themselves no longer welcome by the Bettenridges, Penny and
Louise slipped quietly away. As they climbed the hill they could hear the
professor and Mr. Johnson discussing the amount to be paid.
"It's a graft, if you ask me," Penny declared. "Poor Mr. Johnson seems
hypnotized."
"I wish we could see that test tomorrow night!"
"So do I. In fact, I'd be willing to bet the machine won't work."
"What makes you think so?"
"Just my doubting nature, I suppose. No, there's more to it than that,
Lou. Didn't you notice how startled the Bettenridges were when their star
customer appeared?"
"They did look a bit upset."
"And the professor refused to give a demonstration tonight, although
obviously it would have been to his advantage."
"He explained he had an engagement with Navy men."
"Which I suspect was all a made-up story. No, Lou, there must be another
reason why the professor was unwilling to give the demonstration. He
probably knows his machine won't work."
"You're convinced he's a fraud."
"Yes, I am," Penny said. "Furthermore, I believe he knows what became of
Salt's camera."
"We can't prove anything."
"No, but if he would steal a camera he might also take to swindle in a
big way."
"There's nothing we can do unless we want to report him to the police."
"I have a little idea," Penny confessed. "As soon as we reach Riverview I
propose to check the Gables Hotel and learn if any Navy men have
registered there. By talking to them, we may get at the truth."
CHAPTER
12
_THE PROFESSOR'S HELPER_
Climbing the hill, Penny and Louise sought their parked car. The day had
been an interesting one, replete with surprises, and yet another surprise
was in store.
As they were ready to drive away, a man came slowly down the road, cut
across the Leonard yard and vanished down a path which led toward Blue
Hole Lake.
"See that fellow!" Penny exclaimed.
"Why, yes," agreed Louise, surprised by her chum's tense manner. "What
about him?"
"I'm sure he's Webb!"
"Webb?"
"The man who was pushed off the _Snark_ and who stole Ben's watch!"
"What would he be doing here?"
"That's exactly what I want to learn! I'd like to get Ben's watch back
for him!" Quickly Penny pushed open the car door and jumped out.
"What are you going to do, Penny?" Louise asked anxiously.
"Follow that man and learn for certain who he is!"
"But it's late," Louise protested. "Besides, he looks like an unpleasant
sort of individual."
Penny paid no heed, but started off in pursuit of the stranger. He had
already disappeared among the trees and was well on his way toward the
lake. Not wishing to be deserted, Louise quickly followed her chum.
"He's going to the professor's shack!" Penny observed a moment later.
"Perhaps he is another prospective buyer of the secret ray machine,"
Louise speculated. "Business seems to be rushing today."
Penny was not convinced. "I'm sure it is Webb," she declared. "If we can
force him to admit his identity, we may get Ben's watch back."
Not wishing to attract attention, the girls paused behind a large rock on
the hillside. From there they could watch the man without being seen.
He walked directly to the shack and tapped on the door. In a moment it
was opened by the professor, who looked anything but pleased to see the
new arrival. Closing the door behind him as if fearful that Mr. Johnson
would hear, he stepped out of doors.
The girls were too far away to overhear the conversation, but they saw
the two men talk earnestly together for a moment. Then the man they
believed to be Webb, walked on down the hill toward the lake's edge.
Professor Bettenridge reentered the shack.
"Now what?" inquired Louise, straightening up from a cramped position
behind the rock.
"Let's follow Webb. I have a hunch he may be the assistant Professor
Bettenridge told Mr. Johnson about."
"But the man wasn't expected here until tomorrow."
"Which may or may not have been true, Lou. There's more to this deal than
meets the eye. Let's see what we can learn."
Already the man had disappeared from view, so the girls walked swiftly
after him. Reaching the lake's edge, they saw him striding along the
sandy beach. Apparently he had no suspicion that he was being trailed,
for he did not glance backward.
Presently the girls noticed another shack which had been erected in a
clump of trees a few yards back from the beach. It was much smaller than
the other little house, a mere box-like structure with a flat, low roof.
Walking directly toward it, the man unfastened a padlock and went inside.
He closed the door behind him.
"Now what is he doing in there?" Penny fretted, as minutes elapsed and
the man remained inside the building. "Listen!"
