The Cry at Midnight

  CHAPTER 11 _MAP OF THE MONASTERY_

  "Here, lend me a shoulder!" Mr. Eckenrod ordered as Penny hesitated. "Oraren't you interested?"

  "Oh, I am--but your leg."

  "Stuff and nonsense! The doc said it wasn't broken, didn't he? I'll bewalking as well as ever in a few days."

  Supported on one side by Penny and on the other by his wife, the artisthobbled to the adjoining studio.

  On easels about the room were many half completed paintings. Several finepictures, one of the artist's wife, hung on the walls. A paint-smearedsmock had been draped carelessly over a statue.

  "Vernon," sighed his wife, reaching to retrieve the garment, "you are sountidy."

  "Without you, my dear, I should live like a pig in a sty and revel init," chuckled the artist.

  At a desk, amid a litter of letters and papers, were several large sheetsof yellowed drawings.

  "These are the original plans of the monastery," Mr. Eckenrod said,placing them in Penny's hands. "They show every detail of the oldbuilding before it was remodeled by later owners."

  "How did you get these plans, Mr. Eckenrod?"

  "The present owner of the building let me have them to study at the timeI planned to buy the property. He would have sold the place to me too ifthat soft-talking fellow who calls himself Father Benedict hadn't comealong!"

  "Vernon, you mustn't speak that way of him!" reprimanded his wife in ashocked tone. "I'm sure he's a good, kind man of religion. Just becauseyou had a quarrel with his servant--"

  "Father Benedict has less religion than I've got in my little finger!"the artist growled. "You said yourself only last night that something'swrong at the place! What of those screams we heard?"

  "It was explained to me that a simple-minded woman named Julia works atthe monastery," Penny volunteered. "She is supposed to be easily upset."

  "Humph!" muttered Mr. Eckenrod. "All I can say is, Father Benedictsurrounds himself with mighty queer people."

  "It's really none of our affair, Vernon," said his wife mildly.

  "What goes on there is my business until the paintings are finished! ButFather Benedict and ten hunchbacks can't keep me away! With these plans Ican always outwit them!"

  "What do they show?" Penny could not make much from the dim lines.

  "The building is built on the pattern of Sherborne in England," Mr.Eckenrod explained. He pointed out the main part of the church with nave,south and north transepts, choir and chapel. "This section is a ruin now,but could be restored. Unfortunately, the roof has caved in and allpaintings and statues were long ago destroyed."

  "Show me the cloister," requested Penny.

  "Here it is." The artist pointed with a stubby thumb. "Passages radiatefrom it. One leads to the old chapter house. North of the cloister is therefectory, used as a dining room. Behind is the abbey's kitchen."

  "The sleeping rooms?"

  "They're above the refectory and also to the west of the cloister. Underthe refectory are the cellars. They also extend beneath the old chapel."

  "Have you ever visited them, Mr. Eckenrod?"

  "The cellars? I have. Also the burial crypt. A few of the old tombsremain in fairly good state of preservation."

  "But where is the secret passageway?" asked Penny.

  "Through the crypt. It leads into the churchyard to the west of thebuilding."

  "Do many people know about it?"

  "I rather think I'm the only one. The building owner never bothered tostudy the plans, because he wasn't interested. Father Benedict may havelearned the secret, but if so, he stumbled onto it by accident."

  "Is the passageway well hidden?"

  "Very cleverly. From the churchyard, one enters an empty tomb aboveground. A passageway leads down to the crypt beneath the old chapel."

  "Not a very pleasant way to enter or leave a building," said Penny with ashudder.

  "But convenient in a pinch," chuckled Mr. Eckenrod. "If Father Benedictis stubborn about allowing me inside, I'll bide my time and slip in tofinish my paintings one of these days when he is away."

  Poring intently over the plans, Penny remarked that she would like toexplore the passageway sometime.

  "Wait a few days until my leg is strong and I'll take you through!" theartist offered.

  "And if Father Benedict should catch us?"

  "We can handle him!"

  "Vernon, you shouldn't put Miss Parker up to such tricks!" his wifeprotested. "When it comes to playing pranks, or getting even with folks,you're just like a child!"

  "It was no child's play pushing me into the crevasse!" the artistexclaimed. "As soon as I can hobble to town, I'll swear out a warrant forthat hunchback's arrest!"

  "And involve us in an endless feud with our neighbors," his wife sighed."Vernon, you must forget it!"

  The discussion was brought to an abrupt end by Penny who declared thatshe must leave immediately. The Eckenrods thanked her again for hertimely assistance, urging her to visit them again soon.

  "Don't forget our date!" the artist added with a chuckle. "I'll bewalking in a day or two. Then we'll explore the crypt."

  "I'll not forget," promised Penny.

  Shadows were deepening into early darkness as she set off across thefields, guided by a flashlight Mrs. Eckenrod insisted she take.

  The motor of her car was cold, the oil heavy. After two attempts shestarted it and soon was entering the outskirts of Riverview.

  "Wonder if Dad's still at the office?" she thought. "If he is, I may aswell give him a lift home."

  By the time Penny had parked and climbed the stairs to the _Star_editorial room, the hands of her wristwatch were nosing six o'clock.

  The first edition had rolled from the presses, and reporters, their feeton the desks, were relaxing for a few minutes.

  Mr. DeWitt, the city editor, sat scanning the paper, noting correctionsor changes to be made in the next edition.

  "Hi, Mr. DeWitt!" Penny greeted him as she paused by the desk. "Dadhere?"

  "Hello there, Penny," the editor smiled at her. "He was a minute ago.Yes, here he comes now."

  Mr. DeWitt jerked his head sideways toward the publisher's privateoffice. Mr. Parker had on his hat and topcoat and would have left by therear exit without having seen Penny had she not overtaken him.

  "Want a lift home, Dad?" she inquired.

  "Why, hello, Penny!" he said, pausing in surprise. "I certainly do. Ileft my car at home today."

  Beside them, an unhooded Western Union teletype bell began to ringinsistently.

  "What's that for?" Penny inquired curiously.

  "An incoming telegram," her father explained. "We have a direct wire withthe Western Union office now. It saves sending so many messenger boysback and forth."

  The carriage of the machine began to move and the telegram was typed onthe long roll of yellow copy paper.

  "Why, it's for you, Dad!" Penny said in surprise. "A wire from Chicago."

  "Chicago?" Mr. Parker repeated. "Guess we'd better wait and see whom it'sfrom. By the way, how did you and Mr. Ayling make out this afternoon atthe monastery?"

  "I haven't seen him since yesterday, Dad. When I went to the hotel tomeet him, he wasn't there."

  "Busy with other matters perhaps."

  "I suppose so," Penny agreed, "but he might have notified me. He missed alot of excitement by not going along."

  Before she could tell her father about the skiing accident, the teletypemessage was completed. Mr. Parker ripped it from the machine. He whistledsoftly.

  "Why, this wire is from Mr. Ayling!"

  "Then he's in Chicago!"

  "Apparently so. Listen to his message: 'CALLED HERE UNEXPECTEDLY BYTELEGRAM SIGNED MRS. HAWTHORNE. TELEGRAM PROVED A FAKE. RETURNING TORIVERVIEW IMMEDIATELY TO RESUME SEARCH.'"