Behind the Green Door Part 3

Mr. Parker kissed Penny and hastened away. Later, Louise Sidell came to the house. Soon after ten o'clock the girls took leave of Mrs. Weems, taxiing to the airport.

"I don't see Dad anywhere," Penny remarked as the cabman unloaded her luggage. "He'll probably come dashing up just as the plane takes off."

The girls entered the waiting room and learned that the plane was "on time." Curiously, they glanced at the other pa.s.sengers. Two travelers Penny immediately tagged as business men. But she was rather interested in a plump, over-painted woman whose nervous manner suggested that she might be making her first airplane trip.

While Penny's luggage was being weighed, two men entered the waiting room. One was a lean, sharp-faced individual suffering from a bad cold.

The other, struck Penny as being vaguely familiar. He was a stout man, expensively dressed, and had a surly, condescending way of speaking to his companion.

"Who are those men?" Penny whispered to Louise. "Do you know them?"

Louise shook her head.

"That one fellow looks like someone I've seen," Penny went on thoughtfully. "Maybe I saw his picture in a newspaper, but I can't place him."

The two men went up to the desk and the portly one addressed the clerk curtly:

"You have our reservations for Pine Top?"

"Yes, sir. Just sign your name here." The clerk pushed forward paper and a pen.

Paying for the tickets from a large roll of greenbacks, the two men went over to the opposite side of the waiting room and sat down. Penny glanced anxiously at the clock. It was twenty minutes past ten.

A uniformed messenger boy entered the room, letting in a blast of cold air as he opened the door. He went over to the desk and the clerk pointed out the two girls.

"Now what?" said Penny in a low voice. "Maybe my trip is called off!"

The message was for her, from her father. But it was less serious than she had expected. Because an important story had "broken" it would be impossible for him to leave the office. He wished her a pleasant trip west and again promised he would bend every effort toward visiting Pine Top for Christmas.

Penny folded the message and slipped it into her purse.

"Dad won't be able to see me off," she explained to her chum. "I was afraid when DeWitt called him this morning he would be held up."

Before Louise could reply the outside door opened once more, and a girl of perhaps twenty-two who walked with a long, masculine gait, came in out of the cold. Penny sat up a bit straighter in her chair.

"Do you see what I see?" she whispered.

"Who is she?" inquired Louise curiously.

"The one and only Francine Sellberg."

"Which means nothing to me."

"Don't tell me you haven't seen her by-line in the _Riverview Record_!

Francine would die of mortification."

"Is she a reporter?"

"She covers special a.s.signments. And she is pretty good," Penny added honestly. "But not quite as good as she believes."

"Wonder what she's doing here?"

"I was asking myself that same question."

As the two girls watched, they saw Francine's cool gaze sweep the waiting room. She did not immediately notice Penny and Louise whose backs were partly turned to her. Her eyes rested for an instant upon the two men who previously had bought tickets to Pine Top, and a flicker of satisfaction showed upon her face.

Moving directly to the desk she spoke to the ticket agent in a low voice, yet loudly enough for Penny and Louise to hear.

"Is it still possible to make a reservation for Pine Top?"

"Yes, we have one seat left on the plane."

"I'll take it," said Francine.

Penny nudged Louise and whispered in her ear: "Did you hear that?"

"I certainly did. Why do you suppose she's going to Pine Top? For the skiing?"

"Unless I'm all tangled in a knot, she's after a big story for the _Record_. And I just wonder if those two mysterious-looking gentlemen aren't the reason for her trip!"

CHAPTER 3 _TRAVELING COMPANIONS_

Francine Sellberg paid for her ticket and turned so that her gaze fell squarely upon Penny and Louise. Abruptly, she crossed over to where they sat.

"h.e.l.lo, girls," she greeted them breezily. "What brings you to the airport?"

As always, the young woman reporter's manner was brusque and business-like. Without meaning to offend, she gave others an impression of regarding them with an air of condescension.

"I came to see Penny off," answered Louise before her chum could speak.

"Oh, are you taking this plane?" inquired Francine, staring at Penny with quickening interest.

"I am if it ever gets here."

"Traveling alone?"

"All by my lonesome," Penny admitted cheerfully.

"You're probably only going a short ways?"

"Oh, quite a distance," returned Penny. She did not like the way Francine was quizzing her.

"Penny is going to Pine Top for the skiing," declared Louise, never guessing that her chum preferred to withhold the information.

"Pine Top!" The smile left Francine's face and her eyes roved swiftly toward the two men who sat at the opposite side of the room.