Ghost Beyond the Gate Part 19

Beyond the iron gate, in the garden area, a white-robed figure slowly paced back and forth!

"My Aunt!" whispered Penny. "Am I seeing things or am I seeing things?"

For a moment she sat very straight, watching. The ghostly figure, white from head to toe, moved with measured steps toward the high gate.

"There aren't any ghosts," she encouraged herself. "But if that's not a spook, it must be someone dressed up like one! And who would play Hallowe'en games on a cold night like this?"

Alone, frankly nervous, Penny had no overpowering desire to investigate the white-robed figure at close range. A large, spreading evergreen half-blocked her view of the gate. She could not see the ghost plainly, but she distinctly heard the rattle of a chain as the apparition tested the lock.

"Real or imaginary, that spook is trying to get out!" Penny thought with a s.h.i.+ver. "If Mose were here now I'd challenge him to a race!"

The white-gowned figure shook the gate chain a second time, then slowly retreated. Penny watched for a moment, before abruptly swinging open the car door. She had decided to investigate.

As she crossed the road, the white figure moved away from her. By the time she reached the gate, it had disappeared around a corner of the house.

"At least Mr. Spook wasn't carrying his own tombstone!" Penny observed to herself. "Mose exaggerated that part."

She waited, leaning against the gate post. Within three minutes a light went on in the upper part of the house. For a fleeting instant before the blind was pulled, she saw someone standing in front of an old-fas.h.i.+oned dresser.

"Mr. Ghost seemingly has turned in for the night," thought Penny. "But is it a he, she, or it?"

Soon the bedroom light was extinguished. Cold and tired, Penny decided that the mystery must remain unsolved. However, as she drove on, she kept thinking about what she had seen. Of one thing she now was certain. The estate was not deserted!

Without stopping at the Yacht Club grounds, Penny made certain that her stripped car and ice boat remained as she last had seen them. Driving on to Riverview, she left Salt's car at the _Star_ plant, then taxied home to tell Mrs. Weems of her failure at the cemetery.

"Don't feel badly about it," the housekeeper comforted. "Surely the woman who telephoned will make another attempt to reach you."

"I doubt it," Penny replied gloomily. "She'll know now that the police are watching for her."

"This entire affair is so bewildering," sighed Mrs. Weems. "How could your father have been kidnaped? If what we've learned is true, he left the scene of the accident of his own free will."

"I never was so baffled in my life," Penny returned, throwing herself on the davenport. "I used to think I was good at solving puzzles. Now I know I'm just plain dumb."

"Have you thought about employing a private detective?"

"It might be a good idea!" Penny agreed, encouraged. "I'll see what I can do tomorrow."

As she started wearily up the stairs to bed, Mrs. Weems called after her to say that Louise Sidell had telephoned earlier in the evening. Penny nodded absently, a.s.suming that her chum had phoned to express sympathy.

She did not think of the matter again until the next morning at breakfast. As she was leaving the table, Mrs. Weems came in to report that Louise once more was on the telephone.

"Penny, I can't tell you how shocked I was to learn about your father,"

her chum began breathlessly. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I'm afraid not, Lou."

"What are you using for a car? You must need one badly."

"Salt Sommers let me have his last night. I'll get along."

"Penny, I know how you can buy tires!" Louise went on. "In fact, that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"How can I buy tires? Rubber is supposed to be scarce."

"When I was having my hair fixed at the beauty parlor yesterday I heard two women talking!" Louise declared excitedly. "It seems there's a garage where you can get them if you pull the right strings!"

"Oh! A Black Market place?"

"I suppose that's what you would call it."

"I don't want to get tires illegally," Penny said. "I'm not interested, Lou."

"You don't even care to know the name of the garage?"

"What good would it do?"

"None perhaps, but it might give you a surprise."

"A surprise?" Penny repeated. She glanced at the clock, impatient because the conversation was being prolonged. A great deal of important work awaited her.

"You don't want to know the name of the place?" Louise persisted.

"Yes, I do. On second thought, it might be well worth while to find out what I can about Black Market operations in tires."

The conviction had come suddenly to Penny that all the evidence contained in her father's lost portfolio must be gathered anew. No word had been received from Jerry Livingston. In the quest for information, she must depend upon her own efforts.

"It's going to give you a real shock to learn the name of the place,"

Louise went on.

"I'm shock proof by this time," answered Penny. "Let 'er fly."

But Louise was unwilling to divulge the information over the telephone.

"I don't dare tell you now," she replied. "Just sit tight for ten minutes and I'll deliver my bombsh.e.l.l in person."

CHAPTER 13 _A BLACK MARKET_

Ten minutes later Louise was at the front door with the Sidell family car. She tooted the horn until Penny put on her coat and went outside.

"Jump in and I'll take you to the place of mystery," Louise greeted her.

"On second thought, you'd better drive. I hate icy roads."

Penny slid behind the steering wheel. "But where are we going?" she protested. "Honestly, Lou, I haven't much time--"

"Mattie Williams' garage is the place that sells the tires! Now, are you interested?"