COPYRIGHT, 1942, BY CUPPLES AND LEON CO.
The Clock Strikes Thirteen
PRINTED IN U. S. A.
PENNY HUDDLED AGAINST THE WALL WATCHING FEARFULLY.
“The Clock Strikes Thirteen” ([See Page 191])
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE [1 SANDWICHES FOR TWO] 1 [2 NIGHT RIDERS] 11 [3 A BLACK HOOD] 20 [4 A NEW CARETAKER] 28 [5 OLD SETH] 38 [6 TALL CORN] 48 [7 MR. BLAKE’S DONATION] 55 [8 PUBLICITY BY PENNY] 63 [9 JERRY’S PARTY] 71 [10 IN THE MELON PATCH] 78 [11 PENNY’S CLUE] 89 [12 ADELLE’S DISAPPEARANCE] 97 [13 AN EXTRA STROKE] 106 [14 THROUGH THE WINDOW] 115 [15 TRACING BEN BOWMAN] 123 [16 A FAMILIAR NAME] 130 [17 FALSE RECORDS] 137 [18 ADELLE’S ACCUSATION] 147 [19 TRAILING A FUGITIVE] 155 [20 CLEM DAVIS’ DISCLOSURE] 163 [21 A BROKEN PROMISE] 170 [22 THE MAN IN GRAY] 178 [23 A TRAP SET] 185 [24 TIMELY HELP] 193 [25 SPECIAL EDITION] 203
CHAPTER
1
SANDWICHES FOR TWO
Jauntily, Penny Parker walked through the dimly lighted newsroom of the Riverview Star, her rubber heels making no sound on the bare, freshly scrubbed floor. Desks were deserted, for the final night edition of the paper had gone to press half an hour earlier, and only the cleaning women were at work. One of the women arrested a long sweep of her mop just in time to avoid splashing the girl with water.
“I sorry,” she apologized in her best broken English. “I no look for someone to come so very late.”