“You did talk as if you thought he had been careless in taking care of the big clock.”
“I never meant it that way, Lou. Anyway, he could have been more polite.”
Jerking open the car door, Penny slid behind the steering wheel and jammed her foot on the starter. Leaping Lena, apparently realizing that her young mistress was in no mood for trifling, responded with instantaneous action.
“I guess you’re satisfied now that the clock never struck thirteen,” Louise teased as the car fairly leaped forward.
“I should say not!” Penny retorted. “Why, I’m more convinced than ever that something went wrong with the mechanism last night. Phelps knew it too, and for that reason didn’t want us asking questions!”
“You die hard, Penny,” chuckled Louise. “From now on, I suppose you’ll go around asking everyone you meet: ‘Where were you at midnight of the thirteenth?’”
“It wouldn’t do any good. Most folks just take things for granted in this world. But there’s one person who would pay attention to that clock!”
“Who?”
“Why, old Seth McGuire. We’ll drive out to his farm and ask him about it.”
“It’s lunch time and I’m hungry,” Louise protested.