as she drove on. "For all I know, she and the lighthouse keeper may be
old friends. They did greet each other as if they were acquainted."
At the airport Penny parked on the crowded lot. She dropped into the
lunch room for a sandwich and then wandered out on the cement runway. The
noon passenger plane presently was announced through the loudspeaker
system. A moment later Penny glimpsed the big silver twin-motor transport
gliding down over the tree tops. As it taxied up to unload passengers,
she held her breath. Knowing that there had been several last-minute
cancellation of tickets, she was afraid that Louise might not be aboard.
But as the door of the big transport swung back, her chum was the second
passenger to alight. Fresh and trim in a yellow wool suit, she flung
herself into Penny's arms.
"Have a nice trip, Lou?"
"Oh, heavenly! Only it didn't last long enough. We were here almost
before I knew we'd started. I nearly lost my ticket to an Army Major
too!"
"I was afraid you might not get here," Penny laughed, picking up Louise's
light over-night case. "What happened to the Major?"
"Oh, at the last minute he changed his mind, so the company decided I
could have my ticket back. And here I am! How's camping?"
"Not much fun so far," Penny confessed truthfully. "But I can feel things
starting to pick up."
"We'll have a wonderful time together."
"You just bet we will!" Penny declared with emphasis. "Had anything to
eat?"
"Oh, yes, lunch was served on the plane."
"Then we may as well start for camp. I have oodles to tell you, Lou."
Midway to the parking lot, Louise paused, calling attention to a Flying
Fortress that was coming in against the wind.
"Let's watch it land," she pleaded. "Did you ever see such a beautiful
ship?"
The huge Fortress came in fast for a perfect landing. Crew members began
to tumble out through the door. One of the young men in captain's uniform
evidently was a passenger for he carried a suitcase.
"Lou!" Penny grasped her chum's arm. "That flier looks like Jerry
Livingston!"
"Oh, it couldn't be!"
"All the same, I think it is!"
Penny was so excited that she barely could control her voice. Jerry
Livingston was one of her very best friends, a former reporter on the
_Riverview Star_. In the days before he had joined the Army Air Force,
she and Jerry had shared many an exciting adventure. However, since he
had gone away there had been only a few letters and those brief
communications had contained no real news.
"It _is_ Jerry!" Penny cried an instant later. "Oh, Lou, this must have
been the surprise that Dad knew about! How could he keep it from me?"
Breaking away from her chum, Penny darted across the runway. As she
called Jerry's name, the young man turned toward her. His handsome,
wind-tanned face became a brilliant smile. A dozen long strides carried
him to her side.
"Penny!" he cried. He didn't hesitate. He just swept her into his arms
and kissed her.
"Sorry, Penny," Jerry apologized, his eyes twinkling. "Guess I shouldn't
have done that. But when you've not seen your one and only girl for going
on a year--"
"Your which?" Penny stammered, too confused to blush.
"You are my one and only, you know," Jerry grinned. "Always were for that
matter. Even in the days when we tracked down news stories together."
Louise came hurrying up. Jerry turned to greet her and the conversation
became less personal. But from the way Louise smiled, Penny knew she had
seen the kiss and would demand lengthy explanations later on.
"Jerry!" she cried, noticing the decorations on his trim uniform.
"They've given you the Distinguished Flying Cross! And the Purple Heart!
You didn't write a word about that."
"Nothing to write."
Indignantly, the girls pried the story from Jerry. He had piloted a
Flying Fortress in a highly successful raid over the Romanian oil fields.
To reach its target, the Fortress had flown through flaming refineries,
so low to the ground that fire actually had leaped up through the bomb
bay of the plane. Swarms of enemy fighter ships had been fought off.
Jerry's plane was one of the few to get back to its base safely.
"I was luckier than some of the other fellows," Jerry said modestly.
"That was all. Now they've sent me home to rest up for a while."
"Oh, that's marvelous!" Penny said, guiding him toward the waiting car.
"You can spend all of your spare time with us!"
Jerry grinned down at her. "I'd like nothing better. But I'm not exactly
on furlough."
"I thought you just said--"
"I'm doing a special mission here at Sunset Beach for the Army."
"Anything you dare tell about?"
Jerry helped the girls into the car, stowed the suitcases away, and then
slid in beside Penny.
"I can't tell you very much," he replied quietly. "But I can give you a
general idea of why I'm here. There's a certain outlaw radio station that
has been causing the government considerable annoyance. I've been sent
here to try to trace its location."
"And that's why Dad's here too!" Penny cried. "So you two schemers
intended to join forces all along! A pity no one could let me know!"
