CHAPTER 23 _GRAND BALL_
"Everything will be ruined--everything!" wailed Penny. She stood in theliving room at Rose Acres, her face pressed almost against the windowpane. "It's been raining for an hour straight! No one will come to theparty."
"Oh, don't take it so hard," Rhoda said cheerfully. "You know over threehundred tickets were sold. Even if the rain does cut down the crowd we'llstill have as many people as this house can accommodate."
Admiringly, her gaze wandered about the room which glowed brilliantlywith the light of dozens of candles. Every chair was in place, flowersdecorated the vases, and at the square, old-fashioned piano, sat Mrs.Marborough, in rustling black silk, playing a few tinkling chords.
"You mustn't tire yourself," Rhoda said to her. "Not until the guestscome, at least."
"I never felt better in my life," Mrs. Marborough insisted. "Why, I'm asexcited as a school girl! Is Judge Harlan really coming to the ball?"
"Everyone of consequence in Riverview will be here," Rhoda assured her."Even two of Penny's special guests."
"That's what worries me," Penny confessed, beginning to pace the floor."I have my trap all ready to spring, but if this horrid rain keeps up,how can you meet Mr. Coaten by the well?"
"Why can't I talk to him in the library?"
"Because it won't do," Penny said patiently. "The entire scheme will failunless you carry out your part exactly as we planned it."
"The rain is letting up," Mrs. Marborough declared, carefully moving fromthe piano to her wheel chair. "Mark my words, it will all be over withinfifteen minutes."
"Oh, I hope so!" Penny breathed. "I hope so!"
To her gratification, the rain did cease within a short while, andmembers of the Festival Committee and hired musicians began to arrive.For the occasion, Penny, Rhoda, and Louise, had rented colonial costumeswith fancy powdered wigs. They hovered near the front door, ready togreet the first guests.
"It's going to be a wonderful party," Louise remarked happily.
Soon visitors began to arrive in groups. The orchestra struck up and theballroom became thronged with dancers.
"Mrs. Marborough is having a marvelous time," Rhoda told Louise. "Infact, so is everyone except Penny. She's worried because Mr. Coatenhasn't come."
Two men alighted from a taxi and walked up the path to the house.
"Here they come now!" Penny whispered excitedly. "Quick, Rhoda. Keep outof sight until I give the word!"
Barely had the girl vanished than Mr. Coaten and his companion reachedthe reception line. Penny greeted them with unusual warmth.
"Is Rhoda Wiegand here?" Mr. Coaten asked curtly. "We came to see her,not to attend the party."
"She was around a moment ago," Penny answered. "Why don't you look forher in the garden--perhaps by the wishing well."
The instant the two men had gone, Penny quickly ran to find Rhoda.
"Now remember, don't talk to Mr. Coaten except at the wishing well," sheissued final instructions. "Then when he asks you to sign the paper, makean excuse and leave."
"I won't forget," Rhoda nodded. "But I still don't understand what you'reup to."
Anxiously Penny watched from the porch until she saw that her friendactually was talking to the two men beside the wishing well. Then,running into the crowded ballroom, she signaled the musicians to stop themusic. Clapping her hands for attention, she announced:
"Ladies and gentlemen--a little surprise! The Old Wishing Well speaks!Listen and you may hear the conversation of unwary guests who revealtheir secrets beside it!"
Reaching for a box secreted in a clump of artificial palms, Penny turneda switch. The startled dancers heard a crackling sound, and then Rhoda'svoice came in on the loudspeaker, clear and distinct.
"I've thought it over, Mr. Coaten," were her words. "Even though I can'tunderstand why you wish to adopt Ted and me I'll agree to theguardianship."
"Ah, I knew you would come to your senses," Mr. Coaten answered. "Justsign this paper and we'll be able to go into court and settleeverything."
There was a slight pause and then Rhoda said: "Will you excuse me amoment, Mr. Coaten? I want to run into the house, but I'll be back."
Those in the ballroom had gathered close to Penny, listening withinterest to the conversation, but curious to learn its significance.
"Listen!" she commanded, as many persons began to comment.
The two men who stood alone at the wishing well were talking again, andPenny did not intend to miss a single word.
"Now what possessed Rhoda?" she heard Mr. Coaten mutter. "Is she going toback out again?"
"No, we have her nailed this time," the other answered. "That land is asgood as ours! As soon as the adoption is legal, we'll put in our claim.The Texano Oil Company will pay handsomely. What those youngsters don'tknow won't hurt them."
The words, blaring out into the ballroom, were exactly what Penny wishedto hear. Believing themselves to be alone, the two men were makingdamaging admissions. However, although it was evident that they meant toprofit at Rhoda's expense, she could not understand exactly what theymeant to do.
Judge Harlan stepped forward to inspect the radio equipment. "What isthis?" he inquired. "A special joke of yours, Penelope?"
"It's no joke," she assured him earnestly. "Mr. Coaten has been trying toforce Rhoda and Ted to agree to an adoption. We were suspicious of him,and so we arranged this little affair."
