Then he raised his hand in friendly salute and turned toward
the house.
"Poor Mr. Judson," she thought. "So discouraged and yet so gallant! How
can Pauletta be completely blind to his suffering? Doesn't she realize?"
Penny did not regret having kept the young woman's secret, for she felt
that the revelation of their meeting would only add to Mr. Judson's
troubles. Pauletta represented his entire life, and if it developed that
she had acted unbecomingly, the shock might be a severe one.
"I can't believe that Pauletta would steal," she told herself. "She must
have had another reason for wearing the disguise."
Penny was satisfied that if Mr. Judson had not interrupted, the young
woman would have explained her puzzling actions. Therefore, she was
willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. She made up her mind that
she would return as soon as she could to talk privately with Pauletta.
The Parker house was dark and deserted when Penny let herself in with a
key. Her father had not expected her home so early and, disliking an
empty house, had remained away. There was no telling where he had gone.
After preparing a belated dinner for herself, Penny spent an hour with
her studies. However, her mind kept reverting to the events of the day. A
great deal had happened. Her meeting with Peter Fenestra had been
interesting. Anchor Joe's mishap worried her, and she remained disturbed
by the threatening message left on her desk.
"Could it have been written by a prowler in the building?" she mused.
"Ever since we started the paper I've felt that someone was hiding there.
It may be a scheme to get me away."
Before dropping off to sleep Penny made up her mind that the following
night she would set a trap for the intruder. Taking Louise into her
confidence, she made careful plans. Preparing a tasty lunch, the girls
wrapped and laid it conspicuously on the counter of the downstairs
advertising room.
"Now the stage is set," declared Penny. "Louise, you go upstairs to my
office and tap on the typewriter. I'll hide here and see what happens."
After Louise had gone, Penny secreted herself in a storage closet not far
from the counter. By leaving the door open she could see fairly well in
the dark room for street lights cast a reflection through the plate glass
windows.
The minutes stretched into a half hour. Louise's typewriting, at first
very energetic, began to slacken in speed. Penny moved restlessly in the
cramped quarters. She had not imagined that waiting could be so tedious.
An hour elapsed. Far down the street a clock struck ten times.
With a weary sigh Penny arose from the floor. Inactivity bored her, and
she no longer could sit quietly and wait.
As she started from her hiding place, intending to call Louise, a door
opened at the west end of the room. Instantly Penny froze against the
wall, waiting.
A flashlight beam played across the floor, missing her by a scant two
feet.
Penny, her heart beating at a furious rate, remained motionless. She
could see the squat, shadowy figure of a man moving toward her. Boards
squeaked beneath his weight.
Midway across the room, the man paused, evidently listening to the steady
clatter of Louise's typewriter. Satisfied, he went to the window where he
stood for several minutes watching street traffic.
As he turned again, the beam of his flashlight swept across the front
counter, focusing upon the package of food. The man gave a low
exclamation of pleasure. With the swiftness of a cat he darted to it and
tore off the paper wrapping.
Penny waited until he was eating greedily. Then stealing along the wall,
she groped for the electric light switch. As she pressed it, the room was
brilliantly illuminated. At the same instant, the girl gave a shrill
whistle, a signal to Louise that the culprit had been trapped.
The man at the counter whirled around, facing Penny with startled dismay.
He was a gaunt, unshaven fellow in his late fifties with shaggy hair, and
soiled, unpressed clothing.
Before he could retreat, Louise came down the stairway, blocking the
exit.
"What are you doing here?" Penny questioned him. "Why did you steal my
lunch?"
The man's lips moved nervously but no sound issued from them.
"Shall I call the police?" prodded Penny. She gave him a severe glance.
"No, don't do that," the man pleaded, finding his voice. "Don't call the
police. I'll go. I won't bother you any more."
"Why have you been hiding in the building?"
"Because I have no other place to sleep, Miss. The cops chase you off the
park benches."
Penny was surprised by the man's speech which belied his disreputable
garments. His tone was well modulated, his manner respectful.
"You've been living in this building a long while?" she asked curiously.
"Maybe six months. I sleep down in the furnace room. I didn't do any
harm."
"You're hungry, aren't you?" Penny inquired, less severely.
"Yes, I am, Miss. Lately I haven't been eating any too often."
"You may finish the lunch," said Penny. "And there's a thermos bottle of
coffee under the counter."
"Thank you, Miss, thank you. I surely am obliged."
With a hand which trembled, the man poured himself a cup of the steaming
beverage.