"I didn't want your father to tell you, because until the last minute I
wasn't sure I was coming," Jerry explained. "The radio station assignment
is only part of the reason why I'm here."
"What's the other?" Penny asked as she started the car.
"I'm on the lookout for an escaped German flier. The fellow escaped from
a Canadian prison camp and was traced to this locality."
"And you're supposed to be taking a rest from flying!"
"This assignment will be a vacation."
"I'd call it anything but one," Penny said indignantly. Her face suddenly
became grave. "Jerry!"
"Yes?"
"What does that escaped prisoner look like?"
"Oh, I can't describe him. I have a photograph in my brief case. Why do
you ask?"
"Maybe I've seen him."
"Where?" Jerry could not hide a smile.
"Why at our camp in the woods!" Excitedly Penny told of the bearded
stranger who had robbed the Parker stores of food and clothing. Her
description of the man was so vague that Jerry could make little of it.
"I'm afraid your thief isn't the man we're after," he said kindly. "After
I get to a hotel and open my luggage, I'll show you his picture."
"And will you let me help you trail him?"
"Oh, sure," Jerry answered, only half meaning it. "By the way, drive me
to the Crystal Inn. I have a reservation there."
Penny's face fell.
"Anything wrong with the place?" Jerry inquired, observing her change of
expression.
Penny shook her head. "The place is all right. It's the people who stay
there. Jerry--"
"Yes?"
"Are you susceptible to brunettes?"
"Never noticed it."
"You'll likely meet a Mrs. Deline at the hotel," Penny warned. "Don't
have a thing to do with her."
"Why should I?" Jerry was amused.
"She's already made a jelly fish of Dad," Penny went on. "Jerry, stop
grinning! This is serious."
"Sorry, I didn't know I was smiling."
"I need your help, Jerry. The truth is, I'm terribly worried about Dad."
"If I know your father, there's no need to worry about him."
"But you don't understand this Mrs. Deline," Penny said desperately.
"She's a very clever, scheming woman. Jerry, will you promise to help me
try to save Dad from her clutches?"
Jerry managed to keep his face straight. "I'll do my best," he promised.
Penny drew a deep sigh. "Oh, I'm so glad you're here," she murmured
gratefully. "With you fighting on my side, the war's as good as won!"
CHAPTER
10
_HELP FROM MR. EMORY_
With Jerry at Sunset Beach, the vacation already promised to take on a
rosy hue. Penny was so thrilled to be with her friends again that she
paid scant heed to her driving. Several times, enroute to the Crystal
Inn, Louise had to warn her to steer more carefully.
"Oh, Jerry, now that you're here the fun will start!" Penny declared
happily. "You've no idea how dull things have been without you."
"And that goes double," Jerry said with emphasis. "How's your father?"
"Oh, fine!" Penny laughed. "Camping has made him cross though. By the
way, did he know you were coming?"
"Yes, I sent him a wire."
"I thought so! Dad's been keeping it from me. Why all the secrecy, I
wonder?"
"Well, my trip here isn't exactly a pleasure jaunt. And if I have luck,
I'll be gone again in a few days."
"I certainly hope you have no luck then," Penny said with a laugh.
The car drew up at the Crystal Inn and Jerry unloaded his suitcase. He
was taller, Penny thought, or at least more filled out. The trim uniform
set off his broad shoulders. As he bent to pick up his luggage, a group
of women on the hotel veranda turned to stare at him.
"I'll check in and clean up a bit," Jerry said. "Then where can I meet
you girls?"
"Oh, we'll be somewhere on the beach," Penny replied carelessly. "Do
hurry, Jerry. We have a million things to talk over."
The girls parked the car not far from the hotel. As they walked along,
scuffing their shoes in the loose sand, they saw Mrs. Deline coming
toward them from the direction of Crag Point.
"She's evidently been at the lighthouse all this time!" Penny commented
in an undertone. "Now how did she get in there for a visit when I
couldn't?"
Mrs. Deline saw that she would meet the girls. Frowning, she glanced
quickly toward the boardwalk as if seeking an avenue of escape. However,
she could not avoid meeting them without appearing to do so deliberately.
"How do you do," she greeted Penny coldly.
Penny paused to introduce Louise. Mrs. Deline acknowledged the girl with
an indifferent nod. Somewhat confused, Louise nervously twisted a silver
ring she wore. It slipped from her finger and fell into the loose sand.
"Oh, how awkward of me!" she exclaimed, and stooped to retrieve it.
The ring buried itself deeper in the sand.
"You'll lose it entirely if you're not careful!" Penny warned. "Here, let
me help you."
Getting down on their knees, the girls sifted the sand with their hands.
