The Mystery of Jockey Hollow

  CHAPTER VII Trial by Jury

  Sim's library was an ideal room for the girls to carry out their plan.Seated at a large desk, where Sim's father often worked at night, Ardenassumed the role of judge, or lawyer, they were not quite sure which.Sim, Terry, and Dot, in varying positions of comfort, were perched aroundher.

  Events had been too exciting to warrant "time out" for Dorothy to changefrom her traveling clothes, so she simply kicked off her shoes and gaveAlthea the keys to her bags. The unpacking would be accomplished swiftlyand skillfully with everything put neatly away and any wrinklescompletely ironed out.

  Arden sat with pen poised and her face alight with eagerness, adark-haired, blue-eyed Portia.

  "Now we'll begin," she said. "Who was the first person to mentionSycamore Hall, and how can we connect him with the mystery?"

  "I was," answered Terry. "I suggested that we ride by. I was tired of theold roads."

  "Theodosia Landry, student," Arden wrote in a schoolgirl's hand,"suggested visiting spot. Of course, Terry, you knew nothing about thelegend that the place was haunted?"

  "I object." Sim sprang up. "That's a leading question. How do we know shedidn't? Remember, we are all guilty until proven innocent."

  "I'll ask it another way, then," Arden agreed. "Did you have anyknowledge of ghost stories emanating from Sycamore Hall, the house inquestion?"

  Arden was well pleased at the businesslike way in which she wasconducting the investigation.

  "Absolutely none, it was merely a coincidence," Terry replied and Ardenpenned her answer.

  "Who next mentioned the house?" Arden resumed her role of detective.

  "Richard Howe," Terry supplied. "He seemed surprised that we wanted to gothere and didn't seem anxious to take us."

  "Yes, and it was he who told us the house was haunted!" chimed in Sim.

  Arden wrote down Dick's name and occupation and the charge against him.

  "Next come the men running from the house when they frightened Sim'shorse. Sim, what did they say they had seen?" Arden asked, busilywriting, her head on one side and the tip of her tongue showing betweenher white teeth as she worked.

  "Dick asked them what was the matter, and one said he wouldn't work thereany longer. That he wouldn't stay where there were ghosts," Terrysupplied promptly.

  "What happened after that?" Arden asked. "I'm a little confused, thingshappened so quickly."

  "I'll testify again," Terry exclaimed eagerly. "This is lots of fun. Thenwe went back to the house after calming our horses, and entered theliving room."

  "Where was Richard Howe then?" asked Dorothy from a deep armchair. "Itseems to me you're losing sight of him. After all, he is the one whowould want to keep the house standing."

  "I don't remember whether he went in first or after we did," Terryanswered, "but we were all together in the living room when we heard thenoise."

  "Dick said there were no workmen in the house when I suggested it mightbe they who were responsible for the manifestations, so apparently heknew we were alone there," Sim said. "It does seem as though he knowsmore than we think."

  "We will each have to report what we were doing and what we heard as wewere in the house. Your story comes later in the course of events, Dot.You check up on us and ask questions when we leave anything out. Now----"Arden took a deep breath. "Sim Westover, or, rather, Bernice," shecorrected herself with a little giggle, "how about you?"

  "I was standing near the door of the parlor leading to the hall when Iheard a bump--bump--like someone coming downstairs. I became frightenedand ran out," Sim stated simply.

  "Terry?" questioned the youthful inquisitor.

  "I was looking at the picture of the girl over the fireplace, and Dickwas looking out the window. He had his back to the room," Terry told herstory.

  "And I," said Arden, "was near Terry, also looking at the picture whenthe noise came. My recollection is that Sim ran out first, then Terry andDick, and I last. The noise was definitely louder when we left."

  "But you didn't actually see anything?" Dorothy asked practically.

  "No," Arden resumed, "we only heard it. When we got home, Moselle told usthat she knew the men who had been working there and that they told herthey had seen the figure. Do you suppose real detectives would considerthat?"

  "If we want to be very thorough we ought to look those men up andinterview them," Dorothy decided. "But let's go on for the time being.Don't I come next?"

  "Dorothy Keene," Arden wrote and added: "student."

  "I heard from the car hammering that suddenly stopped and then a cry. Themen rushed out of the house. When I went upstairs I saw nothing," sheremarked.

  "The next people were the men who returned and the contractor. We canalmost rule them out. It's Callahan's job to tear the place down," Ardenwent on, pushing a stray lock of dark hair out of her eye.

  "Granny Howe appeared after that," Sim added. "Let me report about her,Arden."

  "Proceed," Arden said with dignity.

  "She poked her head in at the door and asked what the trouble was," beganSim. "Then she came in and asked if the men had gone and laughed when wetold her they had," she finished.

  "That covers everyone and everything," Arden remarked putting the top onthe fountain pen she had been using. "And from it all, the onlyconclusion we can come to is that two separate sets of workmen werefrightened away by something they claim they saw or didn't see. While weonly heard sounds."

  "You'll have to admit, though, that it was very strange that the horsesshould be so frightened _before_ we came out. That is, we are_reasonably_ certain that we did not frighten them ourselves," Terrysuggested smartly.

  "There's something in that," agreed Sim, "and also don't forget thenumber of people who heard the same kind of noises and claim they saw thesame thing at the same time."

  Arden stacked the sheets of paper containing the history of "The JockeyHollow Case," as she had called it, and suggested that they be put in asafe place so more could be added. All the girls felt that there was muchmore to come and hoped to get new evidence from Granny Howe when theytook tea with her.

  Sim took the papers, locked them in a small drawer in the desk, and tookthe key.

  "I'll put the key on a chain and wear it around my neck. Then it will besafe." She looked at her friends with shining eyes. It was so exciting tobe in the very center of a thrilling mystery.

  The girls nodded their approval and began talking brightly of all theyhad done and seen as though they might have forgotten somethingimportant. But on the whole they were well pleased with their work andagreed it was very clever of Arden to suggest it; one useful factremembered from reading countless detective tales had come their way.