Ghost Beyond the Gate

  CHAPTER 8 _A FEW CHANGES_

  Next morning, Penny, red-eyed because she had slept little, walked slowlytoward the _Star_ office. Throughout the long night there had been noword from Mr. Parker.

  At every street corner newsboys shouted the latest headlines--that thepublisher had been missing nearly twenty-four hours. Even the _Star_carried a black, ugly banner across its front page.

  Penny bought a copy, reading with displeasure the story of Mr. Parker'sdisappearance.

  "I can't understand why Mr. DeWitt let this go through," she thought. "IfDad were here, he'd certainly hate it."

  Entering the lobby of the _Star_ building, Penny pressed the elevatorbutton. A long time elapsed before the cage descended. To her surpriseshe saw that it was operated, not by Mose Johnson, the colored man, butby the janitor.

  "Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Penny," the man apologized. "I'm notmuch good at operating this contraption."

  "Where is Mose this morning, Charley?"

  "Fired."

  Penny could not hide her amazement. The old colored man had been employedten years at the _Star_ plant. Although not strictly efficient, Mose'shabits were good, and Mr. Parker had taken an affectionate interest inhim.

  "It's a shame, if you ask me," the janitor added.

  "What happened, Charley? Who discharged him?"

  "That guy Schirr."

  "Harley Schirr? But he has no authority."

  "An editor can fire and hire. I think he was just tryin' out his stuff onpoor old Mose."

  "During my father's absence, Mr. DeWitt is in full charge here," Pennysaid emphatically.

  "DeWitt _was_ in charge. But they hauled him off to the hospital lastnight with a bad pain in his tummy. Seems he had an appendicitis attack.The doctor rushed him off and didn't even wait until morning to operate."

  The news stunned Penny. She murmured that she hoped Mr. DeWitt was doingwell.

  "Reckon he is," agreed the janitor. "We all chipped in and sent him someflowers--roses. Mose gave fifty cents, too."

  Penny's mind came back to the problem of the colored man.

  "So Mr. Schirr discharged him," she commented. "I wonder why?"

  The janitor pressed a button and the cage moved slowly upward.

  "Mose was due on at midnight," he explained. "He didn't get here untilafter two o'clock."

  "Didn't he have a reason for being so late?"

  The cage stopped with a jerk. "Sure, Mose had a pip this time! Somethingabout being detained by a ghost! Schirr didn't go for it at all. Swelledup like a poisoned pup and fired Mose on the spot."

  "I'm sorry," Penny replied. "Dad liked Mose a lot."

  "Any news from your father?"

  Penny shook her head. As far as possible she was determined to keep hertroubles to herself. Turning to leave the cage, she inquired:

  "Where is Mose now? At home?"

  "He's down in the boiler room, sittin' by the furnace. Says he's afraidto go home for fear his old lady will give him the works."

  "Will you please ask Mose to wait there for me?" Penny requested. "I wantto talk to him before he leaves the building."

  "I'll be glad to tell him," the janitor said. Hesitating, he added: "Ifyou've got any influence with Schirr, you might speak a good word forme."

  "Why for you?" smiled Penny. "Surely your job is safe."

  "I don't know about that," the janitor responded gloomily. "This morningwhen Schirr was comin' up in the elevator he said to me: 'Charley,there's going to be a few changes made around here. I'm going to cut outall the old, useless timber.' He looked at me kinda funny-like too. Youknow, I passed my sixty-eighth birthday last August."

  "Now don't start worrying, Charley," Penny cheered him. "We couldn't runthis building without you."

  Deeply troubled, she tramped down the hall to the newsroom. Reporterswere in a fever of activity, pounding out their stories. Copy boys had anervous, tense expression as they ran to and fro on their errands. HarleySchirr, however, was not in evidence.

  "The Big Shot has sealed himself in your father's office!" informed oneof the copy desk men in a muted voice. "Guess you heard about DeWitt?"

  Penny nodded.

  "The Great Genius has taken over, and how! This place is operating on anefficiency-plus basis now. Why, he's got me so cockeyed, I composepoetry."

  Penny crossed to her father's office, tapping on the frosted glass door.

  "Who is it?" demanded Schirr, his voice loud and unpleasant.

  Penny spoke her name. In a moment the door opened, and the editor bowedand smiled. As if she were a guest of honor, he motioned her to a seat.

  "We're doing everything we can to trace your father," he said. "So far,we've had no luck and the police admit they are baffled. I can't expressto you how sorry I am."

  To Penny's ears the words were words only, lacking sincerity. Determiningto waste no time, she spoke of DeWitt's sudden illness.

  "Oh yes, he'll be off duty for at least a month," replied Mr. Schirr."Naturally in his absence I have assumed charge. We put out a real paperthis morning."

  "I saw the front page."

  Penny longed to say that the story about her father had displeased her.However, she knew it would do no good. The account, once printed, couldnot be recalled. Far better, she reasoned, to let the matter pass.

  "I hear Mose Johnson has been discharged," she remarked.

  "Yes, we had to let him go." Mr. Schirr opened a desk drawer, helpinghimself to one of Mr. Parker's cigars. "Mose is indolent,irresponsible--a drag on the payroll."

  "My father always liked him."

  "Yes, he did seem to favor the old coot," agreed Schirr with a shrug."Well, thank you for dropping in, Miss Parker. If we have any encouragingnews, I'll see that you are notified at once."