Mrs. Deline seemed amused by their difficulties and did not offer to
help.
"Well, I must be getting on to the hotel," she said casually. "I took a
long walk this afternoon and I'm tired."
"To the lighthouse?" Penny commented, before she stopped to think.
Mrs. Deline glanced at her sharply. "No, not to the lighthouse," she
replied in a tone meant to put the girl in her place. "I shouldn't think
of walking that far."
"But I thought I saw you there."
"You saw me?" Mrs. Deline laughed. "Well, my dear, you certainly were
mistaken. I walked to the 12th Street bridge. No farther."
Penny started to reply, then thought better of it. There was no point in
arguing with Mrs. Deline. However, she was certain she had seen the widow
at the lighthouse. Why the woman should deny it she could not imagine.
After Mrs. Deline had gone, Penny and Louise searched in vain for the
missing ring. They knew it could not be many inches away, yet it kept
eluding them.
"Oh, I can't afford to lose the ring!" Louise wailed.
"How valuable is it?"
"It's not worth much from a money standpoint. I drew it as a prize in a
piece of wedding cake and I've always kept it as a good luck piece."
"We'll find it," Penny said confidently. "That is, if the tide doesn't
catch us first."
Just as she spoke, a wave came rippling up the beach. It broke only a few
feet away, showering the girls with spray and wetting their shoes.
"If the tide flows over this spot, I never will find the ring," Louise
cried in vexation. "Such wretched luck!"
"Having trouble?" inquired a deep masculine voice.
Penny and Louise raised their heads. Unnoticed by them, a stranger had
approached. The man wore a wet bathing suit plastered with sand. He had
on glasses and a moment elapsed before Penny recognized him as the same
fisherman who had warned her about the tide at Crag Point.
"I'm George Emory," he introduced himself. "Have you lost something?"
"My ring," Louise explained.
The man helped the girls search for the missing trinket. By now waves
were creeping higher and higher on the beach. A particularly big one sent
Penny and Louise scurrying for safety.
"It's no use looking any longer for the ring," Louise gave up. "Perhaps I
can find it after the tide turns."
"By then it will be washed away," replied Mr. Emory. "Ah! What's this?"
He stooped to pick a shiny object from the sand.
"It's my ring!" Louise cried in delight. "Oh, thank you for finding it!"
The three retreated to higher ground. As Penny and Louise were about to
start for the hotel, Mr. Emory suggested that they might like to share a
picnic lunch with him. Neither of the girls was hungry, but to offend the
man after he had found Louise's ring was unthinkable. Accordingly, they
accompanied him to one of the gaily painted wooden umbrellas along the
beach. Beneath its shade Mr. Emory spread a paper tablecloth and produced
ample supplies of sandwiches, fruit and lemonade.
"Were you expecting to eat all this food yourself?" Penny asked in
amazement.
"No, I was hoping to find a companion who would share it," replied Mr.
Emory. "The truth is, I'm a pretty lonely old fellow."
Penny and Louise stole a quick look at the stranger. By no stretch of the
imagination could they call him old. Judging from appearances, he was not
yet forty years old.
"My wife died a few years ago," Mr. Emory explained sadly. "Since then
I've been like a ship without a rudder. I have plenty of money, but I
don't get much enjoyment out of life. I go wherever it suits my fancy,
stay until I weary of it, then move on."
"Oh, I see," Penny murmured with a show of sympathy.
She felt ashamed of herself that the story did not move her more deeply.
Mr. Emory evidently was a lonely fellow, deserving of companionship. Yet
for some reason, he failed to interest her.
"Have you been at Sunset Beach long?" she inquired politely.
"Oh, about a month. I know every nook and cranny along the shore."
"You do?" Penny asked, and her interest revived. "Are there many caves
near Sunset Beach?"
"Plenty of them, though none very close. There are several near the
lighthouse, back among the rocks. Crystal Cave probably is the most
interesting. Then there are half a dozen scattered on up the shore.
Interested in caves?"
"Oh, in a general way," Penny replied carelessly.
"Penny is interested in anything that suggests mystery," Louise
volunteered with a grin.
"Mystery?"
"Lou's joking," Penny said quickly. She gave her chum a hard look which
was not lost upon Mr. Emory.
"Why, Penny!" Louise refused to be silenced. "Only a few minutes ago you
were telling me about a radio broadcast said to come from a cave!"
"That was just my idea," Penny said, confused. She jumped hastily to her
feet. "We really should be going, Lou."
"Oh, don't hurry away." Mr. Emory offered Louise another sandwich.