Both girls could hear a peculiar grinding sound as if from machinery
turning inside the shack. The building was windowless, so it was
impossible to see what was going on.
"This is maddening!" Penny muttered with increasing impatience. "I
wonder--?" She broke off, and gazed thoughtfully at the flat roof of the
shack.
"Lou, how is that building lighted?" she demanded.
"From here it looks as if there might be double panels of glass in the
roof--a make-shift skylight."
"Lou, if we could get up there, we might be able to see what is going
on!"
"And get caught too!"
"Not if we're careful. We can climb that tree which brushes against it,
and perhaps see from there."
"What if we should be caught?"
"We'll decide that part when the time comes," Penny chuckled. "This
should be fun."
Circling the shack, they climbed into the low-hanging boughs of a giant,
scraggly maple tree. Inch by inch lest they make a sound which would
betray them, they climbed out on the heavy branches.
"Penny, we're taking an awful chance," her chum murmured nervously. "If
that man should look up--"
"He won't," Penny whispered confidently. "He's too busy with whatever
he's doing."
Lying flat on the branch, she could look directly through the glass. In
the room below she saw at least four large, oval-shaped mines without
detonators, made of steel.
Evidently the man had finished whatever work had brought him to the
shack, for he laid aside a tool, and then went out the door, carefully
locking it behind him again.
"We were too late," Penny whispered in disgust after the man was a safe
distance down the beach. "I wish I knew why he came here! One thing is
certain, he's mixed up with Professor Bettenridge on this secret ray
invention."
"Do you still believe the man is the one who was pushed off the _Snark_?"
"Yes, I do, and that part we can learn!" Realizing that much valuable
time was being wasted, Penny slid down from the tree, snagging a stocking
in the process. She helped Louise to reach the ground.
"What's the plan now?" her chum asked.
"Webb evidently is returning either to Professor Bettenridge's shack or
to town. Let's overtake him and I'll ask a few questions. After helping
fish him out of the river, I certainly have the right."
The man walked directly toward the shack which contained the secret ray
apparatus, but when he drew close, paused and whistled twice as if in
signal. No response came from within the cabin. Seemingly the man
expected none, for he turned and selected a trail which led toward the
road.
At that moment, the shack door opened. Professor Bettenridge, his wife,
and Mr. Johnson came out together, chatting pleasantly. Without paying
the slightest heed to Webb, they walked toward the farmhouse.
"What do you make of all that?" Louise asked in perplexity.
"I'm not sure," Penny admitted. "But I have a suspicion the professor
doesn't want Mr. Johnson to know Webb is here today. He might insist on a
test of the secret ray machine."
"Why all the mystery? Professor Bettenridge certainly can't expect to
sell the invention unless he can give a successful demonstration."
"I suspect that may be the point, Lou. Things aren't properly set for a
successful test today. Tomorrow night may be a different story."
"But if the machine is as good as the professor claims, it should explode
mines as well one time as another."
"It should," Penny agreed, "but whether or not it does, is a horse of a
different color. My guess is that the professor is a fraud, and that Webb
helps him in his scheme."
The man believed to be Webb walked so rapidly that the girls realized
they would lose sight of him unless they hastened on. Cutting across a
field, they were able to get ahead of him.
"Yes, it's Webb," Penny whispered as they waited for the man to approach.
"I'm certain."
Not until he was quite close did the man see the girls. Momentarily
startled at recognizing Penny, he ignored her, and would have passed
without a word.
"Webb!" she exclaimed. "Don't you remember me?"
The man halted, gazing at her with ice-cold, unfriendly eyes.
"Webb ain't my name," he said gruffly. "I never saw you before."
"You may not remember. I helped pull you out of the river after you had
fallen from the deck of the _Snark_."
"Are you coo-coo?" the man demanded. "I don't know what you're talking
about."
"I think you do," Penny said, losing patience. "You stayed with Ben
Bartell at his shack by the river. For saving your life, you repaid him
by stealing his watch!"
"Say, young lady, better be careful what you're sayin'!" the man snapped.
"No one can accuse me of being a thief!"
"I want Ben's watch."
The man started on down the road, but Louise and Penny stood their
ground, blocking his way.
"I want the watch!" Penny repeated firmly. "If you won't give it up, I'll
report you to the police."
