Clue of the Silken Ladder

  CHAPTER 21 _STARTLING INFORMATION_

  Scarcely had Penny hidden herself when Al Gepper entered the room. Withhim was the hook-nosed young man known as Slippery.

  "I tell you, Al," the latter was saying, "this town is getting too hotfor comfort. We've got to blow."

  "It was that Parker girl who queered everything," muttered Gepper. "Howcould I know that her father was a newspaper publisher? He's stirred upfolks with his editorials."

  "You never should have let her in here. We had a swell set-up, but now wecan expect a raid any day."

  "I tell you I thought she was just a smart-aleck kid, a friend of theHodges'. Didn't learn until yesterday who she was."

  "We've got to blow, Al. Sade's threatening to make trouble, too. Shethinks we're holding out on the others."

  "We have picked up a little extra coin now and then."

  "Sure, Al, but we've always been the brains of the outfit. We take mostof the risk, plan all the big jobs, so why shouldn't we have more?"

  "It's time we cut loose from 'em, Slippery."

  "Now you're talking! But we can't pull out until the Henley job comesoff. I've had a tip that the house is likely to be deserted tonight.Let's make the haul and then skip."

  "Okay," agreed Gepper. "I have some suckers coming for a seance at eight.I'll get rid of them in quick time, and be waiting. So long, Slippery."

  A door slammed, telling Penny that the hook-nosed man had left. She wassomewhat stunned by what she had overheard, believing that the Henley whohad been mentioned must be her father's chief advertiser.

  Nervously she waited inside the cabinet, wishing that she might take herinformation to the police. To her intense annoyance, Al Gepper did notleave the room even for a moment.

  Instead he threw himself on the bed and read a tabloid newspaper. Afteran hour, he arose and began to prepare his supper on an electric grill.

  Penny shifted from one position to another, growing more impatient. Everytime the man came toward the cabinet her heart beat a trifle faster. Shewas quite sure the Hodges had not yet returned home, and should Al Gepperdiscover her, he would not treat her kindly.

  The medium finished his supper and stacked the dishes in the closetwithout washing them. Then he started to get ready for the night'sseance.

  Peeping from between the cracks of the curtain, Penny saw him seathimself before the easel. With painstaking care he painted a picture of awoman, using a photograph as a model. After a coating of varnish had beenapplied, he allowed it to dry and afterwards covered the entire picturewith zinc white. The original painting was entirely hidden.

  Penny knew that hours had elapsed. The room gradually darkened, and AlGepper turned on the lights.

  "Oh, dear, I must get out of here soon!" the girl thought desperately."But if I make a break for it he'll be sure to see me. That will ruin allmy plans."

  Eight o'clock came. Al Gepper put on his coat, combed his hair and wasalertly waiting when the doorbell rang. However, instead of descendingthe stairs he shouted an invitation for the visitors to come up.

  Two women in their early forties were ushered into the seance chamber, tobe followed almost immediately by an elderly man.

  "We will start at once if you please," said Al Gepper brusquely. "I haveanother engagement tonight. However, before the seance is undertaken Imust ask that each of you pay the required fee, five dollars."

  The money was paid, and the three persons seated themselves at the table.Gepper switched off the lights.

  The seance began in much the same manner as the one Penny had attended.The medium called upon the spirit of a woman named Flora to appear.

  "Now concentrate hard--everyone," he instructed. "Flora, where are you?Can you not show yourself that we may know it is truly your spirit whichcommunicates with us?"

  From the cabinet, so close to Al Gepper that she could have touched hishand, Penny was able to see his every move. Yet so swift was his nextaction, that she barely discerned it.

  Taking a wet sponge from his pocket he wiped it across the paintingpreviously prepared. The picture immediately became visible to theaudience as Gepper focused his flashlight on the canvas.

  "That wasn't the way he made Mrs. Weems' picture appear," thought Penny."The fellow must have a great repertoire of tricks!"

  The seance had become so interesting that she no longer thought ofescape. Nevertheless, she came to a sudden realization of her precariousposition as she heard the medium say that he would next endeavor topersuade the Spirit of Flora to take actual shape. With a shock it dawnedupon her that in another moment the man would enter the cabinet to makeuse of the luminous gauze robe and other paraphernalia.

  Knowing that she could not hide from him, Penny decided upon a bold breakfor freedom. Dropping the ghostly robe over her face and shoulders, shepulled aside the dark curtain and flitted into the room.

  Her dramatic entrance brought gasps of astonishment from the persons whosat at the circular table. The medium, as dumbfounded as his audiencemuttered: "What the dickens!" and pushed back his chair, his legs raspingon the floor.

  Penny did not linger, but darted past the group and groped for the door.In the darkness she could not immediately find it. Her shining robe, onthe other hand, made her an easy target for Al Gepper.

  Angrily the medium strode across the room, seizing her arm. She jerkedaway, but he grasped a fold of the robe. It tore and was left behind.

  At that critical instant, Penny's hand encountered the door. She swung itopen, and bounded down the stairway.

  In the seance chamber a light went on, then the hallway becamebrilliantly illuminated. But by that time the girl was in the diningroom.

  She could hear Al Gepper clattering down the steps, intent upon capturingher. Penny was determined that he should never learn her identity.

  Letting herself out of the house by way of the kitchen door, she decidedthat if she attempted to cross the yard, the medium certainly wouldrecognize her. The woodpile offered a hiding place and she crouchedbehind it.

  Scarcely had she secreted herself, when Al Gepper ran into the yard. Heglanced about carefully and circled the house twice.

  Finally, convinced that the "ghost" had escaped he came back to theporch. His customers, greatly agitated by what had occurred, weredemanding explanations.

  "Someone played a prank," Gepper explained briefly. "It will beimpossible to resume the seance for the spirits are offended. You willleave, please."

  The customers departed and the medium locked himself in the house. He didnot bother to lower the upstairs hall blind, and Penny caught occasionalglimpses of him as he moved to and fro.

  "He's packing to leave!" she observed. "Unless I act in double-quicktime, he'll skip town! I must notify Dad and the police without aninstant's delay!"