The Penny Parker Megapack: 15 Complete Novels (5 page)

“First, let’s mosey out into the rose garden,” Salt proposed. “I’ll take a few shots and then we’ll duck under somewhere and wait until the ceremony starts.”

“That’s all very well for you,” grumbled Penny,“but I can’t write much of a story without talking to some member of the family.”

Salt started off across the velvety green lawn toward the rose arbor where the service was to be held. Penny followed reluctantly. She watched the photographer take several pictures before a servant approached him.

“I beg your pardon,” the man said coldly, “but Mrs. Kippenberg gave orders no pictures were to be taken. If you are from one of the papers—”

“Oh, I saw her in the house just a minute ago,”Salt replied carelessly.

“Sorry, sir,” the servant apologized, retreating.

Salt finished taking the pictures and slipped the miniature camera back into his pocket.

“Now let’s amble down toward the river and wait,” he said to Penny. “We’ll blossom forth just as the ceremony starts. Mrs. Kippy won’t dare interrupt it to have us thrown off the grounds.”

They walked down a sloping path, past a glass-enclosed hothouse and on toward a grove of giant oak and maple trees.

“It’s pleasant here when you’re away from the crowd,” Penny remarked, gazing up at the leafy canopy. “I wonder where this path leads?”

“Oh, down to the river probably. With water on three sides of us that’s a fairly safe guess.”

“Which rivers flow past the estate, Salt?”

“The Big Bear and the Kobalt.”

“The same old muddy Kobalt which is near our town,” said Penny in surprise. “I’ll always think of it as a river of adventure.”

“Because of Mud-Cat Joe and his Vanishing Houseboat?”

Penny nodded and a dreamy look came into her eyes. “So much happened on the Kobalt, Salt. Remember that big party Dad threw at the Comstock Inn?”

“Do I? Jerry Livingston decided to sleep in Room Seven where so many persons had disappeared.”

“And then he was spirited away almost before our very eyes,” added Penny. “Days later Mud-Cat Joe helped me fish him out of this same old Kobalt. For awhile we didn’t think he’d ever pull through or be able to tell what had happened to him.”

“But as the grand finale you and your friend, Louise Sidell, solved the mystery and secured a dandy story for the
Star
. Those were the days!”

“You talk as if they were gone forever,” laughed Penny. “Other good stories will come along.”

“Maybe,” said Salt, “but covering a wedding is pretty tame in comparison.”

“Yet this one does have interesting angles,” Penny insisted. “Can’t you almost feel mystery lurking about the place?”

“No, but I do feel a mosquito sinking his stinger into me.” Salt slapped vigorously at his ankle.

They followed the path on toward the river, coming soon to a trail which branched off to the right. Across it had been stretched a wire barrier and a neatly lettered sign read:

NO ADMITTANCE BEYOND THIS POINT.

“Why do you suppose the path is blocked off?”Penny speculated.

“Let’s find out,” Salt suggested with a sudden flare of interest. “Maybe we’ll run into something worth a picture.”

Penny hesitated, not wishing to disregard the sign, yet eager to learn what lay beyond the barrier.

“Listen,” said Salt, “just put your little conscience on ice. We’re here to get the ‘who, when, why and where.’ You’ll never be a first class newspaper reporter if you stifle your curiosity.”

“Lead on,” laughed Penny. “I will follow. Only isn’t it getting late?”

Salt looked at his watch. “We still have a safe fifteen minutes.”

He started to step over the wire, only to have Penny reach out and grasp his hand.

“Wait!” she whispered.

“What’s the idea?” Salt turned toward her in astonishment.

“I think someone is watching us! I’m sure I saw the bushes move.”

“Your nerves are jumpy,” Salt jeered. “It’s only the wind.”

Even as he spoke the foliage to the left moved ever so slightly and a dark form could be seen creeping stealthily away along the ground.

CHAPTER 5

THE MISSING BRIDEGROOM

Salt acted instinctively. Leaping over the wire barrier he dived into the bushes. Hurling himself upon the man who crouched there, he pinned him to the ground. The fellow gave a choked cry and tried to pull free.

“Oh, no, you don’t,” Salt muttered, coolly sitting down on his stomach. “Snooping, eh?”

“You let me up!” the man cried savagely. “Let me up, I say!”

“I’ll let you up when you explain what you were doing here.”

“Why, you impudent young pup!” the man spluttered. “You’re the one who will explain. I am Mrs. Kippenberg’s head gardener.”

Salt’s hand fell from the old man’s collar and he apologetically helped him to his feet. Penny, who had reached the scene, stooped down and recovered a trowel which had slipped from the gardener’s grasp.

“It was just a little mistake on my part,” Salt mumbled. “I hope I didn’t hurt you.”

“No fault of yours you didn’t,” the old man snapped. “A fine howdydo when a person can’t even loosen earth around a shrub without being assaulted by a ruffian!”

The gardener was a short, stout man with graying hair. He wore coarse garments, a loose fitting pair of trousers, a dark shirt and battered felt hat. But Penny noticed that his hands and fingernails were clean and there were no trowel marks around any of the shrubs.

“Salt isn’t exactly a ruffian,” she said as the photographer offered no defense. “After all, from where we stood it looked exactly as if you were hiding in the bushes.”

“Then you both need glasses,” the man retorted rudely. “A person can’t work without getting down on his hands and knees.”

“Where were you digging?” Penny asked innocently.

“I was just starting in when this young upstart leaped on my back!”

“Sorry,” said Salt, “but I thought you were trying to get away.”

“Who are you anyway?” the gardener demanded bluntly. “You’re not guests. I can tell that.”

“You have a very discerning eye,” replied Salt smoothly. “We’re from the
Riverview Star
.”

