The Clock Strikes Thirteen Part 14

"Indeed, yes. The children love them, and outings away from the inst.i.tution are their special delight."

"Let's give a watermelon party!" Penny proposed, immediately considering herself Jerry's partner in the affair. "We could take the children to a nearby farm and let them gorge themselves!"

"The children would enjoy it, I'm sure," Miss Anderson smiled. "Can transportation be arranged? We have sixty boys and girls."

"I'll take care of everything," Jerry promised. "Suppose we set tomorrow afternoon as the date."

"Oh, can't we have the party at night?" Penny pleaded. "There will be a full moon. A watermelon feast wouldn't be much fun by daylight."

Miss Anderson replied that she thought the children might be allowed to attend such a party, providing it were held early in the evening. Penny and Jerry talked with her about various details of the plan, and then drove away from the inst.i.tution.

"Well, you certainly got me into something," Jerry chuckled as the car turned into the main road. "Where are we going to throw this party?"

"Oh, any melon farmer will be glad to let the children invade his patch, providing we pay for the privilege," Penny answered carelessly. "You might turn in at the next farm."

Her confidence proved to be ill-founded, for Mr. Kahler, the farmer whom they accosted, would not consider the proposition.

"The children will trample the vines, and do a lot of damage," he declined. "Why don't you try the Wentover place?"

At the Wentover farm, Jerry and Penny likewise were turned down.

"No one wants sixty orphans running rampant over his place," the reporter observed in discouragement. "We may as well give up the idea."

"It's possible Mrs. Davis would allow us to hold a muskmelon party at her farm," Penny replied thoughtfully. "Now that her husband has skipped, she must be in need of money."

The chance of success seemed unlikely. However, to please Penny, Jerry drove to the Davis property. To their surprise they found the place humming with activity. Professional melon pickers were at work in the patch, and Mrs. Davis, dressed in overalls, was personally supervising the laborers.

"I have no time to answer questions!" she announced to Jerry before he could speak. "Please go away and leave me alone!"

"Oh, I'm not here in an official capacity this time," the reporter grinned. "We want to make you a business proposition."

He then explained what he had in mind. Mrs. Davis listened attentively but with suspicion.

"It's likely some trick!" she declared. "I'll have nothing to do with it!"

"Mrs. Davis, we're not trying to deceive you," Penny interposed earnestly. "We've tried several other farms before we came here. No one is willing to let the children trample the vines."

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt mine," the woman admitted. "By tomorrow night we'll have all the best melons picked and sorted. I reckon the youngsters can have what's left in the patch."

"We'll pay you well for the privilege," Jerry promised, taking out his wallet.

"I don't want your money," the woman answered shortly. "Just see to it that the youngsters don't tear up the place."

Neither Penny nor Jerry wished to accept such a favor, but Mrs. Davis firmly refused to take pay.

"You know, I think the old girl has a tender heart beneath a hard exterior," the reporter remarked after the woman had gone back to the patch. "Down under she's a pretty decent sort."

For a time Penny and Jerry watched the laborers at their work. Heaping baskets of melons were brought from the patch to the barn. There they were sorted, stamped, and packed into crates which were loaded into a truck.

"Nice looking melons," the reporter remarked. "Mrs. Davis should make a pretty fair profit."

An elderly workman, who was sorting melons, glanced sideways at Jerry, grinning in a knowing way.

"Maybe," he said.

"What do you mean by that?" Jerry questioned him.

"Sellin' melons is a speculative business," the old fellow shrugged. "You ain't sure o' anything until your harvest is sold and you get the money in your fist."

Penny and Jerry watched the sorting work for a few minutes longer and then returned to the car.

"You know, for a minute I thought that old duffer was hinting at something," the reporter remarked. "He acted as if it would give him real pleasure to see something happen to Mrs. Davis' melons."

"Oh, I didn't take it that way," Penny responded. "He was only waxing philosophical."

The hour was late. Knowing that he might be wanted at the _Star_ office, Jerry drove rather fast over the b.u.mpy road.

As the press car sped around a bend, a man who stood leaning against a fence post, quickly retreated into the woods. His act, however, had drawn Penny's attention.

"Stop the car, Jerry!" she cried. "There he is again!"

"Who?" demanded the reporter, slamming on brakes.

"I think it's the same man who hid in the cornfield!" Penny exclaimed excitedly. "It must be Clem Davis!"

CHAPTER 10 _IN THE MELON PATCH_

"Which way did the fellow go?" Jerry demanded, bringing the car to a standstill.

"Into the woods," Penny answered tersely.

Leaping from the automobile, they climbed a fence, and reached the edge of the woods. Pausing there, they listened intently. No sound could be heard, not even the crackling of a stick.

"This timber land extends for miles," said Jerry. "We'd only waste time playing hide and seek in there. Our best bet is to notify Sheriff Daniels and let him throw a net around the entire section."

"I guess you're right," Penny acknowledged regretfully.

Making all haste to Riverview, they stopped briefly at the sheriff's office to make their report. Penny then said goodbye to Jerry and went to the newspaper building where she had parked Leaping Lena. The car would not start. Experienced in such matters, Penny raised the hood and posed beside it, a picture of a young lady in deep distress. Soon a taxi-cab cruised along.

"Having trouble, sister?" the driver asked.

Penny slammed down the hood, and scrambled into Leaping Lena.

"Just give me a little push," she instructed briskly.