"You haven't told me your name," said Penny after a moment.
"Folks just call me Horney. Old Horney."
"What is your real name?"
"Mark Horning," the man answered reluctantly.
"I'm curious to learn how you've been getting in and out of the
building."
"With a key." Old Horney devoured the last bite of sandwich, and poured
himself a second cup of coffee.
"A skeleton key, you mean?" Penny asked in surprise.
"No, Miss. I have my own key. In the old days I used to work here."
"You're a former Press employee?"
"Sure, I know it's hard to believe," Old Horney replied, "but when a
fellow's out of a job and money, it doesn't take long to go to seed. I
lost my place when Judson closed down."
"And you've been unable to find other work?"
"In the past nine months I've worked exactly six days. No one hires an
old fellow any more. If I could have kept on with Judson three more years
I'd have been due for my pension."
"What work did you do on the paper?" asked Penny with growing interest.
"I was a pressman."
Penny shot Louise a glance which was almost triumphant. Her voice when
she spoke held an undertone of excitement.
"Horney," she said, "it's barely possible I may be able to find some sort
of work for you later on. Do you mind writing your name on this paper?"
The old man took the sheet she handed him, without hesitation scrawling
his name, Mark Horning.
Penny studied the writing a moment. To her relief it bore not the
slightest resemblance to the warning message left on her desk the
previous night.
"Horney," she questioned, "did you ever try to frighten me away from this
building?"
"Oh, no, Miss," he replied. "Once I tiptoed up to your office. When I saw
you were working there, I slipped down to the basement again."
"Did you ever place a note on my desk?"
"I never did."
Penny was satisfied that Horney had told the truth. Yet if he were not
the culprit she was unable to guess who had warned her to abandon the
plant.
"Horney, I've decided that we need a watchman around this place," she
said abruptly. "If you want the job, it's yours."
"You're not turning me out?"
"No, you may stay. I can't promise much of a salary, but at least you'll
have a place to sleep and enough food."
"You're mighty kind," Horney mumbled gratefully. "Mighty kind." He
hesitated and then added: "I promise you won't be sorry you did it, Miss.
Maybe you'll find I can be of some real use around this plant. I'm at
your service and what's more, I'm for you one hundred per cent."
the house.
"Poor Mr. Judson," she thought. "So discouraged and yet so gallant! How
can Pauletta be completely blind to his suffering? Doesn't she realize?"
Penny did not regret having kept the young woman's secret, for she felt
that the revelation of their meeting would only add to Mr. Judson's
troubles. Pauletta represented his entire life, and if it developed that
she had acted unbecomingly, the shock might be a severe one.
"I can't believe that Pauletta would steal," she told herself. "She must
have had another reason for wearing the disguise."
Penny was satisfied that if Mr. Judson had not interrupted, the young
woman would have explained her puzzling actions. Therefore, she was
willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. She made up her mind that
she would return as soon as she could to talk privately with Pauletta.
The Parker house was dark and deserted when Penny let herself in with a
key. Her father had not expected her home so early and, disliking an
empty house, had remained away. There was no telling where he had gone.
After preparing a belated dinner for herself, Penny spent an hour with
her studies. However, her mind kept reverting to the events of the day. A
great deal had happened. Her meeting with Peter Fenestra had been
interesting. Anchor Joe's mishap worried her, and she remained disturbed
by the threatening message left on her desk.
"Could it have been written by a prowler in the building?" she mused.
"Ever since we started the paper I've felt that someone was hiding there.
It may be a scheme to get me away."
Before dropping off to sleep Penny made up her mind that the following
night she would set a trap for the intruder. Taking Louise into her
confidence, she made careful plans. Preparing a tasty lunch, the girls
wrapped and laid it conspicuously on the counter of the downstairs
advertising room.
"Now the stage is set," declared Penny. "Louise, you go upstairs to my
office and tap on the typewriter. I'll hide here and see what happens."
After Louise had gone, Penny secreted herself in a storage closet not far
from the counter. By leaving the door open she could see fairly well in
the dark room for street lights cast a reflection through the plate glass
windows.
The minutes stretched into a half hour. Louise's typewriting, at first
very energetic, began to slacken in speed. Penny moved restlessly in the
cramped quarters. She had not imagined that waiting could be so tedious.
An hour elapsed. Far down the street a clock struck ten times.
With a weary sigh Penny arose from the floor. Inactivity bored her, and
she no longer could sit quietly and wait.
