Penny Nichols and the Mystery of the Lost Key

by Joan Clark

  CHAPTER VIII The Ivory Collection

  Penny quietly opened the bedroom door, peering out into the long darkhall. She could hear the music distinctly. It seemed to be coming fromalmost directly overhead.

  By this time, Rosanna, overcoming her fear, crept beside her friend. Theyhuddled together, listening.

  "It's an organ. I'm sure of it," Penny whispered. "But where can it behidden?"

  "I'm afraid of this place," Rosanna chattered. "Let's lock the bedroomdoor and leave in the morning."

  Penny made no response. For that matter she did not even hear for she wasintent upon trying to localize the sound of the music. Never inclined tobe superstitious, she had no thought that the old house was haunted. Shefelt certain that the ghost-like music was man made.

  "This house must have a third floor or an attic," she declared softly."Let's see if we can find our way up."

  "Never!"

  "Then I'm going alone."

  Penny started off down the hall. Rosanna hesitated, and then, unable towatch her friend walk into danger alone, hurriedly followed. Halfway downthe hall she reached for the electric switch but Penny caught her handbefore she could turn on the light.

  "Don't! It would give warning that we're coming."

  Groping about in the dark the girls went past Mrs. Leeds' bedroom and theone occupied by the stranger. Penny noted that the doors of both weretightly closed. At the end of the hall she found still another door.Gently she turned the handle and opened it. A steep flight of stairs ledupward.

  "Oh, please, let's not go up," Rosanna pleaded, trembling.

  "You stay here," Penny said in a whisper. "If anything goes wrong, letout a cry for help."

  The mysterious music had ceased for the moment. Penny waited until itbegan again, and then, following the sound, crept noiselessly up thestairs leaving Rosanna on guard below.

  At the top of the last step Penny paused to listen again. Actually, shewas not as courageous as she had pretended. She could hear her own heartpounding.

  It was so dark on the third floor that at first she could distinguishnothing. The music had increased in volume and Penny was more sure thanever that it came from a hidden pipe organ.

  As her eyes focused better she found herself standing upon a smalllanding from which branched two closed doors. After a slight hesitationshe tiptoed to the nearest one and opened it a tiny crack.

  Although no sound had betrayed her, the music from within ended with adiscordant crash. Startled, Penny allowed the door to swing wide. Shestarted forward, and suddenly tripped. Until that moment her nerve hadheld steady. But as she stumbled and fell she uttered a shrill cry ofterror.

  Rosanna, fearing the worst, came running up the stairs.

  "Penny! Penny! Are you hurt?"

  Reassured by her friend's voice, Penny scrambled to her feet and metRosanna at the door.

  "I'm all right," she said shakily. "But I've done enough investigatingfor one night!"

  "What frightened you so?"

  "I'll tell you later."

  They lost no time in returning to the lower floor. Down the hall, Mrs.Leeds' door had opened. A light flashed on.

  "What is going on here?" Mrs. Leeds demanded, emerging into the hallway."Such a house I never saw! First it's music--then a scream! It's enoughto send one into hysterics."

  Penny and Rosanna could not refrain from smiling, for Mrs. Leeds lookedridiculous in her curlers which were sticking out from her head at allangles. Before they could answer, Alicia joined her mother.

  "I should think you could go to your room and let folks sleep!" she saidirritably. "You've been running up and down the hall all night."

  "You're wrong there," Penny returned. "This is the first time Rosanna orI have stirred from our room. We got up to investigate the mysteriousmusic."

  "Then you heard it too?" Mrs. Leeds breathed in awe. "I thought perhaps Ihad imagined that part of it."

  "No, you heard music all right," Penny told her grimly.

  "It isn't--you don't think the house is haunted?" Alicia stammerednervously. "That old man--what's his name--was trying to tell us aboutsomeone having died in a room on the upper floor!"

  "Well, the music seemed to come from the third floor," Penny informed,relishing the effect which her words produced. "As for the scream, I canaccount for that. I tripped and fell. Now I think we may as well all goback to bed. There's been so much commotion that I rather judge our'ghost' has been frightened away for the time being."

  "I can't sleep a wink after all this has happened," Mrs. Leeds declared."I shall sit up until morning."

  "As you wish," Penny said indifferently. "I'm going to bed."

  As she walked down the hall to her own room she glanced rather sharply atthe door of Max Laponi's room. It was still tightly closed.

  "Our friend appears to be a sound sleeper," she remarked to Rosanna.

  In the privacy of their bedroom, Rosanna demanded to know exactly whathad happened.

  "Well, I didn't see much," Penny admitted. "But I did learn oneinteresting thing. There's a pipe organ installed in this house. I mighthave discovered who was playing it too only I tripped over a rope whichhad been strung up in front of the door."

  "Placed there deliberately, you think?"

  "Of course. It startled me so that I let out that wild yell. I don't careto do any more investigating tonight, but in the morning I mean to have agood look at that room upstairs."

  "You have more nerve than I," Rosanna declared admiringly.

  Penny carefully locked the outside door before turning out the light. Itwas twenty minutes after twelve by her wrist watch.

  "I shouldn't call it nerve exactly," she replied thoughtfully, climbinginto bed. "The truth is, I'm a little afraid, Rosanna."