"How is the sound brought into the house?"
"I had a microphone installed inside the wishing well," Penny revealed."The wires run through an underground tunnel."
"Very clever, very clever indeed," murmured the judge. "And the meaningof the conversation?"
"I don't know," Penny confessed. "Mr. Coaten is trying to cheat Rhoda andTed, but how I can't guess. They own no property."
"Mr. Coaten spoke of the Texano Oil Company," the judge saidthoughtfully. "That gives me a faint inkling--"
He did not finish, for at that instant Rhoda came hurriedly into theroom. Penny motioned for her to join the group by the loudspeaker.
"Rhoda," said the judge, turning to her, "did your father own land inTexas?"
"Never," she replied promptly. "The only person in our family who ownedproperty was grandfather. He had a large farm but sold it long before hisdeath."
"Do you know the location of the property?" inquired the judge.
"I believe it was near the town of Elkland."
"Elkland! Then perhaps we have the explanation. Less than a month ago oilwas discovered in that locality!"
"But the Wiegand land was sold years ago," Penny murmured.
"Much litigation has resulted from the fact that in the past many Texasproperties were sold with oil rights reserved," explained the judge."Now, this is only a guess. However, if Rhoda's grandfather kept such oilrights--as he may well have done--his heirs would have indisputable claimto any income derived from such source."
The loudspeaker had come to life again. As the two men at the wishingwell resumed their conversation, everyone in the ballroom strained tohear the words.
"We'll get out of Riverview just as soon as the girl signs the paper,"Mr. Coaten said to his companion. "We've wasted enough time in thisone-horse town."
"Oh, I shouldn't say wasted," drawled Carl Addison. "We'll get the oilmoney. And that's not all. Take a look at this little trinket!"
There was a brief pause, followed by Mr. Coaten's angry exclamation: "TheMarborough pearls! So you stole them!"
"Careful of your words," the other warned. "Your own record isn't sopure."
"I've never descended to stealing!"
"No?" Mr. Addison mocked. "The only difference is that you tie yourpackages up with legal red tape so that no one can pin anything on you."
"I use my head! Stealing the Marborough pearls was a stupid thing to do.You may go to prison for it."
"There's no risk," the other retorted. "
The police didn't find a singleclue."
The voices died away, indicating that the two men had moved some distancefrom the wishing well. Nevertheless, everyone in the ballroom had heardenough to realize that Mrs. Marborough's priceless pearls were in thepossession of Mr. Coaten's companion, Carl Addison.
"I understand it all now!" Penny exclaimed. "Mr. Coaten and his friendmust have been standing outside the window of the trailer that night whenRhoda told the Breen family about finding the pearls! They probably heardthe conversation."
"I want those two men arrested!" Mrs. Marborough announced in a shrillvoice, propelling her wheel chair toward the door. "Why doesn't someonedo something?"
Spurred to action, Judge Harlan instructed several men from the group toguard the estate exits. Accompanied by Penny, Rhoda, Louise, in fact,nearly every person who had attended the party, he strode into the yardto confront the two conspirators. Taken completely by surprise, Mr.Coaten and his friend did not immediately understand the meaning of theencircling delegation.
"Your little game is up," said Penny, thoroughly savoring the moment. "Weknow now that your real reason for wanting to adopt Rhoda and Ted was togain control of valuable oil lands!"
"And you stole my pearl necklace!" accused Mrs. Marborough. "I want itreturned!" Thoroughly incensed, she wheeled her chair directly into CarlAddison, seizing him by the coat.
"Madam, I know nothing about your pearls," the man blustered, shakingloose from her grasp. "We came to this party only because we were givenfree tickets."
"Let's get out of here," Mr. Coaten said gruffly, starting away.
"It's no use," Penny interposed, blocking the path. "We have learnedeverything. You see, a microphone was installed at the wishing well andit carried your entire conversation into the ballroom for everyone tohear."
Mr. Coaten and his companion, gazing at the unfriendly faces encirclingthem, realized that they could not hope to explain the situation away.
In a sudden break for freedom, Carl Addison ran to the hedge andattempted to leap over it. One of the guards at a nearby exit seized theman and brought him back.
"Search his pockets!" Mrs. Marborough cried.
Judge Harlan did as the widow demanded, but the missing pearls were notfound on either of the men.
"There, you see!" Mr. Coaten declared triumphantly. "You have falselyaccused my friend."
Penny suspected that Mr. Addison had disposed of the jewel case somewherenear the hedge. Crossing to it, she groped about on the ground. After abrief search her hand encountered a tiny box which she knew must containthe stolen necklace. Returning with it, she displayed the pearls andpresented them to Mrs. Marborough.
"Do we need additional evidence to hold these men?" she asked JudgeHarlan anxiously.
"You have produced more than enough," he replied. Turning to the twoculprits, he said sternly: "I place you both under arrest! Stand whereyou are until the police arrive, and remember, anything you say may beused against you."