CHAPTER 17 _THE MARBOROUGH PEARLS_
In frightened voices Penny and Louise acknowledged their presence in thedark room. Greatly relieved that the intruders were girls, Mrs.Marborough struck a match and lighted three half-burned candles whichwere set in a huge glass candelabra.
"Oh, so it's you!" she exclaimed as the flickering light fell upon theirfaces. "May I ask why you have broken into my house?"
"We're thoroughly ashamed of ourselves, Mrs. Marborough," Penny saidapologetically.
"Indeed we are," added Louise. "When we started to investigate thewishing well we didn't intend to enter the house."
"Suppose you explain," suggested the mistress of Rose Acres.
"It's a long story," sighed Penny. "May we sit down somewhere?"
The request embarrassed Mrs. Marborough. She hesitated, and thenindicated that the girls were to follow her. To their surprise she ledthem through another empty room to the kitchen, there lighting a candle.Its soft illumination revealed an old oil stove, several chairs, aporcelain table and a cot which obviously served both as a day couch andbed.
Mrs. Marborough offered no explanation or apology. Taking wood from abox, she piled it into the fireplace, and soon had a cheerful blaze onthe hearth.
Drawing their chairs to the fire, Penny and Louise explained how they hadentered the old mansion. Mrs. Marborough listened attentively to theirstory but did not appear especially surprised.
"I've always known about that old tunnel," she said when they hadfinished. "It was built by the first owner of this house, many, manyyears ago, and I doubt if it ever was used. I tried to find the entrancefrom the basement a few days ago, but was unable to locate it."
"We saw you with your lantern at the wishing well," Louise confessed."That was what aroused our curiosity."
"I was looking for the other tunnel entrance. I found it without muchtrouble, but it was so deep down in the well that I dared not risk tryingto get into it. Although I considered hiring a man, I hesitated, becauseI knew it would cause talk."
Penny and Louise were feeling much more at ease, sensing that themistress of Rose Acres no longer was irritated by their actions. Eagerlythey waited for her to reveal more.
"I suppose you think me a queer old lady," Mrs. Marborough resumed."Perhaps I am, but I have a very good reason for some of the things I do.I came to Riverview to search for something which has been lost manyyears."
"Something hidden during the Civil War?" inquired Louise breathlessly.
"No, my dear, an object secreted by my sister, Virginia. Since you girlsalready have learned so much I will tell you all. Perhaps you have heardof the Marborough pearls?"
Penny and Louise shook their heads.
"I forget that you are so very young," Mrs. Marborough said. "Yourmothers would remember. At any rate, the necklace was handed down in ourfamily for many generations, always to the daughter who was the first tomarry. Virginia, my younger sister, dreamed and hoped that the pearlswould go to her. Naturally, I shared a similar desire. As it came about,I was the first of the family to marry."
"Then you received the necklace?" Louise commented.
"It should have gone to me, but my sister was determined I never shouldwin such a victory over her. In a fit of anger she hid the pearls. Fathertried to force her to tell what she had done with them, but she was veryheadstrong. She ran away from home, married a scamp, and sailed with himto South America. She died there less than two years after my ownmarriage."
"What became of the pearls?" Penny asked eagerly.
"Our family believed that she took the necklace with her. For many yearswe assumed that Virginia's worthless husband had obtained possession ofit. He denied any knowledge of the pearls, but we never accepted hisstory as true. Then, a few weeks ago, a letter came from South America.It had been written by Virginia's husband shortly before his death."
"He confessed to the theft of the necklace?" Louise asked, trying tospeed the story.
"No, indeed. He merely enclosed a letter written by Virginia yearsbefore. It was addressed to me, and had never been sent, because herhusband deliberately withheld it. Just selfish and cantankerous, that manwas! The letter told where the pearls had been hidden. I imagine thatVirginia's husband had planned to gain possession of them someday, butfate defeated him. So on his death bed he sent me the original letterwhich I should have received forty years earlier."
"Where were the pearls hidden?" Penny questioned, her eyes sparkling withanticipation. "You haven't found them yet?"
"No, and I doubt that I ever shall," Mrs. Marborough sighed. "Virginia'sletter was not very definite. She begged my forgiveness for having causedso much trouble, and said that she had hidden the necklace near the oldwishing well."
"Didn't she tell you where?" Louise asked in disappointment.
"There were several words which had been blotted with ink. I suspectVirginia's husband did it to prevent anyone but himself from learning thehiding place. Then when he finally sent the letter to me, he may haveforgotten what he had done. That's only my guess, of course. As theletter reads, my only clue is that the pearls were hidden near thewishing well."
"That explains why you were removing the flagstones the other night,"Louise remarked.
"Yes, I've searched everywhere I can think of except in the old tunnel.When you girls went through it tonight, did you notice anything unusual?"
"No hiding place," Penny replied. "Of course we weren't looking foranything of the sort. If we could explore the passageway by daylight--"
"Can't we help you find the pearls, Mrs. Marborough?" Louise interrupted."It would be such fun searching for them."
"I'll be very happy to have your help," the old lady said, smiling. "Uponone condition. You must tell no one. Already I am the laughing stock ofRiverview and if this latest story should get around everyone wouldtalk."
Penny and Louise promptly assured her that they would tell no one aboutthe pearls.
"Another thing--" Mrs. Marborough hesitated and then went on. "I supposeyou understand now why I never invited you into the house. It wasn't thatI meant to be inhospitable."
"Because the place isn't fixed up?" Louise came to her aid. "Why, Pennyand I would have thought nothing of it. This is a cozy kitchen with acheerful fire. I think it's nice."
"I probably shan't be here long. My purpose in returning to Riverview wasto find the pearls. I've nearly made up my mind that they are lostforever."
"Oh, don't say that!" Penny cried. "Tomorrow, with your permission,Louise and I will explore the tunnel. We may have luck."
"I shall be very glad to have your help, my dear." Again Mrs. Marboroughgroped for words and finished awkwardly: "Please, I beg of you, don'ttell anyone what you have seen tonight, particularly the barren state ofthis house."
"We understand," Penny said gravely.
The fire had burned low. Mindful that they must be home early, the girlsbade Mrs. Marborough goodbye, promising to return the following day. Onceoutside the mansion, they paused beside a tree so that Penny might removethe heavy coveralls which she still wore over her frock.
"What a night!" she murmured happily.
"For once, Penny, one of your crazy adventures turned out beautifully,"Louise praised. "We'll have a wonderful time searching for that necklace!She's certainly queer though."
"Mrs. Marborough?"
"Yes, imagine being so sensitive about how the interior of her houselooks. Who would expect it to be fixed up nicely after standing empty somany years?"
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Penny asked. She hopped grotesquely onone foot as she extricated the other from the coveralls.
"Forgetting what?" Louise demanded, puzzled.
"Remember that first day we peeped into the house through the window?"
"Why, yes, what about it?"
"Your memory isn't very good, Louise. Don't you remember the sheet-drapedfurniture we saw?"
"That's right! I had forgotten. What became of it?"
"If I had just one guess, I'd say--Mr. Butterworth."
"Who is he, Penny?"
"A second-hand dealer who buys old furniture, newspapers, rubbertires--everything except bottles."
"Not that funny looking man we saw enter this house the other day!"
"The same. Louise, it's my guess that Mrs. Marborough sold all of hervaluable antiques--probably for a fraction of their true worth."
"How foolish of her. Why would she do that?"
"Don't you understand?" Penny asked patiently. "There can be but oneexplanation. Mrs. Marborough isn't wealthy any more. She's living in direpoverty and trying to keep people from learning the truth."