“At last I’ll find out what lies behind that Green Door,” she thought in high elation. “If this isn’t the most wonderful piece of luck!”
Debating a moment, Penny decided that it probably was too late to gain admittance that evening. Mrs. Downey no doubt was worried over her long absence from the lodge. She would return there, and then revisit the hotel early the next day.
Pocketing the precious ticket, Penny set off up the mountain. It was dark before she had covered half the distance, but there were stars and a half moon to guide her.
Mrs. Downey showed her relief as the girl stomped into the kitchen.
“I was beginning to worry, Penny,” she declared. “Whatever made it take you so long?”
“I stopped at the Fergus hotel and had dinner with Miss Miller.”
“Were you able to get the newspapers?”
“Only one which I had to buy at the Fergus hotel. Mrs. Downey, it’s queer about those papers. Benny Smith told me there weren’t any to be had, and then a few minutes later I met the airplane pilot who told me he had brought them in the same as usual. Also, the Fergus hotel received its usual quota.”
“Well, that’s odd.”
“It looks to me as if the Fergus outfit has made some arrangement with the paper boy. They may be buying up all the papers.”