The Wishing Well Part 7

"One of these days you'll choke on some of those big words," Louise grumbled. "All right, I'll come."

Fifteen minutes later she arrived at the Parker home to find Penny, garbed in an ap.r.o.n, working industriously in the kitchen.

"Say, what is this?" Louise demanded suspiciously. "If you tricked me into helping you with the dishes, I'm going straight home!"

"Oh, relax," Penny laughed. "The dishes were done hours ago. We're going to help out the Old Wishing Well."

"I wish you would explain what you mean."

"It's this way, Lou. The Breens are as poor as church mice, and they need food. At the Marborough place this afternoon Rhoda made a wish--that her family would have more to eat. Well, it's up to us to make that wish come true."

"You're preparing a basket of food to take out to the camp?"

"That's the general idea. We can leave it on the doorstep of the trailer and slip away without revealing our ident.i.ty."

"Why, your idea is a splendid one!" Louise suddenly approved. "Of course Mrs. Weems said it would be all right to fix the basket of food?"

"Oh, she won't mind. I know she would want me to do it if she were here."

Swinging open the porcelain door of the ice box, Penny peered into the illuminated shelves. The refrigerator was unusually well stocked, for Mrs. Weems had baked that day in antic.i.p.ation of week-end appet.i.tes.

Without hesitation, Penny handed out a meat loaf, a plum pudding, bunches of radishes, scrubbed carrots, celery, and a dozen fresh eggs.

"Dash down to the bas.e.m.e.nt and get some canned goods from the supply shelf," she instructed Louise briskly. "We ought to have jelly too, and a sample of Mrs. Weems' strawberry preserves."

"You do the dashing, if you don't mind," her chum demurred. "I prefer not to become too deeply involved in this affair."

"Oh, Mrs. Weems won't care--not a bit," Penny returned as she started for the bas.e.m.e.nt. "She's the most charitable person in the world."

In a minute she was back, her arms laden with heavy canned goods. Finding a market basket in the garage, the girls packed the food, wrapping perishables carefully in waxed paper.

"There! We can't crowd another thing into the basket," Penny declared at last.

"The ice-box is as bare as Mother Hubbard's cupboard," Louise rejoined.

"What will the Parker family eat tomorrow?"

"Oh, Mrs. Weems can buy more. She'll be a good sport about it, I know."

With no misgivings, Penny carried the heavy basket to the garage and loaded it into the car. Discovering that the gasoline gauge registered low, she skillfully siphoned an extra two gallons from her father's car, and then announced that she was ready to go.

"Don't you ever patronize a filling station?" Louise inquired as her chum headed the automobile down the street.

"Oh, now and then," Penny grinned. "After that cheque I wrote for the Breens' rent, I'm feeling rather poor. Dad is much better able to buy gasoline than I, and he won't begrudge me a couple of gallons."

"You certainly have your family well trained," Louise sighed. "I wish I knew how you get by with it."

The car toured through Riverview and presently arrived at the entrance of the Dorset Tourist Camp. An attendant stopped the girls, but allowed them to drive on when he learned that they did not wish to make reservations for a cabin. Penny drew up not far from where the Breen trailer was parked.

"A light is still burning there," Louise observed. "We'll have to be careful if we don't want to be seen."

As Penny lifted the heavy basket from the rear compartment of the automobile, she noticed another car standing not far away. It looked somewhat familiar and in studying it more intently she noted the license plate.

"Why, it's that same Texas car!" she exclaimed. "Those men must still be here."

"What car? What men?"

"Oh, this evening two strangers inquired the way to this tourist camp,"

Penny explained briefly. "They said they were looking for Ted Wiegand."

"Friends of his?"

"I don't know who they were or what they wanted. It struck me as odd though, that they would come from such a long distance."

"Whoever they are, they must be at the trailer now," Louise said after a moment. "Should we leave the basket on the doorstep or wait until they've gone?"

"We can't very well wait, Lou. They might decide to stay half the night."

Carrying the basket between them, the girls moved noiselessly toward the trailer. Blinds had not been drawn and they could see Mr. and Mrs. Breen, Rhoda, and the two men seated at the table carrying on an animated discussion.

"I wish I knew why those Texas fellows came here," Penny remarked thoughtfully. "If we wanted to find out--"

"I'll not listen at any window!" Louise cut her short.

"I was merely thinking we _could_. Of course, I never would do such an ill-bred thing."

"I'm sure you won't," Louise replied with emphasis. "For a very good reason too! I shall take you away before temptation sways you."

Depositing the basket of food on the trailer doorstep, she forcibly pulled Penny to the waiting car.

CHAPTER 6 _A WISH FULFILLED_

At school the next morning, both Penny and Louise eagerly awaited some indication from Rhoda Wiegand that the basket of food had been discovered by the Breen family. The girl had failed to appear at five minutes to nine, and they began to wonder if she intended to absent herself from cla.s.ses.

"Oh, by the way, what did Mrs. Weems say about last night's little episode?" Louise asked her chum curiously.

"Entirely too much," Penny sighed. "She sent me three thousand words on the budget problems of a housekeeper! If you don't mind, let's allow the subject to rest in peace."

It was time for the final school bell, and the two girls started toward the a.s.sembly room. Just then Rhoda, breathless from hurrying, came into the hallway. Her eyes sparkled and obviously, she was rather excited.

"Girls, something strange happened last night!" she greeted Penny and Louise. "You'll never guess!"

"We couldn't possibly," Louise said soberly.

"Two baskets of food were left at the door of our trailer! It's silly to say it, I know, but it seems as if my wish at the old well must have had something to do with it."

"Did you say _two_ baskets of food were left?" Louise questioned, gazing sideways at Penny.