CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE [I. A Valuable Letter] 11 [II. A Mysterious Key] 25 [III. An Arrogant Guest] 38 [IV. A Face at the Window] 51 [V. The Lost Key] 67 [VI. Midnight Visitors] 76 [VII. “Ghost” Music] 93 [VIII. The Ivory Collection] 102 [IX. A Scrap of Paper] 115 [X. The Wall Safe] 131 [XI. A Night Adventure] 140 [XII. A Suspicious Act] 150 [XIII. The Secret Stairs] 164 [XIV. A Diamond Ring] 175 [XV. Penny’s Evidence] 186 [XVI. Mrs. Leeds’ Strategy] 199 [XVII. The Man in the Boat] 209 [XVIII. A Daring Theft] 220 [XIX. The Tables Turn] 225 [XX. A Break for Freedom] 239
CHAPTER I
A Valuable Letter
“Hurry, Susan! We have only ten minutes before the store closes!”
Penelope Nichols, the slender girl in blue, urged her companion into the revolving doors at the entrance of the Bresham Department Store. A vigorous push sent the barriers spinning at such a rate that other shoppers turned to stare at the two girls.
“You nearly took off my heels that time, Penny,” Susan Altman protested with a laugh as they emerged into the crowded store.
“Sorry, but we’ve no time to waste if I get that pair of white earrings. The clerks are starting to put things away already.”
Threading their way through the outgoing stream of shoppers, the girls went directly to the jewelry counter. Penny peered anxiously into one of the glass cases to see if the coveted ivory ornaments were still on display. They had not been sold.
“Do you think they’ll look all right with my red party frock?” she asked her chum as they stood impatiently waiting for a clerk. In matters of dress she valued Susan’s opinion more highly than her own.
“Stunning. With your coloring you can wear anything. Now if you had a skin like mine and a snub nose—”