“From Benny? But he said—”
Penny started to reveal that the boy had blamed the failure of service upon the pilot, and then changed her mind.
“Thank you,” she returned, “I’ll talk with him.”
Penny was more puzzled than ever, but she had no reason to doubt the pilot’s word. Obviously, the newspapers had arrived at Pine Top, and Benny Smith knew what had become of them.
“I’ll just investigate this matter a little further,” Penny decided as she left the village.
Approaching the Fergus hotel a few minutes later, she paused to catch her breath before going inside. In the gathering twilight the building looked more than ever like a great Swiss chalet. The pitched roof was burdened with a thick layer of white snow, and long icicles hung from the window ledges.
Inside the crowded, smoke-filled lobby there was an air of gaiety. A few lights had been turned on, and the orchestra could be heard tuning up in the dining room.
Penny saw no one that she knew. Crossing quickly to a counter at the far side of the lobby, she spoke to a girl who was in charge.
“Can I buy a newspaper here?”
“Yes, we have them.” The girl reached around a corner of the counter, indicating a stack of papers which Penny had not seen. “New York Times?”