"Oh, you will, eh?" The man whirled toward her, his face convulsed with
anger. "You'll get no watch from me, but here's something to teach you to
mind your own business!"
With a cruel laugh, he pushed her so hard that she sprawled backwards
into the ditch.
CHAPTER
13
_BEHIND OFFICE DOORS_
"Are you hurt, Penny?" Rushing to her chum, Louise helped her out of the
ditch where she had fallen.
"No!" Angrily, Penny brushed dust from her slacks. "But I'm as mad as a
hornet! If that man thinks he can push me around--"
Already Webb was well down the road, walking at a leisurely but arrogant
pace.
"Forget it, forget it," Louise soothed. "We'd get no place picking a
quarrel with a man like that. Anyway, you more or less accused him of
thievery."
"And a thief is exactly what he is!" Penny retorted. "There isn't a doubt
in my mind that he's the one who stole Ben's watch!"
"Then the thing for us to do is report him to the police. We'll get
nowhere talking to him ourselves."
"We'll stop in town--I think the place is called Newhall--and notify the
sheriff," Penny decided. "I certainly shall ask for the man's arrest."
Returning to the car, she turned it around, and they drove toward the
town, less than a half mile away. Soon they approached Webb who was
walking at the side of the pavement. Deliberately, he ignored them as
they passed.
At Newhall, the girls found the sheriff, and rather excitedly, poured out
their story. Although the official took a few notes, he seemed somewhat
bored by it all.
"You don't know the last name of the man," he recited. "You think he may
be employed by Professor Bettenridge, but you are not sure. You believe
he may be a thief, but you are not positive of that either."
"One thing I am sure of!" Penny exclaimed. "He pushed me into a ditch. So
at least he's guilty of that!"
"Are you willing to sign charges and appear against the man?"
"You mean I would have to come back here later on?"
"Certainly."
Penny's enthusiasm waned. "Maybe I couldn't get here," she said, thinking
of her newspaper work. "Oh, well, let it go."
"I'll keep an eye on the man anyhow," the sheriff promised. "Think you
have the situation sized up wrong though. We've already investigated
Professor Bettenridge. He has fine credentials, and his invention seems
to have merit."
"You believe it actually will explode mines?" Penny asked incredulously.
"I saw it done. Fact is, Professor Bettenridge invited me to the first
demonstration he gave at the lake."
"What happened?" Louise questioned eagerly.
"A mine was dumped into the lake. Then the professor exploded it with his
machine. I didn't understand how it was done, but I saw the flames shoot
up when it went off. It was the real thing."
Decidedly let-down, Penny and Louise took leave of the sheriff and drove
to Riverview. But as they passed through the downtown section, Penny
suddenly stopped in front of the Gables Hotel.
"I suppose I'm silly," she acknowledged, "but I still doubt the honesty
of Professor Bettenridge. Just for the fun of it, I intend to run in here
and learn if those Navy officials are registered."
Leaving her chum in the car, Penny was gone nearly fifteen minutes. When
she returned, her face had taken on animation, so Louise knew she had
interesting news.
"Just as I thought!" Penny exclaimed, sliding behind the steering wheel.
"Not a Navy officer registered in the hotel, and none expected! So how
could Professor Bettenridge have an appointment here tonight? He merely
told Mr. Johnson that to impress him."
"It does look that way. Still, it's possible the officers might have
registered at another hotel."
"Possible but hardly probable. Lou, I believe Professor Bettenridge is a
crook. I wish we could witness that demonstration of his tomorrow night!"
"I'll never be able to go," Louise said regretfully. "I'm playing in a
recital--worse luck."
"I might get Salt to ride over with me," Penny thought aloud. "Well,
we'll see."
The following morning she took time from her work to seek the
photographer. He was in the darkroom, but the door was open. As she
stepped inside, he whirled around, his face startled.
"Oh, it's you!" he chuckled in relief.
"Why, Salt!" Penny teased. "You acted as if you thought I might be a
holdup man. Why so jumpy?"
"Was I?" the photographer asked, his tone queer.
"You certainly were. Anything wrong?"
"This place was entered again last night," Salt said reluctantly. "I
can't figure it out."
"Anything taken?"