As she started from her hiding place, intending to call Louise, a door
opened at the west end of the room. Instantly Penny froze against the
wall, waiting.
A flashlight beam played across the floor, missing her by a scant two
feet.
Penny, her heart beating at a furious rate, remained motionless. She
could see the squat, shadowy figure of a man moving toward her. Boards
squeaked beneath his weight.
Midway across the room, the man paused, evidently listening to the steady
clatter of Louise's typewriter. Satisfied, he went to the window where he
stood for several minutes watching street traffic.
As he turned again, the beam of his flashlight swept across the front
counter, focusing upon the package of food. The man gave a low
exclamation of pleasure. With the swiftness of a cat he darted to it and
tore off the paper wrapping.
Penny waited until he was eating greedily. Then stealing along the wall,
she groped for the electric light switch. As she pressed it, the room was
brilliantly illuminated. At the same instant, the girl gave a shrill
whistle, a signal to Louise that the culprit had been trapped.
The man at the counter whirled around, facing Penny with startled dismay.
He was a gaunt, unshaven fellow in his late fifties with shaggy hair, and
soiled, unpressed clothing.
Before he could retreat, Louise came down the stairway, blocking the
exit.
"What are you doing here?" Penny questioned him. "Why did you steal my
lunch?"
The man's lips moved nervously but no sound issued from them.
"Shall I call the police?" prodded Penny. She gave him a severe glance.
"No, don't do that," the man pleaded, finding his voice. "Don't call the
police. I'll go. I won't bother you any more."
"Why have you been hiding in the building?"
"Because I have no other place to sleep, Miss. The cops chase you off the
park benches."
Penny was surprised by the man's speech which belied his disreputable
garments. His tone was well modulated, his manner respectful.
"You've been living in this building a long while?" she asked curiously.
"Maybe six months. I sleep down in the furnace room. I didn't do any
harm."
"You're hungry, aren't you?" Penny inquired, less severely.
"Yes, I am, Miss. Lately I haven't been eating any too often."
"You may finish the lunch," said Penny. "And there's a thermos bottle of
coffee under the counter."
"Thank you, Miss, thank you. I surely am obliged."
With a hand which trembled, the man poured himself a cup of the steaming
beverage.
"You haven't told me your name," said Penny after a moment.
"Folks just call me Horney. Old Horney."
"What is your real name?"
"Mark Horning," the man answered reluctantly.
"I'm curious to learn how you've been getting in and out of the
building."
"With a key." Old Horney devoured the last bite of sandwich, and poured
himself a second cup of coffee.
"A skeleton key, you mean?" Penny asked in surprise.
"No, Miss. I have my own key. In the old days I used to work here."
"You're a former Press employee?"
"Sure, I know it's hard to believe," Old Horney replied, "but when a
fellow's out of a job and money, it doesn't take long to go to seed. I
lost my place when Judson closed down."
"And you've been unable to find other work?"
"In the past nine months I've worked exactly six days. No one hires an
old fellow any more. If I could have kept on with Judson three more years
I'd have been due for my pension."
"What work did you do on the paper?" asked Penny with growing interest.
"I was a pressman."
Penny shot Louise a glance which was almost triumphant. Her voice when
she spoke held an undertone of excitement.
"Horney," she said, "it's barely possible I may be able to find some sort
of work for you later on. Do you mind writing your name on this paper?"
The old man took the sheet she handed him, without hesitation scrawling
his name, Mark Horning.
Penny studied the writing a moment. To her relief it bore not the
slightest resemblance to the warning message left on her desk the
previous night.
"Horney," she questioned, "did you ever try to frighten me away from this
building?"
"Oh, no, Miss," he replied. "Once I tiptoed up to your office. When I saw
you were working there, I slipped down to the basement again."
"Did you ever place a note on my desk?"
"I never did."
Penny was satisfied that Horney had told the truth. Yet if he were not
the culprit she was unable to guess who had warned her to abandon the
plant.
"Horney, I've decided that we need a watchman around this place," she
said abruptly. "If you want the job, it's yours."
"You're not turning me out?"
"No, you may stay. I can't promise much of a salary, but at least you'll
have a place to sleep and enough food."
"You're mighty kind," Horney mumbled gratefully. "Mighty kind." He
hesitated and then added: "I promise you won't be sorry you did it, Miss.
Maybe you'll find I can be of some real use around this plant. I'm at
your service and what's more, I'm for you one hundred per cent."