  Well aware that she had been dismissed, Penny left the office. Schirr'sattitude angered her. He had made her feel unwelcome in her own father'snewspaper plant.

  As she closed the door behind her, she realized that nearly every eye inthe apparently-busy newsroom, had focused upon her. Deliberately, shecomposed herself. Acting undisturbed, she swept past the rows of desks toa rear stairway leading to the basement.

  The janitor had delivered her message to Mose Johnson. She found the oldcolored man curled up fast asleep on a crate by the warm stove.

  Penny touched Mose on the arm. He straightened up as suddenly as ifsomeone had set off a fire-cracker.

  "Oh, Miss Penny!" he beamed. "I'se suah su'prised at seein' you down heahin dis dumpy fu'nace room. But I thanks you just the same fo' wakin' meup out o' dat ghost dream."

  "Were you having a ghost dream?" echoed Penny.

  "Yes, Miss. Yo' see I was dreamin' about dat same ghost I saw last nighton de way to work."

  Penny, fully aware that Mose was directing the conversation where hewished it to go, hid a smile.

  "I heard about that, Mose," she commented. "It must have been quite alively ghost to make you two hours late."

  "It suah was a lively ghost," Mose confirmed, bobbing his woolly head."Why, it walked around jest like a live pu'son."

  "Aren't you being a bit superstitious, Mose?"

  "Deedy not, Miss. You is supe'stitious when you sees a ghost dat ain'tdar. But when you sees one dat is dar you ain't supe'stitious. You isjest plain scared!"

  "Suppose you tell me about it," Penny invited.

  "Well, Miss Penny, it was like dis," began the old colored man. "At halfpast eleven I starts off fo' work same as always. I picks up mah lunchbox de ole lady packed fo' me, an' scoots off toward de bus stop to getde 11:45. But I nevah get dar. When I was goin' down dat road runnin'past de old Harrison place, I seen de ghost."

  "The Harrison place?" interrupted Penny. "Where is that?"

  "You know de road that winds up Craig Hill? It's out towa'd de boatclub."

  "You don't mean that big estate house with the fence surrounding it?"

/>   "Dat's de place! Well, I seed dis heah ghost a cavortin' around behind debig iron gate dat goes in to de old Harrison place. De ghost nevah seesme, but I gets a good close-up of him. He was dressed in white and he wascarryin' his own tombstone around in his arms jes' like it doan weighnothin'."

  "Oh, Mose!" protested Penny. "And then what happened? Did the ghostdisappear?"

  "No, Miss," grinned the colored man, "but I did! I turns tail an' runs asfast as a man half mah age could go, an' I nevah stops fo' nuthin' till Igits back to mah own place.

  "When I tells mah ole lady what was goin' on she says, 'Mose, you seeswhite ghosts 'cause you been a drinkin' some mo' o' dat white-eye. It'stwelve o'clock dis minute and you'se missed de last bus. Now you startwalkin'! And if you is fired, don't nevah da'ken dat do' no mo'.'"

  Old Mose drew a deep sigh. "And dat's jest what happened, Miss Penny. Iain't got no job an' no mo' home than a rabbit. I'se suah bubblin' ovehwith trouble. It all come from seein' dat ghost you says I didn't see."

  "I'm sure you thought you saw one," replied Penny. "If you'll promise toattend strictly to your duties hereafter, I'll ask Mr. Schirr toreinstate you on the payroll."

  Old Mose brightened. "I suah nuff will!" he said jubilantly. "I won'thave no mo' truck with dat ghost. No sir!"

  To face Mr. Schirr once more, was a most unpleasant ordeal for Penny.Nevertheless, she sought his office, apologizing for the intrusion.

  "I _am_ busy," the editor said pointedly. "What is it you want?"

  Penny explained that she had talked with Mose Johnson and was convincedthat his offense would not be repeated.

  "I want you to put him back on his old job," she requested.

  "Impossible!"

  "Why do you take that attitude?" inquired Penny, stiffening for anargument. "Dad always liked Mose."

  "One can't mix sentiment with business. I have a job to do here and Iintend to do it efficiently."

  "Dad probably will show up before another day."

  "I don't like to dash your hopes," said Mr. Schirr. "We've tried to spareyour feelings. Perhaps your father will be found, but you know I tried towarn him he was inviting trouble when he mixed with the tire-theft gang."

  "So you believe Dad has fallen into the clutches of those men?"

  "I do."

  "What makes you think so? Have you any evidence?"

  "Not a scrap."

  "And how did you learn Dad intended to expose the higher-ups?"

  "I don't mind telling you I heard him talking to Jerry Livingston aboutit."

  "Oh, I see."

  "We're getting nowhere with this discussion," Mr. Schirr saidimpatiently. "I really am busy--"

  "Will you reinstate Mose?" Penny asked, reverting to the originalsubject.

  "I've already given my answer."

  "After all, this is my father's paper," Penny said, trying to control hervoice. "It's not a corporation. Only Dad's money is invested here."

  "So what?"

  "As a personal favor I ask you to reinstate Mose."

  "You're making an issue of it?"

  "Call it that if you like."

  Mr. Schirr's dark eyes blazed. He slammed a paper weight across the deskand it dropped to the floor with a hard thud.

  "Very well," he said stiffly, "we'll restore your pet to the payroll."

  "Thank you, Mr. Schirr."

  "But get this, Miss Parker," the editor completed. "We may as well havean understanding. While your father is absent, I'm in full charge here.In the future I'll have no interference from you or any other person."