"Not a thing so far as I can discover. That's the strange part of it. But
the films were disturbed, as if someone had searched through them."
"How did the person get in?"
"Apparently through the skylight. It was ordered locked, but it got hot
in here yesterday. One of the boys opened it up, and then forgot to snap
the lock."
"Did you search the roof?"
"Yes, we found footprints leading to a hall window of the next building.
That was as far as they could be traced."
"Do you suppose it could be anyone from the adjoining building, Salt?"
"Not necessarily. The person may have entered it from the street. We know
he stepped out onto the roof from the hall window rather than from one of
the office rooms."
Before returning to the newsroom, Penny told Salt about yesterday's
adventure in the country.
"I sure would like a chance to go there with you tonight," he declared
promptly. "Maybe we can get my camera back, even if those birds deny
having seen it."
The morning passed slowly, and Penny found it difficult to keep her mind
on her work. Elda, however, no longer bothered her. With more important
problems to worry about, Penny was not the least bit wounded by the
little slurring remarks the girl made.
At noon she lunched on a sandwich and chocolate at a corner drugstore
close to the _Star_ building. With half an hour to spend, she suddenly
was struck by an idea.
"Why don't I talk to Jason Cordell, the _Mirror_ editor, about Ben?" she
thought. "Perhaps their difficulties are based on misunderstanding."
Crossing the street to the _Mirror_ building, she found Mr. Cordell's
office on the third floor. There, a secretary asked her to wait a few
minutes.
Apparently an argument was in progress within the inner room, for she
heard angry voices. Then a door slammed. Presently, Penny was told that
she might go in.
Mr. Cordell sat at his desk, a scowl on his face. He was busy writing and
barely glanced up as she entered. Finally he looked straight at her,
demanding: "Well?" in a tone which sapped Penny's courage.
She wished she might retreat, but it now was too late.
"I--I am Miss Parker," she stammered. "My father is publisher of the
_Star_."
"Oh, yes, yes indeed," the editor now became more friendly, and Penny
took heart.
"I came to talk to you about one of your former employes--Ben Bartell."
A mask-like expression came over Mr. Cordell's face. He waited for Penny
to continue.
"You discharged Ben, I believe. He's had a very hard time ever since."
"Indeed? Is he a friend of yours?"
"In a way. I feel sorry for him and I want to find newspaper work for
him."
"Then why doesn't your father give him a job on the _Star_?"
Penny was prepared for the question. "I think my father would if he were
assured that Ben had done nothing so very dishonorable. That's why I came
to you. Why was he discharged?"
"Unfortunately, I can't reply to that question. Nor can I assure you that
Ben was discharged on a trivial offense. The opposite is true."
"But what did he do?"
Mr. Cordell arose. "I am sorry, I can't discuss it, Miss Parker. If you
will excuse me for saying so, I think the matter really is not your
concern. My advice would be to leave Ben Bartell entirely alone. He sent
you here, I suppose?"
"Indeed, he didn't."
"Where is Ben now?"
"Living in a shack on the waterfront. Because you blacklisted him, he has
been unable to get a newspaper job anywhere."
Mr. Cordell's smile was hard and triumphant. Penny knew then that she had
made a grave error in thinking she might appeal to the man's sympathies.
Obviously, he was highly pleased to learn of Ben's difficulties.
"I am sorry I can't help you," the editor said coldly. "Do drop in again
sometime."
He opened the door for her, a pointed hint that she was to go.
As she stepped out into the outer waiting room, a man who evidently
expected to see the editor, arose. He had entered the outer office only a
few minutes before, and this was the first time that Penny had seen him.
Upon recognizing him, she stopped short, for it was Webb.
"You can go in now, Mr. Nelson," the secretary told Webb.
Bestowing a sneering smile upon her, he entered the private office.
Then the door closed.
CHAPTER
14
_A NOTE FROM BEN_
After Webb had gone into Mr. Cordell's office, Penny debated her next
action. Could Webb and Cordell be friends? Or was this merely a business
call? In any case, the two men were obviously of such different type and
personality that she failed to understand what basis there might be for a
friendship.
Deciding she could accomplish nothing by waiting and questioning Mr.
Cordell, she left the office. As she passed down the corridor, an open
window at its far end, drew her attention.