  "Then why do you go up there again?"

  "Oh, I don't mean that. It isn't the music that has me frightened."

  "But what else is there to be afraid of?" Rosanna persisted.

  "It's just a feeling, I guess," Penny admitted. "I can't explain--only itseems to me that some sinister plot is brewing in this old house."

  "I have the same sensation," Rosanna confessed. "Let's leave in themorning."

  Penny laughed softly and settled herself more comfortably in the pillows.

  "Never!" she retorted. "I'm the daughter of a detective you know! This isour own special mystery case, and unless that ghost gets me first, Iintend to get him!"

  With that threat, Penny rolled over and lost herself in sleep.

  The warm sun was streaming in at the windows when the girls arousedthemselves. They dressed and went downstairs, finding the house quitedeserted. Apparently Mrs. Leeds, her daughter and Max Laponi had gone tothe village for breakfast.

  "I wish they had vanished for good but there's no use hoping that," Pennycommented. "I doubt if even a ghost could keep Mrs. Leeds from remaininguntil the estate is settled."

  The girls cooked their own breakfast, utilizing supplies which they hadpurchased at the nearby town. As they washed the dishes and stacked themaway, Rosanna mentioned again that she did not feel comfortable aboutmaking such free use of her unknown uncle's property.

  "Perhaps it isn't just the thing to do," Penny acknowledged, "but thesituation isn't a normal one either. If Mr. Eckert says it is all rightfor us to stay on, I don't think we should worry."

  "Will it do us any good to remain?" Rosanna pondered in a troubled tone."If Mr. Eckert can't tell us what became of my uncle, who could?"

  "That's just the point, Rosanna. I believe he knows more than he letson."

  Penny's gaze wandered to the tiny log cabin set back in the pine woods.Wisps of thin smoke curled from the chimney. That meant that Caleb mustbe at home.

  "Let's walk down there and talk with him," she proposed impulsively."It's time he answers a few of our questions."

  Caleb did not come to the door to answer their timid knock. Instead hecalled out a hearty, "Come in," which they in
stantly obeyed.

  Caleb was the picture of comfort, sitting propped back in his chair bythe window, puffing at an old pipe. He arose reluctantly and dusted offtwo camp stools for the visitors.

  "We thought perhaps you might furnish us with a little information,"Penny began pleasantly.

  Her eyes roved swiftly about the room. She noticed the open bookcase withfour rows of well-thumbed volumes. The titles were impressive. CalebEckert, despite his rough appearance, seemingly had a liking forintellectual books.

  "Well, what is it you want to know?" Caleb demanded, not unkindly. "I'vetold you before that I'll have nothing to do with this muddle over Mr.Winters' property."

  "I've given up all hope of inheriting any of the estate," Rosanna said."But I should like to hear about my uncle. What was he like?"

  "Some folks said he was the queerest man on Snow Mountain. I liked himbecause he attended to his own business. He was considered a remarkablesportsman by some."

  Penny's eyes traveled to a huge bear skin which hung on the cabin wall.Caleb followed her gaze.

  "Mr. Winters gave me that skin last year when he came back from his tripnorth. A mighty nice specimen."

  "Do you have a picture of Mr. Winters?" Penny asked, abruptly changingthe subject.

  Caleb shook his head. He began to talk about the bear skin again. Rosannalistened eagerly, but Penny sensed that the old man was trying tomonopolize the conversation and thus keep her from asking questions whichhe did not care to answer.

  When she succeeded in breaking in it was to bring up the subject of Mr.Winters' ivory collection. Caleb seemed reluctant to offer definiteinformation.

  "All I know is that Mr. Winters was supposed to have one," he answered."Folks said it was worth a fortune and that he had spent years gatheringit."

  "What became of the collection?" Penny inquired curiously.

  "How should I know?" Caleb retorted crossly. "Seems to me you girls ask alot of silly questions."

  "We didn't mean to be inquisitive," Penny apologized. "Only it struck methat Max Laponi has an unusual interest in that collection of ivory."

  Caleb eyed her strangely. "So you noticed it too?" he asked.

  Penny nodded. "Perhaps I shouldn't say it, but I don't trust that man,Mr. Eckert. If Mr. Winters' collection of ivory is still in the house,don't you think it should be removed to a safer place?"

  "That's what I'd like to do," Caleb muttered, looking out the window.

  "Then you do know where the ivory collection is," Penny tripped him.

  Caleb glared at her. "I didn't say so, did I? Why should Mr. Winters tellme where he kept his valuables? Bosh! I tell you I won't be mixed up inthe muddle. Now go away and let me sleep!"

  Caleb stretched himself out on the couch and closed his eyes. Thusdismissed, the girls hastily departed.

  "Such a cross old man!" Rosanna exclaimed when they were out of earshot."But even though he is irritable, I rather like him."

  "So do I," Penny admitted with a laugh. "You know, I think our questionsabout the ivory collection disturbed him more than he cared to show."

  "He did seem reluctant to tell us anything about it."

  "We'll nail him down yet," Penny declared grimly as they walked slowlytoward the house on the cliff. "Unless I'm sadly mistaken, that ivorycollection is hidden somewhere on the premises and he's scared silly forfear someone will find it!"