“Reporters, eh?” The old man scowled unpleasantly. “Then you’ve no business being here at all. You’re not wanted, so get out!”

“We’re only after a few facts about the wedding,”Penny said. “Perhaps you would be willing to tell me—”

“I’ll tell you nothing, Miss! If anything is given out to the papers it will have to come from Mrs. Kippenberg.”

“Fair enough,” Salt acknowledged. He glanced curiously down the path which had been blocked off. “What’s down there?”

“Nothing.” The gardener spoke irritably. “This part of the estate hasn’t been fixed up. That’s why it’s closed.”

Penny had bent down, pretending to examine a shrub at the edge of the path.

“What is the name of this bush?” she inquired casually.

“An azalea,” the gardener replied after a slight hesitation. “Now get out of here, will you? I have my work to do.”

“Oh, all right,” Salt rejoined as he and Penny moved away. “No need to get so tough.”

They stepped over the barrier wire and retraced their way toward the house. Several times Penny glanced back but she could not see the old man. He had slipped away somewhere among the trees.

“I don’t believe that fellow was a gardener,” she said suddenly.

“What makes you think not?”

“Didn’t you notice his nice clean hands and fingernails? And then when I asked him the name of that bush he hesitated and called it an azalea. I saw another long botanical name attached to it.”

“Maybe he just made a mistake, or said the first thing that came into his head. He wanted to get rid of us.”

“I know he did,” nodded Penny. “Yet, when he found out we were from the
Star
he didn’t threaten to report us to Mrs. Kippenberg.”

“That’s so.”

“He was afraid to report us,” Penny went on with conviction. “I’ll bet a cent he has no more right here than we have.”

Salt had lost all interest in the gardener. He glanced at his watch and quickened his step.

“Is it two o’clock yet?” Penny asked anxiously.

“Just. After all the trouble we’ve had getting here we can’t afford to miss the big show.”

Emerging from the grove, Salt and Penny were relieved to see that the ceremony had not yet started. The guests were gathered in the garden, the minister stood waiting, musicians were in their places, but the bridal party had not appeared.

“We’re just in time,” Salt remarked.

Penny observed Mrs. Kippenberg talking with one of the ushers. Even from a distance it was apparent that the woman had lost her poise. Her hands fluttered nervously as she conferred with the young man and a worried frown puckered her eyebrows.

“Something seems to be wrong,” said Penny. “I wonder what is causing the delay?”

Before Salt could reply, the usher crossed the lawn, and came directly toward them. Penny and Salt instantly were on guard, thinking that he had been sent by Mrs. Kippenberg to eject them from the grounds. But although the young man paused, he did not look squarely at them.

“Have you seen Mr. Atherwald anywhere?” he questioned.

“The bridegroom?” Salt asked in astonishment. “What’s the matter? Is he missing?”

“Oh, no, sir,” the young man returned stiffly. “Certainly not. He merely went away for a moment.”

“Mr. Atherwald came over on the same boat with us,” Penny volunteered.

“And did you see him enter the house?”

“No, he spoke to one of the servants and then went toward the garden.”

“Did you notice which path he took?”

“I believe it was this one.”

“We’ve just come from down by the river,” added Salt. “We didn’t see him there. The only person we met was an old gardener.”

The usher thanked them for the information and hurried on. When the man was beyond hearing, Salt turned to Penny, saying jubilantly:

“Say, maybe we’ll get a big story after all! Sylvia Kippenberg jilted at the altar! Hot stuff!”

“Aren’t you jumping to swift conclusions, Salt? He must be around here somewhere.”

“It’s always serious business when a man is late for his wedding. Even if he does show up, daughter Sylvia may take offense and call the whole thing off.”

“Oh, you’re too hopeful,” Penny laughed. “He’ll probably be here in another minute. I don’t believe he would have come at all if he had intended to slip away.”

“He may have lost his nerve at the last minute,”Salt insisted.

“Atherwald did act strangely on the boat,” Penny said reflectively. “And then that message he received—”

“He may have sent it to himself.”

“As an excuse for getting away?”

“Why not?”

“I can’t see any reason for going to so much unnecessary trouble,” Penny argued. “If he intended to jilt Miss Kippenberg how much easier it would have been not to come here at all.”

“Well, let’s see what we can learn,” Salt suggested.

Their interest steadily mounting, they went on toward the house and stationed themselves where they could see advantageously. It was evident by this time that the guests suspected something had gone amiss. Significant glances were exchanged, a few persons looked at their watches, and all eyes focused upon Mrs. Kippenberg who tried desperately to carry off an embarrassing situation.

Minutes passed. The crowd became increasingly restless. Finally, the usher returned and spoke quietly to Mrs. Kippenberg. They both retired to the house.

“It looks as if there will be no wedding today,”Salt declared. “Atherwald hasn’t been located.”

“I won’t dare use the story unless I’m absolutely certain of my facts,” Penny said anxiously.

“We’ll get them, never fear.”

Mrs. Kippenberg and the usher had stepped into the breakfast room. Posting Penny at the outside door, Salt followed the couple. From the hallway he could hear their conversation distinctly.

“But he must be somewhere on the grounds,” the matron argued.

“I can’t understand it myself,” the young man replied. “Grant’s disappearance is very mysterious to say the least. Several persons saw him arrive here and everything seemed to be all right.”

“What time is it now?”

“Two thirty-five, Mrs. Kippenberg.”

“So late? Oh, this is dreadful! How can I face them?”

“I know just how you feel,” the young man said with sympathy. “If you wish I will explain to the guests.”

“No, no, this will disgrace us,” Mrs. Kippenberg murmured. “Wait until I have talked with Sylvia.”

She turned suddenly and reached the hall door before Salt could escape. Her eyes blazed with wrath as she faced him.