"Speaking of mysterious radio stations, I've heard of one that is said to
be located in a cave somewhere along these shores. Fact is, I've searched
for it."
"You have?" Penny asked, sinking back into the sand. "Any luck?"
"None. But I did manage to kill quite a few afternoons. I take it that
your father came to Sunset Beach to help the authorities search for the
station. Right?"
"Why, whatever made you think that?" Penny asked, instantly on guard. "Do
you know my father?"
"I regret I haven't the honor. I chanced to overhear a conversation at
the hotel."
"Oh," Penny murmured. She was certain that the information could have
leaked out in only one way. Her father had told Mrs. Deline, who in turn
had spread the news about the hotel.
"I trust I'm not inquiring into secrets," Mr. Emory went on cheerfully.
"Fact of the matter is, I might be able to help your father."
"I'm sure Dad will want to talk with you."
"I'll look forward to meeting your father. Think you can arrange it?"
"Why, I suppose so," Penny said, though with no great enthusiasm. Again
she experienced a queer, uneasy feeling. She did not entirely trust Mr.
Emory.
The man smiled and seemed to relax. As the girls arose to leave he tried
once more to detain them.
"See that old fellow down the beach?" he inquired, pointing to an aged
man who was picking up objects from the sand with a sharp-pointed stick.
"Yes, what about him?" Penny asked, turning to stare. "Just an ordinary
beachcomber, isn't he?"
"I'd not call Old Jake Skagway ordinary," Mr. Emory corrected. "If you're
really interested in solving the radio station mystery, I'd advise you to
keep watch of that rascal."
"But why him?" Penny asked.
"I can't explain," Mr. Emory said with finality. "It's just a tip. Take
it or leave it."
Yawning, he stretched himself full length on the sand and turned his back
to the girls.
CHAPTER
11
_A MAN OF MYSTERY_
The following day when Penny told her father of Mr. Emory's desire to
meet him, Mr. Parker showed little interest.
"I've no time to waste getting acquainted with strangers," he said. "Why
is the man so eager to know me?"
"He thinks he may be able to help you locate that hidden radio station."
Mr. Parker's annoyance visibly increased. "Penny," he said severely,
"you've evidently been talking out of turn."
"I didn't mean to let him know why you're at Sunset Beach, Dad. It sort
of slipped out."
Louise, who was washing the breakfast dishes, spoke quickly.
"It was my fault," she insisted. "Penny tried to stop me, but I gave the
information before I thought."
"Well, it doesn't matter," Mr. Parker assured her kindly. "I came here
mostly for a vacation. If I should be lucky enough to dig up a few facts
about the radio station, well and good. If not, no harm will have been
done."
"You sent for Jerry to help you?" Penny inquired curiously.
Mr. Parker shook his head. "No, I knew he was coming, but I didn't send
for him. If I had, I'm afraid the Army wouldn't have been obliging enough
to have filled my order."
Penny helped Louise put away the camp dishes and pick up loose papers. It
was only eight-thirty but already most of the work had been done. With
Louise to help, camping no longer was a burden. Even Mr. Parker seemed to
have moments of enjoying the outdoor life.
"Anyone riding to Sunset Beach with me?" he inquired cheerfully. "I have
a date with Jerry this morning."
Penny and Louise both wanted to go. They washed at the brook, changed
into becoming "town" dresses, and soon were ready.
At the Crystal Inn, Jerry was not to be found. A clerk explained that the
young man had left the hotel a half hour earlier but was expected to
return soon.
"He probably went somewhere for breakfast or a walk," Mr. Parker
remarked, sinking into a comfortable chair. "I'll wait for him."
Penny and Louise loitered in the lobby. Presently Mrs. Deline came from
the dining room and Mr. Parker politely arose to greet her. The widow
took a chair beside him and they began to chat in an animated way.
"Let's get away from here!" Penny muttered to Louise. "I don't like the
scenery."
The girls went outside into the warm sunshine. Because the Parker
automobile was at the curb they climbed into it and sat watching the sea.
"Why do you dislike Mrs. Deline so intensely?" Louise presently asked her
chum.
"Because she's aiming to be my stepmother, that's why!"
"Oh, Penny!" Louise laughed outright. "I'm sure you have a mistaken idea
about the entire situation. Your father isn't serious in liking her."
"Then he's certainly developed remarkable talents for acting," Penny
retorted with a sniff. "I wish we'd never come to Sunset Beach."
"You'd be willing to forego the mystery?"
"Who cares about a radio station?" Penny asked crossly. "Dad won't tell
me anything about the case, and probably Jerry won't either. It seems to
be one of those affairs for the experts only."
"If I know you, Penny, you'll manage to get in on the affair," Louise
said, her eyes twinkling.
Penny turned on the ignition and started the car. "I'm just not
interested," she announced flatly. "Mrs. Deline has taken all the fun out
of me. Want to go for a ride?"
"Where?"
"Oh, just up the beach."
"Isn't it dangerous to drive on the sand?"
"Everyone does it at low tide. The sand is hard and firm along this
stretch of beach."
Louise offered no further objection, so Penny drove slowly away from the
hotel. The car rode on silken tires, making only a soft swishing sound as
it rolled smoothly over the sand.
"Oh, this is fun!" Louise cried in delight.
"We might drive to the lighthouse," Penny proposed, steering to avoid two
bathers who crossed in front of the car.
Following the curve of the beach, the girls kept on until the sand became
so soft that they were afraid to drive farther. The lighthouse was close
by. Penny, curious to learn what sort of reception the keeper would
accord her on the second visit, proposed to Louise that they call there.
"If he let Mrs. Deline visit the tower why can't we?" she argued. "Come
along, let's try to get in!"
Abandoning the car on the beach, they waded through the dunes, climbed a
fence, and ultimately reached the base of the tower. No one seemed to be
in evidence. Penny started boldly up the iron steps. However, before she
had gone very far, the keeper, Jim McCoy, came out on the platform.
"Didn't I tell you no visitors are allowed here?" he called down angrily.
"I saw a lady come here yesterday!" Penny returned.
"You must have dreamed it," retorted the lighthouse keeper. "No visitors
allowed. Don't make me tell you again!"
Penny retreated, decidedly crushed.
"You asked for it, kitten," Louise teased as they walked toward the car.
"I don't blame the keeper for not wanting visitors."
"Mrs. Deline was there," Penny insisted stubbornly. "Why should he deny
it?"
Half way to the car, the girls paused to pick up a few large shells lying
in the deep sand. The task became an absorbing one. Before they realized
it, the sun was high overhead and their faces were being burned by the
direct rays.
"Let's go," Louise urged. "The tide turned a long while ago. We should be
returning to the hotel."
"Okay," Penny agreed. She stooped to pick up another shell. As she
straightened, she observed an old man in ragged clothing coming down the
beach.
"Lou," she said in a low tone, "there's that same man Mr. Emory was
telling us about!"
"The beachcomber?" Louise turned to stare.
"Yes, and he's coming this way. Perhaps it might be worth while to watch
him."
"He's not seen us yet."
Penny glanced about for a hiding place. The only one that offered was a
huge sand dune. Pulling Louise along with her, she crouched down out of
sight.
In a moment the old beachcomber came along. He was whistling and seemed
to have not a care in the world. His face, viewed at close range, was
weather-beaten, his hair uncombed, and his clothing had not been washed
in many a day.
"What's so mysterious about him?" Louise whispered. "Why did Mr. Emory
say he'd bear watching?"
"Maybe he's not really a beachcomber," Penny returned, low. "He may be an
Enemy Agent in disguise."
"You have Enemy Agents on the brain!" Louise chuckled. "Likewise,
man-snatching widows."
The beachcomber passed within a few feet of the girls. He crossed the
courtyard of the lighthouse and was seen to take a trail which led amid
the rocks.
"Lou, perhaps he's going to one of the caves!" Penny cried. "You know Mr.
Emory said this locality is honeycombed with them."
"Let him go," Louise answered indifferently. "It's lunch time and I'm
hungry."
"Your appetite will have to wait. I'm going to follow that man!"
"Oh, Penny."
"But this may be important."
"And it may be just another of your so-called bright ideas," Louise
retorted. "Well, lead on, and let's get it over with."
The beachcomber already had disappeared amid the mass of piled-up rock
farther back from shore. Penny had marked the locality well with her eye.
She was able to lead Louise to the place where he had vanished.
"See, there's a well-worn trail," she indicated triumphantly. "He must
have taken it."
They followed the path, and a moment later caught a fleeting glimpse of
the beachcomber. At times the trail was so narrow that the girls barely
could squeeze between the rocks. Wind whistled around the cliffs,
whipping hair and blowing skirts.
Unexpectedly, Penny, who was in the lead, came to the low entranceway of
a cave.
"He must have gone in there!" she declared excitedly. "Listen!"
From deep within the cave the girls could hear a strange sound.
"Rushing water!" Louise said in awe. "The Cave must have a waterfall or
an underground river."
"We'll soon know." Penny started into the cave only to have Louise clutch
at her hand.
"Don't be silly, Penny. We have no flashlight."
"But we can't let that beachcomber get away. We want to learn what he
does."